For the Love of Super Soldiers

No Confirmations

HEY HEY HEY I DID IT IN LESS THAN A YEAR THIS TIME? College remains a thing and I suck at updating and keeping self-proclaimed deadlines. Without further ado, here's a new chapter for you all. Speak your mind! I'm waiting.

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Chapter 17: No Confirmations

The world around me slowed. Eyes were narrowed. Fists were clenched. I was going to kill him.

"Abraham who, Victorian?" Surely he didn't mean my father. That would mean that they were cohorts. That would mean that he had conversations with him. That would mean he was alive.

And, surely, Victorian could not have been implying that my presumably dead father wasn't dead. Presumably or otherwise.

"Come on now, Lieutenant." Victorian leaned forward across the table with an extended hand and I slid my seat backwards.

"Don't try and assume an air of innocence. You know, when Aaron attempted to beat your ass to a pulp a few days ago–"

"Did beat his ass," Aaron interjected. I plowed forward, ignoring him.

"It would have been very prudent for you to mention that you've been talking to him, Victorian. Communicating with dead men is kind of important."

"Dead men? What are you talking about? The Admiral isn't dead. At least, to the best of my knowledge, he isn't."

"Right. Well, I'm placing a lot of faith in your knowledge right about now."

Victorian glared now. "No need for the sarcasm, Lieutenant. I'm just telling you what I know. We aren't talking. We talked. In the past."

"That doesn't matter. You knew how upset I'd be, just like you always have. And you withheld it from me. To what? Protect me? Help me? To save face with someone who wouldn't be deserving of even the most minute sliver of mercy?"

The one time I would have liked for the Brit to use his God-given motor mouth and he decided to lock his lips down like a federal treasury.

"You're being a bit melodramatic. I'm not supposed to communicate with one of the most important men in the military world? I don't see how that would have been possible. Given our past predicaments and present situation, I don't see it, Scarlett. Really."

Oh, the first name card had been thrown in. He was upset now. That was great. So was I.

"You weren't supposed to go within the same zip code as Abraham Blake if you could avoid it. I've told you countless stories about my father. The Admiral. Whatever alias you want to try and use to justify your lapse in loyalty."

"Wait, Admiral Blake is your father?" Stephanie's voice peeped. "He's incredible! I remember meeting him for the first time! He—"
I could see Jarvis gently grab Stephanie's hand on Victorian's side of the table but they made no moves to leave. Stephanie immediately glanced back at me and mouthed an apology. Someone who liked my father; that was a first.

Or a second, now, apparently.

"Lapse in loyalty? Me trying to help preserve mankind was a lapse in loyalty?" Victorian scoffed. "Now you're being extremely melodramatic. Maybe just dramatic."

"Did you hear yourself? There wasn't really any proof? A scrap of paper? An urgent whisper? You made it sound as if a complete stranger dropped a note off next to you on a park bench and then disappeared into the dark of the night. You conveniently decided to leave out who it was exactly that told you this. How is that not a problem, Victorian?"

He was feeding the fire of anger that threatened to consume my control. How could he not see why I was so upset? Heart of gold, my ass. Mind of mush was more accurate.