It took me a lot of time to post a new chapter. Actually my procrastination was so bad that was starting to be a problem in my life. I'm taking medicine to solve this problem, so expect for faster uploads. I heard is having problems with uploads so I hope this doesn't compromise my fic. I actually like this chapter much more than the first because I put many original stuff instead of just follow the game's script. I liked how turned out.

"Ike, wake up!" Mist shouted. She was on top of him, which quite scared him.

"Hmm… Good morning…" Ike murmured. He didn't sleep well last night, so he was sleepy.

"How can you feel so tired on your first day as a mercenary? You are late, you know?"

"Oh, shit!"

Ike quickly got up to get ready. Mist could only laugh at her brother's silliness. She knew that he was only late because he couldn't sleep well. While putting on his armor, Ike noticed a pot with some porridge in.

"What is this?" He asked.

"It's for Rhys. Thankfully, his fever is going down." She picked up his headband and laced on his head. "While he's not around, try to not get hurt."

"Understood."

Ike went to Greil's place, where he was discussing tactics with Titania. Soon, he noticed Ike's presence.

"You're late." Greil protested. "The others are already waiting for you."

"I'm sorry. I'll try to be earlier from now on." Ike apologized. "What is my first job?"

"I'm discussing with Titania what we will do. Wait outside until we're done."

Ike went outside where Shinon, Gatrie, Oscar and Boyd were also waiting for Greil's orders. Ike went to talk with the brothers. He knew Shinon isn't friendly with him and Gatrie would talk only about women.

"Hey Ike, if you have any doubts ask us." Oscar said.

"Understood." Ike nodded.

"You know, send a letter to Soren telling about you joining the Company." Boyd said. "I bet he would be happy to hear the news."

Soren is Ike's best friend, is always by his side. He went to study in another mercenary group, not knowing when he would come back.

"I don't think he would care at all." Ike answered.

"I don't think so." Oscar said. "You are the only person who Soren cares, so he would be happy."

"That bratty is so attached to you he looks like he's in love." Shinon heard the conversation Ike had with the brothers and joined. He didn't have pleasant things to say.

"Don't say that." Gatrie said. "Soren isn't a woman. That would be disgusting!"

"If Soren were to be a woman, he would be a hideous one." Shinon taunted. "But I think he doesn't care. He has shitty taste anyway."

"Apologize now!" Ike said, going to Shinon's direction. "Soren doesn't deserve to be insulted for no reason."

"Ike stop!" Boyd said, holding Ike's waist to avoid him getting any closer to Shinon. "You don't want to cause trouble just when you are working, right?"

"Soren is not here to defend himself." It's being hard for Boyd to hold Ike. He just wanted to punch Shinon as hard as he could. "I will force an apology out of his mouth."

Titania soon came, seeing Ike at Shinon's throats. It does not surprise her, considering how much they bicker.

"What's happening here?" She asked. "I hope no one is fighting anyone this early in the morning."

"It's nothing." Oscar said, and Boyd let go of Ike. "We're just having a chat, right Shinon?"

"Yes." Titania was the oldest member of Greil Mercenaries and biggest authority behind Greil. No one wanted to defy her, not even Shinon. She and Greil are the only people he respects.

"Good." Titania said. "Oscar, Boyd and Ike, you all are coming with me to Caldea. Be ready."

Caldea was a village nearby their fort. It's small, but recently it was attacked by bandits. Because there's no many bandits, Greil ordered Titania to go with the newer members of the Mercenaries that have little experience.

During their travel, Ike was still angry about what happened earlier. He is already used to Shinon taunting him with insults, but he always would attack him directly. That was the first time he attacked his best friend. He wondered if Soren was present, he would care. He would say he didn't care, but would feel hurt. Ike knew him more than anyone else.

"We arrived." Titania said. The village had some bandits, but not too much. Four mercenaries could easily take care of them. "See this map? The building of the north is where their leader lives. Our mission is to defeat him and recapture the building."

Ike felt Oscar put his hands on his shoulders. "Please don't get carried. You can always rely on us."

"Just watch how a professional handles things." Boyd winked.

"Ok, I will." Ike answered Boyd with some irony.

After all the preparations, the team went to their mission. Zawana, the leader of the bandits, noticed they were coming and deduced the villagers must've hired them. He ordered his bandits to destroy as many houses as possible. Ike was close to one of the houses being destroyed. He couldn't forget the sign of a little boy being hurt by an axe questioning himself why this is happening. He couldn't let senseless killing happen. He quickly rushed to the house and entered in front of the boy.

"Stop it!" Ike shouted. "I won't let you kill for no reason!"

"Shut up! Do you want to be killed as well?" The bandit asked.

Ike knew at that moment he would have to draw his sword, and there's no turning back. He only wondered if he could do that. If he wanted to save his life and the boy's, he would have to do that.

Unfortunately, Ike hit so awkwardly with his sword that the bandit could easily stop with his axe. He then swung so hard that Ike dropped his sword. That was the moment Ike noticed that wasn't a training, it's real, and he could die at any moment. Luckily, Oscar picked Ike to his horse, while the bandit met his end to Boyd's axe, piercing his back.

"Didn't I say you could rely on us when needed?" Oscar asked. There are few times where Oscar gets angry, these seem to be one of the few.

"I'm sorry…" Ike apologized. "But thank you for rescuing me."

Titania killed Zawana, with a hit on the head. Ike was tasked to save the remaining villages. The boy Ike tried to save succumbed to his wounds, but he avoided other villagers to meet the same fate. The mission was successful, but Ike didn't feel that. He let a person be killed and that life won't be back.

That night, Mist made a meal for everyone, but Ike didn't feel like eating. He went to his room and didn't leave. Titania said to Greil that Ike was essential to the mission in order to save the villages that were being attacked and decided to not tell about the incident. Boyd went to Ike's room to have a little talk.

"Ike, don't go blaming yourself." Boyd found Ike lying in his bed in a fetal position. He sat next to Ike. "That kid would die even if you saved him. The only ones to blame are the bandits."

"Thank you for trying to comfort me, but I shouldn't have been so reckless." Ike got up and sat next to Boyd in order to listen to him better.

"Didn't you think I wasn't reckless during my first time as a mercenary?" Boyd asked. "I was so excited I broke my own axe." Ike laughed, Boyd was glad he could bring a smile to Ike even though it was thanks to his own disgrace.

"Laugh as much as you want but I was scared."

"It's okay to be scared."

"That red-haired bitch! She will pay for what she did."

Even though Zawana died, and Caldea was freed, some bandits escaped. Ikanau was a bandit that worked under Zawana and was loyal to him.

"Are you planning to take revenge on the red-haired knight?" One of the bandits who escaped asked.

"I already know what to do." Ikanau said. "That bitch will come imploring for mercy."

So I actually planned this chapter to be a sucess for Ike, then I changed my opinion. Mostly because I want Ike to be an impulsive character and I want him to suffer the consequences of acting before thinking. This will probably be a a even more problem for him later. Also, having Titania kill the boss gives the bandits of the next chapter a reason for revenge since I noticed they were fixated on her in the game I wanted a reason for that. Now about the chacters: Oscar: I don't have much to do with him. I always found him the less interesting of the brothers, so it's kinda hard to give him any development. Shinon: At first I made him a jerk, even more than the games. So you will probably be seeing a jerk in the first chapters. But later I decided to focus on his reedeeming qualities. Gatrie: Like Shinon, the only thing I wrote about him at first is about him being a flirt. But as you can see in the relationship tag, this will change. Titania: I don't wrote much about her, for now she is just like in the game.