Workshop
Bzzzz! Bzzzz! Bzzzz!
Constant crackling noises and flashes encompassed the workshop. Ethan was so occupied with work that he didn't notice Aden's approaching figure.
As Aden's step quickened, the noises and flashes got sharper. Once at the rear, he saw Ethan welding the metal sheets over the vehicle's damaged areas.
Seeing Ethan toil, he offered help. "Brother Ehtan, do you need some help?"
But, be it the constant background noises or Ethan's immersion in the work, Aden got no response, so he tapped on his back.
"What the..." Ethan jumped a few steps back, looking back at him.
Phew!
"It's you, kid. You scared me." He breathed a sigh of relief. "So, what do you want?"
He offered help again."I saw you working hard. Do you need help?"
Hahaha!
"This is why I like you, kid. You can find a hacksaw on the workbench, I need four more metal sheets like yesterday." He then resumed the welding.
An hour later, the sounds of metal grating ceased. He approached Ethan and patted him on the shoulder.
Hiss!
"You should stop doing that, kid. If you're done cutting, check that bag under the workbench." Ethan pointed to the bag and resumed his work. "Now, don't disturb me. I'll have to reinforce these vehicles by early noon."
Aden approached the bag and tried to lift it, but it was heavy. So, he dragged it to a clear space and unzipped it; his eyes widened. "Brother... is this really for me?" he called out with disbelief.
Meanwhile, Ethan sat there; his ears perked up, waiting for Aden's reaction. "Yes, it's for you. Try it on and check if it fits you."
"Okay, Brother." He couldn't wait to try it on.
The first item was an armor: a mix of steel plates, foams, and clothes sewn together; next was a pair of bracers and greaves made from the same materials, and the last was a pair of sharp survival knives with serrated back sheathed in a makeshift wooden sheath (like John Rambo's).
Most of the equipment pieces were a perfect fit, and those that didn't could be adjusted.
"They're perfect, Brother Ethan. How did you do it without any measurements?" He asked cheerfully.
Hahaha!
"A good eye and knowing how you throw yourself around, kid. And mostly, guessing right. Now, go to the town hall. They'll probably start a briefing soon." His reaction satisfied Ethan.
"Oh! I almost forgot. Sister allowed me to participate in the mission on the condition that I'm fully equipped, and you vouch for my readiness. Can you, do it, Brother Ethan?" He looked at Ethan, teeming with expectations.
Uhh!
Ethan couldn't respond to the request. If he vouched for Aden, and something happened, he would feel partly responsible. However, when he saw Aden's eager face, he couldn't reject outright. He was in a pickle of a situation. "Are you sure about this, kid?" He had to make sure.
"I'm completely sure, Brother," Aden replied with confidence.
Sigh!
"Fine, kid. Just don't get yourself in trouble." Ethan agreed to vouch for him.
"Thanks, Brother Ethan." He left the workshop, donned in a proper set of equipment.
***
Town Hall
He came across a pair of guards right at the town hall front.
One of the guards saw him approaching, "Stop! You can't enter the building until the briefing is concluded."
"But, I'm also one of the participants." He commented.
"You? Go home, kid. This is not a place for you." The other guard rebuked in disbelief.
"If I weren't participating, why would I be in equipment? If you don't believe me, ask Madam Riku." Aden retorted with a trace of frustration.
"You better be right, kid." One of the guards hurried inside the town hall.
A few moments later, he stepped out of the building. "Alright, kid. You can go in."
"Are you sure, Kyle?" The other guard asked, doubtful.
"Madam's order, not mine, James." He shrugged off Kyle and went back to his position.
Meanwhile, Aden had already stepped inside the premises.
He found the hall lively inside. Contrary to the previous meeting, a brainstorming session was ongoing, everyone shared their thoughts: giving the hall a lively atmosphere.
His sudden appearance went unnoticed except by Riku, so she invited him to sit. "Take a seat, Aden."
"Thank you, Madam Riku." It felt awkward; he was used to addressing her as 'Aunt' when with Maria-where formality was unnecessary.
Riku noticed his awkward expression, but didn't speak. Instead, stood up. "Okay, gentlemen. Let's end the brainstorming session here. Leo, do you have a plan in mind?" She peeked at a nearby veteran.
Suddenly, everyone turned their attention to him, waiting for him to speak.
Uhh!
"Damn! That's a lot of pressure." He mumbled to himself. "Okay! I've known Captain since military days. And if he's out there, here are the possible places he could be in."
He marked a couple of locations: an armory, a bunker, a warehouse, etc.
"So, our priorities should be these locations. We'll divide into three groups of ten each for safety…" He laid out a detailed plan, piece by piece.
"Any q…" His sentence paused midway as the front doors opened abruptly.
Shortly, a giant figure stepped in. "Riku, we have a problem."
She noticed him gasping for air, beads of sweat trickling from his forehead. "Ethan, why are you in such a hurry?"
Phew!
"We have to add an extra objective to the mission," Ethan replied, gasping for breath.
"What do you mean by an extra objective?" Leo commented.
"The reservoir is still empty. The pump is functioning well, but there are no signs of water. The pipes may have a problem, but I don't know where." He replied.
One of the veterans spoke up about the question on everyone's mind. "Well, there's one more problem with the mission. How are we going to deal with transportation? We can't jam fifteen people in each Wagon and call it a day."
"You don't have to worry about it. We have another addition to the vehicle: Chevrolet K-10, to be specific." Ethan replied, filled with pride as if he were revealing his creation.
"However, it's this kid's property." He pointed at Aden. "I'm sure you're okay with it used for the mission, right, kid?"
Suddenly, everyone's focus shifted to Aden.
"I'm fine with it," he replied timidly, the unwanted attention made him uncomfortable.
"Okay! That should solve the transportation problem. I'll join the repair team. You! You! Let's go." Ethan picked two nearby participants and left the town hall.
Silence
"Now that the transportation is dealt with, we'll assign teams. There are 31 participants in total, including Ethan." Leo broke the silence, "The repair team will have 6 participants, with Ethan: the K10 can't handle much load, and the rest will be divided into three teams. Don't worry about an extra or a lack of participants in the team."
The rowdy atmosphere returned: people started grouping and voting for team leaders. In the meantime, Riku's attention was on Aden.
"Leo, Aden, come here." She called for both.
"While I'm grateful for your participation, kid, the search and rescue mission will be dangerous. Why don't you join, Brother Ethan, instead?"
"No, I want to join the search and rescue mission." Aden denied her proposal.
Sigh!
"I was expecting you to say that. Leo, he'll be under you. Take care of the kid." She reluctantly assigned him to Leo.
"Well, it can't be helped. You heard her, kid. You'll be under me." Leo commented. "It seems like you got your protection already. You can go and meet your sister, but you must be here in ten minutes, do you understand?"
"Yes, Sir." Aden gave a half assed salute and left.
Leo peered at Riku. "Are you sure about this, Madam?"
"I'm not sure myself, Leo. However, young ones have to grow up someday, right?" She replied with a hint of hesitation.
"There are safer missions for these kids, and what about Maria?" He commented, still uncertain about the situation.
"You've seen his enthusiasm yourself. Do you think he'll back down now? As for Maria, I'm sure he has figured it out already. Just look out for him. Okay, Leo?" A stern look replaced her previous hesitation.
"Alright! I'll try my best, Madam." Leo left the hall to meet his family.
***
The Clinic
Maria and her company were occupied with the patients. Suddenly, Aden stormed in, approached Maria, and hugged her tightly.
"Whaa…."
His action caught her off guard.
A feeble voice left his mouth. "Thank you for everything, sister."
"Don't say it like that. You're gonna jinx yourself." She hugged back.
"I'm sorry, sister. I couldn't help myself."
"It's okay." She caressed his hair and handed him a small wooden box. "Here, take this. Your Aunt wanted you to have this."
Inside the box lay a meticulously engraved golden necklace with a heart-shaped folding locket. The golden chains and silver locket complemented each other, elevating the feature.
Click!
The locket revealed its treasure.
Aden looked down; the world seemed to narrow to that tiny, faded photograph. A muscle worked in his jaw. He couldn't speak or look up, the sudden weight of all those lost years pressing down on him. He carefully closed the locket, its warmth a small comfort in his palm.
"Thank you, sister. I almost forgot what they looked like." He didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. It was a family picture of him with his parents and aunt Luna.
Maria saw him avert his gaze and recognized the silent battle raging within him. "Luna always said you were strong like them," she murmured, putting a comforting hand on his back. "They'd be proud. Come, Aden. Time to go. I'll walk with you."
***
Town Hall
The town hall was even livelier than the previous mission; the number of people gathered had doubled. Aden and Maria were just two faces among the crowd.
It was a similar situation inside the town hall. Everyone was busy checking their weapons.
Ahem!
"Okay, everyone! I hope you're ready. I'm unable to give inspiring speeches like the captain, but it doesn't matter. Instead, we have to make sure about one thing: we're going for the search and rescue, let's not add ourselves to that list." Leo tried to cheer everyone up.
"Yeahhh! Let's get our people back." Everyone shouted in unison.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Car horns blared outside. The previously damaged vehicles had been repaired and reinforced further, and the K-10 had some light reinforcement to keep it lightweight.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Ethan and the other two stepped out of the vehicle simultaneously. Ethan was the most notable amongst them: thanks to the pair of Viking axes on his back.
"Our ride is here. Everyone, load up and arm yourself." Leo gave an order and moved supplies himself.
Moments later, most of the supplies were on the vehicles.
As Leo was about to load the final box of ammo, Riku and Kyle approached, carrying a heavy wooden crate between them. "Take this as well. It's Franz's prized possession. I pray you don't come across the situation where you have to use it."
Leo saw the markings on the crate and had a rough idea of its contents. However, he unboxed it for certainty; he was ecstatic. Inside was a long tube with an opening at both ends, a handle to hold, a shaped metal slab to rest on, and a trigger. Lying beside the metal tube was a bottle-shaped rocket, likely an ammunition.
"Captain sure has a way with everything." He spoke gleefully and loaded the super bazooka onto the truck.
"Everyone, get on the truck."
Meanwhile, Maria approached Aden and handed the medikit box. "Don't do anything stupid and follow their order. Okay, Aden?"
"I will. Don't worry, sister." Aden peeked at Maria as he stepped onto the cargo bed.
"Okay, let's go, brothers. Let's bring our people back." All the engines roared to life with Leo's order.
The vehicles grew distant with every passing second.
"Please be safe! Please be successful! Please bring them back!" Everyone prayed for the team's success as their figure grew distant.