6-2 About the Bullet

Date: September 8-9

Place: Kyoto Headquarters

[Noel]

    I ignored the fact that someone came to our room and I couldn't lock the doors too. Because my friends didn't lock them before they left and I know that they'll get suspicious if they found out that I got out of bed and changed the things that they didn't touch. So I just tried my best to fall asleep before they return.

~~

[Patrick]

    We finished our meeting and is about to return to our room when Vincent stepped on something. "Rei?" he says. "Was this here before?" he presented us a bullet that he picked up near the doorway. And all of us looked at that little golden bullet which looks familiar. Rei hurriedly took it from his hands and smiled at us.

"I'll handle this, go back before he wakes up," she says calmly showing us to the door and closed it for us.

"What was that about?" Vincent asks.

"I don't know," Shawn shrugs as he sneaks through the walls and became our lead as he warns us if there is anyone around us. I still can't believe how stealthy he is despite his build.

Thankfully, Noel wasn't awake yet and nothing seems to be out of place. We slept soundly as we were exhausted from today's schedule.

[Rei]

"What is that?" asks Cedrick when I intensely glare at the bullet in my hand. And instead of answering him, I pointed at the weapons we hide on the cabinets just in case and he seemed to know where this is going. He got both mine and his while I go to my desk and got all the USB drives and shoved it into my pockets and I gave him two teleportation crystals, readied in Cedrick's hands. I signaled for him to don't talk as he watched me try to destroy the bullet with the butt of the knife he handed me.

"You sure caught on fast," a voice says. Cedrick didn't faze anymore and focused his attention on the bullet where we heard the voice. I can't be mistaken, this voice belongs toー

"Professor Norby or should I say, Director Norby?" I answered while I heard him laughing on the other side.

"What did I call you again? Oh, I remember now! Nice to hear your voice again, daughter-in-law," he snickers, having fun of using that title. I can notice Cedrick's eyes darkening but they returned to normal in just a few seconds. "I apologize if I didn't greet the well-being of my other soldiers that are by your side. But I'm glad that they're doing alright," he bickers. "But I'm afraid I don't have any time to waste on you. And don't worry, I'll contact you again soon," a count down started and my body moved by instinct.

[Cedrick]

After I heard him says his goodbye, I already knew what was the next thing to happen because this wasn't the first time that it occurred, it also happened in the abandoned house we were staying in before we got here.

I used the teleportation crystal and held Rei's arm as she turned off the light which I found unnecessary. We opened our eyes to an unknown place where we teleported.

[Rei]

There were six seconds left before the bomb goes off and I threw it away with all the strength I have. It went quite far and exploded in the sky before it even landed. There was a huge light and a herd of unOrdinary attracted to it. Cedrick carried me in his arms and runs away from the herd while I loaded two of my pistols with a silencer and shoots nonstop behind us,  only slowing them down. I couldn't get a clean hit because of the darkness that blinds my eye and the bumpy ride.

"Can we just teleport back already?" he asks, struggling to breathe as he was running for too long.

"There's no reason for us to hurry, I've got what they're looking for in my pockets. So let's clean up the place first before we return," I suggest and he lets me down.

"Alright, but be sure to get some sleep after we go back," I nodded to his suggestion and took out a knife on my left and a gun on my right after I gave him the other gun I was holding before.

~~

"This sure is a mess," I sigh when we returned to the same spot we left earlier and putting the lights on too. We both found the things that were neat earlier out of place and on the ground. But I am grateful that they didn't destroy anything.

I already guessed that he wanted to distract us with the bomb while someone will try and infiltrate our lounge once more. They must have some kind of communication for the concrete plan they created. But I'm afraid that even if they teamed up, they won't be getting these easily.

"Go and wash up before you sleep, I'll take care of everything here," he says already picking up the files. He looks exhausted, sleepy, and dirty right now.

"Let's both wash up first," I say, stealing the files that he holds and putting them down on my desk. "And let's sleep here after we finished cleaning up so no one comes here to mess everything up again," I suggested and he nods.

~~

"Where did you even get the teleportation crystals?" he asks. "And do you mind explaining what that device is?" he added. We finished cleaning ourselves and the lounge. And we are currently trying to get some sleep. I'm on the couch and he's on the floor with his blanket as a bed and our uniform's robe as his blanket.

"It was a device that I remember they were adapting back on the laboratory. Even if it was small, it has multiple purposes; a camera, a wiretap, an explosives, or it can be used as a real bullet. I didn't know they already succeeded and finished it. And by the look of the three earlier, Patrick is the only one who knows the existence of it," I say rolling to the other side of the couch to catch a glance at his face.

"Then it must be from the one that got away earlier," he mumbles. His eyes are already shut and he looks comfortable sleeping on the floor, I feel bad though.

"Precisely," I answer. "And I stole those tp from someone that I'm sure they don't have a use to," his eyes flew open, only to meet my gazes. "If you're wondering who it's from, you don't have to worry, they're alive," I reply. Tp crystals are hard to get and only the higher rankings are the only ones who can acquire such items. Like a leader of a squadron or people who are tasked with a mission without the knowledge of a normal member. You can take the private missions as an example.

I stole it from someone close to him so I don't want to confess the truth or I might worry him and drag him into the new mess that I just got myself into.

"I'll sleep now. Good night," he says after he might be satisfied with the answers I've given him.

~~

[Noel]

We're on our way to the lounge. And I can notice that they're so sleepy to the point where Vincent bumped into the walls a few times already. I just wish they make it not too obvious.

"What's this?" Shawn says trying hard to open the door of the lounge.  "It's locked," just like me, they all looked confused.

"Could it be that they aren't here yet?" I say. It was always open because Rei arrives early and this is the first time that we arrived here before them.

"Why don't we go take breakfast first?" suggested Vincent. But we were all speechless to see the door open with the sleepy and shirtless Cedrick greeting us.

"What is it?" yawns Cedrick as he scratched his head and covers his eyes from the lights of the hallway. Then his eyes widened when he finally looked awake. "Oh. Good morning," he greets awkwardly.

The others took a peek inside to see Rei sleeping soundly on the sofa. The two rushed in to see the surroundings and giggles as they're trying to sniff the air and look at both Cedrick and the sleeping Rei simultaneously while I and Shawn took our time to enter the lounge. 

"What?" he asked like he still has no idea what they were thinking. Then Rei woke up to see people around near her face. She was startled and fell on the floor. She groans because of the pain.

"Are you alright?" Cedrick was already beside her, trying to help her stand up but she falls right back.

"My back," she mumbles and everyone burst out laughing while Rei and Cedrick looked so confused. They must be so tired they don't even get anything that's happening around them and how they look in our eyes right now.

"Did you finally do the deed?" annoys Vincent.

"Congratulations Mr. Cedrick," Patrick shakes Cedrick's hand.

And it seems that the two finally caught up on what's going when Rei threw a knife at Vincent which he caught and Cedrick trying to punch Patrick but he dodged it. Both of them went off running out of the room when they saw Rei taking out a gun equipped with a silencer after both of their attempt to shut the two up failed. Shawn and I caught a glance at each other and we both snickered at the same time which resulted in Rei throwing the gun at Shawn instead of pulling the trigger.

"Go on ahead of us and give those two a good smack for us," by her tone, I can already tell that nothing happened but I'm sure there must be a reason why they ended up sleeping in and locking the lounge.

"Roger," we both answered and went out of the room.

[Rei]

"Let's just go and catch up to them," I say when I saw him stuck kneeling on my side after he tried to catch me when I fell. He's blushing so hard right now that he looks like a tomato.

"Yes," he answered.

~~

We explained everything to them while we take our breakfast together. But of course, leaving some of the details and twisting some of the stories because of Noel. I confessed to him why I ordered Yui to guard the lounge with him and told him about the people who wants to steal something in our lounge. And I made that an excuse so my alibi can sound believable. And I think he understood.

~~

We continued with the schedule that I decided. The four of them training while I took Noel to the weaponry to take a look and get something that matches the things he wrote down the memo he made that I ordered him before. And after some time looking around and inspecting some weapons, he finally found something he likes. It was finished faster than expected so we decided to do his first mission today.

"The Supreme General is calling you for the removal of your punishment," a messenger says glancing at the shock collar as soon as we got out of the weaponry.

"I almost forgot that I'm suspended. Well, it's a great timing, right?" asked Noel and he just nods. Now I know the reason why he looks anxious and worried earlier when I decided we'd do his mission today. "You should've just told me," I mumbled. "Tell them I'll be there in a few minutes," the messenger left after bowing. I called Cedrick to get ready to dispatch on the phone and I think he knows what that means. Because the three are also meant to get ready to go out and fulfill their mission too.

After the long wait of my suspension, I can finally remove this embarrassing leash. But everything didn't go right and our schedule was ruined once again because of this old man who looks like he has a grudge against me, the same man who got me this leash.