As John spoke, everyone in the room was still in shock — even the General and the M. The General stepped forward, breaking the silence in the mess hall."John, you've got to be kidding us," he said sternly.John didn't say a word, just kept his calm expression.The General spoke again, this time with a measured tone."Alright, I get it. The kid might have something special in him. But you can't just put a high school kid — and not even a strong or smart one — on your team. Your team consists of the best of the best in the world, maintaining global peace. This is not a playground, John."John remained silent, still locking eyes with the General. The General continued, "Since you invited that kid here last Saturday, I ran a background check on him. I had to see what in the world made someone like you so interested in him. You know the rules, John."When the General finished speaking, John finally responded — calm, steady, and firm."First of all, it's my team. Second, I've already cleared it with the higher-ups. He's joining my team. And if anyone has a problem with that, they can take it up with me."No one dared to say a word — not the General, not the Major, not even John's team. Still, I could sense the unease. His entire team was clearly unhappy with someone like me joining them.After breakfast, John turned to Jenny."Jenny, show him around the base. The rest of us need to head out with the General and M to discuss something. You'll be informed later," he said.Jenny nodded and began showing me around. She took me through different sections of the base, pointing out where everyone lived. The place was enormous — equipped with everything: a big TV, a PS5 Pro, a kitchen, a spacious living room, and more.Eventually, she showed me my room and then led me to the armory . It was packed with every type of weapon imaginable. But as we walked, I noticed something off about her. She seemed distant — bothered by something.I finally asked, "Hey, is something bothering you?"She forced a smile. "It's nothing," she said quietly.But I knew there was more to it. I pressed a little further, asking again what was wrong. Suddenly, she snapped. In a flash, she grabbed me, slammed me against the wall, and pressed a gun to my head."You don't understand what John sees in you," she hissed. "You don't belong here. You'll never belong on this team."Her words cut deep. I could see in her eyes that she meant every word. After a tense moment, she lowered the gun and took a step back."The tour's over," she said coldly. "Do whatever the hell you want. I don't care if you go to hell and die."With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me standing there — stunned.I made my way back to the living quarters, thinking about how different she was from the girl who'd joked and laughed with me last Saturday at the gate and in the Humvee.When I entered the living dome, the rest of the team was talking about what had happened that morning. They didn't bother to stop when they saw me. One of the guys, with a buzz cut, stepped up and shouted right in my face,"You don't belong here! And we'll make sure you find that out soon."Before I could respond, the door opened — John walked in."Oh, Alex," he said, spotting me. "Did Jenny finish showing you around?""Yes," I replied, keeping what happened in the gun shop to myself.John gave a slight smile. "Good. So, when are you moving here?"I froze, caught off guard by his question. He noticed the surprise on my face and added, "You're going to be part of my team now. You'll need to train with us — and you can't keep living in that rundown place."I hesitated. "I'll have to inform my landlady... and tell Bob why I'm leaving my job."John nodded. "You've got until Tuesday night to take care of that," he said, handing me a folded stack of cash. "Here's five hundred dollars. Use it to get something you can use to come here and get to school. And here—" he handed me a small card, "—my number. If you need anything, call me."Then John turned to a soldier standing nearby — not in uniform — and ordered, "Drop him home."
