Later
"Tojeopardizeat conflicts between info brokers could jeopardize Soldier 11's mission..." Wise mutters as he hears Trigger's and Caelus Team's conversation.
"Luckily, we got two reliable allies to take care of the issue," Belle exclaims.
"That's only the surface of the issue," Wise says with a frown. "Our Mr. Mole had suspected Soldier 11, and he even planted spies to observe her every movement, expecting her to expose herself unintentionally. That means no matter what, the person won't trust her enough to let her see the rebel's leader."
"...that's truly an issue." Belle frowns. "Is there a way to ease her mission? Because right now, I can't help but feel a bit helpless."
"Mr. 'Phaethon.' " Soldier 11 calls through her comm. "Can you hear me? Is something wrong?"
"Ah, sorry about that," Wise says apologetically as he turns on the comm. "I was busy checking if someone was tailing us. I fear Mr. Mole isn't trustworthy enough to leave us alone."
"That's good," Soldier 11 nods at the screen. "I suppose once a traitor, always a traitor..."
Wise and Belle glance at each other with concern. Soldier 11's tone suggests a strong dislike for traitors, which appears to be deeply personal to her. They decided not to question it and continued with their mission.
"Is there anything else required, Mr. Mole?" Soldier 11 unknowingly started calling the rebels' hacker, which startles both Wise and Belle as she hadn't even told them her plan.
"A-ah...y-yes, great job." Mr. Mole stammers a bit, and Wise didn't need a detective skill to predict he's panicking over losing his spies. "I-I must say, the speed and precision of completing this mission is top-notch."
"Why, thank you," Wise says, trying to be as smug as he can.
"Wise, being arrogant doesn't suit you at all," Belle deadpans, causing Wise to guffaw while Trigger, Caelus, and Phil can't help but laugh.
"Geez, spoilsport..." Wise grumbles quietly.
"Is there anything else we need to do to prove ourselves?" Soldier 11 asks with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"F-for now, there won't be any. I-I've seen enough..." Mr. Mole stammers. "I-I'll try to contact you once we get a mission. For now, get some rest."
With that, Mr. Mole had turned off the communicator while Soldier 11 stood there in silence. Then, she reaches the communicator on her ear and contacts Wise.
"Thank you for your hard work. Now, please, get some rest, Proxy." Wise and Belle can't help but be concerned by how Soldier 11 had addressed them. Whenever she addressed him, it was by his fake name that she tended to butcher, displaying her forgetfulness. Now, she simply calls him Proxy.
Her hatred towards the traitor clearly had affected her, and from her situation, it doesn't seem good. As he watches Soldier 11 leaves the Hollow, the store's door is open while Caelus, Phil, and Trigger enter the store.
"Well, that was a successful mission..." Caelus trails off before noticing both Wise's and Belle's expressions. "Is something wrong?"
"It's Soldier 11," Belle says in a concerned tone. "She seems...angry."
"...did she notice us?" Caelus asks weakly while Phil starts to hug Caelus's leg out of fear.
"No. She doesn't seem to notice either of you." Wise dismisses their worries. "But...it seems when I mention being suspicious that Mr. Mole might plant spies to tail her, she seems to... react strongly. Her tone has a hint of cold anger..."
"Ah..." Trigger seems to understand what Wise is saying as she looks concerned as well.
"Do you know what had happened, Charon?" Belle asks.
"...even now, you two still care about your clients, no matter who they are." Trigger says with a soft smile. "Unfortunately, I do. But, I can't tell you much about it since this is Soldier 11's secret to tell. I have no right to spill it to anyone, even if you're an old friend of mine."
"...understood," Wise nods in understanding.
"Guys, you two really need to hide," Belle says as she looks at the store's security camera showing Soldier 11 arriving at the parking lot behind the store. "She's here."
"Crud!" Caelus and Phil immediately walk out of the store through the front door, which earns an amused huff from Trigger before she joins in.
Wise and Belle watch through the camera as Trigger approaches Soldier 11. They talk for a few minutes before they leave the parking lot and from the direction they walk towards, it seems their destination is the Waterfall Soup.
"That was close." Wise and Belle yelp in shock as they see Caelus and Phil hide inside the store, specifically behind the front door.
"You guys are really gonna give us a heart attack," Belle exclaims as Caelus and Phil at least have the decency to look sheepish. "Geez, you two truly are two peas in the same pod."
"What!?!" Phil looks completely offended as he points his paw accusingly at Caelus. "Me?!! Acting like him!?! No way, you must have seen things!"
"Geez, you don't have to say it like it's a bad thing," Caelus grumbles, which earns a dry stare from everyone. "...wow, feeling the love, everyone."
"So, what are you guys still doing here?" Wise asks in confusion.
"Got a message earlier from Trigger before she tries to distract her fellow soldier to calm her by treating her to some spicy noodles," Caelus says. "She requests us to stay for a moment before she returns, saying she might need to discuss a few things involving the mission."
"I don't feel like this is a good thing," Phil frowns. "From how she sounds, it seems there will be a huge danger."
"...I say that Soldier 11 might get impatient and try to speedrun this mission, trying to put Mr. Mole behind bars as quickly as possible," Caelus says, getting their attention.
"...what makes you believe that?" Belle asks.
"The first clue is how she acts when she's angry. Both Phil and I were victims earlier, and we don't think we might be intact if not for Trigger." Caelus says as everyone sweatdrops. "Second, her anger towards the traitor. She was very eager with her role, doing anything she can to get close to Mr. Mole as quickly as possible. And let's not forget she literally contacted Mr. Mole without telling you guys about it. I mean, you guys are her partner-in-crime; she should've at least discussed it with you. She shows her impatient nature, and amplifies with her rage, it's a recipe for disaster."
'And let's not forget it's how she acts during the Agent Story,' Caelus thought.
"...she won't do that, will she?" Belle asks doubtfully.
"...unfortunately, it seems that she will." Wise had to agree with Caelus since the proofs are there.
"By my calculation and observation, the probability of Ms. Soldier 11 hastily trying to catch the mole is 95.76%." Fairy chimes in.
"What about the rest of the 4.24%?" Caelus asks while raising his eyebrow. Wise honestly didn't expect Caelus of all people to be good at quick math, but then again, he shows a lot of progress at fixing the old W-Engine.
Wise thinks he should stop doubting Caelus' intelligence so much, but his antics really made things hard.
"That 4.24% is the probability of our lovely Ms. Charon successfully convincing Soldier 11 to slow down and stick to the original plan." Fairy says before pausing. "...Make that 0%. Ms. Charon has yet to get through the thick head of a perfect super soldier."
"Bruh," Caelus deadpans as everyone sweatdrops. It took a few moments before they heard a knock on the door. Caelus and Phil glance at Wise and Belle, who nod before they open the door, revealing Trigger, who seems concerned and exhausted.
"I take it you tried to convince her to calm down and stick to playing the long game to catch the mole, but you failed," Caelus says as Trigger looks surprised.
"...how did you figure it out?" Trigger asks, honestly surprised.
"Soldier 11's concerning behavior," Caelus says.
"Super AI counting probabilities and watching you guys," Belle says in a dry tone.
"Your exhaustion," Wise adds.
"...so, AI it is," Trigger says as everyone sweatdrops. "Yes, Soldier 11 seems to be determined to capture the mole. Nothing seems to convince her."
"...can you tell us when she might contact us?" Wise asks.
"Tomorrow," Trigger says with a sigh as everyone glances at each other.
"...wow, she's really impatient," Phil comments offhandedly.
"Don't be rude," Caelus says with a frown, earning a deadpan glare from Phil.
"Unfortunately, this is how she reacts whenever a traitor is involved. She is very eager to do such a mission." Trigger says while rubbing her forehead and facing Phil and Caelus. "I' really sorry, but I might need to change some of our terms. I plan on increasing the reward as well."
"Say less," Caelus and Phil say in serious tone, their shamelessness printed right all over their faces. Belle groans while smacking her face hard while Wise shakes his head in amusement.
".. thank you," Trigger says honestly. Sure, she notices their shamelessness as well, but since she has better senses than average humans, she could notice a hint of concern and desire to help.
People might think she was delusional, but Trigger knows otherwise.
"So, what time does she plan on contacting our favorite mole?" Caelus asks before pausing. "...okay, something has been bothering me so much. Does anyone feel like calling that bastard a mole feels like insulting such an adorable and lovable creature?"
"...I'm not sure lovable is the right word, but yes. Calling that guy a mole feels like a compliment rather than an insult." Wise says seriously, earning a laugh from Trigger and Belle.
"As much as I agree with you all, let us focus on the mission." Trigger says. "As for your question, Caelus. She will start contacting the traitor around 8-9. She might be eager, but she's serious when being a soldier, so she will take her time to get some good night's sleep and take care of her gear."
"...that early?" Caelus groans, earning snorts from Belle.
"So, not much of a morning person?" Belle teases.
"...I don't want to hear that from someone with a pair of eyebags huge enough to hang a fancy-looking handbag," Caelus deadpans, earning an indignant yell from Belle. "Alright, I guess I should take my leave for an early commission."
"Once again, thank you for accepting the request." Trigger says honestly as Caelus and Phil nod.
"Don't mention it," They say in unison before leaving the store.
To be Continued