The camp was proving far bigger than she had imagined from her first glimpse as Sanchez had driven her through the front gates and then to her office come accommodation. Rows of barracks, training areas, latrines and showers; mess tents and a small first aid station set up in the midst of what must have been a number of large agricultural fields.

Dekker was proving to be a rather good tour guide, as (Y/n) and the big man made their way around the camp. The large Nebraskan boy remaining in good spirits, despite the way that the regular soldiers would look at him and mutter something to one another, before laughing. Dekker keeping his mind from their actions, by asking his new XO more about the promise to teach him to read and write.

"Dekker........."

"Sir..............?"

"Does this happen all the time........?"

"Does what happen sir............?" (Y/n) stopping and looking to the young man that the others had dubbed, Ox.

"The other men treating you like this..........? The way that they are looking at you. Talking behind your back. Laughing............." The anger growing in her, as Dekker just shrugged.

"Most of the time, yeah. Though it's not just me, they tend ta do the same ta Schultz, Novak, Gates and Gorsky, too. That's why we normally keep to ourselves. Though people like Caine are safe. One time this private ticked him off so bad, he set the guys clothes on fire; so, everyone keeps clear of him, now. And no one is dumb enough ta say anything ta either of the sergeants. Especially Creed; he's good at putting guys in the infirmary." Dekker informed her with a slight chuckle; yet his nonchalant tone wasn't soothing her ire any.

(Y/n) had seen this too many times before; men, women, children, bullied, beaten and belittled. Treated like they were monsters, because they had been born different; born with a mutation that none of them had ever asked for. (Y/n) once even having seen a young man being beaten by his own family; a young girl having stones thrown at her, before being run out of her small town, when it had become obvious that they were different. The shapeshifter having hated herself for having just stood there and watched, instead of doing something to help. Hated herself for her cowardice; of being more concerned with her own wellbeing, than helping these other mutants. So, from that moment, she had sworn that she would not allow that to happen again. That she would defend those that could not, or would not, defend themselves. That she would even put herself in harm's way, if it would stop some other innocent mutant from being harmed, or worse, killed. The fact that she herself had been disowned by her own family, just adding fuel to the fire.

She believed her life to have been normal until she was about five years of age; from the little she could recall, her mother, father, and grandparents had been good to her, and despite the fact the family had never been rich, she could remember never wanting for anything. Yet that had all changed the day that she had turned into that damn dog. (Y/n) and her grandfather had been outside that fateful morning, playing with a new puppy that they had got; the little girl thinking that it needed a friend, so she had changed into an exact copy of the dog. Running around with her new friend, until she had seen the shocked, the horrified look on her grandfather's face. (Y/n) changing back to herself, only for her to find herself dragged back into the farmhouse and all the curtains and doors locked. The world that she had known, shattered right before her eyes. (Y/n) until that point thinking that it was quite normal that she could change what she was; but boy had she been wrong. The little girl finding herself shipped off only a day or so later, to a home; to this awful place that would punish anyone that used any of the gifts that they had been born with. (Y/n) only able to take the beatings for a few months, before she had run away; a then six year old child, alone in the world. It during this time that she had discovered that she could change into other people too; that the only way she had been able to survive, to learn and to achieve all she had achieved. And though some of the things she had had to do were not necessarily legal, she had never hurt anyone. And given that given all she had been through herself; she would not let Dekker continue to be treated like this.

"Corporal..........." (Y/n) barked at one of the men that were currently muttering something to one another. Dekker watching, his brows now furrowed, as his new commanding officer stormed over to the men on the side of the training ground.

"Sir..........." The corporal and the others standing to attention and saluting, as the angry looking captain, glared at them.

"Do you know something about that soldier that I don't? Because you and your gang of buddies here seem to find something more than a little amusing about him. So, how about letting me in on the joke, huh? I could do with a good laugh........" (Y/n) continued, pointing to the at least seven foot tall, built like a haystack, Dekker. The corporal looking to his fellows, before turning back to her.

"It was just that we were wondering why ya were with him, sir. Ya see he's one of them freaks they got over there in that M Platoon. There ain't a damn one of them that ain't a mutant, or whatever they wanna call themselves. We don't have much time for them, and even tha commander don't like them mixing with us. They normally know ta keep ta themselves, but Dekker there, well, he's as dumb as a box a rocks. Never learns his lesson........" The rather swarthy corporal replied with a chuckle. The laughter stopping as the captain took a step forward.

"So, you don't like mutants, huh? Well, I am pretty sure that they don't like you much either. But the thing about war, corporal, is that it brings the strangest bedfellows together, against a common enemy. So, when you, your friends, and me and my bunch of mutants are all shipped off to Europe to kill Nazis, I will still let them save your sorry asses, when you are about to get them shot off. I will let them carry you through the mud and blood to medics, when you are bleeding. Shield you when you have nowhere else to hide; because, despite what people like you do and think of us, we, the those that you call freaks, know who the real enemy is. So, from now on, if you have an issue with one of my men, I suggest that you come and speak to me; because, if I find out that any......any member of M Platoon is treated this way again, you will have me to answer to. And believe me, corporal, you don't want to have to answer to me.........." (Y/n) explained with an almost animalistic growl, before she turned and made her way back to Dekker.

"I think I have had enough of the sightseeing for one day, Ox. Let's get out of here. I don't much like the view.........." Dekker nodding in reply, quickly following after the new XO. A broad smile spread across his face.