"Mhm, guess who just got nominated for the big mission!" Virgil grinned.

Rania rolled her eyes, nudging Virgil in the ribs with her elbow. "Be serious for once, will you? This is a big deal!"

"Cut him some slack," Zariah waved dismissively. "He gets to stretch his legs for the first time in weeks. At least now his energy can actually go towards a good cause."

Aiden, Zariah, Virgil, Theo, Rania and Jayda stood just outside Debriefing Room Seven, each of them formally dressed and waiting for their meeting with General Xylem. Rania shot Zariah a dirty look following her comment, but kept quiet. Aiden quickly glanced at Rania, silently pleading with her to cooperate. She understood his message, her scowl recessing.

Aiden sighed. He wasn't too interested in participating in any of the group's usual chatter - or nonsense - today. The remnants of his nightmare had cast a dark shadow over his entire morning, and he found it difficult to share his friends' optimistic view regarding the mission. At least the field work might be able to make him take his mind off of the dream.

The door to the Debriefing Room swung open as General Dominic Xylem appeared in the doorway. "Thank you all for coming this morning. Please, have a seat."

The soldiers filed into the room, taking their seats in the metal chairs that sat along the briefing table. Xylem took the head of the table, closest to the flat screen monitor, with Colonel Asphodel and an Official taking their seats beside him. Aiden sat next to Rania and Virgil, and turned his head to face Xylem. The metal felt unnaturally cool against Aiden's skin, and he shifted uncomfortably.

The General smoothed down his uniform and looked over his soldiers carefully before speaking, as if confirming his decision. "Thank you once again for agreeing to meet me at this hour," he began. "As some of you may have heard, a large illegal arms cartel known as Phantom has infiltrated a number of nearby cities in Creatan. These cities include Oslua, Tuclea, Laspil and Zagreb. Our intel suggests that the cartel's main base is in Laspil City. Tonight at twenty-one hundred hours, there is supposed to be a standard weapons drop in the abandoned government warehouse of Laspil City. Every member of the Phantom cartel should be present. This cartel has drops such as these about twice a month, so our window is small. The key to this operation will be stealth. There are four cartel leaders; one for each of the manifested cities. Four of you will be assuming sniper positions, and you will each be taking out one of the cartel leaders. They go by the names of Hywel, Deon, Elias and Oakes. One of you will be the driver and the pilot of the escape transport vehicles. You will supply backup and take out any cartel members in the outer perimeter of the warehouse. One more person will be there to provide backup, and also handle communications. This person will be assisting in clearing the perimeter of the building if necessary. However, the primary objective of the cons manager is navigating the snipers. You will be all be serving under the squadron name of Scarlet Cross. The four snipers will be positioned at various vantage points within and along the warehouse where the drop will be taking place. You will be taking backup measures should anything go differently from the original plan. Your coms manager will inform you of the location of your targets and will be seeing everything; your 'eyes in the sky', if you will. The four snipers will be jumping out of the aircraft with the assistance of the pilot in order to reach the warehouse. Your primary assignments will go as follows," Xylem pointed to the monitor's display, which detailed the layout of the target city and their positions.

"Sergeant Ines," the General looked at Theo. "You will be our driver." Theo nodded sharply, saluting.

"Sir, yes, sir," he saluted.

"Private Hope." Rania looked at the General nervously as he said her name. "You will be handling our coms. Sergeant Cerise, Lieutenant Aeriona, Lieutenant Lycroft and Lieutenant Blanche will be our four snipers. Sergeant, your target is Deon. Lieutenant Aeriona, Hywel. Lieutenant Lycroft, Elias, and Lieutenant Blanche, Oakes," Xylem finished. "I have given Lieutenant Lycroft the title of Mission Leader."

Aiden was a bit taken aback. Mission Leader? Him? It seemed absurd. Rania looked at him, smiling slightly. Virgil nodded, respectively, grinning widely at Aiden in his usual witty spirits. The rest of the group seemed satisfied with their positions. Colonel Asphodel slid a large folder over to Aiden wordlessly. He accepted it with a nod of thanks.

"You have six hours to prepare," Xylem said. "You leave at eighteen-hundred hours sharp. I've adjusted all your schedules so that you are relieved of your practical duties. Visit the training centre to brush up on your shooting and fighting, and make sure you review your mission in the folder provided. A reminder that all details of this mission are to be kept completely confidential to any and all interested parties. Don't make me regret sending you, Scarlet Cross."

All six of them saluted in unison. There was no going back now; they'd accepted their mission. Now it was about getting the job done. Aiden sat up straight in his chair, processing all the details and waiting for the General to send them off.

"Dismissed," Xylem said.

They left Debriefing Room Seven without another word, all of them wearing expressions of determination. Once they'd made their distance from Xylem and his Officials, Virgil broke the silence with a loud clap.

"Alright, Mission Leader," Virgil winked. "What's up first on the agenda?"

Five pairs of eyes turned to Aiden expectantly. A bit unsure where to begin, Aiden took the time to analyze each of his friends, confident in their combined abilities. They would not fail tonight.

"Okay," Aiden started, flipping through the file folder. "Virgil, Jayda and Zariah; review your target profiles. The four of us should head to the shooting range in the training centre to touch base on our sniping skills. We're only going to have one shot at this... literally." He handed the three of them a few pieces of paper, careful not to wrinkle them. "Theo, Rania; find out how we're getting to and from the warehouse. Familiarize yourself with all the tech and vehicles you're going to be using tonight. I want to make sure you guys know every crevice of this place so that we can get in and out of there as quickly as possible. I'll check in on all of you throughout the day. Get some food into yourselves when you need it. This is going to be dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Virgil snorted. "We'll be fine. Danger is my middle name. I live for it."

Zariah raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that what you said on Consignment Day a few months ago?"

"Well-"

"Alright, alright." Jayda gave Virgil a death glare. "Calm yourself, infer. We'll get to the training centre in a few minutes. Let us change into some actual clothes, and we'll all meet up there," she suggested, turning to Aiden.

He nodded. "Sounds good."

"Aye-aye, captain," Theo replied. "C'mon, Ran." He motioned for her to follow. "Let's head to the hangar."

"Okay," Rania replied. She smiled shyly at Aiden. "Catch up with you guys later."

Aiden looked at his three remaining friends and dipped his head to each of them respectively. "Let's head out. Looks like we've got some cartel leaders to take out."

***

Aiden, Virgil, Jayda and Zariah were dead-eye snipers. The cartel leaders didn't stand a chance. The four comrades had spent their time at the shooting range quizzing each other on their target profiles. Virgil's target, Hywel, was a very wanted man. He had no family, and had evaded capture several times. More importantly, he had no ambition to give up his life of crime, and that was all Virgil needed. Jayda's target, Deon, had roughly the same motives, except for an estranged ex-wife living somewhere in Vescaria City. Zariah's target, Oakes, was the son of Aiden's own target; Elias. They were father and son, partners in crime. Elias was in his fifties, while Oakes was around Aiden's age. Hywel and Deon were in their mid-thirties.

Aiden nodded, impressed, as Zariah sniped a bottle from the very end of the shooting range. Jayda whooped.

"Oakes better watch his back," Jayda smirked. "He's got a damn good shot with a gun pointed right at it."

Zariah cracked a smile. Aiden couldn't help but marvel in her praise. Zariah wasn't one to convey her emotions well, but she and Jayda had clicked from the second they'd met. Jayda had never questioned Zariah's loyalties, and had embraced her as one of their own from the very beginning. Despite their age differences, they got along well. The girls high-fived, making small talk while they discussed more about the mission.

Aiden had hoped the shooting range might clear his head, but he hadn't been able to shake the feeling of dread and suspicion that had gripped him ever since their mission debriefing. He'd figured it had been because of another nightmare. He rubbed his temples, fighting to remember what it had been about. The memory only became foggier in his mind. He sighed. Something about the day seemed off, and he couldn't quite pinpoint why. He was still suspicious of Zariah too, whether he liked to admit it or not. He and Zariah rarely talked one on one, and when the opportunity arose, they usually remained silent. He couldn't read the strange girl from Fifth Unit. And she seemed to prefer it that way. She was a girl piled with secrets, and she was frustratingly unwillingly to share them. He supposed it didn't help that she was the most stubborn person he'd ever met. And he'd met Jayda, of all people.

Virgil came up to him, gun slung over his shoulder. "You nervous?"

"I dunno, man. Something just doesn't feel right," Aiden hesitated.

Virgil groaned. "There's always something wrong with you, man. We're taking out an illegal arms cartel. We're making Creatan a safer place. This is just Mission Leader nerves; nothing to worry about," Virgil assured him. "Besides, did you see how impressed Rania was when she looked at you after you got nominated to be Mission Leader? Now's your chance, brother!"

Aiden scratched his head. "Rania? I'm pretty sure my comment on her fight with Zariah kind of screwed that up... even if she said she forgave me. Besides, I'm not a hundred percent sure how I feel about her yet."

"Aw, forgive and forget," Virgil scoffed. "She's over it, trust me. And what do you mean, 'how you feel about her'? I thought you were really into her."

"Again, I don't know. I mean, she's a great friend, but I just..." Aiden sighed.

"You just don't know. I get it man, I get it." Virgil patted him on the back. "Well, let me know when you figure it out, buddy. Come on, we should get back to it."

Aiden nodded in agreement. They still had three hours or so until mission launch. He made a mental note to check on Theo and Rania in the hangar in a little bit.

After a while of shooting, Aiden left Virgil in charge while he went to the hangar to check up on the other members of his team. Upon leaving, he was beginning to question whether or not leaving Virgil in charge of two attractive girls was the best move he could've made, but he dismissed the thought. Hey, at least his best friend would be happy. Zariah might be the better candidate, or Jayda, but he owed it to his partner in crime. They'd survive. Hopefully.

Aiden reached the hangar within a few minutes, scoping out the large space for Theo and Rania. He found them set up by a couple computers, looking focused as they worked on fixing and managing any equipment errors. He walked up to them casually, has arms draped at his sides.

"How are you two holding up?" he asked, pulling up a chair next to them and taking a seat. The authority and strength in his voice surprised him. Rania and Theo peered at him over their computer screens.

"Hey there, boss," Theo greeted him. "Virgil's not getting too playful with Jayda, is he? I might have to kill him otherwise."

"Actually, I think it's Zariah we should be worried for. Trust me, Virgil knows what's off-limits by now," Aiden promised. Theo and Rania grinned.

"Equipment check is good so far, at least. The heli is all fuelled up. We're taking a smaller bird than what we're used to. It's meant for small teams, which is good. Perfect for us, but maybe not big enough for Virgil's ego. Anyways, Ran's been checking over and setting up everyone's earpieces, and so far they're all good to go. We're ready to leave the minute the clock strikes eighteen-hundred."

"But maybe give us an hour to gather our bearings? If we're dressing night combat, then we should get our stuff ready," Rania pointed out.

"Night stealth. We're not fighting anybody unless we absolutely need to. Bring some vests though, just in case we do need to use them. The goal is to take out the targets and leave," Aiden reminded her. She nodded in understanding. "Anyways, I'll leave you guys to it. Let's meet up in an hour and a half or so to review the plan."

"Sure. Are we meeting here?" Theo inquired.

"Yeah. I'll grab the others from the range, and we'll rendezvous here."

"Cool," answered Theo, resuming his work. "We'll see you then."

Aiden left the hangar, returning to his comrades in a brisk stride. Uncertainty still flickered in his mind. He would've thought about it more, if he hadn't been interrupted by a man approaching him.

"Getting your squadron prepared, I suspect, Lieutenant Lycroft?" Dominic Xylem folded his arms across his chest. Aiden nodded respectfully.

"Yes, sir, General Xylem," Aiden said, saluting.

"None of that is necessary, boy," Xylem dismissed. "Although I admire the formalities. I think it was a smart move on my part, choosing you to lead this group. You were the best choice, naturally."

Aiden bowed his head. "Thank you for this honor, sir. I won't disappoint you."

"I know you won't," Xylem told him. "You never have. Even all those years ago, when you were Tested for the first time."

A chill went down Aiden's spine as the memory flooded him. He remembered his old nightmare for the first time in weeks. He swallowed his emotion and nodded again.

"I've sensed that you've always carried some resentment for that day," Xylem theorized. "The day you became one of us, and the day your competitor did not. But you must know now that it's a part of the Program as a whole. We're selective people. We have to be. But I sense a greatness in you, a loyalty to this Program that surpasses all others. I want us to be allies. Friends."

Aiden bit back a snide remark. It seemed amusing to him, the thought that the fearsome General was even capable of having friends to begin with.

"Much has happened in the past without our knowing. I should apologize for not taking your report on the Abree City rebels more seriously. We couldn't be sure how much of a threat these radicals were. And now organizations like Phantom have surfaced," the General sighed wearily. "People respect you in this Unit, Aiden. You're a very respectable young man. Your voice carries much influence around these parts. It's uncanny how much of a name you have forged for yourself here."

"Thank you, sir," Aiden responded. The General was being oddly generous. Aiden wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a very, very scary thing.

"You spend a lot of time with Lieutenant Blanche, I've noticed."

"You seem to notice a lot of things, sir, respectfully," Aiden said nonchalantly.

The General's lips curled into a smile. "Yes, I do seem to take many things into account. It's in my job description. Call Zariah Blanche my guinea pig, for example. Between juggling nine Unit headquarters in sequence and governing Creatan, I figured that I might revise the smallest of the Three Rules. It's more of an experiment, really, seeing how Transfers fare in other Units. Zariah appears to be fitting in effortlessly with you and your crew."

"She's a member of Second Unit, no different from the rest of us. She's proven her worth time and time again," Aiden replied. "I'm proud to have her in Second Unit."

"As you should be," Xylem agreed. "She's a decorated hero. She's seen lots of combat action. It's taken a toll on her, I'm sure." He glanced at Aiden carefully. "I would appreciate if you filled me in on how she's doing every once in a while. I'm keen to know how my Transfer is doing."

Aiden's skin prickled with distrust, but he reluctantly gave in. Xylem was a force to be reckoned with, and Aiden thought he would make a better ally than enemy. "Of course, sir," he complied. "Anything that could help."

"I'm glad you're on our side, Aiden." Xylem's eyes glittered with indistinguishable emotion. His stare made Aiden want to vomit. "Good luck on your mission. You'll need all your wits about you." He smiled icily before walking away.

Aiden's shoulders loosened. He ran his fingers through his dark hair, his gray eyes serious and concerned. He knew Xylem was hiding things just as much as Zariah. He just couldn't put two and two together. And how could he? With no facts and no explanations, there was no conclusion to be drawn.

I'll figure it out. All of it. He thought to himself, standing alone in the hallway as the sun was beginning to sink into the evening winter sky.