Lexicon: II

Adage Si vis pacem, para bellum

"If you want peace, Prepare for war"

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Location: Lucantoni-Integrated Base, Carpathian Mountains, Romania

The mountain winds were sharp and biting, carrying the chill of the high-altitude air through the base. The team had just returned from scattered missions across the world, and now they stood in the briefing room, a heavy silence settling over them. Each face bore the marks of their recent battles—bloodstains, bruises, fatigue lines etched deep into skin hardened by war.

Kinan took a moment to scan the room, letting his gaze linger on each person. Snake, his stoic calm like a stone wall; Hoshino, slouched with a lazy but defiant look in her eyes; Olav, quiet and watchful; Price, who had seen more than anyone else in the room; and lastly, Kitagawa Hayashi, or Haya, who kept her distance, her face unreadable but her dark eyes sharp as ever.

Laswell cleared her throat, drawing their attention to the projector screen. Her expression was grave, as it always was during briefings, but today there was something darker in her eyes—a hint of urgency that hadn't been there before.

"Thank you all for making it back," she began. "I wish I could say you'll get some rest, but we're up against a ticking clock."

She pressed a button, and a map of Southeast Asia flickered onto the screen, marked with a red dot deep in the jungles of Borneo. "This is your next objective—Tanggapan Corp's primary lab facility, hidden in the heart of Borneo's rainforest. It's heavily guarded, and we have reason to believe that Professor Raidentea himself is there, overseeing a new stage in the virus's evolution."

The room grew tense. Raidentea. The name itself was like a dark shadow, evoking images of death and decay. Kinan felt his jaw tighten, his mind flashing back to Sasha, her vacant eyes staring at him as her body crumbled under the virus.

"Operation Iris Fallen," Laswell continued, "is a direct assault. Your objective is to infiltrate, gather intel on Raidentea's research, and eliminate the facility. If possible, capture Raidentea alive. We need him for information."

"Capture him?" Snake's voice cut through the silence, a hint of disbelief in his tone. "After everything he's done, you want us to bring him back alive?"

Laswell's gaze didn't waver. "Alive, if possible. Dead, if necessary. But he's the key to stopping this outbreak, and I'd rather not lose that chance."

Snake clenched his jaw, his eyes cold. "People like him don't deserve a second chance."

Before Laswell could respond, Haya spoke up, her voice low. "He won't get one. Not if I see him first."

The room fell silent, all eyes on Haya. Her face was impassive, but her voice held an edge—a deep-seated anger that seemed to pulse beneath her calm exterior. She kept her gaze fixed on the map, but Kinan noticed the faint tremor in her hands.

He understood that feeling all too well. Revenge was a powerful motivator, but it was also a poison, a slow, corrosive burn that could consume you if you weren't careful.

Laswell turned her attention back to the map. "The facility is in a remote area, surrounded by dense jungle. Surveillance shows high levels of security, including patrols armed with experimental weaponry. We've also confirmed sightings of Brutes and Screamers in the area, so expect a mixed horde of undead."

"Just another day in paradise," Hoshino muttered, folding her arms with a lazy smirk. But even she looked tense, her usual lighthearted demeanor dampened by the weight of the mission.

Kinan felt the tension building in the room, a quiet simmer of fear, anger, and unspoken doubts. They had all been fighting this battle for too long, and it was beginning to show in every strained expression, every hesitant glance.