Operation Honey Trap vs The Emperor of the Apocalypse-Chapter 226: Recruiting Soldiers or Wives?

[Suggested song for this Chapter – Arrival of the Birds, The Cinematic Orchestra]

"Delphi!" screamed Feifei, running down the alley by the side of HQ.

Delphi leapt off Miro’s back and ran towards her best friend. "Feif!" she cried, her eyes blurring with tears.

She hadn’t spent a night away from this woman in ten years, and now they’d been separated for so long, and while Feifei was pregnant no less!

The two women embraced one another, hugging and crying tears of delight.

"Should you be running, girl?" Delphi asked her, cradling Feifei’s growing tummy in her hands in wonder.

"No, she shouldn’t," called Han and Kai at the same time from further up the alley.

Feifei rolled her eyes at the pair.

"She doesn’t do as she’s told, Delphi," Tingting dobbed on Feifei. "It’s good that you’re back now. You can pull rank on the Lieutenant."

Feifei put a finger on Tingting’s lips to silence her.

Alton looked on affectionately from Maback’s back, sliding off to greet his men who were jogging towards them.

He grabbed Magnus and Cormac in a headlock, one man under each of his arms.

"Here they are! The pretty boy twins. How have you two been? Keeping out of trouble I hope?"

"Of course, General," replied Magnus, laughing as his leader mussed up his perfect hair.

"Let me out from your armpit, Sir," shouted Cormac, "it stinks!"

"Nothing that should worry a soldier," said Alton. "You’re too clean and not working hard enough if you can’t handle that."

"Oh, we’ve been working our arses off, don’t worry about that, Sir," Cormac replied. "You wait until you see the shape Lili and I have got those new recruits into."

"Ruby and I have made some breakthroughs with the tubiàn too, Sir," reported Magnus.

"Alright, alright, don’t start giving me your reports just yet, there’s plenty of time for that later. Let me say hello to the rest of the privates."

Alton stuck out his hand and Han gripped his wrist in a firm monkey grip.

"General," he nodded, his eyes lit with delight to see them all home safe and sound.

"You did well, Han," said Alton. "Your radios all worked without a hitch. They were invaluable on the mission. Though we didn’t manage to kill the Emperor," he said with obvious regret.

"Your mission was remarkable though," said Han, his admiration clear. "Managing to extract General Chastain from the Palace was beyond incredible. And I can’t wait to hear everything about your assault on Squeaking Point, Niko. And you blasting up the Bridgwater Bridges, Baer."

"And you shall hear about it in great detail tonight over a cold beer," declared Niko, coming up to join them and wrapping one arm around Han’s neck. "Missed you, man."

A loud scream rang out from the bunch of girls who were wrapped in a tight group hug.

"What the fuck," Alton cursed. "Is everything okay ladies?"

The women ignored him completely.

"You two are engaged!" came a shriek from Feifei. "Oh my God, Delphi! Show me! Do you have a ring?"

Delphi stuck out her hand and a series of loud screams rang out down the alley, causing the dragons to raise their heads in alarm.

"It’s alright lads," called Alton. "It’s just the girls cooing over diamonds. Nothing to worry about."

"I know, it’s crazy isn’t it?" said Delphi.

"Too right it’s crazy, Delph," laughed Lili. "Look at you, you’re so gorgeous you can have any man in the world, and you chose that doofus," she hooked her thumb in the incredibly handsome Alton’s direction, and the girls pealed with laughter, while Alton scowled at Lili.

"Bloody kooky woman," he muttered. "I haven’t missed you, Lili," he called to her.

"Right back at you, General," she joked. "Trying to take my main girl away from me, are you?"

"She’s my main girl, not yours," he growled. "Don’t tell me I’m going to have to fight off women as well as men," he muttered grumpily.

"Indy’s engaged too," said Delphi to the girls. "We got engaged on the same day," she laughed.

Indy had asked for the news to be kept quiet until they got back to HQ. She wanted to share it in person with her twin before it was widely known.

Ruby gasped. "Jiejie? Is that true? You’ve agreed to marry Niko?"

Indy nodded shyly at her sister, desperate for her blessing.

"Oh, Indy!" Ruby wrapped her in a hug, knocking her down to the ground where they laughed and cried together. "You’re getting married! I can’t believe it! I’m so happy for you."

Niko breathed a small sigh of relief when he heard those words from Ruby. He knew her sister’s approval meant everything to Indy. The younger twin was so lovely, it was impossible for him to imagine her disapproving of anything Indy decided to do...

"When do I get to hug the bride-to-be, Ruby," pouted Loveday, gently nudging the twins with her foot.

"You’ve had her for weeks," Ruby said with mock jealousy, reaching up a hand and pulling Loveday into the hug.

Opal’s face blanched white at this news.

Baer and Brenner both watched her surreptitiously, concerned at what she might say or do.

She turned and stalked off down the alley, throwing Niko a steely glance as she walked past him.

"What was that for?" Niko raised his shoulders, looking to the men for support.

"Don’t worry about it, man," said Brenner, clapping him on the shoulder. "Congratulations. You make a great couple. Opal’ll get over it soon enough. Hey sis, wait up!" he called to Opal, running after her.

Wolf walked up to the group of girls and wrapped his arm around Arrie.

"And Araminta’s my girlfriend now," he said proudly.

The girls all looked at him towering protectively over tiny Arrie, and they couldn’t help laughing at the cute man.

Winter smiled at her best friend. "A much better pick," she whispered, winking at her.

"Did you hear that, Baer?" called Wolf "Her best friend says I’m a much better pick than you."

"She must be as blind as your girlfriend then, Wolfprick," called Baer nonchalantly.

Winter sucked in a sharp breath. "Shh," she motioned at Wolf. "Don’t tell him!" she exclaimed.

"That’s an overshare," Arrie told him. "You can’t tell everyone everything my best friend tells you."

"Oh, okay," he nodded seriously. "Sorry, I don’t know all of the rules of girls," he explained to Winter.

"He’s the youngest of five boys," Arrie told her. "They were very direct. No secrets. Survival of the fittest stuff."

"Oh," Winter nodded, as if that explained a lot about the man.

"Did you lot actually do any war fighting back there on the Island or was it just hormones and heavy petting?" asked Lili. "I thought you were recruiting new soldiers, not girlfriends and wives? Is war conducive to getting it on?"

"Apparently it is, crazy girl," said Niko, wrapping an arm around Lili and messing up her bobbed hair until it stood on end. "You’re just jealous. Why hasn’t your man asked you to marry him yet?"

"Don’t go giving him any ideas, Niko!" she shrieked, hitting him on the bicep, and then turning to look at it admiringly.

"What makes you think I haven’t asked her?" said Cormac seriously. "Your excuses just got shot through Lili," he said with satisfaction.

"How about we make that double wedding a triple after we take the Emperor down?" he whispered in her ear, pulling her away from Niko possessively.