The moody weather. The familiar scent that seemed exclusive to this region made Gaston wonder if he actually was fond of this place. He got out of the helicopter that he had boarded alongside four and started heading for the house that he rented on the island.

He was now walking on the small street. The leaves are being blown back. The quiet murmur. The shadow casting above this small town.

Turning around a corner, he was about to head straight to the house when he caught a glance of Janna clutching goods from the supermarket with her one eye half-opened.

“Finally done with that? How did it go?”

“Fine. What about yours?”

“There wasn’t much drama to it. It’s the usual meet and greet.”

Janna shrugged. She entered the house first. Gaston followed after.

In the house, she placed the groceries on the kitchen table. Gaston carried his luggage to his own room and went back to the kitchen only wearing his dress shirt. He loosened his tie and took out the groceries.

“Are you cooking something?”

“Beef stew.”

“Oh, let me help?”

Janna gave him a sideward glance. “Just cook the rice.”

Gaston kneeled next to the rice dispenser. He took out a bowl of rice, washed them until it became clear and dipped his finger into the bowl of rice to measure the rice. He placed the rice inside the rice cooker and started cooking it.

He sidled next to Janna and opened the red wine first. He pulled up a stool and leaned forward. She looked at him blankly. That mechanical eye of her zooming in and out.

“Could do more.”

“That so?” she snorted. She took the beef she brought and cleaned the meat of any nerves and tendons, cutting them into chunks.

“Want my help?”

“No.”

She seasoned the beef with salt and pepper before covering the meat in flour. She shook the excess of flour and prepared the heavy pot.

“Making too much? Are we expecting visitors?”

“I didn’t buy this for you, Gato.”

“Sure, so, going to eat a lot? What about your weight?”

“I don’t gain weight. Have you seen my muscle-” she paused and glared. “Anyway, mind your own damn business.”

She placed the beef in a heavy pot covered with oil, browning the meat on all sides. After that she took the meat and set it aside.

Janna stopped and pointed at the dried mushroom in the packet. “Wet them.”

Gaston moved, took the dried mushrooms and hydrated them. He sat back on the stool and continued watching.

Janna frowned and lowered her head. “Can you watch TV or something?”

Gaston grinned. She snorted at him again. Using the same pot and oil, she sauté the onion and carrot until both are cooked through and golden. She added garlic, then sautéed for another thirty seconds until this lovely fragrance came.

She gestured for something. Gaston handed the tomato pasta and herbs which sautéed for a minute. Taking the meat she put aside that had its juices. She covered it with diced tomatoes, red wine, and sherry. Bringing it to a boil, then simmering it until the liquid is reduced to half. Janna then took the beef stock and rehydrated mushrooms, and made sure the meat was fully covered by the juices.

She covered the pot and let it simmer for about an hour, stirring every now and then while Gaston was watching. The irritation that she showed melted, taking a glance at Gaston, she punched him on the shoulder.

“What was that for?”

“Nothing. Just felt like it. So you got acquainted with Hild again?”

“She’s still the same. Greedy as ever, smarter, but still greedy.”

“Didn’t do anything with her?”

She added the picada and then prepared the sautéed mushrooms.

“I’m not a horny eighteen year old, Janna.”

“Shit, you must be strange in the head not to.”

Gaston folded his arms and snorted. Janna grinned, took the heavy pot, and served two plates with the sautéed mushrooms. They sat together and started eating the dish she made.

“I heard some things. Awful work it must be.”

“It was. I thought all good folk had died. Then I find myself being the devil who puts them down. Maybe one day we’ll get our comeuppance and pay for our sins.”

“Maybe. But if we don’t work. We don’t eat. We don’t live. That’s how things are. The world’s already ended and we are running on the fumes of the old world. Maybe the cuffs will work out for everyone.”

“Do you think it will?”

“It might. But if we peddle it hard enough. Everyone will think that this is something that needs to be done. That everyone must wear it for the sake of the greater good. We can always shame everyone who doesn’t agree with us and convince them.”

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“Sounds awful.”

“Niceness takes a long time. It’s very good for the soul, but doesn’t make immediate progress. Foundations must be firm they say, but at the moment most of us don’t have that time.”

Gaston leaned forward. “I think we need a vacation. We don’t have any debt right now. I just got sponsored by Sir Mortimer and I’m not lacking in any cash right now.”

“Could be nice. Just laze around and do nothing.”

“But that’s too dreamy right now.”

Both of them sighed together, lamenting about the workload. Gaston played around with a chunk of beef and looked at the weather outside of the house. The pacific sea was both terrifying and wonderful and from its bowels comes cool and dangerous winds. This town in particular was not like the same place they lived in. Thinking about their home in Europe, it made Gaston wonder if there’s going to be a time where they don’t have to go to places and work all the time.

Physically they are at their optimal. They were already sane enough to handle even some of these jobs that they have to take for the sake of the UEDF and the Consortium.

It was always about the money. From the very start they became a part of the Agency because it paid them well. Although Gaston likes to call himself a Freelancer. Most of the time he answers to the United Earth Defense Force and Earthside Consortium’s request.

It was tiring. Most of the time he feels like doing some things for them can be soul-crushing. Sir Mortimer was an asset of the UEDF and a sponsor of some of the R&D sector of the Consortium. He alone has enough favors to pull.

No sane man would try to fight a man well-connected and well-established in the world for one good man. But he wouldn't be caught doing that again. And from the looks of it. His job and obligation to do more was done.

Quitting this job was easy. The benefits however were enough to make him keep the job. Both of them understood that. Hence why they are still here working for the Babaika Lions and the UEDF.

The two finished their dishes. Gaston took care of the plates and placed them on the shelves. He scooted on the couch, and relaxed. He covered his eyes with his right hand before exhaling loudly.

Janna went to her room. She came out wearing her casual clothes and sat on the opposite of the couch, wrapping her arms around her legs. Gaston switched the channel to an idol show.

“Really?”

“Why not? They dance well and look at their legs.”

“Creep.”

Gaston shrugged. He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his thighs.

“I guess no matter what. The entertainment industry isn’t dying.”

“Well, it isn’t. Too profitable for that to close down and there are some that are actually good to listen to. Oh, that reminds me, the Babaika are going to fund an entertainment industry.”

“What?”

“You heard me. They plan to raise idols and singers now. It’s labeled under a new name, but the Lioness’s the one holding most of the stakes.”

“She’s really getting into all kinds of business. I wonder if it’s arrogance or just pure skill.”

“I say skill. She’s a genius.”

There was a voice of admiration. Gaston had to agree. She was a genius and all the sectors she’s playing in she always succeed in.

“Lady planning to make a propaganda section now?”

“Might be. Her PR’s so good. If you read the headlines. All they say on the net is how their actions saved life. Doesn’t help that Jakob and Hilda got good shots. Hilda alone is popular and hell she can probably earn millions by showing her face to the media.

“Breaker worship sure is something.”

“It’s more like they appreciate the fierceness. There are two types of Breakers, the one that entertains and the one that fights hard. Hilda can be both and Jakob’s quite adept on peddling how great the Babaika Lions are and how they are doing for the sake of world peace. He really likes selling that shit to people.”

Gaston shrugged. “Well PR is a must if you want to stay in this. I mean most of them still think that this Company is simply just a Breaker Company and not a mercenary company that kills everything they are ordered to.”

The Babaika Lions were famous in the Balkan Regions for their killings of the Mutates, the Evolved, and the Mutants who are quite different from the humans and breakers.

“That reminds me, Gato. You need to see this. It’s from Reginald.”

Gaston accepted the files sent to him. He opened it, minimized the player and saw a video clip of a group of breakers maintaining a line alongside Lancers, Assault Troops, Supressers, and mechanized battalion against a horde of mutates.

“Where’s this?”

“It’s in Gansu.”

“Corps of mutates are assaulting the borders of Gansu. They say that most of them came from the Uyghur Region.”

“Did something happen?”

“I don’t know. But if things go bad there. The Babaika Lions might just have to help in reinforcing that region.”

Gaston leaned forward, putting on a serious face. “Are we going to get dragged to that?”

“Don’t know. High chance, but right now they have enough troops to repel the assault, but if something happened in the Uyghur Region, then there might be a chance that the EC branch in China’s going to ask for assistance.”

“Wouldn’t the People’s Liberation Army do something about it?”

“They already are. Got it covered with drone swarms. Mutates are strong enough, and honestly the problem is this.”

She sent another file. This time it was images of the Mutates and Mutants using the biomass entities as their mounts. It was a horrific sight, as if an army from hell were riding to pillage and conquer.

Gaston cupped his face. “Every day we stray from normalcy.”

“Are you really saying that now? Us having the strength to lift tons and slay monsters was normal? But this one isn’t normal?”

Gaston threw his hands up. He slouched on the couch as if done with everything. Janna smirked at him before changing the channel to a channel televising a documentary about extinct animals.

“Go back.”

“No.”

Gaston lazed on the couch, head on the armrest. “The mediterraneans were nice.”

“You should have relaxed in that place.”

“Hard to have Hild around. When are you two going to decide anyway? You two have been going at it for years.”

“Going back to work tomorrow?”

“Probably. How about you? Still going to accompany the Lioness for a while?”

“Might have to since I already started it. She’s annoyingly competent that anyone with a towering ego would have loathed her. You think she’s pretty?”

“She is.”

“I know right? Hard to believe that she’s still uninvolved. I guess she gets off with power.”

Gaston lazily looked at the TV. “Guess this was your off-day huh. No reports today?”

“I actually did. Then I thought of stuffing myself with a batch of beef stew. And then you ruin it for me.”

“Let’s eat barbeque next time.”

She looked at him and nodded slowly. She leaned forward and watched the documentary, ignoring the strong wind pushing the windows.