NOVEL FROG Chapter 62: The Departure
When the day finally arrived, everyone gathered in the front courtyard early in the morning. The chosen students, including Scott, were woken up earlier than everyone else as they had to gear up and pick up the weapons they were assigned to. They also got to eat before meeting with the rest of the team at the entrance, where all the soldiers waited with their bags of clothes and supplies. But while Scott, Zoey, Ace, Chappy, and Shade were on their way, Crisis was ready to depart with their full equipment, though carrying less weight since they wore their combat outfits.
Everyone gathered around the main squad to praise them one last time before they left, and while Snake and Viper weren’t in the courtyard, they watched from afar on the balcony of the second floor. Shortly after the students made it to the front of the base, the three other soldiers that Snake had assigned to join the mission showed up in the large crowd surrounding Crisis. They were the same ones Frost considered for Scott’s position in the squad, and it appeared that they were well respected and valued by everyone as they were greeted similarly to Crisis.
One of them was Cookie, who showed off his combat jacket as he led his friends to the main group. The two other soldiers accompanying them were ones that the students had gotten glimpses of, and they were easy to identify since they were almost as tall and buff as Panda. They were Groovy and Bones, who matched styles and weapons since they both wore the same combat outfit as the rest of the soldiers, with the only difference being the heavy armor they used, and a few customized badges attached to their arms. They were strapped with tactical belts that held their large pistols and various gadgets seen in the workshop. And unlike Cookie, who was so thrilled that he couldn’t stop waving and fist-bumping every soldier in his way, Groovy and Bones remained serious and immediately took care of the team’s baggage.
The students were on edge as they were surrounded by so many people, and since they carried more bags than the others, they struggled to make their way to the front gate. They were all assigned a sword, a real one this time, which seemed to impress their peers as well as give them some confidence going into the mission. But since they wore the same outfit as the rest of the soldiers, they didn’t stand out. Nonetheless, they looked eager and proud to be a part of the mission, especially Ace and Shade, with the latter wearing a cocky grin that prompted some envy from the former. While they fought for the attention of the people, Chappy stayed silent as he anxiously played with his sword, and Scott and Zoey flirted with each other until they found themselves with the rest of the team right as Indie stepped up with the squad to address the soldiers.
–The day has arrived! We can finally gather and pray to have a successful mission. I promise we will fulfill our duty and lead our allies to victory!– Indie announced with resolve, sparking excitement in the courtyard with her invigorating promises. The entire base erupted in cheers, overwhelming the rookies as they were closer to the uproar, though it did spark some discussion. But as the soldiers’ clamor made it difficult to hear each other, Indie called them over to have the entire team at the gate, and with Frost stepping forward, the team paid close attention while everyone else continued to rejoice.
–We are about to depart, so I’m going to explain what our objective is, alright?– Frost announced to the team before waiting for confirmation. Crisis was already attentive, but as the rookies were quite startled by the commotion, they took a moment to focus and then nodded affirmatively. They tried ignoring everyone around as they were intrigued to hear more about the mission, and after they started listening carefully, Frost briefed the group in private.
–We were called to provide support to a city nearby. They called it Rysemery, and we believe that it might be a crucial point to cover ground in case we have to fight against the omens. We don’t know when they could attack, so we need to infiltrate the city and stay low to not draw any suspicion. In case they do attack, we must defend the city and call for backup immediately. Hopefully, we can then corner them, or if they escape, we can lure them to our allies nearby to finish them off…– Frost explained in a firm manner, similar to Indie’s authoritative demeanor, except much more resolved and stringent, which came as a bit of a surprise to his teammates, who had to take a while to take in the information.
Crisis didn’t seem to have any questions as they were already well informed of the essentials, same as with Cookie, Groovy, and Bones. But the rookies couldn’t match the seriousness of the situation, as Frost’s manners only intimidated them. They had learned to comply with everything he said, so while they started to doubt and show concern, they didn’t say a single thing, prompting Frost to move on. With everyone’s approval, he stepped back to let Indie speak once again, except she addressed the rookies directly after noticing how nervous they had become.
–I know it sounds like a lot, but we are only going to do some recon. We will mostly survey the city, so we have to act normally and blend in until we find a threat. Only if the enemy does appear can we draw our weapons and fight back, but we won’t even be at risk because we’ll have the local authorities to join forces with, as well as the allies we mentioned– Indie elaborated reassuringly and convincingly, getting the rookies to calm down and gather some courage, which Frost didn’t seem very pleased by. He was disappointed by the fact that Indie was being considerate and empathetic towards his students, but as she dismissed them as the gate was about to be opened, he and the rest of Crisis turned back to the crowd to say their goodbyes.
Tricky ran off to the workshop to get some stuff she forgot, and with some time left before their departure, Scott and his friends kept chatting and speculating about their mission. Shade tried to talk to Groovy and Bones, and although they avoided distractions, they had nothing better to do. With Crisis stealing the spotlight once again, Cookie approached Scott’s group to cheer them up, as they remained apprehensive now that they could see the outside.
–What’s up? Feeling nervous?– Cookie asked playfully, getting some mixed reactions from the rookies. Zoey and Scott seemed committed, and while Ace let his mind drift away, Chappy was becoming distressed by his negative thoughts.
–A little, I’m not ready to be a spy…– Chappy replied nervously, holding his sword tight with his sweaty hands while his friends laughed. Cookie cracked up as well, but as he caught the rookies’ attention, he made sure to share some of his wisdom with his inferiors.
–Come on, it’s nothing like that. Frost makes it seem more serious than it actually is. Trust me, I’ve been on many missions…– Cookie explained nonchalantly but was reassuring with his carefree smile. He did come off a bit arrogant and dubious to Scott, who began questioning him with his skeptical eyes but chose not to pay much attention to him and only reinforced the optimism.
–Yea, it should be fine, trust me, I’ve been on a mission before…– Scott added with a sarcastic smile, mocking Cookie into dropping his smug attitude while easing his friends' worries with a few laughs. But as Cookie didn’t appreciate being made fun of, he looked directly at Scott with a faint hint of spite before regaining his playful nature, only slightly more malicious.
–Well, I’m not so sure about you. You guys probably won’t get to do much, you are only there for support… But you, my friend, ohhhh…– Cookie replied casually, still reassuring the rookies but addressing Scott with disdain as he instilled doubt in him. He kept staring at him in confusion, but as he just scoffed at him and called his bluff, Cookie continued warning him.
–I can tell you right now that Crisis doesn’t mess around, especially when it’s a mission directly related to the war. You better prepare yourself. If you mess up once, you won’t only be kicked but will probably be left to die on the battlefield… Oooh, especially with Frost, he’ll probably murder you before the enemy even gets to see you…– Cookie added in a lighthearted but derisive manner that caused Scott some visible distress as he laughed nervously in an attempt to keep it together. Cookie’s threatening words even got Shade’s attention, who listened in out of curiosity, becoming eager and smirking after seeing Scott’s reaction. The others laughed despite sharing some concern for him, and even though it was clear Cookie was just teasing Scott, he began to freak out.
–Why would you even say that??– Scott exclaimed in dismay, getting his friends and Cookie to laugh before the latter dropped the act and started smiling amicably.
–No, but really… I’m surprised Indie chose you as the new teammate. Snake would have never done that, so they must put a lot of pressure on you to succeed. You’ll have to try hard to justify your inclusion, that’s all I’m saying…– Cookie responded in a more serious manner, with a bit of mischief underneath, sparking doubt in the rookies and a lot more concern from Scott, who stared at him for a good while, absolutely perplexed but becoming tense from thinking of his claim.
–And how do you know that??– Scott asked anxiously, drawing more suspicion from his friends towards Cookie, who surprisingly remained calm when answering, even when he garnered some attention from Kiwy, Nitro, and Candy, who were standing not too far away.
–Because I like to spy on Indie and Frost’s talks once in a while… That’s why I know she is probably expecting you to carry the team or something, there wouldn’t be another reason for her to bring you along…– Cookie replied casually, indifferent to half of Crisis hearing, which only sparked more intrigue in the group as he sounded sincere. They questioned his authenticity, but with Scott growing terrified of what he was implying, the rookies got distracted by his distraught expression. They shared a laugh, and it was only then that Cookie retracted his alarming assumptions to not raise more suspicion.
–I’m just kidding, we’ll be fine. You got me, so we pretty much already won…– Cookie added lightheartedly, turning smug as he cracked up alongside Zoey, Ace, and Chappy despite not fully convincing them. They quickly forgot about the topic as they kept joking around after his lively spirit lifted theirs up, but Scott distanced himself a bit to mentally prepare for the mission.
While the rest of the group laughed, Scott looked back at them to see them eager to depart for their first official mission. They looked unsuspecting as they didn’t buy any of Cookie’s threats, but as Scott put more thought into it, he found himself expecting the worst. He became insecure, and as he saw that they couldn’t relate to his concerns, he returned to his new squad in anguish, trying to seek more security in his more experienced teammates. And with Tricky coming back with a small box that she put in her backpack, the team had to stop chatting and turn their focus to the gate.
–Alright, we are ready to go!– Frost announced with excitement, prompting another wave of cheers from the soldiers. Crisis gave a good look at everyone before turning back, with Indie fixing her eyes on Snake for a prolonged second, only to share a nod with him before following the group. The acclaim didn’t stop even after the team started walking through the gate to leave the base. They all looked back to wave at the soldiers, with the rookies turning timid after seeing so many people wishing them good luck, and generally showing an overwhelming amount of support. It was so much that Zoey didn’t know what to do other than look at Scott, who turned around just in time to give her a heartfelt, comforting smile that allowed her to relax and not think too much about the mission they were about to undertake.
With Indie and Frost taking charge and leading the squad, Cookie, Groovy, and Bones right behind, and the rookies at the very back, they headed towards a large carriage waiting outside the base. It looked like the ones used by the antipunks, except it was enhanced to leave room for at least twelve people in the back, as well as providing more protection with reinforced walls. The carriage had also been extended in the front to have four horses, though it only had room for two drivers, which ended up being Groovy and Bones.
The team began loading all their baggage and gear on top of the carriage, and while they didn’t carry much in terms of food and supplies, the city was presumably not too far away, so they didn’t worry too much. They barely had space in the carriage, but after everyone squeezed inside, Groovy and Bones began driving, and they were now officially embarking on their journey to Rysemery, which became the only thing they could think about as they had a long way to go.