Weeks passed with the recruits becoming even more comfortable with the lessons they were being taught, but the brutality of the course never let up, even when things got easier. Exercise was rigorous and left them with aches and pains that never seemed to cease. Room inspections, although they became easier with trial and error, still kept them on their toes just in case they made a mistake. Every time Sir Phantomhive examined their mugs, they held their breath in anticipation of it being smashed against the floor. Their minds, bodies, and senses were all being pushed to the brink and then beyond. Most of them could see and feel results in changes to their physical capabilities, while others visually hadn't changed much, but definitely improved. Wallace Young, who could only manage three pushups at the start of the camp was aiming for one hundred and he was a lot closer than his goal than he had hoped.
"All of you need to maintain a certain degree of fitness, even after the course is over." Ciel informed them. "If you don't, what will happen?"
"We'll die!" the group answered in unison, having heard the spiel before.
"Exactly. So, you will need to put together and carry out a strict workout regimen when you are full-fledged operatives. Don't worry, there is a gym on the base and your teammates will be more than happy to assist you and get you going. After all, it is within their best interests to keep everyone in tip-top shape!"
Raising his hand, Private Maddigan waited patiently for the Phantomhive to give him permission to speak. "Are we going to be split up into different teams?" he asked.
Suddenly, the group was concerned. They hadn't really thought about that possibility until their instructor hinted at it. They had assumed that since they all trained together, they would form their own team of just them to be deployed into action, especially since they all knew each other and were somewhat comfortable around each other. They had even worked on designing their own patch for their graduating class that they would wear once they were out in the field. During the duration of the camp, the group had become a tight-knit family of sorts. All of them were proud to be on the same team and they were proud to be there. For many of them, it was the biggest thing they had ever done and with the support of their team, they felt as though they could do anything. But, the very idea that it could all be taken away from them at the end of this journey they were all on was devastating.
"Most likely." Ciel confirmed, causing their hearts to sink. "You need to be on teams with experienced operatives who can teach you the tools of the trade that simply cannot be learned here. Furthermore, other teams need replacement operatives when one of their own falls in battle. Some of you may end up on the same team, but the bonds you form here will never go away. It doesn't mean that you can't remain friends and that you are no longer comrades. It also doesn't mean that you shouldn't bother with focusing on helping each other become the best soldiers you can be now."
"Can we still all hang out?" inquired Wallace with genuine concern written all over his face.
"Of course you can! You can be friends with anyone you want!" answered the demon with confusion soiling his smile. "If you all want to go to the pub after work with just you lot, you're free to do so!"
"Will you join us for a pint, sir?" asked Private Cooksey.
"Sure, I will, Cooksey. Until then, it is extremely inappropriate for me to do so, as I am your commanding officer and you are my subordinates. You are in my care now, but soon you'll have to leave the nest and live on your own as grown men. Then, and only then, will you be equal enough to go to the pub with me."
"Go to the pub with you?" asked Bryce. "You're going to the pub with us!"
"Not even in your dreams, Withers." the Phantomhive jested before moving them on to the next activity. As soon as he changed gears back into officer mode, the recruits followed and stood at attention as he explained the course.
This was going to be perhaps the most difficult section yet, as now they were combining everything they had learned thus far into one exercise. Their physical prowess, their shooting skills, their reflexes, and their ability to move as a unit and work as a team were all vital to surviving this operation. For the first time, they were going to move to the shooting course and it was nothing like the gun range.
It was a labyrinth of sorts, filled with targets that they would have to dispatch and dispatch with accuracy. While there were cutouts depicting hostile supernatural beings, there were also civilians mixed in, so the group would have to pay attention and not miss. Only headshots and shots to the heart qualified as a kill. Ciel would be following their every move with security cameras alongside Dame Elizabeth Hellsing, who was naturally curious to see how the bluenette and his underlings were faring.
"My, my, they're starting to look official, now." the woman pointed out from the surveilence room as the camera focused on the first group that was about to go in. The platoon was divided into squads of five and all of them were dressed in borrowed tactical gear that would prove essential if they slipped up. "You must be proud."
"I am, to an extent." Ciel confessed, sitting in a rather relaxed fashion in one of the room's chairs. "They still have quite a ways to go and there is still no guarantee that they will succeed."
"Really? You seemed quite eager to show me what they can do." the woman grinned, crossing one leg over the other. "Or are you nervous in case they fail?"
"I have faith in them. They are very proficient, although rough around the edges." the bluenette stated. "I am worried about their practical skills. While they can sort of imagine what it is like out in the field, they will never truly know until they are there. They have that 'ordinary person' softness that could either give way to a fully functional, hardened soldier in due time, or absolutely crush them in two missions… It would be such a waste..."
"You're attached, aren't you?" noted Elizabeth. "They could always do other things for the organisation if they have additional skills?"
Thinking for a moment, the bluenette stated. "Most of them design and build weapons, but Private Braumfeld has some bodyarmour designs that are cost effective and appear to be quite sound. How is that?"
"You should point him in the direction of the Weapons Department. Tell him to gather up his best designs and samples." the woman informed. "Anyone else?"
"Private Young appears as though he would be proficient in the research department, if given the proper knowledge and information. I'm not sure about the others, however..."
"I'm sure that you're doing everything you can to prepare them." Elizabeth said reassuringly. She leaned over to pat her cousin's shoulder before turning back to the screens. "Shall we give them the green light?"
"Sure..." Ciel answered. He leaned forward, fixating on the monitors while resting his elbows on his knees. His hands were folded, fingers intertwined as he sat his chin on top of them, obviously worried by what he was about to see.
The lads in the first squad were all talking and having a merry time as they hyped themselves up for the door to open. They still vaguely stayed in formation as they didn't know when exactly they would be starting. All of them stood with their backs to one another so that nothing could sneak up on them. It was a standard formation that the bluenette had taught them, but it also meant that everyone had to be on their best game. If one person isn't paying attention, it could put all of them at risk.
They were actually rather pleased with themselves in their loaned equipment. It was mostly gear meant for SWAT teams and not all of them matched, but it would suit their needs. They wore helmets, gloves, and bullet-proof vests and other forms of padding like elbow and kneepads. They were also armed with actual guns, so they all needed to be careful. No one wanted to be accidentally shot by a teammate, especially because it would put them out of being able to finish the course.
All of them drew from a hat to see which teams they would be placed on. In the first squad, there was Private Henderson, Withers, Kidman, Cooksey, and Young. In the second, there was Private Choi, Peterson, Danlaw, Braumfeld, and Maddigan. Both teams were confident in their success, give or take a few individuals. Private Joseph Kidman was a bit worried about the people he ended up with, but it was too late for him to complain as he was at the gate. There was no time to dwell on that as a voice over a speaker began to count down.
"Five… Four… Three… Two… One… Go!" Elizabeth declared, pushing the button that swung the door open. Immediately, squad one filed in before getting position. Their guns were raised and ready while their leader scrutinised their form from the surveillance room.
"That was slow..." the Phantomhive said. "They need to file in faster. What if someone was waiting by the door?"
Despite his fretting, the test carried on with or without his support. The group was very serious and stayed alert, although they had a little trouble moving in sync. "Henderson is too far away from the others." Ciel groaned. "If he keeps that up, his back will be exposed!"
The team pressed on, and when they got to their first room, the operatives on that side raised their weapons to fire if they needed to, only to find that it was empty. The next room on the otherside wasn't, however, and the cutouts jumped up into their view, only to be immediately mowed down. The first shots were fired and so far, everyone was feeling good. Rooms carried on like this until one of them made a mistake.
"Cooksey, you idiot!" shouted Private Bryce Withers. "You shot a little girl!"
"She jumped up at me! Little girls can be vampires!" Private Gordon Cooksey protested.
"Not ones with rosy cheeks!"
"Focus!" Kidman said. "We need to keep moving!"
"This is going so slow..." groaned Private Henderson. "We should cover more ground."
"Have you never seen a horror movie?" scoffed Private Young, hearing shots behind him as Kidman shot a target that dropped from the ceiling. "That's how people die!"
To that, Henderson muttered under his breath before carrying on with the rest of them. So far, they were doing well, with only one "dead civilian" bringing down their score. It was stressful, but they were managing quite well. All of them worked together like they had been doing this for ages, even with their occasional spats as to where they were supposed to go.
"They're doing well." Elizabeth stated with a smile before looking over at Ciel. "You should be proud."
"A bit too well..." her cousin replied with a dissatisfied look about his face. "Like this is nothing but a game. It's just a test. It doesn't prove anything in regards to how they'll react in the field.
With that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, much to the confusion of Dame Hellsing. "What are you doing?"
"Texting the 'minotaur'." he said plainly. "You didn't think that this was all I was going to ask of them, did you?"
Yes, unfortunately for the lads, their instructor was indeed a demon. They had the misfortune of being taught by the one and only Sir Ciel Phantomhive. He was cruel to them on any other day in order to prepare them for the harshness of their desired occupation and this day was no exception. He was not going to allow them to have an easy time. He was not going to allow them to feel no fear. He was not going to allow them to treat this like some sort of game. No, he was going to give them a miniscule taste of what was to come should they continue their path and to do this, he was going to need some help. Not long after the Phantomhive sent out his message, things started to fall into place. The sound of footsteps rang out from down the corridor, causing one man to get nervous.
"What was that?" Cooksey asked, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.
"Probably the hydraulics they use to make the targets pop up." Young replied, but then he heard it too. "Wait… What is that?"
The group stopped in its tracks, still in formation. Everyone was perfectly quiet as they all perked up their ears and listened. "Withers! Stop breathing so hard!" Kidman irritably instructed.
"I. Am. Tired!" Bryce replied in an annoyed whisper, only to be shushed by Private Young.
All of them continued to listen, staring straight ahead in their circle. Then, the footsteps grew faster up ahead. Louder, too. They were growing closer and closer as they all waited patiently for whatever it was to come. Then, as Private Henderson kept a watchful eye out, he saw a figure clad in all black run down the hallway that intersected with theirs. Once it was in sight, it was out again, just as quickly as it came.
"There!" he declared before rushing forward in order to chase after it.
"No! Carl, get back!" shouted Young in alarm while the others turned their heads to watch after Private Henderson as he abandoned the group.
"I'm just going to check!" the deserter called out. "I'll be back in a second!"
While he ran forward, everyone else closed themselves in tighter to accommodate for his absence. They knew that Carl now belonged to whatever was out there, if there was anything at all. He ran down the hallway and rounded the corner, only to see nothing there. Furrowing his brow, he lowered his gun as he walked forward a few steps. He knew he saw something. He just knew it! He was correct, too, but he wouldn't know that until it was too late.
Turning around, Private Henderson decided to turn back and rejoin his group, completely losing his stance and walking casually instead of with caution. He was so careless that he didn't hear the figure tiptoeing out of one of the rooms behind him and closing the gap between them. For a second, he heard did hear the footsteps as they charged him once they were close enough, but couldn't do anything to stop his attacker as an arm wrapped around his, locking them in place so he couldn't raise his gun to defend himself. He shouldn't have lowered it in the first place.
Henderson tried to shout for help, but before he could, his attacker's other hand came up and covered his nose and mouth with a rag. Trying to breathe in, he found that it had an odd smell and his mind jumped to the correct conclusion. Chloroform. Startled, he pulled the trigger of his automatic rifle, causing bullets to spray in the complete opposite direction from where he needed them to go.
"Henderson!" shouted Private Withers, followed by the others shouting after him in another attempt to call him back. Then, the bullets stopped and everything was quiet. Now worried, they all looked at one another, silently inquiring what they should do next.
"We should go after him." Bryce suggested. "Stay in formation, though. We don't want to be stupid like him."
"Sounds like a plan." replied Kidman. Young nodded in agreement while Cooksey only whimpered in fear.
Slowly, they inched forward. It took them a while to make it to the corner and longer still to look around it. With guns drawn and at the ready, they looked, only to find nothing there. There was nothing, save for Carl's gun on the ground in front of them.
"What?" Walter said aloud, lowering his weapons with wide eyes.
"Where the fuck is he?!" demanded Bryce with a scowl. "Henderson, you fucking cockbite! Quit fucking around and get the fuck back out here!"
"This isn't funny!" Gordon declared. "Come on! We gotta get back to the mission!"
"Isn't that a bit weird, though?" asked Kidman. "This isn't like him."
"What do you mean?" questioned the Private Cooksey.
"Henderson is a raging ammosexual." Joseph replied, pointing to their compatriot's weapon. "I mean, the guy has a serious hard-on for guns. He wouldn't just set it down like that."
"So something happened to him?!" Gordon questioned with panic in his eyes.
"Shut up! Nothing happened! This test is just us making our way through the course and shooting the targets. That's. All." Private Withers protested, pointing at the gun on the floor as well while addressing his team. "This is just the platoon dickhead messing with us because nobody fucking likes him!"
"Don't you think that's a bit harsh?" asked Private Young with raised brows.
"If you heard what he says when you're not around, you wouldn't be asking that, Wallace." answered Bryce, continuing his insistence. "Fuck 'im. If he wants to abandon the group, then he can fend for himself. That's what would happen in a real combat situation. We wouldn't be messing with it because he's already dead! Let's just hurry up and finish the job."
Taking what Private Withers said as being mostly accurate, they resumed their position and continued to move. Although, they did stop just a little longer while Bryce took the clip from Carl's gun just in case anyone ran out of bullets. From there, they carried on as usual, although visibly shaken by their comrade's disappearance. From then on, they proceeded with more caution, as they knew that something was amiss. Back in the surveillance room, however, the air was much different.
"Hmm." Ciel was somewhat relieved by what he had just seen and was now very cautiously optimistic about the test. "It would appear that Private Withers has a bit of leadership skills."
"Bit of a language problem… Although soldiers are not known for their pristine vocabulary." Elizabeth replied. "So where did that one get dragged off to?"
"He'll wake up in first-aid by the time the next group goes in." the bluenette stated before sighing. "I'm very disappointed in Private Henderson… I just can't seem to get through to him… He'll be nothing but a snack, at this rate."
"Hmm… Perhaps his future squad can straighten him out?"
"Doubtful. He reacts to anything that doesn't confirm his worldview or tell him how 'brilliant' he is with hostility or by simply brushing you off. I don't think there's any help for him."
"You never know. It takes all kinds. He might make it through enough missions to learn."
"He couldn't even make it through this one and it's fake..."
"Only time will tell, I suppose..."
As they continued to watch, things were still going relatively smoothly. More bullets were wasted, however, as the lads' nerves caused them to miss shots or land non-fatal ones. They were struggling, the more and more time passed as the anticipation that something was going to happen was starting to get to them.
"Fuck! This is getting hard!" Cooksey declared as he finally hit a target after three shots.
"Wanna trade?" asked Kidman, who was covering the rear. "Nothing's going on back here. I've only had to reload like, once."
Kidman smiled while Cooksey let out a nervous laugh, turning his head to look in his direction. When he turned his head back to face the corridor, he nearly jumped out of his skin. "Guys!" he said through grit teeth. "There's a person over there!"
Sure enough, when the others whipped their heads around, there was. A man clad in black stood there, wearing a mask with horns on it that made him look like a bull. They could see him take a breath in and release steam from the mask's nostrils when he breathed out.
"I'm gonna fucking shit myself." said Cooksey, the fear taking away his filter. He and the other men squeaked as they saw the man lift his foot and stomp it back down before sliding it back. He repeated the gesture a few times before they realised what he was about to do.
Before any of them could say anything, he charged, moving way too fast for an ordinary person. Kidman was so shocked that even though it was headed straight for him, he forgot to pull the trigger on his raised gun. He froze at a vital moment, and was struck in the solar plexis. Hard.
The air was knocked out of his lungs, causing him to drop his weapon. He was still conscious, however. He was still perfectly aware of things as the man in the bull mask picked him up and swung him over his shoulder before leaping over the heads of the rest of the group. Then, the mysterious man in the bull-face mask ran down the hallway, enticing the group to follow. All the while, Kidman yelled out for help. They were frozen where they stood, wide-eyed and not wanting to continue anymore.
"What..?" breathlessly mumbled Bryce. "What just..?"
"What the fuck was that?" asked Wallace, gawking at what he had just seen. It was one thing believing that one of their comrades might have been taken but something, but seeing it was something else entirely.
"Fuck this!" yelled Private Cooksey. "I hate this! I wanna go back!"
"Right… Calm… Ca-calm down, okay?" Private Withers said, although not sure if he could listen to his own advice. "Let's just… Let's just keep moving..."
"We gotta get out of here, Bryce!" Wallace declared. "We've gotta move, but we've gotta get out! This wasn't part of the plan!"
"Yeah! Forget the stupid test! There's shit in here with us!" Gordon agreed. After a second to think about it, Bryce made his decision as well.
Lowering his head, he stared blankly at the ground. "You're right… Fuck this… We can't do this by ourselves... We're in way over our heads..." Raising it again, he added: "We need to get out of here before that thing comes back."
Thus, they moved quickly, ignoring all of the targets and simply focusing all of their energy on getting out of the maze. All the while, their retreat was caught on camera for their superiors to watch. Raising her brows, Elizabeth was rather surprised.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "They're retreating! Is that allowed? How are you grading this?"
"By how well I think they handled the situation." Ciel answered, just as the door to the room opened. Both he and his cousin turned their heads to look behind them and saw Private Joseph Kidman looking at them with a shaken and confused expression on his face.
"Sir..?" the private shakily questioned, prompting his commanding officer to stand up.
"Private Kidman." the Phantomhive began. "You did good. I'm proud of you."
"You've been watching us?" Kidman asked, still not following what was going on. His attention turned toward the woman who was sitting next to Ciel, prompting her to smile and wave at him.
"That's the only way I would be able to tell how you and your team were faring." Ciel explained before gesturing to Elizabeth. "This is my cousin, Dame Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Hellsing, second in command of the HELLSING Organisation."
"Pleasure to meet you, Private Kidman." she greeted, momentarily snapping the man from his daze.
"Sir!" Kidman replied, standing at attention before correcting himself. "Madam? Dame..?"
Sitting back down, Ciel took the moment to critique his underling. "You did very well and would have definitely made it out. You did good in trying to keep your teammates calm." he said before adding. "The only reason you're here is because you didn't fire your gun as you were being charged. While most people think that 'fight' and 'flight' are the only responses to danger, freezing is another perfectly normal reaction, so don't feel bad about it. We're here to help you get used to shooting. This test was to give you a very, very minuscule taste of the kind of stress that will be experienced on missions."
"So… The guy in the mask was part of it?" Joseph inquired, walking closer to the pair. "What happened to Henderson?"
"Henderson was just knocked out. He'll wake up in a bit completely unharmed." the Phantomhive stated. "The man in the mask is one of my associates. I asked him to assist me in this test."
"Wait, he was in on it and you wanted me to shoot him?!"
"He is perfectly safe. He's wearing all kinds of padding so he won't be injured." That was a lie, but it was better than outright telling the man that a demon had been hunting them that entire time. "No one was ever in any danger. I wouldn't put you in any on purpose. I do apologise for withholding the information from you all, but I couldn't allow you to know what was to come. You would treat it like a game, otherwise, which isn't the point of the course."
"You got me good, boss..." Joseph nervously laughed, although he was incredibly relieved. There wasn't any danger at all and the test was over for him. In addition, he now got to watch the rest of his team try to complete the course while not in on the procedure. "At least I didn't go first like in the movies."
The group barreled through the maze, trying their best to keep their tight-knit formation so that they had a person looking out on three sides instead of having their backs exposed. It was hard for them to keep up with each other with the pace they were trying to maintain, but they were doing their best. They ignored each and every target along with each and every room in order to get out of the maze and notify somebody that there was somebody in there dragging off their people.
"Where the fuck is the exit?!" shouted Gordon in frustration and panic.
"We've gotta be close!" Wallace replied. "Right, Bryce?"
"Right..." Private Withers answered, but in truth, he had no idea. He just wanted Private Cooksey to not panic.
They were indeed close, however, whether they knew it or not, but they were still not alone. Gordon stared down the hallway that he was guarding and saw a flash of black sprint by, startling him and causing him to open fire. "Aah!" he screamed as bullets went flying, only to stop moments later once it passed.
"What was that?!" questioned Bryce.
"I saw something!" Gordon replied.
"Shit!"
The group pressed on, regardless, growing more and more frantic. They were jumpy. Gordon was especially jumpy, but he proved that he would pull the trigger if approached, thus eliminating himself as a potential target. He kept firing whenever the figure passed, completely keeping him at bay. Once the gunfire stopped, they listened, only to hear a deep chuckle.
"Let's get the fuck out of here!" Bryce said as they rounded the next corner. His eyes squinted as he saw a bright red sign up ahead just beneath the ceiling. "There!" he said, pointing. "It's the exit!"
"Let's go! Let's fucking go!" Wallace shouted, spurring them to break formation and make a mad dash for the door. It was so close, yet it felt as though they were miles away. They ran as fast as their legs would carry them as they heard the pounding of footsteps behind them.
Once they were out, they struggled to stop moving. Bryce actually tripped over his own two feet. All of them panted harshly, not wanting to look back to see what was there. Once his breathing had calmed a bit, however, Wallace did. He turned and looked over his shoulder, only let out a scream. It was loud and came from deep within his gut, attracting the attention of his compatriots. What they all saw was the man in the bull mask standing there.
They backed away slowly and raised their weapons in case he lunged at them. Only instead of doing so, he reached up with a pair of gloved hands and unfastened the leather strap at the back of his head. Once the mask was off, he was revealed to be a rather handsome man with garnet eyes, black hair and a smile that seemed both friendly and off-putting at once.
"Ah, I wasn't fast enough." the man said with a disappointed tone of voice. "To be fair, however, it is a bit difficult to see in this mask."
"Poppycock." declared a familiar voice, causing all of them to look in another direction. To their astonishment, their commanding officer was walking toward them with Private Joseph Kidman following closely behind. "You could have definitely caught them if you were taking it seriously."
"Forgive me, master, but I do believe you specifically instructed me to give them a fighting chance."
"'Master?'" echoed Private Withers, slackjawed at what was going on. His eyes darted to Ciel and then back to the man clad in black and watched as he offered a polite bow.
"I am Sebastian Michaelis, butler to the Phantomhive household." Sebastian said, introducing himself. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Wait… So this was a setup?" Asked Bryce, turning his attention to his commanding officer. "You set us up?"
"Yes, I did." Ciel stated rather bluntly, standing up straight with his hands behind his back. "This exercise is typically never run like this, however, I felt as though sending you through here to shoot at targets was pointless. Therefore, I felt it appropriate to give you a sense of fear to make it more 'real'. I didn't want this to feel like a videogame to you, so I was left with no other alternative but to keep you in the dark."
"So… What happened to Kidman? And Henderson?"
"Sebastian put me down as soon as he carried me out of the maze." Joseph explained. "He told me he was working for Sir Phantomhive and that I should go find him in the surveillance room. Then I just watched you finish up on the cameras." He shrugged lightly as if it weren't a big deal, but the other recruits' heads were still spinning.
"I wondered if I actually needed to contact Sebastian at all, at first." Ciel continued. "Then I saw you starting to relax and joke around, so I made the test harder. I was pleasantly surprised at how you handled it, however. You didn't dissolve or forget your training. In fact, you were doing better when you were scared, just like I hoped."
"You're an evil fucker, sir." Wallace nervously laughed.
"Thank you." the Phantomhive replied. "I know."
With everyone safe and sound, all of them joked about their misadventure and shared notes with the bluenette over what they did right and what they need to improve on. All of them thought that they had done monumentally poorly due to the fact that they abandoned the mission when Kidman was taken, but that wasn't the case. In fact, that was one of the things that Ciel said that they did right. He was glad that they escaped the situation when overwhelmed and facing an unknown entity rather than trying to face it regardless and risk death.
"One thing idiots get wrong about war is the idea of retreat." he said to them as they all walked back to the surveillance room. "They see retreat as being cowardly or weak, but in reality, it is a strategy. Which makes more sense? Retreating and calling for backup so that you can resolve the problem slightly later, or staying put and dying while no one on the outside knows that the mission failed?"
"Retreat, sir." said Bryce, before adding: "It's better to defeat the threat than to let them get away. Without knowing that the mission is a failure, other troops won't be deployed and that will give the targets the chance to escape."
"Very good, Private." the Phantomhive replied while looking over his shoulder. "You even thought of the consequences? Someone has been paying attention."
Bryce beamed at the compliment while the others playfully punched him in the arms. They then watched as the second group went through the same horrors that they did. Admittedly, squad one was a bit disappointed at how well they did. No one in squad two wandered off and they kept their backs to each other just as they were meant to for the whole course. The only person who got dragged off was Private Timothy Maddigan and that was because he hesitated when Sebastian charged him, failing to land a hit before being snatched away. The redhead made it to the surveillance room with the rest of them and watched his team complete the course. It took longer than the first squad, however, as the second actually stopped and hit all of the targets.
There were a few moments where they seemed to struggle, however, and that was when Private Choi and Private Danlaw had opposing views on which way to go. Both of them appeared to be the "leader" type and had difficulty relinquishing control. Private Danlaw had an especially hard time, as he felt as though since he was from a military family, he was qualified to lead the mission. It was precisely that thought that made their instructor side with Choi at the end.
"Part of leadership is knowing when to listen." the bluenette said. "That goes to both of you, but don't ever assume that you know everything. Even people who have 'less experience' can have good ideas and it can pay off to listen to them."
"Yes, sir..." the private conceded, looking down at his feet. His superior officer could see that he was uncertain, so he was asked to meet with him in his office before going to lunch with the others.
In all honesty, Solomon was nervous about what the Phantomhive was going to say to him. He was worried that he might have appeared ungrateful for the advice or as though he wasn't listening, when that was far from the case. It was because Ciel was right that Private Danlaw felt uneasy. No matter how embedded in the military his family was, he, himself, was not. He had no real combat experience, nor has he actually ever been in the military. As much as he wished he could have the honour and integrity that the military offered, he could never accept it. After all, it was false in his eyes. He knew this, but still wished to make a difference. It was time to stop trying to live through someone else with a system that he did not agree with. It was time that he followed in something that he did believe in.
Yet, it was still difficult, as his time in the maze indicated. He actually fought with Private Choi, who was ordinarily someone with whom he got along very well with. Truly, Solomon not only regretted his actions, but questioned his own judgement.
But, that is why he was in Ciel's rather plain-looking office. Even after all of this time, the Phantomhive hadn't bothered with decorating, save for a photograph of he and his husband on their wedding day on his desk. That was facing away from Danlaw and toward whoever sat down at the desk, however. It was actually surprising to Danlaw, as he had expected the bluenette to be more deeply rooted in the training ground, but it was as though he had either just gotten there or was planning on leaving.
"Private Danlaw." Ciel said, snapping the other man to attention. "Let's talk about your actions on the course."
"Yes, sir." Solomon nodded. "It was completely unacceptable. Had there been a real danger, arguing like that and being petty could have cost all of us our lives. I will think before I act in the future."
"I see. So you were acting on emotion, then?" noted the Phantomhive before gesturing to a chair on the side of the desk opposite to himself. "Please, take a seat."
Following his instruction, Danlaw did as he was told, although he was reluctant. "Thank you, sir." he said. "I suppose I was. I just really, really wanted to lead the mission for some reason… I don't even know if I had thought about whether or not the direction I was going was right..."
"Did you feel as though you had something to prove?" the Watchdog questioned.
"Maybe..."
"I'm not here to scold you, so don't worry about that. I'm only trying to help you get better. You really want to be a leader, but allowed that desire to get in the way of you actually fulfilling that role. Sadly, it's incredibly common, but that's why officer positions are hard to come by, here."
"I know. I should just… turn off my emotions and complete the task. Nothing else is more importa-."
"No. Don't do that. Don't ever do that." abruptly insisted the other, actually going so far as to interrupt. Ciel was somewhat surprised at himself, as he allowed a fraction of his own private self slip through. Pausing to collect himself, he took in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.
"Emotion is essential to having a working moral compass, Private." he said, causing his underling to raise his brows. "Without them, you can complete the mission, sure, but think about what the cost could be. Part of being a good leader is being able to care. If you aren't passionate about the cause, then what will drive you to keep moving forward? In fact, why would you even be here in the first place? That's just the sentiment that any soldier here should have, but being a leader is more than that. It's the ability to value the lives of civilians who are in harms way. It's the ability to take care of your team. They trust in their leader and you musn't betray them."
"I see, but…" Danlaw paused, as he wasn't sure what he was going to say. There had to be something, or else he wouldn't have said that, but he couldn't think of anything. Following his silence, Ciel filled in.
"Being a good leader is perhaps the toughest job on the entire team." the demon said. "Not only are you fighting as well, you're keeping everyone together to fulfill a common goal and making decisions to keep everyone alive. Those decisions are never easy to make."
"Did you ever have to make tough choices?" Solomon questioned, causing the bluenette's brows to raise. Private Danlaw was concerned with the amount of surprise on Ciel's face, but it was completely warranted. Ciel hadn't realised up until now, but he wasn't really talking about Solomon. Instead, he was actually projecting.
After a moment of hesitation, Ciel gave his answer. "Yes." he said. "Many times. More times than I'd like. Some were good choices, while some… some were very bad…" The man went quiet as he pondered where to go from here, but his underling interpreted his silence as having touched a nerve.
"I'm sorry, Sir." the Private apologised. "I didn't mean to overstep my bounds..."
"No, no… It's alright." the Watchdog answered, holding up a hand. "It's an important lesson that needs to be learned, even though I didn't realise it. Some of you will have to make some tough calls when you're soldiers, as well. Some of you might even be forced to consider the same choices I made..."
Solomon thought it might be rude to pry, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. "Sir, if I may ask… What sort of choices were they?"
Ciel raised his gaze from his desk to Danlaw, having failed to realise that he had looked down at all. He considered telling him up front. He considered telling him what he had done. He also considered the possible consequence. But, what were the consequences of telling him to stop asking? Ciel needed his team to trust him, but had to look in on his own lessons to see if he would actually apply them to himself. Could his team truly trust in someone who didn't trust them? According to Ciel's own ideation: No. No, they couldn't. Sometimes, he hated his own insightfulness, but also weighed the converse side of things.
Who really was Danlaw to him and should he really know how he ticks? Private Solomon Danlaw was just that. A private. He was someone who worked and learned under him and nothing more. They weren't family. They weren't friends. They were just coworkers, essentially. More importantly, Ciel was his boss. Was it even appropriate? Furthermore, what were the consequences of opening up to someone with this relationship with him? But, Ciel needed to give the man some kind of answer, either way.
"Being a leader means being responsible for people's lives." Ciel began, still trying to think about how to explain this. "When one is irresponsible with them, people die. Sometimes, for preventable reasons. The person who leads has the toughest of choices to make and sometimes, they involve whether or not it is worth the risk to go back and help their comrades."
Pausing, he stopped to think about his phrasing. It sounded… distant. It was like he was deflecting the blame from himself, creating this hypothetical situation instead of outright saying that he, himself made those choices and that he believes that he, himself was wrong.
"People died, Private Danlaw." he said. "There were times when I probably could have gone back and saved them. There are a couple where I know I could have. But I didn't. I continued the mission and left them behind. As leader, I doomed those men. That's a choice that I can't take back and have to live with, now. It's a choice that I never want to make again."
Naturally, the other man was speechless. Sir Ciel Phantomhive wouldn't do this. He was a great leader. He always stood tall and knew what to do. He always knew how to handle someone and how to motivate them to do better. That's how he was. To hear that he had done this was a shock- no, a shock was an understatement. Ciel was a man of iron and a leader of men. How could this be?
"Sir-" Solomon began before cutting himself off. He wasn't sure where he was going with this. He didn't know what to say. Solomon Danlaw didn't have any answers, especially when Ciel Phantomhive didn't. But, even still, the Private's resolve was not shaken, nor was his trust. "That was in the past though, wasn't it?"
"Yes? What of it?"
"I don't know." Private Danlaw replied. "I don't know anything. All I understand is that you're the boss and that you know what you're doing. Whatever it is that happened, it's in the past, but now, you're really good at what you do. You have my respect not only as a superior officer, but also as a superior man. All of us feel that way."
This was a very shocking day for everyone, it seemed. Ciel had never been a role model in his entire life. At least, not that he was aware of. These men were either crazy or Ciel simply wasn't seeing himself in an accurate lense and it was hard for the bluenette to accept either of those options as plausible. He just couldn't.
"You should probably go to lunch soon." Ciel eventually said, having realised that he had kept Danlaw for a while. "Be sure to make it to the lecture afterwards."
"Yes, sir..." Solomon said while standing up. There was a bit of a disappointed expression on his face. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he was expecting from the Phantomhive, but he expected a bit more of a response. He turned and started walking to the door, but when he reached for the knob, the other man called out to him.
"Private Danlaw." The Watchdog began, prompting the Private to turn his head to face him. "All of you did good work today. I'm proud. Keep working hard and I'm sure you'll all become great soldiers."
With a smile on his face, Soloman replied: "Thank you, sir." And with that, he left, leaving the bluenette alone in his office.
He hadn't expected things to turn out this way. No matter how many times he heard it from other people, he had never heard it from a soldier before. Ciel Phantomhive was a good man. Somehow it eased his guilt a bit, although he wasn't certain how he felt about being made happy by a lowly soldier who he wasn't even friends with. Perhaps opening up paid off this time, but that didn't mean that the Watchdog was going to go and make a habit of it.
A/N: 7,607 words. Can you blame me for taking so long?
Oh, Henderson, what ever are we going to do with you... He was supposed to be more involved in this chapter, but that changed literally as I was writing it. That's where the story wanted to go, though. His redemption will have to wait for another day...
...maybe..
Hard to tell with him.
I got a question, though.
"Is Joseph Kidman's name a reference to The Evil Within series' Joseph Oda and Juli Kidman?" by Melajay
Oh, yes. Most definitely. It's not even subtle. I feel like it's fitting, given the subject matter. I really wish I hid a lot more horror game references in this... The only other one is Clancy, who is named after Clancy Jarvis from Resident Evil 7. It's seriously a mess of missed opportunity and I am incredibly disappointed in myself.
Almost all of them are named after SOMETHING though. Timothy Maddigan is a combination of DC Comic's Tim Drake and standup comedian Kathleen Maddigan. Jason Choi comes from Jason Todd. Solomon Danlaw comes from Solomon Grundy (noticing a trend of DC comics characters?) "Not-nice-Bryce" here is named after "Not-nice-Bryce" from Bob's Burgers. Wallace Young comes from Wallace & Gromit. I kept most of the subtle. Joseph is the only one who's blatant and I love it.
That's all I got for now.
Until the next chapter, my duckies~!
