Chapter 15: Militant Force (2)
It was a frigid night. Steady rain pelted the outside of the cave, but it did nothing to stop the invisible waves that made his skin tingle even with his sleeves rolled up.
That left him in a bad mood. It was never good for him to be in a bad mood.
Being forced to wait for the locals didn't help either. Had it not been a direct order, there'd been no telling what liberty he'd have take otherwise. His work specialty involved twisting hands and feet, not bartering deals and fake promises. There was someone to be harangued when this was over.
An audible breath left his mouth. The knife in his hands, a tool put to use removing the grime between his fingers. He wondered if any of the five men with him would be up to a little knife play. He inevitably reconsidered when he remembered who he picked for bodyguard duty.
The air shuddered.
A thing rumbled from the downpour. With an ear perked up at the distortion, he could make out the distinctness of the sound that broke the sky's weeping. Likewise, his men were now standing upright and at attention. At least, those that could be seen in the clearing.
He himself never bothered giving much thought to the sound. Or the other sounds that followed. Not even when he could sense the new figures who were within knife distance from him.
"I see someone here doesn't have any manners," he amused them.
"Cut your shit, freak show. You've got some explaining to do. What's goin' on?" edged one of the newcomers.
"Courtesy before business, gents and ladies," the knife was raised away from his fingers. "Didn't we have this talk before? I give you service, you provide me with some decent manners."
He'd seen these faces before. All three of them. He wondered what happened to the other three. Probably rotting in some bush, he assumed. Apart of him bemoaned the brute was still alive. That loud, obnoxious brute who was now walking much too close to him.
A meaty hand grabbed his collar. He made an act of dropping his knife.
"Listen here! You tell us why your boys are hurting us, and I might not leave that pretty face of yours bruised too badly, hear?!"
So close was the brute, he could smell the stench on him. It took all he could not to gore the man than and there. Alas he had orders…. And expectations.
"Please be civilised in this. I'd let you off a bit better if you let me down now."
A right knuckle was the response he got.
A flash and crack followed. He wondered who amongst the three would've seen that smile illuminated in the sudden bright. No matter, the show-off paled in comparison to one's own validation.
One hand slipped on his belt. Fingers wrapped around the claw knife on his right. He veiled the movement under an act of franticness. The brute didn't realise what was happening until he'd already gotten three gashes.
"WHAT?! ARRGH! WHAT?!" repeated the brute over and over. The clenching his collar jerked and threw him back. He landed with the air knocked out of his lungs.
Pain flooded his chest from the breathless laughter bursting from him.
It didn't matter that his men had opened fire, or the fact that they were dropping like the useless things they were. It didn't matter either as that brute's peers came close and brandished spear and axe at him in some gesture, he assumed was a threat.
"Enough with the games! You'll regret crossing us, and we'll take you for ransom!" shrieked the axe woman.
There was no hope now. No hope now.
"And stop SMILING!"
He ignored the banshee. All his attention was focused on the brute.
That same brute that whimpered and thrashed. His form a casing of light that flashed. It reminded him of a strobe light he'd seen back in his younger days. But what ultimately caught his attention was injury on the man's right hand.
He was enamoured with the beautiful green glow.
"AHHHH!"
The wails were beautiful. Both the axe woman and spearman were more than surprised hearing that man's vocalised torment.
"Oh gods…" he heard the spearman whisper.
Within that cavern, all three spectated as the brute's arm swelled. The new form looked like a giant beehive to him. One blink, then two, and it was already nearing the size of his chest. The skin around the limb already seemingly close to bursting from being overstretched. Not once the screaming stopped, and he admittedly was impressed.
"Observation data sufficient. Beginning clean up."
The voice in his ears left a tingle in his chest. How wondrous. To think of the possibilities. All the new kinds of voices he can now hear with the new information. He couldn't wait.
Violent shaking brought him out of his musings. Pain shot up from his thigh. Bewildered eyes looked down to see the axe now buried in his flesh.
"What did you do to him?!" more infernal shrieking. Suppose he could answer. Manners make men. They separate him from savages too.
"The same that I'm going to do to you, and every single filthy little mud creature like you. I can't wait to hear how your younglings scream."
Her eyes widened, then manifested into rage.
Then nothing else.
He only barely heard the high-pitched whine and subsequent boom.
"Impact. All targets hit."
"Second impact in three, two, one. Hit."
"Zulu company reports direct impact. Beginning clean-up operations."
"Colonel Ming's signature is flat. Same goes for his squad."
Zhou Enlai remained still at the centre of the command room. One hand caressing the bits of facial hair there. Before him, a large screen displayed the aftermath of the missile strike.
The incendiary warheads hadn't merely scorched the cave, but left everything within 500 metres a charred, smouldering crater. That had only been the first strike, whereas the second seemed to only reinforce what the first had done. The infrared was but a searing white blotch on the FLIR camera of the drones.
"Quite the overkill, ain't it?"
Gloria had reappeared beside him. She wasn't a witch, but she was no rank-and-file of the organisation either. That fact never failed to haunt him at night.
"You got whatever you wanted from the feed?" he asked.
"Sure do. I have to say, this whole scheme of yours plays straight out of the usual textbook of the Brotherhood. If I hadn't known, I'd thought you as an Incarnate."
"How long until we have Colonel Ming back in the field?" he queried. changing the topic.
"Give it an hour," came the short reply.
He nodded. "Zulu needs to finish its business and then move to the next rendezvous. If Angler's prediction holds true, we need to be ready for those capital troops to come in. Signal Colonel Amaris to begin his preparations."
"Colonel Ming isn't going to like you touching his toys."
"Colonel Ming can take it out on the bandits and whoever else has the misfortune of getting his way."
"Fair enough," his aide shrugged.
He gave Gloria a side glance. He wanted to ask what the 'evidence' from the recording was supposed to be. Every day, the weight of many secrets continued growing heavier, and it made him wonder if he ever would live to see them revealed.
Turning on his heel, he approached the projector table. The 2D map on display had been updated with a third X-cross. That left two out of five more meetups to clear the region of unwanted rivals.
As to what happens after, he wasn't sure yet.
Nine weeks.
It took only nine weeks for the mercenaries to gain control of the region. Nine weeks for them to quell the threat, on top of dealing with the Grimm upsurge. It wasn't something that should be possible, let alone even vaguely conceivable in the minds of the military, or what his kingdom could still call one that is.
No, such miracles belonged only in fables. The likes that Valeans tell to their grandchildren to put stars in their eyes and dreams in their little minds.
Such things don't work for a man like Huo Fang, Captain of the Capital Guard and a man who grew under and tutelage by those who inherited bitterness from their fathers, over a war fought by their forefathers.
When he first heard of the mercenaries, he flew into a silent rage. The only thing collaring him from strangling that walking skeleton of a man that was the steward was his position as protector of the city. He was in the right to trust no one else with the position. Moreso, when the Kuchinashi crisis first erupted.
'Useless, cowed fools' was the thought that struck him when he thought back to the people in the Court. Those same people were bounded by the twisted culture they'd build for their social circle. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was busy
dealing with Grimm outside the capital's walls with the Huntsmen, perhaps he could've chased those outsiders away before they proposed whatever ailment now infected the Steward's mind.
Alas, it had all come to pass. He could now only focus on the present, and that meant showing the people of Kuchinashi that Mistral can deal with its problems on its own without the help of foreigners.
From his place on the very front of the airship's forecastle, he could already make out the destitute city. It could be said that the founders of the settlement were entirely to blame, but neither should its current rulers not be held accountable. Expecting the people to handle themselves was akin to handing children swords and telling them to slay Grimm.
Looking over his left shoulder, he was just in time to see an approaching figure. Her red hair tied into a bun, and both her arms gripping her cloak tight.
"Nikos," he greeted. "Pleasant to see you up here."
"Eager to see the adventure awaiting us?"
"Big pictures come in many frames," he turned back to look at the distant city. "Some are…. More telling than others."
"For what its worth, I think we'll do a lot of good being here. Still can't understand why the Council denied Huntsmen getting involved in the troubles."
Council? Ah right, the inept system the victors of the War left behind and completely disregarded the fact that the elites on the defeated side wouldn't take over when they were gone.
Council, Courts, it was all the same. A manner of control and maintaining order. A lighthouse that didn't attract ships, but all manner of predators eager to satiate their ambition.
"It has to do with them having no real say on what goes down if Huntsmen were deployed. Huntsmen only answer to the Headmaster who would always side with his former students than them."
"And you're okay with this?" she asked.
"I care less so long as the job is done. People need help, and if those House scions were anyway benign, they'd know to keep the problems of Mistral to its actual people."
A call came from the forward post below them. There was renewed franticness as the airship's crew prepared to initiate a landing. Likewise, he took it as his cue to make his own preparations.
Turning around, he began walking towards the rear of the ship. Nikos staying close to him.
"Get your team ready and meet me in the meeting room at aft. I want us all to be on the same page by the time we're on the ground."
"Understood."
For his mission, he'd hired a full team of seasoned Huntsmen
Officially, they were to serve as his bodyguards for dealing with Grimm surge that was amassing south of Mistral. That had been true, but it had rather 'unfortunate' that the stragglers from that mass had fled into the Hinoki region, and he had built a reputation on being very thorough in his job.
Six people stood in the meeting room. Himself, his aide, and the four people who were representatives of the Academy. A map of Kuchinashi, and the surrounding regions was on full display underneath candlelight. One wooden ship figure represented the current vessel they were on.
"Alright, I'll endeavour to keep this brief," he began. "As discussed, we're here to provide much needed aide for the people of Kuchinashi, and those who live in Hinoki forests. Grimm are our priority, along with the mercenaries. We have to ensure that neither are allowed to establish full control over the region."
"Ain't this goin' to be fun, yeah? Talk about finally getting something tough for once!" enthused one of the Huntsmen, tall burly man named Zhong Wei, armed with a long mace for a weapon.
"Reserve those unrefined tastes to yourself, oaf," came a soft chide from one of the two Huntswomen. "Better yet, keep them stuffed away from the rest of us and the captain."
"Easy you two," intervened said captain. "As I was saying, we need to solve the troubles of this place for good. Hence, I'll be dividing us into two groups."
He accentuated his point by placing a second wooden ship piece on the board before continuing.
"I need you four to take a small airship and start scouting the region as soon as you have your gear off loaded at dock. We're officially here to hunt Grimm, but that excuse isn't going to last long anymore. If push comes to shove, I want proof as to whatever the mercs are really doing here."
"That's plenty of attentiveness towards one group, good Sir," spoke the second Huntsmen, his back to the wall and a crossbow by side mimicking the same action. "However, there is the bandits to think about as well. They are the reason and initial cause for the crisis, no?"
"Solving one should solve the other," stated the captain. "Once the refugees get an idea as to what Huntsmen can do, we can begin discussing on how we can get more teams on the field."
"I don't want to sound unkind here, but Huntsmen aren't exactly a free service, sir," addressed Nikos. "And I can't see how we'll win the people over if they have to be expected to handover what little savings they have left."
"You leave that to me," he assured. "If my meet with the two Houses here goes well, then the people won't need to pay a dime and we can avoid a fight breaking out and get people back to their old homes safely."
A metallic clang resounded above, drawing the attention of the meeting participants.
"That's our que, good luck people. My aide here will fill you in the secondary details you need to know."
"With certainty, sir," replied the man next to him.
His duty done, he turned and left. His destination now being the top deck, where no doubt his sergeants were mustering the men for roll call. A flicker in his mind helped him keep track of what he needed to address to his soldiers in contrast to the Huntsmen. Try as he might, his men were all Third and Second Born of Nobility, and loyalty to master is but a close second to loyalty to blood.
"Come on Apollonia, be serious with me. You've got to be at least a bit giddy about this trip," nudged the long mace user.
"And what if I am? Doesn't mean I have start asking everybody about it like a little kid."
The large man shrugged. "Figured you'd want to have something to tell your niece."
"Ana's barely even two, Zhong Wei! What do I have to tell for, anyway? It's not like she'd understand anything I have to say!"
"Believe me, there ain't nothing more joyful than youth," spoke the giant with a smile.
"The experience is speaking I see," she gave her own smile, knowing the man's stable polygamous relationship, earning a hearty laugh in return.
"Ain't that the truth!"
The team stepped onto the deck just as the Captain of The Capital Guard, Huo Fang, finished the speech for his troops. Wisely steering clear of the assembled men, the four climbed up to the ship's forecastle and watched they steadily the wall of Anima's second largest settlement.
"City is in pretty bad shape," remarked the crossbowmen, Sora Kazehana. "I can see Nevermore feathers still stuck to the side of those walls."
"They must have blind men for sentries. They bring shame onto their Houses," scorned the other Huntswomen.
"We'll put this all to right," affirmed Nikos. "We have to. It's our job as Protectors."
The landing had gone well enough.
A standard entourage greeted them. He had on insistence, told the Huntsmen to stay at the back of the troop column, allowing him to distract the House Retinues long enough to get them to bring him to their masters.
He'd expected many things when coming here, but the reports in the capital had done nothing more than to downplay entirely what was actually happening.
There was filth everywhere he saw whilst being moved from port to the city centre. People slept on the streets or whatever corners they could find. Not a single sign of House Guards could be seen, and the City Constables he passed by had enough bags under their eyes to pass off as a medical ailment.
Kuchinashi's founding was riddled with internal problems, that much was true. The origin of there being two Houses was because the Courts themselves were at each other's throats and chose the two wimpiest Houses to represent them on the frontier.
Alas, the sheep had been replaced by dogs at some point.
It certainly looked that way to him as he arrived the main government building under armed escort. Try as they might it seemed, he could almost smell the scent of burnt Fire Dust in the air. There were telltale signs of fights, the walls had peculiar lines and arcs that stood in contrast with the paint. Some of the artifacts on display were laughably fake that he'd wondered to who the punishment should fall on; the person who ordered the counterfeit or the one who made it.
His tour ended upon entering a large meeting room. For the first time, he was in a space that wasn't filled with fake ornate items. Moreso, the whole room looked untouched from the violence. With a twitch of his nose, he could even smell the dry stagnant air.
Two groups entered from opposing doors on the other end of the room. He knew both from the research he'd done before coming here that the one with the balding scalp was the leader of Summer Turmeric, and the other with her hair tied behind her was Autumn Jade.
"Captain Yù Shí Bái, Captain Jun Li," he greeted. "How nice of you both to greet me."
"Ahem, agreed, we were…. Not expecting you to visit so suddenly, Captain Huo Fang," nervously replied Captain Yù Shí Bái.
"While we're honoured by you gracing our presence," spoke Jun Li curtly. "You've chosen a poor time of arrival. This city faces a great deal of strife. As such, we can ill afford to dally here for long."
He gave a deliberate pause before responding.
"I can see that. So, how goes the feud? Have both your grudges finally exhausted themselves yet?"
Both captains turned to each other and then back to him.
"No," the Summer Turmeric captain swallowed. "Tensions are… still volatile at this time and both sides are under the firm belief that negotiations will have to wait for a little longer."
"Yet, both of you are standing before me, correct?" the corner of his lips twitched. "I mean, considering that neither of your parties are trying to slit each other's throats right now, I'll take it as that relations are at least amiable enough for someone like me to press forward with decisive action."
"Pardon, captain?"
"It is with great honour that I stand here before you both," continued Huo Fang. "At the head of a thousand men, some of my best and most stalwart troops as well. We're here to deal with the Grimm, and to restore stability to the city of Kuchinashi and Hinoki forests."
Both, Summer Turmeric and Autumn Jade, made to protest but a raised fist signalled no objections.
"This utter farce for a noble feud has gone on long enough," the words nearly came out in spits. "I came here expecting violence to be standard. Yet, all I find is apathy and utter despair on the streets whilst you lot stand around playing swords. Enough is enough! This city gets put back together, or so help me, I'll have both of your Houses stripped of rights!"
"Nonsense!" roared Jun Li "You dare to walk in here and threaten us! Rank or none, this is against the rights of the Pillars."
"You speak of rights?! Then where are the rights of those people out there?! Where were they're rights for being safe from danger! Where were you when they needed them?!"
"Enough!"
Both, the Mistral Captain and Autumn Jade turned to look at the third peer in the room.
"You two act more alike to apes than distinguished men of rank," he breathed.
He then pointed a finger at Huo Fang. "Captain of The Capital, I appreciate the gesture and intentions you send by bringing you and your men here, but you do so with no warrants from Court. Even if we wanted your help, it would come at severe backlash to both our Houses. You risk dragging an entire Kingdom into this mess with your actions."
The finger switched to Jun Li. "We could've avoided this. I recognised the signs then, and so did you. Yet, we dallied ourselves around it for far too long. Captain Huo Fang is right about one thing, and that's the fact we need to get both our Houses straight and start putting efforts into the common folk."
A lengthy breath later, Yù Shí Bái continued.
"Captain Huo Fang, we'll have you escorted to a suitable place to stay. I, personally, apologise for how this meet turned out. If it makes you feel better, me and Captain Jun Li will stay back and discuss your… proposition before we head back to our masters."
With a gesture, the doors behind him were opened. He left with a bow, but no words. Enough had been said, but what he observed was more than enough to begin moving the pieces in his mind.
He could only hope the Huntsmen will have more success in the coming days.
"I'm thankful for the offer you youngsters are giving us, but it really is unnecessary."
"Not even for a simple sweep of the surroundings? We can negotiate with the Academy for an even lower price if that's what holds you back. We Huntsmen carry just enough to pay for a few days stay, and you can hold that amount as collateral until we get back."
The village elder shook his head. "We hardly have any use for currency of the capital out here, and if its trouble of any kind you worry about, then you can rest assured our neighbours will deal with them accordingly. As they have with all other threats before this."
Disheartened, but unwilling to cause a scene, the Huntsmen return to their airship. A fast-moving sloop-like vessel, with supplies that could last them for the remainder of the week.
The Huntswomen's face was one of utter scorn.
"They can't be this stupid," she growled. "They just can't!"
"We can't do anything about it, Mei Ling. Our Dust reserves are running out as we speak, and I have a feeling that buying more out here is not gonna net us a profit," said the crossbowman mulled.
"But to trust mercs, MERCS! What do they take us for?! Dainty things made for show? What do those mangy mutts have that we don't?!"
"Take it easy there," chided Apollonia. "That amount of anger, you'd think some Grimm would sense us out here."
A face full of retort turned to the sole redhead of the group, aiming to launch into a tirade. Alas, that never happened, and instead the face softened. Eyes wondered out towards the woods that could be seen in the distance from where they're airship hovered above the town, they found themselves at.
"That's it!" gleamed the noble.
"What?" Apollonia blinked.
"If the issue is that they don't understand how good we are, how about we give them a demonstration!"
The amazonian, try as she might, was finding it difficult to discern what her teammate was implying. At least, that was what she hoped the building lump within her was.
"… I.. don't think I catch what you're saying."
For her part, the woman only gave a rather sinister smile.
"You won't need to worry about anything, Nikos. Just be prepared."
Pressing her lips, Apollonia turned to look at the hammer user who'd remained silent throughout the conversation. His eyes told her he had nothing of value to contribute, but there was a silent agreement between them to stay wary.
The next morning, the team set course further from the more populated territories in the region.
It was around the early evening that they found what the scion was looking for.
"Have to say, never seen anything like what they're carrying," remarked Zhong Wei absentmindedly from the front of the airship. "But it definitely gives off real tough guy vibes."
Below, there was a large movement of refugees, along with a sizeable mercenary force with them. What stood out was the strange locomotion engines that surrounded the convoy. Undoubtedly, belonging to the mercenaries.
"No heraldries," spoke up Mei Ling. "At least, none that I can see or identify openly."
"Worried that you might have competition?" poked her teammate.
She rolled her eyes. "Quite the contrary. It means that whoever these mercs are, they aren't related to any of the current nobility. At least, not ones that I know off."
"What are the chances if they're a forgotten house?"
A scoff. "Nonsense. The Valeans made sure of that. Their king, monster he may be, was also adept at reconstruction. Too adept even. It was impossible to escape his eye when he was at the head of putting our kingdom back in order."
"You sound like you were there."
"We highborn still bear many of the scars of war. It's our hope still to retake the whole of Mistral under one banner. To guarantee our goods flow through all of Remnant once more. As it stands, however, we will have to settle for grooming our young ones to be as strong as our forefathers were."
"… You know that last part was kind of creepy."
A groan. "Just get ready to land."
"Who are you? State your business?"
"Just Huntsmen doing a patrol around these parts. Our client wants us to assess the state of the realm. Any of you happen to be needing help?" asked the mace user.
The man they were talking to spared a glance at his companion. Both wore the same olive drab fatigues, albeit their caps differed with one having a front visor and a flat top, whereas the other had a a softer, rounded top and a stitched piece that covered down to the nape of his neck.
Adjusting the firearm hanging on his person, Flat Top spoke.
"We're good. However, I'd say we keep this short. You leave, and so do we. These refugees need to reach the next settlement before nightfall."
"Well, we can help with that," added Nikos. "Safety in numbers. We'll keep watch from the airship and let you know if something's coming."
"Appreciated, but unneeded. We've got our own observers keeping an eye out. You wanna help somebody? I suggest you start flying and searching elsewhere. You're bound to run in with some stragglers from wherever if you look hard enough."
"You're acting out of line, merc," scorned Mei Ling. "It's our job to make sure these people get to safety and remain protected from any threats. What makes you think you have any right to get in our way?"
"My orders, and my paycheck. Which, I don't know if you happened to notice, is practically the same thing as yours. So, why not you guys just go merry fuck off and find someone in actual need of help now. Last warning, no takebacks."
The sudden vulgarity made the noble ready to leap into action, but was held back by her teammate, the large man. The two made eye contact, and the latter doubled the pressure of his grip.
Before the situation could escalate, a third mercenary joined the group. This one with a device on his back, and a handheld in one palm. Flat Top lent an ear to the man, and whatever he heard made the merc turn on his heel and shout at a distant rifleman.
More orders filled the air. Shouts, both frantic and tense, filled the air as the refugees were ushered ever so urgently forward by the mercs.
"What's going on?" Nikos asked but received no answer from the man with the flat top who was on the move to rejoin his men. His partner, the one with the round top, opted to lag behind long enough to clarify to them.
"Looks like all that talk got the natives restless. I'd suggest you stay out of our way if you know what's good for you. Better, we can both avoid a mess if you leave and find someone else in need of help like he said."
With that, he left.
"T-The nerve!" screeched the noblewoman. Shaking off the Zhong Wei's grip on her shoulder, she turned heel herself and began stomping back to the airship.
"Where are you going?" Sora called out.
"I will not be outdone by mere dogs!" came the return shout.
It took them a while to be airborne once more, but by then the battle was in full swing. From above, they had a full view of the fighting, which consisted of two battle lines holding ground against the Grimm. The crossbowman was reminded of toys on a flat plane.
"What savagery," the noblewoman breathed.
"Can't doubt their ferocity at least," remarked the mace wielder.
The four Huntsman continued to observe for the most part. A mixture of keen observation and wonder as the mercenaries worked their trade and brutal finesse. Gasps could be heard as a few of the wheeled wagons pressed ahead of the lines and sprayed walls of fire whose roars were heard even above the thunder of firearms.
"You know, I sure wished we had one of those new widgets that can take pictures," spoked up Sora.
"You mean cameras?" Nikos corrected.
"Yeah, those things."
Moments later, the battle began to die down. The land between the two sides was scorched from the maniacal use of the flame-spitters.
Nikos turned to her companions. "No point in getting involved. We should head back to Kuchinashi and report to the captain."
"Are you saying you agree with that mutt from earlier?" snapped Mei Ling.
"Not that," responded the amazonian, disapproval in tone. "However, don't you think that those mercs were equipped way above their paygrade? Also, last I checked, Dust doesn't exist or work in liquid form. Their using something else down there, and we need to report all of this to the captain before we do anything else."
"I won't allow myself to be cowed by some cheap acts," gritted the scion's teeth.
"Enough," Zhong Wei stepped in, his hand on the woman's shoulder. "Nikos has a point. We're starting to get well above what we're paid or even capable of for that matter. Sun's a setting and we should look for a place to land and take refuge for the night."
Green eyes stared disdainfully at the large man who looked back impassively. Eventually, the scion once again shook off her teammate's gripped, but this time, she opted to march off to the rear of the ship and headed below deck.
Both, Nikos and the crossbowman looked at the mace wielder who only sighed.
"I'll go talk to her later. For now, let's focus on getting settled somewhere for the night."
Nothing happened for the rest of the day and well into the night.
Only, until she was awoken by obvious screams of alarm.
Her battle instincts took control. Her shield raised and poise straight as her sitting position would allow. A breath had passed when she realised her surroundings were still relatively intact. Yet, she could still hear the vocalised alarm that resounded the wooden frame of her quarters.
"Guys!" shouted a familiar voice. "Guys! Get up! We have to go now!"
Once more, instincts took control, and she found herself one foot out of her quarters when she nearly ran into Zhong Wei. She barely had time to query the reason behind the rude awakening.
"Grimm!" he barked. "We've got Grimm incoming! They're headed for the town!"
That was all the prompt that was needed. She raced alongside her teammate up top. Sora joining along the way at some point. She noted the shattered moon above, and how the cloudless night allowed its fractured glow to illuminate the dark below.
"Where are they?" she asked.
"Over there!" pointed the crossbowman forward.
Their ship had dropped anchor to the southwest of the village. With the village on their portside, and the wilderness to their starboard. The Grimm were coming from the latter, and even from their height some two hundred meters above ground, the sounds of the beasts could be heard.
"We need lights! Fire some Luminous Dust. Nikos, you're with me. Hammer and Anvil!"
She nodded and began stepping away from the side of the ship. Dropping into a low stance, she broke into a sprint that saw her transition into a high jump over the rails and dive for the ground below.
Her Semblance was the manifestation of shields. Each of the thirty shields she could manifest at once could -upon being shattered- transfer a physical blow into her and be directed out in a kinetic strike. The most direct use was by having her stand at the front, or as a last resort in the rear.
But there was one other way her partner had figured out.
She was surrounded by a dome of golden shields by the she hit the earth. The immediate area around her benefited from the glow of her Semblance, and she could make out the open field of grass around her. Keeping one knee to the ground, she twisted her torso up just in time to see her partner falling from above, the mace raised for a decisive slam.
With a mighty roar, the head of the weapon crashed into the dome. The shockwave reverberated and shimmered through the dome before the entire hardlight construct shattered, sending the hammerman bouncing away from his initial vector.
As this happened, Nikos reached into her soul. She felt the energy from the blow channelled into her, coalescing into a ball of power that she then sent into her weapon arm. From years' worth of training, she knew to poise herself in a throwing stance. From countless scenarios, she knew just when to unleash her blow.
The javelin was thrown.
A great clap broke the air as the weapon she'd thrown darted towards the general direction of the approaching horde. A count of one. A count of two. A brilliant orange flash like the dawning sun shone, followed by panic yelps and roars.
Shockwaves resounded from her right as her partner landed. Neither wasted time and threw themselves at the remains of the horde's speartip. Her shield's sharpened edge met contact with hard bone, and all became a blur as she spun, weaved and vaulted over the mass. Occasionally, a loud meaty splat was heard as her partner crushed a monster with his mace.
Movement after movement, the battle began winding down. She soon found herself on top of a dissolving Ursa. Her shield embedded into the base of the neck. Breathing hard, she surveyed the field.
Her partner was still fighting, but three Beowolves were nothing to an experienced Huntsmen. In the distance, she could hear explosions and the screeching wind. No doubt, the crossbowman was doing his part by harassing the rear of the Grimm from the airship.
So, where was the Mei Ling? The thought occupied the forefront of her mind as she went to pickup her javelin from where it'd been thrown again into another beast.
It was the first thing she asked her partner when she approached.
"She'll be here. Don't worry."
They waited and waited. Eventually, even the airship settled close to the ground and an irritated crossbowman hopped off.
"Guys, what's taking so long? Are we doing an overnight now?"
The long mace user swallowed the lump in his throat. "Just a bit longer. She has to be here soon."
He looked far into the dawn twilight. The oddity of it all was getting on her nerves too.
"Maybe she got lost whilst in pursuit," she suggested. "Let's try and spot her from above the trees."
He didn't respond at first. It took her calling his name thrice before he finally answered and begrudgingly followed along.
They began their search in earnest from the direction the Grimm had come from. Yet, aside from a few of the horde's stragglers, nothing was found.
"No, no," he shook his head, sweat pooling down on his chin. "This wasn't how it was supposed to go."
"What are you saying? What happened while we were gone?" asked Nikos, referring to when she and the crossbowman retired early for the day.
"This wasn't how it was supposed to happen," he repeated. "This was supposed to turn us into heroes. She couldn't… have…"
"Uhm, guys," the crossbowman interrupted. "Do you hear- INCOMING!"
Apollonia barely had time to register, much less look at the crossbowman. For her world was suddenly beset by heat, air and a deafening noise. Her Aura cracking was about the only thing she could register.
Silence.
Fighting.
Fight.
Struggle.
It wasn't known when her consciousness returned. Only that she returned to the waking world screaming and banging. Charred wood and other destroyed chunks of the airship above, threatening to crush her as she helpless wailed at it with both her arms. She continued to struggle as the groan of the metal was heard. Each beat of the heart served to tempo the tune of her own death.
Just as everything seemed lost, a familiar burly figure appeared above her.
"Hold on, Apollonia!"
Between her charred hands, and his bleeding palms, they were able to stomp and even lift the debris enough so that another pair of hands pulled her out. A guttural roar sounded as Zhong Wei dropped the debris, landing on his rear from the burden of strain.
Three bodies lay or sat still amidst the destroyed wreckage.
"….. How?" moaned Nikos amidst pain.
"Something…. Hit us…" croaked the crossbowman. "I barely saw it with my eyes. It came in the direction of…"
The sentence was never finished as the man's gaze was turned towards the distance. Nikos strained her head to look at her teammate who became visibly stiff. Said man then slowly, but surely half-crawled, half-dragged himself behind a embedded wooden piece of the ship, where he then took cover behind and carefully peaked out from.
"Shit," he cursed.
"What," she choke-coughed. "What is it?"
"Movement in the treeline, 300 meters out and closing."
The amazonian felt a cold feeling settle within her. Her heart threatening to leap from her chest. Fingers, hands and arms grasped for weapons that weren't there.
At the same time, the crossbowman loaded a new bolt into his weapon. Closing his eyes, he breathed deep before aiming at the wreckage. The one bolt which flew from the weapon blasted a hole clean through the flaming wood.
"Zhong Wei, take Nikos and run!"
"What?! No! What are you doing?!" she screamed despite her pain.
"Buying you guys' time! Get to the village, they'll help you out. The captain needs to know what happened here."
A grunt sounded, and suddenly, Nikos soon found herself weightless again. She recognised the silhouette of just who was carrying him.
She called out.
"JUST GO!"
"Hit! Man down! Man down!"
"He's in the rubble! Suppress- Ahh!"
"We got another wounded! Suppress that fucker! Team Two, move in!"
"What utter amateurs…," Colonel Ming sighed. "But, of course, can't be helped I suppose. Good colleagues aren't easily found, isn't that right, milady?"
Lowering the binoculars, the officer turned to the bound woman restrained on a stretcher. Sedated, and barely lucid. He knelt and swept a hand from the forehead to the back of her scalp.
"Even like this, I can smell the fragrance off of you," he sniffed her. "Such a beautiful specimen is hard to come by."
Taking a final whiff, he stood and turned to the two men who accompanied him and their prisoner.
"Make sure she's comfortable back at base, would you? I'd hate for her to be ruined before I get my turn at her."
"Understood," said one of the two, before they both too one end of the stretcher and left.
The colonel looked on with a smile as the thing was carried off into the crowd. The rest of Zulu Company was either crouched or standing at the ready but hidden enough from the foliage.
"We chasing the other two, or what?" one of his lieutenants asked.
"Patience, my man. Patience," he gently chastised, the edged tone not unnoticeable. "Give our brothers their chance to wetten their chops. In the meantime, we'll be wait at the finish line for the meal."
"Doesn't sound like our usual stick, sir."
"This isn't just a run of the mill culling, my dear lieutenant. This is premium prey. It doesn't matter how much effort you put in, only that who lands the killing blow."
"We can't leave him, Zhong Wei! Put me down now! We have to help him!"
"Not a chance! First Mei Ling, then Sora. I won't be losing anyone else on my team!"
"You utter coward! STOP!"
She tried; she really did. However, aside from some weak kicks, she still hadn't the strength to resist. Her Aura was weak, and what little reserve it generated was being used to heal her wounds, but to a very limited extent. For all she knew, some of her muscles could've been stitched back together wrongly by now, or mayhaps a bone structure is deformed. There was no way to tell, out in the field, and Aura itself did not differentiate between irregularity or damage, it only accelerated a healing outcome.
"Ack!"
For a second time, she barely managed to recognise something happening. This time, it was her partner falling over himself. For what he tripped, unsure. All she knew was that she was on his shoulder one moment, and the next she was tumbling across the floor of the woods.
Pain bloomed once more.
It took all her will to not fade into the black. It took all her concentration to muster the strength to lift her head and chest. It took all her of her to not break down upon seeing what was in front of her.
They'd landed in a ditch. Before her, Zhong Wei lay on his back to the incline. The man was mostly charred flesh and bone, with not one but two shards of wood and metal in his centre mass. His breathing was visible with his attire in rags.
"Zhong-"
"Enough, Apollo," he panted. "It's… about too late to care."
Breathing for him never felt so hard like now.
"Get…. out….. Follow, the ditch. That way," he pointed with his right arm fully extended. "We're….. in the village's ditch."
"And you?" she spoke, her voice cracking.
"Worry about yourself… You'll…"
Zhong Wei never finished his sentence. His breathing simply stopped. Nikos, realising this, dropped back onto the dirt. Her shoulders shaking from the emotional turmoil. She didn't even bother stopping as the pursuers found her.
"East India, this is Delta Actual. We've found the targets. Beginning capture."
"Confirmed. We have it on feed."
"Alright, guys, steady. Check the big guy first. Delta 3, the girl."
Zhou Enlai felt the hairs on his body stand on end. This moment would be a big leap for the cause. At least, that's what the Sisterhood claims. He knew little about what was in store for these poor people, but at this point, it was far too late to ask.
"East India, situation update, one target down. He's bled out. Girl seems to be in better condition. We're requesting extraction."
The major clicked his tongue. So much for minimum completion. He'd been told to keep one man and one woman alive.
"Acknowledged, we'll send a medevac for the remaining target. Now, double time before-"
"AARRGHH!"
"Contact! Conta-"
Static filled the screen. A chorus of panic could be heard in the comms.
"Get me new footage, now!" he turned to Gloria who barely acknowledged as she began coordinating off-map actions. "Talk to me people, what's happening."
"Unknown hostile is attacking Delta. Drone 3 has thermal," one operator reported
Delta Actual's lost signal was replaced with a rainbow. He could make out the contours and lines of the tree canopies, and between them were red forms group together… and the one form that was blinking in and out of existence between the groups.
"Where is it?! Where is it?!"
"Keep it together! East India, we need backup out here!"
"Response group has been dispatched. Hang in there, Delta," affirmed Gloria from behind him.
"Is that what I think it is?" he asked in a grim tone.
"Has to be, no other explanation how it could get past the security teams," his aide manipulated the display map.
'Where the hell did a fifth Huntsmen come from?'
He'd remembered vaguely the academy of warriors back when he was still an ignorant heir. The premises were undergoing continuous reconstruction. Turning what was once the temple for an old, forgotten faith into a place of learning for 'humanity's next defenders' as it what was called. Snap images in his mind recalled the jeers of his seniors in court.
"What are the odds its not a Huntsmen?" he voiced the question in his mind, his eyes not leaving the large screen.
"You think that village has a veteran?"
"Possible. Unless, of course, it's some third faction we aren't aware of."
"It better not be that last one," came the reply, albeit there was tension under there.
He wanted to query further, but the more pressing issue remained, and he still had a duty to the men in danger.
"Sound in Delta, whoever's in charge, ping me," his request was likewise responded with three pings.
There were currently three groups of varying sizes. One had two men, another had three, and the largest had the full squad complement of six soldiers.
"Alright, Delta 3-1. I still have visual on you and the rest of Delta. The hostile has ceased any movement for now. I'll guide you on the steps out of trouble."
One ping. A confirmation.
"Starting with what remains of Delta 1 and Delta 2. I'm merging both your squads. Lay smoke and hold position. In the meantime, Delta 3 will form a circle and move towards you. Keep hold of your brothers, make sure he can't get picked off when you're not looking."
He glanced over the shoulder to Gloria, who raised three fingers.
"Backup ETA is 3 minutes. You all are to move into the ditch where the targets were found. Now, execute."
Three long minutes passed. The large blob of heat that was Delta 3 moved painfully slow towards Delta 1 and 2's position. It took almost an entire other minute for the whole platoon to reposition into the ditch.
"Where's Zulu Company?" the major asked his aide.
"They've redeployed and are on standby close to the town, some 250 meters out and holding position."
'That sadistic bastard,' fumed the officer.
He could picture the lackdaisal pose that man was taking, knowing full well there were men in need of aid. He wondered just where such cruel, yet carefree men were found. It made his chest burn thinking, and even knowing that the man was expecting his next action.
"Yes, good major, what is it?"
"The unknown is dangerous."
"Yes, and it seems your men are doing a terrible job at eliminating the threat."
"If whoever that person is gets away, our operations here are compromised. Amaris would have to pull out, and we'll be setback for who knows how long. You're putting all of us at risk with your whims, colonel."
"And why should I care? My job is to make sure that no contact is made with the village, and to shoot anything that comes our way."
"I'd watch your tongue, Colonel Ming," Gloria interjected. "Your actions are getting close to being inept, and I may have to send a word to the commander back home to take back your Lazarus. You realise just who personally selected you to be here, yes?"
"…. If that's the case, then it's even more reason for me not to go there. Numbers don't necessarily solve a problem, and we've already created quite a ruckus now, haven't we? It's bound to have woken up the village. Say, why not send another warhead like before? I'm sure the major would love that now, yes?"
A scream sounded on the speakers of the command room. Zhou Enlai's eyes shifted back to the screen. He bit his lip seeing that the unknown was on the assault once more.
"Where the fuck is he?!" a trooper screamed.
"Goddammit, someone help me! I can't stop it!"
"Move aside! That tourniquet's shit! Somebody give me light!"
The drone footage was alight with orange-white flashes as the men of Delta shot wildly into the dark. Occasionally, a body fell, preluded by a bright orange light as the unknown blinked in and out of existence.
"Gloria, that response…" he trailed.
"Their already in the vicinity and can see the weapons flash. Their firing overhead to try and suppress the unknown."
He relayed the news to the besieged Delta Platoon. The remaining nine men ducked their heads as machine gun fire erupted over head from the four ATV buggies.
"UERACK!"
"Shit! Shit! Shit! He's still here! Sir, we need to pull out, now!"
"Get us out sir, we're getting slaughtered!"
He shivered. The fear in their tones shook his own nerves.
"Troubled command, major?" prodded the colonel.
"Don't mess with me, Ming. I'm ordering you to move in and relieve Delta."
"Or you'll what? Remove me? That wouldn't make a difference anyway. Why would it even matter. It's not like it's a secret to you that men like us – not you – come back from the dead, somehow."
A tightening in his chest. A grip in his tongue. Pressure building at the side of his head.
"Director, trouble, we've got Grimm within the sector. They're heading straight for Delta's position, and are coming from behind the response group."
"What's it gonna be? Your feelings for those men, your duty to ensure mission security, or your risk of overstepping the wrong person, hm?"
He was shaking now. His body shook from cold, though he knew not where it came from. Gloria had an unreadable expression when he looked at her. All of this happened as three more men fell, leaving five more.
From his gut, there rose an ugly realisation over what he needed done.
"Delta, priority is to ensure unknown does not escape. Hold position and standby for broken arrow. I'm sorry, but we can't bring help your way."
"Hoh, that takes some courage to do. Good for thinking on the fly," cheer-sneered the colonel.
"I hope that whoever this commander is, he ends up putting you in your place when he knows about this."
"Let the mutant try, I'll be sure to show him what I can do out of his grasp."
Thunder roared over and over above her.
Her assailants were fighting for their lives against a mysterious foe. She watched as one by one they fell. All of them were screaming; fear, anger and hatred raged out of their throats. Through it all, she beheld it with a degree of satisfaction that any other time, she would've abhorred.
Eventually, it came down to the last man. He fired his weapon every which way. A bullet even bounced off the dirt next to her. When it emptied, an audible swish sent him to the ground, a cutoff cry followed all the way.
Said man then crawled. No, it was more like he was attempting to move his body in such a way so that he could reach for something under him. Both, her eyes and his met, and she noted the blood leaking through the slit of his mouth.
The next instant, a blade forced him to the ground. He didn't move again.
With what little strength her Aura had returned to her, she looked up. Hoping to see just who had saved her. She barely made out the old plates of armour they wore.
"Knew these brigands couldn't be trusted," a masculine voice was heard from the figure. They then turned to look at her.
"Hey, you alright? I saw that explosion and figured something bad must've happened."
Her vision failed her. The earlier chaos of light and darkness caused by muzzle flashes was still keeping her dazed. She knew only from the sense of touch that she'd been flipped over. A long sigh escaped her saviour.
"Not good, not bad. Let's get you to the village, and we can get these wounds properly treated."
Once more she was lifted up. Albeit now she had no strength to resist. The person who was carrying her took a brief moment to adjust his balance.
"Your pretty heavy, girl. What are they feeding you in the city?" he quipped but received little response. "Don't worry, you rest now. Let ole' Kaito handle the heavylifting."
With that, they were off. Unwilling to react, her mind drifted to her teammates.
They were Huntsmen.
They were chosen to be the best line of defence for humanity.
To be the ones who'd sacrifice themselves for the rest.
They knew the risk of their profession.
So, why did it hurt so much?
She choked and felt burning at the corner of her eyes.
Things shouldn't be the way they are. They weren't supposed to die like they did.
It wasn't fair.
Her despair was interrupted when the person known as Kaito slammed into a random tree, earning a whine-hiccup from her.
"Shh!" he hushed; she felt the man stiffen. The air around them felt stagnant.
Somewhere, there came voices. The language used wasn't one she knew. If she were to describe, it sounded harsh and aggressive.
It was difficult to do so, but she lifted her upper body just enough to try and get a grasp of her surroundings. The first thing she realised was that she could see the dark sky with blue tinting. Was it so close to dawn already?
Her attention was then drawn to a lance of light. Or several for that matter. Each lance swept across the spaces between the trees. As the grey brighter, so too did the voices.
ROOAAAR!
A pained cry followed the animal roar. Bright flashes filled the air, and a large, burning mass tumbled into view. The creature twitched as it was consumed by the flames.
"Damn!" strained Kaito's voice above the chaos. "I was hoping to not use it anymore!"
She felt his stance shift. No doubt, he was going to make a run for it. Yet, before he could do so, another huge mass crashed and tumbled to their left. She felt her back hit the tree as her saviour dropped her and proceeded to shield her with his body. As soon, as the last groan of metal sounded, the two turned to look at what'd flew past them.
It was apparently one of the mercenaries' vehicles. Up close, they could make out the strange wheels, which were dark, wide and had a strange pattern. The engine was on its side, with the bottom of the vehicle facing them and allowing the two to see the complex workings that enabled its movement. Smoke sizzled from the ruined chassis.
Their moment of curiosity however, betrayed them as a man crawled out and away from the vehicle. Dazed as he was, he still managed to recognise the two of them, and placed a hand to his head, pressing it against the headpiece he wore.
Kaito cursed once more, readying his sword. It proved unnecessary however as a Beowulf's maw appeared behind the man and clammed onto his shoulder. The merc was dragged into the woods screaming.
Not even a moment later, the air thundered, and the earth ruptured. She felt her entire body tremble out of control, and her heart felt like it was being punched front and back relentlessly.
Barely processing everything that's happening, she stared wide-eyed, including when Kaito pulled her into a bridal carry.
"Hang on! I'm getting us out!"
She did as asked, and she felt her body shiver as he used what she assumed was his Semblance.
The next thing she knew, the two of them were in front of a tall wall. Her heart still pounding from the recent happenings. She recognises the wall belonging to that of the nearby town.
"Lan Huo!" Kaito screamed. "Lan Huo! I know you're there! Help us!"
Nothing happened at first, but then a head appeared over the edge of the walls.
"Kaito? That you down there? What're you doing out here at this hour? Ain't your shift supposed to be noon?"
"Shut up and get the gate open! I've got wounded in my arms here. Hurry!"
"Wounded? Where and how? No one's supposed to be-"
"Shut up! Shut up and open the damn ga-"
He never finished as a brilliant white light erupted behind him, and in turn nearly blinded her. She felt her heart sink into her chest, and from her position in his arms, she could his skip a few beats too.
"Drop the fugitive, and any weapons you have on hand! Stand clear from them with your hands raised!"
'How did they get past the Grimm so fast?!' was what came to her mind. She subconsciously tightened the grip on her saviour.
"I repeat only once more. Drop the fugitive and your weapons! Don't make this troublesome for us all!"
"And why should I listen to you! You came from nowhere and started doing whatever it is you do! And for what?! Some shiny droppings from some noble's ass?" Kaito snapped back harshly.
"Why, yes that honestly seems that way, doesn't it?" responded a different voice. "Well, be that as it may, that girl there has done some pretty nasty stuff and we can't let her get away with that."
"Like what!"
"Like deliberately luring Grimm near a human settlement!"
'What!' she screamed internally. A strong feeling gripped her chest, unknowingly getting her to squirm in the bridal carry. Her head tried to make sense as to what the other man said. Only, it led to her down further denial.
'It can't be…,' was what she thought as her mind bounced back to when Zhong Wei earlier, and how he seemed anxious over the missing member of their team.
"Last warning, the night has already been pretty awful, and I'd hate to stretch it into the day. Plenty of people are already getting bad wakeup call now, see for yourself!"
Both, she and Kaito, looked upwards at the top of the wall. There was more than one head now. The brilliant behind them served to illuminate the faces of the town guards. They all shared wary and fearful looks.
It was then a much older man pushed through the gathered crowd. He looked at whatever was the source of the light, and then at the two of them.
"Kaito! What have you done?!"
"Nothing wrong! It's those guys back there who're in the wrong! I found them as they were hunting the Huntsmen!"
"Those huntsmen were working for their own agenda! We found one of their own having lured Grimm into attacking the settlement! When we arrived to investigate the disturbance, they end up killing five of our men!"
The old man looked from the voice to Kaito, "This true, son!"
"No! Gramps, please! They didn't do wrong," strained Kaito, pleading. "Now get us in, this girl is dying!"
"Taking those two in will be seen as act of complicity! Your leaders, whom in turn are our clients, at the capital have made it clear, that we are to deal with all manner of unrest and unlawfulness by any means necessary! What say you?"
Once again, the old man looked between the two. The sky above was orange. The light of the voice was less and less imposing now.
Alas, she felt no comfort. Merely despair. One that sank for what she knew to be the last time.
"Let her go, Kaito!"
"WHAT?!"
"Let her go, and don't put the rest of us in danger! For once, just this once, listen to your old man and give them to her. Or else you'll get us all in trouble!"
"No…," she heard his voice break. "NO!"
"DO IT KAITO!"
"NOOOO!"
She felt the world tilt, distort and warp all at once. She wished she could've let go and allowed herself to be left in this state. Yet, the world soon returned to normal, and she found that her saviour had taken her onto the wall. The many guardsmen looked at them, bewildered but also alarmed.
"No," she heard his voice -a mere whisper now- and turned to look at the man who was, if only for a brief moment, she thanked the glow of dawn for letting her see her saviour.
He looked to be a young man, younger than she thought. Maybe just entering his twenties. His hair was wild and went down to his neck. He only had black irises, but to her she liked how they matched. She'll remember this face for as long as her life would allow.
For in the next instant, his head exploded into a bright, red mist.
Torment flooded the speakers. Screams of the young, old and innocent filled his ears and tore into his being.
He threw the headset as soon as he stepped out. He didn't bother waiting for the doors behind him to close before doing so, and neither did he care as they opened again. His eyes cast down, and his back slid on the nearest wall until he felt his bottom hit the floor. All he could see was a pair of boots.
"There will be an answering for this. You have my word," she said.
Fingers dug into his face. "Answers? What answers? What justice? Who is going to impose penance on a man like that?"
"The commander, of course," came the succinct reply.
"WHAT COMMANDER!? YOU MEAN TO SAY THE SAME BASTARD WHO SENT THAT MONSTER HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE! THE SAME MAN WHO ISN'T HERE TO BEGIN WITH!?"
The aide showed little reaction, but then again, his vision didn't allow him to see much than the level of her kneecaps.
"Dammit, Gloria! This isn't something I can agree with. You want to shoot me, fine! It's better than being led by the nose for five more years! Better than having to live with another five years seeing cruelty."
Ache gripped his throat. Shuffling was heard beside him, and for a moment, he kept his ears perked for the sound of a hammer. No such sound was made, and he swallowed enough to look at the squatting woman beside him. Her grey eyes stared dead into his.
"I can't begin to tell you just how much I wish it were that easy. Putting a .45 in the head seems like the nicest thing at times, but sadly it doesn't solve anything. It doesn't bring about any change. You die here, and the people up top will just end up looking for someone else with your background to play your role."
She shifted closer to him.
"Yet, time marches for all of us. Unlike you, whoever replaces you won't have the benefit of knowing what happened here. They'll be kept hidden, either in a cell or a gilded cage. Existing only to fulfil whatever purpose we see fit."
"Sounds a whole lot better than having to live with the lives of hundred on your hands."
"Don't wallow in pittance, princeling. You can choose to live thinking the dead are forever lost, or you could live with the knowledge of their injustice and work to avenge them."
A pull forced him up to his feet.
"Take the cruelty you see with indignance, rage or shame, however you feel like it, but don't you dare breakdown like this again. The moment you do, any justice against this inhumanity slips away. We cater only to the strong, to the ambitious, and to those with the will to see their own future. It is only through these three we build a better future for ourselves."
"Peace through power," the motto came to mind.
Gloria graced him with a smile. "That's better."
She turned, picked up the headset and then handed it to him before continuing.
"Just know, everything that's happened has been logged into the database for reviewing. The commander is keen on hearing the commentary of the personnel involved. You could use that chance to lodge a formal complaint."
He stared at the wear, before turning to look at the aide.
"What makes you think that'd actually make a difference?"
"If it didn't, well," she tilted her head. "I suppose that it would be extremely unfortunate if a rogue element happened to be in need of being put down. I know from personal experience that the vice commander is very good in those sorts of things. Speaking from experience of course."
The answer still didn't mend the pain within him. Alas, his hands were tied, and he could only continue to play his role as operations director. Breathing hard, he put on the headwear once more. Apart of him felt relieved that the screaming wasn't there, and that the only thing heard was the reports streaming in.
'Just five more years,' he told himself. By the end of that period, the mysterious entity that was the commander of this invisible Brotherhood would finally arrive.
He prayed that the man would be the same one he dreamed in his mind.