The White Council had sent two of their members to the court proceedings which had struck Sirius as weird. Boys blowing up and still being able to stand court was weirder but still.
He'd sat through most of it staring at the weird looking biome wondering what sort of metal his nose was made of. His arms had been covered by a hoodie at his request.
He now sat in a cold room waiting for whoever had made sure he'd been knocked out on his way back home. Sirius was sure it was those twats from the council. Had to be because no one else would mess with him in this part of the city.
He had a mind to tell whoever came through that door that he'd once been the greatest soldier Acropolis had had.
"Worked out amazing didn't that now?"
The voice sounded louder in the room. He'd never liked too much quiet and these days he absolutely did not care for it. Gave him too much time with whatever had crawled into his head.
"Didn't crawl, was sent. And you know why don't you Sirius? You know why, you know why. Yes you know..."
It became a song and no matter how hard he blinked, Sirius heard all of it. It was true, he knew why he was half mad. He fucking knew and it ruined his mood more than the actual song.
"Right then Commander,"
He looked up at exactly what he'd known. Who rather.
She was pretty in a way with an angular face and really long features. She had the longest nose he'd ever seen. He made a mental note to start noticing more noses.
"It's actually Captain now," he said to the Councilor.
"Discharged dishonourably but the file only says that. Quite a surprise considering the Black Council tends to have a no-secret policy," she said looking at her system.
She hadn't met his eyes and if she had she would have seen the frown he now wore.
"Guess you're too young then eh Councilor,"
"Maybe I am. Tell me then why you were discharged Captain Sirius vin David of the Fourty first Company?" She said.
Sirius was sure she knew why. It was in her eyes, the way she sat hands stretched out on the table.
He decided then, he disliked bureaucrats even more. Especially ones with long noses.
"Seeing as I don't even know your name, I don't really think that would be smart. Can't trust cretins like you in white robes." He said with a smile. It was stupid he knew but it workef better than frowning.
She looked at him, studying him then went back to her system for a while. In the silence the song came back in full volume.
"Captain?"
He looked up.
"I said my name is Faiza Amad. Thirteenth White Councilor of Acropolis," she said.
"Oh. Hello Councilor Faiza,"
"I am here at the request of the request of the High Councilor Dr. Yuta to interview you and-"
Sirius chuckled to himself.
"Giving me a job are you then?"
She waved off the question dorning a more serious face.
"Before you were discharged for murdering your own family, you led your Company into Maagme on a mission. You were supposed to then go forward with another mission into Spyra. An investigation into their weapon making capabilities and how to dismantle them," she said.
He hadn't heard anything after 'murdered your own family'. It was in a loop in his head fusing with the song. His eyes were dead on the bureaucrat but nothing she said registered properly on his mind.
Finally, he took a deep breath and placed his hands on the table.
"I'm sorry Councilor, but do you mind repeating your words please,"
She noted the tone in his voice and so did he. He hated sounding like the crying child he'd once been.
"Not at all Captain. Do you remember your assigned mission after the success of the Villager mission in Maagme?"
"That wasn't a success Councilor. I lost too many men and women. Good ones too."
"So you do remember?"
"Yes."
"Good. The Councils, all four of them would like you to proceed with that mission once more,"
Sirius wasn't sure this wasn't a prank of some sort.
"In case you forgot councilor, I'm out of commission,"
"We'll be bringing you in without being recommissioned. A secret mission as it was before, only more off the books."
Didn't sound like a joke to him anymore. In fact it sounded too real for him to even consider it.
"You'd be a free agent answering only to one commander from the Black Council. What do you say?"
He didn't think about it too much.
"What if I don't accept it?" He asked.
There was always something in store with the bureaucrats.
She shook her head.
"That's not an answer councilor,"
"Nothing will happen if you don't take the job. It'll simply go to another soldier," she said.
"Must be a whole lot of disgraced soldiers in Acropolis then. Shouldn't be hard to find someone crazy enough to want to go into the Secret for a mission,"
With that he stood from the chair headed for the door. He wasn't sure it would be opened but he was done with the whole thing. Go into Spyra and investigate. As if he what he needed was a whole month in a city full of biomes purely.
"It's not in Machine City Captain,"
He stopped.
"Where?" He asked.
"The ruined city,"
Sirius turned around to face the Councilor.
"What does Acropolis have to do with that cursed place?" He asked.
"Everything Captain, everything."
Sirius blinked that voice away again unsure of what to do. He definitely didn't want to work for any Council save for the Blue one.
Citadel however, held a key to something or someone he would give anything to send into the Crossworld.
"Who's the response Commander again?"
"A friend of yours, Frank." Faiza said.
She said Frank not Commander Franklin Andres. Which meant Frank had been the one who'd sent her, or at the least, he'd made that recommendation. The two knew each other, Sirius was sure.
He looked for a ring on her fingers but saw none.
"Do you accept Acropolis' call Captain Sirius vin David?" She asked.
Sirius looked away. Citadel's dirty and faded facade came into view and so did his face. He looked down at his arms, the skin there healed and balled his hands into fists.
"Tell Frank to shove it up his arse and open this door,"
With that he turned impatiently towards said door. He had a dinner with the family and needed to get little Dodie a gift.