Chapter Text
It was a feeling you would never quite shake.
That oppressive clench in the pit of your stomach, that sickening twist of nerves and creeping chill that settled deep into your bones as you stared at the structure ahead. Every step felt like a march towards the gallows, your fate sealed as your date with the hangman neared. Above the sky lay darkened, the clouds that surrounded Skyhaven darkened with the threat of a looming storm. The wind whistled and howled, whipping about stray strands of hair as though Mother Nature herself was unsettled by the very prospect of dealing with the Fleet, as though she shared your misery.
There was nothing friendly about the Fleet’s less civilian-facing facilities. Towering structures of oppressive polished metal and glass stretched around you, every edge sharpened and angular as they towered overhead like jagged reminders of the cutthroat politics of the Fleet.
There was no more time for hesitation, your feet carrying you forward as you stepped through the parting doors, a frigid rush of air surging forth, enveloping your body as you stepped into the administrative building. The interior carried that same rigid air of unquestioned authority. Polished metal walls bearing the prestigious insignia of the Fleet, barren of any other forms of decoration or décor.
“Can I help you?” A pair of spectacled eyes searched you quietly, studying, perusing as you stood before her desk.
You were an outsider to the Fleet, and her wary gaze betrayed the latent suspicion she carried. The uniform you were proud of standing in stark contrast to the pressed, sharp edges of the dark Fleet uniforms, your whites worn and creased, snug upon your form but breathable, flexible.
“Hi, I’m here for my decommission briefing with General Zheng,”
“I’ll need your name and ID badge,” She answered plainly, worn eyes still tracking your every movement as you rifled through your pockets.
“My name is-”
“She’s with me,”
It was a cadence you were all too familiar with. Slightly detached as though guarding himself, firm yet smooth, absent of the rasp and gravel that marked decades of experience. You could feel him before you saw him. The way his very presence shifted the air around him, commanding the space in a way that left his authority unchallenged, unshakeable. It was as though those glimpses of rogue boyish charm you had caught glimpses of had been shed, quietly smothered by the stiff, frigid demeanour of the colonel proper. His eyes sharp as he glanced down at you, shoulders squared and jaw set, his angular features feeling sharper, colder beneath the harsh fluorescence overhead. Whether it was a display of military discipline or carefully restrained anger, you couldn’t be certain.
“Colonel Xia,” You greeted cautiously, hands tightening around your bag as you carefully shifted the weight atop your shoulder.
“Follow me,” He instructed.
The walk felt painfully silent, the tap of your boots against the floor your only avenue of respite as you trailed behind him. Your steps halted as he came to a stop before a door, a soft mechanical chirp signalling the unlocking of the door as it slid open with a mechanical hiss, Caleb stepping to the side as he silently ushered you in. Your heart stilled as you heard the door slide shut behind him, the walls felt closer, pressing in around you as you were left with nothing but Caleb and the glaring emptiness of the room.
“How was your flight?” He questioned, his face blank as he seated himself across the table from you, posture painfully straight, rigid.
“It was…fine,” You answered, your tone hesitant as you struggled to meet his violet gaze.
It was an urge you couldn’t resist. Your eyes wandering, searching his face for any traces of the marks you had imprinted atop his pale flesh, your breath hitching as his face finally betrayed the first hint of emotion.
A smirk. Coy, sly and amused as his posture relaxed. His shoulders falling as he leaned back into his chair, his eyes softening as the corner of his lips twitched into that telltale boyish smirk.
“Searching for evidence?” He questioned, his tone light, laced with amusement as he leaned forward ever so slightly, as though threatening to close the distance between you.
Heat rushed your face, cheeks flushing in embarrassment as you swallowed hard, teeth sinking lightly into your lip as a chorus of words danced delicately atop your tongue, unsure of what you truly wanted to say.
What was it he expected?
An apology? Some sort of excuse? Unrepentant words?
You weren’t too sure.
“Sorry,” You murmured, casting your gaze upon the table, your reflection silently staring back within the polished metal, worn, exhausted, weary.
Caleb didn’t answer, humming in quiet amusement as he glanced across at you.
It happened almost instantaneously.
The quick swap of personalities that left you with whiplash, your head spinning as you watched the man before you shift. His posture stiffened, painfully straight as the cracks in the colonel quietly sealed, leaving him whole once more as he turned his gaze to the door, the mechanical hiss of the door opening followed by the sound of pairs of boots entering, the two empty seats beside Caleb now filled as two new sets of eyes settled upon you.
“Hunter.”
The address was cold, lacking any trace of warmth or hint of respect as the man glanced down at you, as though your position as a hunter was inherently beneath him. His features were sharp, his skin bearing the telltale signs of strife and age heavily set into his flesh, worn and weary brown eyes narrowed in your direction. His salt and pepper black locks had been neatly slicked back, tucked beneath his cap sat high atop his head.
“General Zheng,” You wouldn’t back down, not now.
“Dr. Gao, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Dr. Gao sat in stark contrast to everything you had expected of the Fleet. His voice was soft, absent of the sharp, cold air of unyielding lifelessness typical of Fleet personnel. His posture was relaxed, sharp yet not rigid like General Zheng’s or Caleb, markedly more friendly as he offered you a soft smile.
“Pleased to meet you,” You responded, returning his kind smile as you accepted his outstretched hand in a brief shake of hands.
“Lets skip the pleasantries and cut to the chase,” Zheng interrupted, his stern gaze settling upon you once more as he slid a manila folder across the table.
The walls felt far too close as you swallowed hard, cautiously reaching forward as you flipped open the folder, your heart now stagnant within your chest as you read with baited breath.
Nothing.
The words never once marred the pages. No mentions of your spat with Caleb. Nor of your incidents with his personnel. All excluded from the file in a blinding act of mercy.
“Colonel Xia reports all your efforts and contributions to the joint mission were nothing short of exemplary.”
“I…thank you sir,” You answered breathlessly, stunned beyond belief as you continued reading through the files.
“I must say, the reports of your field work are quite remarkable, it's been quite some time since I’ve had the pleasure of encountering someone with an anhausen class evol, I can’t say I’ve ever directly interacted with someone with a healing evol however.”
Dr. Gao’s smile was soft, your heart unsteady within your chest as he lauded you with praise, every beat a flutter as a soft heat painted your cheeks.
“Thank you sir.”
“Following completion of your assignment parameters, the Fleet would like to extend you a personal opportunity to join our medical team as a result of your talents.”
The air shifted, your pulse hammering in your ears as you stared wordlessly at General Zheng.
His mouth moved, but the words never reached you, the world around you muffled as your eyes fell upon the new manila folder now slid before you. You could feel his eyes press into you.
Watching. Studying. Gauging your reaction as you flipped through the folder.
It almost felt surreal. The offer too good to be true, as though it was a work of fiction spun entirely to throw you off balance. Relocation to Skyhaven with provided accommodations, a salary beyond your wildest imaginations, a litany of perks afforded to military members.
“I-Im sorry, I can’t accept this,” You murmured, your voice unsteady as you nervously slid the folder back across the table.
It was a small, almost imperceptible shift. That subtle slump in his shoulders, the faint downward twitch of the corner of his lips. A twisting of silent emotion within his violet depths as his eyes found yours briefly.
“Think it over, your talents are much better suited for the Fleet,” Zheng countered, sliding back the folder with a silent finality.
It was a tone you couldn’t miss. That lace of condescension that coursed through his voice. He hadn’t needed to disparage the Hunter’s Association directly, his tone was more than enough. As a hunter you were beneath him, your talents going to waste directly serving the people of Linkon, squandered upon the public sector.
It stung in a way you couldn’t quite voice.
That silent derision of the career you so dearly cherished. The career you had fought for, bled and sweat for. Years of tireless dedication and study, reduced to mere grunt work. You were proud to be a member of PHOENIXES, and no amount of money or flashy perks could tear that away from you.
“I’m fine,” You dismissed, voice now sharper at the edges as you slid the folder back to the centre of the table, rifling through your pockets, fingers curling around the firm plastic of your Fleet badge before freeing it from your pocket, dropping it atop the folder.
“I fought incredibly hard throughout the Hunter Academy and even more so for my assignment to PHOENIXES, I appreciate the offer but I will be declining going forward,” You challenged, posture stiffening as you met the general’s gaze.
His disappointment was evident, suffocating, filling the room like a stale blanket of air, thick and unwavering as his eyes narrowed.
“A disappointing decision we hope you will reconsider,” His gravelly voice now rigid as he stood to his feet, sparing you one last glance as he made his way towards the doorway, exiting without so much as another word as your shoulders fell.
A soft cough drew you back to reality as your gaze fell upon Dr. Gao, his smile gentle as he cleared his throat.
“I would love to pick your brain on some of your field reports if you would allow me the opportunity,” Dr. Gao offered, your heart fluttering as you quickly found your voice.
“I woul-”
“Unfortunately Dr. Gao that won’t be occurring,” Caleb finally spoke, his chair scraping against the floor with a piercing shriek as he stood to his full height, his jaw tight, pulsating with the faint throb of restrained annoyance as he locked eyes with the man.
“She’s officially been decommissioned and as such I’ll be escorting her off base,” Caleb continued, his steps echoing as he strided over to the door, sliding open with a mechanical hiss as he stood by its side, a silent indication for the doctor to take his leave.
The gentleman stood unfazed, his smile unwavering as he reached into his pocket, pulling free a small card as he extended it to you, “My card, it would be a pleasure to collaborate on joint efforts in the future with you.”
“Likewise,” You smiled, tucking the card into your pocket, bidding the doctor farewell as you stood to your feet, watching silently as he exited the room, leaving you with no one but Caleb and the expansive maze that was the administrative building.
“After you,” His voice was cold, levelled as he ushered you out of the room, falling into step alongside you as he guided you throughout the base.
The walk between you was silent, tense as your mind warped beneath the lack of conversation, your thoughts spinning as you finally found your voice.
“You left it out of your report,” You noted, brushing strands of hair from your face as you stepped out into the windy afternoon.
His lips twitched into a sly grin, that playful glimmer gleaming in the light of peeks of afternoon sun from behind darkened clouds as he turned to look down at you.
“I can go back and amend my report if you’d like,” He smirked, his demeanour playful as he let the mask of the tight-lipped colonel slip.
“Not necessary but very appreciated,” You murmured, adjusting your bag across your shoulder as your walk came to a stop by the vehicle bay, watching as a fleet of unmanned crafts whizzed by.
“It was a pleasure working with you,” You hummed, turning to enter the newly arrived craft.
Violet energy crackled around you. That all too familiar unseen press clenching around your waist, holding you where you stood as your body felt weightless beneath you.
“Anxious to be rid of me so soon?” Caleb grinned, his evol coiling around you, gently pulling you back from the waiting vehicle to where he stood, his eyes glistening with mischief.
“No, but anxious to get back to ground level,” You countered, lips twisting into a frown as you glared up at Caleb.
The inferno of anger that had raged within you just a day prior had been smothered, though its embers still glowed faintly, a lingering reminder of your unresolved fury. You were still angry, still conflicted, your mind torn in a confusing array of directions as you narrowed your eyes at him.
You still weren’t ok.
“Let me go,” You demanded, writhing futilely beneath his hold as his smirk only deepened as the grasp of his evol faded from around you.
“Just wanted to offer a proposal is all,” Caleb hummed, your eyebrow quirking in confusion as you glanced up at him.
“I owe you an apology for my actions in Hanzha, I put you in the line of fire and that was inappropriate,” His eyes softened as he spoke, each word careful as though he was navigating a complex spiral of branching options as he addressed you.
“I owe you an apology as well, slapping you was out of line,” You muttered, shoulders falling with a soft sigh, running a hand through your loose locks.
You could see the gears in his mind working, his eyes shifting with a cacophony of emotions, his gaze intense.
“It’d be a great disservice for us to part on such sour terms, how about a wrap up dinner of sorts the next time I can be down in Linkon?” He proposed.
The laugh slipped from your lips before you could catch it. Somewhere between a nervous chuckle and breathy scoff as you stared at him incredulously.
“Dinner?” You questioned, your heart stilling as that all too familiar smirk stretched across his features.
“I could always go back and amend my wrap up report if you’d prefer,” He grinned, a sly, mischievous thing as he towered over you.
“Really? You’re threatening me?” You guffawed, taken aback as you stared at him wide eyed.
“Your call to make,” He hummed.
“Fine,” You relented, letting out a defeated sigh as Caleb’s grin only widened.
“Is it normal for members of the Fleet to blackmail civilians?” You questioned, slipping your phone from your pocket as you handed it to Caleb, screen awaiting the input of a new contact.
“Depends on what you consider blackmail,” He smirked, plucking your phone from your hand as he input his details.
“Am I free to go yet?” You huffed, taking your phone back from him as he nodded with a pleased grin.
“Absolutely, I’ll be seeing you around, hunter,” He purred, opening the door of the unmanned vehicle as he ushered you in.
Your shoulders only fell once he had faded in the rearview, your pulse deafening within your ears as the quiet chirp of your phone caught your attention, a small apple emoji gracing its screen.
I look forward to dinner, see you in a while - 🍎