Erin made it to the commander's office just in time and saw that everyone else was already there. With her arrival, the meeting could now begin after which they would be departing from the military base immediately.
Commander Sable pulled up the map of Willowbrook, the village where they were supposed to go undercover, and went over all the details one more time so that there was no point unaccounted for.
The meeting was quite standard with no new information being shared, just the iteration of all the news they had learned about a week ago in great detail. Everyone listened to the commander attentively and the overall atmosphere of the room was quite nice and light as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred last night.
Out of everyone, Leon was the only person who was completely oblivious to all that had happened as he had simply gotten some sleep to be refreshed and energized for their first official mission.
Erin was blushing a bit as moments of her call with Andrew still lingered in her head while she continued to respectfully listen to Commander Sable.
However, Erin wasn't the only one blushing as Bill and Iris also had their checks turn pink with emotion as the time they spent together last night in the southern infirmary was something neither of them could forget.
Even though they hadn't escalated it any further from their initial kiss and just held hands for the rest of the night while talking about many different things, the time they had spent together was worth more than anything to them.
They had both decided to keep their newly formed relationship a secret for now as neither of them was ready to reveal this big secret to their friends just yet, mainly Mako and Erin.
For Bill, he was just wasn't ready to reveal such an emotional side of himself to Mako just yet given that he was his biggest enemy 3 months ago. However, Iris had more than one reason to keep her new relationship a secret and it was just because of feeling embarrassed after Erin found out, but rather because of the guilt of a certain memory that she just couldn't erase no matter how much she tried.
Iris had tried to move and now that she was in a legitimate relationship with Bill, she was slowly healing more and more of the scars left behind by that memory but still, she knew she would never be able to erase it from her mind completely.
'It's going to be different this time... I can't lose another... I just can't... I will make sure nothing ever breaks this bond.' Iris said to herself as she realized the risk she was taking by opening up to Bill, but for some reason every time she was around, she just felt at ease and relaxed as if they were meant to be.
Iris was balancing herself on a delicate scale of guilt and love, and she knew the consequences of what would happen if this balance were to break but she was willing to give it one last try.
On the other hand, everyone had noticed that a few bandages wrapped around Nathan's arms which were still being healed from the battle, but since Nathan wasn't exactly the guy they could easily approach they just had to go off of their assumptions as to what had happened.
However, the more shocking thing was the fact that Nathan and Mako had entered the office together and were standing side by side while listening to Commander Sable which was quite shocking to see given how unapproachable Nathan had been with them ever since he was part of their team.
*******************
"You have already been debriefed about all of this so far so this was just a quick refresher, but buckle up because there is more for you to unpack." Commander Sable stated bringing the attention of everyone back toward him as he began to display brand new material.
As the team processed Commander Sable's words, the atmosphere in the training room grew tense.
Images of the picturesque village transforming into dark and eerie scenes had everyone's attention. Erin, Mako, Nathan, and the rest of the team exchanged concerned glances as they absorbed the gravity of the situation.
"So, we're dealing with shadows, strange noises, and disappearing villagers," Erin summarized, her mind racing with possibilities. "It seems like there's more to this than just a few spooky tales."
Commander Sable nodded in agreement. "Indeed. The villagers' fear and the abrupt halt of tourism are strong indicators that something substantial is happening. Your job is to uncover the truth without causing panic. Remember, this is an undercover mission, and you're posing as vacationers."
Nathan raised his hand, seeking clarification. "Commander, are there any reports of physical harm or casualties among the villagers?"
The commander nodded his head 'yes' as he proceeded to press a button that displayed several images and video recordings of Villager's going crazy if they stayed outside for too long after it got dark and the shadowy mist rolled in and weird symbols that started appearing on these people.
"There haven't been any reports of direct harm so far. But there are obvious signs of mental influence and manipulation as well as those weird signs that appear on people's bodies that have left the villagers in a state of distress, and they're desperate for answers. We need to ensure that whatever is happening doesn't escalate further." The commander began to explain.
"These marks have only just recently been recorded appearing on people which was why it wasn't mentioned during our initial debriefing. Whatever it is, it is making its move and advancing more and more toward the village." The commander added.
Mako leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowed in thought. "Considering the connection between the two cities and the location of Willowbrook, I have a feeling this isn't just a random occurrence. It's strategically placed."
"What are you suggesting?" Nathan asked Mako to explain himself.
"What I am saying is that this type of attack is too well coordinated and unique to be executed by some regular rouge ability users. Judging by the fact that there is nothing unique about Willowbrook, I believe there is a bigger picture at play here than just Willowbrook." Mako explained.
Erin nodded in agreement. "Exactly. And if it's affecting tourism and the flow of people between those cities, leaving only automated deliveries that came to collect the harvested crops and to make regular goods deliveries for the village. There is hardly any human interaction with the village, isolating it completely from the rest of the world.
Commander Sable's gaze shifted between the team members, his expression serious. "Normally, beginning special task force recruits are only allowed to take on F-tier and E-tier missions as they are still capable of being handled by you lot. You were luckily assigned an E-tier mission, but I'm afraid to say that the situation has escalated and the mission is now categorized as a 1-Star D-Tier mission."
Everyone looked toward Commander Sable with shock and disbelief as they heard those words. It was already a great honor to deal with an E-tier mission as their very first mission, but A low-level D-tier meant that they could no longer participate as it was too high class for them to manage.
Mako and everyone else felt defeated as they absorbed the commander's news, angry that all of this led up to nothing in the end as they wouldn't even get to go on a mission.
"But..." Commander Sable's voice brought all of them back to reality.
"Judging by all of your skills and capabilities, I have decided to make an exception." The commander stated.
"Commander Sable? I don't follow. What do you mean by an exception?" Leon asked innocently.
"It means that you will be some of the few special task force teams that will take on a D-tier mission as their very first mission." The commander stated.
A wave of joy and excitement washed over everyone as they fully absorbed the commander's words and what it meant for them moving forward.
"Your task is twofold. First, investigate the source and nature of these shadows and disturbances. Second, ensure that the villagers are safe and that the village's connection between the cities is restored." The commander ordered as he updated the mission objective on the hologram.
"Of course, since this is a high-level mission, you will be assisted by an Alpha-ranked officer who will accompany you, making this a seven-person mission." The commander added as a photograph of a young woman with dark hair with a blue tint appeared on the screen.
The cadets were a bit unsure about this as didn't this just mean that they were going to get babysat by a superior officer who will do all of the work?
As if the commander had read all of their thoughts, he quickly addressed this thought by stating that the Alpha ranked officer whose name was Angela had different orders and wouldn't interfere in their mission at all unless they were in a dire situation, facing something they can't overcome.
This brought some hope back into everyone as this meant that they basically had a lifeline for when the going went tough so that they could make it back alive.
With all the other details shared and discussed, the team made their way to one of the hangers where their aircraft was ready for them to fly to their destination, equipped with all the essential gadgets and items necessary for the mission.
The commander advised them to use everything at their disposal to make the most accurate and efficient decisions before wishing them good luck in their mission.
The team was more excited than ever as they made their way toward the aircraft filled with determination to prove themselves in this mission.
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