The deployment bay sealed with a hollow clang that vibrated through Leon's boots. The white light shifted to amber, casting long shadows across the floor.
Leon stood, leaning against the wall, his fingers curled loosely at his sides.
At his opposite angle, Bao Xiong adjusted the straps of the armor that miraculously appeared from nowhere.
Wu Ze stood in a rigid stance beside Bao Xiong, her chin lifted, eyes forward, and jaws hardened enough that the tension in her cheeks was visible.
An Lang, on the other hand, swallowed repeatedly, flexing his hands as if testing to see whether they still belonged to him.
And for Liu Yan, she leaned against the adjacent wall, tucking a helmet under her arm, and counting her fingers in respect to the lives she wanted to live.
At the ceiling of the moving bay, a loud voice cracked their silent stance.
"Squad 7-Gamma. Final Confirmation. Urban Pacification Drill. Chaos City, Sector Five. Time remaining: sixty seconds."
