Bab 23: Logbook #016 - The Gray Project
---Tape Starts---
A sudden fresh breathe of air, a musty odour came out from his lungs. It smelt horrendously painful, to a full extend. The lad got up from a soft and springy bed. Looking to his left, a curtain closed still with seeps of sun rays coming in.
A silhouette drenched in shadows of the blockage of the sun, laying in the nudes, an opposite side of him. What covers this silhouette is white thick layers of cloth, looking like a soft cloudy puff of cotton.
To an extent, it felt relaxing to hug onto it. Its material is probably unaffordable without good amounts of money. Whereas this is an apartment like room. Likewise small but fitting for one to two people to live in.
As the silhouette rests, the lad got up. Confused about what happened the day after Christmas, he realised with a set of flashbacks. ("Oh...I did it with her.") He thought in his head.
("Well let me make it up for her.") He replied softly with a small sense of accomplishment as he heads outside of the bedroom as slow and quiet as possible.
Heading to the kitchen, he passed by upon the exit of the bedroom.
Looking through the fridge, he notices a good amount of ingredients ready for the taking and usage for the many meals that can be made out of it.
With an ideal mind set up, he turns on the electrical heating stove and mixed and turn some of these ingredients to edible and delicious sources of energy. Toasting some freshly sliced bread, he removed of its crumbs and applied some light touches of butter and honey. A familiar style the silhouette tends to do for a cheap and fast breakfast.
Frying some omelettes, he adds in some condiments. Mixing it properly with some butter and milk to ease up the flavour, it soon became more of a scramble. Pushing it a tad further, he adds a spoonful of honey into the scramble to sweeten its content. By the end of its heating, the lad mixes in a good dash of pepper and salt. Mixing it gently into folds. He applies the warm contents on it's fluffy and crispy toasted bread. Finishing it off with some fried lamb sausages and a decent amount of salad.
Looking at the time on the clock, he knew she would be waking up at any moment. Preparing the food on its proper plates, he pours in the freshly brewed americano black coffee into a mug and stirs it properly to removes it's lumpy bubbly texture. Satisfied with the simple yet delicate dish he made, he places some utensils alongside the plates as he orderly fashions it on a simple tray.
Hearing some ponder of knocks and footsteps, he quickly prepares the decoration of the food neatly as he rushed back into the kitchen, making some extra for himself.
A yank of a doorknob and a slow opening of the door, the silhouette snuffed the aroma that roamed around her room. "That smells good..." it replied to her nose as she notices her dining table prepared with a dish for her. Pulling a chair and taking a seat, she picks up her utensils and tries it out for herself.
A slight cherry red blush streaks on her cheek as she decided to indulge in the sweet yet savoury texture. Altering from the meat then returning to the eggy toast. Impressed by the good amounts of dressing on the salad she crunched herself on. She was passed by with a shuffling of footsies. Placing his dish for himself with the remaining extras, he pulls his chair and takes a sit. Watching her enjoy her dish.
"Good morning Shanina" The lad calls out to her as he starts eating too.
Swallowing her chewed contents in her mouth, she looks at him quietly with a thought of happy impression in her mind. ("How?") She asks herself. ("How does this kid know how to cook for a person with a palette like mine?") As she wandered in her thoughts, she continued wolfing down the food. Satisfied with her fill, she clears her lips with a napkin she pulls out from a container.
"Gute Morgen Will. Thanks for the food." She spoke towards him in her bland and mono-tonic voice. Still having the issue of understanding emotions, she didn't understand when to speak with an ecstatic tone over a mild normal tone.
"You're welcome Shanina, how did you find it? Good?" He asks, curious of her answer as he did as how she usually eats but with a more creative mix in the batch.
"The food was good. I enjoyed it. How did you manage to mix in the sweetness of the honey with the peppery eggs and the spicy mustard? I managed to taste all three of it at the same time." She replied with a slight satisfied tone. With a small smile, she looks deeply into his eyes as William smiles back.
"Simple, just don't measure and assume how much of the ingredient you would usually like. Other than that, a little time of effort and practice." He replies with a soft chuckle as he slowly picks up a glass filled with orange juice, sipping it and chewing on its pulps.
"I see." She sighs as she gives a smile to him before getting up and heading to the television. Switching it on, she changed it to the news channel as she reads upon the documents and files contained in her special laptop.
Done with his food, he picks up Shanina's dishes and his own as he heads to the kitchen. Turning on the faucet, he almost started washing it as he was stopped with a shout from Shanina. "Don't! I will do it. As you are my guest." With that, he turns off the faucet and heads back to the living room, taking a seat beside her watching the news.
Listening on the recent axis attack that happened in Germany, there were some cases of strange unknown blobs of miscreations that attacked the state of Koln.
"Huh, interesting." He replies as he sips his coffee.
"Remember the plan yesterday? Yeah, we will soon have to start it by next year, starting in Germany." Shanina softly mutters to William who was beside her as she typed some notes into her laptop.
"I guess the news involves us?" He asks in a curious tone.
"Not really. We are doing so for the likes of searching for someone as part of The Plan, Operation Gray. An ex-German GSG-9 Operator and one of the old mercenary folks that worked for the Global Corps." Shanina replied as she continues tapping away. Opening a folder, she shows William a file of her.
"Colonel Katherine Cavilla, callsign Roteauge. Specialised in crowd control, hijacking, assault raids and also in-out operations. Ex-convict turned agent, age 42 as of this year. Second oldest of the "Team Gray Vultures". William read through the file given as he looks upon the important bits. " Last found in Koln?! Doing vigilante assignments. Wait, she's retired, why is she doing this?"
"That's exactly why we Continuum folks were ordered by the German General of the GSG-9 to look for her. Even though police officers and the proper officials can take care of the problem, she seems to be putting herself out of the way to save civilians and killing off those Axis folks residing in Deutschland. She is supposed to be out of public sight as she suffers from chronic mental deficiency too as stated by the file. A type of patriotic delusion."
"Then why the government decided to employ us, soldiers, in training instead?" William asked as he placed his mug on the table, finished with the contents.
"Simple, we're a great job for it. We can disguise ourselves as youths and spy out on her. Other than that, it is a practice trial to see how well can Guardian Weapons be used in public after the heads-up in the cafe incident some time ago." Shanina replies as she turns off her laptop and crosses her arms.
"So basically we're being used as guinea pigs for public clown housing." William makes an odd bland face with a sigh of disbelief.
"Exactly. But don't worry, our identities will still be hidden. Also, we won't be alone. Miss Friedrich from Phantom will follow us too and as well as some cooperation from the German Branch of Continuum and the government too. I don't know if the GSG-9 will involve themselves too but that's just a hard guess. " Shanina flips her hair and looks at Will with a smile. "That's it...Anything else you want to...know?"
William shakes his head as he looks at her back with a smile. "That's all for now. Frohe Weihnachten, by the way."
With a swipe of hair by breadth's length, Shanina slowly goes her way to seduce William once again. "Frohhe Weihnachten to you too, Will. Also, you better keep this as a secret." She chuckles softly as she wraps herself around William as she presses herself upon him, like a serpent coiling around its delicious prey, playing with its food before its consumption.
"Will do." He whispered into her ear in return.
...
Next year, at the beginning of January. Everyone was forced to report themselves back for duty in Continuum. William waving goodbye to his mother and daughter once more, he held onto a suitcase on one hand as he walks his way through a narrow roadway of an exit.
No more having a close friend for a chauffeur, he decided to take it up to his own hands like a man and walks his way to Continuum. Obviously with a few stops of buses on the way.
Sitting in a quiet bus of only a few passengers, he watches outside as he sat by a windowpane. The sound of clunks and gruffs from the bus's engine, he watches the greenery and farmland that ever so covered the patches of earth. As he minded himself, he felt a light brush of a fingertip tapping onto his shoulder.
Turning his view, he notices Sae-yong summoned out of her crystal sitting beside him. "Morning Shô." She says to him softly, not wanting to wake up the elderly woman who was mapping nearby.
"Morning Sae-yong. A wonderful morning ey'?" William asks as he sat comfortably on the plastic and boneless chair that had no cushion.
With a nod of her head and sway of her ears, she wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "So... are you ready for your trip today? To Germany? Never been there so I rather am much excited. I want to try out the human cuisines they have there, heard there's a lot of meat."
"Well, assignment aside, I too am excited deep down to go there. Same here, I too want to try German Cuisine. Been a while since I had them genuinely. Maybe we both can go for some eating spree after we finish our work, how about that?" William asks as he notices the bus stops at a station he wanted.
Remembering that she didn't pay for a pass ticket, she manipulates the light around her to make herself invisible to the passing passengers and the bus driver.
Getting off from it together with William, the bus driver scratches her head at the maniac who was talking to 'herself'. ("Well, I have seen worse blokes. Is she talking on an earpiece? I can't see shit.") Shaking her head in confsuion and getting the sense back to her job, the bus conductor microphones into the next headed destination before pulling a lever to close the doors.
"Sure, that sounds splendid!" Sae-yong replies as she waves to a kid who was curiously excited seeing her as they passed by a few cars of traffic. Giving a small high five to the kid in response of a childish manner of a curiosity. The two then parted ways with their following partners.
Walking through some flora and fauna, they ended up at the following forest they needed to go through. Following a secret footed pathway, they ended up at the checkpoint of Continuum. With a wave of identification from the gatekeepers, they let the two pass as they head into the faculty after opening up a laser grid of a gat, a new invention in trials to protect the entrance from filthy intruders or thieves. Perhaps maybe a newer generation of Axis troopers too.
Continuing their friendly yet idle chatter on newly released video games, the two passed a few corridors and gates before entering the dorms of the echelon they were in. They greeted the passerbys and the many familiar faces they usually notice once in a while, in response to honest respect.
"Good day, bruv!" The tall soldier called out to him as she tosses him a packet of the cream bun. "There's a little Christmas gift for yah to start the morning."
"Morning to you too, and thanks!" Out of all the soldiers that were unpacking their belongings into the cupboards, he saw some familiar faces but one.
("Wheres Chau-min?") He asks himself. ("Was I drunk or something? I swear she was alive.") Not willing to ask a question to depress his comrades, he waves to Shanina and Sherrinford who were done with their short chore. Shanina nods to him with a small hidden smile covered up by her blackened eye bags and medium padded make-up to cover it up.
Sherrinford alerted, sneaks towards William and whispers into his ear. "So, how was your Christmas Night with Stal? I still remember you guided her home. Tell me your little secrets." She giggled softly with a rude yet malicious intention more on the comedic side.
William a little blushed, he took a step back and smiles at her. "Well, after sending her back, I took the last train and headed back home. After all, the station is beside her." He whispered back, making up a small white lie to keep the promise between Shanina's and his secret together.
"Tch- I see." She snickers and looks into his eyes. "Well, I trust you anyway. I suppose you don't have the guts to persuade a drunk woman to do you carnal biddings of desire anyway, so yeah." With that snarky attitude, she waltzes away to her spot as she innocently smiles at him and winks.
A little dumbfounded from the reply, he squints a little as hard knocks of wood entered the room. 'Well, if you want. I can perhaps drag you to a room right now, rope you up and make you beg for mercy.' Purposely lulling that out loud, he made a fake yet menacing maniacal laugh. Shanina knowing it was meant as a joke, she laughed softy to herself as she watched the others responses, reading their body language as methodically her brain could go with.
The others around either confused or alerted from the sudden shout, looks at him with utter confusion or a squint as they thought if these guy's wording was true or just an act. Sherrinford surprised by his retaliation, she hesitated to reply back and looks away as she blushed in some fantasy like daze as she continued her work. ('The dolt better be joking.') She thought in her head.
"Good morning soldiers!" A voice shouted throughout. Gaining their attention, they stood still. It was their General Ferdunov as always giving them a small yet kind pep-talk every morning whether before or after an assignment or holiday has been done.
"Had your holiday fun? Great! Now you are back at work and well, do your duties. Is that clear!?" William recognises her sudden loss for words. Maybe she has just woke up or is still under some sort of hangover.
"Yes, Ma'am." Everyone shouted including William as loud and clear their throats could rasp out.
"With the loss of one of your comrades, sad to say but your work is still more important. You will also be moving from your dorms, so pack up! After assigning you with your rooms, I will be wanting to see Miss Leutenegger and Mr Endecrite after this in my office. Clear?! The others can head to their assigned classes or perhaps train in the fields if they so wished!"
'Yes ma'am!' Everyone replied as a few peers looks onto the bunk-bed where their medic friend usually hung out. Zipping up or closing their briefcases, they stood silently as they lined up themselves in an orderly fashion.
With that done, General Ferdunov walks away, heading to the next dorm room beside them giving them a shout out for attention. An echo bursts through the singular door that swung open from the directed location.
Proceeded with the help of Mastermind and a person assigned for taking care of rooms, she calls them out and guides them one by one to a personal room, of their choosing. Taking some time for each individual to be seperated they said farewell to their old dorm rooms as this proved their acceptance of receiving a promotion any time soon.
William being last, he was given a decently medium-sized room with an already furnished table and facilities that he could use. Satisfied he places his briefcase in and opens the curtains. Taking the pair of keys from the assigned staff's palm, he nods before writing his signature on a piece of paper.
With that, he then locks his room door and heads to the main office. Leaving behind the briefcase temporarily before continuing his walk up. Bumping once more onto Demonia as a klutz he is from time to time when he is under deep thought. He gives a shake of hands and an apology. Demonia shaking her head off and a swipe of her side-locks. She gives a sweet smile as the two conversed their way through the journey.
Meeting up afterwards with Shanina who was standing beside the entrance of the main office, she nods at them as a greeting before knocking and slowly opening the door, where they met up with General Ferdunov and a few other captains and generals from the branching offices from Germany. Spoken in deep and raspy english, they did as much they could can to give their voluntary speech and the many tactics and strategies they plan to use, as well as the introduction of covert operative guardian weapons, licensed guardian weapons that are fit for secret or confidental assignments.
...
After a short office brief with General Ferdunov as the others closed their point, William and the other two assigned officers had some free time to eat lunch. Using the time to their advantage, they prepared their important things and bought some extra equipment that they would like to take along with them. Avoiding the food in the cafeteria, they took away some packet sandwiches and a cup of coffee from the cafe next door and headed to the hangar.
With that, they met up with their pilot Shizuka, "Crimson" Reina and her sub-pilot Miss Luxembourga "Frost".
"Nice to meet you three, my pilot will be preparing our flight to Germany, as I will be giving you some guidelines. The name is Luxembourga, I am the sub-pilot of Echo 1 in The Aviation Crew. We will be heading to Koln where you will be guided by one of our disguised German branch members of Continuum. With that, keep your head low on the way to the helicopter and cover your eyes to avoid debris on your face, alright. Come this way!"
William, Shanina and Demonia were guided by Miss Luxembourga on their way to the assigned helicopter. Being weighed down by the gravity of the chopper's wings, they entered quickly into the back seats as they were buckled up by some masked soldiers.
Thumbing up to the main Pilot, Luxembourga reports for liftoff with a loud sounding flutter. On the way to Germany. The three held conversations with the pilots as they introduced themselves once again. One of the masked soldiers was Blaze, being masked up, she wasn't noticed until she said so. "Lieutenant Filia, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, Lieutenant. I remember you when we ambushed the base. You were the one using fire magic to stall off the enemies backups." Shanina shouted towards her.
"Yeah, I remember that too as well. Anyway, this flight will take a while, so kick back and relax. Maybe a nap too if you can. This would take approximately two to three hours depending on the weather." Filia replies as she holds onto her light machine gun keeping an eye watch incase of pirates or future axis interruptions.
"Gotcha," William replied as he looks outside, the small anthill that was once Basingstoke. Taking a small nap, he was stuck in a dream-like state. In a world of white and the apple tree that stood afar. On a swing set, he notices a familiar figure, swinging herself happily. Reaching slowly towards the area, the swinging stop as her head turns towards him. The face looks back against him with a static sound and a melted shoveling look.
With a struck of fear, he woke up with a small shortness of breath. Realising his tape recorder was still recording, he reaches through his pockets, pushing aside a blade that is slowly glowing in an immense black aura. Hidden from view with some magical properties, it couldn't be seen even with aura sight.
With a noisy shuffle onto his pocket, the Tape Recorder was shut down once again.
---Tape Ends---
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone