"So what's the word, Grace? Are you going to fill us in now that everyone's here?" Joe asked.

Grace stood over a pot and was adding some spice to venison David had brought in.

Paige was making more tortillas for the group. She'd offered to help cook and had told Grace that her Abuela had taught her how to make corn tortillas.

Maddy had decided to chip in, too, and was cutting cheese into small chunks to be melted in with the meat.

Levi was whittling what was shaping out to be something that in no way resembled a bird...or any animal for that matter. As far as Paige could tell, it may be a shoe that a dog had chewed up.

David was quietly sharpening arrowheads.

And Levi had just sat down after finishing meditating and another hot bath.

Everyone looked toward Grace at Joe's words, completely pausing what they were doing.

She'd been uncharacteristically quiet about the council meetings. Everyone knew something big was happening.

Grace huffed. "Fine. Let me start with the fact that Agnis finally got her way about disclosing class details. It's becoming a law. I was arguing against it entirely for a while, but there was no stopping it. So, I fought to find some type of compromise."

"Wait, she actually got that passed?" Levi gave up on whittling entirely and shoved his boot knife away and set the lumpy carving down.

"Her and Mike leveraged the entire Eric situation to claim we needed better defenses, and knowing people's classes would help us be more prepared. People are fucking scared, Levi. So, of course, it got passed. It was a lost cause." Grace glared at Levi a moment and then gave Joe a quick, unreadable look. "I did manage to get them to come to a comprimise. Only a few people will be allowed access to that information."

"Like who?" Joe asked.

"Like the Captain of the new Guard they want to build. In the future, some kind of spell caster will be used to either identify classes or verify the truth of a person disclosing class details."

"So they're making a Guard? Who's gonna volunteer for that? They expect all of us to step up to protect all their sorry asses again? To go save the day again?" It was David who spoke this time, angry.

Grace didn't say anything for a moment.

"He has a point, Grace. I mean, I know people weren't prepared for what happened, but barely anyone volunteered. And you can't expect those who did step up to drop everything else to play militia full time."

"I know, Joe, I know. But I agree with them that we have to do something." Grace stared at her pot for a minute. "We voted to require everyone to participate on the Guard in some capacity or another. Rotating duty. The council was in agreement. Even me. We're hoping that under the right leadership and training, plus a good amount of preventative defense, we'll be better prepared if something like this ever happens again."

"'The right leadership? And who you planning to put into that role," Joe said in sardonic skepticism.

Grace didn't say anything.

"They want to put Joe in charge, don't they?" Paige was the first to clue into it.

Grace nodded and then gave Joe a sad look. "Will you take the position? You're the best we got, Joe."

Joe's face flushed red. After a second, he stood and paced a few times. Then he grabbed the shield he'd laid against a stump and threw it against the wall of the cabin as hard as he could. "Fuck!" He screamed into the sky.

Everyone flinched away from his outburst.

Then, panting, he sat back down.

"Well, I guess I have no fucking choice. But you already fucking knew that. I know no one else can handle that job."

Grace nodded but said nothing. Guilt, grief, or something in between washed over her face.

Silence stretched for a while.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Well fuck, Joe," Levi finally said, breaking the silence. "You've been such an awesome hobro since I met you. And now you've gone and gotten yourself appointed to a respectable position. Guess things are changing."

"What the fuck is a hobro?" Joe asked.

"You know, a bro who is also just a hobo. 'Hobro.' I considered calling you my 'bumbuddy,' but I don't think our relationship is there quite yet," Levi answered.

Joe sat in a confused silence for just a moment. Then he laughed. Harder than Levi had ever seen him laugh before. And Levi could tell he needed it.

And then everyone else laughed, too.

Joe wiped tears from his eyes. "Thanks. You've been a good friend. I don't think we'll ever quite be bum buddies, but I'm glad I ended up in this safezone with you." Joe looked up and then made a point to catch everyone's eye. "All of you. And there's a few more people I need to tell. Thanks."

After that, they ate. No one talked, but the silence wasn't as cold as it had been. After everyone had gotten full and had relaxed, a little bit of light conversation picked up. And then, after a bit, they were sharing stories.

"I swear to God, I did. My friend pierced them on the bench, right outside the school," Paige said.

"No way your friend pierced your nipples on a bench right outside your high school. That's so wild," Maddy said, grinning. "I wish I had done something like that. I was always too afraid my parents would lose it."

"Prove it," David said, squinting at Paige.

Maddy slapped him hard in the arm. "Could you not?"

"What?" David rubbed at his arm. "I just don't believe her."

"What about you, Levi? You haven't told us something funny from your life, yet," Paige said.

Levi looked up and scratched at his beard. He really needed to trim it. "Yeah, I guess I haven't. Uh... let me think."

Seconds dragged on, as Levi thought of what story to tell. Finally, Levi started talking. "Ooh, okay, this one is kind of funny.

So I was in bootcamp, and we'd just come back from the second phase of bootcamp. From Camp Pendleton, back to MCRD San Diego.

We went to chow, and one of the other recruits decided he was going to get cake and icecream. See, it's there. You can get it. But it's a trap.

So anyway, the drill instructors decided they'd punish the whole platoon. After a nice game of 'shift left, shift right,' they decided to make us drink two canteens back to back. That's a lot of water. Most threw up, because we had just had chow. But I didn't.

Then, instead of letting us use the head--the bathroom--we went out and practiced drill--marching--for a while. And some other stupid games.

Anyway, a few hours later, we're back in the barracks, and no one has pissed. We're all holding our rifles over our head. Everyone keeps asking the Drill Instructor if they can use the head--the bathroom.

So anyway, I'm standing there holding my rifle above my head, holding it in. Suddenly, I lose complete control of my bladder. I mean, it has to be the largest puddle of piss you've ever seen in your life. And I try to stop, but I can't. It just keeps coming. People had to step back out of this huge puddle of piss.

So, I run up to the drill instructor, rifle still above my head. 'Excuse me, this recruit requests to speak to Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Buford, sir.'

He looks at me and says, 'Ah let me guess, you need to use the head, O'Hare.'

And then I say, 'No sir. This recruit reports he already has, sir.' He looks down and sees I'm soaked in my own piss, right. When I say Staff Sergeant Buford had to hide his face with his cover--his hat--just to keep from completely losing it laughing..."

Levi trailed off smiling.

Joe barked a laugh. "That's fucking hilarious. I probably would have pissed myself right after you, just from laughing, if I was him."

Everyone else just gave Levi and Joe odd stares.

Joe gave them a dismissive wave. "They just don't get it," Joe said to Levi.

"It just sounds kind of fucked up," Maddy said.

Both Joe and Levi shrugged.

"Well, I guess it is. But sometimes you have to see the humor in things like that, especially when that's the only way you'll find any." Joe looked to Levi. "Still, Levi, maybe next time, don't pick something that doesn't only make sense if you were in the Corps."

Levi looked down. "Yeah, definitely. It was just the only thing that came to mind in the moment." Levi looked up and grinned. "I'll think about it for next time."

Paige watched Levi's face for a moment. She loved his smile, and that wasn't it.

Levi quickly changed the subject. "So, hey, I think me and Paige are going fishing tomorrow. If we catch some, anyone feel like having a little fish fry? I can fry the hell out of some fish. Maybe there's some potatoes for french fries, too."

Everyone perked up at that.

"Hell yeah, dude. Man it has been so long since I had some fried catfish," David said.

"Is that you volunteering to clean them? I hate that part." Levi waggled his eyebrows at David.

"Ugh, I guess. Have to find something to skin them, unless they're all big enough to fillet." David scratched the sparse stubble on his chin. "Hell, that actually sounds like fun. I might even tag along with you guys."

Paige caught Maddy's eye and she swooped in for a rescue. "Hey, actually I need your help tomorrow, David. If that's okay. But maybe you can take me fishing later."

"Yeah, no problem. What do you need help with?"

"I'll tell you later, when we're alone..." Maddy answered.

"For sure. Yeah, I don't mind, just let me know and I got you," David said. "Sorry guys, I guess I'll have to catch you next time. Or maybe I'll invite you when me and Maddy go fishing. Can't wait to eat some fried fish though."

Levi tried not to laugh at a man who was obviously even more clueless than he was. "Yeah, definitely, man. And Grace... you think there's some potatoes for french fries."

Grace nodded, "I'm sure I can manage a few. The council wanted to hang on to a lot for planting, but they'll probably have no issue parting with a few for some of the 'Guardians of the Safezone.'"

Everyone groaned at that.

"Please... for all that is sacred in the world... please tell me that's just a working nickname and not something the council is trying to make stick," Joe whined.

Grace laughed. "Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and find out."

And then everyone groaned a second time.