ODYSSEY (Punishing: Gray Raven X Arknights X OC Characters)

Vol. 1/ Chapter 4: Cause and Effect

“Scout, Logos, pack up! We're moving out!” A loud and commanding voice came to the left side of the road, causing me to squint my eyes.

A tall and muscular man exits an inconspicuously looking building while motioning for the two men to get in the car. They responded with a firm nod and boarded the vehicle like they were told to. I had to duck my head from the window in order to avoid being seen as the bearded man carrying a large shield scanned the area.

After confirming that they were safe, the convoy of two white vans sped up towards the end of the block, before making a beeline and blending into the main road. I follow the cars as far as my I could see, before they disappeared into the distance.

“Must be a paramilitary group...or just a bunch of bounty hunters.” I said to no one in particular as I stood in the entrance of the deserted apartment.

The vehicles used didn't have much noticable marks, except for a small logo near the sliding window. It was a tower shaped like a pyramid inside a triangle, with the words ‘BABEL’ written near the base of the logo. As soon as I saw it, it was immediately engraved in my mind. Every detail of it, I already had it memorized.

Now that no one was around, I decided to check the place where that man came out from. The door was left hanging wide open, further strengthening my guess that it was just a temporary hold out or safehouse.

Entering the establishment, I quickly noticed that it was empty, with only a few wooden chairs scattered here and there inside the room. I checked the rooms that were deeper inside the house but found nothing of interest, so I decided to leave.

Thinking back to what I just witnessed, my views on this world shifted again. It's no surprise that there are organizations that are employing mercenaries to fight their was. After all, money is important. I just wonder what's the scale of the wars that are happening in Terra?

Is it fought with large scale armies numbering by the thousands? Or a couple skirmishes using fast paced guerilla warfare? Honestly, thinking about having to fight someone strong and worthy here makes my heart pound in excitement. Even though I'm weakened by the lack of Punishing Virus, I'm confident about my skills.

Sometimes, I get an itchy feeling in the back of my head to fight Lee in a mock battle, but I withheld from voicing it out. I just requested for him to build wooden dummies for me to spar in the backyard when I have nothing to do in the house. It was a great way to alleviate my boredom, but nothing beats the thrill and anticipation when fighting against a real swordsman.

Seeing that I have no further business in this place, I decided to head back to the house and just help out with whatever chores are left. Honestly, the reason I went out was to take a fresh air, since it felt...suffocating, to say the least. The way Jane and Nino jumped up and down while smiling brightly made my mood turn sour.

It's not like I hate them, more like I am grateful that they let us stay, but seeing them both so happy made me remember Luna. The thought that me, her sister, was stuck in here without her made me feel bad to the core. I wanted her to be with me...and live a normal life here...

So why? Why is it always so–

“...Unfair..?”

BEEEEEP!

A deafening horn makes me snap out of my sudden hailstorm of thoughts, making me look to my right. I then realized that I have unknowingly crossed the road while the traffic lights were still a go, so here I am, standing dumbfounded in front of a blue sports car.

“Oi! Can you please watch where you're going!?” The door opens from the left, and the driver pops their head out.

“Sorry, I thought the light was red.” I say with the slightest hint of sincerety before crossing the road.