I went down to the first floor with Miyabi, I couldn't raise my head. Tears fell and thoughts ate away at me little by little. We walked to the office, the office where Miyabi assigned the teams for the first mission. It is true that three months had already passed since the last incursion but... He was not yet mentally recovered to go back in there. When the surprise came, it caused him to raise his head for a second. It was Sergio, he was sitting in a chair at the meeting table. Sergio looked at us and smiled mischievously. "It's about time you showed up... I've been here for five minutes with my heart just like after the morning runs.
Miyabi walked in without greeting or responding to his comment. Cold and mysterious as always.— And the rest of the team?— She asked.— What were the two of you doing alone...? I walked over to the table and stood in front of Sergio. "Don't start..." I murmured with a smile, a smile that I forced not out of malice but out of discomfort. He got up from his chair and hugged me tightly. "I'm glad I can do this mission together. He placed his hands on my shoulders. "It's just as we dreamed since we were little..." He murmured. I should smile and cry with happiness. He was right, this was what we had dreamed of since we were little, to be teammates in the best division in the country and to do our work together but... there was something that made me uncomfortable, generated fear, a fear that I shared with Soukaku and that appeared when I saw Sergio sitting in the chair. I could die, I didn't want to, I was afraid. That mission left such a deep mark on me that it made me process every action much more carefully, I couldn't make any mistakes."I see you already know each other.— Miyabi said, which was next to the tactical board."Yes, we're childhood best friends.— Sergio mentioned energetically and proudly. Suddenly, the rest of the team entered the door at the same time, as if they had agreed. "Good afternoon," Harumasa greeted. "Or night, while we're at it." He turned to Sergio and gave him a friendly handshake, did you know each other before?— Congratulations uncle.— Harumasa said.— Thank you, buddy.— Sergio thanked.I looked at Soukaku. She was still with her head down, without looking at me, and when she did as soon as she entered the door, she pushed it away as soon as possible. What had he done wrong...?
Yanagi did not appear, in fact, no one asked about her. Everyone sat down, each in their respective chairs. The room felt very empty, it felt strange. The absence of Yanagi and Alex left a very important hole that Sergio's presence could not fill."Where is Yanagi?"I asked Harumasa, who was sitting next to me."She is sick."She answered.
Miyabi crossed his arms with his back to the digital whiteboard. It suddenly ignited. The sound of the system activating made us all watch. "Okay, listen to me all carefully." He pointed with his finger to the blackboard. His face changed in a few moments. Now there was no room for jokes.— This mission is priority number one, there is no margin for error. The blackboard changed, showing a map with red dots from least to most intense pointing to key areas of the cavities.— Suspicious activity has been detected in the surroundings, both ethereal and human.
Harumasa leaned towards the table, striking a serious, concentrated pose. "Could the red fang be at work?" he asked. "We don't know if it's them or just cavity raiders. The atmosphere in the room became dense. We were all thinking the same thing.— If the activity is concentrated in the port city... Perhaps its base is settled in the right place. It would be a good opportunity to go and infiltrate to get information.— Sergio said.
Miyabi crossed her arms again while a small smile was sketched on the corner of her mouth."Exactly.— She affirmed.— The mission: Infiltrate the port city and search as much as possible in search of clues.— Simple.— Sergio said.— A piece of cake.— Harumasa clarified.— Will the mission be in pairs again?— Soukaku asked.Everyone looked at her, except me. I couldn't, it was impossible." "Yes," Yanagi said, appearing on the scene. "I have done it." She coughed and grabbed a wall. "I have organized everything in such a way that we can be as efficient as possible." "I want to go with Lucas," Soukaku asked, causing the eyes to fall on her for the second time in a row. "That's not your decision." Miyabi said. "Please..." she murmured. She really said it, she wanted to protect me at all costs. Her sole purpose in all missions from now on is to be my squire. Whose squire should I be? Could it protect everyone in the hypothetical case from a mass shooting or an unprecedented attack? Will I be enough?— I have organized all the teams according to the skills of each one. - Yanagi said, sitting on a chair with a shocking weakness. - Seeing the failure of the previous mission due to the lack of organization, I have been forced to make coherent teams. I will bring together the following facets: The use of weapons, defense, agility, vision on the field, decision-making in times of stress... All this data taken from the combats of the previous mission. I analyzed Yanagi's behavior and the movements he made every time he spoke or turned the page of his notebook. They were orthodox and tiring movements, but something about them was too strange to me. His skin looked slightly paler than last time, I'm sure. There was something that didn't add up, and that surprised me.— The teams are as follows:— Yanagi turned the page and began to read the list.— The Alpha team will be made up of Harumasa and Miyabi. You both have an excellent sense of combat, and with you together you're sure to be able to stop anyone who crosses your path. And the Bravo team will be made up of three members, who are the ones who remain. I looked at Sergio, Sergio looked at me, I looked at Soukaku, she looked at me but pushed her away. The three of us were on the same team and that wasn't good for me, it wasn't good for anyone. — Lucas knows how to think of detailed plans and has an excellent aim. Soukaku will serve as a support for the raiders, blocking attacks and counterattacking if necessary. Sergio is an expert in explosives and sabotage, knowing that we can face a secret base where there could be mines... It's an exceptional option.— Since when are you an expert at it?— I whispered to Sergio.— Since you left.— He replied.I'd been away for a long time, so long that Sergio had learned a completely new skill."There's no time we can afford to waste. Change and I'll wait for you in the armored vans," Miyabi said. The digital whiteboard went out and the lights in the room dimmed, indicating that it was time to move. They all got up and began to leave. I, for my part, sat looking at the blackboard. It didn't show anything, but I got the image of what it showed. A welcoming silence surrounded my body. It was nice, the sound out of nowhere with no outside noises or gunshots. A palm is placed on my shoulder, a voice bursts into my thoughts.— I know what happened to you.... and what has happened to you.— Sergio said. The voice was deep, it stuck in my ears. I'm not sure why I want to stay here," I replied. I began to play with my hands in a nervous and restless way.— I was lucky in that mission, I could have died... Sergio didn't answer, he knew he still had things to let go.— A few days ago...— A lump formed in my throat, words were tangled up in it.— I know— He blurted out.— I know about your mother. Again, tears flowed from my eyes without hiding. I banged the table. Tears splashed as I fell on the table. "What have I done to deserve this..." I grabbed Sergio's shirt tightly. He didn't get upset. "I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO YOU!" "We'll take a few of us along the way, okay?" Sergio said, returning to his mocking tone in hopes of cheering me up. "That won't make me feel better." I said. Sergio patted me twice on the back and lifted me up with both arms like a little child. Show everyone what you're worth. Show them that you're tougher than they are." "Yes..." I wiped away my tears and pulled myself together. I hugged Sergio, grateful that he had cared about me at times when other people would have preferred to show more than help. We went to the changing rooms, changed and went to the armored vans. These were at the exit of the base. They gave me a completely new suit after the other one was completely destroyed, which was appreciated because I realized that the suit was made of a special fabric that protects you from many things. If I hadn't been wearing it, maybe that bullet in my shoulder would have destroyed it completely. The two armored vans were ready. One of them with the Alpha team, the other with us: the Bravo team.We said goodbye to Miyabi and Harumasa with a simple nod. Nothing more needed to be said. Each group had a clear mission and a different route. The goals were different, but they all carried the same weight on their chests. We climbed into the back of the van. The interior was quiet, metallic, with cushioned benches on both sides and a dim bluish light that tinted everything with a clinical air. The engine started with a low hum, and the doors slammed shut. Soukaku was sitting right in front of me, but she kept her eyes fixed on the ground. Sergio occupied the right corner, fiddling with a small black box that probably contained explosives or some sabotage tool. He did it with a tranquility that he envied.The vehicle started, vibrating gently as it picked up speed on the asphalt. Outside, the landscape began to blur: empty streets, flickering streetlights, a city asleep and without peace. Sergio broke the silence: "They say that the port city smells of salt and gunpowder... Although I only remember the smell of rotten fish.— Have you been there before? "On vacation, long before all that cavity mess consumed her completely. Before, there were only people fishing, no criminal gangs... Soukaku spoke for the first time, in a low voice: "This time there is something. I notice it. Is... different. He looked up and our eyes met for a moment. It was the first time we had looked at each other directly since what had happened. In his eyes there was no reproach, no sadness. Just a tense calm. Like the prelude to the storm.— Are you okay? I asked him. "I'll be when this mission is over and the three of us come back," he said without blinking. I didn't know what to answer. The driver activated the communicator: "Team Bravo, estimated arrival in seven minutes. Sergio adjusted his gloves and hung his tactical backpack with precision. I checked my rifle: loaded, calibrated, secured. The new strap was more comfortable than the old one, and the metal of the weapon shone as if he knew he would be using it again. Soukaku took a deep breath, stood up, and leaned against the wall of the vehicle as the rattle increased. The asphalt disappeared beneath us, and the rusty warehouses of the coastal district began to appear out of the side windows. The port city spread out like a sleeping monster. Narrow streets, abandoned shipping containers, twisted iron structures, and huge cranes silhouetted against the night sky. The smell of salt, iron, and dampness hit us as the side door opened. We go down one by one. No one spoke. The hoofs of our footsteps echoed on the metal of the dock. Lucas. Soukaku. Sergio.Team Bravo.It was time. And this time... there would be no margin for error.