Jonathan entered the training room and walked toward the different tables with weapons carefully prepared. He looked into the distance at Doug gathering the agents into their assigned groups.
In fact, shortly before the armament list for the units was issued, he contacted the department to request specific weapons he wished to carry.
The last time he fought a physical anomaly, its skin had been too hard to be penetrated deeply enough to cause real damage to that monster. Therefore, weapons created by the best weapons companies in the world were sent under the supervision of the Association.
When Doug gathered all the agents from the units, Jonathan picked up a Desert Eagle .50 AE and showed it to the people in front of him. "For the past year, the soldiers who have faced dark entities have complained about the demands regarding weapon selection."
Jonathan looked at everyone and said, "Not only did we have to consider the urban field in which we face dark entities, but we also had to take into account that we are not facing humans wearing bulletproof vests."
"We needed greater firepower than usual, so we were sent this: the Desert Eagle .50… Unlike the .500 Magnum, the Desert Eagle .50 AE has less recoil, greater magazine capacity, and above all, it is a semi-automatic pistol. Which, in short, makes it easier to use at the most crucial moments when facing an anomaly. However, when it comes to raw power, the .500 Magnum is more powerful."
"Considering the fact that the Desert Eagle .50 is not comfortable for everyone, the Arsenal AF-1 Strike One pistol fits our requirements. With a capacity of 17 rounds (9mm), this pistol will also be in service."
Leaving the pistols on the table, Jonathan pointed to the shotgun on the rack.
"The MP-150 Ultima shotgun is a smart shotgun designed to synchronize with personal gadgets, with enough technology to record everything in HD and access its videos from external devices. It is compatible with 12/76 mm cartridges. It is a semi-automatic shotgun with individual loading, so the shooter will have to insert the shells one by one into the interior, but afterward will not have to use a manual pump mechanism to fire them. Its effective range is between 50–70 meters." Jonathan passed the weapon to Doug so he could show it.
Then, he pointed to the rack with two specific designs, the P90 IR/P90 LB.
"It is the best submachine gun for urban combat and engagements in very confined spaces. Due to the problem of dark entities, this weapon is ideal for fighting anywhere."
Everyone looked attentively at the P90 LB with its mounted optic. The perfect weapon for urban engagements, surpassing the MP5 in lethality and penetration.
The X-M5 rifle will replace the M4 rifle, and the XM250 machine gun will replace the famous M249 SAW machine gun. From now on, they will be referred to as the M5 rifle and the M250 machine gun within the agent units.
Due to the need for better penetration, the MP5 rifle and the M250 machine gun will provide significant improvements in accuracy, range, and overall lethality. They are also lightweight, fire more lethal ammunition, mitigate recoil, and provide better barrel performance, including integrated reduction of muzzle noise and muzzle flash.
Their ammunition will be 6.8 mm, surpassing the 5.56 mm used by the previous weapons.
Therefore, the Order had to build a special facility to produce 6.8 mm ammunition, which will be ready in the early years to come.
"These two new weapons, exclusively for special containment forces against dark entities around the world, use the XM157 optical sight, which offers a laser rangefinder, intelligent target acquisition, a ballistic calculator, invisible infrared lasers, and unparalleled visual quality."
"I want you to be aware: you must always stay focused during incursions. If you hesitate even once to pull the trigger, your heads will be the ones rolling on the ground." Jonathan had to be clear on this point. It was impossible to get used to the new sensation of standing in front of new recruits. Even though he had already led teams to eliminate dark entities, everything was advancing so fast that he could not even notice the small details.
He was not exactly sure what was happening with the dark entities in the world, turning his perspective into a constant torment, trying to be useful in some way when the bomb explodes.
In the eyes of the new Order agents, Jonathan was a powerful soldier with experience and an innate ability to eliminate dark entities.
However, only Jonathan knew that deep in his heart he felt respect—respect for failure and nervousness at the possibility of losing lives in future incursions.
Jonathan was not blind; he knew that losses throughout incursions were inevitable. However, he would make sure to train and prevent unnecessary deaths.
"Remember that all of you are protected by a secret law of the nation. No matter what happens, as long as you belong to the Order, you can move freely and be exempt from the laws." Jonathan looked at Doug and gave the signal to continue with the program.
From beginning to end, everyone paid close attention to Jonathan's words.
According to the little information they had, the man in front of them was a Guardian. He belonged to one of the most powerful groups of Exorcists who faced dark entities, a soldier who might be required in different parts of the country in the future.
Therefore, they knew that the only thing they should pay special attention to were the orders and words of the Guardian.
"In the field, rank does not matter completely. You are agents, and I am your superior. The teams have been assigned; you will follow the orders of your respective superiors." Jonathan looked at his smart tablet and nodded when he saw that everything had been explained in the best possible way.
Finally, it was Doug's turn to take control of the situation. Seeing that Jonathan had finished speaking, he stepped forward and said, "Agents! Your weapons and equipment are here. Begin training and adapting to the gear of your choice!"
"Salute!" The soldiers saluted Jonathan and quickly moved to the firing range. Everyone was focused, moving rapidly to their assigned training locations.
When everyone had disappeared, Jonathan walked over to Doug and asked, "You'll be spending more time with them. What do you think the outcome will be?"
"Sir, some of the new recruits understand the depth of the monsters we face. If you allow me to say so, many of them will probably die," Doug replied, almost as if he understood Jonathan's thoughts. "However, they were selected for this division. In the end, it all depends on the type of anomaly we face."
Jonathan nodded in acknowledgment. "Even if we had a year to train, none of that will matter once they have an anomaly in front of them. Prepare the team; we may have to act much sooner than expected."
"Yes, sir. I'll have the team ready for the upcoming incursions." Doug withdrew to the firing range to make sure everything proceeded quickly.
"We'll have to push ourselves harder than usual…" Jonathan watched Doug move quickly toward the firing range.
According to his connections, he knew that the base he was in was both the strongest and the weakest at the same time. Doug and Alpha Team were the best he had been given; the other teams had barely managed to pass the initial exam to belong to the Order.
All of this was due, according to his speculation, to the government choosing to secure other cities with experienced soldiers and leaving this city in the hands of newly experienced agents.
Based on appearance rates, dark entities did not appear only in urban areas; they usually remained along the coasts and in small towns.
"We're running out of time…" Jonathan shook his head. He needed to get in touch with logistics to find out what the new programs for incursions were.