As every member of the team woke up the next morning, they took turns having breakfast while Candy, Tricky, and Indie cooked for everyone, except Cookie and Nitro since they didn’t wake up in time. Despite them waking up quite late, the rest of the team still waited for them after getting dressed. They ditched their combat outfits and weapons to put on more casual clothes, with only some of Crisis’ members carrying a few backpacks with the essentials while the rest left empty-handed. By the time Cookie and Nitro came downstairs, they found everyone at the door, so they hurried up to grab a few things and leave the house as soon as possible before they got yelled at.
–Alright, everyone ready to leave? Remember, we have to keep a low profile, so no weapons. Just pretend you are some tourists visiting the city for the first time– Indie ordered as she stepped out of the house with everyone following her. They gathered at the alley and waited for Nitro and Cookie to come out, but in the meantime, they all fixed themselves to look as unassuming as possible, though some had it easier than others.
–I’ve never been here before, but I want to meet some of those cat and cow girls Cookie was talking about…– Chappy said in an innocent but curious tone, to which his friends had to contain their laughter. He drew attention from the main squad, and while he became nervous upon seeing Indie looking at him, she was surprisingly supportive of his expectations.
–Great, use that to blend in…– Indie replied with an approving nod before closing the door to the house now that Cookie and Nitro had joined them outside. Chappy awkwardly nodded back and joined the line the group had formed in order of their ranks. Indie was in front as always, with Frost, Panda, Cookie, Groovy, Bones, and the rest of Crisis behind, leaving the rookies at the very back. But as Scott was right in front of Zoey, he took advantage of his position to chat with her while they made their way to the main street.
–Good morning, how did you sleep?– Scott greeted Zoey with a playful tone, getting a smile in response, but they both glanced back to check if their friends were listening before continuing the conversation.
They noticed that Ace and Chappy were more distracted by their surroundings since they were now out on the main street in broad daylight, getting a chance to admire all of the buildings nearby without a care. And while Scott and Zoey couldn’t take their eyes off each other, they too looked around in awe upon finding almost as many people as yesterday in the street. They had no inconvenience walking around everybody else, though they did garner some attention since they walked in a large group before dispersing a little, allowing Scott and Zoey to talk freely.
–Umm, really well. That bed was small, but I got to cuddle with Kiwy. She is so soft! It was like sleeping with a plushie– Zoey replied with a lively grin, clenching her hands with a cute pout as if she were holding Kiwy, who overheard her but didn’t turn around as she was fixated on some familiar-looking girls in the distance. Scott got a good chuckle and then thought for a moment, staring at Zoey’s pure smile with a slightly mischievous grin before nodding to her comment.
–That’s cool, I hope I get to sleep with a cat girl soon…– Scott responded with a sarcastic smile that triggered Zoey instantly. She punched him lightly in the arm for making such a joke, prompting him to break into laughter again and step away to not get hit again.
–I’m not, I'm not… But I do want to meet different people...– Scott added with a hearty laugh, but apologizing with a nervous smile to calm Zoey down, who suddenly became intrigued by his remark.
–Like our landlady? She had some pointy ears, she must be an elf…– Zoey asked thoughtfully, getting Scott to reflect as well. They both looked around the street as Frost and Indie stopped outside a closed bar to talk, and with only a glance at any of the citizens around, Scott confirmed that most of them looked quite a lot like Charlotte, at least in skin tone and face complexion. But the more elves he spotted, the more confused he became.
–An elf? Then what are we?– Scott asked with a naïve smile, to which Zoey scoffed but quickly realized he was asking a genuine question.
–Didn’t you learn that at your village’s school?– Zoey asked back in a lighthearted, suspicious tone, making Scott a bit nervous as she appeared to be judging him with her eyes.
–Our teacher was pretty lazy, and my only other teacher is, well…– Scott replied dumbfoundedly, turning slightly timid as he glanced at Frost in the front to imply his lack of knowledge. Zoey noticed but just laughed it off before answering his questions, though she had to think of how to explain it first.
–We are echokins, like the normal kind of people, I think… I hope that’s not racist…– Zoey explained insecurely, doubting her own words as she struggled to remember but still sounding proud of knowing her heritage, unlike Scott, who was put off by the response.
–Oh yea, that’s why everything related to us has the word echo in front…– Scott replied with low enthusiasm after an underwhelming realization, shifting his attention to Frost and Indie as they turned to the whole group. A circle formed around them, and while they stood out in the street, other crowds started forming outside the various locals and shops, so they were able to blend in to have a private briefing.
–Okay, listen up. We aren’t here to mess around or have a nice trip. We have a mission, an important one at that. I need you all to be very focused and take it seriously. I better not see any of you distracted in the shops or having a date in the restaurants… If you are going to tour the city, you must surveil the streets and report any weird activity you come across, understood?– Frost ordered urgently, giving each member of the team a stern look, then growing harsher with the rookies, who froze when listening to him, just like they were used to back in their training.
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Since Crisis and the superior soldiers were mostly aware of the rules of the mission, Frost made sure to get his point across to his students, including Scott, who was a bit relieved to be standing next to his teammates and not directly in Frost’s belittling gaze. The rookies stayed silent and nodded along, but as Frost kept a close eye on them, Indie noticed they were becoming scared and nervous, so she quickly stepped in to be more encouraging, even though she wasn’t able to draw the rookies’ attention away from their teacher.
–But, with that being said… Feel free to explore and get comfortable with the city, we don’t know how long we will be here. So if you want, you can get to know people and have fun, but always stay alert in case our enemies show up, okay?– Indie added in a more gracious, easygoing manner, even showing a bit of sympathy and compassion behind the reassuring smile she used to ease the rookies’ worries. Her teammates looked at her weirdly, with Frost seemingly offended by her kindness towards his students. But as he didn’t get to say anything, he just watched with arms crossed as the rookies returned the gesture with smiles of appreciation.
–Yes, ma'am– the rookies replied in unison, pleasantly surprising Indie as they all bowed to show their gratitude. She turned to Frost and scoffed at him, and in response, he dismissed her with an annoyed eye roll, though it only increased her spite. But even though Indie’s consideration and supportive remarks worked better than Frost’s scare tactics, Chappy and Zoey remained unsure after noticing how their captain and chief could not disagree more.
–Does that mean we can take a look around this area? You know, maybe we can get some valuable intel if we talk to the locals…– Chappy asked apprehensively, trying hard to pretend interest and prudence with his suggestion despite his intentions being clear to the entire group. His friends and some of Crisis tried not to crack up, but as he was respectful enough, he caught Indie in her good mood and received an almost immediate answer.
–You mean the animal girls you want to see?– Indie asked curiously, becoming amused by Chappy’s persistent, almost desperate interest in the city locals, seeing his desire to encounter the female kind in his eyes. Her question took him by surprise, and while he hesitated since everyone was staring at him, Chappy tried to play it cool and prevent getting laughed at more.
–N-no… I mean… Not necessarily…– Chappy stuttered nervously as he tried to look away from Indie, but he only lost his composure more when he noticed Ace and Scott covering their mouths to hide their giggles. However, even with the entire group not falling for his lie, Indie just nodded slightly skeptical and quickly turned her focus to the main squad and Frost.
–Yes, you can explore the city and meet some of those eccentric girls– Indie replied indifferently, with a hint of playfulness that faded away as soon as she turned around to face Frost, who stopped staring at her so disdainfully to look up at the castle at the very top of the mountain. He looked determined to reach the top, and so did the rest of Crisis as they all stared up, leaving the rookies aside and letting them chat as Chappy cheered upon getting permission from Indie.
–Yes! She is awesome! I like her a lot more than Frost…– Chappy exclaimed in bliss, keeping his voice low to not be heard by anyone but his friends, Cookie, and Shade, who all subtly laughed at his triumphant reaction, with the latter seemingly agreeing with his opinion, which raised some doubt. Ace, Zoey and even Cookie looked at him suspiciously, but after seeing where his eyes were heading, his reaction became quite obvious.
–She is kind of hot too…– Shade muttered as his eyes fixed on Indie’s body, shifting down to her waist and bottom as her back faced him while talking to Frost. His eyes were filled with pure lust that was impossible to ignore, prompting the rookies to look at each other awkwardly before laughing it off, letting him admire and crave Indie as much as he wanted while they kept chatting. But as his desire seemingly disappeared instantly when Indie turned around, they all composed themselves to listen to what she and Frost had discussed.
–We actually have a meeting with the city princess in an hour, but only Crisis must show up, so you are free to do whatever you want. If we do need you, we’ll make a call. Cookie will oversee you while we attend this meeting, then we’ll group up at the house if everything goes to plan– Indie declared casually as she stepped away with Crisis to walk down the street and head for the main road. The rest of the team nodded and cleared the way for them to go, but before leaving, Frost turned around to his students, who quickly focused on him once they saw him looking in their direction. And as he stared intently at Zoey, Chappy, Ace, and Shade for a good second to build tension, they kept a straight face while trying to maintain eye contact, becoming anxious until he finally spoke up.
–Try not to do anything stupid, alright? And remember to act normal. You don’t want to blow our cover, or I’ll get mad– Frost warned them with the usual menacing stare that they were getting used to, though it still made them shudder as always. However, it didn’t last long, as Indie reassured them otherwise before leaving the group with the main squad. Scott unfortunately had to leave Zoey behind, but he seemed excited to accompany Crisis, and he made sure to brag about it to his friends before leaving as he scoffed and turned pompous.
–Yea, come on guys, take this seriously. You do not want to know what happens when you sabotage a mission, trust me…– Scott reaffirmed sarcastically, mocking his friends as he imitated Frost, who was luckily no longer near to hear him. He sounded almost as arrogant as him, getting a few laughs from the rookies, Cookie, and even Groovy. But as Crisis was leaving him behind, Saint turned around and ran in a hurry to catch up with them, leaving the other seven members standing in the middle of the street.
–Bye, have fun!– Candy shouted as she waved back at the group with an enthusiastic smile, to which they waved back as they waited for them to leave their sight. Once they disappeared at the corner of the street and the main road, the group immediately began exploring the city. And even though they were in Cookie’s charge, he was just as curious as the rookies to see what the town had to offer. Even Groovy and Bones, who were mature enough to contain their laughs most of the time, completely changed once Crisis was gone. So, with everyone sharing the same interest, they all joined Chappy’s quest to find some of the special girls he heard about.
| I WISH AIR CLOUDS COULD HOLD ME UP
LIKE I THOUGHT AS A CHILD, GROWING UP |