Unit 216

Chapter 8 - "Midnight Burnout"

Eight hours before midnight.

Brandon stared right at Rex, hoping he'd get the clue. And his eyes did reflect understanding.

"Uh, guys, catch up to you later," Brandon told the two. Axel and Kathryn walked out into the chattering mess that is the hallway after class hours.

Facing Rex, his big brother figure for years, he had not planned what to say. Everyone knew how that might turn out.

"Rex, I—" What did he want to tell him?

How could he tell him everything?

"Kid, if this is about me leaving, I can promise to vouch you for my team if I am to assemble one," Rex finished for him.

Shaking his head, Brandon took a seat. "That is if I am qualified to be an Interceptor. If not, am I smart enough to be a Engineer Squirrel or a Scientist? Or will I even pass as an agent?" That question rose from self-doubt, not one that needed Rex's unconditional support.

"You will pass when the cooldown is over. You will assume any of those roles," Rex said confidently.

After he had failed on the temple mission, Brandon was to stay in the Academy for a month and a half. He knew he didn't straight-up fail—no one anticipated one of the Ascendancy's top squads and a resurrected Seth—but the orb wasn't locked safe in base. That was that.

The cooldown was near its end; he could try once more. And he might just fail once more and forever.

"So..." Rex prolonged the word, "how's your top secret project going? You never told me what it is."

Brandon shrugged just a little. "I intend to cram it tonight. And work all night tomorrow too."

Rex eyed him with mortification and suspicion. Brandon felt his ears tinting red.

Shoot, he thought. I never sleep late. He knows that....

Rex only sighed and folded his arms to his chest. "You're afraid to lose."

Brandon couldn't look up. He himself didn't know why he was afraid to lose, this year, among all the past years.

"Kian is a year younger than me," Brandon explained. "I can't lose. I just can't. My invention is not going well."

"No, it is. You're pushing it to be the best, I get that. Though the extra add-ons are screwing up all the others, hmm?"

He held a hand to his face partly of shame while recalling how truly messed up his project was. He must work on it tonight.

"Hm, I don't know jack about your robot stuff. But if your brain baby needs some punching or a really strong kick, I'm the guy."

Brandon laughed softly. "No doubt. But I will tell you one thing about my invention."

Rex shot up an eyebrow.

"I will never fail the exam again."

An hour and a half after midnight.

Brandon yawned, flailing his arms about. He slapped his cheeks multiple times and tossed another sour candy into his mouth. It missed, rolling across his wooden floor and under his bed. He stood up for another twenty jumping jacks...was he at twenty? One, two, three, one, four, eight, twenty-one. One, one, one sleep.

He dared to take an "extended blink". Beautiful sleep. He peeled his eyelids open and groaned loudly, oblivious to his sleeping neighbor. Checking his clock, he slammed a fist into the desk. It was one-thirty.