After Wolfgang opened his mouth again, Richard could feel the competitive blood in his body welling up. Another martial artist eh? Perhaps he can be of more challenge than the others he found in the gym. Unconsciously, he clenched and unclenched his fist, a small smile appearing under his face, but this was not the smile of a teammate sharing a common interest, it was the one of a predator sizing up its next prey. However, the wavering in his voice was not lost on Richard, and he felt a bit of pity for him. The A.W.E company that sponsored him probably controlled his life too much, so he knew nothing more than combat. He was, for all intents and purposes, a puppet for them to test their newest toys. That said, his father often used him as a test subject. Perhaps they were even more alike than he had thought, though he would never admit it. Come to think of it, after his feedback about the FIEND model, Richard’s father became very enthusiastic, saying something about a possible new model. He inwardly rolled his eyes when he heard that. Switching between models was interesting and all, but it affected his specialisation. Way too much.

Sasha’s hobbies were more…interesting to say the least. Unlike the rest of them, she probably had not had a military upbringing, and her little pleasures reflected that. Although trashy books were common to any teenager around their age, especially the military, though for some reason more common with women than men. Men preferred pictures. Dance though. That perplexed him a little for someone who used a heavy machine. If she was so limber and fast enough to dance, then should she not be in a lighter model? Rubbing the stubble on the bottom of his chin, he thought about it for a second. There were several types of dance of course, but he could harly imagine the new Russian doing some…robust style of dancing. It became clear when she said ballet, but that just perplexed him more. She really should have been in a lighter unit…When she mentioned that she would enjoy watching Feurer and him…perform…in future, a small smile appeared on his face. “I think I will enjoy it too, madame,” he said, swapping a quick look with Wolfgang.

Thessalia was next, and her explanation was as blunt as it was succinct. Just as he had suspected, really. Like him though, her eyes were locked on someone else, and her mind was focussing on another person. Stealthily, he cast a glance towards Roman, an arm ready to grab his arm and lock him down under the guise of a friendly back pat. Richard noticed the colour drain away from his face, but there was something there that was usually never there. There was the tiniest tint of confidence in his voice that surprised him. Was he actually…going to introduce himself without being surreptitiously pinned down where he stood? Richard felt a small smile emerging onto his face and a swelling of pride in his breast. Was he finally growing out of his introverted behaviour? The smile disappeared a few seconds later. Or…was Jack just gaining power slowly, but surely. One answer pleased him, the other he had mixed feelings about.

Just as Jack was finally coming out of his shell, a loud booming voice interrupted them from the loudspeaker in the corner. At the loud bark of Landsfeldt, Richard’s head instantly snapped around, and he had to resist the urge to salute the invisible commander. Nevertheless, his back became ramrod straight and his chin was held up high, as if he had a stock collar. After a lack of further speech, Richard wondered if he had just done this to prevent them tearing each other’s throats out in case of emergency, but it came back a second later with a hint of anger in it.

"-uit yer bitchin' already Sa'eed! You can throw a tantrum at Balwin if you want, but g-"

Did he say a hint? He meant seething with anger. Richard didn’t know if the Colonel had meant for them to hear that or not, but either way, the cadets found themselves staring at each other in confusion. It also seemed that this…Sa’eed person would not live a long and comfortable life as long as Landsfeldt was still alive. However long that may be, although it may as well be forever since Richard was already sure most of his organs had been replaced by machines. The man was already a living relic, so he wouldn’t be surprised if by the time Richard died of old age, or war, the Colonel was still alive and kicking.

After the brief bout of silence, the Colonel’s voice came in again, this time, more composed and refined. 

"Ahem... Cadets! I have some good news! Despite some individuals trying to undercut my selection, I managed to get who was and is to be your third new teammate back. She should be arriving at your dorm in a matter of sec- Ah, there she is. Everyone, play nice, and make my work worth it!"

Another teammate? Underneath his sunglasses, he raised an eyebrow. The Colonel really did pull out all the stops didn’t he? He had to wonder who the new person was. It seemed he wouldn’t have to wait long though, with the door opening to reveal their final team member

It appeared that their final team member was of Asian descent, and from the facial structure, he could guess where she was from. SPIRIT dealt with the Chinese companies a lot, mainly for raw materials and mass production, and as such, he had grown up with constantly hearing their language in the halls of the SPIRIT labs. Even so, it all sounded like gibberish to him, apart from a few words which he managed to pick up. And even then, it wasn’t the best pronounced or the most extensive vocabulary. Hell, even his French was better than it, and that was saying something. Then again, he had never had any formal training in the Chinese language. Inwardly, Richard cleared his mind as he realised he was going off topic.

As she gave her little introduction, Richard leaned back in his seat and rubbed his chin. She was part of the original team? With Karl and…what was her name? The other Russian woman? Maroon? He furrowed his brow as he tried to think before realising he was being rude. Either way, that association did not bode well, but the Colonel did say that she would fit well with them, but only time would tell if they really could mesh together as a team. As he tuned back in, he realised that this Hu-Shi girl was listing her hobbies…and they were all so archaic. Apart from cooking. It was nice to have someone else who appreciated the culinary arts. When she opened the box though, a heavenly smell drifted out, dragging Richard by the nostrils. The smell of sweet pastry, slightly melted chocolate and creamy milk. This took him back, all the way back to England, before DEMON was taken over by SPIRIT. His mother would always bake in her spare time, with Richard helping out, or rather, making a nuisance of himself. Come to think of it, that was where he had started cooking too, making biscuits, scones and crumpets. He chuckled. He liked this new one already. 

“Well, it’s always nice to have another chef in the squad,” Richard said as he plucked a biscuit from the box, examining its perfectly rounded shape, before popping it into his mouth. The taste was sweet, but mild, and the pastry crumbled in his mouth after a single bite. He raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t had a biscuit this good in a while. “Hey, you’re good,” he said as he swallowed the mouthful of crumbs, wiping away a few that had made it into the corners of his mouth, “but you know what would make this better? A good cup of tea.” Standing up, Richard dusted his clothes off and tapped the side of his glasses, turning the lenses clear. He no longer needed to hide himself. They were all teammates now after all. Taking another biscuit as he meandered into the kitchen, he popped the larger one into his mouth, holding it there with his lips as he rifled through the cabinets for that tin of tea that he had brought with him. “Would anyone else like some?” he shouted from the kitchen, a little bit muffled from the cookie in his mouth.