"While I bring good news, I know it's not entirely what you want to hear. The explosion sent pieces of shrapnel into your leg, here. Luckily, that was the only area it seemed to hit you, any other pain you feel is from the shockwave of the explosion and subsequent concussion. You're actually quite lucky. We did our best, and were able to get all the fragments out, but... The damage your leg sustained is severe enough that you will never be able to fully use it...while also not being severe enough for us to justify amputating and providing you a mechanical prosthetic. You'll likely carry this scar for the rest of your life."
***
"...Is what he said." Zeldri idly played with a straw wrapper as he sat in the passenger seat of a car.
"Which is a load of bullshit!" Peter smacked the steering wheel of his car. "Проклятый дурак (Damned fool). Doctors are meant to be able to fix problems, not push them off for later."
"Make a right, here." Zeldri pointed out the windshield. "They did fix me, Peter."
"Not enough! And, the fact that you're not as pissed as I am is getting me even more pissed!" He continued to grumble as they weaved their way through city streets. It was a bright sunny day, which only made things more unbearable. "What about the Colonel? I heard he was there."
"Colonel Tsroski?" Zeldri snorted as he recalled their interaction, "He was cussing the doctor out about not being able to fully fix my leg like you are now. I think the doc lost a year of his life from that."
"Good!"
"The doc was just doing his job, Peter... Left at the light."
"So, he could have done it better."
"You know that's not how it works." Zeldri crumpled the wrapper and pocked it in his coat. "You guys put too much emphasis on my wellbeing considering I'm still alive and kicking. Maybe, direct that energy towards your next CO? Whoever that'll be."
"Fuck you, you earned the respect and that rank." Peter's anger touched Zeldri and he couldn't help but smile. They sat in silence for a minute before Peter continued, "They say Jacob's gonna take over the unit."
"Good," Zeldri nodded his head and went back to staring out the window, "He's got a good head on his shoulders, so I'm sure he'll do fine." He chuckled and turned back to Peter, "Try not to shit on him too much?"
"No promises."
"Сука (Bitch)!" Zeldri smacked Peter's shoulder and both men erupted into laughter.
"But," Peter began after he recomposed himself, "Are you sure you wanna do...this?"
"You still on me about this?" Zeldri gave an annoyed sigh, but Peter continued anyways.
"I mean, come on, man. I know a lot of guys who get out go to PMC's, but does it have to be this one?"
"Look," Zeldri rolled his eyes as he already knew where this would go, "They've got a good reputation, good benefits, and are willing to take a cripple like me. And, before you even start, yes I know about the child dolls; my old man did some research for me when I told him what I was planning on doing when I got out of the hospital."
"And you aren't, like, put off by that?" Peter scrunched his nose in disgust. "Calling their staff 'Commanders' and having them go out with these dolls that look like little girls to fight Sangvis Ferri? That's fucking creepy."
"Only because I know your minds already in the gutter."
"Where else would it go!?" Peter exclaimed which got a laugh out of Zeldri. "Are you telling me at least one of their 'Commanders' hasn't tried sticking their dick in one of those dolls? I hear some of them are rich kids who're just mooching achievements out of it for fame."
"You sound like those anti-doll groups, Peter." Peter rolled his eyes as Zeldri continued, "I understand where you're coming from, believe me. It'll be weird being in charge of troops that look like they belong in school rather than on a battlefield. But, this is what I want to do."
"...Is it because of Darby?"
"..." Silence overtook the car as Zeldri was reminded that he'd missed Darby's and the rest of his fallen comrade's funerals because he was in the hospital. "Sangvis Ferri is a threat that needs resolving, and Griffin is in charge of doing it, so that's where I'm going." Time continued on as the two drove in silence until Zeldri pointed to the next block. "Drop me off there."
"You sure?" Peter asked as he pulled over. "I can see the place just a few blocks down."
"Yeah, but..." Zeldri opened the door and grabbed his forearm crutch. "I'm gonna have to get used to this eventually. Might as well start now and get some exercise while I'm at it."
"..." Peter licked his lips in apprehension. "Zeldri." The two men locked eyes. "Цветут в сумерках (Bloom in the twilight)."
"Доживи до восхода солнца (Live for the sunrise)," Zeldri replied as he closed the door. He watched Peter drive away and stood where he was. It was still weird adjusting his weight without the full support of his right leg. It wasn't completely useless, but it should also never be used. A deadweight that would drag him down for the rest of his life. "...ебать (Fuckin damn), I'm thinking about stupid shit, now." Despite the sun being out, it was deceptively cold which only sent a dull pain through Zeldri's right leg as he walked the rest of the way to his destination. The place wasn't hard to find, Griffin's logo hung from flags that blew in the breeze at the parking lot's entrance. Slowly, but surely, Zeldri hobbled his way to the front doors and entered Griffin & Kryuger HQ.
***
Helian silently made her way through the halls of HQ with a stack of papers in her hands. Those she passed quickly got out of the way as the look on her face was clearly one of disdain. Today, she was supposed to join Kryuger in interviewing a new hire for a commander, though the candidate was what was making her face give off a displeased aura. From what she'd quickly read through the reports she was holding, the candidate didn't go through their commander academy and was instead coming from a military officer background and whose family was tied to the Federal Security Bureau. In other words, a spoiled kid that got their job because their parents knew someone important and wanted to now work in the private sector. That was, sadly, a common occurrence she'd experienced many times with past candidates. She gave an annoyed sigh. As she rounded the corner to the elevators, there was one going up that was just starting to close. Helian made a quick dash for it, but wouldn't make it in time which only made her more annoyed. That was until the elevator doors stopped closing as a crutch blocked them causing them to re-open. "Ah, thank you." Helian quickly said thanks and boarded the elevator.
"Not a problem," the man next to her replied. Looking him over, Helian didn't recognize this person. He wore simple blue jeans, sneakers, a plain grey shirt, and had on an old army jacket. The man looked to be in his late twenties, and he was leaning against a crutch. "It's recent." Helian quickly realized she'd been staring at the crutch and cleared her throat.
"My apologies, I did not mean to be rude."
"It's fine," the man said and gave a chuckle, "I'm still getting used to it myself. What floor?"
"Thirty, please," the man's demeanor seemed polite enough, so Helian decided to show some courtesy.
"Alright." He pressed the button, and the elevator began to rise. "You seem anxious about something?"
"Hm?" Helian raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, I don't mean to pry, it's just that you have this troubled look on your face and your posture is that of someone going to deal with something tedious."
"Tedious... I guess you could call it that." Helian wasn't sure why, but something about this man made him easy to talk to. "I've been saddled with, most likely, dealing with a temper tantrum."
"Temper tantrum?" The man raised an eyebrow at that. "Is Griffin expanding their services to childcare?"
"If it was an actual child that would make things so much easier."
"Ah," the man nodded in understanding, "That kind of tantrum. What, some spoiled rich kid joined the company and it's your turn to babysit?"
"They wouldn't be the first," Helian rolled her eyes and the man chuckled.
"Well, I'm sure you can handle it."
"And, what makes you say that?"
"You seem like a mature woman who knows how to handle difficult situations."
"...!" Helian blushed at that and quickly adjusted herself so that her face couldn't be seen. It annoyed her. "You've known me for less than a minute on an elevator."
"That's all it takes." The man leaned against the elevator wall as it continued to climb. "Despite being told to deal with some brat, you keep an air of professionalism about you and keep your head high. While subtle, that says a lot about your character."
"I see." A smile played across Helian's face at the genuine compliment. She looked at the man out of the corner of her eyes. Despite having a crutch, he was fairly well built. He was young, but not too young. The fact that she was going to a mixer that night pushed itself to the front of her mind. He might be a contractor who needed something from the office which meant he wasn't a co-worker. Maybe if she got to know him more it would be a chance? "Do-" Just then, the elevator chimed and opened its doors to the thirtieth floor. Helian silently cursed under her breath before something dawned on her. They went straight to the thirtieth floor and the man hadn't gotten off. It was then that the papers in her hands reminded her why she was there. "...Excuse me," she called after the man who was getting off.
"Yes?"
"I don't believe I caught your name?"
"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself." The man smiled back at her and said, "My name's Zeldri Vanya, and I'm actually here for an interview."
"..."
"Which I should be hurrying to, actually," Zeldri checked his watch before turning back to give Helian a friendly wave. "Have a good day."
"..." Helian felt a weight crush her mixer invitation.
***
After leaving the pleasant woman behind, Zeldri made his way to the office he was scheduled to have his interview in. Before he could even knock, a voice called from within the room. "Enter."
"...?" Opening the double doors revealed a rather spacious office filled with various memorabilia. Zeldri recognized some of the memorabilia as being from the army, while other pieces reminded him of some of the things his dad kept. But, he wasn't here to sightsee. At the other end of the office, sitting behind a large metal desk with a massive screen behind it was a beast of a man. "You're here earlier than expected," the man said as he glanced at a clock on the wall.
"I wanted to make sure I at least came on time, Mr. Kryuger." Zeldri gave a respectful bow of the head and took a seat when Kryuger motioned to an empty chair. "Thank you, again, for giving me the chance despite my circumstances."
"Think nothing of it." Kryuger gave a nod. "I would start, but I had hoped my as-" A knock came from the office door. "Enter."
"...Pardon me," Helian entered the room with a completely controlled expression on her face. At first, Zeldri was surprised to see her, but as he thought about what they talked about in the elevator a knowing smile crept onto his face. Helian silently made her way to stand beside Kryuger.
"Hm," Kryuger noticed Helian's forced expression, more forced than usual, and glanced at Zeldri. "I take it you two have met?" Helian was in complete control of herself and was about to answer, but Zeldri interrupted.
"We met and had a nice chat in the elevator," he said as he met Kryuger's gaze. "Nothing important, just some banter. Though, someone needed something from her so I came ahead."
"I see." Kryuger obviously didn't buy it, but let the subject drop as it didn't appear to be important. "In either case, you already know me, but this is my assistant, Helianthus. She's in charge of many of our commanders which is why she'll be a part of this interview."
"Of course," Zeldri nodded and gave a friendly smile to Helian. "Again, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Helianthus."
"Likewise." She was in complete 'professional' mode, now, though seemed a little relieved that Zeldri let what she'd said be dropped.
"To start things off," Kryuger took the papers Helian handed him and idly thumbed through them as he spoke, "I'd like to know why you deliberately stayed a Старшина́ (Sergeant Major). Your service record goes back seven years, but when you reached Старшина́ you stopped climbing."
"There were more qualified people for the positions. There always were, so I stagnated," Zeldri answered.
"You're Artyom's son," Kryuger said flatly, "I don't believe that for a second." Zeldri's eyes slightly widened with surprise, so Kryuger continued, "I've known your father for many years. The fact that you're his son, and you have an impressive service record, are the only reasons I'm giving you the time of day with this interview and not just throwing you through the academy like every other candidate."
"I'll try not to be too bratty, then." Kryuger raised an eyebrow at Zeldri's words, and Helian's professional mask faltered for a second as her eyes darted away due to embarrassment. "But, to return to your question, I didn't want to go higher. Many CO's I've known are often bogged down with paperwork. That's not to say I didn't have my fair share of pencil-pushing, but the higher I went the more I found myself behind a desk." Zeldri leaned forwards to adjust himself in the chair and he flinched as his right leg throbbed. "I'm someone who wants to see my operations done in person as I find that to be the most efficient way to get things right."
"A Griffin commander isn't someone leading from the front, Zeldri," Kryuger said as he set down the papers on his desk. "This job seems counterintuitive to your ideal."
"Yes, but as you can see." Zeldri rested a hand on the forearm crutch that was leaning against his chair. "I'm not someone who is lucky enough to continue my ideal." He paused for a moment before looking Kryuger in the eyes and continued in a serious tone, "Whether it's on the field, or behind a desk, I know how to command troops to get the job done. I've done it in the military and I can do it for you."
"..." Kryuger leaned forwards, interlocked his hands together, and rested his chin on his fingers. "There are plenty of other PMC's out there. Why us?"
"I gave my reason in my appli-"
"I'm not talking about your 'implied' reason," Kryuger cut him off, "I want to hear why you want to work for me, specifically."
"..." Zeldri took a deep breath and slowly exhaled to calm himself before he spoke. "Because Sangvis Ferri took things from me I can never get back." Their eyes were locked as Zeldri matched Kryuger's analyzing gaze. "In all honesty, I don't give a damn about my leg; it's replaceable. But, the men I lost? The lives they stole that day?" Anger bled into Zeldri's voice as he continued, "They need to be held responsible, and your PMC is the best way to do that."
"..." Kryuger silently stared at Zeldri as he mulled over his words. After a minute of silence, he leaned back in his chair and glanced over to Helian. "I think we've heard all we needed to. What say you, Helianthus?"
"I agree," Helian replied and gave a nod.
"Then it's settled." Kryuger got up from his chair, walked around his desk, and stopped in front of Zeldri who had also stood up. "Welcome to Griffin & Kryuger, Commander." He offered his hand.
"Thank you, sir." Zeldri clasped Kryuger's hand and gave a firm shake. "When do I begin?"
"Immediately, you can head down to the seventh floor to pick up your uniform after we're done," Kryuger replied as he returned to his seat, "Truthfully, we were going to hire you anyway."
"...You were?"
This time, Helian spoke up, "You come recommended by both your previous CO's as well as a high-ranking agent in the Federal Security Bureau whom Mr. Kryuger has known for years and is a trustworthy source."
"And, while I know your father, I don't know you," Kryuger added, "I wanted to see the kind of person Artyom raised for myself. And, while brief, I got all I needed out of what you've told me."
Helian motioned to the stack of papers on the desk, "Your military record is also more than enough to allow you to opt-out of the commander academy. You've commanded combat dolls already, so the only information you would gain by going is familiarizing yourself with our custom t-dolls. But, you can do that during your initial time while getting your base up and running; which is more important." Images appeared on the screen behind Kryuger that showed some of the PMC's dolls. "As a new commander, we will provide you with an initial team to help you set up. After that, you'll have to purchase new dolls yourself through our partner, I.O.P., with the assets you're able to gain through your fieldwork."
"I see." Zeldri scanned the images of the t-dolls as they appeared. He'd only heard about t-dolls from other sources and had never actually seen them himself. They weren't dressed in any kind of standardized uniform with many of them wearing what looked to be civilian clothing. But, much to his relief, he saw many dolls that didn't look like they were five-year-old little girls. "Where will I be stationed?"
"That..." Helian glanced down at the stack of papers as her words trailed off. Seeing Zeldri's growing confusion, Kryuger chimed in.
"Whether you realize it or not, you have friends in high places, Commander Zeldri. And, while I normally don't like it when the government pulls strings on me, I'm a bit more willing to let this particular one slide." He tapped a key on his keyboard, and a new image took up the screen behind him. Zeldri's mouth went slightly agape as he comprehended what he was looking at. "You're uniform will also be slightly different than standard as I hear it gets quite cold in the Ural Mountains."