Adopted Soldier

After Alex was done talking to his dad about his current relationship with Rachel, he headed back to his room. As he was walking through the hallways back to his room, his phone started ringing. Alex saw the caller Id, it was an unknown number, but Alex knew who was calling. This was the number of one of the burner phones he gave the Harimas, specifically the Harima he called number one. Knowing this Alex answered the phone call.

"Sir, number one here to give a status report."

"Very well, give me your report. What happened to Instructor Jay?"

"Sir, I will begin the report. We asked everyone in the apartment. We watched all the footage that caught Instructor Jay on camera. We have scoured the whole city for him, but unfortunately sir everything was a dead end. We even checked on the two day pass for a spa that was given to the people in the same floor as him. Yet that one was also a dead end."

"Number one, enough with the drivel and just get to the point."

"Sir sorry Sir! I will get to the point Sir! Unfortunately sir we have done everything in our power to find Instructor Jay, but have failed to show any result. I on behalf of my comrades will take all the responsibility and accept any form of punishment! Sir that is all Sir!"

While number one was saying this, he sounded the same as Alex with his indifferent tone of voice. Yet deep inside he was already trembling in fear. He was unsure what kind of punishment Alex would give him, but he was sure it would be another fresh hell, no hell is too light a word to describe how Alex would punish his subordinates.

Still number one knew that if he didn't claim responsibility as the leader of the group, Alex might have gotten angry and the punishment might have turned even more severe.

While number one was waiting for whatever punishment he will receive, Alex who listened to number one's report was impressed by his improvement. If this was before training number one would have sold out his comrades, and try to push the punishment onto them. Yet now he was actually willing to get punished.

This made Alex actually think that number one deserved not to get punished, but like him who was told in training that failure wasn't tolerated, he told his subordinates the same thing. Failure equals a punishment. Though Alex himself has never failed a mission, he was sure that the people in his squad were serious when they said they would punish those who fail a mission.

If Alex allowed number one to get out of this without any punishment they might think that they could get out of punishment as long as they had a good reason.

"Alright I have received your report. You and everyone in your team can now return home. Expect to receive your punishment once you return."

"Sir yes sir!" Alex had hang up already, but number one couldn't let go of the phone for a while. He remained stoic as he was taught by Alex, but deep inside he was already crying in fear. The other nine Harimas look at their leader and felt pity for him. They knew that their leader had sacrificed himself so that they wouldn't be punished, but they still felt a bit relieved.

They who had experienced Alex's training and were told that was the easy part, were now afraid to know what kind of training was regarded as hard by Alex. If easy training was already more horrible than hell, then what kind of thing were the punishments. Will they be able to survive such punishments? This was the question they had ever since, they heard Alex tell them that they would be punished for every failure.

After a short time of thinking about it, they were sure that they could survive these punishments knowing their commander, Alex's capabilities. That person knew just how much to push you that you feel like dying but weren't actually near death.

Number one, who had finally accepted his fate dropped the burner phone and stomped on it. This was another part of what they were taught to do after using a burner phone. Ideally they would crush it, then burn it, but stomping on it works as well.

"Everyone gather around!" Once number one issued this order, the maids and butlers that were scattered around stood in a single line.

"The commander has issued our return to base. This mission is a failure, so pack up and get ready to leave in ten." The moment number one gave the order to pack up and finish in ten minutes, everyone present started to move around packing everything they used.

Number one was feeling a multitude of emotions, even though he wasn't showing it in his face. He was feeling disappointed, sad, and scared. He was feeling disappointed since after training with Alex he and his other comrades felt like they could do any mission flawlessly. Yet the first mission they were given ended up in failure. He was feeling sad because of a similar reason of failing the mission.

He was feeling scared, not only because of the punishment that awaits him, but because number one started to think, that maybe even though they trained so much they weren't really fit for this kind of job. They used to be thugs, well above average thugs. That was until they met Alex who taught them how to act with dignity and respect. He taught them many ways of how to survive in different kinds of situations. He even taught them camaraderie. Number one was scared that he wouldn't be able to pay back Alex for teaching them how to actually be better people. He was afraid that Alex who had taught them how to be something more than a common thug, would abandon them.

Number one might have been a mercenary before, but that was only in name. Alex had made him and his comrades into real mercenaries. So this mission's failure was a big blow for him. Number one could not even sigh, since he and the others were trained by Alex not to even do that.. Instead he strengthened his resolve, he promised himself that the next mission they do will end with a great success.