Veridiana's new home wasn't noteworthy. Decorations were a bit sparse, but the essentials were there. And despite their attempt at cleaning, there were still stains all over the place.

Faded red splotches. They weren't blood, that's for sure. Or else it would have that metallic stench she knew all too well.

The room was big enough for one person, but there was plenty of space for a few others. That is if she wanted to have some guests. But seeing her new home, she realized why the others were having lunch outside. The only place big enough for them to gather was the rooftop. Still, at least there were essentials to proper living. She doesn't remember the last time she relaxed in a bath. But before she could indulge herself, the room needed a little change.

Though there were plenty of ideas to help spruce up the house a bit, she wasn't just the right girl for decorating. The only time she ever decorated was with her mech's cockpit where she kept her old drawings from when she was a child. When everything was simpler. Back when she wasn't scared of the night. The dark.

Shaking her head clear, she took a moment to ponder what to do.

She wasn't fully accepted to the mercenary core. There was still her first mission. She would need to prove herself and that she belonged with them. And that she wasn't just some kid fresh off the academy. Well, she didn't even have an education.

Suddenly a knock on the door caught her attention.

"Hey," Hangman greeted her as soon as she opened the door. He carried with him her luggage. Clothes were the only thing she had, no pictures or old music from her planet. And most of those clothes were uniforms they salvaged from raided bases back during the war. "Alright, I got all your stuff. You travel light." He commented.

"I had no other possessions. These are the only things I've had since I became a Lancer."

"Right, hopefully, you brought your license as well. We'd rather not have a problem with the officials."

"Excuse me,"

Chapter 2: Round One

The two stopped their conversation as another man approached.

This one was well dressed in a clean white robe with long sleeves. Around his neck was a black ceremonial tippet. He looked as if he was an important figure. As for his description: The man had gray hair and a clean-shaven face. Eyes hidden behind a set of sunglasses. His whole attire reminded Veridiana of the nobles back home.

"Oh, Rookie, this is Edward, we call him Basilisk." Hangman introduced the strangely dressed newcomer. A fellow squad member to be correct.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, miss?"

"Veridiana, sir."

"Ah, a beautiful name. I shall pray that your first mission will be a success. And I hope that we will work together in the future to vanquish evil."

He then handed a strange accessory to her and said his goodbyes to both of them. He waved at them one last time before he left them to their devices.

Veridiana inspected the item she just received. A strange necklace, one that she had not seen before.

"Alright, you don't have to worry about making loud noises, these box homes were built with thick and layered walls in case we ever get attacked, or anything. So feel free to stomp around if you'd like. Well, I doubt Lonely would mind. He's your neighbor below."

Veridiana pocketed the necklace and took her luggage from Hangman's hands. "These houses, or residential. Is there no room back at the North Tower?"

"The living quarters at the fortress aren't in use currently. Only in an emergency. And Klaus would rather have units ready at the front. So keep your guns loaded, and your hardsuit ready."

"How often do people attack this place?"

He tapped his bearded chin for a moment. "Not often. There were only two records of an attack. One by some pirates who thought they had enough boom. The other was a giant monster that came out of the ground."

"I see," Veridiana spent a moment to put away her clothes. "How long have you been on this squad, the Linebreakers?"

"Fifteen years and going, the second oldest member of the squad. But not the oldest one. That'd be Lonely."

"Who is the first?"

"Squad leader German, been here since the Midnight Misfits started." He explained. "Say, you done here? We should go check out a few more places before we get called for a briefing."

As they left Veridiana's new home, they came across a peculiar sight. An old man in a bathrobe, legs slightly shaking as he stood by the railings. Unlike Hangman's, this old man kept his facial hair tidy and styled into a mutton chops beard. He was frail in appearance. But the aura of a stalking wolf could be felt. Veridiana was familiar with his type.

"Lonely!" Hangman greeted as they approached the old man. "Rookie, this is the team's marksman, Erik, we call him Lonely Gambit."

The old man glanced at her for a minute. But then continued to stare off ahead into the distance. When his eyes met hers, Veridiana nearly reached for her weapon but controlled herself. He was exactly what she suspected.

Despite his appearance, the old man was someone not to be trifled with.

"Too young," He muttered.

"Be nice, Lonely." Seemed like Hangman heard that comment as well.

"War isn't a place for kids," He spoke loud enough this time.

No one could disagree.

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you. The Midnight Misfits will keep you satisfied, as long as you don't upset us." Lonely parted with some words of wisdom before he walked away. His shambling figure vanished as he descended the steps.

"He seems nice," Veridiana said.

"Don't mind him, he's always like that. Anyway, let's get back to where we left off."

So that was Lonely Gambit. Veridiana felt that she could relate with the old man. The way he stared off into the distance and how silent she always was. She? Veridiana ended up thinking about herself.

Back then, she mostly kept to herself despite being surrounded by allies. Allies and not friends.

Back at the tour, Hangman was introducing her to some of the North Tower's workers. People who worked night and day just to keep the gears running. A vital core in the Midnight Misfits. Without these people, there wouldn't be any progress or profits. Hangman made sure to lecture her about their importance to those around the base. The backbone of the whole company.

It wasn't long before they returned to the hangar bay, right where they left their mechs. But he didn't walk her back to Sister, no he brought her over to another mech. She recognized the design, it was a Monarch frame with alterations. Also a few personal touches by its respective pilot. She could already tell that this machine was meant to fly.

As for the Lancer himself. He was a middle-aged man in an odd and a bit primitive uniform. Gray with red trimming jacket with a matching visor cap which had a pair of goggles as well.

"Nachmittag, Hangman!" He tipped his hat to Veridiana. "And you must be our new member, I welcome you! Colonel Williams Barwick of the Linebreakers. Callsign: Weather 5. At your service!"

He saluted before raising a hand to present the mech.

"And this fine beauty is my steed in the skies, Hawk!"

As said before, Veridiana was familiar with this kind of mech. She fought a few of them before. Deadly machines that packed a lot of missiles. Enough to flatten whoever was unlucky enough to incur their wrath.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir. I am Veridiana."

"Indeed it is! Now, how much do you know about Cradle's history?"

An odd question. "I know nothing, sir." Something that was common for most people that was born on the edge of the universe. Sometimes a few have never heard of Cradle. A simple excuse for Veridiana was that she didn't have any form of education other than the basics.

He smirked. "Then you haven't heard of the true king of the skies? The master of air combat? A pilot we Lancers must strive to be?"

"Weather, try not to scare the kid, will ya?" Hangman said.

"Come on! Who doesn't want to learn about the history of Cradle!?"

"Sorry, sir, but I have no interest in learning about Union's achievements." She told the man.

"Ah, well, perhaps next time I can enlighten you about the tales of the Red Baron! For now, I will get back to work. Anything you two need before you go?"

"Oh, I wanted to find German and introduce the Rookie to him. Know where the guy is at?" Hangman asked.

"He's probably at the archives, because of AB, you know." Weather cupped a hand around his chin. "Shame, isn't it? AB was just too smart for his own good."

Hangman shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, if he was, he wouldn't be in trouble. Let's go, Rookie."

Slowly, she started to piece together a bit about what happened to this Abomination Lancer. But Veridiana was doubtful that it was even enough to conclude.

For now, Hangman was going to take her to their squad leader. Basilisk and Weather were kind people, there was a sense of honesty from the two as well. Though she was curious about Basilisk more than the latter. Lonely on the other hand was cold and distant, but wise. She felt more familiar with the old man as she could tell that he was just like her in a way.

Now they were on their way to meet their squad leader.

The archives.

It was a massive library filled with not just solid copies of books, but digital as well. Though a bit primitive, keeping easy-to-burn objects instead of simply using computers, it was a nice idea to borrow a book to read. Hangman even informed her that she could buy books if she wanted to. Even recommended a few titles for her to enjoy. She doesn't read much, but the thought of doing so made her excited for the future.

The place, unlike everywhere else, had a smaller number of people in it. Well, to be fair, most people around here are either busy at work, or are too deep in their mechs to even give a good book a chance.

And as they entered, the first thing she noticed was someone in power armor. It was Aquila. Veridiana recognized that black knight aesthetic from before.

And he was currently speaking with someone else. This man wore a scowl and dressed in formal attire. Almost the same uniform as Commander Klaus. He had no hair on his head. One of his most defining features was a scar across his face. And like Lonely, he had an aura around him. This one was unreadable, but threatening.

The two walked up to them and whatever conversation they were having came to an abrupt end. The way he looked at her was disturbing, to say the least. There was no emotion behind those eyes. As if he wasn't human at all.

"Hangman, and I assume our new blood." He said. "I am German, your squad leader. I have high expectations of you, so do not disappoint."

"I will not, sir." She tried to keep eye contact, but his eyes… those eyes didn't belong to a person.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Luckily she didn't have to suffer under German's gaze any longer. Aquila stepped up and removed his helmet to properly introduce himself.

Behind that helmet was a man with a chiseled chin. A perfect jawline, one that even made Veridiana swoon a bit. Which was, in all honesty, the first time it ever happened to her. And the scar that started from his left brow and down to his left cheek didn't ruin his appearance. If anything, it made him far more masculine in her eyes.

"Greetings, I am Zef Balash, of house Balash. It is a pleasure."

Veridiana struggled for a moment before could form a word. The man before her was so awe-inspiring that she failed to think for once.

"Ahem!" She cleared her throat as she straightened her back. "I am Veridiana Demarini. I hope that we can fight together soon."

"Likewise, battle sister. Together we shall bring glory to our ancestors."

"Aquila," He went dead silent the moment German called his name.

As if given an order telepathically, Aquila stepped aside for German to get a good look at Veridiana. She froze the moment those eyes met hers once again. The way he stared, somehow made a static noise around her with a slight muffle.

"At ease," He said as he walked away. Finally allowing her to break free from whatever mental attack he was doing. "You are 5'6" tall without shoes. At least over 130 pounds. Cannot make an accurate estimation. Brunette hair. Emerald eyes. Pale skin. You look like you spend more time indoors. Or maybe, you spend too much time in your mech and not on your boots."

She was caught off guard. All of that from simply staring at her. This man was no joke, and perhaps the most dangerous one in the squad. No wonder he was the leader of the bunch. The way he carried himself and how cold he was. There's no competition, he was an ideal soldier. Logical, and straightforward.

"I want you to report to the infirmary and receive a proper medical examination. Then report back to our quarters for further evaluation. Bring your frame."

With that, German wandered deeper into the archives.

Once he was gone, Veridiana finally let out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding. Aquila and Hangman were quiet the whole time. None dared to even disturb German as he did what he did. But once he was gone, the two men finally relaxed.

"That always spooks me," Hangman confessed as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You doing okay, Rookie?"

"Who is he?"

Aquila crossed his arms as they stared at where their leader vanished. "Callsign: German. Don't try to figure him out. Guy's as blank as a piece of paper."

"He said to bring my frame. What did he mean?" She asked them.

Hangman hissed as he realized the implications. "Yeah, you're gonna be tossed around. Aquila, can you go ahead and tell Rev to prep for repairs? Everest parts specifically."

"At will, Hangman. Once again, Veridiana of Demarini, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Y-yes, sir!" Her body went rigid as her hand shot up to salute him. She stayed that way even after he was gone.

"You know he's too old for you, right?"

She quickly shot Hangman with a dangerous glare.

"Hey, don't blame me. You're making it too obvious by the way you act around him." He pointed out. And he was spot on. "You've been all professional throughout the day, but the moment Aquila took off his helm you started struggling."

"I don't know what you mean, Hangman."

"Sure, why not? Piece of advice, don't act like that when the others are around. Or else you'll get teased by the rest of your time here." He snickered for a second. "They're like monsters the moment you show weakness. They'll bite into it and won't let go."

She frowned at him as he led them both out of the archives. Bad enough that she was the youngest in the group. It meant that she would be an easy target for teasing. Even back then she was the butt of some jokes by her comrades during the war. She was not easily bothered, but they would occasionally treat her as if she were an infant. Humiliating, to say the least.

"Noted."

The infirmary, she recalled the few times she visited a makeshift one. Always full of suffering and sadness. But here, the place was practically empty. Only a few people are in beds with no life-threatening injuries. Some nurses here and there. And it seemed that Hangman was a familiar face there. Made sense, he was a medic.

"Jose!" The nurse at the desk looked greatly happy to see him. "Are you here to pick up extra supplies?"

"No, the Rookie needs a medical check. You know, the usual stuff for everyone."

"Hm, alright. Sit down, honey, I'll get us started."

Veridiana did as she was told and the nurse began her standard procedure. Checking Veridiana's condition while asking a few health-related questions.

"You're awfully young," There was pain in those words. But the nurse kept her face neutral as she performed her duties.

As she worked, Hangman watched in silence. His eyes focused more on the paperwork than them.

"I may be young, but I am a prominent fighter, ma'am."

"So is a lot of folks around here. You ain't no different than us here in the infirmary." She wrote down something on a piece of paper and handed it to Veridiana. "You can call me Sheera, and if you need anything, don't hesitate."

"Everything in order?" Hangman asked.

"Yup, I'll just print you a copy for German and you'll be on your way."

Veridiana eyed the device in Sheera's hands. "Is this really required, ma'am?"

"Commander Klaus is very thorough with information about everyone related to this mercenary core. If you believe he knows nothing about you, then you are just dead wrong."

She handed Hangman a folder with Veridiana's medical results. "Thanks, Sheera! I owe you and everyone here a drink."

"Oh, don't go and do that. We appreciate your help as much as you with ours. Now scram, if you ain't sick, then don't come back until then."

"See you next time!"

Both left the infirmary soon after. Hangman explained a few more things about North Tower as they got to their mechs. He even suggested taking them back to their homes. And she knew why he said so. There was an evaluation that would be conducted by their squad leader.

With the help of Hangman's mech, she climbed into hers, Sister. The familiar cockpit felt like home to her. Veridiana was enveloped in darkness for just a moment before the world returned. The screens booted up and Sister's eyes became hers. After so long separated, Veridiana felt complete. Her mechanical hands clenched as the feeling came back. Her digits moved smoothly in front of her.

"Ready, Rookie?"

She popped her mint box open and tossed one in her mouth. "Combat ready, sir."

She could feel him smirk. Did he believe in her? Perhaps.

As she followed Hangman back to their homes. When it could be seen over the horizon, she saw additional figures by the building. It was then she realized why the squads were so far from each other. And that was so that their mechs could freely move about.

10.

Different mechs of different designs. Few were a familiar sight. The one that disturbed them earlier at lunch, and Weather's.

As they approached, they saw at the center of it all was a Sherman frame. A dangerous mech armed with a devastating laser. One that she had seen before in the field of combat.

The cockpit was open, and German sat within the machine. He eyed them like a vulture eyeing a dying creature. But that look remained disinterested.

She glanced over to the building and noticed that there were rows of people gathered on each floor. Every one of them watched in silence as she and Hangman walked up to German.

"Hangman, join the rest." He ordered.

Hangman patted Veridiana on the shoulder just before he left. "Good luck, Rookie. And don't push too hard, this is just a test."

As Hangman joined the others, Veridiana realized one little detail. Revolution was on top of the mech he argued with this morning. And that meant this mech was his. Though, who exactly piloted it earlier? No, there might be something beneath the veil.

"Everest frame," German said aloud. "Scrap metal welded together. Poorly made."

He then scanned the gathered mechs. And so did she.

The biggest one with an equally big gun mounted on its shoulder. This one had Basilisk on top, he gave her a friendly smile as she examined the mech.

Warden and Pillory were next to each other. The latter had an odd mech. One that looked like it was about to break apart. While the other was regal and proper as if she wasn't a mercenary. Revolution's mech was shaking for some reason, and the engines were smoking as if it was burning in anticipation. Raccoon and Lonely didn't look like they were ready for combat, simply there to spectate. Made sense, their mechs weren't human by design. Raccoon's had four legs and a turret while Lonely's had more. The difference between the two was that Lonely's mech had a giant gun and a forest camo tarp.

Then there was Stalwart, which was as big as Hangman's, but unlike his, Stalwart's mech looked far more professional and sleek. Perhaps a Harrison Armory mech.

Nova's mech was headless, and where it should be was Nova himself. She could see the flaming head of his from miles away. As for his mech, it had an integrated mount in its chest. A cannon of sorts. He was idle as well. Nova kept twirling the weapons in his hands. Sometimes even juggling it in the air. As usual, he was quite the show-off. Finally, there was Aquila, he had no mech, only the power armor he wore all day.

Each mech reflected their respective Lancer. Both by appearance and purpose. She could somewhat finally guess what their role in combat was. But that didn't matter yet.

Veridiana knew what German was doing. He was choosing which of her squad mates would get the honor of battling her. And she hoped it wouldn't be Basilisk.

"Revolution, step up."

"Are you sure, sir? Lea was built and modified with hand-to-hand combat in mind. I believe Nova would be a better choice."

Nova, upon hearing Rev suggest him, dropped down into his mech. And a green fire burst alive right where the head should be. This mech was built to resemble him. "Yeah, let me knock the kid around, I'm itching for a pounding!"

German gave Nova a stern glare. "Revolution, a fight doesn't easily give you an advantage. I'm sure Demarini knows that it is true. Right?"

"Yes, sir." She answered. "I know it all too well."

"Good, Revolution, step up."

The fire Nova projected died as he crawled out. "Dang it, I was so excited."

"Very well," Rev said as he reluctantly walked away from the others. "Wake up, Lea, try not to go too wild."

"A rippling eagerness for blood!" She screamed as Rev crawled into the cockpit. And it finally clicked. The mech was not just his, but the one he was arguing with was his personal NHP.

Veridiana wasn't that familiar with them, but she heard that a lot of Lancers would carry with them a NHP, a non-human person. From what she was told by her comrades, NHP were like powerful beings trapped in a box. She always thought that they were merely joking. The only person that came to mind who had a NHP was Jax. Even then, he barely talked about it.

"Alright, systems are online and ready to go. We got a crowd to please."

Without warning, Rev's mech charged through the field. The engine roared like a beast as they approached at incredible speed. Metallic fist pulled back for a punch. Veridiana nearly lost in one strike but she luckily ducked in time.

She tried to create some distance, yet Rev was quicker. A flurry of punches missed her, but not the hand that latched on her shoulder. This gave Rev the opening to land a few solid hits. His fist slammed into Sister's face over and over.

The crowd cheered wildly as first blood, or first scrap, in this case, was spilled.

Veridiana broke free from his grasp and shoved him back.

"Set me free!" By this time, Veridiana realized that the voice belonged to Lea. Revolution's NHP. "Let my soul scream!"

Veridiana took a step back.

"Easy, Lea, just maim, not kill," Rev said as he pursued.

He swept Veridiana's legs under her and she slammed into the ground with a thunderous thud. Everyone cheered once again. Meanwhile, their squad mates watched silently. German eyed both fighters with an analyzing gaze. He watched every movement they made throughout the spar.

Veridiana rolled away just in time as Rev slammed his foot on the ground.

She heard Lea growl angrily.

With all her strength, Veridiana pushed herself off the ground and back to her feet.

It was Veridiana's turn to attack. All she needed was one good punch and then the game was over.

Shooting forward, Veridiana threw her left fist in an arch, only to trick Rev with a quick jab using her right. Her fist slammed right at his mouth. Sadly she was too slow as Rev grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into a headbutt. That attack proved that his mech had a harder head, also it broke some of her systems. She may have broken free, but thanks to him one side of her vision was blurry.

As long as he didn't know about that disadvantage. But technically she was full of disadvantages. Despite her frame being flexible for many roles, Rev's mech was made for melee combat. He fought brutally as if it was him there and not his mech. That was the biggest difference between them. He was truly one with the machine, a Lancer.

Punch after punch, Veridiana was pushed back a step. And with every hit, the crowd would cheer.

Once again, Veridiana broke through the torrent of attacks and successfully landed a series of hits all across his chest.

This fight looked even, but Veridiana realized something; Rev was holding back. There were times when she noticed how quickly he reacted. And some of his strikes should've hurt more than they did.

"Come on, Rookie! Take them down!" Hangman cheered from the side. This was accompanied by her other squad mates who wanted to see Revolution beaten.

Before their fight could continue, something slammed down in front of them.

Veridiana stared hesitantly at the object, a massive sword that was buried halfway in the ground.

"I've seen enough," German announced, his voice silencing the roaring crowd. "Time for a proper duel. Pick up the sword and proceed."

She looked over to Rev and saw that he was given an ax instead. Something changed with him the moment he picked it up. As if something else took control.

"Finally awake, able to taste!" Like a beast, Lea let out an ear-splitting howl. And even more like a beast, Rev dashed across the field, ax poised to cleave.

"German," Aquila called out. "Rev isn't controlling the mech anymore. We should put a stop to this before anyone gets hurt."

"Overruled."

Veridiana dodged a step, but Lea was relentless. Quick, and deadly. Rev may have held back, but Lea was coming after Veridiana with all she had.

With every swing, the ax was accompanied by a harrowing roar. Teeth along the edges moved at blinding speed. Veridiana found out the ax's true strength when her shoulder was grazed. Blades that could tear through metal.

Sparks flew when their weapons collided. But the chains of the ax caused the sword to vibrate in Veridiana's hands.

Then a realization dawned on her. Earlier when she was walking down the road, she noticed that it must've rained recently. Looking down at the ground confirmed her suspicions. With a slight smirk, Veridiana planted down a foot and pulled away. Lea keeping pressure against Veridiana was her downfall. Quite literal as well.

She watched them try and recover their balance but crashed down in the mud in the end. Taking this chance, Veridiana impaled Lea's arm and rendered the ax useless.

"Concede," She demanded from them.

This caught the crowd by surprise. When she finally had the upper hand, they roared and cheered just for her.

"It ain't over yet!" A mix of both Rev's and Lea's voices shouted. And with an inhuman screech by Lea, the mech ripped its own limb off and tackled Veridiana.

Veridiana held up her arms to block Lea's attacks. But then realized that she was aiming much lower.

Her vision went dark for a moment before the screeching metal reached her ears. She watched as Lea ripped the cockpit open and light flooded in. Eyes widened, she saw that mech focused their furious gaze on her alone.

Just as Veridiana thought that it was the end, she was saved by none other than German. His fist caught Lea's just as it was about to be thrown.

"Shut it down."

Lea didn't argue, and like an injured dog, she retreated away from him.

"Demarini, get out."

"Sir, I-"

"You passed my judgment,"

"T-thank you, sir." She stuttered.

German turned to leave. "Report to Commander Klaus in 1600. Hangman, inspect Demarini for any injuries."

"Roger that, sir."

Veridiana watched as Hangman's mech walked up to her ruined mech. He dismounted and helped her out soon after.

Once the duel was over, the crowd slowly dispersed and returned to their businesses. The rest of her squad gathered on foot around Veridiana's mech.

"Way to go, Rookie! You got yourself on his good side!"

"I did?" She was taken aback by that sentence.

The man was unreadable. Always wearing a deep scowl that didn't move. Not even when he spoke. Especially the way he stared at her. He seemed somewhat disappointed.

Hangman helped her off the mech and everyone gathered around her. "Yeah! German is hard to impress, but seeing you gave me a little hope for us all. Maybe he'd finally acknowledge my good work! Now hold still and tell me if you're in pain."

"Hey," Rev walked up to her. "Sorry about the mess, Lea and I tend to get wild in a fight."

"It is no problem, sir, I have seen my fair share of carnage."

"Either way, I gotta fix both of our mechs. Sorry, again."

"You've done great, kid!" Nova pulled her into a headlock before tossing her to the others. "I mean, I would've done a better thrashing than he did, but still, amazing work!"

Warden caught Veridiana just before she could hit the ground. "Couldn't agree more. I am honestly impressed by how quick you are in that fight."

"You're no Abomination," Lonely said. "But you'll be good enough to fill the slot."

"Come on guys, let me do my job!" Hangman said as he pulled Veridiana away. "Now, you okay, Rookie?"

"I'm fine, Hangman."

He shook his head. "You say that, but there's probably some trauma going on. Do your bones ache?"

"If the kid says she's fine, she's fine." Aquila stepped up and placed a hand on her shoulder. Veridiana immediately stiffened. "Last thing you need to do now is your first mission. If you pass, then you will deserve your own callsign."

"Oh, can I give her a callsign!" Nova asked.

"That's up to the boss, idiot." Pillory said. "Either he or he chooses one of us."

Everyone stepped away as Hangman's mech approached with Rev's just behind. Veridiana watched as the bigger mech picked up Sister.

"Alright, Oso! When you're done, just power down at the hangar." Hangman ordered.

"I'll see you there, Lea!" Rev said.

"Strange names for your mechs," Veridiana noted audibly.

"No, my mech is called Thunder Hazard." Hangman said before pointing a hand at Rev. "His is named after that NHP that nearly… Well, killed you."

Rev bowed his head. "Again, sorry about that, Lea was just really excited for a fight. I've been too busy around the place and couldn't get into a mission."

"It is alright." She told him. Though she was curious about Lea and who Oso was, there's still some time for questions at a later date. "What now?"

"Still have some time," Raccoon pointed out. "Let's all go and buy the Rookie some housewarming gifts!"

"Don't look at me, I don't do gifts." Nova said as he backed away.

"Well," Basilisk stepped up and closer to Veridiana. "We can help with the decorations, for now we must discuss the theme."

The group spent their time talking about ways to decorate Veridiana's home. Despite being mercenaries and killers, they acted like what they were deep inside, humans. After the end of the day, they were all the same. Everyone expressed compassion in their own way and gave their opinions about each other's suggestions. Throughout the conversation, Veridiana barely spoke a word.

This wouldn't go unnoticed as they started to compare her silence with Stalwart. Still, they didn't mind. But they encouraged her to speak more and, in their words, not be weird.

She could only smile as they all went back to their building. There was at least a moment of peace until later afternoon when the Commander would call for them. Until then, she would try and connect with these misfits. Because she felt like she belonged with them. The only problem with this was that deep down she felt something else inside.