Eden

In 1942, a small, independent group of innovative engineers and military strategists, determined to bolster the Allied war effort, banded together to form Eden. Eden was founded with the goal of developing cutting-edge technology and advanced defense systems to combat the Axis powers' advance. It was a massive turning point in the war, developing not only weaponry but as well as technology that were pivotal in turning the tide in several key engagements, ultimately leading the Allied forces to victory.

After the war had ended and the world ushered into a new age of peace, Eden had to shift from a wartime focus to a peacetime role. The company diversified, applying its technological expertise to civilian applications, having a hand in the development of things like early consumer electronics, infrastructure projects, and aerospace technologies.

Despite the company's shift to a more civilian tech-role, they did not stop their military and space programs, even serving another crucial role in the Cold War, being heavily involved in the development of missile defense systems and early space missions.

Decades following the Cold War, Eden has evolved into the global leader in defense technology and advanced manufacturing. Its continued focus on cutting-edge technology led it to be every government's, save a few, trusted partner in defense and security.

In the present time, Eden, unbeknownst to the rest of the world, has been spearheading yet another war. This time, not with opposing military forces with contrasting ideologies, but incomprehensible, eldritch aberrations. This war is being fought by a group of carefully-selected individuals that form a special unit called the Circle. Under the direction of Eden, the Circle has operated from behind-the-scenes and away from the public eye for 30 years, the end to the war they are fighting nowhere near sight.

Somewhere on the countryside, far away from the loud, bustling city, lies a facility owned by Eden. A modern gem surrounded by nature, this fortress of glass and steel was not the usual compound where Eden was mass-producing its tech, although there is still an amount of production going on but at a significantly lesser scale. This particular facility was serving as the base of operations for the Circle. For the average person, however, it was nothing more than one of a hundred facilities of the world's largest defense contractor.

SHHOOM

Deciding not to join Harley and Marko on the helicopter ride back, Sebastian instead uses his handy teleportation ability to return back to the Circle facility/headquarters. He spawns in on a spacious room populated by suits in their respective workstations and a wide array of advanced technology such as computers, large screens, and communication systems. This was the headquarters' mission control room.

On the far right side of the large room is another smaller room, the office of the director of operations and essentially the head of the control room – Benedict Alois. A young man wearing large, circular eyeglasses with a thin, black, metal frame holding unbelievably thick lenses and medium-length, curly dark hair, the 25-year old Benedict is the Circle's head of operations.

Sebastian walks across the control room and heads straight for the glass-walled office. Without even a single knock on the door, he welcomes himself inside the operation director's office who was parked behind his desk, full attention on the computer screen in front of him. Sebastian was greeted by the sound of clacking keyboard keys.

"Got time to explain how you fucked up a reading now?" Sebastian bluntly asks his superior as he closes the door and grabs a seat, his question referring to the previous A-rank mission which was initially categorized as only a C-rank.

"What we detected was the horde which were individually, C-rank monsters. It was too late when we discovered the parent monster," Benedict explains, seemingly not paying any heed to the slight impoliteness that his subordinate just displayed. Despite the clear gap in hierarchy, the two were close friends and this type of crude language and conversation was all but normal. Benedict did not mind at all.

"By the time we were made aware of the rank-A, half the Outer unit has already been wiped out with the other half severely-injured," the director added.

"These things happen but it doesn't take away from the fact that it was an honest and costly mistake on our part", an indirect apology.

"You're goddamn right it is," says the teasing Sebastian.

"It's as much our lapse as it is yours, you could've went there in an instant but even as part of the second unit you were still very late," Benedict claps back and turns Sebastian's snarky comment right back at him.

Sebastian couldn't say anything back. Checkmate.

"Anyway," he tries changing the conversation that has backfired on him. "What's the next one," the eager worker already itching to take on another mission, perhaps to compensate for showing up late in the previous one. "And don't dump another group mission on me, you know I work better alone."

"There is currently nothing for you, Agent Isaac," answers the director who was still busy pressing non-stop on his keyboard, not having given the agent as much as a short glance the moment he entered the room. His complete and undivided focus on work.

"Oh please, there's no such this as nothing," the agent argues.

"Correct. But knowing you, you wouldn't take any of the missions that are available right now," Benedict answers.

"Hit me," says the unrelenting Sebastian.

"Alright," Benedict humors him. "B-rank in—"

"Nope," the man hasn't even finished and Sebastian has already declined.

"A-rank group missi—"

"Mm-mm."

"B—"

"No," same answer from the picky agent.

"See what I mean?" Benedict stops listing out available missions with Sebastian just declining everything, proving his earlier point that the picky Sebastian who refuses to take any mission lower than rank-A and any group mission regardless of rank, the previous mission being an exception because he just threw his friend, Benedict, a bone. And it also gives him precedence to reject everything because he has already given him one.

"Is the world suddenly peaceful and monster-free?? What is happening," Sebastian complains, not having any mission fit his criteria.

"It hasn't, you're just picky and make decisions based off of ego," a slight shot from Benedict.

"There's an S-rank but it's a group mission. Team hasn't deployed yet, you can catch up if you want to," Benedict finally gives him something. A group mission, but also an S-rank and this was enough for Sebastian to think about it.

"Who's coming?" Sebastian is asking details about the mission, his other foot seemingly already on it.

"S-rank in the Amazon. Team is composed of Agent Graham, Everhart, Restus, and Caelel. Departure in 10," Benedict gives him a short overview of the mission.

"Eh, too crowded. Pass," Sebastian, seemingly changing his mind, opts to not join.

"Anything involving Rina would be a crowd for you at this point," Benedict comments, inferring that the only reason Sebastian changed his mind is because one of the agents, Catarina Everhart, was coming.

Sebastian stayed silent. Benedict's hypothesis was spot-on.

"You guys still not talking?" Benedict digs deeper into the rift between the two co-workers. Prior to his return in the present day, Sebastian left and "retired" from Eden and the Circle the year before. Before and after his resignation, he had completely cut everyone in Eden off, only having talked with the deputy director in the main Eden headquarters to inform him of his decision. He had never talked to anyone regarding this plan of his, not anyone of his colleagues, not Benedict, and not Catarina who he was at the time, in a relationship with. No one in Eden has heard from him in the past year until to everyone's surprise, he had informed Benedict that he was coming back.

Still no answer from Sebastian but all this insistence on being silent only reinforced his answers of "Yes".

"I don't blame HER for not talking, you pretty much went and abandoned her but YOU? Seriously, how hard is it so say 'Hey, I'm sorry, I was a prick although I've always been and you still accepted me for it'," Benedict keeps piling on.

"Why are you obsessed with my personal life, you fucking nerd," a throwaway insult from Sebastian who was trying to steer away from this conversation. "Focus on your nerd work, nerd."

"I have been, from the moment you barged in on my office," answers Benedict who was, in fact, still working while having a conversation with Sebastian.

"Just give me a heads-up when you have something," Sebastian gets up and heads for the door.

"Something that's, you know, not below my paygrade," he says as he steps out and closes the door.

Benedict answers by shooing Sebastian away.

Sebastian stumbles upon a group of agents in the lobby area where the Inner Circle agents usually hang out. The Circle is composed of two divisions – the Inner Circle and the Outer Circle. The Inner Circle are composed of agents such as Sebastian who are tasked with taking on missions ranked B to S whereas the Outer Circle are agents that take on missions C and lower. The number of Inner Circle agents are significantly lower than the Outer Circle with around a 1:15 Inner to Outer Circle ratio. Additionally, although the entire facility is for both divisions of the Circle, it is usually just Inner Circle agents who can be found in it as Outer Circle operations are larger in number. So large, in fact, that the Inner Circle now takes on B-rank missions as well in order to help decrease the Outer Circle's load.

Waiting in the Circle lobby, separate from the actual main lobby that can be found in the facility's entrance, are the group of agents that are to be deployed in the S-rank mission that Benedict has previously mentioned. Only waiting for departure are agents Catarina Everhart, Sean Robinson Jr., Eva Restus, and Izel Caelel.

"Look who's back," Sean, a tall black man with a lean physique; braided; tied-back dreadlocks; a short goatee; wearing a small black, round sunglasses; notices Sebastian.

"A ghost?" says the brunette woman with long, wavy hair sarcastically, Eva Restus.

"You guys miss me?" Sebastian asks jokingly.

"Harley did, because he had to work twice as hard while you were gone," Catarina answers the rhetorical – a gorgeous, tall, and slim woman with jet-black, neck-length hair, thick bangs , porcelain skin, long and elegant neck supporting her small, egg-shaped face, almond-shaped eyes, a small nose, and lips that would curve into a gentle smile.

"Everyone did," Sean adds. "But not everyone complained as much as Harley."

Sebastian notices the other agent who was unfamiliar with. A recruit while he was gone, perhaps. The man was tall, probably taller than him by four or five inches, slim, slightly brown complexion, short and spiky hair, and a stubble. The man also had what looked like a bokken bag on his shoulder, possibly a fellow swordsman.

"Hi, I'm Izzy," the man politely introduces himself to the newly-arrived Sebastian.

"Sebastian," he does the same, short and brief.

"So, Amazon, huh," Sebastian asks.

Sean answers. "Some big ass snake out there."

"Enjoy the mud, river, and insects," Sebastian taunting.

"Arghh! That's exactly why I didn't want to go!!" says Eva, throwing a fit.

"Let's go, jet must be ready by now," Catarina informs the team of their departure.

She shares one last look with Sebastian and smiles. "Welcome back." Sebastian returns the smile and says nothing back. The team leaves and heads for the world's largest and most prominent rainforest.

Sebastian, now alone in the lobby, decides to take a seat and enjoy the peace and quiet. This peace and quiet didn't last very long as he got a call from Benedict just a few seconds after.

"Something came up," says the voice in his earpiece.