Conference room, Spectre HQ, London. Afternoon.
The room was empty, for the most part. Hidden from the other guild members of Spectre, this specific meeting place was closed off and entirely private for use by executives within the guild's ranks. This meant only those with Captain and Co-Captain status had access and knowledge of the room. From Charlemagne's word, had he asked the captains of the five squadrons to report alone at exactly 12 o'clock. Half an hour past, he sat by himself, idly sipping his tea at the long wooden table that was roughly the size of the room.
The silence was broken by a creaking door, emerging from which was the captain of squadron five, Kuina Masutomo.
"Ah, good to see you, Miss Masutomo. How is your afternoon?"
"Good. I've been tending to some business. Do forgive my tardy." The woman replied, her silky voice giving an air of profound delicate ness.
The woman was of average height and size. Most could describe her as toned and curvy in all the right places; a spectacle to the male eye. Her other physical features highlighted this natural beauty more, with her long light lavender locks of hair and the eyes to match. She had a soft face with fair, clear skin. She always wore a very modest uniform, consisting of a dark colored skirt and corresponding top. Out of everyone in the guild, she certainly dressed and acted the most normal. Striding over to the small tray beside the table, Kuina quickly fixed herself a cup of tea.
"Please, Captain, have a seat. I'll make it for you. What do you want in it?" Charlemagne insisted.
"Why thank you, Charlie. The usual is fine." Kuina replied lightly, setting herself down on her spot of the table. The next to enter shortly after was Rodger Lockwood, captain of the second squadron.
"I got up late, my apologies. Will Maddox be joining us?" Rodger barged in, practically kicking the door open with no regard as a cloud of smoke trailed from his lips, in which a thick brown cigar sat. He spoke with a loud, thick, slightly raspy voice that echoed through the room.
Rodger was a thin yet tall young man with a firm, sturdy build and a full head of blonde ruffled hair. His eyes were a deep sea blue, but in the light seemed to appear brighter. His Complexion was rather light, his face and skin chalked with barely noticeable scars. As for his wardrobe, Rodger dressed in a long black trench coat that trailed all the way down to the top of his black boots. He wore a heavy brown leather vest that was mostly bullet resistant, with a few pouches for weapon magazines and a chest holster for a steam pistol, which was noticeably missing from the reserved spot. On his hands rested a pair of black fingerless gloves where a weapon would normally be positioned. Around his neck, a pair of goggles hung.
"I know you're one for big entrances, Captain Rodger, but we can not afford to replace any more doors. You're not on mission, you don't need to damage property! And to answer your question, no. He has some very tight work to tend to at the moment, so I'll be speaking on his behalf." Charlemagne scolded lightly.
"Sorry, Charlie. Doors are a bore. They get in the way. You know what I do to things that get in my way? Shoot them. Or kick them. Mostly shoot them. But I'm unarmed right now. So I kick them. That's my motto." Rodger explained, taking a seat across from Kuina as he mashed the butt of his cigar in the ashtray resting upon the tabletop.
"Afternoon, Kuina. I take it you've been up early?" Rodger asked, kicking his feet up on the table as he rested his body, placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed state.
"As usual. I've always been an early riser." Kuina responded merrily.
"Oi Charlie, can you warm me up a bit o' that tea? How it comes, please." Rodger asked.
"Yes, Captain. One moment." Charlemagne reassured, setting Kuina's cup beside her on the table. As Charlemagne swerved back to the small counter beside the table, another head peaked from the door. It was Zatoichi Hiwabara, captain of the third squadron.
"Well, here comes another hour wasted of my time. I could be training right now." Zatoichi began, his strong posture and intimidating appearance always brought an air of fear and unsettling nature to the scene.
He was a rather cut, muscular man, but not overly big in his size like Oxford. He was clean cut, of average height and size, yet still impressive in his build. He had long black hair done in a tail behind his head, The sides shaved to the scalp. He wore thin, black circle lense glasses that resembled those a blind person would wear, resting on the bridge of his nose. Behind the glasses rested a pair of sharp, icy gray eyes that stared onward forever. On his ears, small black dots were pressed into his lobes, a traditional earring piece he was never seen without. His casual getup composed of a tight fitting black shirt that gave full display of his ripped upper body. He wore black training pants that were quite baggy, secured with a white waistband. Like Rodger, he wore the same color fingerless gloves that gave good grip and mobility to his hands, something that was invaluable in combat scenarios. For his feet, thin white socks were wrapped around, secured by traditional black Japanese sandals.
"C'mon, Zato. You can't be pent up in that little dojo of yours all day training." Rodger poked, taking a long swig from his tea, disregarding how piping hot it was.
"I have a reputation to uphold. My strength is everything to me. If I can keep my skills in check, I have no reason to be here." Zatoichi replied coldly. The X shaped scar on his left cheek glistened in the gaslight, which was placed firmly in the middle of the long conference table.
"Whatever. Take some time off, you'll give those bulging muscles of yours a break." Rodger joked.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, kid. Don't try it with me." Zatoichi responded harshly. Rodger, who was used to this, simply ignored Hiwabara's snappy dialogue.
The next captain to enter was the loved and respected Fredrick Driscoll, better known as his immortalized name—Freed. The blood red haired man walked into the room with sheer dominance and confidence to the bone, his hair done in a frilled yet composed way, slightly slicked back with spikes peeking up on the top and back. He was very similar to Zatoichi in frame and build, muscular and ripped with lots of definition. He wore an open leather coat with plain white tee shirt under. His khaki trousers had pouches adjusted to the exterior, made to hold steam cartridges for his full body system. He wore brown combat boots and a white bandana around his neck, which was a perfect mask to conceal his persona in a mission.
As for his facial features, they were all jagged and sharp—from his eyes to his nose and even his chin. He had a warm and endearing smile that seemed to make those around him want to start conversation or respond with a grin of their own. Despite his strong yet intimidating appearance, Freed had an air of open welcoming to him. He was well respected for this reason alone, by a great deal of people within the guild.
"Afternoon! Good to see everyone today. We really don't meet enough." Freed noted, giving a warm smile to the captains.
"Good to see ya too, Freddy. You're in high spirits, as always." Rodger smiled back, raising his cup of tea. Freed never went by his real name or anything else, to anyone. But It was commonplace for his fellow captains to call him Freddy, a name he didn't mind hearing from those of similar influence and position.
"I slept well last night. Had a good breakfast, worked a bit on my techniques, swung by my wife's house for some coffee and supplies. I'm quite well. And you, Miss Masutomo? I take it you're enjoying today as well." Freed said cheerily.
"Yes, it's a beautiful day. I've been hard at work ever since dawn, but I'm glad I've taken the time to finally sit down and breathe in the fresh air. Plus, Charlie's tea is always a must." Kuina replied, giving Freed her own minimalistic smile that showed her genuine glee towards him.
"Ah yes, I can't forget Charlemagne's famous tea! Got any left in the kettle, Charlie?" Freed asked, his booming cheery voice echoing just as loud as Rodger's.
"Always, Freed. I make sure when I hold these meetings to brew extra. You have all always been a thirsty lot." Charlemagne said with a shrill laugh at the tail end of his sentence.
Freed took his seat next to Rodger, awaiting his drink from Charlemagne beside him.
"G'day, Zato. I'm surprised. Did they bribe you to come here? You're always awfully busy training. Never seen you on any kind of break." Freed said.
"I don't want to be here right now. Let's get on with this meeting already." Zatoichi hissed, staring down at the table.
"We can begin as soon as Captain Tanaka shows up." Charlemagne said, setting Freed's tea on the table.
"Of course Tanaka's late. That wanker couldn't show up on time to save his own life." Rodger insulted Takeshi lightly.
"Yes, But he could if it was a partner's on the line instead of his. He'd be here in a heartbeat." Kuina retorted.
"So quick to defend him. You sure you're not seeing him in any way? You two have always been awfully close." Rodger pried.
"No. We are just childhood friends. I have a lot of trust and respect for him, that is all." Kuina explained.
Just as she finished her sentence, the captain of the fourth squadron appeared from the doorway, slowly making his way to his chair as he smiled mischievously.
"Sorry for being late, everyone. A few of my squad mates got in a tussle...I had to break it up, naturally." Takeshi explained, taking a seat next to Kuina.
"Don't tell me that Cutter is causing trouble again." Kuina said, turning towards him.
"When is he not? I can put up with him, personally. Oxford and Akemi aren't too fond of him, though." Takeshi went on.
"I can talk to Maddox about the matter. If the issues still stand, we can have him transferred to another squad or have him operate solo." Charlemagne budged into the conversation, setting a cup of tea at Takeshi's front.
"He's a good asset to our team and worth the trouble he makes. Sure he's not the kindest or the most thoughtful, but he's not all bad. He's certainly smarter and more composed than what most people give him credit for." Takeshi defended, taking a long sip from his drink.
"I suppose." Kuina accepted.
"Ahem. Everyone is present, therefore we can proceed with the meeting. With that said, allow me to bring up the matters we are to discuss. You are free to interject anytime to contribute your thoughts. Here is on our agenda today." Charlemagne began, standing before the table of captains.
It was going to be a long afternoon.