Boss looked across his desk at the Monkey sitting opposite. The black leather flying jacket over the flight suit looked new and gleamed. Boss flipped the file in front of him shut and spoke.

“So, our first Monkey pilot. Have to think of a good call name for you”

“Call me whatever everyone else is calling me” he smiled back. God those teeth look sharp thought boss.

“I don’t think “that monkey bastard” is a good call name really. Does not do wonders for team spirit” The monkey smiled again. Muted colours on his snout.

“Part Mandrill?” asked Boss.

“Yes” and that bloody smile again. You have no idea how much I want to punch you seethed the voice in bosses head.

“So you have lost a lot of pilots? I heard that Skit, Hazel, Flyboy and Snowy all bought it”

Boss felt cold.

“They died in combat. It happens”

“And yet there are not enough trained Rabbits to replace them and here I am”

I am not going to look up said bosses inner voice, because if that smile is there again…

“You would think, given what they say about Rabbits, that there would be an almost endless supply of eager young things ready to fly against us…”

“Us?” boss looked up. Jeezus was he that big when he came in? More like a Gorilla now, huge and muscled, leaning forward in the chair, sharp teeth flashing in the red mouth.

“Ironic isn’t it – you blow your sister out of the sky and a Monkey comes along as a replacement pilot, and why do Rabbits want to fly, given that they should be spending most of their life underground”

“Stop it” The monkey was standing up with his fists on the edge of the desk, naked and bristling, looking impossibly big.

“Your family all fly, know where they are do you? Who they are flying for, ARE YOU GOING TO BLOW THEM OUT OF THE SKY BOSS? DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE? DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR PARENTS! DO YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING BEFORE THIS GODFORESAKEN AIRFIELD AND THE FIGHTING AND WATCHING YOUR FRIENDS BURN IN THEIR PLANES!”

Boss was on his feet with his back to the wall, all he could see in front of him was the snarling mouth of the Monkey like some huge cave. He stood in the fetid blast of the Monkeys screaming laughter and looked at the impossibly big and sharp teeth of the cave and the vile fat tongue thrashing around on the floor.

“STOP IT!” Boss threw himself into the rank blast and into the cave punching wildly, a huge tooth shattered like glass and blood sprayed over him, hot and thick.
“STOP IT!” The laughter and the screaming continued and boss screwed his eyes tight shut and ripped the tongue from its roots and shredded it with his bare hands, blood flying everywhere. He punched and gouged and screamed and ripped – he could feel the Monkey shrinking around him. He opened his eyes and it stood there before him, its face a ruin and blood streaming down its naked chest. But still it laughed and howled and screamed.
“STOP IT!” Bosses hands fell on it again and fur and skin and blood and bone flew in all directions
“STOP IT! YOU KILLED HER! IT’S YOUR FAULT! SHE WAS FLYING FOR YOU! HOW DID I KNOW! I DIDN’T KNOW…”

Bosses head snapped up. His office was dark, lit dimly by the light of the ante room coming in under the door. In his hands where shreds of paper that had been the pilot lists for his, Skit and Hazels new sections. He was going to pin them on the board in the mess.

“Oh fuck”