2277 words. Are you happy? Because I am.
"Good morning!" I sang as I walked into the room the Prime were currently still sleeping in. Ten boys tiredly blinked at me as they started to sit up. I smothered a smile at their messy hair and derpy looks from not being awake enough.
Kota yawned. (Fun fact: Every time I type "yawn," I actually yawn no matter what time of day it is.) "What time is it?"
I chuckled. "It's 10 AM."
I watched in amusement as their eyes grew wide and Mr. Blackbourne, Kota, and North immediately jumped out of their beds, rushing to straighten their appearance. Sean and Gabriel literally rolled off their beds and plopped onto the cold floor while the others got up normally. Milo smiled lazily as he came over to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. His weight settled on me, but I didn't mind it. Not being able to hug your brother for over fourteen years would make you want to hug him constantly.
"That was the best night I've ever slept," Milo whispered to me as the others got out of bed. They quickly made their beds before trying to straighten up.
"I'm so happy you're here," I whispered back. He smiled at me, kissing me on the cheek before making his bed. I turned towards the Prime. "I'll be giving you a tour and introduce you to your schedule."
They nodded at me before I turned. They started after me down the hallway. "This is the washroom. Toilets and showers are in here. You'll be provided a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and soap soon. Shampoo and conditioner are in there. If you want a certain type of brand, you can earn money in your job to buy them. You can go ahead, and freshen up. Don't worry about taking a shower yet."
The ten boys went into the communal washroom. I didn't mind waiting for them. Thankfully, they didn't take too long. When they exited, they looked more awake. Luke skipped towards me, linking our arms together.
"Hello, again, Sang!" He sang as he looked around in excitement. His movements reminded me of a curious puppy that I barely held back a giggle.
"Hello, Luke," I smiled at the others before I motioned for them to follow me. Luke stumbled a bit to match my smaller strides, but after a few steps, he was able to walk in stride with me. "The cafeteria is called the Canteen, but there are a few pantry's spotted around the base. If you want a few snacks, you can buy some there. Breakfast is usually around 6 o'clock and ends around 8 o'clock. Lunch begins at 10 AM and ends at 1 pm. Many people work in shifts so we need a longer lunch time. Dinner is around 5 to 7. There are a few restaurants around here but they can be quite expensive and limited due to resources."
Turning my head, I observed them. Luke was nodding his head as he listened to me, while Gabriel started to hum a tune I forgot the name of. Mr. Blackbourne, Kota, North, and Victor seemed to make mental notes, and Nathan was staring ahead. His facial expression showed nothing, but the look in his eyes told me he was listening to me. Silas though seemed worried as he looked back at the hallways and other marks to identify where we were going. His eyebrows were furrowed together, and his shoulders were scrunched up slightly in discomfort.
I caught his dark brown eyes with a smile. A very faint blush appeared on his face as I spoke. "Don't worry about getting lost in this maze. You'll get used to the routes easily once you settle in. Even if you do, we have maps along the walls, and you can even ask others. Most will be happy to help you."
He nodded, making me look back to where we were going. The sound of conversation seemed so loud compared to the silence we were accustomed to, but the ten Prime carried forward, pausing slightly at the large crowd in the cafeteria. There were about 300 people sitting or getting food, and this wasn't the whole base.
Turning towards the Prime, I pulled my arm from Luke's who pouted slightly before straightening once again. A professional mask had shuttered over their faces, and I frowned. They were in front of people they clearly didn't know their personalities and weren't sure of their behavior towards them. As Prime, they were conditioned not to show weakness which would be an asset for becoming an agent but not to form relationships.
I knew that I couldn't tell them not to do that and expect them to immediately do it. It will take time and trust for them to open up. The only reason they were more open was because I was the one who saved them and were "attracted" to me, but once they begin to open to others, they can find others to put that attraction on. No matter how stubborn Mr. Blackbourne was about his feelings and the other's feelings towards me, bar my brother, were about me, their affection was based on me saving them.
Affections were fickle and could easily tear your whole self apart. It could make you feel like you have the whole world in your hands, and the next moment, it could make you feel like you were worth less than dirt. Affections, especially love, can destroy a person, and I don't want to suffer that again.
I pulled out ten cards from my pocket. They were black and had a number and initials etched in them. A sticky note was plastered on the back of each card. Holding them up, I looked at the Prime. "These are your cards. You keep them on you, understand me?" They nodded at my serious tone. "These cards have fingerprint technology, meaning that they will only respond to you. These will be your cards to enter your dorm. They allow you to go into the places you are authorized for. They are also linked to a bank account that money you earn will go into. The note on the cards is a pin number, which will allow you to make purchases. This is a way to verify that you are making a purchase. These cards might be work on your fingerprints, but there are some around here who can bypass that. Do not give your pin number out to anyone. If you do and a they take your card, they will spend your money. Understand?"
Ten heads nodded at me, and I smiled. I passed them out, giving the card to the rightful person. As I gave the card to Mr. Blackbourne, our fingers touched, and I stilled. Looking up, my green eyes met silver which were already staring at me. I pulled back, wiping my hands on my pants discretely. "Your cards also record your meal times. You get one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner. Now let's eat."
The ten followed me through the cafeteria, like a pack of chicks following their mom. Although their facial expressions didn't show it, their body language did when the people in the cafeteria seemed to lower at the sight of us. Ignoring the gawking crowd, I pushed a tray in the hands of the man behind me who happened to be Victor. I looked at them. "Ignore them for now. They are not only shocked at you but also me."
The Prime took my words and went through the line, ordering the options that were available. They had about three different entrées of a burger, chicken dish, or tofu dish for the vegetarians, a side that consisted of a salad, mashed potatoes, or fries, and a desert which was a piece of chocolate cake or apple pie. The drinks were water, coffee, sweet tea, and lemonade. Carbonated drinks were special since we really didn't have a way to make it after Damien made the machine catch on fire just by drawing some in his cup. Until the inventors can remake a soda machine that was Damien-proof, sodas were for special occasions.
Once we got through the line, I made them follow me to the furthest table. My shoulders relaxed at the familiar sight of the Toma team and Damien already eating and chattering away. The Prime seemed to relax, too, at the sight of familiar people. I sat down next to Damien, and Milo immediately slid to my right.
His sharp glare at the other Prime showed that he wouldn't let others next to her. He was her brother, and although they were his friends for years, he was still protective of his twin. He hadn't spent much time with her, and they could wait for a few weeks...or years.
His glare was unseen by the Phoenix members who were talking about something the Prime didn't understand. It was a quiet for a few minutes before Nathan spoke. "So I understand why people stared at us, but why did they quieten at you?"
Taking a bite out of my burger, I chewed while Marc and Brandon snickered. Raven didn't care and continued to snuggle next to Corey who was trying to eat but managed to give them a small smile. Axel sighed tiredly, waiting for me to speak.
Once I swallowed my food, I waved at the uniform that they didn't really notice. Gabriel, who was dubbed the Artist in both fashion and art, looked at her outfit along with the Toma's, Damien's, and others around them. They all wore simple trousers and pants that varied in length and color. The only thing that seemed different were their shirts. Although they were in different colors, they all had different number of stripes on them. The stripes were actually a pin that was attached to their sleeve.
Gabriel's eyes went upward. "There are a different number of stripes."
"Correct," Sang took a sip of her drink. "The higher rank you were, the more stripes one would have on their sleeve. There are nine in total. The lowest is one strip which are those who have completed recruitment and basic training."
"The Toma's have six stripes," North pointed out as he stabbed at his salad.
Sang nodded. "Yes. Like I said, we have nine ranks. The highest is Leader, followed by general, lieutenant, colonel, major, sergeant, corporal, private, and the last are the trainees. They will be considered Colonel rank."
"What about Damien?" Kota leaned forward. A glint of interest gleamed in his eyes. I smirked inwardly. He was living up to his nickname "the Scholar".
"Me?" Damien blinked. "I'm a General. I'm over the technology and weaponry. Actually most of the Generals were in the meeting last night."
"What rank are you, Sang?" Sean said from the end of the table. He was far that he couldn't clearly seen my insignia.
Damien piped up, letting me eat. He knew that a hungry Sang is dangerous. One wrong move, and you can end up with a kick to the balls or a fist to your jaw. "She's actually a General. She's well known here because she's still active."
"Active?" Victor questioned.
Brandon was the one to answer. "Generals are usually over a department and that stuff, making them too busy and too important to get into the field. Sang is the only one who does that and do missions." He looked around and whispered so quietly that they almost didn't hear him. "She's known as a legend around here, especially with her Volto status."
"Volto status?" Thankfully, they were quiet enough to not be heard by anyone.
Corey smiled gently. "Remember the first time you met her, she was wearing a mask?"
They nodded, and she continued. "Volto is well known throughout the Academy as one of the best Phoenix agent. It hides her identity as one of the Generals. No one but the ones she saved or are classified knows about this. This is why we work with her a lot along with the Anderson and Karla Team."
Raven turned, glaring at the Prime that made them pause and be wary. "Yeah, so don't spill the tea to others."
Corey facepalmed. "Raven, what have we talked about?"
His face scrunched up in deep thinking. "Uh, that meme talk is not suitable for serious convos."
"It's definitely adorbs," Damien smiled, but his smile disappeared as he looked at the Prime. "But, yeah, don't tell others or you might become my assistant."
Marc leaned over and whispered to North. "You definitely don't want that. He burned my eyebrows off by making coffee."
"That was an actually accident!" He yelped out before winking at Raven. "You know, if you and Corey don't work out, I'm available."
Corey pouted and clung to the Russian who seemed to puff up at the attention he was getting. Damien pouted at the wary looks and turned towards the Prime. "If any of you like a dangerous man, I'm definitely your guy."
Gabriel leaned forward, curiosity in his eyes. "You're gay?"
"Bisexual, actually." Damien smiled. He excessively shook both arms. "I swing both ways."
Gabriel nodded, sitting back with a thoughtful look on his face. Axel rolled his eyes at Damien's theatrics. "Stop hitting on them. You already have a partner."
The hot but eccentric man jutted his lower lip out. "Yeah, but we want another. We want to be poly."
Marc sighed. "Sometimes I wonder who wears the pants in the relationship."
Damien lit up like a Christmas tree decorated in six-thousand lights. "Oh, it's definitely not me."
So tell me your thoughts about Damien? He's quickly becoming one of my favorite oc's.
Also don't forget to ask questions for the "interview"! You can ask anything to any of the characters. Just make sure you address to the character you want to ask.