With his legs dangling off the ground and a hand around his throat, Leon grabbed the wrist of the cloaked man.
I can't even form a damn word with his hand around my neck. How does he expect me to respond? Damn Hanswurst! Leon yelled in his head.
"I haven't heard your answer, you spineless eyesore," the cloaked man growled, tightening his grip.
I feel like I'm about to black out—fuhhh! Leon screamed internally as his body went limp.
"Magnus!"
The cloaked man turned his head toward the coffee table, spotting Raven standing beside her computer.
"The person in your hand is Leon Abelof, our newest member. Please don't kill him—it's been a while since a member lasted this long," Raven commented casually.
"Hmph. Didn't think someone in this squad would look like this. He looks allergic to dumbbells," Magnus muttered.
He tossed Leon over the couch, where Leon crashed into the coffee table in the middle of the room.
"Ahh! Haaah—kff, kff! Hah… cough—what the fu—cough!"
As Leon gasped for breath, Magnus removed his cloak, revealing a dark-skinned, scarred, and muscular body. His jet-black hair was messy and unkempt, with a thick beard to match. His right eye glowed dark crimson while his left was shut. He wore no shirt, only tattered brown pants.
"Raven, get me up to date on the Tony Sparrow mission," Magnus commanded in a deep voice.
Leon struggled to sit up, staring at the monster of a man standing before him.
Magnus Crowe—the leader of Squad Bastards. The longest-living member. He's completed 4,358 S-rank missions and 7,893 A-rank ones. Since taking over as leader, he hasn't touched a single B or C-rank. Only 600 B-rank and 753 C-rank missions total. What the fuck is that? Does he think he's above them? No… that's insane. 13,604 missions overall? He doubles—no, triples—Raven's count. Damn near quadruples it. What a try-hard.
Leon's thoughts echoed with the warning Raven gave him not long ago:
"Bring that shit about keeping your humanity around Magnus, and he might—no, he will—kill you."
Leon rubbed his now sore throat.
I'm starting to believe her. I actually thought I was gonna die. Even after he found out who I was, he still threw me onto the table like I was some hoe. And he didn't even apologize. Do I really look that weak? I'm getting treated like a woman in the '60s!
***
In the background, Raven and Magnus were exchanging intel.
"So that's the gist of our current dilemma. To complete this one, we'll need everyone available," Raven said.
"Hmm. Tony Sparrow isn't playing games when it comes to his family. Matches his history. No matter—it changes nothing. Who's in the house right now?" Magnus asked, tone cold.
"Roxie, Axel, and Victor are all here. Their workload's been light. And, well, you already saw Leon," Raven replied.
"Zayvion?"
"Still on assignment. He reported last week—won't be back for a while."
"That's fine. We won't need him anyways."
Magnus stepped forward.
"Squad Bastaaaards! Front and center—now!"
Within seconds, Roxie, Axel, and Victor assembled downstairs and lined up before him. Leon, rubbing his throat, joined them reluctantly. Axel, standing beside Leon, leaned over.
"Aye, kid… what the fuck happened to you?" Axel whispered.
Leon just glanced toward Magnus.
"Ohhh, I see. You met the captain. Damn, he already hates you. Haha."
Magnus stood tall in front of the lineup, Raven behind him.
"As you can see, I've returned from my six-month S-rank mission and am taking back control of the squad. First priority: the Tony Sparrow mission. Raven—speak."
Raven stepped forward with her tablet, typing.
"For the past three days, I've done my research. I've pinpointed where Tony Sparrow's grandson and wife were relocated—another secret base called The Fortress, located in Norway."
She showed the team her tablet. The image displayed small buildings surrounded by enormous walls.
"This base is ranked sixth among the most dangerous government bases in the world. It's known only to high-ranking military personnel. Because America and Norway are close allies—especially during this war—Tony Sparrow likely used his connections to secure his family's placement here."
"What a crafty senior citizen. This mission's riddled with trouble," Victor muttered with a dark grin.
"Wait a sec. What makes this Fortress so dangerous? It looks small to me," Leon asked, eyes narrowing.
Raven didn't even glance his way. "Those walls are 200 feet tall and 30 feet thick. Scaling them requires precision. Let's say you make it in—someone like Roxie could sneak around and exit the same way. But others? Security will catch you eventually. That rules out retreat. Either you find another way… or you die. Simple as that."
Leon looked down.
Ugh, I freakin' hate this squad.
"Aye, this sounds like some bullshit. Why don't we just nuke the place?" Axel suggested gleefully.
"Tch. Obviously, no one here has access to nukes, Axel," Raven snapped.
"Okay, then fuck it! Why not go after other family members instead? Make them go boom!"
"Axel's right," Roxie chimed in. "Wouldn't attacking other relatives have the same impact?"
"You both make valid points," Raven replied, scrolling her tablet. "But based on my analysis, these two individuals would hit Tony's psyche the hardest. If he doesn't drop out, the mission fails."
Suddenly, Magnus slammed his fist onto the coffee table, drawing everyone's attention.
"The difficulty of the mission doesn't matter. We finish it no matter what. And you, Roxie—trying to find an easier route while we're helping with your mission? Pathetic. You should've killed yourself instead of returning to base!"
Roxie looked down, biting her lip.
Leon opened his mouth without thinking. "Hey! You weren't even on that mission! Roxie was literally going to kill—"
Magnus turned and shot Leon a murderous glare.
Leon immediately froze. "Oh, sorry. Not my place. Not my place. I'll… shut the fuck up now."
"Haha! What a bitch," Axel snorted.
"Oh dear, Leon lost all his grit from one glare," Victor added.
Leon stared at the floor, defeated.
I seriously do hate this squad.