Alec is still smirking at Issy and when they make eye contact, they start snickering. Issy throws her uninjured arm over Alec's shoulders as he walks with her to the infirmary.
At ten past eight the next morning, the Sun's Pride stood in front of their Captain in a line, shoulder to shoulder and their hands clasped behind their backs with their packs either slung over their shoulders or on the ground next to their feet. Other squads that were going to different sections were moving about the garage quickly and one of the large garage doors was already open as several trucks roll out of the compound and a few drive in after a Morning shift. Issy stood in between Cutie Pie and Red in her patrol gear with her own patrol jacket on. She has several knives scattered around her body and her hand gun in the holster on her thigh.
Captain looks down the line, meeting each of their eyes before he nods his head once. "These next two weeks we will be patrolling Sector 1 and Sector 2 in Candor. Keep your eyes open, stay focused and don't second guess your decisions if it comes to a scuffle. Cutie Pie and Issy," Captain looks to them, his gaze soft but serious. "The mock patrols have nothing on the real thing. They were still within the borders of Dauntless. The patrols we will do now can either be really interesting or really boring depending on the Factionless' activity. That doesn't mean you don't pay attention. Your actions during a patrol could determine the fate of one of our lives and vise versa. Issy you'll follow Bulldozer to the border of Sector 2, where BD will park up. The rest of us will get out and you'll roll your bike into the back. After that, BD will drive at a slow pace and the rest of us will span out around the sides and back of the truck." His expression softens as a small smile comes onto his face. "That being said, I and the rest of us have faith in both of you." Captain nods his head again. "Alright then. You have thirty minutes to get your gear before we roll out at ten to nine. Dismissed."
By their captain's word, the rest of the squad split off to collect the things that they need. Issy immediately heads towards her locker to get her helmet and her rifle. She slung the strap of her rifle on one shoulder before placing her phone in there and locking it up. Thankfully, her bike keys were already connected to the rest of her keys so went straight back to the garage. With two mugs of coffee in her system, she felt ready for the day ahead. She smiled at Billy as they passed, he was probably heading to his locker. Once in the garage, she noticed Harrison standing on one of the balconies overlooking the whole room. They made eye contact and she saw his lips twitch up in one corner and he nodded his head once. She nodded back before she head towards the squad's truck. After Issy had finished fixing her bike, Harrison had allocated a parking spot for her bike. It was parked up proudly on the other side of the marked road just to the right of BD's truck.
As she neared the truck Bulldozer already had the back doors open and he placed his rifle on one of the hooks with its barrel pointing to the roof. She puts her next to his under her penciled name after checking the safety was on. Issy takes out her leather gloves from her pack and shoves them in her jacket pocket before she places her pack on a hook next to where BD placed his. The only way any of them can tell who's is who's is the small patch on the front of the bag under the Dauntless symbol. BD's is a truck and Issy's is, unsurprisingly, a wolf like the pack that runs across her tank. Walking around to the right side of the truck, Issy looks left and right, despite it only being a one-way system, before crossing the lanes to get to her bike. She pulls on her gloves after Issy places her helmet on the seat, her eyes scanning the room for the rest of her squad. Captain stood at the nose of the truck as Cutie Pie and Geek climbed into the back, followed closely by Billy and Rainbow. Bulldozer climbed into the truck and started the engine just as Issy had pulled her helmet on and she mounted her bike, revving her engine in response as BD glanced her way. He laughed then, shaking his head as Red jumped into the back and shut the doors. Captain nodded to her before he too climbed into the cab next to BD. Issy pressed the button on her helmet that connected her to the squad's shared radio and Captain's voice crackled over the connection.
"We're on schedule for today so lets get rolling. The sooner we get out there, the sooner we can come home!" The connection cuts off as the truck pulls out of its parking space. Issy revved her engine again, disengaging the kickstand as she took off after it.
xXx
Issy followed the truck down the road. A few trucks were somewhere behind her before they split off in different directions at one of the crossroads, heading towards different sectors and factions. During Issy's training the squad had sat down in their common room and went over the different route and sectors the patrols do. Sector 1 was always the middle of a faction and was normally the biggest as it covered all of the main areas where those faction members either meet up or live. Sectors 2 through 5 was the area around Sector 1 and often bordered Sectors of another faction. The Factionless however, didn't have Sectors, it just had several different route that often overlapped so the chances of seeing another squad was high. They were just entering Candor and into Sector 2 when BD pulled over. Issy came off of the road after him and turned off her engine as the back doors opened and the squad jumped out. As Billy was the last one to get out, he pulled out a ramp so that Issy could wheel her bike into the back of the truck. Once everyone was out of the back, Issy wheeled her bike into the middle of the truck and pushed the ramp back in. She took of her helmet and placed it on one of the seats before she picked up her rifle and slings the strap across her shoulders.
Closing the doors behind her after she jumps out of the truck, Issy walks to the front where the rest of the squad stands as Captain goes over the probability of seeing some action today. Bulldozer listens from behind the wheel with the window down.
"Get into positions!" Captain calls out after he's finished. On the mock patrols they did during training they each had practiced where they would stand and they stand in those positions now. On the left side of the truck stands Captain, Cutie Pie and Rainbow in a line along the side of the truck. On the right side is Red, Issy and Greek and Billy guards the back of the truck. Captain and Red stand parallel to the nose of the truck, keeping pace with it. The squad is silent as they walk, watching their surroundings for anything out of the ordinary.
They stay like this until its just past half one and they stop for lunch not that far away from the border of Sector 1. Their guards are dropped halfway and smiles come on their faces as chatter slowly takes over the silence. It's a short break and its not long before they're putting their rubbish back into their packs, hanging them back up in the truck and they're setting off again in silence, guards back up.
As they near the main buildings of Candor Issy decides she likes the silence. Its not one of those silences where surrounded by her thoughts, its comfortable, its soothing, and Issy is far too busy checking her surroundings to be surrounded by her thoughts anyway. She likes the steady pace. She likes that the further they get towards the center of Candor, the more people send smiles their way. Some, like one would expect of a Candor, thank the squad for protecting the streets. Issy smiles at this. The other factions depends on Dauntless to keep them safe and as she looks to a small family where a small girl laughs with glee, pointing to the truck as a little boy holding her hand stares at them with awe on his face. Their parents stand behind them, nodding to Issy with acknowledgement when they see her looking with smiles on their faces. Issy nods back, winking to the children, who squeal and laugh in response. Red looks back to her with a raised eyebrow, smirking at her as she shrugs in response. Her eyes glow in content, realising she couldn't be happier with the job she has chosen.
xXx
Its twenty past six when they get back into the garage. As soon as the squad has packed away all of their stuff, rifles and other necessaries back in their lockers, Captain dismisses them after telling them to be in the garage for the same time the next morning. Issy slips her phone into her jacket pocket, grinning widely as she walks down the corridors to her apartment to shower and change before she sits with whoever in the cafeteria.
There's not one moment where she doesn't stop grinning as she sits opposite Hec, who wears the same grin. One by one, the rest of their squad joins them and a few of their other friends. The lack of Captain's presence is noted, but they know he's still probably writing the report of Hec and Issy's performance that day. Hec and Issy share a knowing look, happy of their choice, of many choices that had lead them to that day of when they finally feel like they can be useful for their faction.