What needs to be done for a better world

Chapter 2

After waking up, Ray got ready, ensuring he didn't forget anything before heading to the tarmac to meet up with the others.

He arrived after Masha, Julie, and Lena. He greeted them, receiving a nod from Masha, while Julie outright ignored him and Lena seemed lost in thought, staring into the distance. Soon enough, the rest of the team joined them.

"Everyone ready?" Masha asked her group, and they all nodded in acknowledgment. "Good. Now, let's set off. Everyone aboard the plane; we'll be in Decarta in about three and a half hours!"

The flight was uneventful, except for Ernst's occasional attempts to get on Ray's nerves.

Approaching their destination, Ray took in a full view of the city, his mouth left gaping in awe. It was his first time seeing such a city, and the towering buildings seemed so foreign that they left a deep impression on him.

"First time seeing a city?" Rin asked him, seeming amused by his speechlessness.

"Actually, yes. I've only heard about them but never been to one," he replied, still taking in the view.

"Heh, country bumpkin," Ernst mocked.

"Fuck off for once. I'm fed up with your constant rude remarks," Ray retorted, clearly annoyed.

Angry that Ray dared to talk back, Ernst said, "I can feed you my fist for a change of pace if you wish, ape."

"Shut it, both of you. I don't want to hear anything anymore. We're going to land soon, so do me a favor and try not to make us seem like amateurs in front of Colonel Anders," Masha said sternly. Despite Masha's words, Ernst let out a 'tsk' sound but still complied.

"Good kitty," Ray murmured under his breath, but his comment was still caught by Masha's ears, earning him a heavy hit on the back of his head.

As he massaged the pain away, Rin took a seat next to him and asked, "So, where did you live before?"

"As far as I can remember, I've lived in a small human village, and after that, it was just the military base where I was trained until now."

"Oh boy, if you're impressed by just this city, you're so not ready for one of the metropoles!" She laughed heartily at this, and Ray joined her, feeling relieved to have at least one person to talk to and who didn't ignore him or straight up threaten him.

"Yeah, I'll take your word for it," he replied with a smile.

Seeing him genuinely smile, she thought to herself that he seemed kind of cute. It was her first time interacting with a human. All she had heard about them was from the news, but her parents always told her not to judge people on hearsay and to get to know them in order to form a proper opinion.

Feeling a strange glance from Ray, she snapped back to reality, realizing she had been staring at him while lost in her thoughts. With a slight blush and feeling embarrassed, she abruptly turned her head.

When they finally landed at Decarta's airport and disembarked from the plane, they were greeted by several Humvees driven by soldiers who were waiting to pick them up. After another thirty minutes, they finally arrived at the base.

Once they exited their respective Humvees, they were greeted by a large wolf anthro. He was dressed in the uniform of a high-ranking military officer, adorned with numerous medals. Based on what Masha had said previously, it was obvious that he was the so-called Colonel Anders.

"Hello, Gamma Squad 1. I hope you had a pleasant journey here," he said with a slight smile.

"Sir," Masha saluted the Colonel, the rest of the team following her example shortly after her.