Breaking Ice

Axel walked across the rugged carpet of the quiet room, joining a seat next to his brother's. The wooden creak upon sitting interrupted the room's silence. Everyone else looked in his direction.

"Awkward…" He said in his head. The room was like a waiting list to a dentist's office—grey, with chairs facing each other in the shape of a square. Accompanying his brother—Jasper—the two observed the other individuals waiting in the room. There were five of them, excluding the brothers.

One was a burly male with eyebrows that naturally furrowed. His veins were pumped, and so too was his presence. The two could sense a feeling of both excitement and aggression emitting off himself. Another male found across was of a slimmer build. Though he was dressed rather formally, and with the way he sat, carried himself in a professional manner. On the contrary, another man nearby sat sloppily, seemingly exhausted as he exhaled every two minutes. Across the room on the farthest end was a single female who sat in the darkness of the room. Her presence was eerie, yet absent in nature. The last of the five, a male, sat in the opposite corner. He simply stared at the clock, waiting patiently.

"Are these people…?"

Before Axel could finish his thought, a door to the room opened. Before the crowd, a broad suited man made his appearance. "You may all enter."

Everyone immediately stood up and saluted at his presence, following into the room behind him. It was a dimly lit area meant for debriefing. The chosen individuals then chose their seats around the rounded table, all facing the minister, Harrison, who sat at the end.

"Welcome everyone. You have all been chosen to be here today for a very special cause. I take it that you've all received your letters about this squad formation?"

"Yes sir," everyone around the table replied.

"Good. Otherwise you wouldn't have shown up. Before we get started, would any of you like to take this opportunity to abandon your given position? I can assure there will be a lot to bear once inducted into the team."

There was silence, for a minute or two.

"As expected." He stood up. "I'm Harrison Cane, and as you should all know, I'm the minister of National Defense for the Cardinal Nexus. I've brought you all here today to form what I'm currently going to call: Operation Squad Zero. This is a team specialized to take down the infamous Seven Sins that have tormented our society for a year now. But simultaneously, provide reassurance to our civilians that they are safe from their threat. Do you all understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Because it'll be you seven that are going to uncover the identities and whereabouts of the anonymous Seven Sins. There aren't too many leads right now, so it's going to start off difficult. But I'm hoping that once you all find your rhythm, you'll be able to easily track down and capture those Sins."

The burly man raised his hand.

"Yes?" Harrison noticed.

"Sir. Would you expect them to be captured dead or alive?"

"Alive. There are too many unknowns that we need to uncover through interrogation with those individuals."

"Tsk!" The burly man sat back down. He sighed with frustration. Jasper noticed that his aggressive excitement had peaked at that very moment, but finally began to dwindle down.

"Any other questions regarding your objective?"

Another man raised his hand. "Sir, how exactly will we come to form leads on the Sins, and furthermore, capture them?"

Harrison sighed. "Although I'm directing the formation of this team, I am not at all directing the team itself." He pointed at Jasper. "This is Jasper Garrison. He will be your leader."

Everyone else looked his way, raising their eyebrows with skepticism. "Nice to meet you all," he said.

The burly man immediately stood up. "Forgive my rudeness sir, but you're making HIM the leader? Look how scrawny he is!"

"Sit down." Harrison stated with impatience. The burly man immediately sat back down.

"Jasper Garrison has been a sergeant in control of numerous squads and units within our military for nearly a decade now. We've been able to infiltrate enemy intel, as well as prevent terrorist attacks through his leads on numerous occasions thus far. He has never disappointed, and while choosing the individuals for this team, I can assure you he will not disappoint."

The rest of the individuals questioned no further. Axel, who sat next to Jasper, smiled brightly at the high treatment of his brother. He already well understood his feats and abilities.

"Since we've already begun, I'll break the ice for everyone else." Harrison now pointed at Axel, who was caught by surprise. "This is Axel Garrison. He's only been in the military for 2 years, but as a mere infantry unit he's already done more formidable things than some of his very own seniors. Do not underestimate him due to his youth." Harrison then turned towards the burly man. "This is Wardell August. A frontline champion within our ranks. He's faced the enemy head-on more times than any person in this entire military can count. You can count on him to never back down, isn't that right?"

"Sir yes sir!" He blasted up in his seat with tremendous energy.

"Good. Sit down now." Wardell sat back down, once again peaking in energy.

Harrison now pointed out the sole female in the room. "This here is Zika Tress. As the only woman here, respect her. She doesn't talk much, but her actions will speak for itself. She's been our biggest performer in assassination and espionage missions for the Cardinal Nexus in the last five years. She will follow orders as long as they are tactical and reasonable."

Jasper continued to nod in approval as each of his squad members were being introduced.

Harrison now brought attention to the formally attired male. "This is Hugo Hethens. He's going to be your information broker. His position is meant for digging out information required to enact missions and he'll be providing it to everyone who needs it. He'll be less involved in the physical action. The same goes for Jarret Smith over here, who will be the team's designated engineer. As a long-running engineer behind some of the technology in the Cardinal Nexus, he will be developing the weapons, attire, and support items needed for the team's future advancements."

"Heyo y'all" Jarrett said. His leg was crossed over the other in a relaxed manner.

"I think you should sit up more straight in front of Minister Harrison," a male next to him told him.

"He's right," Harrison jumped in. "Last but not least, this is Suto Meeres. Possibly one of the most valuable infantry assets in our entire military. He's been in and out of numerous factions and can find use in nearly any skill we have to provide. 'Flexible' or 'all around' would be an understatement." He looked at Jasper. "Give him an objective under any category, and he'll do it."

Jasper nodded in response. "For sure."

Harrison readjusted his tie. "You're all from different factions, but I expect that you get along. This is mandatory to ensure efficient success in your upcoming missions. If you've got disagreements, settle them before deploying out on the floor. If something happens due to lack of coordination, I will disband this team entirely. Is that clear?"

Everyone in the room nodded silently.

"I said is that clear!?"

"Yes sir!" Everyone fully replied.

"Good. And in case any of you are wondering, you will start to receive your commission once I've observed successful advancements. If the economy rises so too will your pay. Any questions?"

"No sir," the room said.

"Good. Your squad gatherings will commence two days from now. I will provide a main hub for you all to dorm in and it'll be based in the Cardinal Nexus HQ. I will also continuously fund your needs as long as they contribute to the success of Operation Squad Zero. Is that heard?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Good. Now leave."

Everyone then stood up, leaving the room in a synchronous march.