Adopted Soldier

In a dark lit room, Evangeline was admiring the night sky through her open window. She sat there waiting for her guest to arrive. The moon could be seen from her viewpoint but there were no stars in the sky, only the twinkling lights of the city. Evangeline used to love this view, but nowadays it just made her a bit sad, since in the middle of the city, in clear view of her office stood the tall statue of her teacher.

Every time she sees that statue she's reminded of the past, when everything was still simple. When her problems were only about succeeding the family business, and winning against her love rival Rachel. Yet now everything was so complicated.

She became a merc and not only that, she became the commander of a squad. She now literally holds the lives of dozens of men in her hands. Each one of her choices could either lead to their deaths, or prolong their lives. Yet even with this burden Evangeline decided she would always move forward, just like Niel her friend and senior advised her.

At the thought of Niel, Evangeline started to think about her friends, who were now either captured or in hiding.

'Even though I said I'll stop thinking about the past, my thoughts always go back to that time. I would always think, what if the war never started, what would be happening to us now?...' Evangeline couldn't help but smile while imagining the possibilities.

The group of friends would've helped another club after the play, and she as the student council president will try and make their task easier. After that task the mercenary club would've become even more famous at school. It was possible that because of all them being athletic, the different sports clubs in school would ask for their help. Once that happens the mercenary club and their school would've become famous, since it was obvious that no matter what sport they would play, with the superior athletic prowess of the group they would win all the time.

Then when summer break came they would've gone out and had fun like any normal high school kids. They could've gone to the sea where she and Rachel would've tried to seduce Alex using their swimsuits. They could also have gone to the mountains, and had fun watching the stars in the beautiful night sky. They could've enjoyed some fireworks afterwards.

While Evangeline was imagining of things that could've been, she couldn't help but smile while tears fell down her beautiful face. What's done can never be undone. When Evangeline was about to dive deeper into her imagination, she felt the presence of other people in the room.

"Welcome my dear guests, what can I do for you?"

Evangeline spun her chair and there she saw six figures wearing the same uniform as Drake. As expected of agents of the Shadow Mercenaries none of the cameras she had placed all over the building had caught their movement. They didn't even trigger any of the defense mechanisms inside the building.

"First, can you tell me where Drake is?" Hektor asked while he kept his guard up. Unlike the other members of the Mercenary club, Evangeline was extremely cunning and tricky. So it was possible that she would do something while having they were having this conversation.

"Oh, your comrade... I'm sorry to say he died, when he got the chance he committed suicide." Evangeline answered sounding sincerely apologetic.

"I see... Then onto the real business, we came here to once again invite you to the party."

Hearing what Hektor said Evangeline smiled and stood up from her chair. The moment the six saw her smile they went into a box formation. Two facing the front looking at Evangeline, a pari facing the back, and a pair facing right and left. When Evangeline saw how wary they were against her, made her giggle.

The feared group of mercenaries that could make anyone shiver in fear, were now actually so wary of a weak little girl such as herself. Evangeline raised her hands to show that she surrenders.

"Sure, I'll go with you." Hektor and the other five never expected Evangeline to answer that way. They were so sure that she had something planned for them, yet now she's telling them to taker her away without a fight.

All six of them thought of the same thing, 'this is obviously a trap.' The six of them heightened their senses to the extreme, as they tried to sense if there was anyone else inside the room. They just couldn't take this tricksters words as the truth.

"My dear guests there is no need to act this way, there is no one else here, aside from us." Evangeline turned on the lights as she said this. The members of the Shadow Mercenaries checked the area and saw that what she said was the truth, no one was in this room aside from them. Also there were no traps present in the room.

"Why?" Hektor asked sounding bit more relaxed, since there was nothing there.

With that one word as a question, Evangeline understood what Hektor wanted to know. She smiled at the six agents of the Shadow Mercenaries as she answered.

"It's because I'm a commander. I cannot in good conscience send my men to die, in a battle that cannot be won. Strategies and tactics can only get you so far, if the strength between the two opposing parties were somehow close. If you're good enough a extremely weaker force could win against a stronger force if all the pieces were placed correctly and luck is on your side. Yet against overwhelming power no amount of strategy or tactics would work. That's how large the difference between you and my men are. After you successfully captured Rachel, and learned that I captured one of you comrades. I was sure that you would become extremely wary of me, which has been proven by the actions you took when you people saw me simply standing up. So the only option I had left was to surrender and follow. Death can wait for now, I really wish to meet Alex and my friends." Evangeline once again showed a radiant smile as she said the last line.

When Hektor heard Evangeline's answer she nodded his head in approval.