Gate: In the Company of Shadows
Chapter 4
Chaperone
COUNT COLT FORMAL
SITE HOTEL GAMMA, FALMART
IMPERIAL CALENDAR 687 - 08:30:00
The Count couldn't help but bounce his leg up and down. Being under constant surveillance with an entourage of bodyguards was going to get tiring after such a long time. He looked up at the calendar hung up on the other side of the room. There weren't too many differences, so if he was reading it right then that meant that three months had passed.
Three months since he crossed the gate, three months since he watched his men be slaughtered in front of him, and three months since he'd been captured and controlled by the enemy.
Shadow Company…
He still had absolutely no idea what exactly it was that they were after, but it must have been important for them to negotiate for his help. Well… he called it a negotiation but it was more like forcing him because he had no other choice.
Things were looking up though. Just recently he was allowed to cross the gate again, allowing him to step foot onto Falmart ground once more. Unfortunately, he didn't have long to take it all in before being escorted to one of their new temporary buildings.
The incessant droning of the air conditioner annoyed him greatly. It blew cold air, cooling the room from the sun's heat. The only problem was how loud it was. That and how frigid it was in there. The room was starting to get stuffy, and he needed to get out.
"Gentlemen, I'd like to step out and get some air. Would that be at all possible?"
The men assigned to guarding him turned to look at each other before one of them stepped forward. The man had his sleeves rolled up, so Formal assumed he wanted to be out of the cold anyway. "Jawohl, I'll accompany you." He said with a slight accent.
"Of course you will…" The Count muttered to himself. If the guard heard his comment, he certainly didn't acknowledge it.
As they stepped outside, the brightness from the early morning sun shone down upon them. It felt nice to soak in the warmth.
He looked around at the other tents. Chatter was constant, showing how lively and active the base was. Large towers moved heavy beams of steel and palettes of bricks into position as men in bright orange uniforms with yellow helmets oversaw their construction.
The fact that these otherworlders could build such structures in such a short timeframe without the use of slaves was still astonishing to him. He heard the saying, that the capital wasn't built in a day, but these people could probably do it in less if they really wanted to.
"Hey, Boxer!" Both the Count and his assigned guard turned to face the new voice. On the other side of the four-way junction was a patrol of two more Shadow Company soldiers. The shorter one was waving frantically at them as they crossed the dirt path while the other simply looked bored.
The guard next to him merely chuckled as he turned to face the two. "Dakota, still on patrol duty I see?"
She responded by playfully slugging him in the shoulder, "Still on guard duty I see?"
"Fair one…"
Formal looked between the two, wisely choosing not to say anything.
"So did you hear about what happened in the region the past couple of days?" She asked.
His guard, now identified as Boxer, raised a brow. "Not really, I've been cooped up watching the VIP for now." He gestured a thumb back to Formal.
"Ah, well a couple of nights ago there was a huge plume of smoke out in the distance. When I say huge, I mean it was massive!"
"Really now?" Boxer appeared intrigued. "What was it? Like a forest fire or something?"
"It was, but that's not what was so crazy about it!"
Boxer nodded his head slowly. "I'm assuming you're going to tell me rather than keep me in suspense?"
"Well…" She drawled out, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Maybe I'll tell it to you when we rematch for that chess game that-"
"It was a fire-breathing dragon." Her patrol partner said, cutting her off.
Formal's eyes widened to comical proportions. It was a good thing they weren't focused on him, otherwise, they'd think something was wrong with him.
A flame dragon?!
That was bad news. If a flame dragon was loose on Falmart it would wreak untold amounts of havoc on everyone. Judging by the story, it has already happened to some unfortunate souls. They could be next…
She glared up at him. "You asshole, you weren't supposed to-!"
"Woah, woah, woah. Hit the brakes real quick. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you said a fire-breathing dragon?"
He ignored the pouting of his partner. "Yeah. After everyone saw it out in the distance, Avatar 1 was sent to recce the area. According to our maps, a whole village of people was wiped out."
Dakota had a look of contemplation. "Kinda' reminds me of what Butcher unit did back in Afghanistan…"
"No kidding, huh?"
"Oh, there's more." Her partner added.
Formal shook himself out of his stupor.
More?! Formal asked himself. What more could there possibly be?!
"You know our Japanese friends from the other gate?"
Friends? from the other gate?
"Don't tell me…" Boxer said in disbelief.
"Yep, Avatar 1 spotted them not too far from the burn site. A few days later, we caught them getting into a firefight with the damn thing! Got the footage to back it up too."
"A firefight with a fire-breathing dragon?" Boxer whistled, somewhat impressed. "Damn, They've got balls, I'll give them that."
Dakota nodded her head. "Uh huh, apparently they were escorting a large convoy of villagers. Our analysts bet that they came from Coda Village."
"What the hell were the Japanese doing in a village?"
Dakota shrugged her shoulders. "Hell if I know. Anyways… about that rematch?"
Boxer chuckled as he shook his head. "Maybe when I get the time. For now, the commander's got me watching over the VIP."
"You say that, but word around the site is that this whole dragon and Japanese drama is causing Graves to move plans up schedule. So maybe we'll get that rematch after all…"
"Maybe we will…"
The two stared at each other before Dakota began walking away, a slight sashay in her hips. "I'll be seeing you, Boxer!"
He watched the two soldiers walk away before turning back to Formal. "You hear that? If things keep turning out like this, you'll be home in no time at all!"
Wait a second… they were speaking his language the entire time! Why? Did they want him to know?
"I see those gears turning in your head. Just think of it as us delivering news. After all, it's best to be in the know, especially with someone in your position."
Count Formal stared at the man before turning to look at the sky. Maybe it was his imagination, but he swore he heard the distant roar of the flame dragon…
[REDACTED] VALE [REDACTED]
SITE HOTEL GAMMA, FALMART
IMPERIAL CALENDAR 687 - 13:27:05
"Are you Bishop's squad lead?"
Turning his head, Vale came face to face with a group of other Shadow Company operatives. Standing in the middle of their group was none other than Count Colt Formal himself. They must have been the men assigned to safeguarding their VIP.
"Yes, I am." He offered a hand out to shake. "Vale."
The man in front of him gave a firm shake back. "Boxer, leader of Sentinel squad."
Sentinel… the company sure had a thing for titles. "Wow, how noble sounding," Vale joked, "Is the work as glorious as the title?"
Boxer shrugged his shoulders, seemingly indifferent to it. "Eh, it's VIP protection. Aside from the lack of action, I can't really complain. Still getting paid the same either way."
"I would sure hope you aren't complaining!"
Both squads snapped to attention at hearing their superior's voice. Once again, Commander Graves was making his way down the path in full kit, a suppressed P90 hung from his sling as he carried his helmet in his hands while another squad of operators followed closely behind him.
"Sir!" Both squads saluted him as he came closer.
He waved them off. "Ah, cut the formalities. I take it that both your squads are ready to move?"
"Yes sir, we're all packed and loaded!"
Commander Graves nodded in satisfaction before turning to the vehicles. "Good, are the transports ready as well?"
Three tan-colored Humvees sat parked nearby, one behind the other in a convoy formation. The center and back one had the standard .50 cal on top while the one in the front had a belt-fed minigun. Needless to say, if they ran into any trouble… trouble would be no more.
Boxer looked back from their convoy. "Aye, sir! Fueled up and ready to go!"
Commander Graves had a smile on his face. Everything looked perfect so far. "Alright, Vale, you and your squad lead the convoy. Boxer, I'll be riding center with you. The rest, take the last Humvee. all squads get to your victors."
"Yes sir!"
Everyone immediately rushed to their vehicles as Vale started assigning his team to their seats.
"Viper, I want you gunning for this one. Bristol, you take the wheel."
"Should we really be letting the Brit drive?" Angel asked. "What if he drives on the wrong side of the road?"
Bristol rolled his eyes at the comment. "What road? We're not in the UK ya' prick!"
Vale made himself comfortable as he got into the passenger seat. "Cut the chatter, the commander entrusted us to be front and center of this escort. I want game faces on, at least until we get to Italica. Got it?"
His squad didn't get a chance to respond as Commander Graves' voice started coming through all their comms.
"All right, here's a quick rundown of our mission in case anybody somehow forgot. We're to escort our VIP Count Colt Formal to his home city of Italica. If we keep following the path East, we'll come upon it in less than two hours. Avatar 1 will be providing surveillance from the air and Outlaw teams are fueled up and on standby should we happen to need them. Oxide will be on comms in central command as well. Are there any questions?"
When nobody spoke up, Graves took the silence as confirmation.
"Okay, let's get this show on the road people!"
Vale turned to his driver, "You heard the man Bristol, let's roll!"
He hit the gas pedal, sending the vehicle and the men inside forward to explore the world beyond.
"So…" Ronin began, getting the squads' attention. "What do we do if we run into the JSDF?"
…
Vale turned to give a stern stare at him in the back seat. "You didn't think to ask the commander that earlier?"
He put his hands up in defense. "Well, it didn't occur to me until now!"
"Ugh…" Vale reached for the radio on his vest. "Shadow 1, what if we encounter any of the JSDF during our mission?"
It took a second for him to respond, most likely thinking of a good response. "Maintain peaceful first contact protocol. I know several of us here are perfectly capable of speaking Japanese, myself included. Let's not try to start another war, yeah?"
"Bishop copies all."
COUNT COLT FORMAL
PATH TO ITALICA, FALMART
IMPERIAL CALENDAR 687 - 14:00:00
Formal held his hands together as he looked down at the floor of the horseless carriage. When he asked about what they were, he learned that they were called vehicles instead. How did they function? Something called an engine powered them from the inside allowing it to roll the wheels. This allowed them to move at high speeds while a steering wheel controlled by the driver allowed them to adjust and turn.
They said that it was developed only one hundred years ago for them. To him, it was still a piece of miracle technology. A day-long journey on horseback would be cut down to just a few hours. If his world had such a thing, horses would become obsolete…
The only problem he had with it was the loud noise and smell coming from it.
Formal looked back out the window, seeing the scenery practically fly by. In just a bit, Colt Formal would be back in Italica, seeing his daughters, his little Myui. He'd be back home…
How much would have changed since his departure? Would the city be in chaos? Would Myui have taken care of it properly?
He only hoped that not too much had changed and that he could get back into the swing of things.
"So Count Formal, you do remember the terms of our agreement. Right?"
He turned to face Commander Graves, a sly smile plastered onto the man's face. He sighed before nodding his head. "Yes, I would return to my position as the city's Count, only this time I'll be serving under Shadow Company…"
"Chin up, Formal… as long as you help us, we'll take care of you."
He didn't respond, only looking back out the window.
"Formal, what's Italica like?" He heard one of the guards ask.
"Well, it's a peaceful city. We have flat farming fields outside of our stone walls and the citizens live within them. In the very center is the Formal estate, which allows me to oversee the city and make sure everything is in order." He said in reminiscence.
"Is that so…?"
"Yes, I'm pretty sure I know what my own city is like. What is with the questions?"
"Well, that dark smoke coming from above it don't look too peaceful. Unless of course, you got burn pits, but that ain't too healthy."
"What?!"
Formal put his face against the window as much as he could. He gasped, as down the path, he could see the smoke that the operator had pointed out.
"Oh shit…" Graves said to himself. He reached for the radio before communicating with someone else on the other end. "Avatar 1, we've spotted smoke rising from our destination. What's going on over there?"
From their monitors, they saw a huge crowd assembled at the entrance. "Uh, Shadow 1, it looks like a large group of unknowns are attempting to push its way past the walls."
"Italica is under siege!" Formal yelled out. "My people are in danger!"
"Relax there, Count." Boxer pushed the man back into his seat. "I'm sure your guards are more than capable of holding out for a bit longer. At least until we get there."
Moments later, Graves received a transmission back. "Shadow 1, the forces outside the walls are starting to retreat. Looks like the city's held them off."
"Copy, Avatar 1. Keep your eyes peeled for them just in case."
"Avatar 1 copies all. We'll keep you posted. Out."
Graves turned back from the windshield, looking back at Formal. "Looks like it's your lucky day. The enemy beyond your walls has decided to fall back."
Formal breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that his city was safe.
"I wouldn't be relieved just yet, Formal. The enemy is bound to come back sooner or later." Graves warned.
Formal clenched his fist in anger. "My city… under attack. What barbarians could do such a thing? What could they possibly want from us?!"
"Don't worry, Formal. We're here and we're not letting anything happen to it. Soon, we'll find out what it is they really want…"
Formal looked surprised. "You'll help defend my city?"
"Of course. You wouldn't be much use to us without it, would you?"
"I… I suppose that is a fair point…"
As the vehicles rumbled closer to the city, Graves eyed the massive stone walls in front of them. The convoy had finally made it to their destination with their VIP. The team's current objective was nearly done.
"Formal, how likely is it that your guards will respond with hostilities?"
Graves could see a singular brow quirk up on Formal's face from the rearview mirror. "Considering that they were just attacked. Almost guaranteed."
"Well, they've got good instincts…" Graves reached for the radio once more. "All shadows, do not engage with anyone atop the walls. They're friendly… even if they don't know it yet."
The convoy began slowing down as they arrived. The weathered stone walls carried an abundance of marks, ranging from scratches, cracks, and blood. Arrows were lodged everywhere and the stench of fresh bodies and burning tar permeated the air.
It was a battlefield right in front of his city steps…
"Stop right there and identify yourselves!" The voice of Norma shouted, confusing Formal. Norma was part of the Rose Order of Knights. Formal had no problem with them, but what was he doing all the way out in Italica?
"Welp, time to talk…" Graves said to himself, grunting as he opened the passenger side door. He stepped out with his hands up, ensuring that they saw that he was unarmed… at the moment. The gun on his sling and in his holster said otherwise, but they didn't need to know that.
Norma kept his gaze on the man, not once wavering from his expression of stone.
"My name is Commander Graves!" He shouted.
"Commander Graves, what do you want?" Norma shouted back before gesturing to the battlefield in front of him. "As you can see, the city of Italica has just been assaulted by bandits. Am I correct in assuming you're with them? Are you attempting to negotiate for them?"
"No, no I'm not!" Graves replied. He looked back to the vehicle that Formal sat inside of. "Quite the opposite in fact! Formal, step out."
Hearing his words, Formal opened his door, allowing him to emerge and reveal himself to Norma.
Though it was hard to tell from where he was standing, he imagined that Norma's eyes widened in shock.
"Count Formal?!" He shouted in disbelief. "Where have you been?! Are you ok?! Do these men have you hostage?!"
He shook his head. "No, nothing like that, I assure you! They've helped to escort me home!"
Norma looked back down from his position, likely conversing with someone else out of sight. They both stood there a few moments longer before Norma focused back on them both.
"Let them through!"
The wooden gates began to pull back and the soldiers guarding the walls from above relaxed, knowing that they no longer faced more enemies.
"That went better than expected." Graves commented as he opened his door and hopped back into his seat.
Formal looked back at the man with concern. "How did you expect it to go?"
"Eh, let's not worry about that…"
PRINCESS PINA COLADA
CITY OF ITALICA, FALMART
IMPERIAL CALENDAR 687 - 14:00:00
Princess Pina CoLada didn't wake up today expecting to hold off bandits from inside the city of Italica. But here she was…
Regardless, it was her duty to get involved in such things. Defending the people is what the Rose Order of Knights was formed for in the first place.
The fight wasn't too difficult. They had advantages like being on the high ground and defending from atop castle walls designed with traps in mind. The fortifications were perfect for holding out against the enemy as they didn't set a single foot inside.
Unfortunately, the enemy was still ruthless and many innocent people who had taken up arms to defend their homes were slain.
Thankfully after about thirty minutes, their use of archers and tar traps was enough to send the enemy running back with their tails tucked between their legs. She was proud, almost happy even. Those feelings quickly shifted to concern and tiredness as she checked up on her fellow knights.
"Norma! Hamilton! Are you alright?!"
"Alive and accounted for, ma'am!"
"Uh-huh…"
She began making her way down the stone stairs, exhausted from the battle that just occurred.
"Well, what about me?" Her attention turned to the tall form of Grey. Her old trainer and most experienced member of the Rose Order. He stood proudly as he hefted a large sword over his shoulder. "You didn't even bother to ask whether I was injured or not. Hurts my feelings."
She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. "After all these years, I know you better than that Grey."
He let out a hearty laugh in response.
Pina looked over the large build-up of fresh corpses. These people were alive not even thirty minutes ago. Now… they were just lying face first in the dirt. Probably waiting to be buried under the same dirt as well.
"Norma!" She called out. The exhausted man looked up from his hunched-over position. "I know this battle has you worn out, but I need someone from my knights to watch over the walls."
"Consider it done…" He said tiredly, before making his way up the stairs she came down from.
"Hamilton, you're to come back with me to the Formal estate."
She grunted in response before pushing herself up. "Yes ma'am…"
Pina looked at her subordinate with a bit of guilt. Here I am working my friends to the bone. some princess I am…
"Hamilton, I apologize for the amount of work I'm putting you through, but-"
"Stop right there and identify yourselves!"
Princess Pina froze at Norma's voice. She wanted to grip her hair and pull it out. What was it now?! They just repelled the bandits from the wall. Could they really have returned in full force so quickly?!
She and Hamilton both looked at each other before rushing up the stairs. As they arrived at the top, they found Norma shouting at something down below. Looking through the archer window revealed it to be some sort of tan-colored carriages. They appeared to be armored and equipped with some sort of black devices on top which were aimed at them.
Men in black uniforms pointed the devices at their position, before simultaneously lowering them. They diverted their attention to sweeping the fields around them, swiveling in circles as they watched for any enemies that may emerge from over the horizon.
Moments later, one of the doors to the middle carriage opened up. One of the men in black emerged from inside with his hands up, conveying himself as unarmed. Pina got a good look at him from her window. Everything he wore was black. His footwear, uniform, gloves, and helmet, were all dark black. He appeared to have no weapons, but rather an abundance of pouches and pockets on his chest and belt. Another strange device hung low from a strap around his shoulder.
All in all, she had no idea what to make of him. The all-black certainly helped to make him intimidating and he arrived with such a small group of similar individuals. Were they a scouting party? Were they bandits trying to negotiate? Traders?
That last one is stupid, Pina…
She was shaken out of her musings when the mystery man spoke up. "My name is Commander Graves!" He shouted.
A commander?! Was he leading the bandits? She couldn't recall seeing him on the battlefield. Maybe he leads from afar, not bothering to get involved in combat? But if that's true, then what does he want?
"Commander Graves, what do you want?" Norma thankfully asked for her. "As you can see, the city of Italica has just been assaulted by bandits. Am I correct in assuming you're with them? Are you attempting to negotiate for them?"
"No, no I'm not!" Graves replied. "Quite the opposite in fact!" He looked back to the carriage he came out of before speaking to someone inside.
From the carriage emerged someone they hadn't been expecting to see at all. Count Colt Formal, head of the Formal clan that ruled over the city of Italica. Everyone thought he had died on the other side of the gate. What was he doing here, and what happened to him for three months?
"Count Formal?!" Norma shouted in disbelief. "Where have you been?! Are you ok?! Do these men have you hostage?!"
He shook his head. "No, nothing like that, I assure you! They've helped to escort me home!"
Norma looked down the stairs, catching Pina and Hamilton watching from the window.
"Your Majesty, they have the Count. What do you propose we do?"
She looked to be in deep thought before sighing. "We'll let them in…"
"What?!" Hamilton yelled right next to her. Pina flinched as she turned to face her. "We know absolutely nothing about them, your Majesty. The Count could be held hostage for all we know!"
"Hamilton, I've taken such thoughts into consideration, but we're not really in much of a position to deny them. It doesn't appear that they want to be our enemy and the Count is speaking in favor of them. If the Count can return to his throne, then maybe Italica will be able to hold out stronger against the bandits. Morale is certainly at an all time low…"
Hamilton said nothing, to which Pina took as acceptance. She turned to Norma before nodding.
"Let them through!"
The large wooden gates started to pull back, allowing the outsiders access to Italica. She watched Graves and the Count say some words to each other before they got back inside. Then, to her surprise, the carriages moved forward without the use of any horses.
As she made her way down to greet the newcomers, she saw everyone eyeing the horseless carriages as they wheeled themselves through the gate and past their walls. Moments after passing through, the line came to a stop and more men in black emerged from inside.
People looked on in astonishment at the arrival of new faces. Not that she could see many of their faces.
Aside from the commander, it appeared that everyone else wore black masks that obscured their faces. Some had darkened glass over their eyes while others had nothing.
Why the need for secrecy? She asked herself.
Graves stepped out with Count Formal right behind him. "So who's in charge here?"
"I am!" She called out. Everyone's head turned to face her as she made her way down.
"Introducing Her Majesty… the Third Princess Pina CoLada!" Hamilton introduced dramatically.
…
Apparently, the name reveal didn't have the effect that Hamilton had wanted, and only served to embarrass the princess.
"What kinda' name is Pina CoLada?" She heard one of the men ask, making her blush as red as her hair.
Ignoring the awkward introductions, she needed to get down to business. First on the list? Figuring out who these men really were and what they wanted.
She cleared her throat as she stepped up to Commander Graves. The first thing she noticed was how tall he was. In fact, the commander and all of his men stood fairly tall.
It was a far cry from how the people of Italica were holding out. Food was being rationed as much as possible while the city held against the bandits. She imagined these men were just about full strength right about now.
They must be fed extremely well…
"As my subordinate has so helpfully announced, I am the Third Princess, Pina CoLada."
The man in front of her outstretched his hand to shake. "Pleasure to meet you, princess."
She looked at it before hesitantly shaking it. "Yes, well… I wish I could say the same to you, but we know absolutely nothing about you and your people. Aside from the fact that you've returned the Count back to Italica, which we're indeed grateful for, you're still unknown to us."
He nodded in understanding. "Of course, princess. I am Commander Graves, leader of Shadow Company. Me and my men come from the other side of one of your gates."
Pina's jaw dropped the moment those words left his mouth.
The enemy from the other side of the gate had Count Formal, she just allowed them to step foot into the city of Italica, and their commander was standing right in front of her?!
He chuckled at her expression. "Relax, we're not going to harm anybody here."
She shut her mouth before pointing at him. "You're the men from the other side of the gate?!"
"Yes, we've disclosed that already…"
"But… you're not wearing green!"
Graves looked down at his outfit before turning back to look at his men, several of them shrugging their shoulders in response.
"Princess, you're mistaking us with the people that control Alnus Hill right now. We're not associated with them… technically."
"Technically?" She asked with uncertainty.
"Well… that's a long story. What matters is that we're here to return the Count back to his family and throne."
"R-right, of course, how could I forget?" She turned to the Count, who looked slightly amused at her panicked social floundering. "Count Formal, it's good to have you back in Italica…"
"Princess," He smiled back. "it's good to be back… I just wish it were under better circumstances."
Pina frowned. "I have no doubt that you've seen the massacre that lies on both sides of the city's walls…"
He gave a mirthless chuckle. "I can certainly smell it…"
"With all due respect, I believe that we should get the Count back to his throne as soon as possible." Graves interrupted. "I'll leave some of my men to help guard the walls. Princess, you and your subordinate can ride with us back to the Formal estate."
Graves made his way back into the carriage, several of his men opting to stay behind as they made their way up the stairs to set up.
Pina, like many of the onlookers, nearly jumped out of her skin when the back carriage made a deep honking sound. Several of the seats were now empty, aside from the man steering the carriage itself.
Pina, Hamilton, and Formal made their way to it. Formal took the passenger side as they took the backseats. The man in front adjusted the tiny mirror hanging from above, getting a better look at the two.
"Might want to strap in, it's gonna get bumpy." The man in black said.
"How do we do that?" Hamilton asked. At her question, the man gestured to the loose buckles near their seats.
"Seat belts. Help prevent you from hitting your head on the roof of these things. Helmet or no, it still sucks. Trust me, you do not want a concussion…"
After a couple of seconds of struggle, Pina and Hamilton were able to figure out how to use them correctly. Perfect timing as well, because the moment they were safely secured, the carriage lurched forward as it followed the others.
"T-this is amazing!" Hamilton exclaimed. "How does such a contraption move without the use of horses?"
"Hamilton," Pina gave her a look that practically screamed not now. "I believe we have more pressing matters to discuss at the moment."
Hamilton's excitement quickly died down as she got herself under control. "Oh, yes. Forgive me, your Majesty…"
"It's fine," Pina said, before turning to face the Count. "Formal, where have you been?! We thought you had died on the other side of the gate!"
He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Heh, well I almost did. The forces that the Empire had sent me in with weren't enough to stand up against the enemy."
"Yes… the enemy. Why exactly are you with them? Do they have some sort of leverage against you? Against the Empire?"
The Count slightly squirmed in his seat. "There is no such thing, Princess Pina. It's merely an act of goodwill that they wanted to return me to Italica."
He discreetly glanced at the driver next to them.
That's right, Formal probably couldn't say anything with one of them in the vicinity…
"How have they been treating you?" Hamilton asked.
He perked up, thankful for the change in conversation topic. "Surprisingly well, all things considered. I had expected worse considering we knew nothing about them."
He then leaned toward them as best he could. "Though I have an inkling of suspicion that my treatment was due to my position…"
If their driver heard them at all, then he was choosing to ignore what they said.
"You!" Pina practically shouted, before regretting her boldness. The man steering the carriage only slightly turned his head, indicating that he had heard her. A little intimidating, but nothing she was unused to. "What does your commander really want from the Count? From us?"
A few seconds passed when the man didn't speak, the only sound being the carriage tires passing over the dirt and cobblestone paths of the city. Eventually, he spoke up. "I can't speak for the big man himself, but he probably wants to establish friendly relations with the Count."
"But why?" Pina asked, confusion lacing her face." Aren't we your enemy? The Emperor has attacked your people, on your lands, on your side of the gate. Why return such an important figure to us unharmed?"
He laughed to himself as he shook his head. "Lady, when the Emperor's forces came through the gate, not a single one of our guys sustained a single scratch. The same can't be said for the Emperor's men though…"
She looked down as she mulled his words over. Such a cold thing to say, and yet he laughed it off like it was a passing joke…
"Don't worry, you'll get your chance to hash out the details with the commander in just a few moments." Though the mask blocked any expression, she could hear the smirk in his voice. "Welcome home, Count Formal."
The Count looked out the window of the carriage, a happy expression on his face as he saw it. The Formal estate looked not a day old since he left it. He would finally be back home, taking care of his people, his family, once again.
FORMAL ESTATE, FALMART
IMPERIAL CALENDAR 687 - 14:10:00
Formal walked through the familiar halls of his estate, the sound of many footsteps echoing against the well polished and marbled floors. He hummed in satisfaction as he looked at the sun rays peeking through the windows. Not a speck of dust was seen anywhere. It seemed that the maids he had left behind weren't lazing in his absence, taking their jobs seriously as if he were still there.
"I never thought that I'd be roaming the halls of my family estate ever again…" His smile never left his face as he reminisced. The halls certainly contained many good memories.
Princess Pina looked at him from the corner of her eye, "It has come as a surprise to us as well. Everyone thought that you perished in battle like all the other nobles sent by the Empire."
"Yes… I suppose I was more fortunate than the others…" He appeared to be in deep contemplation as he gazed out of one of the passing windows. "How has the city been in my absence?"
Pina sighed as she looked down, "Not well I'm afraid. Between the political power divide of your daughters and the attempted assault from bandits, the city and its people are struggling to stand…"
"These bandits…" Commander Graves spoke up. "Who exactly are they, and why do they want control of the city so badly?"
"Former soldiers, from the other kingdoms, now turned rogue and resorting to banditry…" She scoffed out.
"Ah," Graves said in understanding. "It must be from the loss in leadership."
"I figured as much…"
Graves noticed the princess as she clenched her fist. Definitely inexperienced, first battle most likely… not as glorious as she expected.
She relaxed as she remembered where she was, "As for why they want Italica? It's where the Thessalia and Ahppian ways come together. This makes it extremely vital for trade."
Graves slightly perked up at the new information. Foreign competition would have to compete against Italica once more as the Count returned to his throne. If trade continued, Shadow Company would then have control over a good portion of the market and economy. Needless to say, the benefits were starting to look more and more enticing…
"Wait, Princess Pina, you've mentioned that my daughters are going through some sort of political problems?"
Pina turned around to face him as they came across a set of double doors at the end of the hall, "Yes, your two oldest were married into other families, but Myui was the only one to remain as a legitimate successor to the Formal family throne. Your eldest argue on who should be her guardian."
He frowned, knowing he left a young girl not even past the double digits in age with such a responsibility. "I see…"
"Hopefully, with you back, things can return to the way they're supposed to…" She had a small smile on her face, "I'm sure little Myui will be very delighted to see you again."
With that, Princess Pina opened the set of double doors.
Sitting all by her lonesome, in the left seat was a little girl. She had radiant orange hair with equally bright blue eyes that contrasted against the pink of her dress. Her white shoes swung back and forth above the floor, not even close to touching the carpet beneath her, as she kept her hands in her lap. She appeared nervous, as evidenced by her not noticing their arrival.
When the doors opened, Pina expected a bigger reaction from the men in black. In reality, all she got was… nothing. No widening of the eyes, no angry glares, and no mischievous looks. It was almost like these men had experience with almost anyone in a position of power.
"Awww, how adorable…"
Myui's head shot up at the comment, only just now realizing that she had visitors. She went to recite the greeting that she had practiced, only to find it dying on the tip of her tongue as she recognized someone familiar. She gasped before jumping out of her seat, rushing to glomp her father.
Count Formal, was luckily prepared for such a response and had his arms held open beforehand. He lifted her up in a big hug, spinning her around a few times for good measure.
"Daddy!" She screamed in giddy excitement. Formal could tell that he still had onlookers, but right now he couldn't care as he laughed merrily alongside her.
"My little Myui!" He exclaimed. "It's been too long!"
She hugged him tighter, afraid that she'd lose him again. "Are you going to be staying this time?"
Formal looked back at Commander Graves and his men. Graves nodded back at him before he turned back to his daughter. "Yes, I do believe I'll be staying. So don't worry your little head, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
"Does that mean you'll stop sister Elle and sister Loui from fighting?"
"Well, now that I'm back, they should have no reason to fight at all."
Commander Graves' attention was abruptly pulled from the heartwarming scene when his radio activated.
"Shadow 1, this is Carnival 1, come in, how copy?"
Carnival squad was the group of men that he had assigned to watch over the walls with the city's militia. If they were radioing him right before such important business, then something was certainly up.
"Carnival 1, I'm reading you, send traffic."
"Shadow 1, Avatar 1 has reported three unknown victors driving up the perimeter roadway. Requesting permission to engage with the .50 cal."
Other vehicles were arriving? They were supposed to be the only ones out here. Unless… "Hold your horses, Carnival 1, what's the make and model on those victors?"
"Uh, copy Shadow 1, we've got three dark green jeep style victors. One appears to be a bit more armored than the other two but it won't reduce the effectiveness of our current weapon systems. Over."
Dark green jeeps were not currently in Shadow Company's inventory, so that meant only one thing…
"Carnival 1, you are not cleared to engage! Those are Japanese forces you're aiming at!"
A few tense moments of silence passed before Carnival responded again. "Carnival copies, but it looks like they're requesting permission to enter the city. Interrogative, what do you want my men to do?"
The Japanese wanted to enter Italica?
"Damn it…" He hissed to himself. "Carnival 1, just hold position, maintain distance, and watch from afar. Don't let them know you're there."
"Wilco, Shadow 1. Carnival 1, out."
This was bad. If Japanese forces were entering Italica, then it was probably safe to assume that they'd want to speak to whoever was in charge of the city. This meant that they would be making their way straight to the Formal estate. Graves and his men would have to engage in diplomacy soon…
Author's Notes
Shadow Company has finally arrived at Italica, returning Count Formal to his throne while simultaneously reuniting the family and meeting with Princess Pina CoLada!
Unfortunately, the JSDF has also just arrived outside the city walls and is now requesting permission to enter.
What a coincidence…
Also, try not to be put off by the amount of OCs you see, cause you'll see a few. The only ones that are genuinely really important will be Bishop squad, Commander Graves, and Oxide every once in a while. Everyone else is just characters that needed an identifiable name.
Reviews:
ThatGuyYouMet: I don't plan on the US finding out till a little while later in the story. In Gate, the US offered to send troops, supplies, and intelligence resources to aid Japan, to which they responded by refusing, obviously wanting to keep everything about the Gate and the Special Region to themselves. Thank you for bringing this up though, you may have given me some ideas for the future…
FunctionalAlcoholicUncle: I'm not entirely sure about the idea of the Modern Warfare world discovering that most of their existence is a work of fiction. It would kind of throw them for a loop, and the story might not go in the direction I'd want it to. Though it would certainly be interesting if this highly secretive PMC just had its worst actions exposed to the entire world, which reminds me, didn't Captain Price commit some war crimes during some interrogation scenes? I understand it was often for the greater good and that Task Force 141 was briefly disavowed in MW3, but would his world or the other throw the book at him for breaking the Geneva Convention? Maybe he'd get a pardon…
For'Sleep 3rd: The plan is to have Japan keep it under wraps as much as possible, at least until something leaks or someone blows the whistle about Shadow Company. Eventually, when they find out, so will the rest of the world and then the other nations will start demanding answers.
Guest: Like another Guest so eloquently put it. "Shadow Company uses the latest in military equipment that any and all nation would drool over, follows the Geneva Suggestion, and fight for money and more money!" It's a tier one PMC. They're not restricted to using the same methods that an official military would. Especially the JSDF, which is a self defense force just experiencing true combat for the first time in decades with nearly out of date equipment. There won't be too much contention... Although that isn't to say underequipped militaries haven't prevailed against technologically superior forces before. Anything could happen really...