August 24th, 2030, 9:32 pm

"Well, things between Levi and James are... strained, to say the least."

I cradle my arms behind my head and slowly reveal my eyes to the light. Footsteps radiate from my left and I turn my attention to the two figures strolling toward the desk. The first, the receptionist with her crammed satchel, and the other, a tall, rugged man. The secretary pilots herself around the counter while the man lingers on the civilian side.

"Levi is never one to forgive, and James has to stop being so damn antagonistic all the time. They seemed to get along so well before this happened." Irene rolls her eyes and plops in the chair she occupied only a half hour ago. "I think Corporal Porter is still back there setting up for tomorrow; I'll give her a call."

As she plugs digits into the phone beside her computer, I press off the arm of the chair and extend my legs. But after taking a glance at the empty space where the bottom half of my body should be, I refuse to advance forward. I hold my arm out to my side to speculate at the glow, yet that marvel is gone, too.

Give it a minute, kid. You're in no rush to get anywhere.

The Captain leans his back against the desk and looks right through me. Nothing changes in the curves of his face. "I don't think Levi is ever going to let James forget what he did."

"Won't you look at that: male drama. And you wonder why Keira and I get along so well." Irene peers up at the Captain before tossing her satchel on the desk. I don't really know who any of these people are, so I can't follow along with their banter. I'll try to piece things together as the conversation goes on.

Brian turns his head to her, suppressing any alteration of expression. "I try to stay out of drama the best that I can."

"You do an awful job of it."

He crosses his arms. "How so?"

"Keira tells me you do." Irene shrugs, not batting an eyelid.

"Of course she does. Does she gossip about us often?"

"Since when does everything have to be about you guys? Are you afraid she's saying mean things about you?"

He raises his arms in defense, swiveling around. "I'm just curious, Irene."

I want you to know that I am not disappointed in the fact that you are now a member of the Imperial Guard.

I stare at those two, having their conversation in their mysterious officer language, going through the motions. I can't blurt anything out without unveiling my cover, so I let Roarke's words echo through the walls of my skull. I want him to leave me alone forever, but he still remains in this invisible M below my elbow.

If anything, it further proves my point that you are special.

If by "special" he means being forced to join the military-police and a murderous cult at the same time, then I would agree with that statement. But there is no extra substance to me that would make me any more remarkable than CJ or Mai, who have dedicated their whole summers to being better than the rest.

Of course, my offer is still on the table. If you are interested, let me know now.

I will never trust this voice in my head. I know that his intentions are ominous if I associate him with the actions of his followers. He is going to use me for the worst of them if he considers me so "special."

This is my final warning. Take it now.

No. Nothing you can do will ever tempt me. Find another teenager to pick on. I am an Imperial Guard now.

Take it!

"No!"

Irene's gaze extends past the Captain, right where my shouting erupted from just now. "Oh, there he is." She rises from her chair once again, retrieving her satchel. "Were you there the whole time?"

I examine my figure, solid and evident as usual. The mark on my arm blinks before dimming into its raven black. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to. I was just laying here, and I was going to say something when you guys walked in, and then I realized that I was invisible, so I just watched and listened, I didn't want to say anything. I mean, I wasn't invisible, I was just hiding. I mean-"

"My goodness, Slater, worrying must run in your family." Irene passes by the Captain, who still stares at the wall. "You and Calvin both. I'll see you here tomorrow, Brian." She marches to the door to, hopefully, take her official leave from the headquarters for the night.

The Captain doesn't budge from his spot once the receptionist exits the building. His hands rest on the counter above the desk, spread from each other. He stands so still that it appears as if he isn't breathing. The only movement in the office is the ceiling fan above our heads, swirling slowly.

I am at a loss for words, just as he is. How do I explain how I was invisible without the whole Imperial Guard jumping on my ass? I know none of them accept the presence of the Medo anywhere in Oltima, and the fact that it's me wouldn't make it any better. Irene didn't seem to care that I was unintentionally eavesdropping, yet the Captain is the type to reprimand me for something like that. That is, if he's the same man I was stuck training with a few weeks ago.

To think that he was concerned about me at the ranking is quite humbling. This is someone who has apparently been subject to pressing matters throughout his life. Someone not impressed by the simple things. Much like Sergeant Lee, it takes a lot to amaze him and make him like me. Ranking in the top ten is quite astonishing, but is it enough for him to admire me for it?

"Slater, I owe you an apology." The Captain presses off the counter and turns to face me. His copper eyes wander around the room and never match mine. "I tested my faith in you. All this time, I thought I was lying to myself; trying to convince myself that you had what it took to make it. But deep down, I had an unwavering persuasion that you weren't going to be ranked. Now," He hesitates. He finally looks right at me, quelling a potential outburst of laughter. "Now I just sound like a complete idiot. And I'm sorry."

My words are lost again. They attempt to escape my lips but they linger back, replaced by enraging thoughts. I finally muster up the strength to speak after the emotions disappearing from me. "You lied to me?"

"I did, and I was wrong to do that. I apologize for maybe treating you harshly or unfairly. As the ranking went on, I started to believe in you. I put that all beside me. My attitude toward you changed after I did some thinking and some consideration. You'll have to thank Celeste; she stood up for you in front of both Colonel MacTavish and myself. She convinced me to finally put my faith in you." He takes a step in my direction.

I shake my head, backing away toward the couch. "Why would I ever trust you now if you never even supported me in the first place? You think you can just start liking me when I'm doing well and hating me when things go bad? Guess what, you can't."

"I don't expect you to trust me. Most people who do are in over their heads anyway." The Captain lets out a quiet snicker. "If it means anything to you, I want to start on a different foot. It's far from forgiveness; that is something you can determine on your own. From here on out, I will support you in the things that you do. Everything. I need to lead you now that you are a member of the Imperial Guard. You can't do this by yourself. You walked into this situation alone, and I want to follow you so that you won't stray again."

How could I just start over? I have experienced so much since I met the Captain again. All the turmoil that ensued in the first few days lead to a mutual understanding that we were going to treat each other better. Following that was a week of focus when we crunched in our training in the time we were given to be together. When we had to say goodbye, I couldn't thank him enough for sticking around and attempting to help me.

All the friendships I made in these past two weeks can never be replaced. After my reputation was tainted from my crimes, everything I ever had was gone. CJ and Hal gave me life again; a refined purpose to try hard so that I could possibly see them again. I believed that no one would ever show me kindness ever again. I was wrong.

I cannot harp about the positive relationships while excluding those who brought me down. Luke and twins, who both physically and emotionally harmed me and my friends, top the list without a question. There is Sergeant Lee, who intentionally tried to mistreat me due to my criminal status. Now, our adversary appears to be Craig Larsson, judgemental and egotistical. He made an effort to kill me during the combat tournament.

But like I did with both Lee and Luke, I grew into the bigger person and overcame them. And that made me a better man.

"I don't want to start over." A soft mist glazes over my eyes.

The Captain nods. "And you don't have to. I just want the attitude between us to change. I know about that mark. I want to help you."

How does he know anything about this damn thing? His sleeves are rolled to his elbows so I can see the absence of the M. There is no way Roarke would speak to him without it, right? I have spoken to the mysterious mastermind himself, and I doubt he has. There is no way that he could understand more about this mark than me. That must be his method of making me believe him.

"Captain, there's-" I cut myself off.

Why should it matter who knows more than the next person? He is offering a hand to me so that I may take it and be guided. Not many people I have met have been so courteous. Everyone who has helped me recently has changed my life for the better, so who am I to turn him down now? Not only that, but he wants things to be better between us. He is my mentor and caretaker; he wants nothing but the best for me. He wants us to change together.

Irene said it herself: he worried about me while I was conducting the ranking. If all that doesn't show how closely he stands by his word, then my morality must have been skewed during the ranking.

"Okay. I will change myself if you do too." I stare at the decreasing space between our feet. My eyes hold back anything from leaking onto my cheeks. "And I will forgive you, as long you help me through this."

His dress shoes stop pressing to the carpet for a moment. "Thank you. I will uphold my side of the deal. And Slater, I have something else to say. I don't know why I didn't express this earlier." He folds his arms across his chest, taking in a deep breath. I refuse to peer up at him just so my tears can stay hidden. "Hey, look at me."

I flutter my hand at him, drawing myself away. My chin trembles as I squeeze my eyes shut. "No, I can't. Please, I can't."

"What's wrong?" The volume of his voice rises as I cower away from him. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I decline to resist any further.

I unzip my eyes and absorb a rebellious tear from my eyelid. "Nothing, I swear. I'm just crying like a bitch."

He chuckles, hauling me upright and revealing my emotion. "That's nothing to be ashamed of. Well, in the given situation." He faces me now with a hand on the groove of my collarbone. His weathered face is blurry through the glassy cover over my eyes, but I can make out a grin.

"I know what we just discussed may discredit everything I'm about to say, so take it how you want it. But I want you to know that I am so proud of you. Fifth in your class is greater than any of us ever expected. I heard of the horrible things you endured, and I can hardly believe that anyone could have the courage to conquer all of them. But you did." He inhales, still inspecting my face, riddled with joyful misery. "Son, you have grown into a remarkable young man. I'm sorry for ever doubting you."

That does nothing to enforce to levee holding back the flood. Tears trickle around the frame of my nose and down to my lips. Pride is not something he gives out to just anyone. What higher honor could I receive from the Captain of the Imperial Guard? Not only that, but him as a human being? It is truly a privilege to be given such a distinction. And my emotions are getting the best of me.

"Now, you have to move on to a new stage. The ranking is over, and you have your ceremony on Wednesday. You have to put all those worries aside and take the next step in your journey." The Captain releases my shoulder, backing away. "And I won't let you do it alone."

I place my knuckle into the divet near the bridge of my nose and swab away a tear. "You said you can help me with my mark?"

"Yes, I can. But to be safe, we shouldn't discuss this here. Anybody could be listening." He shoves his hands into his pockets, leaning back. "Now, look, I have to get going. You can go back to the bunk room or you could tag along home with me if you would like. It's up to you."

Staying at the headquarters would seem to be the most logical choice since I don't have the motivation to travel across the whole region just to catch a few hours of sleep. But even that stiff bed back at the Manchester's house has its comfort and is far more relaxing than the sad excuse for a cot here. It seems homier. I'll be surrounded by people who care about me, and I'll feel safe around them. Those are two people I can trust.

"Can I stay at your house for the night?" I take a deep breath, shuddering with ghosts of my past emotion. "I promise, only tonight."

He beams, slinging his arm around my back. "Of course, kiddo. No need to ask."

We press through the double doors to the parking lot. Vacant water droplets sting my face as they fall from an overhang above me. The sky over us is dark blue over a black, shady expanse. In the north, a deep cloud streaks with a flash, followed by a low hum. The sea breeze is swiping my hair off toward the city, bringing my attention ahead.

The artificial lights twinkle in the distance, acting as stars. I last saw the city as part of the island run. Being meshed into the culture once again was a thing of a dream, never again to be considered. I had to reach my hand out as far as I could just to hopefully touch the same air that a civilian breathed. I wished nothing more than to be able to go home.

The Captain guides me toward his car, off to the right. He laughs to himself. "I just can't believe it. It really happened."

I glance up at him as we separate to begin maneuvering around the vehicle. "What's that?"

He stares out at the skyline with the smile still remaining. The faraway lights cause his face to glow. For the first time in a while, I think he has experienced true bliss. True relief. I stop in my tracks, awaiting his answer.

"Slater Tross is an Imperial Guard."

END OF PART TWO