Isa and me, side by side we were an invincible combo; mostly it was Isa though. As we made our ways towards the crowd, they began to expanded out into a semi-circle, unwarily trapping us. It didn't matter, because we were two beasts that just couldn't be contained; mostly Isa though.

I gazed upon the crowd, they were swearing and spitting, but none dared to actually attack us. Just when I thought the tension would last forever, a voice on a loudspeaker came up:

"All civilians stand down! This is your last warning!"

The crowd evaporated around us as armored vehicles and police cars poured into the courtyard. In less than a minute, the crowd was replaced with an impressive formation of police cars and armored vehicles.

"Dang..." I found myself muttering.

To be honest I was disappointed there wasn't a fight. I still had a lot of anger for the injustices the mob committed and I still wanted to reply to with my fists. But when I looked to Isa her expression was masked all too well.

"Put your hands behind your back and get on the ground now!" came another voice from the loudspeaker, and it took me a moment to realize it was directed at us. When I saw Isa getting on the ground, I followed. A moment later a couple of offices walked up to us and patted us down and read us our rights as procedure. Then amongst them a new voice spoke up:

"Lieutenant Isa."

Isa looked up to the figure, there was a slight pause before she responded:

"General Rojin."

General Rojin was about six feet tall and appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He had black spiky hair and deep brown eyes. He wore a pair of frame glasses and blue uniform.

"No need for the titles." Rojin turned to his officers and said, "No need to search them, they're my people."

"Yes sir!" the officer replied as the pair previously searching us immediately let us go.

"So, what are you doing in Ayre?" Rojin said, turning back to Isa.

"Mission purposes."

"I see."

"I should ask you the same questions sir?"

Rojin was like an encrypted computer, with his mind running millions of calculations at once, but his expression betrayed not a single byte of information.

"Mission purposes. I have recently been given the position 'Head Director of the Special Task Forces', I am posted in Ayre now." Rojin said calmly.

"Good to know sir."

"Hmm...Who is that boy over there?" he said as he spared me a glance.

"My current trainee." Isa replied.

"I see...wait, that arm...is he the boy who fought the Deathwalker bare handed?"

"I had a car bumper." I spoke up.

Isa looked at me sharply, though Rojin looked like he didn't care.

"Ah I see." He stared at my left arm for a good half minute then turned away.

"I have other business to attend now, if you need a ride, just ask my men."
Just like that, he left.

"Fresh meat." Isa voice came snapping from behind.

"Yes sir?..." my voice trembled a bit.

"When you are addressing to me or your superiors, make sure you address them with their proper titles and respect, or you're gonna become dead meat."

"Understood sir!"

"Good, we're leaving now." She put one hand on her shoulder. As she massaged it I swore I could hear her mutter: "Dammed air vent..."

She's human after all.

***

​A hot shower. Something I never thought I would have again in my life. But here I was again, in the hot shower stall. Washing away all the muscle spasms and aches accumulated previously that day.

"So tired..." I muttered. I was sitting on the bathroom floor leaning against the wall as the water rained down on the rest of my body.

"You really kicked ass Kard!" Rin gibbered excitedly. Then like the little devil she is, she quickly switched her tune: "And who was the guy in the end? And what kind of lame response was that? If he wasn't on our side I'd say let's go kick his ass!"

"General of the First Legion, Minister of International Security, Master Stagiest of War, Head Representative of Iron Justice and now apparently the Head Director of the Special Task Forces." Isa's voice came through the other side of the wall.

Dang.

"Dang, the guy's a legend..." I sighed then quickly added: "Sir."
​From the wall Isa said, "We are off duty right now fresh meat, there is no need for titles."

"Umm...then what do I call you then...sir?" I asked, just to be safe.

"My name of course, you dumb meat."

"Isa." I said cautiously. Saying the name made it feel as if I was addressing a different person.

"What do you think will happen to us?" I quickly added.

She knew I was talking about the riot. I knew protecting the elementals was the right thing to do... but to the extent of beating up civilians? Sure, it could be said we acted in the name of self-defence, but our actions could be cast in a darker light, a criminal light. If we got sentenced the record would follow me for life.

"There's nothing to worry about, we were executing military authority at a riot. And you, fresh meat, were just following orders."

"That's good to hear..." I let out a sigh, and let myself slide further against the wall and onto the ground.

"There is a meeting tomorrow, 9:00 a.m. sharp, your training will be canceled for the morning."

That was a first, although a meeting sounded boring. But I would do anything to get out of that hellish routine.

"Understood...wait, who's going to the meeting?"

"Me, you, General Rojin, Dr. Cherrylove and a few staffs."

"I see...wait, General Rojin and Dr. Cherrylove!?"

I honestly did not expect someone as important as Rojin to come to a meeting where I was invited. I expecting him to be busy fighting wars and shit. As for Dr. Cherrylove the last time I saw her was when she brought me here, which felt like several lifetimes ago.

"Affirmative. I was just informed a few minutes ago, it's about an operation, and details have not yet been disclosed. As for Dr. Cherrylove, she wanted to check on how you are doing."

"Huh...I see." I nodded to myself. "How old is General Rojin? He seems pretty young to me."

There was a pause filled in by the sprinkle sound of hot water.

"29 years old and 10 months and 8 days old."

"Oh I see. Where is he from? I am guessing somewhere from the Eastern Empire."

"He was born in Xiang, a small village within the Eastern Empire. He Studied at IIMT when he was 12 and then became a tactician at Houxing of Eastern Empire at 18."

She clearly had great respect for him. And honestly I had to admit that I was a tiny winy bit jealous of him.

"How did you meet him?"

"The first time we met was 3 years and 11 days ago when I was conducting my 2nd mission. Task: eradicate all rebel forces at Rochan's Fall. Even though the rebels were poorly equipped, we were still greatly outmanned and outgunned. Then Rojin took over the operation and he decided to negotiate with the rebel leader under a flag of truce, bringing nothing but one bodyguard, me."

"At the appointed meeting location and time, the 2 leaders meet and sat down on a rock. The rebels brought a hundred men, and those were only the visible ones. I wasn't even an MS pilot at the time. All I had was a GSh-18 handgun. At first the rebels looked ready to butcher us on spot; after the meeting with Rojin they were treating us like old friends. The rebel group agreed to disband if the international government would send rations of food and supplies to them every month as reparations."

"That sounds good." I said going for an easy answer.

"A man who goes deep into the heart of the enemy with nothing but a single bodyguard, is either insane or a fool. Rojin was neither. His courage, his wits, he is beyond anyone I ever knew. He is truly someone I look up to."
Hearing her say all this, I honestly couldn't help but feel even more jealous. He was just given the highest compliment by Isa, while I was still constantly getting verbal beat downs from her. It just wasn't fair. Then again, comparing the experience and success between me and Rojin, well she had reason. I couldn't talk back to it, and was painful to even think about.

"I see..."

The sprinkling of water stopped, leaving only droplets of silence hanging in space.

"Don't hang around, lights-out in 15 minutes fresh meat." Isa's voice came.

I bit down hard on my lip as I propped myself up and made my way to the change room in slow drunken steps.
"Kard! Don't listen to a word of what that demon women said!" Rin spoke out of nowhere, as I grabbed my towel.

"Yeah, you're right. But it's kind of hard when it's true." I replied as I feebly dried myself.

"Pfft, she's just exaggerating things." I could imagine her hologram waving a hand in dismissal.

"Yeah...I guess you're right." I replied half heartily, as I put away the towel and began dressing myself.

"Don't give up so easily! You can still win her heart back!"

"Win her what back?" I stopped and cringed as I pulled my pants half way up.

"Forget about it, this is why you still don't have a GF."

"Shut the hell up! What does this have to do with me not having a GF?"

"Because you're just so...so...so..."

"So what?" I asked pulling on a sock.

"Stubborn!"

I felt like I'd been struck by a lightening hammer from the sky.

Me? Stubborn? A little maybe. But feelings for Isa? I would sooner have cross dimensional powers and marry Rin than have feelings for her. I fear Isa, and respect her and maybe I do seek approval from her. But feelings? No, no, no...even in an imaginary relationship, I picture myself as a piece of meat in her jaws. On top of that, my heart was reserved for Illyria. She's the angel of my fantasies, perfect, beautiful and beyond my reach. In reality, she was beyond angelic, more perfect, more beautiful and even more beyond my reach. All I could say was:

Curses.

"Sureee..." I yawned as all my energy for argument left.

"Ha!? You're going to admit just like that? Are you not going to even try defending yourself?"

I simply choose to ignore Rin's comments as I threw myself back onto the bed.

I was just too dammed tired.

Q: Do you consider yourself a stubborn person?