117 stood at the edge of the village, watching the sunrise paint the sky in hues of pink and orange. The serenity of the scene contrasted sharply with the constant tension he felt. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching.
"Good morning" Yami said as she walked up to him.
117 looked at her "Good morning, Yami"
"Do you not take your helmet off at times like this? We're pretty safe right now"
"Standard protocol. We're not to take off our helmets or armor in active duty. Even if it's peaceful now"
"I see" Yami stood next to 117 and watched the sunrise as well "How are you and your men finding your time here in our village?"
117 shrugs "It's...Pleasant. It's different than the places we've been"
"What kind of places have you been to so far?"
"Well..." 117 paused for a moment "A lot of war zones"
Yami smiled with an empathetic look "Those must have been terrible places"
"It is"
However, in reality, he doesn't remember what battles or places he has been to so far. Everything before their encounter with Faith was still blurry to him and the other troopers. He decided to keep that a secret from Yami and the other villagers.
"Do you mind if I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Why do you refer to each other with numbers instead of names?"
117 hesitated. It was a question he had been expecting, but it still caught him off guard. "It's how we've always identified ourselves. We don't really have names since our birth"
Yami frowned "Can't you make a name for yourselves? You are more than numbers after all"
As she said that, a voice rang through his head. A younger girl's voice that was familiar to him also said the same thing. Yet he can't seem to remember when she said it. However, there was a sense of hope and knowledge when he remembered those words. After the voice disappeared, he returned to his usual stance and looked at Yami.
"We're Troopers. Our entire life and purpose is to fight on the battlefield and to follow orders. In other words, we are just numbers"
Yami closes her eyes, frowning once again "I see"
"However..." He looks back at the sun "If you want to call me using names instead of numbers, then call me Priad"
She opens her eyes again and looks at 117 with a surprised expression. Noticing this, 117 looks back at her.
"What is it?"
"No...It's just...I thought you couldn't come up with one"
"I never said we couldn't. Still, it might be a while before the others can come up with their own names"
She smiled again "Then I hope they'll think of one as good as yours"
Once again, the name Priad was on his mind. 117 certainly didn't invent that name, but it was Faith who did it. Yet he still doesn't remember when Faith invented it. He knows it wasn't back when she was trying to kill him in the storage bay. Once again, his curiosity about his past with Faith resurfaced.
"117" A trooper walks up to him and calls him from behind.
117 turns around "What is it?"
The trooper answered him with a worried voice "All the scouts have returned. Only 553 were unaccounted for"
117 became worried as well "I just spoke with him several hours ago. Are we being jammed?"
"Negative. Comms are still clear"
"Something must have happened. Get a squad ready, we're going to look for him!"
The trooper nodded and ran to the others. 117 then looks back at Yami "Sorry we had to cut this short. I have to look for him"
Yami gave a reassuring smile "Of course. Best of luck, Priad"
117 nodded before heading off to join the rest of his men. Within minutes, 117 and a small team of troopers were moving through the dense forest, their senses alert for any sign of 553 or danger.
After what felt like hours of searching, they found signs of a struggle—a split rock here, a disturbed patch of earth there. "Looks like there was a fight here" 117 said, kneeling to examine the ground. There was a blood trail on the ground that's already been dried up "I think he went this way. Come on"
They followed the trail further until they heard faint sounds of movement ahead. 117 signaled for his men to spread out and move quietly. They approached a small clearing where they found 553, barely conscious, leaning against a tree with his armor battered and poured out of his chest.
"553!" 117 rushed to his side, removing 553's helmet and checking him for injuries. "What happened?"
553 coughed, wincing from the pain. "Ambush... an Armenthian warrior. She's pretty strong"
"Looks like she did quite a damage. Don't worry, we'll get you back to the village and patched up"
"No" 553 groaned "The Armenthian... Didn't do this... There was someone else. It was... Faith"
117 widens his eyes "What?"
"Yeah. It looks like she found someone to help her out.... The Armenthian is strong... But I managed to wound her. Her name is... Riu Tanaka"
"Tanaka" 117 began to think about Yami, who had the same last name as Riu. But then return his attention to 553, prioritizing what's at present first "Tell me more about it later. Right now, we'll help you get back"
As they helped 553 to his feet, 117 couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He scanned the surrounding trees but saw nothing. "Let's move, quickly and carefully" he ordered.
They began the trek back to the village, carrying 553 with them and moving carefully through the forest.