The freeport's modest canteen had slowly started filling up as hired muscle and former Colors alike arrived. The random mercenaries and assorted glory-seekers gathered around the bar, exchanging exaggerated stories with each other in efforts to impress. Olivia's former colleagues instead huddled around a few tables in the back, catching up with one another after years apart. Olivia was glad to see them all; the old close-quarters team Ocher, Cyan, and Violet; the brothers Teal and Sage; the medic, Turquoise and the pilot, Amber. Their feelings towards her, however, were clearly muted.
She understood why. After the last job Pedro had made them do for him, she had been the first to quit the company, leaving the others to deal with the aftermath on their own. The only reason any of them had come at all was, likely, because they chose to follow Blue's call, not hers. Olivia had, however, hoped that more would heed it. With Blue, Maroon, and herself, there were twelve Colors. Nonetheless, she expressed her heartfelt gratitude to those former brothers- and sisters-in-arms who had come.
"So, we're really going after the old son of a dog?" Teal muttered in his gruff voice. A strand of long, black hair fell into his face, obscuring one of his blue-green eyes. The other stared at Olivia intently.
She nodded slowly.
"That's the plan."
"What exactly is the plan?" Amber chimed in. She smiled at Olivia, but it wasn't friendly. The woman had always been overly sarcastic and the two of them had spent most of their time together in the company on bad terms.
Olivia sighed.
"I'll explain it when everyone's here," she spoke calmly, defensively. For this to work, she would have to make sure everyone was on the same page, cooperating instead of bringing up old rivalries and grievances. When's Blue gonna show up, she thought to herself, hoping his presence would lend her more credibility with the Colors.
"Who's missing?" Violet asked, puffing on one of his trademark self-rolled cigars. Letting the smoke sift around his mouth for a few seconds, he looked around the group and back to Olivia before letting it slowly seep out between his parted lips.
"Well-," she started but was promptly interrupted from behind.
"Me, for one!"
Olivia could feel her guts drop and her face redden.
"How's everyone? Hah!"
She slowly turned around, her face grim. Walking towards her, arms held aloft in a wide greeting, was Beige.