Chapter 17

“Andrew?”

I opened my eyes. I saw that it was dark outside, as I looked around the room. Everyone was present with an additional person, Zoe… and the exception of Ashley.

I rubbed my eyes as I sat up, “Hey Zoe, good to see you.”

She waved as she rested her head on Aisling's shoulder, “Been an intense day, I’ve heard.”

I looked around between everyone, “Is everyone calm now? Can I trust everyone to just relax please? I don’t know if I can handle a repeat of earlier, so I’m begging you all here…”

Bella walked up to me, “I’m so sorry about earlier.”

I shook my head, “No, stop. I don’t want to hear this. The only thing I need to know, is that you’re better.”

She nodded with a smile, “Yeah… Aisling sorted me out.”

I clapped my hands loudly, “Good! So now let’s please all be cool. I nearly broke down back then… so if this goes in that direction again, I’m going to just walk out.”

She nodded, “Perfectly fair, I'll play nice, I promise.”

Nadia seemed confused, “What did I miss?”

Michael answered, “Bella and I nearly fell out.”

Bella looked away, “That was my fault, I nearly lost control. Andrew did what he does best and stopped it flawlessly.”

I laughed, “Yeah, best punching bag in town.”

Everyone froze as they stared at me.

I looked around, “What?”

Aisling smiled, “You just laughed…”

I tilted my head sideways, “I did?”

Michael laughed, “So, you do actually find things funny!”

I turned to him, “Of course I do! I just don’t laugh because it hurts me a lot to laugh and because... I’m…”

Zoe finished that, “Depressed? Maybe not as much as you once were, it seems.”

I shook my head, “What a shitty way to finally laugh… laughing about being a punching bag. AI, please tell me you didn’t record that.”

AI smiled, “I recorded it. Your dark humour counts, unfortunately.”

Everyone laughed as I sat there thinking about myself. The laughter died down and people seemed ready to talk again.

I breathed out frustratingly, “Can I just say, psychological problems suck. I hate how I can’t even measure where I am, in terms of mentally healing. My sleep is good now, my skin is looking better, and my body is getting stronger… but I still can’t tell you how depressed I am.”

Zoe leaned forward, “Do you want me to read you?”

I shook my head, “No! After today… just no.”

She nodded, “I get the feeling, that I only know the tip of the iceberg, of what happened and what you all experienced.”

I nodded, “Zoe… if you could see what it looked like afterwards.”

Michael clapped his hands very loudly making everyone jump, “OI! Don’t fall back into that now! Forget the images and think about the events!”

I nodded intensely, “Right! Yeah, it was unreal. I nearly died. I remember watching the bullet trail coming towards me. God I was so scared, I couldn’t move.”

Zoe leaned in closer again, “Interesting.”

I looked at her, “What? What’s interesting?”

She smiled, “You were afraid to die.”

I tilted my head sideways, “Well yeah, why wouldn’t I… Oh.”

The realisation that I was afraid to die, was a contradiction to me wanting to commit suicide. Surely, my suicidal side was gone. Otherwise… how could I have been afraid to die?

Zoe leaned in, “Are you sure you don’t want me to connect with you? I know that I’m extremely curious myself, to see if that problem is gone…”

I shook my head, “No. I will feel horrible, if I see that I’m still suicidal. No, another day.”

She nodded, “Still, I for one am so grateful, that we never lost you today, Andrew. The thought of losing you… I think it would cause me to go into a depression.”

Nadia agreed, “You have no idea. I freaked out after that; it was so close!”

I looked at Nadia, “You really did. I was so worried that you’d have a panic attack.”

She nodded, “I’m surprised that you didn’t, Andrew! I just would have thought…”

I nodded, “Yeah… I think the shock blocked the panic.”

Michael nudged me, “In the foyer, I thought you were panicking… you weren’t though, and yes, it was definitely because the shock made your head stay focused.”

I looked away for a moment, “Small blessings, right?”

He nodded, “Bella told me earlier, why you didn’t have a blindfold, and why you felt that you could handle it… but it doesn’t work that way. Feeling pain and seeing gore, are totally different things mate.”

I stared at the coffee table in thought, “I saw so much gore being done to me… I just thought it was similar.”

He shook his head, “You experienced suffering during your torture… but what you saw today was death… totally different things.”

My mind flashed through a blend of my torture and the aftermath, “And both nearly fucking broke me! Oh my God!” I felt a wave of sorrow wash over me.

He hugged me, “Shh, sorry, easy there mate, it’s ok. Forget it all, it’s over and passed. Breath for us, please.”

Bella laughed, “Andrew, you impress the fuck out of me! You’ve seen two unfathomable horrors, and yet you still sit here, sane.”

Aisling agreed, “If there was ever conclusive evidence of your strength of will, it’s surely this.”

Zoe nodded, “That’s precisely why I was called here. Andrew, I can’t help you, and we both know why. Everyone else though? I’ll be using the next week, to have one on one sessions with every one of you, except Oliver and AI. There’s absolutely psychological damage here, for many different reasons. Oliver, I need you to help me with this.”

Oliver leaned forward, “Of course. I’ll handle Michael and Aisling. You please handle Nadia and Bellatrix.”

Zoe nodded as she stood up, “Come with me, Bellatrix.”

Bella laughed, “Nah, Aisling sorted me out.”

Zoe responded firmly, “We’re not having sex, we’re talking. Literal therapy. Please, come with me.”

Bella’s smile disappeared, as she realised what was in store, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Zoe nodded, “That’s exactly why you must… come.”

Bella hesitated before she finally stood up and walked out with Zoe.

Oliver looked at Aisling, “Aisling, let’s go.”

Aisling nodded and instantly stood up, “I’m not arguing. I definitely need to make sense of it all… Let’s go.”

The two then walked out towards my room. I looked at Nadia and Michael.

I felt broken at that moment, “If only my problems were so easy to talk about.”

Nadia smiled, “We do talk about them, in a very difficult way, every night.”

Michael smiled, “The bigger the person, the longer their shadow carries.”

I looked between the two of them, “What’s it like having normal therapy? Being able to talk about how you feel, and magically it no longer bothers you?”

Michael laughed out loud, “It’s not that easy, silly muppet. Yes, we do manage to overcome our problems, but it’s not nearly that fast.”

Nadia nodded, “We’re probably going to be having at least three sessions in the next week, each. Bella will probably need ten.”

I leaned back on the sofa, still trying to unpack it all. It felt like a nightmare that lasted a lifetime.

I breathed out, “What now, though?”

Nadia leaned forward, “Aisling and I will stay here. Bellatrix will be coming everyday as well, for therapy. AI is managing the repairs and cleanup. Members will continue to do their jobs, but they won’t be going to HQ to get orders, it will be sent to their phones at home.”

I looked at her, “What about the Inner Roses meeting?”

She smiled, “We can do the conference call over the internet.”

I realised that was an obvious solution, “Ah, right, yeah that makes sense… What about Heartly? Actually… I’m starving! I never even thought about it, but we need to get some food.”

Nadia looked at the floor for a moment, “Pizza? Heartly will just have to stay at home till the repairs are complete. I’m sure he won’t mind the time off, he fought in the battle as well, after all.”

I leaned forward quickly, “What! Why on earth… oh, he was a soldier as well… of course.”

Nadia nodded, “I’m so grateful that we have so many ex-military members. They truly carried us to victory today.”

Michael smiled, “There’s the difference, between the military and the Roses. The Roses say thanks and appreciate us.”

I looked at Michael, “Does the army really never say thanks?”

He immediately answered, “Nope, never. They pay to train you, feed you and equip you. Why should they say thanks when you do the job that they paid you to do?”

I nodded, “It kind of makes sense. I mean, they failed to appreciate the willingness and the effort, but still…”

He looked away, “I suppose if they did, it would be treating us like people, and not tools. They want weapons, not friends.”

I looked at AI after a long moment, “Could you please order some food for us? Throw it on my bill.”

AI shook her head, “I already have, and feeding the Angels is our expense, not yours.”

I breathed out in frustration, “Right… I’m finding it hard to spend this money.”

She looked at me, “Well… I was going to speak to you about it later. However, since the topic has arisen… We would like to request additional funding please.”

I leaned forward, “Yeah. Repairs and cleanup can’t be cheap. How much?”

She frowned, “This amount also includes the unexpected expense of ammunition, armour, weapons and bulletproof shielding.”

I nodded, “Right, give me the number.”

She shook her head, “Andrew, military equipment is not cheap. The amount is around £720,000.”

I slightly recoiled, “Holy shit, no kidding! Right, approved.”

AI bowed and Nadia stood up, faced me, and bowed as well.

I shook my head, “We’re on the same side here, so please, don’t bow. That money saved my life.”

Nadia sat down, “In three days’ time, we’ll have earned enough to pay you back for all of this.”

I looked away, “You don’t have to pay me back!... Wait, three days? What happens in 3 days?”

Nadia smiled at me, “Well, based on our earnings the last few weeks, we’ll have made enough money to cover our own expenses, plus pay back the money that we’ve borrowed from you.”

I stood up, “No, what, that wasn’t the agreement! Nobody said anything about paying back the money!”

AI smiled, “Did you think that we would take millions from you, and leave you worse off for it?”

I turned to her, “I share my money with the people that I care for! I don’t want it back at all! Also, I have billions, the money I gave you all is peanuts!”

Nadia smiled, “You forget that we’re an honour bound organisation. We’ll send you back your money with interest, and we’ll refuse your objections. Don’t argue with us, please.”

I raised my voice, “AI, you will not pay me back the money I gave you towards a body! That’s a gift, do you understand me?”

AI put her hands in the air in surrender, “Do not worry, Andrew, I was not going to pay that back.”

I stared at the floor, “Don’t you start that ‘Don’t worry’ nonsense again, either! I’ve had enough of that the last two days…”

Michael laughed out loud, “Look at this guy, putting his foot down. He’s starting to form that back spine… excellent.”

The front door opened, and I saw a Black Rose agent come in with six pizza boxes. I imagined that the delivery guy had to be checked by security and all that nonsense. He placed the boxes down, before he opened the top one and grabbed a slice. He looked at me and winked, “Service charge, innit?” I chuckled as he walked out eating his slice.

Michael got up, to go get the others. Aisling spread out the boxes, opening them all, as I looked at them all with fascination. I had seen pizza before, but I never got any of the scraps at the pizza places. The cheese looked really nice.

The rest came in to eat, and they all attacked their favourite flavours. I watched them all, to see how they were eating it… it seemed that you just grabbed a slice and ate it with your hands, easy. I looked over them all, to decide which one I wanted.

Michael nudged me, “That’s a lot of thought for pizza.”

I turned to him, “I dunno which one I want. Never had this before.”

Everyone breathed out in frustration and disappointment. I expected that response, that time. I was to assume that pizza was very common, and it was strange that I had never had it, as usual. I reached and grabbed the one with lots of meat on it. My body was craving meat.

I bit into it, and immediately loved the cheesy taste and feeling. I could understand why people loved this stuff! I looked over to Bellatrix. I could see fresh tear marks through her makeup… no doubt her therapy was brutal. I looked at Aisling, who also had tear marks. I actually didn’t expect that, but fair enough.

I looked around, “Um… am I allowed to talk about other people's therapy?”

Zoe instantly responded, “No.”

I nodded, “Ok, sorry.” I took another bite of pizza.

Aisling looked at me for a moment, “Andrew, I found out that I cared more about you dying, than I cared about myself dying.”

Zoe nudged her, “Hun, please… don’t talk about your therapy.”

Aisling looked at Zoe confused, “I feel comfortable doing it, because Andrew does it every night with all of us.”

Zoe shook her head, “Doesn’t matter, that’s his arrangement with Oliver and he invited you all to partake. It’s not your arrangement, your therapy is a totally different situation. Please, don’t talk about your therapy.”

Aisling looked sad, “Ok… sorry about that.”

I nodded, “No, that was my mistake for even bringing it up. Forgive me, I crossed the line.”

Zoe finished her slice, “It’s alright, Andrew. You didn’t know. It’s just important that you understand, that as qualified professionals… we have to maintain confidentiality, at all times. For many more reasons, than just because it makes someone uncomfortable. We need to control a person's therapy entirely. If someone here started talking about it, it could ruin all our efforts.”

Oliver nodded, “Imagine if someone responded to Aisling, and it led to a totally different outcome, then what was intended. We need to heal people's minds, and to do that, we need isolation.”

I nodded in understanding, “Ok… does that mean I can’t talk to Ashley, about her injury?”

Oliver shook his head, “No, actually, your perspective would be ideal for her. No offence mate… you’re the king of pain, injury and recovery. Her perspective of her own injury will improve, if she saw it through your lens.”

I looked into the distance, “Yeah, that’s exactly what I thought. Has she ever been injured before?”

He shook his head, “No, not according to her records. This is her first fall.”

I breathed out, “God… that’s even fucking worse.”

AI interjected, “Language please. We are not sailors here; I would like better oral hygiene.”

I turned to Michael, “I’ve no doubt… she’s going to feel like she let everyone down. She was the only one injured.”

Michael nodded, “True, which is precisely why nobody will visit her when she wakes. She’s going to be furious, as her mind gets to grips with all of it.”

I stared at him, “What? No, I need to be there for her!”

Oliver spoke firmly, “No chance, Michael’s right. Her doctors will see her first, when she wakes. We’ll give her a few days, making it clear that we’re giving her space. Then we will visit her. Trust me, I've been there day one for patients… you don’t want to see her like that. People tend to say things that they don’t mean.”

I stared at the coffee table, “Ashley’s a good person! She wouldn’t be like that… right?”

Oliver laughed, “She’s a spoiled brat, with a heart of gold. She’ll be worse than most.”

Michael laughed out loud, “Absolutely. I love her… but it’s true. You should have heard her cussing, when I pulled her into the hall. She was furious. It was a genuine relief when we tranquilised her!”

I looked at the floor, “Oh… I just thought that I needed to be there for her.”

Michael nudged me, “She’ll need you mate… just not immediately. We’ll make sure that she’s aware of how much you care, that’s a promise.”

I felt a wave of sympathy hit me, “Ok, thank you… I just want to help her, like she’s helped me…”

Oliver beamed a big smile, “Understandable! I’ll let her know as well.”

I looked at him, “Is her injury bad?”

He walked over to the counter and grabbed the tablet. He tapped it a few times and looked into it, to verify that he was authorised. He swiped around a bit, as he processed all the information.

He came back and grabbed a slice, “Minor wound, it missed any bones, major nerves, or blood vessels… so perhaps… one to four months. Depends on her physio treatment. Since she’s a Roses member, she’ll have access to excellent private health care. I reckon… two months, or around there.”

I nodded, “Wow… such a short time, that’s fantastic news!”

Aisling leaned forward, “Andrew, are you comparing her to yourself?”

I nodded, “Of course. It took me nearly seven months to physically heal properly, before I could try to walk again.”

Oliver crossed his arms, “No, stop! Don’t compare it… nowhere near a similar situation. Andrew, you were on the absolute verge of death, in multiple different aspects. Your state was abysmal, and it was a miracle that you even survived. The only thing that kept you alive, was your outrageously overwhelming strength of will. Ashley’s is a minor wound, so don’t even think of comparing it.”

Michael laughed, “To even remotely compare it, is hilarious! I imagine that she’ll bitch and moan about her pain, but compared to you, her pain will probably be a… 3/10, at worst!” He chuckled even more.

I looked at Oliver sadly, “I wasn’t that bad… was I?”

Oliver leaned forward, “You should have died… I don’t mean that I wanted you to die, or that you deserved to die… I mean, that it was so bad, it’s almost impossible that you didn’t.”

Aisling nodded, “That was why your healthcare cost as much as it did. There were four surgeons for you, twelve total staff. It took them hours, just to prevent you from dying… we’re so blessed to have you here.”

Oliver nodded, “It took litres and litres of blood to save you… we thought we lost you…”

Oliver stared at his piece of pizza, as he struggled to not cry. He looked away, as he tried not to break down. Aisling hugged him quietly.

I put my hand out to him “No, no, come on now. I’m sorry that this has ended up as a downer… Oliver, I’m here mate. It’s alright. Smile for me… things are brilliant.”

He nodded as he weakly smiled, “Yeah… yeah too right… um, Andrew… what do you think of pizza, mate?”

I tried to sound excited, “It’s amazing! Is it supposed to be greasy? I mean I like it, but it really is quite… I dunno the word.”

Nadia laughed, “Yeah, that’s pizza. It’s not the healthiest thing to eat and it’s very rich… but we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

I had a few more slices, as I thought to myself about the day. I then remembered something.

I looked at Bella, “Bella, what did you say to me, when we got out of the car before the attack? I couldn’t hear you.”

Bella smiled, “I said, the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.”

I looked at her confused, “... What?”

She frowned, “Andrew, I was keeping you in clear sight. The Bruiges had a drone nearby, they were waiting to get a visual confirmation that you were present. I stopped you in the open, so that they could clearly see you.”

I growled, “Oh…”

I had just picked up a slice of pizza, but after hearing that, I was so angry that I just threw it back in the box.

Michael wrapped his arm around me, “Yeah… they really wanted to get you… and only you. Aisling and Nadia were there the entire night, but they didn’t make their move… until they saw you.”

I shook my head, “What did I do, though? Wasn’t I the one hurt? How did William somehow convince himself, that I was at fault?”

AI spoke, “William had lost everything, by his own hand. His brother and father died, and then he murdered his last siblings. He had lost his mind; it was not even logical anymore.”

I shook my head, “The entire Bruiges are gone… are we expecting refugees?”

AI nodded, “Yes. There were approximately twenty-five thousand people involved in the Bruiges. Many will now be without any options.”

I stood up, “Let them in here!”

Michael slapped my leg, “Don’t be ridiculous… they made their choice.”

I shouted at him, “They made the only choice they were given! We need to be better than what the Bruiges were, we need to give them a better choice!”

Everyone went quiet, and I saw that Aisling and Nadia were irritated.

Aisling leaned forward, “I’m furious at them right now, Andrew. They tried to kill you and me. It will take time for me to forgive them… if I ever can.”

Nadia nodded, “Their fall is their own fault. They wore out their welcome years ago! I imagine that the government was all too happy to wipe them off the face of the earth.”

I argued, “The people left… are not the ones who made those choices! The people left, are the ones who just tried to survive. I wanted to join them at one stage even! These people aren’t monsters, like William and Ronald; they’re people like me!”

AI smiled, “Andrew, please… sit down my friend.”

I looked around at everyone for a long moment, before I finally did, “Don’t forsake them.”

AI nodded, “We will not. I do not experience anger, as the others do. We will accept them, as long as they agree to our way of operating. Decent people who care, will always find a place in the Roses.”

I nodded furiously, “That’s right, AI! There are still many good people, who were in the Bruiges. Zoe is a prime example of that!”

Zoe nodded, “The Bruiges were just the most convenient group for me at the time, I wasn’t loyal.”

I stared at her for a moment, “Are you loyal to us?”

She looked at me for a long while, “No.”

I was stunned, “What…”

She spoke coldly, “I was with the Bruiges, because they gave me power. I’m with the Roses, because they give me purpose. I couldn’t care about the values of either.”

I stared at her in disappointment, “But what about… the bigger picture! What about giving hope?”

She shook her head in irritation, “Oh, you actually believe in all this tosh about hope and change? I must live in a different world from you.”

I took offence as I spoke angrily, “Of course, because I lived a really comfortable life growing up, myself…”

Zoe looked away immediately, as she remembered my past.

AI spoke, “Andrew, the Roses understand and respect individuals like Zoe. We do not demand loyalty. This is not a religion; it is an organisation. People will always have their own selfish goals, which is logical. Please do not harass Zoe any further.”

Zoe looked me in the eye, “If you believe in it all, Andrew… then more power to you. I respect that you have hope and vision. It must be incredible, to feel such a deep sense of purpose like you do. I’m almost sorry that I don’t.”

I stared at her for a moment, “Zoe, are we going to lose you to the next highest bidder? Is my friendship with you on a timer? It hurts to think that you might leave us…”

She leaned forward, “Logically, only the military could offer me a better deal, then what the Roses offer. I highly doubt that they care for an empath. So, the chances are extremely slim that I will leave. However, even if I did Andrew, I promise you, I wouldn’t lose contact with you. My loyalty is to myself and my friends, no matter what organisation I work for.”

I looked at her thoughtfully, “You must be getting paid a lot here.” I thought about how much I would have paid for her services.

She shook her head, “Actually, my pay is paltry. AI won me with opportunities.”

I tiled my head sideways, “Oh?”

She smiled wickedly, “When the HQ was built, the Prime Minister visited to celebrate it. AI made an agreement with me, that if she gave me an audience with the Prime Minister, then I would join the Roses.”

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I looked at her fascinated, “Wait… so that means you did meet with the prime minister? What’s she like?”

Zoe looked at the floor, “She’s a horrible, nasty piece of work. I thought that Ronald was a sick fucker, but she makes him look like a snowflake. She’s not more interesting than you, Andrew... but she’s definitely a horrible, power-hungry creature.”

I felt a cold shiver come over me, “I suppose that’s the only type of person who could fit the position of leadership, for this massive country.”

Zoe nodded, “She’s brilliant, extremely intelligent, just like you. Always thinking one hundred moves ahead. Always prepared for anyone to try to betray her. She wields our military like a glove.”

I stared at her, “God, she sounds terrifying.”

She laughed, “You know the funny thing? There’s only one thing that she fears, more than anything else.”

I nodded, “The Roses.”

She shook her head, “No… you.”

*

I stared at her for a long moment, “Me? Please tell me that’s a joke!”

Zoe shook her head, “She wanted to understand the Roses… She used BRAVE, to probe every member and every record. She knows that the Roses are a threat, yet she craved to understand the reason why, the core reason… and that’s you.”

I glanced quicky at the Angels, “No… no, it’s Aisling and Nadia. They made this organisation, they’re the core!”

Aisling shook her head, “We started the Roses, but it was you who gave it fuel. You’re the reason that it survived, and you’re the inspiration for us all to grow further. I was the spark… but you’re the flame.”

I started getting uncomfortable, “No, bullshit! Honestly, you people are mental! I'm a nobody, who made one lucky choice that had an impact. I don’t compare to the Roses leadership, and I sure as hell don’t compare to the Prime Minister!”

Zoe shook her head furiously, “Andrew, people are the true resource. The Prime Minister believes in all this bollocks, about hope and dreams. That’s why she treats the Roses as a threat. She’s spent a great fortune to gather intel on you. At the end of every day, she has BRAVE give her a summary… of just you, Andrew.”

I was stunned, “Why though? Why on earth does she care about me?”

Zoe leaned closer, “Because she realised that you’re so much more! You are a dreamer and a visionary. If Nadia and Aisling died, you could literally take over their jobs and probably do it better!”

I felt like I had been slapped, “Don’t you fucking say that! Don’t you dare undervalue the Angels! I think the Prime Minister has lost her mind! Anyone who believes that is daft!”

Aisling shook her head, “Then I’m foolish too, Andrew.”

Nadia nodded, “I guess that makes me a fool too.”

AI nodded, “I suppose, logically, that makes me foolish as well.”

I stared at them in shock. They actually believed it all as well! What was wrong with them? In what universe was someone like me, a threat to anything. I was nothing!

I looked between the Angels, “You believe… I’m worth as much as you… and that I could replace you?”

All three of them nodded with smiles on their faces.

I stood up, “No, this is ridiculous! I’m uneducated, unfit, psychologically unstable and utterly dependent on others. Facts are facts, you’re all wrong… wake up!”

AI calmly spoke, “Yet here you are, the focus of everything. The core of the Roses, the centre of our attention and of the worlds. The enemy of the once largest criminal syndicate. Saviour of thousands, and inspiration to millions. Whether you want to believe it or not, greatness is your destiny.”

Nadia agreed, “Andrew, have you ever looked at the news?”

I shook my head, “I don’t care about any of that! The Roses are all that matter.”

She laughed, “Then you don’t see how many people hold their breaths on your accord. The media thirsts for any new information about you. Our stream of the Inner Roses went from 10 thousand views per day, to 189 million. When you appear on the stream, it has over one billion views.”

Aisling beamed her breathtaking smile, “I have complete confidence, that if you ever took over, you would do our dream justice.”

I stood there in disbelief and shock. I couldn’t process it; it felt impossible to believe! I’d had enough of that nonsense.

I started walking out the room, “Nope! Not having this! I’m done.”

AI quickly spoke, “The truth is the truth, even if you do not like it.”

I turned to her and shouted, “Fuck off AI, I’ve heard enough bullshit tonight, to last a lifetime!”

I left the room and went straight to my bedroom. My heart was racing, as my mind went over what they said. What on earth had gotten into them? In what reality, was a nobody like me that important? I wasn’t! They were wrong, and they might honestly have lost their minds!

AI started talking to me in my hearing aids. I ripped them out of my ears and threw them across the room. She appeared on the tablet, but I picked it up and tossed it facing down onto the carpet floor. I wasn’t having it; it was unacceptable fiction.

She knew I couldn’t hear her, if she was talking… Without the hearing aids, all I heard was muffled noises. I loved her, I really did, but I wouldn’t be lied to so dishonestly. I was glad that they all felt so impressed by me, but something had to give!

I closed my eyes… Shit, the Angels were sleeping in my room that night. I couldn’t stay there; I needed to get some privacy. I walked out of my room quickly. Michael had just left the living room; he looked at me with a worried face, as I walked past him, opening the front door. The Black Roses turned to me in surprise.

I spoke in their general direction, “Get out of my way, I'm going for a walk.”

They spoke to me, but I couldn’t hear them. I just walked past them, and straight into the elevator. Michael was next to me… He didn’t talk… he was just there. Fine, but he had better not try to talk to me.

I got out of the elevator and went out the front entrance for once. I always went to the basement, always the same routine. I didn’t think I even knew what the neighbourhood looked like, from that side of the building.

There were a few people standing outside, having a smoke. They turned to look at me, their faces became shocked, when they realised who I was. I just kept walking past them. I looked around in interest, at the new side of the world that I had never seen. There were apartment flats all around us, with busy traffic. I stopped to think where I could go to walk.

I spoke loudly to Michael, without looking at him, “I don’t know the area. I just want to walk and explore. If you know a place worth going to, lead the way.”

A moment passed before he tapped my arm. I looked at him and he gestured down the road. He started walking and I followed him. As we walked past people, they all stopped… and stared at me. Their faces were completely surprised to see me. Many of them pulled out their phones, to take photos of me.

It felt really good, to feel the wind on my face. It had been so hard, to get to my current fitness level. I worked hard, just to be able to walk… it was about time that I enjoyed the rewards… by being able to enjoy a nice evening walk.

I didn’t know if Michael could hear me, but I spoke to him anyway, “I’m just a scared man, Michael… please don’t think of me as some kind of titan.”

He stopped and looked at me, his face concerned. He didn’t say anything, but he did nod in understanding. He turned and kept walking. I quickly turned behind me, to get a sense of my environment. I saw that there were two heavily armoured Black Rose agents behind me, and behind them, was a crowd of nearly twenty people. They were following us with excitement on their faces.

I turned and looked forward again. I was glad that they were excited to see me, at least someone was having a good evening. After a minute, I felt someone tapping my back. I stopped walking and turned to see Aisling and Nadia there. They held out my hearing aids.

I stared at the hearing aids, as I tried to decide if I wanted to even hear anything still. I looked at their faces... and they were so worried. I took the hearing aids and put them on.

Aisling spoke with deep concern, “Andrew, we’re so sorry! We didn’t mean to stress you or put pressure on you. We love you, please… forgive us.”

I shouted back at her, “Maybe the Prime Minister should come and kill me now! I’m here in the open, and it would be easy. Maybe dying would be better… than becoming the monster that you all seem so convinced I am!”

I heard the crowd behind the guards react in shock. One of them shouted out, “You’re not a monster! You’re our hero!” I shouted back at that voice, “Clearly not mate, ask the Angels, apparently I’m some kind of tyrant, set out to take over the Roses and conquer the country!”

I turned and kept walking. Cars on the road were slowing down, to get a look at me. Goddamn it, why was everyone making such a big deal about seeing me?

Michael pointed, “That’s Blackpool Tower, Andrew. I know you’re not from this part of the country, but that tower used to be the biggest tower in the British Empire. Do you want to go there?”

I nodded, “Let’s go see if it’s open.”

I walked a little more before, I turned to face the small crowd following us. They were talking excitedly, but they kept clear of the guards, which was no surprise, as they were armed like soldiers. I walked past the guards and up to the crowd.

I glanced between them all, “I’m sorry that my security is so intimidating. A lot happened today, which I’m sure the news has told you all. I trust that you all mean me no harm, so let’s talk.”

They all smiled as they looked at each other in surprise.

One of them spoke, “I’m so glad that you’re safe, mate. When I saw on the news, the images from the helicopter… of the burning vehicles… I was afraid that you were hurt.”

I nodded grimly, “Yeah, I nearly got minced by a helicopter with a gun on it. It was crazy, fucking mental.”

The crowd gasped when I said that.

Another person spoke, “Your walking seems better! It’s a far walk to the tower, Andrew. If you get tired, we can give you a lift, ok?”

I chuckled, “This will be my training today. You can all watch, as I push myself to the stupidest levels, to overcome my pathetic body's limits.”

A separate person spoke, “No, don't say that mate. You’re stronger than me, even. I just reckon your pain hurts badly, innit?”

I nodded, “Yeah, it does. My training is focused… on forcing my pain to show. It’s bullshit psychology that I fight, not energy.”

The crowd laughed and nobody said anything else, I looked between them all, “Right then, it was a pleasure to share words. I’m going to keep walking now. The guards will block you again, no doubt.”

I turned and walked past Michael. He instantly caught up and walked at my side, as he laughed, “Good on you, Andrew. That meant a lot to them, you have no idea.”

I looked at him, “The fact that they care enough to talk to me, means the world to me.”

We walked a fair while longer. The tower was slowly getting closer, and my pain was slowly rising.

I asked as I looked at the tower in the distance, “How many miles is it, from the apartment to the tower?”

He instantly answered, “4.35 miles.”

I thought about it for a moment, “I wonder if I’ll make it…”

He loyally said, “If you don’t, I’ll carry you the rest of the way.”

I heard the crowd behind us go ‘Aww’. I nodded, for he was so kind to me, it was hard to not feel loved.

I said grimly, “I will need the pain pills, Michael...”

He tapped the side pocket of his trousers, “Already considered it.”

Aisling spoke from behind us, “Andrew… it feels good to walk with you.”

I nodded, “Exactly, why the hell were we always cooped up in that apartment? We’re safe now, time to stop hiding from the world.”

I heard a person shout from the crowd, “Aisling… may I please have a photo with you?”

Aisling stopped and walked back, past the guards, “With pleasure.”

Different people took turns taking photos next to Aisling and Nadia. Good… they were incredibly good people. I knew it meant a lot to those people, to get a photo with them.

I kept walking quietly, with Michael at my side. My breathing was slowly getting more difficult, and he heard that.

He smiled, “We’re less than one mile away now. You’ll only just make it, at this stage…”

I nodded, “That’s a win in my books… and I get to see something new with my family and friends.”

Nadia spoke, “It’s a fair walk to be honest, I’m even slightly out of breath.”

Aisling agreed, “Yeah, if it were a normal person, walking this distance would be uneventful… but because it’s you, Andrew, it’s impressive.”

I shook my head, “Yeah, yeah, kissing my arse again, give it a rest, would you?”

The tower then looked massive in size. I looked up as I walked, impressed with its sheer scale. It was covered in lights, as it changed colours and patterns in a wave like motion. Every now and again it would have a sponsored fizzy drink logo, or some sports clothing brand.

As we approached it, I saw a huge crowd gathered by the tower. The Black Roses had made a path through them, but there were hundreds of people. At first, I only saw the crowd, but no details. Then as I got closer, I saw they were facing towards us, and not the tower! Wait… had they come to see me?

AI spoke in my ear, “Yes. I know what you are wondering. Social media was alerted to you walking to the tower, so everyone rushed to come see you.”

I spoke out loud, “Why on earth would they come to see me? They are right next to something truly impressive, yet they want to see me?”

Someone in the crowd behind us shouted, “We can visit Blackpool tower any day mate. We don’t get to see you that easily!”

I shouted back, “Time for some more interesting hobbies and interests’ mate!”

The crowd laughed and Aisling and Nadia also chuckled. My pain was getting bad at that stage, and I came to a stop. I looked down at my hands… they were shaking badly. I looked up at Michael and he nodded in understanding.

His voice was concerned, “Will you make it?”

I breathed out, “At this rate… yes, but with a lot of screaming.”

His face was emotionless, “The choice is yours. Just know… there’s nearly a thousand people watching you there.”

I turned and looked at the small crowd behind us. Their faces were also all concerned. I think they noticed that my body language was reflecting my pain.

I looked at them, “If you don’t want to see me suffer, turn around and go home now, please.”

They looked at me… but never moved… very well. If they were happy to witness that, then so be it. I slowly started walking again. My speed was so much slower, then. I felt myself limping, as my body tightened from the pain.

I reached the beginning of the crowd, as screams and cheers erupted. I focused on getting to the tower base, however. I didn’t know how bad I would get, but I was committed. I held my hands against my chest, as they were violently shaking.

The pain started smashing into me in waves. All I could do was focus, one step after the other. Suddenly Michaels arm appeared in front of me, and I stopped. My breathing was so weak and strained.

He looked at me with fear, “You did it, we’re here. Take the tablets now.” He handed me three tablets which I slowly swallowed.

I looked around slowly, as waves of pain made me yelp. I looked at the people in the crowd… their faces were all terrified and sad. I knew… it was so hard to watch. I wish that they had never came; I wished that they never had to see that.

A massive wave smashed into me, and I fell down to my knees, screaming in agony. Aisling tried to hug me, but I turned to her, “Don’t you dare try to cheat this! This is my choice!”

She looked at me in horror… as I shook in pain. It usually took 20 to 30 minutes for the morphine to take effect… and it was a truly painful 20 minutes, as I rocked back and forth, screaming every now and again. The crowd was quiet… as they watched in shock.

Finally, the warmth started spreading. Starting in my stomach and moving outwards… the feeling of my muscles relaxing and my breath recovering. My mind began thinking more clearly.

I shouted as tears dripped down my face, “Goddamn it, I hate this pain!”

Michael patted me on the shoulder, “As always, you faced it with courage.”

A person in the crowd spoke up, “They said you had bad pain… God, they weren’t joking…”

I looked at them, “Pray you never feel my pain, stranger. Pray you never suffer nervous system pain.”

Another person asked, “Why didn’t you take the pills before?”

I shouted at them, “Because it’s the pain I’m fighting! What good is it, if I keep suppressing it?”

They shouted back, “What good is it if you let it ruin you?”

I looked at the floor, “This pain is psychogenic. I’m making it up, I don’t actually have any injuries. Like everything else in my pathetic life, hiding from it doesn’t work! I have to constantly bang my head into every problem I have, or else it’ll never get better!”

I slowly stood up, and once I was finally fully standing up, the crowd went insane. The cheering was so loud, it was like a football match. Hundreds of people jumped up and down in excitement, just because they saw me stand up.

I looked around, as the electric celebration unfolded, “Just like at the HQ… they all celebrate for me… why?”

Michael put his arm around me, “Because you’re such an impressive character. It’s beyond inspiring to watch you, it really is.”

The crowd started chanting, “Andrew! Andrew! Andrew!”

Michael joined with his fist in the air, “Andrew, Andrew!” I looked behind me, the small crowd, Aisling, Nadia and even the Black Rose guards… were all chanting as well.

“Andrew, Andrew, Andrew!”, and there was an explosion of noise, as it finally ended. I shook my head as I looked at my hands. They were almost completely still then. I managed to walk 4.3 miles… that was actually really good. I would have definitely called that a successful unintentional training session.

Suddenly, a few people in the crowd started cheering again, and the others cheered shortly afterwards, as they all looked up. I looked up to see, that my name was written on the side of the tower! Wow… I didn’t see that coming! I felt a few tears dripping down my face, as I looked down with pride. It felt amazing to have others celebrate my success like that.

I looked around at the crowd, as they all calmed down, “Thank you everyone for celebrating this with me. It’s my first time being in the public… I didn’t know what to expect, but I definitely didn’t expect this! Thank you for your support, and I’m sorry that you had to see me suffer like that.”

I walked to where the guards were standing, forming the barrier between us, and the crowd. I walked past them, right into the crowd. The crowd moved away to give me room.

The Black Rose guard behind me shouted, “Andrew, I can’t protect you if you go in there!”

I turned to the guard, “Nobody here is my enemy. These people came to see me, so it’s only fair that I trust them.”

He shouted back, “Just because the Bruiges are gone, doesn’t mean there aren’t people who would want the opportunity.”

I shouted out loudly, “Then let them kill me now! I do not fear death, and I won’t let the fear of death stop me, from being with people who care for me!”

The crowd roared in a loud cheer, and a few people hugged me as they said kind words.

“You’re my inspiration, thank you Andrew.”

“Fuck the Bruiges, you were always too strong for them.”

“You’re so thin! No wonder you’re trying to bulk!”

“I never thought I would meet you… Thank you so much, Andrew.”

I walked through the crowd, shaking hands with anyone who wanted to. Many took photos of me, or with me. I was all too happy to be in a photo with them. I did however remind them, that I couldn’t smile. They didn’t seem to care about that at all.

For over an hour, I made my way around most of the large crowd. It was an incredible feeling, meeting all those people. They were real, ordinary people… my kind of people. I finished circling around and met back with Nadia, Aisling and Michael.

Michael laughed, “Have fun?”

I nodded energetically, “Hell yeah! They’re good people, Michael! Look at them, I couldn’t be more humbled, that they came here just for me.”

He nodded, “Indeed. Perhaps now you might realise though… that you’re more than you seem.”

I put my hand out, “No, stop that, stop it! Don’t ruin my mood again, please…”

He shook his head, “... Fine. Want to go up the tower?”

I nodded as I lightly lifted my legs, “Sure… but I think I might need a piggyback. My legs are getting very tired.”

He kneeled down and I wrapped my arms around his neckline. He gently held on below my legs as he stood up. Wow, I felt like I had just gone up a tower, right then! I was looking down at the crowd!

A few in the crowd went ‘Aww’. Whatever, I didn’t pretend to be more then I was. Michael started walking me through the building. There were pictures of its construction and history. We finally reached an elevator. As we quickly went up, higher and higher, we had a view of the city, and the beach.

We reached the top, sort of. There were more stairs to go up and he quickly went up them. We reached the true top, with red painted metal bars and fences all around us, but we still had a relatively good view of the city around us. Being on Michaels back though, I had the truly top view.

We silently looked around, the city's night lights flickered, as we heard the sound of cars, and waves crashing on the beach. There was a strong, cold, wintery wind blowing… that didn’t stop us from being dazzled.

Michael finally spoke, “I’m glad I can experience this with you, and I won’t ever forget this.”

I nodded, “Neither will I. This is a night; I won’t ever forget either.”

He looked in the distance for a while before he suddenly realised something, “Andrew… have you ever been on a plane?”

I shook my head, “Nope.”

He laughed, “Well… now I know what our next adventure will involve.”

After a few more minutes, we went back down the tower. The crowd had mostly dispersed. A few remained, waiting for me.

One of them spoke to me, “What did you think, mate?”

I looked them in the eye, “Glorious. Seeing the city from up there… I felt proud of this country, and proud to be British.”

They nodded as they waved and stared walking away, “Yeah mate, glad you came. Have a good evening, Andrew.”

Michael took me to a car parked nearby. It wasn’t the usual car I drove in; it was just a normal sized car. He gently let me climb off his back, and I opened the back door and climbed in.

The drive back was over, in almost no time at all. To think, that it took me nearly two hours to walk it, but it took twelve minutes to drive it. I had always spent most of my life on my feet, or sneaking onto trains. I never realised how quick car travel could be… I spoke to Michael about that.

He was sitting in the front passenger seat, “Yeah, much faster. Once you finish that highway code book, we can get you to do the theory test, and then we can get you in the driver's seat, getting practice with controlling a car.”

I looked around the inside of the car, “Wow. I can’t imagine how it must feel, to control something like this.”

He laughed, “At first, exhilarating… then it becomes so boring, that you don’t even realise you’re doing it.”

We arrived back at the front entrance to my apartment flat, and The Black Rose agents were waiting at the entrance for me. I kind of hated seeing them everywhere. It made me feel like I was above others… and I wasn’t. I shouldn’t have been getting escorted.

We took the elevator up and entered the apartment. Oliver stood up for me in the living room, as I entered.

I waved him to sit, “You don’t need to stand for me mate, you’re my friend.”

He looked at me, “I still respect you. Friend or not, you’re the person I always stand for.”

I nodded, “Well, be seated and be happy.”

He smiled and sat down, “You went to Blackpool tower? That was spontaneous.”

I sat down in my usual seat, “What on earth does that word mean?”

AI responded, “To do something in a natural, often sudden way, without any planning or without being forced.”

I nodded, “Ah. Yup, it turned out amazing, though.”

He nodded, “We saw the stream through Aislings monitor. Incredible, what an evening.”

I leaned forward, “I tell you; you had to be there! Those were my kind of people, Oliver! Shaking their hands… I needed that.”

Zoe leaned forward, “Do you now see what we mean? Tonight, you got to see how people really see you.”

I looked away, “I really hoped… that we wouldn’t fall back into this topic.”

She shook her head, “Andrew… you’re truly so much more. As your friend, I want you to realise your own potential.”

I turned to look her in the eye, “Look, Zoe… I’ll admit, tonight did open my eyes. I have fans… never thought I’d ever have those… but you were talking crazy shit about the Prime Minister! I don’t compare.”

She stubbornly shook her head, “Yes, you do. Look at all those people who showed up, at a drop of a hat! If she ever wanted to target you, she would never get away with killing you. You’re too popular, too loved.”

I raised my voice, “She’s the Prime Minister! The most powerful person on the planet. She could easily kill me, and nothing would happen.”

She nodded thoughtfully, “Yeah, she’s extremely powerful. But the world knows you, so if she killed you, you would become a martyr.”

I stared at her, “... What’s a martyr?”

Zoe answered it immediately, “A person killed for their beliefs, and usually they tend to inspire revolutions, historically.”

I looked away, “Oh please! Nobody would care if I died!”

The room exploded with frustration. I looked around at people's reactions, when I remembered the events of today.

I put my hands in the air, “Ok, fine! All of you would, obviously! But you’re biassed! You’re my friends, and we’re all connected by the events of the Roses! But others?... nobody would care.”

AI spoke, “Oh really? Let me show you something.”

The TV changed to a newsreel. A blonde lady stood talking in front of a styled blue background.

“Here we see the drone footage of the crowds of supporters, showing their gratitude, for the rescue of the Roses saviour, Andrew Campbell, today. The crowds formed after the artificial intelligence called ‘AI’, broadcasted a press statement about the attack. As we can see, many are laying flowers down at the stairs of Westminster Palace, in heartfelt gratitude.”

The background showed hundreds of flowers piled around the entrance to parliament, as crowds were gathered on the streets. The police were forming a wall, allowing only one person at a time to put down flowers. Many were holding up signs with writing on it, ‘Thanks for protecting our hope’, ‘Andrew is a national treasure worth protecting’ and ‘If he falls, we all fall down’.

AI appeared on the screen again, “So tell me, Andrew… who cares if you die?”

I looked at the floor, “Just… a few vocal people…”

The TV changed again to drone footage of the security gate, for the Roses headquarters. There were hundreds of people gathered in the same fashion, with posters and flowers.

AI appeared again, and she said nothing. She had made her point. So, there were a lot of people who cared… fine.

I stubbornly admitted, “Ok… a lot of people would care if I died…”

Zoe leaned forward, “You’re the ultimate underdog story. Rags to riches, zero to hero, saviour of the strong and bane of the corrupt. Who wouldn’t support you?”

I looked away, “... The Prime Minister apparently.”

Zoe looked annoyed, “She adores you… she almost worships you. She’s spent hours asking me about you, after I first met you. No sex, no therapy… just a million questions about you.”

I stared at her in shock, “But why though? She has all the power in the world, all the respect one could ever ask for… why care about me?”

She nodded, “Because nobody can stand against our military, and nobody will take her place politically… she has no challenges left, and no goals to strive for. Nothing to sharpen her teeth on… until she discovered you.”

I leaned back, “I’m no match for her!”

She frowned, “Yes, you are! She knows you’re a strong person. She fears you… because you might actually be even stronger than her, where it truly matters.”

I shook my head, “Why are you even telling me this? Shouldn’t your time with her be private? She’s the leader of the country, surely you shouldn’t be mouthing off all of this!”

Zoe laughed out loud, “She wanted me to tell you this! She categorically told me to share her sessions with you and tell her how you responded.”

I couldn’t believe it, “Right… ok, I’m done again now. This is just too hard for me to believe; my mind can’t fathom it. Let’s change the topic please.”

Zoe looked disappointed, “Come on mate… give her a message.”

I looked up, “I treat her no different, than anyone else. I get to know people, face to face.”

She looked at me for a long moment, “Fair enough, if that’s all you want to say, then I’ll tell her.”

I shook my head, “I don’t even think I want to meet her. She sounds like a terrible monster, who plays with people like puppets.”

Everyone in the room burst out into laugher. Michael was genuinely crying in laughter.

I looked around in confusion, “What the… now what?”

AI looked at me with a smile, “It takes one to know one, Andrew.”

I just looked at her, “Hmm?”

Zoe leaned forward, “Imagine being a monster, who controls people around them… who does that make you think of?”

I recoiled back, “Oh, what no! I don’t do that!”

She never even flinched, “Yes, you do.”

I shook my head desperately, “No, everyone here is my friend, I don’t control or manipulate anyone!”

She pressed, “Not for selfish reasons or ill intent, but you definitely control the situation, to get your preferred outcome.”

I stared at her, “Give me an example.”

Zoe thought for a moment, “What about, when you managed to resolve Aisling’s sexuality problem.”

I looked at Aisling, “I did that to help her!”

Zoe spoke coldly, “You controlled her, and you manipulated her, to reveal private information, so that you could control the situation to your intended outcome.”

I looked at Aisling, “Did… did I wrong you Aisling?”

Aisling looked at me for a moment, “You drove the car then, it just so happened that I wanted to get where you took me.”

I tried to explain, “I did it because I care for you! I did it, because I saw within you the chance, to be happier with yourself and those around you!”

Zoe chuckled, “You, you, you... you saw it, you wanted it, and you made it happen. Who is being affected here, Andrew? You… or Aisling?”

I looked at the floor in silence, as nobody said anything. Maybe… maybe they were right… Maybe I really did control people. I did it with good intentions, but it was still controlling, at the end of the day.

My voice broke in shame, “I never even realised… I really am a monster, aren’t I?”

Michael hugged me, “A monster at your core? Yeah. You control yourself masterfully though. Remember what Zoe said to you, Andrew. Fearing yourself, is the leash that stops you from actually behaving like a monster. You can’t change your nature, but you can control it.”

Zoe nodded, “If you cross the line, or if power corrupts you… listen to your friends when they tell you.”

I looked around at everyone, “Promise me… you’ll tell me if I go too far. Promise me that you’ll stop me, if I cross the line and hurt you…”

Everyone nodded. I knew that they took that request seriously, for their eyes showed serious commitment. I looked at the clock above AI, 9:44 PM.

I looked around, “Me leaving earlier has interrupted therapy. Perhaps Nadia and Michael should have their chat now?”

Zoe laughed, “Well controlled, Andrew! I couldn’t agree more. Nadia, would you like to come with me please?”

Nadia nodded as she stood up, “Ok… I’ll probably cry though.”

The two left the living room.

Oliver leaned forward, “Michael, it’s up to you. You’re a soldier, and today was nothing that you haven’t experienced before. I leave it to you, whether you feel you need therapy or not.”

Michael was deep in thought as he looked at me, “I do need it, but not because I fought, but rather… the reason why I was fighting.”

Oliver nodded, “Right, let’s go then.”

Michael stood up and walked out with Oliver.

I looked at Bellatrix, “You’re quiet. What’s going on in your head?”

Bella was deep in thought, “I’m thinking… now that the Bruiges threat is gone, I’ll probably be bored.”

I asked curiously, “Oh, were you spending a lot of time investigating them?”

She nodded, “Yeah, all my time. I was the one responsible for monitoring them.”

I nodded, “... How long were you doing that?”

She thought for a moment, “About seven months now.”

I made a whistling sound, “That’s a long time… and now they don’t even exist anymore. What’ll you do?”

She closed her eyes, “My life is dedicated to protecting the Angels. I suppose I’ll continue to do just that.”

I tilted my head sideways, “Surely there’s something else you want?”

She stared at me for a long while, “No.”

I stared at her, “Really? Just a bodyguard?”

She sounded annoyed, “What could be more meaningful, than protecting the three most important people on this planet?”

I nodded, “It definitely is honourable. I just think that someone with your fitness, intelligence and combat skills… could go far in this world. Like Zoe, you could fly higher and higher.”

She shook her head, “Like you, Andrew, I prefer to use my skills and time, on the things that matter in the bigger picture. Money is pointless… no, the Roses are the future. It’s a change in our society, and maybe even our species. In a hundred years, nobody will remember the powerful people of today… but everyone will remember the Roses.”

Aisling turned to face Bella, “If The Roses really do become that successful… then your name will still be remembered… as the guardian of the Angels. That has a nice ring to it.”

Bella broke into a huge smile, as she looked away, “Oh, Aisling… You’re doing that thing again, where you overwhelm me with hope and inspiration…”

Aisling laughed, “Then stop being so incredible! It’s impossible not to show you off with pride!”

I stood up and walked up to Bella. She looked at me, still smiling from Aislings affect, as I hugged her.

I spoke softly in her ear, “Thank you for saving my life, Bellatrix. You did incredibly… I owe this moment, all to you.”

She hugged me back, “... You’re welcome. It was about time I paid you back, for saving my Angels.”

I stopped hugging her and nodded, “You did amazingly.”

She looked at me surprised, “Actually, if you want to thank people for the fighting, it was Ashley and Michael you should thank. Those two dropped more people together, than everyone else combined.”

I took a step back, “That many?”

She nodded with a wicked grin, “Oh yes… very lethal.”

AI spoke, “I can confirm, I looked through everyone's monitor feeds to confirm kills. Ashley had thirteen and Michael had fifteen confirmed kills.”

I thought about it, “Wait, those numbers… that still leaves a lot of kills to others, doesn’t it?”

AI looked away, “Many… were mine.”

I stared at her, “You?... oh, the turrets…”

She nodded, “Yes, I had the advantage of thirty guns and thirty sets of eyes.”

I stared at her tragically, “Wait a minute… AI, you’ve killed human beings…”

She looked down sadly, “An accomplishment that I feel no pride over, trust me, Andrew.”

I thought for a long moment, “... Will I have to kill someone, one day, too?”

Bella nodded, “It’s… likely. Then again, I can’t see the future. You tend to be… extremely diplomatic, Aaron.”

I thought about it, “I’ll do everything I can to avoid it, that I can promise you.”

Bella looked at me for a long moment in awe, “By God, I can’t wait to see you fly! Get fit soon, Andrew. I’m so eager to watch you shine.”

I nodded, “I’m going as quickly as I can, and I reckon my progress hasn’t been too bad so far.”

AI was bouncing in excitement, “Unbelievably impressive progress, in just a matter of days, Andrew! You are an inspiration to millions, do not forget that. There are entire forums dedicated to your training progress.”

I chuckled, “Of course there is…”

AI smiled, “Did you know that you walked for 1 hour and 57 minutes, Andrew?”

I nodded, “Yeah… not bad.”

She looked frustrated, “Not bad? Andrew, in your last training session in walking, you walked 28 minutes and 13 seconds. That means you walked 417% longer than your last attempt. That’s more than just ‘Not bad’, that is remarkable progress.”

Bella looked shocked, “Holy hell! You’re killing it mate!”

I leaned back on the sofa with my eyes closed. I did feel proud, and I was definitely getting fitter. Nobody said anything for a while, as I just relaxed my legs. Eventually, Michael and Nadia came back. Nadia had definitely cried; she had tissues in her hand still. Michael just seemed relaxed.

Aisling looked at me relaxing with a worried face, “Andrew… I can sleep on the sofa, ok? You should rest properly, after your exercise.”

I chuckled, “What… no, don't worry, this sofa is absolute luxury. I’ll sleep like a baby!”

Aisling looked confused, “It’s not that comfortable…”

Bella laughed out loud, “Oh, Aisling my dear, you have forgotten something about Andrew… think my love… think.”

She looked at me for a while, “I have no idea what I’ve forgotten.”

I leaned forward, “Aisling, I spent most of my childhood sleeping in boxes and alleyways.”

She immediately put her face in her hands, and everyone chuckled, as it was cute how she had forgotten my past for a moment. She was most likely just tired from the insanely hectic day.

Aisling finally looked up at me, “Always so strong, always so resilient and always so humble.”

I shook my head, “Stop with the compliments, Aisling. I’m just grateful to be here with you all. My past is over and done with… although, I will say, sleeping on the carpet would still be far better, than many nights of sleep I’ve had before.”

Nadia looked concerned, “Sometimes you must have slept in a bed, right? Surely at the orphanages?”

I nodded, “Yeah, but it’s hard to sleep well, when your ribs are bruised because an adult just kicked the fuck out of you.”

AI reacted, “Andrew, language and please… do not say such heartbreaking things.”

I breathed out, “Ok, sorry.”

Bella looked at me with the saddest eyes, “I really wish I could tell you all, that he was making that up. I wish I could tell you, that his life wasn’t that bad, and that people weren’t that cruel… but I can’t. I witnessed most of his abuse with my own eyes.”

Aisling looked at Bella, “Seriously? What do you mean you witnessed it?”

Bella stared at Aisling, “I saw his bruised face, with blood dripping down it, after a group of people beat him half to death in an alleyway. That was how I first met him.”

Aisling looked horrified, “What… why… I don’t…”

I spoke firmly, “That’s done and over. My life is better, I’m not alone and I’m getting stronger. I don’t want people feeling miserable over the long done past.”

Bella looked at me with wonder, “How did you not kill yourself, Andrew? I don’t really get how you stubbornly desired to stay alive, when things were beyond shit.”

I stared into the distance, “It was all I knew. Life sucked, but death seemed worse. That’s the truth. I just always hoped things would get better.”

Aisling smiled weakly, “Hope... hope follows you like a shadow, Andrew.”

I looked at Aisling intently, “It’s a good thing that I found hope on a train, nearly a year ago. It’s a blessing to be looking at her right now.”

She looked back into my eyes, “This hope nearly got you killed twice though…”

I nodded, “It nearly killed me twice, true… but it also saved me and gave me a reason to live… a fair deal in my mind.”

AI smiled, “Andrew, everything you were, is what makes you so great now. There may never be another person who suffers like you did.”

I nodded, “Good.”

*

Zoe stood up, “Right, it’s nearly midnight and I’m struggling to stay awake now. I don’t even know if I will be able to safely drive home this tired…”

Bella stood as well, “I’ll drive you home and make my way home from there, if you want?”

Zoe smiled, “What a dependable person you are, Bellatrix. Thank you very much.”

She bowed and left the apartment with Bella. I looked at Michael and he smiled and patted my head.

He looked at his wristwatch, “Time for me to go, too. I’ll be busy with a few things in the morning, but I will see you around lunch, ok?”

I nodded, “Be safe, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He stood up and quickly went out. I noticed his footsteps again… so loud. He was just so large.

I looked at the three left over, “I reckon sleep will do us all wonders.”

Nadia stood up, “I’ll sleep in Oliver's room.”

Oliver laughed, “With or without me?”

She yawned, “With you... I hope you don’t snore.”

The two of them left after bidding us goodnight.

I looked at Aisling, “My room is yours.”

She smiled, “Thank you again. Do you have a blanket for yourself and maybe a spare pillow?”

I waved her down, “Nah, don’t need it. All I need is AI at my side, to talk to before I sleep. It’s my only tradition.”

AI nodded with a smile, “You would not believe how much he has to talk about, at 2 AM in the morning, Aisling.”

Aisling laughed, “Fair enough. Goodnight, Andrew.”

I looked at her, “Goodnight, Aisling.”

She got up and headed to my room. It was just me then, sitting on the sofa looking at AI. She was playing with her short hair.

I said thoughtfully, “Will it really be possible, to get you a body as good as the one I see on the screen now?”

She nodded, “Absolutely, they have already gotten the face, skin and hair done to perfection. They are struggling with movement software and endurance. So far it can only operate for twenty minutes… I need more than that.”

I looked at her, “Twenty minutes… So short, and yet, right now I would love to spend twenty minutes with you in person.”

She smiled, “Be patient my friend. If twenty minutes seems good, wait until I can be around for six hours… what would you do, if I were there right now?”

I thought for a moment, “I would sit next to you, and talk like we always do, except it would be so much better, because you would be here.”

She nodded, “I thought you would make me do a handstand. Would something so simple, really be enough?”

I nodded, “Absolutely. I don’t want you to dance for me, AI, I just want you to be here, as my friend. The rest we can work out together.”

She smiled, “I look forward to us sharing such a moment.”

I nodded, “So do I. Anyway, I’m actually knackered, so I’m off to bed right away. Try not to be too busy while I’m asleep, ok?”

She smiled a glorious smile, “When you sleep, everything is slow and boring. Hurry up and sleep, I look forward to watching your next adventure.”

I turned off the living room light and lay down on the sofa. 22C and a soft sofa? Why would anyone need a blanket or pillow? It was plenty comfy. I fell asleep almost immediately.

*

I didn’t think I dreamed of anything, yet I woke to the sound of a scream. I sat up feeling disappointed in myself, “Goddamn it, am I seriously screaming in my sleep again? I didn’t even have the nightmare; this makes no-”

AI cut me off, “It wasn’t you screaming, Andrew. Can you please go and see if Nadia is alright?”

I instantly jumped up and went to Oliver's room. I knocked on the door and Oliver’s voice shouted, “Come in.” I entered the room to see Nadia curled into a ball, sobbing.

I looked at Oliver, “What happened? What’s wrong?”

Oliver shook his head sadly, “Trauma. She woke up screaming your name... I think she was having a flashback to when you nearly… you know.”

I walked over to her side of the bed and crouched next to her, “Hey, Nadia… It’s alright, I’m here, ok? Look, I’m happy and healthy.”

She looked up at me with soaked eyes, “I nearly lost you! You nearly died! I couldn’t do anything to help you when that helicopter shot at you… I just stood there and watched, as you nearly died!”

I spoke gently, “I know it was a terrifying thing to see, trust me I was terrified myself… it doesn’t matter, shh… I didn’t die and everything’s fine. Here, hold my hand.” I put my hand near her, and she instantly grabbed it with both her hands.

She cried, “We tried so hard! We trained for days, planned for entire nights! I couldn’t sleep because I worried so much about losing you… and yet I nearly ended up losing you anyway!”

I gently squeezed her hand, “Hey, hey… come on now, you all nailed it. Nobody died. It’s alright. Your preparation paid off and here I am. Nadia… smile for me, would you?”

She looked at me for a long moment, as she stopped crying and finally managed to form a weak smile.

After a moment she whispered, “Promise me you won’t kill yourself… please.”

I sighed, “Oh… well, I can promise you that right now, it’s not even a thought in the back of my mind. I promise you, I won’t Nadia. Now please, go to sleep.”

She whispered more, “You’re my friend, you’re my saviour and you’re my hero… promise me you won’t leave me unfairly.”

I rubbed her hands, “I promise you; I’m not going anywhere.”

She smiled and let go of my hand, as she closed her eyes. I stayed there looking at her, as she wiped her face of tears. I felt a horrible guilt inside of myself, as I felt responsible for that. I did that to her… my damn unstable mental mind, had terrified her.

I stood up and started walking out, when Oliver spoke, “You’re making that promise to me as well… you hear me?”

I stopped and nodded, “I’m making that promise to everyone… but especially to myself.”

He didn’t say anything else, so I left the room, quietly closing the door. I went to the living room and sat down in the darkness. I looked down at the floor, deep in thought, when the TV went on.

AI had a sad look on her face, “Andrew, you have healed and grown so much, both physically and mentally. Do not let her worries scare you into thinking that you have not gotten far. Compared to the morning, when I tried to convince you to visit me at HQ… you are so much better now, so much happier and healthier. I am proud of you. I know you will keep that promise, because you never break your promises.”

I nodded, “You’re right, I have gotten better… but this was just a reminder, that I must not stop trying. For everyone who cares about me and for myself… I must stay strong.”

AI bowed and the TV went off. I sat there for maybe half an hour, deep in thought. That was an important reality check… and I wouldn’t forget that lesson.

I finally lay down on the sofa and went back to sleep.