I was lying down for maybe twenty seconds when I heard the door open, then close. I just lay there, praying they would leave, but then I heard the door open and close again, louder this time.

I groaned, getting to my feet and rubbing my eyes as I stood to attention. Then I looked up to see none other than Sofia standing by the door, eyeing me down her nose.

I groaned again, rolling my eyes, before sitting back down.

She just kept looking at me. "I see the discussion we had on military ranks did not take hold."

I waved my hand dismissively. "Oh, sure they did. You were so convincing when you told me about how much better you were," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "I assume you want to talk to me for some reason. Is it going to be a short discussion, or am I going to need a chair?" I asked, annoyed.

I needed that nap. It would help me get to my kids tonight without making me feel like I wanted to die.

She said gently, like I would when trying to coax a dog out of the trash, "It will only take a moment of your time."

I sighed. "I'll get the chair. Want one?" I asked as I walked toward the wall with the boxing bags.

"No, thank you," she said so politely it practically screamed she wanted something.

I pulled the bag off the hook. It felt so much more difficult than when I was fighting Lieutenant Galina yesterday. I laid it down flat, then picked it up to carry it over my shoulders. My legs felt each step, like I'd just done hundreds of squats as I walked toward her. I realized I had actually done hundreds of squats just a moment ago, which probably didn’t help.

"Right then. What do you want?" I said, laying the boxing bag down and sitting on it. It felt very comfortable, actually, which was surprising.

She watched me with a hint of disappointment creeping into her eyes, though her expression didn’t change. I blurted out as she opened her mouth, "Do you, like, ever smile or make any other face?"

She blinked slowly, like she was processing the words I'd just said. "Yes. I smile. Now then," she said after a moment, brushing her hair back a little bit. "I want to have a smooth relationship with my subordinates. Unfortunately, we have had multiple conflicts in the past, so I wish to discuss how we can move forward without those conflicts inhibiting our future relationship."

She said it like a rehearsed speech, probably practiced in front of a mirror. She almost looked pleased with herself, like she'd nailed it and expected me to bow and kiss her feet in celebration. "So, you want to be... friends?" I said, squinting, trying to get through the strange way she phrased the question.

She blinked again, slowly. She did that a lot, like I was speaking a foreign language. "Well, no. Friendship is had between equals. After I win the tournament, I shall be a Captain. Everyone in our year shall be my subordinate. However, out of the nineteen hundred and eighty-six people with us, you seem to be the only one out of the loop."

Then she looked up, like she was reading an idea that popped into her head, before her gaze came back down to me, like she’d figured out exactly what I wanted to hear. "If you wish to frame it along those lines, we could always be on friendlier terms. I believe this suits you?" Then she went for an attempt at a smile. Unfortunately, her lips did not curve up, so all I saw was her stretching her mouth sideways to show me her teeth.

I just stared at her. The fuck does that even mean? She wants me to be a slave? "So you want a coward and a liar to be a trusted subordinate now?" I asked flatly, letting her know I had not forgotten the discussion we’d had the other day. Or was it yesterday?

She took a step back, like I'd slapped her. She took a breath, eyeing me the whole time, before saying, "You have shown flickers of cowardice and flickers of bravery. We shall foster your braver side and cast off the shackles of fear from which you were raised. And I assure you, we shall work on your propensity for lying. It will assist the entire Brigade, after all."

I just kept staring at her. Is this really how she thinks you speak to people? What the fuck? I was staring at her like she was an alien before I just sighed again. She was too far up her own ass to even be angry at, because she was clearly going for an apology and failing miserably.

"Right. Of course." I just looked at the ceiling, asking God what came over him to make such a person. She was probably a test of patience, which I was failing at. Badly.

She looked at me skeptically, but seemed to take my general annoyance at her existence as surrender. "Good. Now, will you please explain to me what Lieutenant Zenzele and Colonel Walker seem to be discussing so much these days? I would like to keep tabs on what my future and current subordinates are discussing. What happened? Does it have anything to do with the Lieutenants who beat you? Or are they just sleeping together?"

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

My head snapped toward her, eyes narrowing. “Lust is a sin, girl. Colonel Walker has many faults, but I don't think that is one of them,” I said, my voice hard as stone.

She seemed taken aback by the outburst, but her expression didn’t change. Her eyes stayed distant—like she was filing the moment away, tucking it into some mental archive. She didn’t even have time to respond, as if she were making sure it never went anywhere else and always stayed at the forefront of her mind.

Still, curiosity scratched at the back of my mind. What were the Lieutenant and the Colonel discussing behind closed doors? The only thing I could think of was the beating those bastards gave me, but the Colonel had already punished them for that.

Didn’t matter. Thoughts for another day.

I just shook my head at her before saying, “You really are the worst fink I've ever met.”

That snapped her out of it. She seemed genuinely stunned, like she couldn't believe the words coming out of my mouth.

“And what have I done to offend? I have come to build bridges twice now. Twice! Each time, you have shot me down. Explain yourself,” she demanded, like I was a naughty child who hadn't done as their parents said.

I let out a slow breath, rubbing my face. "Sofia, do you ever get tired of hearing yourself?" I muttered, leaning back on the boxing bag.

Then I waved her off. "Go build your bridges somewhere else."

She closed her eyes, seemed to count to ten, then opened them again. Her stare was pure steel. “I did not want to do this. I attempted diplomacy. Now you will tell me what Colonel Walker and Lieutenant Zenzele are discussing, or I shall inform your Lieutenant that you were sleeping when I walked in here. I have seen the footage on the camera. It even captures you snoring, ignorant cur.” She was probably sneering, although her face didn't change much. It was still better than the smile she gave me.

“Well, no. Your camera didn't catch me doing that, since I had just laid down before you waltzed in here,” I said, almost smiling. “And if you wish to tell the Lieutenant, go ahead. Hell, tell the Colonel too while you're at it. Besides, if you were really watching for a while, you would have had an answer to your question from the Lieutenant herself.”

She looked at me like I was daft. “I was in here for at least sixty seconds before you stirred. I banged the door twice to wake you up. You were clearly asleep for a while.”

“But I thought you saw me through the camera?” I asked, tilting my head.

She paused. Just for a second. Just long enough.

Then she spoke, smoothly. Too smoothly. “Of course. I saw it on my way in.”

Aha. Caught you. The mighty Sofia, daughter of Alexander himself—lying through her teeth.

I shook my head slowly, a small smile on my lips. “So you were lying. And I was telling the truth.” Well, sort of. Close enough.

She tensed. Just a little. Then, like a machine resetting, her face went blank. Her voice sharpened.

“You were ly—” She cut herself off, her face twisting with anger before she forced herself to smooth it over. “Alright. Would you please share what the Lieutenant said before you fell asleep?”

“Did not fall asleep, Miss A-rank or whatever the fuck,” I said mockingly.

I saw her perfect little hands clench tightly. Before I saw a genuine, malicious smile tug at her lips.

"Well, civvie. You are misinformed, yet again. No. I am not an A-rank. I am the twenty-second recorded S-rank," she said—like she'd just declared checkmate and expected me to be awed by her genius.

I blinked. A-rank, S-rank, what’s the difference?

The only real difference was that one sounded fancier, and the other got more people licking their boots. As far as I was concerned, all finks wearing black were the same.

I just picked my ear clean. “Oh? That’s nice. And?” I asked, blowing the earwax away.

Her eye twitched—a microsecond of disbelief. Like she couldn’t process that I wasn’t reacting the way I was supposed to.

“Do you understand the significance of what I just said?” she asked, voice tight.

“Do you understand the significance of me not giving a shit?” I shot back.

I practically heard the veins popping out of her neck before she sighed—like I was the worst person she’d ever spoken to. I hoped the sigh meant she was dropping the bullshit.

But instead, she said, her tone almost pitying, “That crippled girl seemed far better at manners than you did. If she can behave, why can’t you do the same?”

Her words felt like a bucket of ice water washing over me—then I was moving.

I was off the punching bag before she could blink, stomping toward her, breath heavy, eyes locked on hers, stopping when our faces were inches apart. My voice was low as I whispered, “Do not speak of my Yelena, girl.”

We were standing so close, I could finally see through that bullshit fake expression she used. “Struck a nerve, I see. Good. Now you understand how disrespectful you have been,” she said. For a fraction of a second, her gaze faltered—like she hadn’t expected me to snap this hard. A flicker of real fear. Then her mask slipped back into place.

Her gaze was steely, her voice serrated. Still sharp—but now carrying a faint edge of restraint. “Unfortunately, you seem to be too emotional for us to continue our discussion. You will learn to behave soon from the Lieutenant, and then we may continue.”

And with that, she turned on her heel and opened the door, walking out casually, like this was an average day. I was fucking furious. About to rip the door off and beat her to death with it.

But I just seethed, calling out to her—

"Oi! Sofia, you useless fink. I'll see you in the tournament. No escaping me then."

She paused, turning her head over her shoulder through the doorway. “But Boris, you won't even win your first match?”

And with that, the door slammed shut. Just as I punched it hard enough to dent the steel—my dice rolling in front of me again.