Fragments

Ch.19 - An Upgrade Amidst Downgrades

Two days after the hospital attack, an uncomfortably loud bell akin to one at fire stations suddenly awoke the Guardians early in the morning, announcing their daily roll-call. As hastily as usual, the group threw their clothing on, grabbing whichever necessities they carried to aid their powers. They rushed out of their doors to meet up in a hallway, an intense stare-down ensuing as everyone stopped to silently discuss whether their morning would devolve into utter chaos…
In the end, order was maintained, as after nearly a month of life in their new home, everybody found a place in the line they formed on the flight of stairs that led to their gathering room, aka Station 2's cold, echoey garage.
One of the few "official training methods" the most recent system for teaching Guardians introduced was the randomisation of wake-up calls. The bell would be offset everyday by anywhere from only a few minutes to 4 hours, recreating the possible suddenness of attacks.
And from the way the Guardians handled it, although it was uncomfortable, they were almost completely used to it.
"Hello…" Unlike their Instructor, who greeted them, seated on the hood of a car while drinking coffee, a lack of sleep emanating from her tired voice. The 7 greeted her in their respective ways, lining up and awaiting some type of schedule for their day – they received one daily, even though it was sometimes as simple as "do whatever you want, I don't care".
"So, for today, I'd like to get something special done," their instructor said after yawning. "If everything goes according to plan, you guys're getting your weapons today."

"Woah, really?!" Yuu excitedly jumped at the thought of more equipment to tweak.

"Yeah, Guardians can have weapons even if they're not 18. The convoy with 'em arrived yesterday, so we can equip you guys." Taking a sip of her coffee, Asuma froze for a moment and nearly spat it out. "This sugar substitute stuff is awful… Anyway, uh– what time is it? I forgot my watch."

"6:44am, Instructor," Yin said quickly and politely.

"Oh, perfect. Then we depart at… Let's say 8am, our destination's Station 1, and do whatever ya want in the meantime. Everything clear?" She slid off the car's hood, hearing phrases of affirmation as the group scattered into various parts of the building, only Min-jun staying behind due to a question he had.

"Instructor, I've been meaning to ask for a while, but– why do you carry a sword and not a gun of some sort? Wouldn't that be more efficient?"

"Hm?" Taking another sip – and wincing appropriately – Asuma turned to Min, holding her sword up with her free hand, white bandages wrapped around it from the knife wound. "You mean this? Well, why should I, if I'm faster than a bullet?"

With roughly an hour of free time at their disposal, there were plenty of opportunities for experiments in Min-jun's eyes. With measuring tape and Yin's voluntary assistance, he worked on fitting some barrier constructions over the limbs of most of his teammates.
Everyone tended to their own activities, like exercising and making food…
And once their preparatory bit of leisure time passed, they gathered up, departing for a patrol-esque walk across Hinansho to reach Station 1. The most efficient way led across the city's center, which was, as usual, the busiest section, since it functioned like a highway for the most frequented locations. The group stayed close together with Asuma leading the way, some eating on-the-go, but a dreadfully high-strung atmosphere followed them everywhere, like a predator waiting for a chance to strike. Nearly every store they passed was half-empty, leaving ones like Rosea, who happily munched on a salty nut bar, feeling…
Strangely guilty.
Their lives were taken care of at Station 2, but the opposite was true for the citizens, and the rapidly declining reliability of Hinansho was showing. On top of the recent convoy assaults, many were hoarding food and preparing for travel to another city, but unrest kept arising due to a limited number of transportation methods and general dissatisfaction.
"They're all panicking," Asuma noted, shifting the mixed mood of her team since she felt their curious looks wander around the busy surroundings. "A lot's happening behind the scenes, but it's being kept secret, so it's no wonder the public reacts this way."