Chapter 3 Scout Team Seen
Haku explained his notes and meeting to Zabuza after he woke up, leaving out personal information such as about Nikki's mother.
In what must be considered morning, an alarm clock rang, but Haku was already up. He never usually slept well at night, even when he was a child. Instead of worrying about monsters under his bed Haku's life was filled with monsters and mind with guilt. Guilt over his parents, failing Zabuza as a shinobi, the people he killed for Zabuza and anxiety over being captured at any moment in slumber, only to be in a waking world of monsters and demons as people who sheltered him in a pack that hunted brutally. Night, day, death, devotion, rinse and repeat. The Morfema changing into the versions of his parents that stayed with him didn't help, they looked exactly like the ones that haunted him no matter how far or fast super speed could take him, watching and waiting in the distance. He liked morning better because his mind was calmest, brief tranquility as a sign of surviving the night.
Haku was dressed in green high tops, a forest green shirt that showed pictures of trees that used negative space to create a rabbit face and beige cargo knee length pants. He was reading pamphlets left in a mail box on the wall. Maps, introductions, and basic information with a note that said "Miss Norris will be here soon for your first mission, feel free to get breakfast while you wait then meet in the meeting room from yesterday" ~Ambrosia. Haku examined the map with both locations and teleporter codes highlighted. Pocket sized distractions while he waited for Zabuza to dress in navy sleeveless jogging suit, blue and white sneakers, blue arm warmers, and a dark grey top. When he was finished they decided to get food, making their way to a cafeteria where they met another group. A slightly tall woman with orange hair, a young dark skin man with a flat top, a middle aged man with grey hair and glasses, and a woman with a mousy French side braid that was only slightly shorter than the orange haired one. Almost anywhere else it would look like a group of college students with their professor.
"Good Morning" Haku said, feeling it was too early to be on anyone's bad side. Most replied the same way but the older man sat judging them and waving.
The Flat Top man said "Don't think I've seen you guys around here. You work in processing?"
Zabuza replied No, but his raspy voice made most things sound harsher. Judging by the look on the other man's face Zabuza being curt could cause problems.
Haku stepped in saying "We're new. I'm unsure of the unit, field agents I believe, but we're supposed to work with two women named Nikki and Gaia." Zabuza was a bit confused, one meeting and a new name? Wasn't this a bit fast?
The grey haired man cupped his bearded chin as if Haku and Zabuza were a science project, two foreign bodies in a new habitat. "I see you're the two we heard about. His German accent was quite new for the duo."
The carrot top woman was next to speak "Now don't be rude. Welcome we're the scout team I'm Willow, nice to meet you." She stood and was, in height between Haku and Zabuza but was closer to Zabuza's.
The woman with the braid was next. "I'm Flores, the guy with the flat hair is Derrick and he's Joran." She concluded by motioning towards the grey haired man.
Haku replied "Nice to meet you." Having more people working there made the place seem more official, but what exactly were these people scouting for?
They were sitting at the same table eating their breakfast and talking, Haku had a breakfast burrito and Zabuza a mostly meat breakfast sandwich. There was something odd about each the scout team's food however. Derrick had fruit with nightshade berries and unidentifiable red chunks, Flores had sugary cereal but the milk was dark pink with and odd texture, Willow's oatmeal was stuffed with odd parts of fish such as fins and eyes and Joran's coffee was soaking small ginger roots that he ate.
Zabuza decided to try and find out more about these people. "Scout team eh? Tell me what types of place do go to on missions?"
Joran glance at him "We travel to a variety of dimensions so naturally they differ." He sipped his coffee, bit another piece of sugared ginger and waited for his reaction.
Derrick turned to Joran "Come on man, this early?"
Willow scoffed and Flores rolled her eyes. They knew this game, Joran was curious about how foreign organisms responded in new habitats. Naturally he was vague to see how others would react in their interdimensional quilt of a workforce. Seeing new life introduced in an environment included how they were treated.
Willow explained "What he means is that from day to day we don't know. We usually check out the places field agents like you go before missions. There's been a few places with magic and ghosts, then a city in an apartment's complex walls, but my favorites are when we go to cities in the sky."
Derrick was next, upon closer examination his eyes appeared yellow. "Our job is to take notes, interview the clients, and set up teleporters for when you go on missions. Some stuff may not be available to us, but we can at least survey the area and get you through the door."
Haku asked "Do you know anything about where we're going today?"
Joran opened his laptop. "Let's see file 2/4/14 Today-"
Flores interrupted by standing up and greeting the new arrival, the scoot her chair made alone was enough to stop Joran "Hey Nikki!" Nikki entered the room today in an outfit that was very similar but different from yesterday, black with a color bleeding through with the same belt and jewelry from her rings to bracelets and of course her heart amulet.
Nikki waved, this time using her arm as well "Hey! How are you all today?" She followed by sitting down between Willow and Haku opposite of Flores, who she high fived.
Derrick and Nikki fist bumped when she sat down, class ring meeting a skull cameo and silver cow skull. "We're good breaking bread with the new guys."
Nikki then put both hands on her cheeks in mock horror asking Haku and Zabuza jokingly "They weren't too vicious were they guys?"
Haku replied "No we survived." He laughed a little with a quick pat on the shoulder, hoping it was a joke.
Joran cleared his throat and continued. "As I was saying today you will be tracing a string of – You know what no, this is too much clutter. Everyone to the meeting room." The group shuffled to throw or pack everything away in trashcans and refrigerators on the wall.