Stepping off the bus, Kade took a deep breath and surveyed the surroundings. It had been four years.

'Looks the same.' He thought, lightly shrugging. He slung his duffle bag over his shoulder before turning and walking down the sidewalk.

a few minutes passed before a police siren sounded briefly

"Haaa, damn." Kade mumbled with a sigh as his feet came to a stop and he turned.

The cop car stopped beside him and the passenger side window rolled down, showing a man in his forties.

"Look who's back in town." A stern voice came from the man's mouth "Not plannin' to cause trouble are ya?"

Kade rubbed his forehead "Seriously... Are we really gonna do this? What about my appearance says that I'm trouble?" He gestured toward his Marine Dress Blues.

"You set a precedent, so forgive me for makin' assumptions." The policeman said with a smirk "The terrible teens of Springfield left an impression."

"Pfft." Kade scoffed and waved the comment off "We were just a bunch of kids acting out. Those days are way behind me, as I'm sure they are for the others."

"Tsk, You'd think." The cop clicked his tongue "But a tiger can't change his stripes."

Kade raised his brow to implore the man to continue.

"Four years is a long time. You and Jones stepped onto the straight and narrow, but the other four, well..." The man sighed before leaning over and opening the door "I'll tell you on the way."

After a moment of hesitation, Kade climbed in and sat his duffle bag on his lap. The policeman pulled away before continuing.

"William is in prison. Went in a few months after you left. And Jim, he passed after an altercation with a drug dealer around a year ago."

Kade stared for a moment in stupefaction before rubbing his chin. "Damn, really? I didn't hear anything about it." His voice held a tinge of pain.

"Yeah, well. You stepped away from this, and everyone was proud of you for it. If someone told you, you'd have come runnin' back."

Kade nodded, that was true. The city was large, but they were a part of a tight-knit community in the southeast. Everyone knew each other to the point that he sometimes felt like everyone was extended family, so they all knew him well enough to know better.

"What about the other two?"

"Ah, same ole, really. Disorderly conduct and the occasional fight here and there. Not much of a future, but everyone has their strong points."

"Haha, haaa" Kade chuckled, then sighed "Screw-ups or not, we all have heart and loyalty. You know that better than anyone, Tony."

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"Heh, that I do." Tony nodded with a small grin "Screw-ups is harsh though. You all had it a bit hard early, except Jones, he is just a bit... weird?"

Kade looked out of the window without replying. Jones was the oddball of the group. He didn't have any sad situation that drove him into rebellion like the others, he just enjoyed the camaraderie and chaos, with a skill set made for it too. Even so, he fit in well and was irreplaceable.

"Anyway, enough of the sad crap." Tony slapped his arm "We're all proud of you kid. Chief Wallace brings you up as his greatest success story every other day."

"Didn't know that joining the Marines warranted such praise." Kade said as he raised his brow once again.

He had his pride as a Marine, but he had no plans of strutting around his home like he was some big shot. He didn't feel any better than his peers here, and they all knew his roots.

"Oho, don't be modest. We all saw the news of Sergeant King Leading his squad into battle to save another squad that had been ambushed." Tony beamed with pride "I knew you'd do well."

Kade gave a guilty smile. Do well? He was lucky that he hadn't been discharged for insubordination. Doesn't matter how good of a soldier you are if you show disrespect for authority.

Luckily, he was spared from the uncomfortable conversation as the car stopped in front of a nice house. Kade took a deep breath before pulling on the door handle and stepping out.

"Stop by the precinct sometime soon."

"Yeah. Thank's for the ride, Tony." Kade said as he waved back while walking toward the house.

Fumbling in his pocket, he pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door before walking through the entrance. Moments later, a toddler came running around the corner and stopped at the end of the hall staring at him. Soon after, a woman peeked around the corner.

"Ah. KADE!"

Kade smiled when he saw his adoptive mother, Julie. "Hey, ma."

Julie rushed into the hall and embraced him in a hug, only backing away after nearly a minute had passed.

"J, Kades home!" She shouted while pulling Kade toward the kitchen.

Soon, a pale and lanky young man appeared, stubble coating his chin.

"Pfft, it took you four years to come back?" He sneered.

Kade looked over "Sorry it took so long, I was enjoying not having to see your ugly ass every day."

"Ugly, me? You're the ugly one!" Jones said before a grin sprouted on his face.

The two hugged briefly before sitting at the table. They spent the next hour chatting. They had kept in touch over the four years, but they still had a lot to talk about.

Time flew by and the sound of the door shutting broke their conversation. After a few moments, a well-kempt man turned the corner before stopping with wide eyes.

"Welcome home, son." He said with a smile as he held his arms open.

Kade stood and hugged Liam. "Thanks pops. It's good to be back."

The kitchen became lively as the table was set and food was brought out. Kade ate quietly as he immersed himself into the atmosphere. This wasn't his biological family, but the family that had taken him in when his blood had abandoned him. He was immensely grateful that he had these people in his life.

"So, what's the plan? Thinking about reenlisting?" Liam asked between bites.

"Don't put that crap in his head, dad. We already have a plan!" Jones exclaimed with a glare "He will join me in college."

"Heh." Kade chuckled. It was more of Jones's plan, or rather, dream. "I still have a few days to figure it out."

Jones threw his fork to the table as he held his hands up "Just think about it man, JnK Tech Incorporated!" His eyes were glossy and a goofy grin spread across his face "Five more years at most and we will be sittin' on a yacht, surrounded by dimes!"

Kade shook his head with a smirk. He didn't doubt it. Jones could be considered a genius when it came to anything technology-related. However, Jones could do that on his own. Kade joining would be nothing more than riding his best friend's coattails.

"Well, whatever you two do, I know you'll reach the top as long as you apply yourselves." Liam said with a curt nod.

Before the conversation could continue, a phone rang. Kade took out his smartphone and checked the caller's I.D.

"I've gotta take this, it's my superior." He said as he stood and walked into the living room.

Less than two minutes later, he returned with a solemn look on his face. He pushed his chair back into the table and took a deep breath.

"I have to return. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but I'll call to give you all an update."

Reading his expression, Liam and Julie nodded.

"Mind driving me, J?"

"Sure, no problem."

...

"What's going on?" Jones asked as soon as they pulled out of the driveway

"Aliens..."

"Pfft, hahaha." Jones immediately broke into laughter, barely managing to keep the car on the road.

"I'm serious." Kade said in a stern tone

Jones's laughter abruptly stopped as he slammed on the breaks. The car jolted as it came to a stop. "I'm gonna need a bit more context than just aliens."

Kade gestured to him to keep driving "I don't know much. Apparently, a foreign being appeared at the pentagon. He made some wild claims, but evidently, he is here to communicate and wants to offer something like an alliance."

"No fucking way... That's crazy." They drove in silence for a bit before Jones spoke again "Why are they calling you back? I thought your enlistment ended."

"Not yet." Kade shook his head "Not officially anyway. I'm still an NCO in the Marines, so they are requesting that I return for this emergency."

He had explained everything he knew at the moment. They spent the next hour theorizing the reason for aliens to contact until they reached the base.

"Look, I know that you're a hero and all, but don't get vaporized or something. Oh, and try not to get probed, I doubt that would feel pleasant."

Kade climbed out of the car while flipping him off before disappearing into the night.