The next morning in class, Clancy found himself incredibly bored. He had realized halfway into Jason's lecture that he had already learned everything Jason was lecturing about. So he simply doodled in his sketchbook out of boredom while all the other first year Academy Cadets paid close attention.
As he drew random things like planets and very dark infinity signs, Clancy found himself getting more and more tired. Finally he simply drifted off with his head in his arms.
He wasn't sure how long he was out, but he eventually heard Jason's voice. "Clancy!"
Clancy snorted upright groggily. "Uh...?"
Jason rolled his eyes. "I asked you if you know what quantum energy is."
"Er..." Clancy hesitated. "It's a... discrete *yawn* quantity of energy proportional in magnitude to the frequency of the radiation it um... represents..."
"Very good." Jason looked up at the rest of the class. "Alright kiddies, here's your first assignment. If you pass this, you immediately get to skip your whole first year of the academy."
The cadets gasped and cheered excitedly amongst themselves and Clancy sat up straighter interestedly. Maybe there would actually be some stuff in the second year class that he didn't already know.
"Hey, don't get excited." Jason said. "There are only two people who have ever done it before." He cleared his throat. "Okay, so your assignment is to create three items of the precise same value; three medals of honor that weigh and are worth less than a pound, but are colored like the pigment of an Olympian. You have three days. Good luck, class dismissed."
The students all looked at each other in excitement; all seemed determined to succeed. They filed out of the room normally two-by-two. Clancy avoided the rush and took his time, putting his notebook away on his bag. He lifted it onto his shoulder and started for the door, but before he could leave, Jason stopped him.
"Oh hey, Cadet Barlow."
Clancy looked over at him. "Huh?"
"You don't have a lab partner yet, do you?"
"No."
"Why didn't you speak up? I'll get you one." Jason started over to his desk, possibly to check and see if any other students needed a partner.
"Sir, if I may..." Clancy said before he could reach it. "I don't want one."
"What?" Jason asked. "Clancy, there's no way you can do this experiment without one."
"I'll find a way." Clancy smiled, then reached for the doorknob, but stopped with his hand on it. "Oh, and I wanted to ask... Who were the two people who passed?"
Jason smiled. "Myself and my predecessor, Amanda Griffin."
"Amanda Griffin... Hm." The name seemed rather familiar to him, although he couldn't be sure where he'd heard it before. He looked at Jason. "I'll see you tomorrow General.
"Later, kid."

Clancy sighed as he stared at the station he'd set up in front of him. He had bits of three different metals that he would experiment with. But he didn't understand the riddle. The metals were of different value now, what could make them the same value after the experiment?
Hm... What if... Nah, that was absurd.
But then again... If a very large power source were to hit a metal with enough sudden force, that could cause a big change, right?
"...Hey Jason?" Clancy asked.
Jason looked up, chewing on a donut.
"Do you know where I could find like... A hundred thousand volts of electricity?"
Jason choked. "A hundred...?! We don't have that kinda energy! I mean, the only place you can get that from is probably a bolt of lightning. That or the human body but we're not going to start harvesting humans for energy." He looked away and mumbled, "Unfortunately..."
Clancy stared at him. "...Right. Thanks anyways, sir."
"No problem, Barlow."
Clancy stared down at his station again, then looked out the window. It was bright and sunny outside. There would be no lightning strikes today...
Jason poked his head around the door of his office. "Clancy what'd you do?"
Clancy looked up. "...Hah?"
"Adam - sorry - Sky wants you to go to his office."
Clancy sighed and got up, turning off his Bunsen Burner. "I'll go do that now, then..."
He put his hands in the pockets of his lab coat, which he had rolled up the sleeves to his elbows. He headed to the stairwell which was just around the corner from the lab, and then up to the third floor, and to the Commander's office.
He knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Clancy opened the door and blinked. He groaned. "What's he doing here?!" Clancy scowled, gesturing over at Vern.
Vern simply rolled his eyes, ignoring the inventor. "Why are we here, Commander?" Also in the room were Andy and Deanna, the Enchantress that Clancy had met during his tour.
Sky stood up from his desk and walked around to the front, leaning against it. "I got a mission for the four of you."
Clancy's eyes widened. "But I have an assignment for the Star Academy, due in three days! I'll never have enough time to finish-"
"Barlow, I think you're forgetting why you're here." Sky said calmly. "Your first priority is to find your fugitive, not be a Cadet."
Clancy scowled. "You just wanna suck the fun out of everything..."
Sky rolled his eyes. "The mission is for you all to go to Yoglabs and investigate the crime scene where she escaped."
"Yoglabs?!" Vern shook his head. "No! No, I'm out! I am not going to Yoglabs!"
Sky sighed. "Lazorso-"
"No! Not today, not tomorrow, not even when I'm dead!" He turned and stormed promptly to the door.
"Fine." Clancy muttered. "We'd find Star better without you anyways..."
Vern froze, his hand on the doorknob. "...What did you just say."
Clancy looked at him quickly. "Yeah! You heard me!" He said rather uncertainly. "You wanna fight?! Let's go!"
Sky pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh.
Vern ignored Clancy and looked at Sky. "Fine. I'll go."
Clancy blinked in surprise.
Andy and Deanna exchanged glances.
"Clancy, you're in charge. If you leave within the hour, you should get there before nightfall."
Clancy nodded with a sigh. "Yes sir." He looked at each of his mission mates in turn. "We'll meet in the stable in an hour."
Then he turned and left the room. Vern shot a look at Andy and Deanna before he followed. The girls merely exchanged glances and did the same.

Clancy kept noticing Vern shooting glares in his direction, but he didn't have a problem ignoring him. He was rather used to ignoring people who bothered him. Apparently, Deanna quite liked horses because she talked to hers as though it were talking back. She was wearing a long red jacket over a puffy white blouse and black pants, tucked into red boots. On her head was a red cap like a short top hat, with a blue tassel hanging down the back. She had several rings on her fingers; Clancy counted seven. It was a rather odd outfit, especially for someone so shy. She had a rapier on her belt; a rather ordinary weapon.
Andy's hair was pink today with red tips, which she put up in a loose bun. She wore brown jeans and a black flannel tucked into her belt, a tan satchel on her shoulder and two daggers in sheaths on her back.
Vern wore what he usually would: a sweater, green today, and jeans, under an old brown canvas jacket.
Clancy himself wore his usual pink teeshirt and jeans, and the lab coat he never wanted to take off.
Clancy had been assigned a brown and black horse named Mungo who seemed rather... Erratic. But Clancy liked him.
He climbed onto the horse's back and held onto the reigns. He looked over at Deanna and blinked in confusion. She was using neither a saddle not reigns. She was riding her horse bareback. He questioned this aloud.
"Oh, um..." She looked down at her horse shyly. "Tock isn't an army horse. He's mine. I ride him every day, I rarely ever use a saddle anymore..."
Clancy watched, impressed, as she rode out of the stable.
"She really loves horses, if you can't tell." Andy said as she passed by on her own horse.
Vern again shot Clancy a look as he followed her, riding a slightly shorter, longer horse colored a solid red-brown. Clancy rolled his eyes. He figured the looks Vern gave him comforted the Italian, so he just ignored them. He followed his companions out of the stable through the back exit.
"Alright, well, who's got the map?" Vern asked.
"The nerd." Andy replied.
"Oh great. We're screwed." Vern muttered.
"Look, I know the terrain the best, I'll know when we're getting close to the Labs." Clancy said. "It's gonna be a long ride. We'll have to camp out one night."
"Can I see the map?" Vern asked.
"I dunno, can you?"
Vern glared daggers at Clancy.
Andy rolled her eyes. "Boys, can you stop gazing into each other's eyes for two minutes till we get underway?"
Clancy rolled his eyes and handed the map to Vern, who unrolled it and looked it over with an ever-stony expression. "Our route is...?"
"The blue line." Clancy said.
"It passes through Prima Roma." Vern said. "About halfway to the Labs."
Clancy blinked. "...So?"
"So, I have family there." Vern said. "My aunt and uncle and my cousins. We can stay there instead of camping out in the forest."
Andy shrugged. "Sounds nice. Clancy?"
Clancy nodded. "I'm not an outdoorsy person, so, I'm not against it. C'mon."
He kicked Mungo's sides gently, urging him into a walk. Vern followed with Andy behind him.
Deanna sighed softly as she did the same. "Yeah, it's alright with me too guys..." She said quietly to no one in particular.
It took them longer than they expected to reach Roma. It was almost midnight and there was still no sign of the lights of the city.
"So, is Roma the one where the streets are water and people use those long boats as cars?" Clancy asked.
"No, you're thinking of Terza Roma." Vern said. "See, there's four settlements of Roma. Prima, Seconda, Terza, and Quarta. Prima is the biggest, and they get smaller and smaller from Seconda to Quarta. Terza is the one with acqua streets. That's the settlement I was born in. But no, we're going to Prima."
"Ah..." Clancy said.
"Shame." Andy sighed dramatically. "Terza is so beautiful..."
"It is." Vern nodded. "I miss it a lot."
"I guess you got sick of it when you ran off and joined the army." Clancy said.
"I didn't join the army." Vern said. "I'm an Ambassador from Roma, I'm not a real recruit. I suppose I could be, but I don't think I want to."
"What?" Andy asked. "Why not?"
"We're not too bad, you know." Deanna put in softly.
"I like my position as it is." Vern said. "I don't want to jeopardize my peace."
"Whatever you say..." Clancy stiffened. "Hey, is that it?"
Vern followed his gaze and the ghost of a smile came to his lips. "Yes."
The lights on the city gate and some street lamps could be seen as the four riders walked out from the trees and along the path up to the gate.
One of the two guards nudged his formerly sleeping partner so roughly she fell off her chair, the first guard standing quickly.
"Chi va?!" He demanded quickly.
"Ambasciatore Lazorso. Siamo viaggiatori, passando per qui. Saremo fuori città di nuovo domani mattina." Vern replied, his voice even.
Something about Vern's voice changed when he was speaking Italian; Clancy wasn't sure what it was, but he rather liked it.
The guard nodded. "Si può passare."
"Grazie." Vern nodded his head in thanks before continuing forwards, passing through the gate with his friends. "You're lucky you brought me." He said.
Clancy snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. We would've managed without you."
Vern merely rolled his eyes. Clancy looked around as the horses made their way along the cobbled, yellow-ish streets. The scientist saw no people out and about.
"Where is everyone?" Clancy asked.
"Inside." Vern said. "The football tournament finale is tonight. Do you really expect any Italian not to be watching?"
"Ah... I've always liked football." Clancy said.
"We're talking about the kicking football right? Just making sure." Andy said.
"Yes."
"Good. I hate American football. A bunch of chunky, sweaty men push each other down and get paid millions. How... Gauche."
Clancy smiled lightly. "Yeah, it's pretty boring."
Vern glanced at Deanna, who was lagging behind, not saying much of anything at all. He hesitated, staring back at her for a moment. Clancy noticed and followed his gaze.
"Deanna?" He called.
Deanna jumped and looked up in surprise.
Clancy smiled gently. "What do you think about American football?"
Deanna hesitated. "I think it's okay... But... I mean, it's pretty dull. My brother watches it way too much."
Clancy nodded. "Yeah, my dad does too."
Vern looked at him almost interestedly, before he looked ahead. "Here." He said, before he turned into an alleyway. At the end it opened up into a little yard with a small stable, which fit all four horses mildly well.
Vern led them to the front door and knocked. He waited a few moments before he knocked again. The door opened and a woman was standing there. Clancy was taken aback when he saw her bloodshot eyes and the tear stains on her cheeks. She had salt and pepper hair tied back in a messy bun, like she didn't quite care how it looked. She was rather heavyset, and her shoulders sagged. However, her eyes lit up when she saw Vern. "Vincenzo!" She exclaimed.
"Zia Allegra, che cosa c'è che non va?" Vern asked in concern, stepping into the doorstep. She was a short, stout woman Clancy noticed.
The woman let out a sob, burying her eyes in her forearm. "Oh, vorrei che tu avessi visitato un'altra volta! La maggior parte giorno infelice! La maggior parte giorno infelice..."
They had a short conversation none of the others could understand, before the old woman cried, "E 'il vostro zio Giordano! È morto!"
Vern froze. "...Oh..."
The woman started crying again.
Clancy gently took Vern's wrist. "What's going on...?"
"My Uncle Giordano..." Vern wouldn't make eye contact. "He's passed away."
Clancy's eyes widened. "Oh man..."
Vern yanked his arm from Clancy's grip and led his aunt inside. "I'm going to get her to bed... You can come in." He said. "Si dovrebbe dormire, zia Allegra..."
As he went upstairs with his aunt, Clancy stepped inside a bit nervously, looking around. The house was dark, and quiet. As he took off his shoes, he went into the parlor and looked around. The boy sitting on the couch looked up.
"...Sei italiano?" He asked.
Clancy exchanged awkward glances with Andy and Deanna.
"...Il tedesco?"
"No hablo Italian?" Clancy tried.
"That's Spanish, numbskull." Andy hissed.
"Ah, English." The boy stood up. He had dark brown hair and tanned skin. He was tall, probably about college age. "Are you Vincenzo's friends?"
"Who's Vincenzo?" Clancy asked.
"Vern's real name." Andy said. "Yes, we are. We're just staying tonight, we have a mission we're on."
"A mission for the Sky Army, no doubt?" The boy asked.
"Yeah, has he told you about the army?" Andy asked.
"Only always." The boy said. He held out a hand to her. "Luciano. And who are you?"
"Andromeda, but everyone calls me Andy."
"Lovely name." Luciano looked to Clancy. "And you?"
"Clancy." He nodded to Deanna. "And this is Deanna."
Luciano smiled grimly at her and winked. Then he addressed the group as a whole. "Well, make yourselves at home now. I'm afraid mama's already gone to bed, so dinner will have to be leftovers."
"Don't worry about it, we already ate." Andy said.
"Well, good, one less thing I have to do." Luciano said light-heartedly.
"Hey can I ask something?" Clancy said. "What did you mean when you said only always? Does Vern talk about the army a lot?"
"Are you kidding me?" Luciano laughed. "He won't shut up about it! He /loves/ being in the army!"
Clancy blinked in surprise. "He certainly doesn't act like it."
Luciano rolled his eyes. "Don't let him deceive you, amico mio. He has more emotion than you think."
"How are you related to Vern?" Deanna asked. "If you don't mind my asking..."
"I'm his older cousin." Luciano replied.
"Oh... So the man who died was your..."
"Do not pity me. The old man had it coming." Luciano said, remorseless. "He was a part of the mafia. I've known he was going to kick the pail eventually."
Deanna moved closer to him. "So you didn't get along?"
"Not quite." Luciano chuckled softly. "But enough about that. We only have two spare bedrooms so you'll have to double up."
"I'm staying with Deanna." Andy said quickly.
Clancy made a loud distressed noise.
"Is that protest against sleeping with Vern or disappointment for not being able to sleep with me?" Andy winked teasingly and Clancy rolled his eyes.
Luciano smiled grimly at Clancy. "You don't like Vincenzo."
Clancy shrugged. "We have our differences."
"Do me a favor." Luciano patted his shoulder in a friendly way that seemed to come easily to him. "Be patient with him."
Clancy sighed. "No offense meant but that's kinda hard to do."
"Just give it a try." Luciano said. He looked over Clancy's shoulder and smiled sadly. "Vincenzo."
Clancy turned and saw Vern leaning in the doorway. "I put Aunt Allegra in bed. She'll be fine."
"Your English has gotten very good." Luciano said, impressed.
Vern shrugged. "I've been in an English-speaking environment for nearly a month now, I get a lot of practice."
Deanna yawned softly and Andy looked at her, then at Luciano. "Luciano? I think us girls are gonna head off to bed. Could you be a dear and show us our room, please?"
"Of course! Follow me." Luciano gestured for her and Deanna to follow him to the stairs. "So, do you speak any Italian?"
"Not Italian, no. I'm more of a French girl myself."
"Ah, Franke! I've always wanted to visit that city."
"Me too."
Vern and Clancy watched as the three headed off, then turned to each other. For a moment, they just stared without saying a word.
Then Vern broke the silence. "I'm going to bed. You're taking the couch."
Clancy rolled his eyes, waving his hand. "Bah, I just won't sleep."
"Have fun with that." Vern waved a hand at him and went up the stairs. Clancy glared after him and walked into the parlor, flopping down onto the couch. It was no use, however, to try and sleep. There wasn't an ounce of fatigue in his bones. He sat up and opened the lid on his right forearm, getting out his screwdriver so he could tinker with his arm. This often resulted in a significant loss of screws due to the fact he would mainly just screw and unscrew the small tools.
This was one of the many times he lost a screw, Clancy realized as one of the screws fell out of his grip and disappeared down a hole in the floorboards.
He sighed loudly and looked around for another one, wondering where he could get one in the house.
Where would tools be?
...The garage.
Clancy got up and searched the house as quietly as possible, until he found a door leading to a dark room on the other side of the house. He turned on the flashlight in his palm and shone it around the space. He could see a few objects inside, and what looked like a concrete floor. He felt for a light switch and flipped it on when he saw it.
Yes, this was the garage. Among many things such as a work table and a shabby gondola, there was a rather old-looking motorbike, colored blue and white with chipping paint and a rusty license plate which read, "31C HEZ".
Clancy's eyes lit with curiously as he made his way to the work table and borrowed a screw, putting it in its place in his arm before he wandered closer to the bike. It still had keys in the starter.
Clancy hesitated, then turned the key. The engine sputtered, but didn't start. A grin slowly crept onto Clancy's face. He had found himself a new project.
He pulled out his tools and sat down by the bike before he started working. Clancy was sure time passed but wasn't sure how much when the door opened and he looked up to see Vern. The ambassador gasped and started shouting something in Italian.
Clancy stared and listened for a moment before it occurred to him that he had no idea what Vern was saying and Vern knew that, so it might be rude to listen to Italians, and perhaps that's why Vern kept on shouting so much. He went back to working on the bike.
"What are you doing to my bike?!" Vern finally shouted in English.
Clancy looked up in surprise. "This is your bike?!"
Vern sighed loudly. "Yes, Clarence. My father gave it to me when I was twelve but I haven't used it since I joined the army. I left it here when I did, because my parents don't have a garage."
"And your aunt does." Clancy said, continuing to work.
Vern didn't stop him. "Obviously." For a few moments, he watched Clancy in silence. "...What are you even hoping to achieve?"
"Well..." Clancy stuck out his tongue as he tightened a few more screws and put his tools away before standing. "How about this?"
He turned the key, and the engine started. Clancy grinned with pride at Vern. The engine turned back off. Clancy cleared his throat awkwardly, still looking at Vern, and kicked it quickly. It turned back on a bit shakily.
Vern's eyes widened slightly. "You... fixed my bike...?"
Clancy's smile grew warmer as he nodded.
Vern's gaze shifted to his motorbike and he hesitated, clearly considering something. Clancy didn't expect at all what he said next.
"...You want to go for a drive?"
Clancy blinked. He glanced away, then back at Vern. "Pardon?"
"Do you want to go for a drive?" Vern repeated, staring at Clancy expectantly as he moved over to the bike, graceful as ever.
Clancy coughed softly as he watched Vern climb on. "Are you sure you want me to...?"
"I don't care either way." Vern said, looking at him over his shoulder. "But it would be rude of me not to ask, considering you repaired it."
Clancy smiled. "Yeah, sounds fun!"
"Then get on."
Clancy nodded and opened the garage door before he climbed onto the motorcycle as Vern kicked the stand up, using his legs to keep them upright.
"Er... What should I hold on to?" Clancy asked a bit nervously.
"Me."
"...Oh."
Clancy awkwardly moved his arms around Vern's waist. Vern either didn't care or was very good and pretending he didn't.
"Are you ready?" He asked cooly.
"Yeah." Clancy replied, although he shifted a bit nervously.
From behind him, Clancy could see a half smile touch Vern's lips. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Clancy nodded, clearing his throat. "Of course."
Vern nodded slightly before he started forwards at a sharp jolt, making Clancy jump and hug Vern a little tighter. Vern didn't react as he went up the driveway and onto the cobbled street. Clancy spent the first few minutes looking down and adjusting to the speed; and trying to ignore the fact he had placed his life in the hands of an angsty teenage boy who didn't really like him. Then, as they crossed a bridge over a little river, Clancy looked up.
He blinked as the wind ruffled his hair. Through the gap in the buildings, he saw the sun rising. He had stayed up longer than he expected. He'd been awake at sunrise countless times, but being holed up in the lab, he'd never really seen it before until now. He stared at it in something of wonder for a few seconds, before he leaned his head against Vern's shoulder and smiled slightly, closing his eyes. He didn't see Vern smile at him.
Vern drove on for another few minutes before heading back the way they'd come. Good thing too, because a little more than halfway back, he noticed Clancy's grip on him loosening. He glanced back in confusion and realized when he saw how still the scientist was that Clancy had fallen asleep.
He smiled warmly and slowed slightly so he wouldn't wake him. As he rolled back into the garage and turned off the engine, he hesitated a few seconds to consider what he should do next. Then he stood slowly with a sigh and moved one of his arms behind Clancy's back and one under his knees. Vern picked him up with a quiet huff and made his way back into the house.
He set Clancy down on the couch, but when he moved away, he was pulled back. He turned his head in confusion and realized Clancy's metal hand was still attached to his. He slowly reached out a hand and tried to pry his fingers away, but they were like iron; and they might have really been.
Vern sighed in resignation, and being too tired to bother, laid down on the couch by Clancy, half on top of him. He stared at Clancy's face for a few moments before he closed his eyes, relaxing, still gripping Clancy's hand.
He fell asleep before a minute passed.