The car rumbled as it made its way through the streets of what was once Cranagan city.
The officer looked out of the small window, a feeling of bitterness inside his heart.
He let out a sigh.
"Are you alright, Sir?" the soldier besides him asked.
The officer turned his head. The soldier was clad in the black colored, standard Barrier Jacket of the new Holy Reign and on his breast plate, directly over his heart, was the symbol of the Seeing Eye, the sign of a true believer.
The sight lifted the spirit of the officer a little.
"Yes, I'm alright. I just thought about those blinded fools."
The eyes of the soldier darkened and he nodded.
"How can these fools still believe in the old ways?" The officer continued. "They are blinded and fail to see His glory and thus they still fight us, ignorant to all the suffering they are causing, clinging to their lies."
The soldier nodded. "I understand, sir. I also fail to understand these heretics, even the most ignorant ones should be able to see the wonders the Bringer of Truth brought us. Take the Prophets for example."
"Yes, the Prophets. Once mortal men like us, now ascended into darkness. Demigods made by His will alone. It is good to see men like you; this rabble will not stand a chance against our troops."
"Thank you, Sir."
A little more at ease, thanks to the small talk, the officer brought his thoughts back to his mission, assuring the safety of the transport, carrying food supplies, which followed closely behind the car.
The mentioning of the Prophets, or 'Dark Generals' as some ignorant fools would call them, made him realize his mortality. The Prophets didn't need to eat or to sleep. Ever vigilant they would watch over them and bring word from He from the Great Beyond.
"That's strange…" the driver suddenly said and the car slowed down.
The officer leant forward to look out of the windscreen. "What is it?"
"There is rubble blocking the street, sir. Wasn't it mentioned that this road was cleared?"
"Signal to stop." The officer ordered. "And let the men disembark, I don't like the look of this."
Followed by the two soldiers and the driver, the officer alighted from the car. Behind them, the two supply trucks came to a halt and another sound of breaks signaled the stop of the last vehicle in the convoy, which was the transport that carried the troops.
The officer lifted his gaze shortly to the ever gray sky, before looking at the blocks of rubble laying on the street, and waved one of the arriving soldiers to him.
"Take five men and check this out! Extreme caution!"
"Yes, Sir!" the soldier replied and hurried pass the officer along with some volunteers.
The officer turned to the others. "Set up defensive positions over there and there! I want no surpri-!"
A loud bang followed by a small shockwave made the officer instantly cower down. "What the..?"
Turning his head to the rubble barricade he realized that something just exploded there, taking some of the barricade and the six soldiers with it.
"Ambush! Get to cover!" someone screamed, followed by a second explosion that ripped of the back part of the troop transport.
Cursing, the officer flung himself behind the car.
The first bolts of magical energy shot from the destroyed buildings on the left. The first soldiers returned fire with their Devices.
"Curse them!" the officer screamed, while unsealing his own Device. "Call for reinforcements! They won't get away with this!"
"Impossible, Sir!" The driver screamed back. "They are blocking the signals, I can't get through!"
With an angry snarl, the officer stood up and fired two un-aimed shots into the ruins, before quickly cowering down again. "Damn it! I won't stay a sitting duck like this! Suppressive fire! Take some men and try to flank them from the North!"
"Sir, they've got us pinned down here! That's suicide!"
He grabbed the drivers' collar. "That was an order, you coward!"
"Sir!" The soldier, he had spoken to in the car before, interrupted him. "I will go, Sir!"
"Good man! Make us proud!"
The soldier smiled. "I will, Sir! Hillray! Hibiki! Gotero! Come with-!"
Before he could end his sentence, he was dead.
A small opening in the cover proved to be his undoing. The green bolt of energy smashed into his skull and the man dropped to the ground.
"What…" the officer whispered. How was this possible? How could those who fought against the truth be able to kill people like this? Hot anger drove up his spine. With an inhuman scream the officer jumped on top of the engine hood. There! A traitor wearing an old TSAB Barrier Jacked looked surprised from his cover. The officer swung his Device towards the rebel but then his upper head exploded in red and green.
"What an idiot…" mumbled Laguna as she watched the man fall out of the sight of her scope and quickly went on to pick out other targets.
===========
It was over as fast as it began.
The team quickly mopped up the rest of the Lost and proceeded to take the now captured supply trucks to the designated subway station.
There, the food supplies were brought down and loaded into a waiting maintenance train, that would bring the supplies to the base. The trucks would be driven back and destroyed after that.
Laguna sat a little exhausted on a bench and watched the crates brought into the train. Soon she would be back at home and would tell her brother of the good shots she made.
"Yo!" Suddenly, without any invitation, Harold sat beside her.
Laguna rolled her eyes. "Yo…" she replied bugged.
Harold Mully was the other sniper of the team. He was about the same age as Laguna, with hazelnut brown hair and clear green eyes; he was a young man who could be described as 'good looking' but there was something that always bugged Laguna from the start, and that was his competitive nature. It goes without saying that he quickly decided that Laguna would be his rival.
"And?" he asked the question she was expecting. "How many did you get?"
"Four…"
He slapped his hand on his knee. "Ah! A draw." He chuckled. "I really thought I got you this time."
"… and their leader." She couldn't suppress a mocking smile.
He stared at her. "You're kidding, right? No way!"
"Want to check Storm Raider's recording?"
"No… I believe you… Not bad."
"Well… better luck next time."
"You bet."
Both fell silent after that.
In truth, this bugged Laguna even more. He was irritating, sure. But when he just sat there, said nothing and watched her with his clear eyes she felt even more irritated.
Laguna shot him some side glances but she found herself unable to keep eye contact with him.
"Alright people, gather please!" A woman's voice saved Laguna from this awkward situation.
Laguna quickly stood up and trotted to the gathering crowd.
The team leader, a small woman with light blue hair and orange eyes waited some seconds before she spoke. "I congratulate you all to the success of this operation. We got all the supplies we wanted without losing a single person…" she interrupted herself and turned to a man who had his arm in a sling. "…except you, Mill. Sorry, I heard you won't be able to hold your Device for about a week."
The one called Mill waved with his unharmed hand and grinned. "Yeah, too bad. I really wish it had hit me in the head instead."
Some laughter was heard while the team leader bowed slightly towards Mill. Then she addressed the team as a whole again. "Well. After the last crates are loaded we will return. Gray, Fennan and Bartod will dispose of the trucks and make their way back from the entry point. Gather your belongings and make sure you leave no single trace behind. Ok, that's all."
She clapped twice to dismiss the group. Laguna was about to return to her place as she realized something was amiss.
"Err… Shuri-san?" Laguna addressed the team leader.
"What is it, Laguna?" former 2nd Air Lieutenant Rinya Shuri A'Kalash asked and raised a brow.
"I believe one person is missing."
Rinya's eyes widened a bit. Then she looked around and face palmed. "Not again."
"I will go and get her."
"Thanks Laguna, and smack her some on the head while you're at it."
"Gladly."
===========
In the shadow of a ruined wall, the blond, heterochromatic girl stood and peeked at the ruined city around her.
"Somewhere…" she whispered. But where? She didn't even know. What was she doing here anyway? She was working in the subway with the others and then she…
"Something..." Yeah, something was out there. She wanted to go and look at something. But what?
She bit her lip.
Nothing was here but the dust, rubble and shattered memories of a past never to return.
But still…
Carefully she stepped out of the shade.
She made a few steps.
The feeling was still there.
Some more steps.
Something…
Somewhere…
She shook her head. What was she doing? There was nothing here; all she did was wasting the time of the others.
"Pull yourself together, Vivio Takamachi." she scolded herself and turned back.
Stop.
She stopped in tracks.
Stop.
She felt a cold shiver run up her spine.
Eyes.
Her heart was pounding.
Watching.
Her blood rushing loud in her ears.
Above.
She spun around and looked up.
And froze.
On top of a broken wall stood someone.
A young man, clad in a dark Barrier Jacket.
He held a Device, formed like a Naginata.
His purple glowing eyes staring at her.
Vivio clenched her hands into fists so that her fingernails were biting into her palms.
Dark Lord of the Vortex.
She cursed herself. Why did she do such stupid things? Why was she alone again? Why had she left her Device unsealed?
She could only stare back.
Like a mouse in front of a snake.
"Hm… strange." she heard his distant voice, a voice from the past.
Suddenly his gaze wandered about. "I really thought I saw something…"
Ireul shrugged to himself and dropped backwards out of sight.
Where was he? Was he gone? Was this a trick?
Vivio still stared at the now empty wall.
Don't move. He's still there. He's watching. He kills me if I move. He-
A hand slammed on her shoulder. Vivio let out a gasp as she was whirled around.
"And where do you think you're going!?" she was hissed at.
"Eh?" Vivio blinked. This face was also familiar. One eye was glaring at her; the other was dull and empty. Vivio's brain slowly started working again. "Sen… pai?"
Laguna glared at the younger girl for a second, then her eyes widened. "Vivio? What happened?" She asked worried.
Vivio took a few breaths and looked away. She finally got a hold of herself. "Nothing. I was just a little surprised."
Anger returned into Laguna's eyes. "I see." Grabbing Vivio's hand in a tight grip, Laguna pulled the girl behind her. "What the hell were you thinking? Do you have any idea what would have happened if they had discovered you!?"
"Yeah… I know…" Vivio said half-hearty as she was pulled back into the shade.