An hour later…
The bereft parked the car, releasing the wheel from his grip. Then, with a heavy sigh, he opened his mouth.
"We're here."
Without another word, his team exited his SUV. Leaving his seat, he stretched his limbs and groaned. He hunched his back and moved towards the trunk, unlocking it. Henry grabbed Missio's katana and threw it to his captain who caught it with relative ease. As the bereft latched it onto his lower back, he thought in an annoyance.
'This is really inconvenient.'
Krishna shut the trunk and placed his hands on his hips.
"Well, let's get going."
He turned towards the airport with the others trailing behind him. Missio drew his keys and locked his car before following. Entering the airport, they strolled through the empty halls before arriving at the receptionist's desk. Krishna walked up to the recaption and leaned on the desk.
"Captain John is expecting us." He smirked.
The receptionist lifted her head, scanning Krishna's face before looking down. Her fingers glided across the keyboard, checking for captain John. Then, with an even tone, she answered Krishna.
"He'll meet you at the third runway."
"Thanks~"
He swiveled around and locked eyes with his team.
"Third runway."
"Then, let's get going." Eira turned around.
After a few minutes, they left the building and headed towards the third runway. In the distance, Missio saw a jet-black plane waiting for them – hidden from the public.
After a minute, they arrived near it's perimeter. They circled the jet and moved towards the entrance. There, they met a rather normal looking individual.
He was the man responsible for getting them across the southern border of Ashland – Captain John.
"You're right on time." John checked the watch on his wrist. "Welcome aboard."
"We'll be in your care." Henry reached out his hand, offering his handshake.
"Hopefully I made it out alive." The captain shook his hand, giving a dry laugh.
Missio ascended the stairs, ignoring the captain and boarding the plane. The team followed behind with Henry being the last to board. After sitting down, Missio leaned back, tapping his headphones. All outside noise was cut off, relaxing his nerves. A soft melody flowed into his ears from the Music Box as he slowly drifted into his own world. Then, the intercom turned on.
"Black ops first unit. Prepare for takeoff." He stated as the plan shook.
Suddenly, Missio felt his phone buzz. Before he could react, Mythos's voice rang out.
[ 'Dante' has messaged you.]
Missio froze. Then, he pulled his phone out and looked at the message sent by his... big brother.
[Yo, where are you?]
Missio raised a brow, replying in a perplexed manner.
[Going on a Mission. Are you still in Rush city?]
[Yeah, just wanted to check up on ya. Heard something was going down in Romulus.]
Missio paused for a moment.
Was his brother really clueless about the situation with Dick?
He had suspected that the General hadn't informed him about this mission but now… his suspicion was confirmed.
However, even then, the bereft chose to withheld the information from his dear elder brother.
'I'm in too deep now… what would be the point in even telling him?'
His fingers hovered above the screen as he typed back in a rapid manner.
[Yeah, maybe watch the news once in a while. Dick Quartel got arrested.]
[WHATT??? HOW???]
Missio's lips curled slightly.
[ I'll tell you later. I need to get back to my mission.]
His brother responded almost immediately.
[Ok, Good luck.]
With a rare warm smile, Missio tucked his phone back into his pocket.
Noticing this, Krishna raised a brow and asked,
"What got you smiling like that?"
"Nothing…" Missio looked out the window, the smile disappearing from his face.
Krishna stared blankly at his captain with an unconvinced look. However, he chose not to pry deeper and leaned back in his seat.
The jet made its way to the runway, straightening itself. John accelerated the jet, pushing it towards its maximum velocity. Lifting it into the air, John retracted it's legs into its base as it zipped through the air.
Missio and company sat in silence, mentally preparing for the mission. Missio glanced out of the window, peering towards the city of Romulus covered in colorful light.
Then, he turned his back to the interior. In the lightless compartment, no one spoke – no sound echoed. It was utterly quiet and devoid of everything like a true void. But soon, a singular voice cut through the air.
"Hey, does anyone have a hotspot?"
"We're thirty thousand feet in the air. Shut up."
Missio smirked, knowing Krishna and Henry were bantering again. He leaned back and felt th fluff of the soft mattress on his back. He drew a sharp breath and drowned in the Music box's music.
***
An hour later…
The jet crossed the southern border of Ashland. Thunder struck between the cracks in the storm as the plane crashed into the unforgiving storm clouds of the Nation. Strong winds scraped the plane exterior, shaking the compartment Missio was in.
The bereft gritted his teeth, holding on for dear life as the jet sped through the darkness. After a while, the captain's voice echoed through the intercom once again.
"We're nearing the location where the drug lord is supposed be. Prepare."
The team instantly stood up. They navigated the darkness and each grabbed a parachute that had been prepared for them in advance.
As they slid the bags onto their backs, the door slowly opened. Missio and company held their balance as the air rushed into the interior, threatening to pull them out. Once the pressure had stabilized, they approached the entrance and gazed out towards into the pitch-black sky.
'…it's so dark.'
In the distance, Missio saw an old warehouse in the middle of the forest. It hid between the trees, almost invisible to the naked eye. The jet slowed down above the location. Without any hesitation, Missio, Krishna, Henry, Eira and Mary leapt from the plane. The door closed and the jet flew away, disappearing into the darkness