Dedicated to the person who created such a beautiful cover! Go check her out, if you can, you don't have to at all. Just saiyan.

Author's note: Let's take a break from the narrative a bit and delve in James's mind.

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James:

We were born to be together. Psh. I felt nothing for that nuisance of a girl.

Then, why did when she smile, I feel...different?

Because you are not used to human compassion, that's why, I thought.

However, my thoughts started to go around in circles from that point on.

My escape surely hadn't gone unnoticed by my folks, right? They would come looking for me. I was supposed to fall off the grid, not go into the lion's den! Metaphorically, of course. GEAR was the enemy of what the Ambassadors of Evil stood for. If they found out, well I figured I would not be telling them, so they would not hear of my heritage from me.

To think of it, the heir apparent to the evil empire of the Ambassadors of Evil and future leader of the biggest organization of banded criminals in the world taking residence and attending GEAR's school! I must be out of my mind still continuing to be here and not make a run for it. That thought went to the very heart of the matter as people say.

I had something that was holding me back from leaving this place. Actually, it was what prevented from escaping out of the way after we left the warehouse.

Maria.

I had left that girl seep into my consciousness and now I even dreamed about her!

What was the world coming to? Even if I had the slimmest chance or opportunity to court... I mean date her obviously, she would be devastated when I told her the truth. I couldn't keep a secret like that away from her after what she did for me-she helped me escape and put up with me even though I acted like an arrogant spoiled boy. Maybe she was right to assume I was a boy band member when she first me. I probably did not make a good first impression and lying to her will not help me now!

Another reason to leave besides Maria was the fact that if GEAR found out, they would probably lock me up. Thank God there were no pictures of me out there for them or the government to analyze, I had made sure of that. No social media, no phones in my name, changing my last name each time I switched schools. (That was my mom's idea that I followed along with. Why would she...never mind. I do not want to psychoanalyze my witch of a mother right now. I'll probably get a killer headache from doing it.)

Why was so reluctant to lie this time? I had done nothing wrong. GEAR could not judge me on sins of the father or my uncle for that matter. Maybe they could protect me...No way. The Ambassadors of Evil were everywhere. If I had gone off the grid, they still could have found me. I'm safer here where they would never expect-their foe fighting for the cause of good and righteousness.

Speaking of GEAR, keeping secrets would probably still not last, that father of hers had suspicions against me already and her brother looked like the sort who would jump me if I even glanced at his sister. It was better to stay clear of Maria and pretend everything was fine. Fine and dandy, like my grandma used to say. Only she's dead so maybe I shouldn't take advice from a dead grandmother who was more of a mom to me than my own mother.

Why was I so torn apart over this? It couldn't be that I cared for her. I had practically just met her!

Her eyes said differently.

Shut up! You do not exist. You are a voice in my head that does not exist and now I'm talking to myself. Was I just so desperate for affection that I longed for her to reciprocate my crush on her?

[ "Are you schizophrenic?", asked the man interrogating me.

"No, I was just thinking to myself...never mind what the voice said", I told him.

"Are you sure? You know we have treatment for those who suffer from...." He started to say, but I cut him off then and there. I may have been a bit harsher than I needed to be, but hey it's hard to stop keeping secrets.

"I AM NOT SCHIZOPHRENIC! Now do your job and take notes while I relay to you what you asked me for-the narrative of how I ended up in GEAR, got it?", I shouted.

He swallowed nervously and allowed me to continue. "Good", I replied callously. I was going to get the last word in this no matter what. Someone like him should not test me.]

Besides the issue with my unrequited romance of Maria, (to think she would even like me after what the stunt I pulled with her brother was laughable), there was also my home life or lack thereof to think of.

The biggest threat to me wasn't my mom, Maria, GEAR, Maria's father, her brother or even my father.

It was my brother that I had to be worried about.

His anger towards me concerned me grievously as I had forgiven him for the death of our grandmother already and saw no reason why for his unadulterated rage.

Was he perhaps envious? He had no reason to be, I probably would have traded a life spent with our father than our mother. Father may be a corrupt corporate lawyer, but he was a workaholic at heart.

My mom, unfortunately, was the type to only work 9-5 and then brew hot tea.

Too bad she would often hit me with it...the teapot, I mean, even though tea burns when it is spills on your back.

No, my brother was the variable that I couldn't control and that scared me a bit. The last nightmare I had of him was not pleasant as he tried to chase me down a dark alleyway, but I had one thing to hold onto.

It wasn't in my brother to kill me.

Author's note: I have no words.