6 My Cursed Friends

"Miya..."

Chance stood directly beside Miya as chatter filled the room, mostly fueled by Sarah and Kem's bickering back and forth. She looked toward him, being met by his smiling face.

"... Did Bo meet your expectations?"

"No. He is a lot different than I expected him to be. Different in a good way."

He knelt down, resting his arms on the table as he looked toward her, a smile still etched onto his face.

"You'll find that your new friends are very loyal companions, and because of our ranks, a few of us are likely to be assisting you on missions."

"I still haven't gotten a complete explanation on how these missions work nor when they happen."

Tip scooted his chair toward Miya, eager to join the conversation. Although, at first glance, Miya thought him suspicious, Tip had a honest tone to him. He stood proud, and through his mask, he seemed eager to help her.

"I'm probably the best man to explain something like that to you. Although he's the top student, he's-"

Chance put his hand over Tip's face mask, and he stopped instantly.

…

Tip whispered under his breath, Chance's palm still blocking his face mask.

"... a show off... Anyway, missions are assignments given to a student to complete over the course of a set time period. Those time periods are usually between a month or year, depending on difficulty and the operators taking said mission. If you are a new student, you will most likely be limited in terms of mission variety."

"Kem did say something about aiding the police force... What's that like?"

"It's honest work, helping citizens and answering calls when need be, but some find it tedious, not truly understanding the horror's of true mercenary work..."

Miya continued to listen as the air shifted strangely, seemingly hanging onto his next words.

"... The truth is, we kill people, plain and simple. Unfortunately, you can't expect an amateur to know the toll it takes to take a life nor the value of one, and to be honest, I envy that immature delusion."

Chance continued to speak on Tip's behalf, and he allowed it.

"Mercenary work is nothing someone should get themselves used to. Once that happens, it'll begin affecting your private life, and that spells the end for most's sanity."

Miya vaguely understood where they came from, being much more experience than she.

"How do experienced mercenaries typically carry out a mission?"

Tip held up three fingers.

"There's three steps that I like to stick to: Reconnaissance, Mapping, Execution. During Reconnaissance, the team gathers intel in a safe and covert manner. That means interrogating suspects; the police station is your best bet, and investigating through traditional means. Mapping is formulation a plan based upon your investigation. Ironing out the plan is the best way for everyone to remain safe, and Execution is acting based on both your reconnaissance and mapping. With those in mind, missions have a higher success rate, and the lives of your teammates are more secure."

Swaying in his chair, Kem spoke, diverting his attention from Bo.

"I remember going on missions like that. They were always fun. Until Sarah had to go and report me."

Sarah looked up; she'd been talking to Nifla.

"Report you? Dola deemed your way of fighting too inhumane. She only said you couldn't use a weapon."

"It's not as fun without a weapon, though. You guys are harming my ability to complete missions thoroughly."

"Don't try to use 'big words' to act smart."

Sarah was leaning over the table, and Kem returned the gesture. They continued to yell at each other as everyone else tried to deescalate the situation. Miya stopped herself from giggling.

'Do they really argue this often? Nevertheless…it's kinda funny.'

As Miya thought to herself, a metal bell sounded, signifying an end to their party.