Alright, so this chapter is mostly dialogue and meeting some other side characters. Im still trying to find the proper way i want to write, and i think this chapter is a lot closer to how i want this story to look. i hope you enjoy.
Chapter 2
Voices
It was always voices that kept me from getting proper sleep.
Weather it was the voices of other soldiers, or the voices in my head I wasn't sure. This was apparently something common with people with his kind of missions. Hearing secrets that should never be told, or listening to people bragging about some of the horrible things they had done.
And worst of all. Sometimes the voices of people whose death I knew I was responsible for.
Getting out of bed, I prepared myself mentally for the day that were to come. I had to debrief my commanding officer on the raid on the white fang compound a day and a half ago, considering I had spent about 30 hours in the sky getting home to atlas from northern mistral, I was not looking forward to the debrief. Not that I knew very much, but I still had to fill out dozens of papers describing what events I had overseen.
Stepping into my private bathroom (because yes, perk of being a semi-secret soldier meant my own room) I stepped into the shower, being too tired to wash myself last night, meant I had to get a good scrubbing in now.
Stepping out of the shower I look myself in the mirror quickly, my short white hair looking messy on my head I grab a brush to try and make it look somewhat decent. Feeling my ears as I brush I thank Oum once more for them to be so small, it made it easy to hide beneath my hair. Looking myself over once more, I focus on my body this time. My body showed the type of missions I did, with a frame that was meant for running/endurance rather than strength or impressive toughness.
Having a just the faintest few scars to help with the look, I stood at an even 6'0 feet, a height I was quite comfortable with. Having feed my ego for the day I turned to leave.
After stepping out of my bathroom I quickly got dressed in the standard "casual" military clothes that was required while walking around the main military barracks of Atlas, and went outside my room in search of breakfast, I knew I had to get as much energy to deal the meeting with my officer.
Officer Solomon was quite a character, having been assigned to him for the last two years, I've had plenty of time to learn his "quirks". Solomon was a man that got his rank through sheer action, seemingly always being sent out to battle first and getting home last, he would seem very strict to people that didn't know him, but it only took me a couple of months to see how much he cares for the people under his command. Most of the time action as just another soldier instead of our boss, he loves to socialize and trade stories whenever someone would show just the smallest amount of interest in the time on the frontline.
Whilst not the most… strategically thinking officers, he would always lead by example, seemingly rather wanting to take all punishment upon himself, rather than any of us getting hurt. There has even been an inside joke within the division, that he was a secret masochist…
Shaking my head at the thought I finally spot and enter the canteen, I quickly get an empty tray and put myself in the line waiting to be served my food.
"Well shit Fair, that assignment didn't take very long did it?" I heard a voice behind me say.
I turned around and saw that it was a young woman talking, I immediately recognized her as Jasmin, or Jas for short. She was another child that was sold to the military around the same time as me. Jas is the only one of those children other than me to be assigned the I.G.S.O. Having know each other since back then, we had quickly become good friends, helps that we had shared programs and training for a decade.
Jas was a small girl, standing at about 5'3, but her voice usually had the volume of a bear, she was the energetic and friendly type, always up for games and challenges. Currently dressed in the female version of my outfit, she had done her long blonde hair in the same pigtail style she had grown fond of for the last couple of years. Her dark green eyes seeming tired, but I knew she just needed her first cup of coffee to properly wake up.
"Hey Jas" I responded "yeah intel was a bit off, so they were almost done preparing by the time we were ready to stop them" I finished.
"But you still got them right?" she asked, tilting her head for added affect. I would never tell her this but her barely awake state could be quite cute-
"Oi stop gawking, the line is moving" she snapped interrupting my thoughts. Yeah cute was not the word to describe her.
We both get some food and something to drink, her seeming desperate to get to the coffee machine. And find a table to sit. We usually liked to sit alone considering most of the other soldiers were a lot older than us, and they could often act a bit different with to teenagers around.
Sitting down I start to eat, knowing I would have to wait for the coffee to hit Jas before she would be able to hold a proper conversation. Watching her poor the scolding liquid down her throat, I can't help but wince at the thought of the heat her throat had to withstand.
"So then" Jas starts while setting her cup down "I Heard they captured a lot of people. You get any action?"
"Unfortunately not, I really wish I had your role sometimes" I respond.
Jasmine was more like a backup for the gatherers, being an expert marksman, she would often find herself besides people like me while scooping a place out. Seeing her with a sniper rifle was always a bad sign if you were going against her, having set a pair of Atlesian records in when it came to using that type of weapon.
"Nah trust me" Jas says "Whilst it's fun hitting a target it's such a hassle to carry around. Plus maintaining that big a weapon takes forever" she complains, dropping her head to the table for added effect.
"Guess your right" I say, imaging a small girl like Jas carry a comically large sniper.
"So then, when's your debrief?" Jas asked. Oum why did she have to remind me of that.
"Ugh, did you have to bring that up? It's in about 15 minutes, why?" I asked her.
"Just curious, wanna hang out afterwards?" she asked.
My interest peaks at the thought of just calming down for a while, but then I remembered something.
"Wait weren't you supposed to be sent out on another patrol?" I asked curiously.
"Nah, they scrapped me from it, though I'm not sure why" she says I think I catch a small gleam in her eyes but discard it "I'm just happy that I don't have to sleep in a tent out in the cold for week" she ads.
"Weird, they don't usually just call those off when it's just in this region" I say.
"Meh" she says taking another sip of her coffee "again, not complaining. Besides they probably just didn't need it. Grimm activity has been weirdly low in atlas the last couple of months" finishing her drink she says "If I worried about every single thing the higher ops decided, I would be just as grumpy, and then I would lose my award-winning smile" she adds while flashing a grin at me.
"Of course, how would Remnant survive without the legendary Jasmin's smile" I say sarcastically.
"You know it errand boy" she says whilst getting up from her seat "anyway you should probably get ready for your meeting, you got everything you need" she asked, looking a bit sympathetically, I knew that Jasmine's hatred for meetings with the higher ops, was strong enough to make her rather want to charge a beowolf nest alone.
"Yeah yeah, il be fine, il see you afterwards right? Then we could hang out" I finish
"It's a deal then" she says before leaving the cafeteria
After watching her leave I get up from the table myself. Straightening my uniform i start my walk towards Solomons office.
Knocking on the door in front of me, I listen to the sound of movement inside. The door opens revealing a officer Solomon. Solomon was a man in his late 40, standing at an impressive 6'4, it was always a sight to see his bulking frame being contained in the small uniform he also had to wear. With a classical buzzcut, and dark brown eyes, the last thing you would expect a man looking like that was to pull me into a deep hug.
"Fair my boy, must be pretty happy to get off that assignment so soon?" his deep voice almost roars in my face.
"Yes sir, it was nice to finally get home quickly" I answer back politely.
"Bah, stop talking like that, you're going to make me feel like the other officers with a stick up their ass" he Responds jokingly. "Anyway come on in, we got some things to talk about" he says, as he walks back into his office.
Following behind him I enter to see Solomon's office. It was always a bit "unorthodox" compared to the way most higher ops would decorate their work place. With pictures of the veteran alongside various other people in uniform hanging around the walls. This was the easiest way to see how much he cared about the people he would lead. Weather it showed him laughing alongside them, or him holding some prey he would during some of the hunting trips he loved to bring the new guys on.
Solomon knew a lot about the mental toll being in the military could have. Weather it's being away from your own family, or the feeling that this was the only place you would fit. Solomon would always d his upmost best to make his men comfortable with their current lives.
As Solomon sat behind his desk, he gestured for me to take a seat of my own and encouraged me to start my report.
Telling him about the events that transpired took about 10 minutes or so, the only really interesting bit that I had noticed was the intel about their timing was off. This was not something that happened often. You see after the great war, the Atlas military still had a lot of resources, and in an attempt to get ahead on the next conflicts, put a lot of it into gathering information.
After telling him about my part of the mission, it didn't take long for him to start the friendly talks again like he usually did when he had you one on one.
"Whilst its always bad to hear that stuff was wrong, its good to hear you were still able hinder their plans, without much trouble" he tells me
"Yeah, while the small feeling of having to rush is never fun, I'm more than capable of thinking on the spot" I say.
"I know that, witch actually bring me to another reason why i needed to see you" Solomon says.
"What did you need to see me for?" I asked puzzled.
"I got word my boss yesterday" Solomon begins "they need a couple of agents in the division for an important assignment"
"Sounds interesting" I tell him.
"I don't know the details, or even just the general goal of the mission, but when I heard what he was looking for I knew who to get" Solomon says, clearly indicating that he was talking about me.
"So how am I going to get this mission" I asked.
"Oh I already told him you were going to visit him tomorrow" Solomon answered, seemingly not caring to much about my opinion before speaking on my behalf.
"Of course you did" I sigh, remembering that Solomon always just wanted the best for those in his charge "so who am I going to talk to about this?" I finally ask.
"Why the big man himself" he pauses for a little.
"General Ironwood wanted you"
There you go, we are still in the prologue faze, and just like how i'm going to be trying out different ways i want to write this story, i'm also going to experiment with the length of the chapters. obviously the chapters are going to get longer as I progress in the story. also as i'm new to really "publish" anything i've written , i would love to know if anyone has any suggestions for me or the story.
Thank you
