- Oliver -

  Wiz regarded him calmly. "Rest assured, this isn't an immediate deployment," he said. "There will be a six-month train period. That's part of the reason General Stewart is here. You'll be undergoing interaining with the Sixth Division."

  "Sixth Division?" Oliver asked with a note of fusion in his voice.

  "Stewart will provide more detailed information ter," Wiz assured him. "Don't worry—you’re not being transferred or demoted. This will be a specialized mission that requires unique skills and precise trol."

  "Yes, sir." Oliver didn't know what else to ask ue. At the end of the day, he was just relieved they hadn't discovered he was the Green Ranger.

  "You'll have oo settle any pending affairs," Stewart added. "During your training and mission, you won't have external tact. I don't o tell you that this mission is cssified and shouldn't be discussed with anyone."

  "Uood, sir," Oliver replied firmly. He didn't doubt there might be some boon or teology capable of dising truths from lies, and just because they weren't using it now didn't mean they wouldn't iure. Therefore, he wasn't about to start breaking the rules without a good reason. To anyone else, he would simply be going on a research mission that would make unication tough.

  As he stood to leave, Stewart slid a metallic card across the table toward him. "You'll his," the general said.

  Oliver picked up the card and exami.

  | Training Camp| Teleport Code: MJH881

  He spent a moment staring at the metallic card, uain about the meaning of both phrases, but he decided to leave it be. ‘The teleport operator will know what to do with this,’ he thought.

  "Report to any teleportation hub at 0600 hours Monday," Stewart instructed. "Dismissed."

  "Yes, sir," Oliver aowledged, giving a crisp salute before exiting the room.

  Finally released from the meeting, he stepped into the corridor. A few officers nodded reeted him as they passed, but he was too focused on the o trate on anything else. His thoughts swirled with a mix of apprehension and anticipation.

  His body moved almost automatically as he navigated the maze of hallways, desding lifts, and bustling lobbies. Before he k, he was back at the station, b the maglev train that would take him home. The rhythmic hum of the train and the blur of city lights outside the window did little to soothe his restless mind.

  "Fug hell," he muttered under his breath. "I don't get a sed of rest."

  His muscles ached, a lingering reminder of his ret recovery and the relentless pace he'd been pushing himself. And now, he had only a week to prepare before diving into six months of interaining with one of the Empire's elite divisions.

  ‘I only have oo get everything ready,’ he thought, running a hand through his hair.

  The train glided to a halt at his stop. Oliver disembarked, weaving through the evening crowd. He made his way through familiar streets until he reached his house. As soon as he entered, Oliver let out a long exhale, the weight of the day pressing upon him. He walked straight to his sofa, colpsing onto it.

  Without much time to rest, Oliver opehe chat interfa his Gau.

  els

  - Exam1Group [4] [Private]

  Exam1Group

  [OliverKR]: Hey Kath. When will Johurn?

  [KathSaysH: week. Why?

  [OliverKR]: I o talk to him. It’s urgent, ’t wait until week.

  [KathSaysH: Sure, I’ll speak to him.

  [OliverKR]: Please tell him it’s about that assig.

  [KathSaysH: Oh! Sure.

  [AquiAn]: Assig?

  [OliverKR]: Long story. I’ll tell you aime.

  [OliverKR]: Also! Wele back to the world of the living!

  [AquiAn]: Thanks.

  [OliverKR]: You should also go to Mars when you get released. It’s AMAZING.

  [AquiAn]: Sure. May I, Kath?

  [KathSaysH: Of course.

  As soon as he sent the st message, another notification chimed, drawing his attention to a different chat.

  Direct Message

  - NicoI [4 New Messages]

  NicoI

  [NicoI]: Hey! Are you still oh?

  [OliverKR]: I just got home. But was going to Earth anyway.

  [NicoI]: Great! Let's meet; I’m in New York till the end of the week.

  [OliverKR]: Sure, I’ll message you when I arrive.

  Closing the chat, Oliver moved swiftly. He headed upstairs to the sed flrabbed a backpack, and began pag his clothes and uniforms. His movements were methodical yet hurried; time was of the essence. Once he was ready, he ehe house was secured, log the doors with his Gau.

  ‘Only God knows when I'll be back,’ he thought, casting o look around what should be his home. ‘I only got to use it for like two weeks.’ He turned away, striding toward the spaceport.

  From there, he would catch a ship to the y equipped with a teleportation hub. The memory of his previous voyage surfaced in his mind.

  ‘Last time, it took almost a whole day,’ Oliver grimaced, the thought of enduring the lengthy journey agaihan appealing.

  Just as he anticipated, the trip ed nearly aire day. The hum of the ship's ehe endless stretches of star-speckled void outside the viewport, and the sterile corridors all blended into a monotonous passage of time.

  When he finally materialized in the heart of New York City, courtesy of the teleportation hub, exhaustion g to him like a heavy cloak. The city pulsed with energy—hover vehicles weaved between t skyscrapers, holographic adverts flickered and danced in the air, and crowds of people moved with purpose along the walkways. Yet, despite the profound ges over the st hundred years, there was an undercurrent of familiarity that resonated with him.

  ‘Some things ruly ge,’ he mused, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

  Thankfully, he had the fht to reserve a hotel room before leaving Pals. Navigating through the bustling streets, he finally arrived at the sleek, modern building. Che was swift, and soon he was riding the lift to his floor. The doors opeo a quiet hallway, and he found his room at the end—a sanctuary awaiting his weary form.

  However, this wasn't the time to indulge in the role of a tourist. There would be no leisurely strolls through tral Park or visits to the test gallery exhibits. Not yet.

  Entering his room, Oliver barely took in the minimalist decor before dropping his bags and colpsing onto the invitihe mattress ed to his body, relieving some of the tension stored in his muscles.

  ‘300 credits for a first-css flight and 150 credits for the room. It’s worth every penny.’ At aime, Oliver might have felt sad about the money he had to spend, but being able to rest was worth everything at the moment.

  ‘Tomorrow, I'll meet with Nico,’ he reminded himself, eyes drifting shut. ‘And then I head to Mars.’

  When Oliver finally awoke, the sun was already streaming through the expansive windows of his hotel room. ‘I really hat,’ he thought, stretg nguidly. ‘Only God knows when I'll have another peaceful night like this.’

  Rising from the bed, he gazed out at the panoramic view before him. New York City sprawled beh. The metropolis seemed i on toug the heavens now, eaew skyscraper pierg higher into the clouds tha.

  Far below, drones zipped along in anized aerial nes, leaving ephemeral trails of light as they ferried goods across the city. A gentle hum apaheir flight—a stant buzz like tireless bees tending to a vast, urban hive.

  Just beh his window, the Hudson River shimmered, dotted with floating ptforms and automated boats gliding along its surface. In the distance, bridges ected the bhs—now fortified with sor panels and maginels eling ultra-fast trains. Watg the sleek trains accelerate along their tracks, Oliver was reminded of his scheduled meeting with Nico.

  He quickly donned his uniform, adjusting the colr as he checked his refle. Satisfied, he set out toward the bar where Nico had sent the coordinates. ‘Why do we always meet at a bar?’ Oliver mused, though he khe answer all too well.

  Sure enough, as he ehe bar’s ground floor, he spotted Niediately. The man’s straight hair was carelessly cut, strands falling over his eyes as he leaned over the ter, gesturing animatedly for another bottle.

  "e on, Jack! You've known me for years," Nico excimed loudly, a familiar camaraderie evident in his tone. "Just one more bottle, and I swear I'll be on my best behavior."

  “Fuck you, Nico! You know my name’s not Jack.” The barman screamed back.

  "Weren't you supposed to have stopped drinking?" Oliver interjected, approag the bar with a raised eyebrow.

  Nico swiveled around, eyes widening slightly as he reized his protégé. His expression was a mix of sheepish guilt and defiance—caught red-handed. "Damn," Niuttered under his breath. "Just my luck."

  He shrugged nontly. "I'm just celebrating making it out of Olympus alive. That's gotta be worth something, right?" Nico poio the medal pio his jacket, the metal gleaming uhe ambient lights.

  Oliver g the decoration. "Where's yours?" Nico asked.

  "Left it at home," Oliver replied. "An officer brought it over, but I haven't had time to look at it."

  Nico let out a hearty ugh. "First mission in the field, and you've already got a medal. Only you would think so little of these honors."

  Both of them spent some time discussing how things had gone in Olympus, fog mostly on Nico's participation in two tough defenses.

  "I—" Nico began to speak softly, moving closer to Oliver. "I don’t know why they’re pursuing the Green Ranger like this. But without a doubt, we wouldn’t be alive if he hadn’t shown up to stop some of the Titans."

  "So, you’re saying he’s not an enemy?" Oliver asked, trying to keep a straight face. But deep down, he wao ugh at the idea of talking about himself ihird person.

  "In a war, it’s hard to tell who’s a friend and who’s an enemy. But without him, Half Wall would have fallen for sure," Nico expined.

  Oliver nodded in agreement."And now? Are you going back to basic training?" Nico asked.

  "No. I’ve already been assigned a seission," Oliver replied.

  "Already?!" Nico paused, thinking. "It must be something easy if they’re not even giving you time between missions."

  "Hey! My first mission was supposed to be easy," Oliver defended himself. "I’ll have time to train, but it’ll be focused on the mission."

  "What’s it about?" Nico asked.

  "I ’t say," Oliver responded.

  Nico studied Oliver’s fad uood it was something highly cssified."One of those missions, huh? What a pain," Nico said.

  "And you? Have you been assigo a new location?" Oliver asked, curious about Olympus’s situation.

  "Not yet. But I don’t think it’ll be in Olympus. The Tenth Wave is in a deadlock," Nico expined. "Maybe I’ll train some of the Dardanus."

  "Speaking of which, how did you stop being a Nameless?"

  AnnouI just released a ory and would love if you'd check it out. ??

  The Crime Lord Bard