It never fails. Halfway through writing a chapter, I get a bunch of ideas for later events and get distracted. On the plus side, I have some good ideas for later, even if they don't exactly help me right now.
Finally got together with family to celebrate a late Christmas last weekend now that everyone was healthy again. I've apparently entered a new phase in my life. Used to be that everyone would buy me funny shirts until my drawers were overrun. This year, I got a bunch of weird snacks. Mac 'n cheese candy canes. Fried chicken candy. Pickle cotton candy. Bacon soda. And strangely enough, I'm actually excited about them, as I do weird snacks on my streams and I was in need of some new things to mix it up a bit.
I also forgot to mention last chapter that Jakob getting shot in the throat was a reference to something that actually happened with me and MrsTheGoose. We were messing around with nerf guns. She aimed one at me and I flinched. She laughed, saying I was overreacting, then ended up shooting me right in the throat. I grunted out "my windpipe!" and made an infamous memory for our marriage.
The team of three faunus hurried down the hall, rounding the corner ahead with guns raised as they swept the corridor for hostiles, doing their best to ignore the blaring alarm all around them. Trifa pointed two fingers at an open door ahead, slowing to a stop. Marcus and Azul posted up behind her, waiting for her signal. As one, her two squadmates rushed the door, muzzle-mounted flashlights illuminating the dim room as they entered.
"Clear," Marcus reported but stayed put.
"Break room," Azul added, flicking her head to toss the loose strands of blue hair from in front of her eyes. Whatever she'd used to pin it back wasn't holding up to the rapid movement of their mission.
Trifa took a quick glance in the doorway, just to be safe. It was a pretty small room - nothing more than a kitchenette with a couch and small table. Probably where the guards would grab a quick rest during their shift. "We keep moving. Target is just ahead." Trifa moved ahead. Time was not on their side right now.
Marcus was out the door in a flash. Azul turned to follow.
And took a shot to the back.
Adam paused the recording, standing beside the large display as Alpha Squad watched yet another replay of their recent exercises. "Can anyone tell me what Azul did wrong here?"
Ilia raised her hand, but before Adam could call on her, Jakob interjected his own thoughts. "She got shot."
Adam sighed, having fully expected to be disappointed with Jakob's answer. They had yet to get through one of their review sessions without some lame joke from their communications expert. "Yes, but why did she get shot? Ilia?"
"She lowered her guard. The room hadn't been properly cleared, so she didn't see the gunman hiding behind the couch."
Better. It was also good to see Ilia speaking up this time around. She and Blake were easily the youngest members of Alpha Squad, but unlike her feline counterpart, Ilia seemed intimidated by her surroundings still and usually kept quiet unless Adam forced her to participate. Now if only Blake could learn a little of her self-control.
"So they should've cleared the room first?" Adam prodded, hoping to encourage her to keep going.
Azul didn't let her. "There wasn't time," she argued. "We needed to reach the target before the defenders could solidify their position."
"Getting shot is definitely faster."
"Can it, Jakob," Azul growled. "I should've kept my gun up and backed out of the room." Like they'd practiced a hundred times. Last man - or woman, in this case - out always needed to watch their back. If she had, maybe she'd have noticed Yuma before he had time to stand up and shoot. "I guess I panicked a little with the alarm and everything."
Jakob couldn't resist the chance to needle her further. "And whose fault would that be?"
"Maybe you should shut your mouth."
"And maybe you should let your sister fight her own battles," Jakob shot back at Azure.
"Stay out of this, Azure."
"Why am I the one in trouble now?" he asked, immediately cowed by his sister's words. The male half of the twins looked incredibly similar to his sibling, even if his hair was much shorter. Honestly, if Azul got a haircut, Adam might have trouble telling the two apart at a glance. He dreaded to imagine how Azul might take that.
"That's enough," Adam warned, stopping their fight before it could escalate further. As willing as they were to fight each other, no one in Alpha Squad ever challenged Adam - other than Blake, of course. Not when it might mean a spar with their brutal leader. Only Blake was psychotic enough to want such a one-sided beating. "Jakob, don't push her. Azul, you can't blow up at everything he says." When Sienna had asked him to train an elite squad, she'd never told him how much it would resemble babysitting.
He should've known the moment he saw Jakob on the list. He had an unnatural talent for bringing out the worst in people. "I thought blowing up was her job."
"Blowing other things up," Adam reluctantly corrected. "Though I'm sure she'd be more than happy to give you a demonstration."
Judging by the vicious grin Azul wore, it would be a very up close and personal demonstration. She and her brother had been assigned as his demolitions experts and had been the ones to put together the bombs he'd used in Mistral. It was frankly terrifying what they could do with just a little dust.
With order restored, Adam picked his remote back up. "If no one else has any productive comments." Adam made sure to stare Jakob down as he emphasized the word. "Then let's move on to- oh, Nag, did you have a question?"
"More of a comment," Nag replied, lowering the hand that had caught Adam's attention. She pointed to the image still on the screen. "Azul didn't make the only mistake."
"Thank you!"
Adam shushed Azul with a wave of the hand, allowing Nag to explain her reasoning. "Marcus should've waited to make sure Azul was ready to move. Rushing ahead forced Trifa to chase after him, leaving Azul behind on her own."
"The room was clear," Marcus complained.
"Evidently not." There was never any real heat to Nag's words, and not because she was cold-blooded, as Jakob liked to joke. "Trifa should've kept her team together, Marcus should've waited for his teammates, and Azul should've paid more attention."
As usual, Nag's analysis was spot on, even if none of the three she was analyzing looked thrilled at sharing the blame. Adam looked to capitalize on her words of wisdom. "Excellent point. Even if you're in a hurry, what's the number one priority of every mission?"
"Survival," they all answered in unison, some looking rather bored with the word.
"Survival," Adam echoed. "Because no matter what happens…"
"Your mission's a failure if you're not alive to finish it."
He really needed to work on a better catchphrase, but the point remained. Whatever objective or priorities they had wasn't worth their lives. Except when he'd nearly killed himself to make sure the rest of the Atlas team made it out safely. Or nearly died attacking an Ursa to save Jesse. Or that time he'd dropped on top of a Beowolf to keep Nila safe.
Okay, so maybe he wasn't great at practicing what he preached.
"Speaking of missions…"
"Not until you're ready," Adam answered immediately, shutting Blake down before she could get everyone started again.
Or not. "C'mon, man. What's the point of training if we never get to use it?" It was probably a sign of the end times that Jakob and Blake were actually agreeing on something.
"If Jakob can go on missions, I'm sure the rest of us can handle it." So much for their cooperation. Blake ignored her teammate's indignant squawk. "You're always saying experience is the best teacher."
"We can take 'em, boss," Marcus promised, easily joining Team Blake if it meant getting to see some action.
Yuma wasn't far behind. "Might be nice to get out there and make some noise."
"We won't let you down, Adam." They'd even got Indie in on it. Calling her a teacher's pet would've been an understatement. Now she was joining in on the begging.
"I'll think about it." Most of the squad looked relieved, assuming they'd made progress. Blake didn't impress so easily. She'd been fed that line far too many times to fall for it here. "Now let's get back to the video."
The rest of the review session dragged on with Adam highlighting mistakes and opportunities from yesterday's exercises and asking the class for input. Despite Jakob's occasional jokes and Blake spending a good twenty minutes trying to justify her failed mission as a victory, the session went pretty quickly.
Until Adam tried to switch screens.
"Blasted piece of junk," he grumbled as the screen stayed black, despite him plugging in the mission planner. A quick check proved the small machine was on and active, but nothing was being displayed for the team. "Every time. Laurence!"
"I'll handle it," came the resigned sigh from right behind Adam. Laurence had the unenviable position of team technician. When it came to electronics and gadgets, Laurence was your man. Most of the time, that meant he served as Alpha Squad's tech support. Adam's tech support, really. Good thing, too, since the projection system of their training room clearly had a vendetta against Adam. Laurence might not have been the most capable fighter in the group - far from it - but he was fast becoming Adam's favorite, even if that weird thing on his neck still freaked Adam out.
As Laurence got to work behind him, Adam went ahead with the details of today's training. "Open combat. Six on six." His squad cheered at the announcement. They always enjoyed blowing off some steam in team combat. Plus, it meant no nasty surprises from Adam and Kaito. "Nag and Indie will be team leaders. Indie gets first pick."
The excitable wound woman perked up immediately, her bushy black and white tail wagging furiously. "I choose Adam."
This again. Much to her dismay, Adam shot down the idea. "I'm not available." He'd taken on their whole squad a few times already, so participating in team combat would be unfair. They'd never learn anything if their whole plan boiled down to stand back and let Adam kill everything. "Fine. I'll take Yuma."
"Try not to sound so excited," Yuma snarked, rolling his eyes at the less than enthused selection.
"Blake." Not bad choices. Blake was the better option in a straightforward fight, but Yuma brought his own brand of chaos and could throw a wrench in any plan with his verticality.
The selection process went on until both sides were picked, ending with Jakob and Laurence, though not in that order. While Jakob complained about being overlooked and promised to make the other team pay for not picking him, Laurence just looked happy to have avoided last place today. The turkey faunus rushed over to Indie's side once the mission details were up on screen, but at that point, the information hardly helped.
The two teams looked ready for some fun, which was the problem. Adam needed them to take things seriously. Easy enough. "Winning team gets to pick tomorrow's mission." He had their attention now. Time to seal the deal. "Losers get to face me in the gauntlet tonight."
He might as well have threatened them with death. No one wanted to run the gauntlet - a devious arena devised by Kaito where anything was out to get you. Trap doors. Tripwires. Moving walls. Even little openings in the walls that the other team got to shoot paintballs through. It was a maze of pain in which Adam would roam around, searching for unfortunate victims while armed with a pugil stick. Kaito claimed it would force them to adapt and work together to survive. Adam preferred its ability to motivate the team.
Motivate them to not fail.
"Mission starts in thirty. Anyone not ready on time will be running laps until their legs fall off. Any questions?" None. Good. "Dismissed."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Adam watched from the observation room above as the two teams prepared. Kaito sat nearby, giving final directions to his crew down below as they arranged barriers and obstacles that the teams could use to their advantage. From up here, Adam could see the battlefield take shape. Looked like the center would provide some valuable cover and overwatch, but the open areas all around it would make claiming it a dangerous gambit. It would also let the enemy attack from all sides, which could expose a weakness, but that all depended on how the defenders played it.
The final seconds ticked away. The moment the buzzer sounded, both teams were on the move. Nag's squad had split into three pairs, spreading out to claim more territory early and limit the other team's options, while Indie kept her squad together and focused on the middle, claiming the coveted position early but at the cost of Marcus being felled by a lucky shot. Then again, Nag was on the other side, so maybe luck had nothing to do with it. The snake faunus practically lived at the gun range and had won the last three marksmanship competitions Kaito had put together. He needed to see about getting her a rifle that could keep up with her.
"Interesting face you've got there."
"Sienna." Adam nodded along with his simple greeting, keeping his eyes on the action below as Nag's team kept circling, looking for an opening from the other side of no man's land. Kaito didn't even respond, watching several screens at once.
"What's on your mind?"
Adam snorted in amusement as Nag finally found her opening, taking out the largest target on the battlefield. Bane needed to be more careful about peeking a corner for too long, especially when he wasn't exactly hard to spot. "Just thinking we could use some new weapons for our squad."
"I've heard Atlas has some nice rifles," Sienna hummed along, coming up to stand beside Adam and watch the fun. "Not sure they'll be willing to trade, though."
"I can be very convincing." Soji had trained him long ago to be cutthroat when making deals, though the old man probably hadn't meant it so literally.
"I'm sure Nag would appreciate making a shopping trip."
Adam caught the hint. "You think they're ready?"
"Don't you?" Ready to get off the island and actually gain some field experience? Yes. Ready to face the crap show he seemed to summon every time he went anywhere? Not in the slightest.
All Adam could do was shrug. "Maybe. They're still sloppy." Blake yelled as Ilia scored a direct hit, catching her as she sprinted between cover. She'd probably thought Ilia out with the multiple green splotches on her arms.
"Really? I'd say they're coming along nicely." Ilia's injuries faded suddenly. Blake screamed about cheating, but the two splashes of paint on her torso weren't fake like Ilia's.
"They're childish."
"They're competitive," Sienna countered. "Driven. Every single one of them is desperate to prove something, either to themselves…" Sienna smiled down at something, "or to someone else."
"Huh?"
"Oh, nothing." It was never nothing, but Sienna didn't look like she'd be spilling the beans anytime soon. "Any issues with them getting along?"
"Constantly." Yuma and Trifa had an ongoing rivalry. Azul and Azure would team up on anyone who angered one of them. Marcus was always on the lookout for a fight, sticking his snout where it didn't belong. Ilia pretty much clung to Blake and Bane most days. And don't even get him started on Jakob. "I'm surprised they haven't killed each other yet."
"All the more reason to get them in the field. Nothing unites a team like a common enemy." Cause that worked so well when it came to humanity. Surrounded by monsters intent on killing everyone that controlled most of the world, and yet humans had yet to unite against the common threat. If they weren't bullying and belittling faunus, they were busy killing each other.
But maybe his team did need some field experience, if only for a change of pace. After over two months of constant training, they were getting pretty good at the indoor courses he and Kaito put together. As much as those drills would help them develop good practices, nature made for a far crueller and more effective teacher.
"They have been pestering me a lot recently about doing actual missions. And not just Blake, either!" Mainly Blake, though. Not that Sienna would've believed otherwise. He'd hoped including her on this squad would calm her down a bit. Sort of make it clear they wanted to get her in the field eventually. Instead, the tiny glimmer of hope only made her worse. And now she had reinforcements. "They're conspiring against me now. They even got Indie in on it."
Sienna chuckled, far too amused at his suffering than she had any right to be. "Is that right? Did she ask to go on a mission with you personally?"
"No." Thank the gods for small mercies. He didn't need that sort of awkwardness in his life.
Now if only Sienna would take the hint to leave it alone. "You know she likes you, right?"
"Of course I know." He didn't exactly have a lot of experience when it came to dating, but he'd have to be an idiot to miss Indie's growing crush. "Not interested."
"Why not? She's cute and obviously interested." Very obviously, even if she never came right out and said it. He did not look forward to the day she finally worked up the courage and forced him to give her an answer. "Is this because you're her superior? Don't want any claims of nepotism or something?"
No, though that was a good point. If they dated and things fell apart, it would make things really awkward for the squad. Not to mention all the questions people would have if they didn't break up. Would she get promotions ahead of others? Special treatment? Would Adam prioritize her on missions? Even if he did everything right, there'd still be a lot of people wondering, which would only hurt squad cohesion in the long run.
He'd definitely considered it, but in the end, he couldn't see it ending well. Indie was a nice girl. Only a few years older than him. Cute. Energetic. And best of all, already interested. Most guys would love to be in his situation, but he wasn't most guys.
He was Adam Taurus. Wanted terrorist. Murderer. Monster. Wherever he went, pain and death seemed to follow. He'd only been in two relationships - one abusive and the other as abuser. Indie, on the other hand, was sweet and innocent. She'd never even had a boyfriend, which he only knew because she'd brought it up over drinks with the squad one night, then tried to ask him about his past. Blake had been his unexpected savior that night, interrupting the coming train wreck before she could push any further. She didn't know about his past, and if Adam had his way, she never would.
It was safer that way.
"I'm married to the job," Adam answered instead.
"Serving the White Fang doesn't mean you can't have a personal life."
"You're one to talk." Sienna pretty much lived in her office, coordinating their efforts in the other Kingdoms with the help of the Albain brothers, who only left her side to carry out her whims. "Maybe we should focus on your love life instead."
"Is that a proposition?"
"What? No! I'm not-"
"Ha! You're too easy sometimes." Adam snarled at her laughter. "Not as easy as Indie might like. Or a certain someone else."
"Huh?"
"Oh, nothing." Deja vu. Were all women this cryptic, or just Sienna?
"All I'm saying is maybe you should focus on your own love life before you start worrying about mine, okay?"
"Fair enough." Thank the gods. He had enough to worry about lately. "You keep being lonely, and I'll keep who I spread my legs for to myself." Really? Did she have to put it like that? Her amused smile hinted that she'd done it on purpose, just to watch him squirm. "So about those missions…"
"I'll consider it."
"I don't think you understand, Adam. This isn't a request." Ah. An order then. She'd tried playing nice, but as usual, whatever Sienna wanted she got. "I'll give you two weeks, but then I want a mission plan on my desk."
"Two weeks?" That was hardly any time at all! She couldn't be serious.
She was. "Two weeks," Sienna repeated. "It doesn't have to be anything big. In fact, it's probably best you start small. Just enough to get their feet wet and see how they handle it."
Easy for her to say. Even the simplest missions could spiral out of control, especially when he was involved. Fate was probably rubbing its hands together gleefully, planning something awful for him and his squad. "They aren't ready."
"Then get them ready."
Negotiations weren't going well, so Adam pulled out the big gun. "What about Blake?" The problem child. More importantly, the one person Sienna refused to allow on a mission yet. Ghira definitely wouldn't approve. "Are you saying you want me to take her?"
"No. Not yet." Adam breathed a sigh of relief, only to cut it off when Sienna found a workaround. "Don't take them all with you. Keep it small. Four people at most. We'll rotate them in and out for now, then have them lead their own missions later."
"Even Blake?"
"I'll figure something out for her," Sienna promised. So much for his trump card. "I didn't put this team together to sit back and hide in Menagerie. It's time the Kingdoms met the future leaders of the White Fang."
Down below, the match finally ended with Nag's team securing the win. Blake was off to the side berating Ilia while Azure and Azul joined Jakob in taunting the losing team. Yuma flicked Trifa off as she stuck her tongue out at him.
Future leaders? The White Fang was doomed.
"I'll leave you to it." Sienna sauntered away, but not before delivering a quick reminder. "Two weeks."
"I'll see it done." Because what other choice did he have? Maybe Kaito could help him plan someth-
Kaito was already gone, vanishing before Adam could foist his work on the old man.
"Son of a-"
/- - - - - - - - - -/
A week passed, and Adam had the barebones of a mission put together. Atlas had returned to Mistral and were on the prowl, presenting both a complication and an opportunity. On the one hand, any mission would be more risky with the extra combatants in Anima, especially with the Schnee in the mix. If she showed up, whatever mission he planned would turn into a fighting retreat.
And he'd be doing all the fighting.
On the other hand, placing their forces in the field required support. Atlas was shipping over more equipment according to their spies. They'd arrive in Argus, a city that might as well have been an extension of Atlas on Anima soil, then disburse to their field teams as needed. Weapons. Food. Dust. Everything Atlas needed to continue the hunt across an incredibly large chunk of land.
Everything the White Fang needed, too.
They'd let the first few go through untouched, knowing they'd be watched closely and likely used as bait for an ambush. Instead, Adam had Cerco raid an old SDC camp, provide relief supplies to a faunus settlement, and even smash up a store in Shion - one he'd taken far too much pleasure in selecting. Maybe it was a little petty of him, but the hunting and camping megastore had it coming. Adam's only regret was not being there in person so old Fletcher could see who had done it to him.
All in all, they'd taken advantage of the focus of Atlas arriving as a chance to hit softer targets. Atlas probably assumed they were too scared to risk a direct assault, but in reality, Sienna and Adam were trying to lower their guard. Get them into a routine of sorts. Things like that bred complacency.
They were still looking over planned routes and supplies to pick a specific target, but he could leave that to Sienna and her intel team. All that was left was the hardest part.
Telling his team.
They'd be excited, of course. A chance to get in the field was all they wanted lately. The problem was he couldn't take all of them. Blake was out by default - he fully expected an earful when he didn't pick her. Ilia was out, too, though she wouldn't complain as much. Bane and Jakob had field experience already, so he'd focus on the others instead.
He'd come up with at least a dozen mixtures, but couldn't decide which one would work best. Marcus was a good fighter, but Indie was no slouch. If the shipment had any new Atlas tech, having Laurence might be useful. Azure and Azul were practically interchangeable, even if he didn't have much need of blowing things up on a supply raid. Nag was pretty much a shoe in, though. He could use a good set of eyes in an ambush, and he trusted her to keep a level head if things hit the fan. He'd probably take either Yuma or Trifa as well. Both felt like overkill, but given the potential for Atlas to try something if they were discovered, maybe overkill wasn't such a bad idea.
In the end, he'd decided on running some trial scenarios to help him pick. Ones not run in the training facility for once. Instead, they'd ventured out past the borders of Kuo Kuana. Still close enough that the risk of Grimm was minimal, but having that as a possibility would help him test his team. If nothing else, the possibility of a very real danger might show him who was really ready.
"Halt!"
Looked like the show was about to begin. Hidden in the single truck - a poor but workable stand in for a convoy - Adam could only listen and wait. Announcing their presence was a risk, but part of the mission involved stopping the convoy. The method was up to them. At least they hadn't just shot the driver this time.
"Out of the truck!" Adam ignored the order, but he heard the slam of doors heralding the capture of the driver and his associate. "On the ground. Now!"
A gun fired. No one screamed, so it was probably just a warning shot. Unnecessary, given his two volunteers up front were instructed to not draw a weapon. Points lost for Marcus. All he'd done was risk panicking his captives into fearing for their lives. People could do incredibly stupid things in moments like that.
"Secure the perimeter," Marcus ordered. Adam had to assume Jakob and Azul were doing just that. Three people wouldn't be a proper team for this kind of mission, but Adam didn't want the same couple of people taking over every time. Once the all clear came, Adam could hear footsteps rounding the vehicle.
A supply truck. That's what the intel had said. The goal was to stop the truck, seize the supplies, then extract before reinforcements arrived. What they didn't know is that the cargo held a nasty surprise.
Pushing past the two men in masks riding in the back with him, Adam readied himself. The moment the rear door opened, he was moving. Marcus barely had time to react before a sword lashed out for his chest.
And came to a stop an inch away.
"You're dead," Adam announced.
"Attack!"
"Dead men don't give orders," Jakob answered, accepting defeat a lot faster than Marcus.
"B-but, I thought you were with the reinforcements," Marcus whined. To be fair, that's what the intel had said. He and two others would be on a timer. If they reached the truck before Marcus and his team were gone, the mission was over. "The intel-"
"Was wrong," Adam finished, sheathing his sword and stepping out of the truck. In reality, the reinforcement team was made up of the next trio to run the op. "It happens." A lot, in Adam's experience. "You have to be ready for anything."
"Especially with Atlas." True, but Jakob spoke like he'd experienced it himself. Last Adam checked, he'd been the one to nearly get killed by a Specialist, not Jakob.
"We'll go over your mistakes when we get back to base," Adam promised, waving for the team to reset. Marcus and his team would swap with the reinforcements when they arrived. "Not a word to the other team."
"My lips are sealed," Marcus promised. Adam didn't doubt it. He wouldn't want to give them any advantage and risk them outdoing him.
Three teams had run the mission so far, and all three had failed. Azul simulated an explosion, only to be told afterward that the supplies were now unusable. Someone on her team must've tipped of Yuma's group, as they shot up the back of the truck before opening it. Either that, or Yuma somehow smelled a trap and decided to eliminate the threat, along with both drivers. Not only was blindly shooting into crates of dust a terrible idea, but his execution of the drivers meant the ambush was ready for lethals. Even if they'd been using live ammo and managed to hit Adam through the thin, metal walls, his aura would've been up the moment the trucks stopped. Moreso with the early gunshots.
With only one team left, Adam had a feeling they'd all be running laps tonight as punishment. Worse, he wasn't much closer to selecting his candidates for the mission yet. Yuma's shoot first and ask questions later strategy meant he was out. He'd have to come up with something soon. He couldn't just spring the mission on them last second.
By the time Azure's team arrived, all they needed to do was back up the truck and run it again. True to his word, Marcus kept his mouth shut about the twist. Adam headed off in a different direction, circling around to board the truck after reviewing the instructions. As far as Azure, Trifa, and Nag knew, he'd be watching nearby via the cameras they'd set up that morning.
A shot rang out, causing the truck to slow to a sudden stop. Not a great start, but it sounded like the drivers weren't hit. Orders were shouted and doors slammed reluctantly. Adam listened to it all, tracking the progress until he heard the command he'd been waiting for.
"Nag, check the back. Trifa, keep lookout." He would've kept Nag on lookout, but to each their own. At least Azure wasn't afraid to delegate. As before, Adam readied himself, hand on his sword and braced to charge the moment the door swung open.
Adam fell face first out of the truck, tripping as he tried to stop himself at the last second.
"Hands up," Azure proudly ordered, gun trained on his downed form as he stood beside Nag, who held the driver in front of her as a human shield. Her smile was far too smug as Adam grumbled and stood up, hands raised in defeat. "Trifa, we found the ambush! Come help me check the cargo."
"Out," Nag demanded of Adam's two helpers, who were basically helpless now that Adam had surrendered. The three of them were forced to kneel beside the truck, their hands secured behind them with zip ties.
"Thanks for the truck," Azure joked as he slammed the back of the truck shut. "Love to stay and chat, but we've got an airship to catch. Better luck next time."
"Who told?" Adam asked. He'd make them pay for ruining his surprise like this.
"No one," Azure assured him. Adam didn't look convinced. "Really! It just seemed too easy. We talked beforehand and figured there had to be some sort of trick, so we took precautions. Figured the back of the truck would be the best place to hide a trap. Worst case, we were wrong and looked stupid aiming at an empty truck."
Not bad. Not bad at all. It looked like the tricks he and Kaito had been pulling were paying off. Some might call it paranoid. Adam liked to think of it as prepared.
Adam shook his head as Trifa came over to cut his hands loose. "Leave it for now. Let the other teams see your victory."
Azure definitely approved of his idea. "Hell yeah!"
"Kaito!" Adam yelled, trusting his counterpart to be listening. "Call the others in."
As embarrassing as it was to have the rest of the squad see him knelt with his hands bound, Azure's team deserved the bragging rights. They'd put together a plan and put precautions in place. When things went south, they were already prepared, and while he did have a few notes, they'd succeeded where no one else had.
It looked like he'd found his first team.
"Team Four wins," Adam announced once the initial shock of his defeat had worn off a little. Standing up, Adam broke the bands holding him, snapping the thick plastic with ease. They'd use better equipment in a real mission, of course. Rubbing his wrists, Adam went on. "Teams One through Three owe me laps tonight. Team Four gets an early dinner."
The groans from the losers were drowned out by the victors' cheers.
"When we get back to base, we'll go through each performance and critique." More groans. The losing teams knew they'd look even worse compared to a success. Before Team Four could rub their victory in further, Adam made sure to tamp down on their pride a tiny bit. "I would recommend not shooting out the tire of your escape vehicle next time."
Everyone turned to see the splotch of paint on the driver side tire. While it did stop the vehicle, escaping with a flat tire would only slow them down and give time for reinforcements to catch up. If there'd been more vehicles, disabling one would've been a little less bothersome, since they could just load the supplies on the working vehicles. He'd go over all of that later.
He had bigger fish to fry right now.
"Today's exercise was a lesson in preparing for the unexpected." You couldn't truly do that, but you could mitigate the risks by having plans in place ahead of time. Atlas convoys often had more guns than brains guarding them, so outthinking an opponent would be critical. "In the real world, intel can only get you so far. You have to be ready for anything on a mission."
"You keep talking about real missions, but all we ever do is exercises," Blake complained for the thousandth time. Adam let her go, having planned for her to get the ball rolling for him. "What's the point if we never even leave Menagerie?"
"You're right."
"Cerco's teams are out there doing raids. If we're supposed to be the best of the best, then we should be out there with him!"
"Absolutely."
"You haven't even left the island in months. The White Fang can't afford-" Adam's words finally filtered through Blake's complaining. "Wait, what did you say?"
"I said I completely agree."
"As in…" Adam nodded, drawing an excited squeal from Blake. "Really? You're sending us on a mission?"
"I am." Sienna was, technically, but they didn't need to know that. Adam cut their excited chatter short with a raise of his hand. "Some of you. We're planning a few missions for small teams right now."
"When?" Blake practically demanded.
"Soon." Adam's plan needed to be finalized in a week, but it would probably be at least a couple weeks after that before anything happened. It all depended on the convoy schedules. "Today's exercise was part of the selection process for who goes on the first raid. I'm recommending Team Four come with me."
"Boo-yah! In your face, Azul!"
"Hey, no fair!"
"It's perfectly fair," Adam corrected. They'd won, so they got to go. Maybe that hadn't been his intention before, but it certainly worked now.
"If you'd told us what we were competing for-"
"You, what, would've actually tried?" Blake's mouth clicked shut, but it was too late. He had her. "Are you saying you aren't taking my trainings seriously?"
"N-no, I…what I meant was-"
Call him cruel, but Adam enjoyed watching her squirm. "Maybe we're being too easy on them, Kaito."
"Sure sounds like it." Good. The old man was getting in on it. "Guess I'll have to whip up something harder for everyone staying behind." Eight sets of eyes turned to glare at Blake for dragging them into her mess. "Wouldn't want them slacking off while you're gone."
"Anyone else want to complain?" Not if it meant digging the hole even deeper. "No? Alright then. Team Four, we'll go over the details of the mission tomorrow with Sienna."
Blake couldn't help herself. "What will the rest of us be doing?"
Adam's grin was all teeth. "Training."
Making an elite team for Adam to train seemed like a great idea. Then I realized I couldn't just use existing characters. Realistically, there'd be other standouts we hadn't met yet. Which meant I needed to create half a dozen new characters and introduce them all in one chapter. Future Goose gets mad at Past Goose a lot for creating work. Tried to give a decent glance at each and we'll see more of them moving forward, of course, but figured I'd knock out the naming justifications in a flash.
Azure and Azul both mean blue, so pretty easy one there. Indie could relate to the color indigo, but the tail is from an Alaskan Malamute as a loose reference to the dog Indiana Jones was named after (could argue he is a rather brown character with his clothes, so both work). Laurence comes from the laurel tree. Marcus means "dedicated to Mars" the god of war, which brings to mind the color red. Nag relates to the cobras in Rikki Tikki Tavi, though her name is from the male snake since Nagaina just sounds awkward to me. Whew! Done. And now to wait and see if anyone spots what I did there...
Next chapter: Alpha Squad gets ready for their debut.