Space, once was the final frontier. Only a fiction of science back in the age of old. But humanity achieved the greatest feat of expanding into the stars. Earth, now called the Cradle, formed connections from one solar system to the next. Spreading peace and tranquility under the flag of the Union. But despite the progress they've gained in a better future, humanity cannot escape the chaos from within.

War, death, and destruction.

None can deny that it isn't a part of who we are. It cannot even be excused for the many life amongst the stars. Beasts and monsters straight from nightmares could be encountered everywhere they go. To battle this, humanity invented a new form of combat. Machines of war, titans controlled by mere men. Lancers, warriors trained to pilot man's greatest triumph whether it be against beasts, or themselves.

This is where our story shall begin.

On a planet in the Delta Sector was a ruined city. The aftermath of twenty years of war. If anything, it is a common sight for any civil system. Historically, this planet was a part of the Union until it rebelled. Now after so much pain and struggle, the rebellion came to an end.

Amongst the rubble and ruins of this once magnificent city stood a group of soldiers in an urban camo uniform. They gathered around a campfire surrounded by drinks and good food. Men and women who fought with everything they had laughed and celebrated the end of their war.

The youngest of this group shyly drank from a juice box as she watched everyone enjoying themselves. She was only 18, and coincidentally, the war had ended on her birthday. So this celebration was for her and all those who've fought today.

She nearly jumped as something bumped against her head and looked up to find a gift-wrapped box. "Happy birthday to you, Veridiana. To think you managed to live so long. I'm honestly impressed, kid!"

"Commander!" She smiled softly. "You didn't have to!"

"I do, how else am I gonna show you that I appreciate all of your work?"

He didn't wait a second longer and simply tossed the box into her hands.

"You know, you're technically old enough to drink now. Why not grab yourself a bottle?"

Veridiana huffed. "Commander, I've seen what happens to people who drink. They get sick in the morning and lose all of their sense of efficiency. I still have somewhere to be later."

His expression turned sour for a moment. He looked hurt just a bit. "Right, after all this you're off to be another of Union's long line of attack dogs." He scoffed at himself right after that comment. "Sorry, I'm still a bit angry about this war. Don't let it fool you, kid, I'm happy that you don't have to fight for scraps now that you're joining the big leagues."

The two went silent as the party sang loudly. Veridiana stared at her gift, unsure if she wanted to open it now or later. But something deep in her mind told her that it wouldn't be an amazing present. They were all surrounded by nothing but ruins. So she wouldn't be surprised if he got her something mundane like a carved rock. Though, it would have plenty of sentimental value for sure.

The Commander was like a father to Veridiana, he was there for her when she was a child. This war took so much from her, and she wanted to give back to the only person that mattered to her. Sadly, it seemed that wouldn't be the case. Everything was said and done, and everyone was celebrating. Her moment to pay her debt was gone.

"What's going to happen now?" She asked finally after a long silence between them. Eyes were still glued at the box in her hands.

The Commander cracked a smile. "Well, everyone gets a second chance, even you. Be proud, a lot of these people are here because of you and your mech."

Veridiana looked behind, there was a massive machine that she had piloted. She was a Lancer, trained by those considered the best among her faction. Though it proudly sat there as if it won countless victories, none can ignore the broken visage it carried. A sign that this mech went through so much just to be there right now.

Standing up, Veridiana walked over to the mech and gently caressed a spot where it suffered a shot from an artillery ambush. She remembered how unprepared her squad was and how bad things went, but she persevered. Barely.

Just as she finished her trip down memory lane, a shuttle flew overhead and all eyes followed.

The joy in everyone's faces vanished, and the Commander noticed this.

With a sigh, the Commander brought out the best smile he could and raised his drink in the air. "What is this, a funeral? Celebration isn't over folks, this is your night so have fun!"

At first, they were reluctant, but one by one they forgot about the shuttle and the singing continued. Everyone enjoyed themselves with drinks and good food, everyone but Veridiana.

As the Commander wandered away from the party, she followed in his shadow. He was silent, a stoic look on his face as he stared forward. His feet were heavy as he walked through the ruins of the city. Veridiana did not make a sound, not even a small peep. Soon enough, the Commander stopped just at the edge of what used to be a highway. Everything had collapsed a long time ago. There were cars here and there, all burnt and covered in ash. No point in salvaging them, they were as good as scrap.

At the center of it was a shuttle with a few figures scattered around. They carried themselves properly, especially in a war-torn area. Not only that, these people were armed. It wasn't long before they spotted the Commander.

He raised his arms in the air as the group approached.

"Commander Jax," One of them spoke. "We hope we didn't disturb your party."

"Don't worry, everything is in order," He said. "Guess this is it?"

The soldier nodded. "You made the right choice, Commander. In the end, it wouldn't have benefitted anyone. But thanks to you, this planet has the chance to rebuild."

He looked over Jax's shoulder and noticed something looming in the shadows.

"Should we let you say goodbye first, sir?"

Surprised, the Commander followed the soldier's gaze and saw that Veridiana had followed him. He gave the soldier a quick nod and walked over to Veridiana.

"What are you doing, shouldn't you be at the party right now?"

"I can't let you go," Her voice cracked as her fists clenched. "Please don't leave me."

"This is the only way, kid. Don't go wasting this opportunity."

She remained silent.

The Commander placed his hand on her head. "Don't let me hold you back, I know you can do amazing things now that you aren't tied to this place. Imagine the possibilities. The people you'll meet. Be hopeful."

He pulled his hand away and turned back to the soldiers. "Oh, before I go. Veridiana, for my final order as your Commander, I want you to forget all the bad things that happened on this planet and flourish. You better grow up to be an outstanding woman." He gave her a sly smirk. "Though I'm doubtful it'll happen seeing how weird you are, could you please introduce your future boyfriend to me so I can assess him?"

"Commander!"

He chuckled heartily. "I'm joking! Just… take care, kid. I rather not break my promise."

With that, Jax boarded the shuttle. As the doors slowly closed, he gave Veridiana one last salute. And she returned the gesture. This wouldn't be the last time they'd see each other, but it would not be frequent. She still had other things to do, and now that the rebellion of Travesk was over, she was free to do as she pleased.

But first, she unwrapped the present she received on her special day. Her expectations were low, and it seemed that she was right in her assumption. The city was practically razed to the ground, so there was no way for Jax to find a proper gift. And seeing it now; a set of breath mint boxes. She was correct. Each was still wrapped in plastic which was a good sign that it wasn't contaminated or anything, though one was a little dented. Veridiana was sure that he had most likely found it in the remains of a store.

Yet she felt a warm smile forming on her lips.

That was a week ago.

It had been so long since she saw Commander Jax and the only thing she had left was her mech, Sister. With all the free time she had, Veridiana managed to clean up the damages it suffered from the war. She spent a long time fighting, and she realized that she hadn't planned for what to do when the war ended. Of course, she had two years of experience piloting a mech, she was a Lancer after all.

So her job opportunities were narrowed down. Her only option was to become a mercenary or join a Union military core. She disliked the latter choice quite greatly.

So she found herself in her mech marching down a dirt road. Surrounded by a lush green forest. Every step taken by her mech left a mark. It must've recently rained as the soil was slightly soft under her feet.

She had left her home planet in pursuit of better pastures. And perhaps opportunities for a better tomorrow. Still, she remained in Delta Sector as she couldn't bring herself to leave Jax behind. Though she would forget everything back in the war, she wouldn't dare forget the man who helped her. She stared at Jax's last gift to her. A metal box of breath mints. She popped one in her mouth for that cool feeling on her tongue.

Now Veridiana was on a planet called Dratea, home of a local mercenary company. One she applied to, and hopefully, accepted by. Well, she was currently heading to their address as they requested her for an interview. Still, it was surprising that they immediately answered her job application instantly. As if they expected her to pop on their radar.

Suddenly she came to a stop. There was a roaring engine that sounded too close for comfort. Somehow, someway, a large green mech had snuck up on her. Or perhaps it was more likely that she walked into them. Slowly, she turned her head to face the noise. Veridiana did her best to stay calm as she came face to face with a spinning assault cannon held by the biggest mech she had seen in her life.

This thing looked as if it was prepared to take on a meteor with how armored and bulky it appeared.

And look at that, this mech had another gun in its other hand. Also pointed at her.

But what really caught her attention was the big red cross on its helm. Signifying that they are a medic other than a massive war machine.

"You know, walking through private property and being armed isn't a good picture for you." He said as he slowly rose from his hiding spot. The single red eye of his mech glared at her with a sense of disappointment. As if he wished for a better encounter than her.

It was bad that this Goliath of a robot was practically biting down her throat, and she knew that she couldn't get out of this situation easily. Well, in a fight that is. She wasn't just wandering around in her mech for no reason. Other than saving money on transporting her stuff around. Better to walk with it than spending her limited funds.

As for why she and her mech were walking down this road, as said before, she was here for a job opening. And she doubted that she was wrong that this Lancer in front of her was her future coworker. If the interview goes well, of course.

"I was told to come here, by someone called Klaus."

That was enough for him to lower his weapons, and the harrowing roar of an assault cannon would vanish. Veridiana felt at ease afterward. "Commander Klaus? Ah, well, I should've assumed that you're the newbie. Sorry about that, can't be so sure these days."

She watched as the hatch at the mech's stomach opened up, and someone crawled out before they climbed up to the top of their mech. It was a reminder of how big this robot was compared to a human. There was enough space on the mech to have a nice picnic. He was somewhat similar to his mech. Though, a bit out of place. He looked as if he belonged to a riot control team, not a military force. But he did carry extra armor. The thing that stuck out was the color. He was overselling the fact that he was a medic with bright red crosses all over his white armor. Easily stuck out like a sore thumb.

Well, stealth wouldn't exactly be his option seeing that it was a heavy class.

"Alright, I'm sending you a comms request. Hurry up and accept it so we can get back to business."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

As he said so, his request appeared on her hud, which she accepted with haste.

"Good," He spoke to her through private communication. "With this, you can speak with the rest of us in closed comms. Now follow me, newbie, and I'll take you the big man."

The mech he stood on turned around and started to walk further down the road. Veridiana, of course, followed behind.

"Hangman to North Tower, I'm returning to base. Cutting my patrol short. Caught ourselves some fresh meat."

"This is North Tower, we read you loud and clear, Hangman. Sending Dalmatian to finish your route." Another voice answered him.

Guess thanks to him, Veridiana was now connected to their base. If they so easily connect with others, then they must be confident in their security. Either that or these people are too careless. However, one thing for sure was that Veridiana learned this man's callsign.

"Jose Roxas, call me Hangman."

As if he read her mind, he introduced himself. He sat down and faced towards her mech.

"You know it's rude not to tell me your name after I gave you mine."

"Oh, I'm Veridiana Demarini. It is nice to meet you, sir."

"Don't call me sir, it makes me feel older than I already am." He chuckled. "It is nice to meet you too, newbie."

"If you say so. My callsign is Lime."

"Yeah, no. If you're joining the team you'll get your callsign after your first mission." He told her. "Until then, you'll be called Rookie. We all went through this and earned our callsign."

Before she could continue the conversation, the two finally reached their destination. Though there were still a few more steps to take, Veridiana saw where she would be working if things went well with the interview. There was a massive metal fortress in the middle complete with all kinds of defensive weaponry, and some buildings erected all around.

They appeared to be temporary homes as their designs were too boxy to be proper ones. Stacked on top of each other, at least two blocks high. She wasn't sure if those were secured or they could easily topple over.

The fortress itself looked impenetrable with the series of walls. Heavily protected by mechs and soldiers alike. It was as if she was walking into the main forces of a military core with enough firepower to take over a country.

Hangman smiled as he rode to his feet. "Well, Rookie, I welcome you to our little town of nobodies. Welcome to-

Chapter 1: The Midnight Misfits

Veridiana didn't realize how populated this place was. Not only were there all sorts of people, but there were mechs and armored vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Some even looked like Hangman's mech. They looked like standard issue as well. Barely any noticeable differences. It might be important to note that there seemed to be some workers doing logistics. Though most of the mechs were powered down as the people all around did their work. One mech stood out.

This one was crouched next to an overturned truck while a man was scolding it. The mech didn't stand out because of the scene, or its appearance, but because the pilot was shouting back at the man.

"Let me taste the sap of black from the tears!"

She was shouting and rambling at the man with words that didn't make sense.

Hangman chuckled as he shook his head. "There those two go again. Don't worry, this happens every day."

He assured her, but Veridiana witnessed the Lancer trying to crush that man under her fist. She made a mental note to not bother them in the future.

As they approached this little town composed of mercenaries and a bunch of workers, all eyes looked away from their businesses and stared at Veridiana.

Seemed like she was the one who stuck out like a sore thumb.

They knew she was new the moment they saw her. It seemed that people around here were familiar with each other, and that was quite evident with the way they eyed her.

Well, her mech was certainly different from the rest, it made some sense that they noticed something new around.

Once they got a good look at her they went back to their businesses.

The entrance to the fortress was big enough for mechs to walk through without an issue. She made sure not to step on anyone. It'd be embarrassing if Sister killed someone by accident while Hangman's mech- who was taller than a barn, probably as wide as one- didn't crush anyone under their massive feet.

They entered what seemed to be a hangar where plenty of mechs were housed. Some even resembled Hangman's. Veridiana started to believe that his was a standard issue that received no personal touch or design. The only difference was the red cross on this mech's helm.

"This is the hanger bay, where we keep all the toys." He told her.

Certainly was new to her. Back then, they kept their mechs in some underground parking lot, one that didn't collapse from all the artillery fire. If she had high standards, she'd probably complain about something. With that in mind, she was quite impressed by how well-organized the place was. If anything, this was an absolute upgrade.

"Don't be shy if you need to fix that mech of yours. Just tell the mechanics what you need and they'll print you a brand new piece. What is that?"

"It's an Everest, si- Rowas."

"Roh-hahs." He corrected her. "Never mind, just call me Jose or Hangman."

"Alright, will keep that in mind."

"Oh, where are my manners!" He playfully hit himself on the head. "Welcome to North Tower, our command center, overlords, managers, and other words to describe naggy bosses."

"Copy that, Hangman. Will relay your message to the higher-ups. Over."

"Up yours, Martha!" He said before a laugh came out of him. "Anyway, this is where we dismount. I'll show you around once you meet Commander Klaus, and then maybe I'll introduce you to your new squad."

Now that she thought of it, this man was strangely friendly. She understood that was to be polite, but Hangman seemed to act as if they'd known each other for a long time now. Though he acted casually, Veridiana could tell that he was taking things seriously.

When they touched down on the ground thanks to the help of Hangman's mech, Hangman then took off his helmet.

He was older than she expected. Fair skin with a face covered in a thick beard. He gave her a warm smile, but she saw through it. He wasn't fooling around.

"Well, I didn't expect a kid, honestly!"

Veridiana nearly fell over to how hard he patted her on the shoulder. That armor was no joke, especially when it gave the user extra power to hold heavy weapons.

Now that she looked at him, he was short. Probably a few inches taller than her, but still, he was indeed quite short.

"Well, we don't want to keep the big man waiting. He's always busy and drowning in paperwork."

He led them down a very busy hallway. People were pushing carts and boxes to who knows where. Only a few batted an eye at her as they realized that she didn't belong.

"So, where are you from, Rookie?"

"Travesk,"

"Travesk? Huh, isn't that place in a state of war?"

"The rebels surrendered, and the planet is in the process of rebuilding."

He huffed. "Figured, fighting the Union is a bad idea unless you can keep them off the ground. Well, good thing you got out of there. And looking at the way you carry yourself, you're no stranger to bloodshed."

"I have experience in the field of combat, my skills as a Lancer are exceptional or so I've been told."

He looked at her curiously, a hint of sympathy present in his eyes.

"Well," Hangman cleared his throat. "We should continue to Klaus' office."

As she followed behind, Veridiana noticed all sorts of characters. Certainly, this place was home to people from different origins. Some are more machine than man. Few were in between.

Another thing that stood out today was a strange woman. Maroon-colored hair, and skin in red pigment. But those aren't what caught Veridiana's attention. No, it was the strange device that she wore. It was a large disk that was around her neck, with her wrists locked in place. A pillory of sorts, perhaps. Questions flooded Veridiana's head as she tried to make sense of it.

Maybe it was simply a fashion trend from somewhere. And if she was desperate enough for an answer, she could just ask Hangman.

Continuing from there, the two arrived at Klaus' office. The door was open and the Commander himself was currently mid-conversation with someone. Someone in power armor, one that Veridiana had not seen before. Bulky in appearance with a sleek black color. Mainly, the design reminded her of a knight. A very tanky knight.

As for Commander Klaus, he was exactly what she expected from the leader of a large mercenary company. Rugged with scars all over. A very clean white uniform with several medals. Even his office mirrored the Commander. Several trophies and news articles gave a glimpse into Klaus' past.

The moment they entered, Klaus glared at them both.

"Aquila, I am thankful that you brought Dune in one piece. But I must conclude our conversation."

"The honor is mine, Commander." He said. "If I am needed, then do not hesitate to contact me. Hangman."

Aquila greeted the medic just as he exited the room.

Hangman arched a brow at the Commander. "What was that about Dune?"

"A problem for later. First I must speak with our new Lancer."

Veridiana stood at ease to properly present herself. "I thought I was to be interviewed, sir."

"Would've been the first thing we'd do," Klaus swapped his attention to his computer. "but an opportunity arose to evaluate your skills as a Lancer. We will give you a moment to get acquainted with your new squad. But later tonight, you will be called in for a briefing. Hangman, please give our new member a tour and show her the essentials."

"Yes, sir." With that done, the two exited the room. He turned to smile at Veridiana. "Look at that, you're now a member of the Midnight Misfits. You're gonna love it here, and you get to have Abomination's room!"

"Who?"

He chuckled awkwardly. "Guy you're replacing."

"Wait, are we going to be in the same squad?"

"Quick, aren't ya? Yeah, you, me, and that guy earlier, Aquila."

"And this Dune person?"

"Different squad," His brow furrowed. "Being brought back to base by Aquila? That's odd, what happened to his team?"

"Something wrong?"

Just as his expression showed a sign of deep thought, Hangman adopted a soft smile, and his arm wrapped around her shoulder. "Nothing! Let's just show you around and introduce you to the folks here."

The tour was honestly a simple one. Hangman showed her the mess hall, the infirmary, locker rooms, and the most important thing in North Tower, not to her, of course. The leaderboard. A big screen with dozens of squad names.

Veridiana popped her mint box open as she stared at the screen. "You all are competing?"

"Every year," Hangman answered. "Not just us Lancers, but the North Tower armored division, and even the air force. Hell, can't forget our soldiers. Hey, can I have one?"

"Hm? Oh, sure."

"You've been snacking on these the whole trip. Is it addictive?" Despite the question, he tossed a single mint in his mouth.

"Funny joke. But it's a gift from a friend."

Hangman nodded only.

They continued to walk around until they left the fortress. Right after Hangman visited the mess hall for some lunch. He had even bought her some. A nice balanced meal to give her the energy for the rest of the day. Now they were heading to the "quarters". Or from what she could tell, the residential.

Wasn't much to talk about. They looked like stacked boxes from afar. But despite the lack of style and design, Hangman reassured her that it had all the essentials of a home. A kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. She was also free to decorate hers if she wanted to.

It was also worth noting that they were all separated per squad. Theirs was located farthest from the North Tower. It was in a row of four and three boxes high. There was one more at the top though, which meant there were a total of thirteen homes. Lastly, a stairwell at the side. This place was like some kind of apartment complex made from box houses stacked together.

"Yours is at the top, come on."

She followed Hangman up the stairs, and when they reached the highest part, they discovered several people already there.

Two familiar faces as well.

"Hangman! You're late for lunch." One said as they were enjoying a sandwich.

There was a large table with room for a lot more. There were exactly six people present. It seemed that this would be the squad that Veridiana would join. The two faces that she was familiar with: First was the man from before, the one who was arguing with another Lancer. Second was the woman who was wearing a strange fashion piece.

What a strange coincidence to find them here and are a part of the squad.

"Let me introduce you to the team. Guys, this is Veridiana, our new member!"

"Greetings,"

"That was quick," The woman in the pillory said. "Sigh. Hi, my name is Nona Aliano."

Teeth gritted and eyes focused somewhere else, Nona struggled to finish her introduction.

"You-" She spent a short minute dragging out the word, and it was then that Veridiana noticed a few others in the squad were smirking and trying to hold back a laugh. "Shut up! Ugh! They call me Pillory."

"Because of your fashion sense?"

It was then the table broke out into a series of laughter.

Pillory glared at Veridiana for a moment, face completely redder than before.

Hangman pulled Veridiana away, he did his best not to laugh at the woman with the others. "A story for another time, Rookie. J-just, don't call it that, heh."

Pillory looked back at her lunch, how she would eat it was a mystery.

"To help out Stalwart." Hangman pointed at the biggest person there. A man who wore a similar armor set as Hangman. He was a giant compared to the rest of them. "Big and silent there is Cullen Reynold. Don't be scared, he's as gentle as a dreivj."

"Howdy there!" Veridiana was caught off guard as a walking fire entered her vision.

No, his body was mechanical, and the fire was merely fake. Holographic? She resisted the urge to put her hand in there to see if she was correct.

The fire was green with a big "X" in the middle, right where his face should be.

"The name is Samuel, people call me Nova! It is nice to meet you, little lady!"

His voice was also inhuman. And it would be the first time she ever met a robot.

Nova was pushed aside by the man she saw this morning. "Easy there, don't scare her. Oh, my name is Jack. Callsign: Revolution."

"Hi…" A tall and lanky woman greeted Veridiana. Though it was obvious from her posture that this woman was tired, Veridiana couldn't tell exactly because of the mask she wore. A big cartoonish raccoon. As if she was some sort of mascot, not a Lancer. "I'm Kennedy, you…" A yawn escaped her. It was a long one too. "I'm called Quick Raccoon both in combat… and online. You might have heard of me from SilverFrequency."

"No, I don't know what that is."

"Oh?" This piqued her interest. But she couldn't ask any more questions as her stomach growled. "Nice to meet you."

With that, Quick Raccoon left to continue with her lunch. It was hard to tell what she looked like under that goofy mask because she'd slip her food under it to eat. Out of all of them, she was the one who was the most intriguing of the bunch.

Lastly, the sixth one in this group.

This woman raised her hand and Veridiana shook it. "Prudincia Sarmento. Callsign: Warden. I'll watch your back."

"I will do the same, ma'am."

Warden was a woman with a dark complexion and short Bob-cut hair. She wore a very interesting uniform, one that Veridiana wasn't familiar with.

Hangman furrowed his brow. "Where's the others?"

Revolution looked away from his food. "Basilisk is visiting town. Aquila is probably doing his after-mission rituals. Oh, Weather is busy at the hangar bay. Said something about receiving new parts for his mech."

Nova chuckled a dry laugh, his flames flickered for a moment. "Lonely is probably still sleeping. You know how old people are."

"And German?" The medic asked.

Raccoon looked over to Hangman. "Boss said he will be finalizing the documents concerning Abomination. He'll be busy cataloging and storing AB's stuff."

"This Abomination, is he the Lancer I am replacing, correct? Is it insensitive to ask why?"

"Story for another time, Rookie," Hangman said. "For now, grab a seat and eat. We have a lot more places to visit."

Abomination, the person whose place she would be taking. She would need to ask about them at a later date. For now, Hangman was right, she needed to eat.

As she joined everyone at the table, she got some insight as to who they were. Quick Raccoon was easily forgettable, not by memory, no. Veridiana noticed how she kept forgetting that Raccoon was seated at the same table. Something about this lanky woman made it hard to remember where she was at. Just a few seconds of looking away, and Veridiana would be wondering where Raccoon went.

Nova was quite the show-off. He wanted to impress her with a couple of tricks, but sadly she wasn't one for complimenting others. Veridiana was mostly work and no play. Something Revolution could relate with. Out of all of them, Revolution was the most efficient of the bunch. He valued work above all else. Heck, he was even the mechanic of the squad. Revolution even offered his services to others, for free he said. But it wasn't because he was being nice, no, Veridiana could tell that he was lying. For what reason was unknown to her.

Next was Pillory.

The woman was certainly another oddity. Veridiana would need to learn more about that pillory she wore. The thing that inspired her callsign. Quite curious indeed.

Warden, she seemed like the serious type. Her introduction was short and straight to the point. Nothing else could be said.

And much less for Stalwart.

The man would've been easily looked over and forgotten with how silent he was, but his size was enough to keep his presence known.

Finally, the one she knew the longest, Hangman.

He was strangely kind. Always with that smile despite how fake it looked. Veridiana would need to learn more about him to get a proper reading. Either way, he seemed to be serious about his job.

She always considered Commander Jax as family. Now that he was gone, she would need someone else to depend on. Someone she could trust. And out of everyone there, it seemed that she was comfortable with the idea of trusting Hangman. Jose Roxas.

She wondered what type of mechs these people piloted.

Veridiana started to list off what role they provided in a fight. Trying to see how they would perform.

But her thoughts suddenly ended as the building shook. Everyone then heard a series of profanities coming from below.

When they all went to investigate this disturbance, they found a mech staring back at them. The same one Revolution was arguing with earlier.

"Where's the meat!?"

"We talked about this, meat will clog up your joints!" Revolution said.

She screamed once more and slammed her fists into the building.

"Don't make me come down there!"

"Is this normal?" Veridiana asked the others as the two continued arguing.

Hangman answered with a knowing smile. "You have no idea."

As the two argued, everyone went back to their lunch.

Veridiana wondered why this Lancer was even asking for meat from Revolution. So many questions about these people. Absolutely strange strangers. If anything, she started to understand why the mercenary company was named the Midnight Misfits.

Still, she was happy to finally be off her home planet. She made a promise to Jax to forget, and make new memories. The past was behind her.

"Hey, can I have another mint?"

She gave Hangman a nod and a soft smile.

"Sure."

"And welcome to the Linebreakers squad."