ODYSSEY (Punishing: Gray Raven X Arknights X OC Characters)

Vol. 4/ Chapter 1: Arkangel

Rhodes Island landship
Babel headquarters
Outskirts of Kazdel

The sound of boots hitting the chrome tiled floor of the landship echoed as the person walking made her way through a four way corridor. Cautious steps made her slow down, glancing to her left and right as she weaved her way in the maze-like hallways.

It was a habit she adopted when she was still home- back on Earth. Walking around the ruined parts of a city, you were more likely to be pounced upon by corrupted ambushes if you're not alert with your surroundings.

Alpha pursed her lips as she passed by a group of crewmen, who gave her curious glances as they went the opposite direction. Based on the grey and black jumpsuits they wore, they must be airmen or pilots. Now that she thought about it, it made her curious on how the air transport here looked like.

"Probably like they had on the golden age of humanity." she told herself.

Navigating her way inside the ark, or so the people- 'operators' - here called it, she wanted to find where the mess hall was. The signs in the walls made it easier for her, although she took her time walking around the landship, burning every detail and walkway in her mind.

It might come in handy, she just doesn't know when.

After all, despite not acknowledging it openly, Alpha was irked by how huge this landship is. The exact levels of the ship might be around four or five levels, give or take, based on her hunch. Still, if they claim to be in the right side of whatever civil war they're into, how come they don't have that large of an army?

All she saw in her eyes were slightly competent amateurs with weapons. Mercenaries, some of which she suspected that are only in for the money and not placing their loyalty to their buyer.

Oh well, what could she even do about it? "It's not like I'll give a moth's eye about them."

Silently shaking the thoughts away, she thumbed the button on the elevator, pressing the number '2' to head towards her destination. But just as Alpha waited for the doors to close, a shrill voice of a female in hurry came from the hallway.

"Oi, wait up!"

Alpha kept her eyes closed-

"W-Why you-, I said wait!!!"

-and pretended not to see, nor hear anything. She just kept spamming for the button so the doors would close, much to the dismay of the person on the other side. She was practically banging on the metal door as it closed on her face. Hearing a plethora of curses and screaming, Alpha snickered.

When the doors opened on the second level of the ark, Alpha immediately got out of the lift and started walking around a bit. It bore the same resemblance; boring, silver white theme and chrome tiled floors. Scanning the signs above every 3 hallways, she learned that this Babel organization has a basement, well, specifically the 1st level.

It was where their ground based transport and armoured vehicles were stored and maintained, as she overheard a conversation between three mercenaries talking about their damaged truck. Apparently, according to what she heard, they 'bumped' into an outpost, presumably an enemy one.

Turning right, after crisscrossing the 2nd level and finally memorizing the layout, Alpha decided it was time to get some food. It wasn't hard to spot- the mess hall- as there were almost double the amount of people hanging around the hallway leading to it's entrance.

As soon as she came into view, the operators and mercs talking outside the facility gave a wide berth as she passed by, their chattering abruptly being cut off by her unexpected appearance. As much as she hated the attention she's getting, her face didn't even twitch.