Chapter 1: Squad 3

"Listen up, you are all academy graduates, so I will not tolerate failure!" An old Asian man with a bald head and white long facial hair screams.

"I am your commander, Ito Wěi. I'm the highest-ranking officer here. Below me are your generals." He points down a step to the 10 people in front.

"I'll give you all a word of advice." He continues, "The strong are the only ones that survive here, so if you die, you're weak." the Commander then gets off stage saying, "The captains will call your name and the section you're in." He leaves, taking the generals with him.

Young men and women move as their names get called. In the farthest line, a young man with black hair that clashed against his light complexion and hazel eyes proceeds forward with his line.

"Kaylan, Louise, Isbert, and MaKayla!" a young woman calls wearing an all-black overcoat with a purple button-up shirt tucked under a skirt with leggings underneath.

Four cadets walked up to confirm their identities. "Which of you is Louise Allard, French, 170cm, female, and skilled in close combat?" Asks the Captain.

"Yes, ma'am, that's me," Louise replied as she showed off her gold emblem.

"I'm captain Lang Vân. Step forward." Captain Lang orders.

"Who is Isbert Richter, a German, 177cm, male, skilled in close combat as well?"

"Yes, ma'am, I'm Isbert Richter," he responds, flashing his gold emblem, but his has the number 6 on it.

After she tells Isbert to move forward, she asks, "So you're MaKayla Robertson. 185cm, African American, and more suited for long-range combat, does that sound right to you?" As she stares at the only girl left in line.

"That would be me, captain, and everything is correct," MaKayla says as she shows the gold emblem on her chest. She then steps forward, leaving one person standing in front of Captain Lang. She stares at him, looking up and down his body, then swiftly says his information.

"Kaylan... Matthews 190cm, Russian, skilled in close-range combat."

"Yes, that's me Si-" Capt. Lang interrupts Kaylan.

"Listen, you are no longer kids." She turns to look around at all of them and then snaps back around at Kaylan. "We will not accept disobedience. If we give you a mission, that mission is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING you are doing at that moment!" she says, facing Kaylan as she gets louder. "AM I UNDERSTOOD," she finishes.

"YES MA'AM!" The cadets reply.

She takes them to a facility to escape from the heat. A man stands in front of 5 tables in a dark room. Each table has 4 cadets except for one, which she seats, the four following her. The man standing in the front was one general from before Kaylan realizes as he sits down at the third closes table to the front. Kaylan looks at the general's uniform. It's different from the other generals. There is a red scarf on his waist.

He wears black cargo pants tucked into black army boots. He also has a black tee with his un-buttoned black and purple military coat. "What took you so long Vân," he asks

"Sorry General, it took longer than expected to confirm it was them." She says as she looks at Kaylan. She walks over to the general and stands next to him.

"Ok just... don't do it again," he says as he sighs. He begins his lecture over again, talking about the sections. There are 10 sections in 'UA' (Underworld Army). The commander oversees it all as well as 10 generals that command each section

"You cadets are in section 10 and, I'm general Myer Vos *yawn* welcome,". he says then continues his lecture explaining that each section contains one General, Captain, and 6 squads of 6 ranked from best to worst he lists the squad teams. "Squad 1 is... uh, John Kingston, Léa Torres, Miles..." After listing the squads, he leaves and sends the squads to have lunch for bonding.

"So we're squad 3, huh? I guess we should have expected this since we were called at the same time," Kaylan says before laughing and sitting down at the lunch table.

"Yea, looks like we're gonna be partners, just like at the academy, Kaylan," replies Isbert. As he eats his pizza hen he eats some pizza.

"Hey, I thought I told you to call me K *sniffle* a... are we, not friends anymore?" Kaylan says before bursting with laughter.

While the squad is eating and relaxing MaKayla puts down her fork. She looks at Isbert and asks, "Why... do you have the number 6 on your emblem? U-UNLESS you're s-sensitive about it!"

"HAHA, chill out. It's fine. I'm just the 6th member of my family to graduate," he says with a smirk on his face.

"Yea, but he's the worst out of the 6, toootal failure," Kaylan adds. Isbert punches Kaylan as he chokes on his pizza. Everyone else in the room stares at the group and begins gossiping about them.

RANG RANG RANG RANG the alarm blares throughout the facility out of nowhere. Everyone runs through the building straight to the 'Strategic planning room' where General Vos and Capt. Lang are standing. they discuss the mission details as everyone gets out of their cadet uniform and into the black and purple section 10 uniform.

"Listen up, this mission will take place in Poison Forrest. As you can tell by the name poison, we know the Forrest for poisoning people if they wander around in it. So you will have to stick to the path we give you to eliminate the threat. Now we will send 4 squads. It will be just you 16. No other section is gonna be helping us. Squad 1,2,3,4 all of you will be leaving for this mission. Make sure to pack your bags and weapons. The Praga outside will take you!" general Vos finishes before leaving the room.

As the squads get in, Capt. Lang says "I will be driving you there but will be leaving right after. Will pick you up in 2 days after the drop-off understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," the soldiers reply as they all get in the back of the v3s. The car drives away as Squad 3 begin they're not so straightforward mission.