CHAPTER 38: STAYING

In no time, the meeting dispersed. Captains marched out with their squads, and the hangar roared to life—engines firing, boots clattering, orders shouted over comms.

Vehicles rose on mechanical lifts, emerging into the city’s upper parking decks before speeding off in different directions. A helicopter thundered overhead carrying Division 1, while most teams moved out in armored Land Cruisers.

To normal civilians watching from the sidewalks, it looked like business as usual—just ordinary cars passing by outside the company.

But every car held people who could level a building with a bad mood.

Soon, two Land Cruisers could be seen barreling outside the City Metropolis and slowly, the skyscrapers shrank behind them, replaced by barren, dusty land and wind-whipped plains.

The first vehicle contained the 11th Division members who were all wearing their standard dim-grey medic but reinforced jackets. They were calm, focused, but also mildly terrified as they headed more towards the north.

Looking at the GPS, the vice-captain, a lady named Lorie who was on the passenger seat then tapped his comm on her ear and relayed the information to the second vehicle.

In the second rode Captain Riot, David, Lucy, Captain Marie of the 11th Division, and one of her members.

"Thank you, Lorie. Slow down and wait for us." Captain Marie then returned to Lorie on the first vehicle.

After a while, the two Land Cruisers were driving closer than before as they soon spotted their destination with their own eyes.

It was at this moment.

"Marie, you issue the commands. You can even command my two members." Riot said, shocking those who heard him.

Lucy blinked. David choked on air. And they all discreetly turned towards his direction.

Another Captain taking command of another Division’s members weren’t unheard of, but those were only under emergency situations and when the Division Captain of those members weren’t around or had been incapacitated. Any Captain of a Division still outranked normal employees after all.

However, Marie instantly understood and reacted as if this wasn’t unexpected at all.

"I understand," she said, her voice very calm and have a soothing effect. Then she turned to Lucy and David with a warm smile, "David and Lucy, right?"

"Yes, ma’am."

"You are still rookies, but I heard you really have amazing combat abilities. I would have loved to see the match earlier. From now on, you’ll be listening to my orders. Would that be alright?"

"Yes, ma’am." David then said, "You can rely on us! I’ll make sure to clear the way for Division 11."

Lucy also nodded, which made Marie smile.

Then as a response to them, the Captain just laughed, the sound light and sweet, as if she saw the cutest and adorable thing for the day.

"No, sweetheart." She said to David, and then continued, "you won’t be on the front lines." She gestured with two fingers.

"Being hot-blooded is fine and all, but you are still new to this. Both of you will secure our retreat and deal with anyone who tries to escape. No need to take on any undue risk. Just make sure you do it safely and securely. Our adorable rookie will be assisting you guys."

"..." David deflated, but immediately recovered as he bumped his chest as if to assure her and himself.

"Ah... yes, ma’am," he muttered, looking like someone stole his lunch.

"You heard that, Lorie?" Captain Marie then spoke to her earpiece.

From the first vehicle came a calm reply from Lorie.

"I understand, Captain."

Lorie then instructed and looked at the back onto what seemed to be a very introverted boy.

"Ken, you will be working with the other rookies to secure our retreat."

Ken—who was already pale with motion sickness—lifted his head.

Then he vomited making those in the vehicle erupt.

"Bro, seriously?!"

"Open a window!"

"My shoes! My SHOOOES!"

Ken nearly cried.

’I haven’t adjusted to anyone in the 11th Division yet, and they’re already leaving me and I have to deal with people from other division. Please. Just end me.’

A few minutes later, the vehicles finally stopped as they had arrived on the entrance of the underground tunnels.

And there—already waiting—stood three Association agents.

Two women and one man. They wore the usual black suits with crisp Association insignias. Their expressions were sharp, emotionless, as they observed the area like a hawk.

The first woman was tall, her hair tied in a severe knot, eyes scanning the entire convoy with clinical precision. The second was shorter, lean, and coiled like a viper ready to strike. The man stood between them, hands behind his back, posture perfect, his gaze unreadable. His presence alone made several 11th Division members straighten instinctively.

Marie stepped out gracefully.

Riot also joined her and walked towards the entrance of the underground tunnel to greet them.

Riot right now was wearing his usual ordinary clothes but now reinforced with high tech armored plates across the chest, shoulders, and forearms. On any normal man, they would’ve looked bulky. On him, they looked... appropriate.

It was like seeing condensed earth forged into a human body.

He was built like a weapon. On his huge body, the gear looked heavier, thicker, and built for close-quarters destruction.

Members of the 11th Division shrank back slightly.

While walking, Captain Marie went on his side and asked something.

"Your two members, is it really alright to leave them in the association? I do agree that it may be safer there. The chances (of a rat from the Association) are very low after all. But I can’t help but think about what your rookie was saying, it is possible..."

Riot was quiet for a moment, eyes narrowed as he studied the tunnel’s dark maw.

Hearing her, he could still remember the surprise visit from Executive Colminer.

’To think that the old devil has a grandson. What was he thinking deploying him to my division?’ He thought.

’But to be that man’s grandson, it’s hard to believe he is just an ordinary one. I’m actually more curious about the other one.’

Riot glanced at Lucy, and remembering her fight against Lyle when she was using her breathing form.

There was something that bothered him.

Getting away from those thoughts, Riot then replied to the 11th Division Captain.

Riot’s eyes flicked toward the tunnel. "Relax. They’ll be fine. My members aren’t weak." He cracked his neck. "Especially with that Vice-Captain from Division 3 beside him."

Meanwhile, in Sector D.

In the secure room where Shadow was kept, Jack stood beside Simon and James, watching the peacefully sleeping black cat behind thick glass.

Shadow’s soft breaths were the only calm thing in the room.

And then—

’Shit! I knew it. These people are tomatoes.’ Jack was a little proud of himself, but at the same time, he was a little scared.

In the map in his head, red markers hovered over the two Association agents, making Jack curse silently beneath his breath.

Both of them wore slim black suits and had sharp and alert-looking eyes as if ready to brawl anytime. One was tall and broad-shouldered, jaw tight with barely restrained irritation. He was Level 31.

The other was thin, pale, silent, but had an emotionless face, like a mannequin waiting for a command. He was Level 35.

Just looking at them made Jack’s pulse spike.

He forced his breathing steady, but at the same time, was conflicted.

’Do I just tell them that they are indeed traitors?’ Jack thought, looking at James and Simon who was accompanying him.

"IF you’re right," James whispered excitedly as if he heard his thoughts, "this is HUGE."

"Lower your voice!" Simon hissed, "What will you do if they become suspicious?"

James didn’t lower anything.

Instead, he laughed louder as if to tease Simon, making Jack and Simon almost jump dive to the floor.

With a grin, he then waved at the two Association agents guarding the room. The visibly irritated agent also immediately stepped forward, brow twitching.

"You three, quiet down! Why are you even here when WE are already assigned?!"

"Hey, hey, we were just following orders." James said proudly.

The agent’s vein twitched.

It wasn’t just their presence that annoyed him. It was their behavior.

"You already have three of you here, and now you’re adding more at the last second?! Do you not trust the Association?!" the agent asked.

Jack would have nodded sympathetically, but almost laughed, making even Simon look at him in fear.

Nonetheless, security indeed was supposed to be tight-knit here.

Not only there were two Association agents guarding the area, but also there were also three Rank 3 personnels from GH Securities.

Adding three random GH employees show up to "help" looked insulting. Moreover, this wasn’t discussed. They just came here in the last minute.

And considering this was Sector D—a restricted, heavily monitored area. In any other situation, their presence would be suspicious, even insulting.

But in Jack’s eyes, the frustration told him everything:

Jack’s mind raced. His pulse crawled up his throat.

Right then—

Click

His earpiece vibrated softly, the subtle buzz almost lost in the hum of the ventilation units overhead.

James’s low whisper crackled through, masked under his fake cough.

-Jack, this whole plot was your brainchild. You issue the commands.

Jack froze for a moment, hearing the voice of James but understood. He didn’t dare show anything in his face.

Jack stayed facing forward, eyes on the thick glass wall where Shadow was sleeping, he spoke under his breath.

- Understood, sir.

Then he continued.

- Okay. Our arrival disrupted their schedule. They’ll move soon. We stop them the moment that happens.

-Copy.

-Copy.

Jack inhaled slowly, surprised they did not even complain, but did not hate it.

Jack then spoke again, voice barely a breath against the static of the comms.

’Also, collaborate with the three guards on the left in the moment of attack. The agents are stronger than anyone of us individually.

Then he finally revealed it.

-Vice-Captains... decide who you can take on.

-What do you mean with this? - Simon then said confused about something while James just stayed silent.

-I’m afraid... we might not have just one rat. - Jack replied while he glanced—only with his eyes—at the tall, irritated agent.

Then at the pale, mannequin-like one.

-It might be both.