There was a sort of odd peace to NLA, sometimes. Sure, there was always the risk of Indigen attacks, or the Ganglion armies marching on the gates, or the many, many, many that arise from a bunch of people all gathering, living and working together. But every so often, everything would line up and a sort of magical, awe-inspiring tranquillity would settle over the city, like a beach at sunrise back back on Earth.
“... Though, come to think of it, why did they make that anti-shock gel stuff smell like salt water...” She muses, nibbling on the strawberry chocolate-chip cookie she saved for desert during her lunch. She knows from experience that the gel does not in fact taste like salt water after one too many missed jumps and impromptu swimming sessions that end in half her team hissing and screaming at her. Still, despite all the dysfunction her team tends to show at times, she still considers them her friends.
“Well,” she says, standing up and stretching out the kinks in her body from sitting so long, “guess it's about time to get back to work.” And, as if on cue, her com device suddenly starts beeping frantically, something that's never a good sign, because it only means one thing. So, with a deep sign, she removes it from her pocket, activating it to be greeted by two cold, blue, and very angry looking eyes.
“Where are you!?” The face on the holographic screen nearly shouts, causing it's recipient to wince at both the volume and tone involved, “Were you hiding away at the test hanger again!?”
“It's my lunch break,” the other shoots back, doing her best to put on a look of disapproval, “so not only is it not your business where I am, I'm free to be wherever I want.” Her blue-eyed teammate looks far more irritated for a second or two, before taking in a deep breath and slowly releasing it.
“Unfortunately your time off appears to be cut short,” she finally says, far calmer, “Commander Vandham has a mission for us. Top priority, and Team Elma is currently running around Oblivia looking for some other thing, so it's fallen to us.”
Ah, yes, the fabled “Elma” and her team, sporting the only person in BLADE younger than herself... well, unless that L guy they brought back before is, like, only fourteen or something, because of some xeno ageing thing... but mechanics was her strong suit, not biology so whatever.
“Has he given any details about what's wrong?” She asks, falling back into her usual team leader role.
“It seems that your other friend's team was sent out to that piece of the Lifehold Team Elma had discovered before those xenos destroyed it. They haven't met their check-in time, so the commander wants to send us out to finish the job, and figure out what happened to the others.”
“Jaune's team?” Well, that was a fairly important problem; Jaune was one of the few people who'd really approached her after they'd both joined up with BLADE. And Pyrrha and Ren were a Reclaimer and Curator respectively, so it would make sense for them to be sent to try and pick up any pieces of the destroyed data storage... But despite Jaune being a bit... off in terms of combat ability, between the four of them, they shouldn't have been wiped out or anything... “Alright, that means we can start our search area from the Sunlit Spring and work our way out. Weiss, grab Yang and Blake and head to point FN219; I'll meet you there.”
“Yes, oh great BLADE General Ruby Rose,” Weiss replies with a bow, “Team Ruby will head off to meet up with it's mighty leader at FN219, while said leader dithers around before meeting up with them when she feels appropriate.” And suddenly, the connection cuts off, Weiss obviously going to grab the two other members of the team.
“But I'm not even old enough to have been in the military...” Ruby grumbles, blinking at the com device, before putting it away and giving her beloved weapon, Crescent Rose, a once over. Having her time off cut short wasn't even really that bad, ultimately; Ruby would never tell anyone, not even her dear sister Yang, but going out into the wilds of Mira and slaying dangerous indigens made her truly feel a sense that above everything else, this was what she was meant to do with her life.
“Well then, partner,” she says, re-holstering Crescent Rose, “guess it's time to do some work.”