February 25, 2050 - 23:44South China Sea, near Paracel Islands - Base Appolyon
Luzia slumped back into her chair. A sigh escaped her mouth as she took off her round rimless glasses and placed them on her desk.
It was always a dreadful time whenever she had to get on a call with a high-profile individual, whether it was a politician requesting her PMC to do some shady shit so they could maintain their positions, or a contact from the NSIA or FDI or whatever other intelligence agency decided to have some PMCs doing the dirty work for them.
She pinched the bridge between her eyebrows, eyes closed and scrunched, trying to relieve herself of the migraine she got from talking with a powerful but brainless politician.
This time, it was a Vietnamese politician asking for mercenary services to take down a prominent criminal ring in Sai Gon.
This particular group was previously tolerated by the local government and even the local underground society. It was no longer the case, and now people want them gone.
Luzia wasn't fond of politicians and their game of 4-D chess, but a job is a job, as long as it got rid of criminals, Luzia could make do with that reasoning.
She opened her eyes to look at the time. 'Quarter to midnight, I've been crunching a lot more lately,' she thought.
A call rang on her desktop screen, prompting her to look at the caller.
Without fixing her disheveled appearance, she accepted the call.
A man appeared on the video call. It was someone Luzia knew, someone she wouldn't mind showing her less professional side to.
"Hey, Luzia."
"Harry…"
Harrison was on the screen, but instead of donning his usual work uniform, it was just him in his simple t-shirt, along with a dog tag hanging from his neck.
"Another rough night with your lovely friends?" Harry joked.
"Idiots and imbeciles, the lot of them."
"Yeah, props to you, having enough patience and composedness to talk to those guys. I could never do a desk job, let alone having to talk to people so far removed from normal humans."
"I really should take a break sometimes."
Harry's eyebrows perked up.
"Are you sure you even know how to take a break?" He chuckled at the workaholic woman.
"No idea, but how about I put you in my position for a month so I could figure out how to take a break, hmm?"
Harry brought his hands up in capitulation.
"I mean, unless you want to come back from break to see the world entering another World War, then sure, I'll take over."
Luzia stared at Harry for just a bit longer before she let out a soft but hearty chuckle. The man on the otherside of the screen also showed a smile on his face.
Silence then filled the room as both of them sat in comfortable silence. Luzia hardly ever showed a relaxed side of herself, opting to only show it to Harrison, since he has been working with her for a long time now, and was one of the few people she could actually call her friends.
A thought popped into her head. She decided to be the first one to break the silence.
"How is she?"
"Ah, her? She's doing well." A smile appeared on his face, this time brighter than before. "She's adjusting well to her new surroundings. I think she even made a few friends in her squad already."
"That's good. It seems your effort to raise her didn't go to waste."
"It wasn't just me alone. The squad helped a lot, and you, as well."
"Oh, I only taught her a few tricks to get by in this world. I hardly did anything," She denied his claim.
Harry didn't reply immediately, deliberating his thoughts before giving her a reply.
"She might not have shown it, but I think deep down, she adored you."
Luzia's expression was complex. She didn't know what to feel. Harrison saw her expression and smiled. He knew all too well that Luzia, just like My, also had issues understanding and expressing her emotions and thoughts, at least when it came to close and intricate relationships.
"I might not be smart, but it doesn't take a smart person to be able to tell that the kid saw you as something more than just a teacher who taught her a few tricks."
Luzia didn't reply. She didn't know what to say.
"Well, that aside, I have a plan for My and the squad tomorrow."
"Oh… what's the plan?" She snapped back to reality.
"Tomorrow's the weekend, so they have some free time in the evening. I'm planning to take them to a local club in Da Nang."
"A club, huh… that might be a good chance for the team to get acquainted, if they haven't already."
"That's exactly why I'm bringing them there, alcohol and music help break the ice."
Luzia crossed her arms. Harry's suggestion does sound like a good plan. The more each squad member knew the others, the more efficient they'd become, and the longer they'd keep each other alive in the field.
"Alright, Harry, don't get too drunk, no troubles, and don't max your card."
"Yep, I'll take care of those goobers."
Luzia and Harry gave each other a final nod. However, just before Luzia could end the call, Harry brought up a credit card and held it between his fingers, a shit-eating grin visible on his face.
"Oh, by the way, you forgot this the last time you visited, so as a return fee, I won't max out my card."
The call ended immediately after.
Luzia, shocked and baffled, sat there in an eerily silent room.
"WHA…WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!?!"
She screamed at the screen as if she weren't one of the world's wealthiest.
February 26, 2050 - 17:32West of Da Nang, Vietnam - Black Angels Division Training Facility
It had been a week since the training camp started. In addition to basic training to build recruits' stamina and strength, everyone was also trained in firearms and martial arts.
Since the PMC recruited both veterans from the armies and law enforcement from all around the world, and brand-new recruits, the vets would also take part in guiding the FNGs so they could catch up to pace more quickly. Recruits learned about firearms, how to operate and maintain them, how to shoot and aim correctly, and all the necessary basics. Wouldn't want a recruit to accidentally blow his own face up because he decided to be dumb and pointed the barrel at himself.
Besides the basic training and firearms, martial arts were also a major part of the training. Mixed martial arts consisted of techniques from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, Judo, Muay Thai, and various other martial arts. Instructors would show the recruits some techniques, have them practice with partners for an hour or so, before sending them to duke it out in one-on-one duels. The best way to learn martial arts was for the body to experience it after all.
All recruits also had to take classes when there weren't any physical training sessions. These classes teach all recruits about the ranks and structures of the company, disciplines, first aid skills, navigation and survival skills, and tactical knowledge. Recruits with prior experience also had to take these classes as a reminder. There were also more advanced classes and specialist classes, but those would only be taught later down the line.
Chisato just finished the last class of the day. She dragged herself back from the class to the barracks. The PMC was a lot more lenient on the recruits, giving them free time to roam during the weekend. However, Chisato was just glad that the day was over.
She got back to the room and immediately planted herself face-first onto her bed. She was tired and mentally drained from all the classes and constant physical training, though she did notice that she was getting used to the routine and was less tired than in the first few days.
"Already spent out?" Asked Maximilian, who was sitting on his own bed, topless and showing his sweat-covered, well-built body to no one in particular in the room. He had a towel wrapped around his shoulders.
Spending the past week together, Chisato learned some basic information about her teammates. Maximilian was from Germany, an ex-BKB operator–the famous German Bundeskommando Blitz–, well-accomplished, but for some reason, he decided to enlist as a mercenary.
"Yeah, slowly getting used to the training, but still a long way off," Chisato answered as she looked up at Max.
"Well, you are still new, but I can see some tangible improvement already."
"Max is right, you indeed have improved," Said Luis. He was from Mexico, a pretty regular dude compared to some people in her squad. He joined the PMC for a common purpose, a good salary and benefits in exchange for potentially life-threatening service.
"Thanks, but it feels like I'm still quite lacking compared to you guys."
"There's a reason why this is a training camp, you have time to learn and hone yourself," Enzi interjected.
Chisato glanced over to see the black man who was playing cards with three others. Enzi was in the South African Army before he transferred.
Long, another regular person from Vietnam, just placed down a pair of cards, looking all smug. He was smaller compared to more buff and experienced squad members here, but he kept up to the training better than Chisato did.
Kasem, enlisted after his service with the Thai army was completed, pondered his cards as he was next in line to play.
The last person that was playing in the group was Edric, with whom Chisato already had conversations before.
Chisato's gaze then went toward Katya, who was in her own bed and reading a tech-related magazine. After the awkward debacle in the bathroom a few days earlier, Chisato still found the event awkward–neither My or Katya found the situation awkward– and only learned about Katya through My. Apparently, Katya's parents were veterans of the Ukrainian War against the Russian Federation; both were successful drone operators, which somehow passed the talent down to their child, who decided to follow in her parents' footsteps.
Chisato sat upright on her bed. Looking around the room again, she noticed that Peter and My weren't in the room.
"Peter and My aren't here?" Chisato asked no one in particular.
"Peter's still in the gym. No clue where My is." Max answered her question.
Chisato decided not to dwell on it and grabbed some clothes to take a shower. It was awkward for Chisato to take a shower with someone else in a shared bathroom, not just because Japan was still quite conservative and traditional when it came to privacy and sexual views, but also because of the incident a week earlier. Chisato blushed when she remembered the incident, but she quickly shook the thought away.
As a Japanese woman, it used to take her around 20 minutes to shower, but a week spent in the PMC quickly changed her habit. She took only five minutes to shower, quickly rinsing and washing her hair with shampoo, then washing it all off her body.
She finished showering, putting on her clothes, and walked back out into the dorm room, only to see that the Captain was also in the room.
She quickly stood at attention, just like all her squadmates, which now also includes Peter and My. Peter was noticeably sweating, as evidenced by his soaked clothes, while My was wearing a casual outfit, completely out of regulations. Though it wasn't entirely rule-breaking, since recruits were allowed to have free time.
Her whole outfit was quite a fashionable piece, a super-cropped hoodie paired with a crop top hugged tight against her chest, accentuating her curves. Her midriff was left revealed, showing her honed and toned abs, as well as the tan lines. She was wearing a pair of ripped jeans, tight enough to still be able to move comfortably while looking good.
Chisato had to admit to herself that the girl who had sex with her just a week earlier looked very attractive when she wasn't in her usual PT outfit.
She was immediately brought back to the present as the captain returned a quick acknowledgement and signal to relax. Chisato and everyone else in the room also relaxed their postures.
"Good evening, everyone." Harrison's tone was relaxed, unlike his usual stricter demeanor during the week. "As you know, our PMC allows the recruits to have a free weekend day, and they can do and go anywhere within the closest city limit."
Chisato wondered where this was going. A glance around the room told her that most of her squad members also had no idea.
"Technically, we can't tell you what to do or not do, other than just don't cause trouble. But since you guys are new to each other, I'm offering a plan for the night. How about we go to a local bar in Da Nang, get a couple of drinks, break the ice, and get to know each other?"
A few members looked around while some showed hesitation on their faces. One of them decided to voice their concern out loud.
"Captain, that sounds great, but most of us aren't exactly well off in the money department…"
Harrison chuckled, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a credit card. My saw the card, and a smile widened across her face, as if she knew something behind the scenes.
"It's all on me."
"Count us the fuck in, cap!"
Everyone cheered ceremoniously.