As a heads up, I am going to be having time skips when nothing important is happening. While you might want to read everyday Freelancer life, I have NO idea how to even BEGIN writing that. I apologise for this, and where I know what I'm doing I will do them, but aside from that I won't be.

(-o-)

TIME: 1143

DATE: XX/XX/XXXX

Location: Corridor

Ruby walked down the hallway with Wyoming, only to be knocked into from behind, slammed into the ground.

"Hey, what the-" She started, only to be interrupted by a figure in pink armour yelling over her.

"Watch where you're fucking going!" They screeched in a shrill, feminine voice, only to continue marching down the hall. Wyoming patted her on the shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, fine." She replied. She heard another set of footsteps and turned around to see another figure, this time in purple armour walking towards them. They seemed to notice Ruby brushing herself off.

"Oh, she didn't… sorry about my sister. I-I better go." The voice said, this time clearly male, passing them and walking quickly after the girl in pink.

"Well... That was, unusual." Wyoming said slowly.

"Who were they?" Ruby asked.

"The one in pink was South, the one in purple was her twin brother, North. I wonder what could've caused that." He asked rhetorically.

"The leader board was updated." Said a suspiciously familiar voice from behind them. Ruby and Wyoming turned around to see a figure in greenish-blue armour leaning against a wall. "North overtook her. But that wasn't the only change. I take it you're West Virginia?" The woman asked. Ruby nodded and held out her hand. The woman looked at it strangely, ignoring it.

"I'm Carolina. I'm surprised you overtook Washington so quickly, being the new Agent and all. I look forward to seeing you fight." With that, Carolina turned and left.

Ruby sighed. "Why is everyone here so weird? They keep just walking off before I can respond." Wyoming merely chuckled in response.

(-o-)

TIME: 1230

DATE: XX/XX/XXXX

Location: Cafeteria

Ruby sat down awkwardly next to York. Beside him stood Carolina, Washington and North, having apparently decided chairs were beneath them, and she felt like an outsider. No one had called her over, she had just sat down without being invited and she was beginning to regret her choice. Carolina looked over at her, still wearing her helmet and leaning back in her chair.

"What're you doing here?" Carolina asked, and Ruby was once again thrown off by her voice, and figured out why. It reminded her of Pyrrha. In fact, it sounded EXACTLY like Pyrrha's.

"I'm her guide." York said simply.

"Guide? Since when did we get guides?" Carolina asked.

"The Director requested it himself, saying she's a special case." York replied nonchalantly. Carolina snorted.

"I don't really see what's so special about her."

"You know, I'm sitting right here…" Ruby interjected. The two looked at her, and she backed down slightly from their intense gazes.

"Don't mind her." North whispered quietly in her ear. "She's like this with all new recruits."

"You realise I heard that, right?" Carolina said jokingly. He quickly backed off and stood at attention. She sighed. "I hate you."

"What? Why do you hate him for him showing you respect, as you're team leader?" Ruby asked. York face palmed, and Carolina shook her head, sighing.

"If he were showing me respect, I wouldn't mind. North is quite possibly the only person to ever have lived, who can make a military salute look sarcastic and condescending without changing the actual salute."

"Sir, yes sir." North added helpfully.

The three went on bickering, and Washington tapper her lightly on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday. It was childish of me to be like that just because I lost, and I want you to know there are no hard feelings for you replacing me, you earned your spot on the leader board." He said quietly.

"Thanks…" Ruby replied hesitantly, unsure of how to respond. Washington turned back to the others, and joined in their argument, most of which Ruby couldn't follow.

(-o-)

TIME: 1359

DATE: XX/XX/XXXX

Location: unknown

"Director, our first three fragments have been harvested."

"Find all of them a match."

"All? That's ahead of schedule."

"Find them a match. I have a feeling they'll be needed soon."

"Yes, Director."

(-o-)

TIME: 1429

DATE: XX/XX/XXXX

Location: Cafeteria

"Will Agent Washington please report to the Interview Room for debriefing immediately." F.I.L.I.S's voice came over the speakers.

Ruby looked around, and noticed Washington had just pulled up a chair beside Carolina and York, having been halfway through sitting down. He groaned.

"What now? Can't a guy have lunch in peace?" He murmured, storming off. "And why is it always 'immediately'? Why can't they ever give me some god damn warning! I mean, it's ridiculous! Do they just decide on everything a few seconds before they want it…" His voice trailed off as he continued to rant to himself, seemingly unaware he was speaking aloud.

Carolina and York looked at each other amusedly. "I thought he'd broken that habit."

"He's still a little tired from his fight with West." York said, chuckling. "When you're tired, old habits come back to bite you. You should know that better than anyone, Carolina."

Carolina averted her gaze sharply. "Watch your mouth, soldier!" She said, her tone full of embarrassment.

"What's that about?" Ruby asked, confused.

"Well, you see, when we first met, Ca…" York begun, only to be cut off by Carolina. She didn't even speak to him, she just glared at him from under her helmet. He whimpered in fear and practically wilted into his chair.

"That's what I thought." She said coldly, contempt filling her voice.

North chuckled. "C'mon, it was a pretty funny story! You should let him finish."

"Why would I-" Carolina stopped, turning slowly and quietly to York. "… You… TOLD HIM?!"

York turned and bolted, Carolina charging after him and easily catching up in a matter of seconds, tackling him to the ground and began beating him into the floor. He didn't even try to defend himself.

Ruby looked curiously at North. "You knew that would be her reaction, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"You're terrible to your friends."

"Actually I feel obliged to help. My disrespect to Carolina is how I say I care, and she would've found out sooner or later that York told me the story. Believe it or not, I did him a favour." He whispered quietly in her ear. "Although I recommend you don't go anywhere near their rooms tonight, or you might just find out what I mean."

"Ew…." Ruby replied, and North nodded.

"You wouldn't know it from the way they act, but those two are very mature and care for each other greatly. And also I didn't mean it like that you pervert." He said, shaking his head slightly.

Ruby shot him a confused look, which was beginning to feel embedded into her face with the frequency of which she used it. "How could that POSSIBLY have been interpreted a different way? It was poor phrasing on your part. Also, what the heck do you mean then?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. However it's nothing sexual. You just REALLY don't want to know, believe me."

"You know… You're a lot different to what I expected. Especially not after reading your profile." Ruby stated.

North chuckled. "Everyone is different with friends than they are with the rest of the world, or when they're working. Here, we're all just a biiiig family, but it's not like that on missions. You'll understand after your first, which from what I hear, should be fairly soon. Well anyway, I best be off."

North stood up and left, leaving Ruby alone at the table, and the only freelancer in the hall (Carolina had carried York to the infirmary). There were a few standard soldiers sitting and eating lunch, their identical armours still being worn, although they had their helmets off. Ruby finished her lunch awkwardly, mentally sighing at the loneliness and wondering if she had made the right choice.

Perhaps She should've stayed with her team… this mission was a lot different to what she had imagined. Most of the technology they were using shouldn't work and was incredibly advanced, yet their weapons were miles behind Ruby's Crescent Rose. Which she had been made to leave behind, she thought angrily.

She was snapped from her thoughts as dozens of the soldiers began abandoning their lunches and bolting off somewhere. Ruby looked after them with curiosity, hearing the end of an announcement by F.I.L.I.S. Whatever F.I.L.I.S had said must have riled them up.

Ruby jogged over to the soldiers. "What's going on? I missed the announcement."

"A new Agent just challenged Maine, Wyoming and York to a three-on-one fight!" The soldier said excitedly. "We're going to watch!" With that, the soldier turned and sprinted off after their friends.

"Hey, wait up!" Ruby said, interested. She tried to use her semblance, but found it strangely… suppressed, as if something were holding it down, and she tripped face first onto the ground. She heard snickers behind her, but got up, ignoring them and continuing absentmindedly after the soldier.

Why didn't her semblance work? She had spent a while training it, as she used to be fairly bad with it when under stress, which had been a problem *cough*Huntress*cough*. There should be no reason for it to just… fail like that.

Before she new it, she came across an intersection, with dozens if not hundreds of soldiers running into a large room. She was about to follow, when she saw North and Washington jogging I a different direction, and followed them to a similar, although much less crowded room. Only Carolina, North, South, Wash and one unfamiliar freelancer wearing brown armour, with a helmet that looked like a gas mask. While she was distracted, she noticed F.I.L.I.S announce the round beginning.

She ran quickly over to one of the glass panels, just in time to see a Freelancer in black armour hit York and two others with one of the electrified sticks she had used in her own match, sending them flying.

Carolina started pacing behind them. "What's going on down there? There's no training session on the schedule."

"It's impromptu." South replied, and Ruby was glad to notice she had calmed down. Or at least was interested enough to be distracted.

"Who the hell is that?" Carolina asked.

"Some new recruit."

"Another one already?" Carolina replied sarcastically.

Ruby continued watching, only for the Agent in black to strike rapidly and knock them down.

"Wow, he sure doesn't move like he's a recruit." Washington added, sounding impressed.

"Why do you assume it's a guy? She's a girl." South answered jokingly.

"Oh. I…I didn't really mean that he… I mean it… I mean her…I…"

North and South both laughed.

"Right."

"Sorry."

"Just shut up."

"Both of you, can it." Carolina interjected, still pacing.

"Sounds like someone is a little bit concerned about their position." South joked awkwardly.

"Hey South, pay attention. You might actually learn something if you stop running your mouth for a minute."

Ouch… that was harsh. Ruby saw South turn her head away, clearly shaking to hold back some offensive response.

Ruby looked back down to the fight, only to see the Agent in black choking the Agent in grey with their… Pugil stick, Ruby recalled. York and the Agent in white were approaching, so Black dropped Grey, swinging around and hitting White in the face, turning and duelling York into the ground, quickly followed by white, before breaking her stick in half in white's face.

To Ruby's surprise, white got back up and wobbled a bit before collapsing. Ruby was impressed, she had seen how strong those blows were, and it was a testament to amazing strength to get up from something like that, even if only briefly. Black walked away, chucking their broken stick to the ground.

"Round One: over. Pugil stick training, complete. Point awarded to Texas. The current score is: Team One: 0. Texas: 1." F.I.L.I.S announced.

"Texas, huh?" Washington asked.

"I thought that name was reserved." Carolina added.

Ruby looked over to the scoreboard, which had four names: Texas, Maine, Wyoming and York. So Maine and Wyoming were the other two… good to know, Ruby thought."

"Nice moves." Washington replied, slightly incredulous.

"Could be luck. We'll see." Carolina replied.

"Beginning hand-to-hand combat. Round Two begin in five, four, three, two, one. Round begin." F.I.L.I.S announced.

York turned and said something to his team, who had all assumed fighting stances. In response, white ran forward, only to be hit in the face by Texas and go down.

"Wow, Maine really doesn't like York, does he." Washington asked sarcastically.

Then grey ran forward to meet a similar fate, and Ruby sighed. She saw York seemingly talk to himself, only for Texas to interrupt him with a punch in the gut, kicking grey into the ground as he stood up. White… no, Maine, judging from Washington's comment, Ruby decided, ran at Texas and started fighting her, only to be slammed into the ground.

"Wow!" Washington declared.
"Okay, that was pretty impressive." North agreed.

The three stood up and York started talking to them, only for both of them to sprint forward out of formation, basically lining up.

Ruby sighed. "Do these guys never learn? That clearly isn't going to work! They need to work together!"

She saw York shake his head and run in after them, and she watched in dismay as grey… who would be Wyoming if white was Maine, right? Got hit in the face, and fell down, York fighting Texas quickly only to join him, and Maine to be the last to fall, all three standing up and attacking from all directions. Apparently Texas didn't care, because she nimbly countered and avoided all their blows, even using one of Maine's punches against Wyoming, finishing the fight by kicking York in the face.

"Round over. Point Texas. Hand-to-hand combat complete. Now resetting the floor for Lockdown Paint Scenario."

Pillars emerged from the floor, as the Freelancers, including Ruby, collectively groaned.

"Ugh. I hate that paint." Wash whined.

"Tell me about it. Stings like a bitch." South continued.

"Turns your armour hard as a rock." North finished.

"I wouldn't know." Carolina bragged. The four Freelancers, brown watching the floor, all turned to her.

"It's not bad if you don't let it hit you." She elaborated jokingly.

"Thanks, I'll try to remember that." Washington replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Round Three in five… four… three… two… one. Round begin!"

Ruby turned back to the fight, where Team One were ducked behind pillars. Maine leapt out and sprinted recklessly, only for Texas to shoot him repeatedly in the face. Ruby sighed, watching Wyoming do the same. Only York seemed to have any grasp of tactics, but Texas was clearly an overall better fighter than he was, beating him each time. As this happened again and again, until Texas was six-nil, Ruby became more and more exasperated.

Finally, Maine and Wyoming stayed ducked in cover with York, and seemed to be listening to his instructions, and Ruby felt relieved. Until all three leapt around in an impressive display of coordination, only to be hit by Texas, who had fired off three precise shots with inhuman accuracy in under half a second.

Ruby frowned. She had meant it when she though 'inhuman'. Something was off with Texas.

The next round started, with Texas sneaking onto a pillar above the three, leaping down gracefully and taking all three out. To their credit, both Maine and York had disarmed Texas, and Ruby thought Texas shooting York in the crotch a few dozen times was overkill, whilst Wyoming had cowered behind a corner and been useless.

Ruby sighed yet again, averting her gaze as the three reloaded.

"After eight rounds, the score is now zero-eight, advantage Texas." F.I.L.I.S announced.

"Yeah, advantage is the right word." Ruby scoffed sarcastically.

"Round Nine begins in five, four, three, two, one. Round begin."

Immediately, Wyoming and Maine started firing blind into the pillars, and instead of the familiar paint appearing, holes were created as bullets tore through the cement.

"What?! Are they using live rounds on the training floor?" Washington demanded, and Ruby paled, realising the implications of that sentence.

"Looks like it." South replied.

"That's against protocol, they're gonna kill her!"

"Probably." Brown added, speaking for the first time.

"Someone should get the Director!" Washington continued, beginning to walk off.

Brown scoffed. "The Director? Who do you think gave them the ammo?"

"Watch your mouth C.T." Carolina added quickly, and Ruby frowned at brown… no, C.T's insubordination.

Ruby turned back to the fight, seeing York trying to help Texas, who appeared to be unaware of the fact as she was beating him up anyway. Texas shot Maine's hand, sticking it to one of he pillars, only for Wyoming to start firing at her, and Ruby saw a bullet graze her shoulder, and some sparking appeared.

Wait, sparking? Ruby was distracted from this thought process as Texas stole York's pistol and opened fire on Wyoming, before slamming his head into a pillar and leaving it there. She walked over to York, only for Maine to break free of the paint, another testament to his amazing strength.

Maine ran at the two, punching the pillar Wyoming was in and shattering it, which hit York and knocked him over. Texas shot him a few times and kicked him back. Maine flicked something in his hand, and threw a small ball… wait, was that a grenade? Ruby thought, panicked. Texas turned and shot York repeatedly with the paint, freezing his armour and preventing him from leaving.

It went off, sending York's body flying, although judging from the groan he was still alive, and Ruby realised Texas had saved his life, as the paint had taken most of the damage.

"Shit!" North sword.

"Damn it! Those maniacs!" Washington added.

"What the fuck are they doing?!" North continued, and all three started running down to help York.

Carolina looked like she was about to, only to turn at the last second and tap a hologram. "F.I.L.I.S we need a medical team on the training floor, stat!"

"Medical team on route. Please remain calm." F.I.L.I.S replied, and Ruby joined C.T and Carolina in running down to the floor.

"York? York!" Carolina cried desperately as they neared.