CUS 9; Cinco Encounter

ENCOUNTER 13

"How did you know I'm there? I was...attacked when I was in the middle of my secret training that night..."

Sab exchanged glances with Simon and Garen before answering, his Scottish brogue tinged with concern. "We found your training area, lass. Saw signs of a struggle, blood on the trees. Knew something was off when you didn't show up."

Simon nodded, his masked face unreadable. "Tracked the trail from there. Wasn't easy, but we've got some experience in these matters."

Garen's imposing figure shifted slightly, his blue eyes narrowing. "Your... absence was noticed. We became worried when you did not return."

The atmosphere in the infirmary grew slightly tense as the implications of Blade's secret training sank in. The three men's expressions hinted at a mix of curiosity and concern about what other secrets their new teammate might be keeping.

"You're worried of me? Are you sure?" Blade gives the men a suspicious sideways glance. "You're not thinking I escaped aren't you?"

Sab's face softened, his blue eyes meeting Blade's suspicious gaze. "Aye, we were worried. You're part of the team now, whether you like it or not."

"We had our doubts, sure. But we don't leave our own team behind." Simon tilted his head slightly, his masked face unreadable but his voice carrying a hint of defensiveness.

"Trust... it goes both ways. We chose to trust you." Garen's imposing figure tensed slightly, his eyes narrowing.

Blade's suspicion hung in the air, her teammates grappled with their own conflicting feelings of concern, doubt, and loyalty. Her instincts say she can trust these men and she wants to believe it.

They had proved it when they try to find her after her disappearance. But the vague images that swirl in her visions and memories can't be ignored. She felt something more about the memories she's been seeing even in her dreams.

"Heh. It seems like you guys owe me a slice of cake and coffee." she let a teasing chuckle, trying to lightened the tension in between them.

Garen's imposing figure softened, a hint of a smile visible beneath his sniper hood. "Ja, you have earned it. Perhaps we can... celebrate your recovery properly."

Sab's face broke into a relieved grin, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Aye, that we do, lass. And maybe something stronger than coffee, eh?"

Simon's posture relaxed slightly, a low chuckle escaping from behind his mask. "Cake might be a tall order in the field, but we'll sort something out."

As Blade's teammates gathered around her bed, the promise of shared cake and coffee symbolized a newfound trust and unity within the group, even as the mysteries surrounding her brother's death and the recent murders loomed in the background.

INSIDE the café, blade and the others were enjoying their coffee and slice of cake while chatting how's the imbestigations about the tow soldiers murder?

The coffee shop buzzed with subdued conversation as Blade and her teammates enjoyed their wellearned treat. Simon leaned back in his chair, his masked face unreadable as he answered.

"Still ongoing. Not much to go on, but we're making progress."

Sab nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "Aye, it's been a right puzzle. But we're piecing it together, bit by bit."

Garen's imposing figure seemed out of place in the cozy shop, but his voice was low and serious. "We must be... careful. Whoever is behind this, they are dangerous."

As they discussed the case, the weight of the unsolved murders and the potential connections to Blade's brother's death hung in the air.

Blade pushed a small ziplock towards the men on the table. A flashdrive where all the data she gathered relating to her Brother's death was actually connected to her captors.

Simon's masked face remained impassive as he accepted the flash drive from Blade, but his body language betrayed a mix of surprise and respect. "You've been busy," he said, his voice low and gravelly.

Sab leaned in, his blue eyes filled with concern. "Lass, you should've told us. We're a team, remember?"

Garen stood nearby, his imposing figure slightly less intimidating as he watched over Blade. "This information... it could be dangerous, ja? We must be careful."

"I gathered everything I can when I was investigating my brother's death. All the proof and  information was there. I hope this could help. I feel something is wrong with that men that's abducted me. They are searching for something I can't understand."

Blade's recovery and tension over the newfound information. As the implications of the data sank in, the three men exchanged meaningful glances, silently acknowledging that their mission had just become far more complex.

Simon's grip tightened on the flash drive, his masked face unreadable but his voice tinged with respect. "We'll put this to good use. You have my word."

She heaves a deep frustrating sigh. Taking her mask off of her face and placing it down the table. Her gentle, charming beauty was now in full show, before the three men's eyes for the first time. Her delicate, glass like skin glow like a newly blooming soft pink rose. Her lips thin and pink. Her nose straight and perfect. What's the most part of her that captures the men's eyes, was her crystal like amethyst clear irises. Her golden brown wavy hair, smooth and soft.

The three men fell silent, momentarily stunned by Blade's unexpected reveal. Sab's eyes widened, his coffee cup frozen halfway to his lips. Simon's body language shifted, his masked face tilting slightly as if to get a better look. Garen's imposing figure seemed to soften, his blue eyes fixed on Blade's face with newfound interest.

A mix of surprise and admiration rippling through the group. As Blade's teammates adjusted to this new side of her, the dynamic between them subtly changed, adding a new layer of complexity to their relationships.

Blade stared at them, frowning. Her brows creased with deep confusion about the men's shift of expression. Her gaze gleam with pure innocence like a child.

Sab was the first to recover, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Aye, lass. You've... caught us off guard there."

Simon's masked face remained unreadable, but his voice carried a hint of admiration. "Didn't expect that. You're full of surprises..."

Garen's imposing figure seemed to relax slightly, a rare smile visible on his face. "It is... a pleasant surprise. You have been hiding much behind that mask."

The three men's perceptions of their teammate shifting in realtime. As they grappled with this unexpected revelation, the dynamic within the group subtly changed, adding a new layer of intrigue to their already complex relationships.

"What's so surprising about removing my mask?" Frowning, blade blurted out. As if their reaction was new to her.

Sab chuckled nervously, his Scottish brogue more pronounced. "Well, lass, it's not every day we see what's behind the mask. You've got to admit, it's a bit of a shock."

Blades frown deepened upon Sab's comment. Simon tilted his head slightly, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity. "It's not just removing the mask. It's... well, you're not what we expected."

Garen's imposing figure shifted slightly, his blue eyes fixed on Blade. "You have been... a mystery to us. This reveals much."