Static Reflections: Book 1 of The Mortal Guard Series

Chapter 40 - Nick: The Green Tie

Chapter 40 - Nick: "The Green Tie"

Nick fell asleep that night, right where he lay, after yet another cry. He had never been this emotional before, but the job was getting to him. Luckily, there were no dreams.

The following morning, there was a knock on his door, which reminded him of when he'd wake up to knocks in the Institute. Though, he hadn't known those would continue here. The hyena got up, and, with a yawn, opened the door. He wasn't surprised when he saw Richard there. "Worried about me?" he asked half-heartedly.

Richard nodded, stepping in. "Iwai told me you weren't acting yourself yesterday. I just want to check how you are today."

"As good as I can be knowing I got someone killed."

Richard sighed. "Nicholas, I understand it affected you, but you need to understand that Jack Wirey was doomed whether we were there or not. We were in the living room, no? That thing would have cut him to pieces before we could even reach the room."

"You're saying . . . there was nothing we could do?" Nick looked up with a sorrowful glint in his eyes.

"Do you believe in fate?" asked Richard.

Nick shook his head. "No . . . I think that you can make choices that change the outcome of something."

"But what if that choice you made was predicted all along, and it led to the fated ending?" Richard proposed.

The hyena frowned. "I don't like that."

"I know. I just want you to feel better and not blame yourself for a death you couldn't help. Veronica's still alive, at the very least."

"Okay, and? She won't even remember her own kid or husband! That's terrifying to think about, being forgotten like that," Nick mumbled.

"If nothing else, don't blame yourself . . . ." Richard put a hand on his shoulder. "You did amazing in that case. I saw your training shine through. You truly saved me."

"I'm so glad I did . . . ." Nick rubbed his eye groggily. "I just wish it went better. Like, now I'm supposed to celebrate this thing I did, but I don't feel like I even deserve it."

"You do!" Richard tried to convince him. "You've done so many things to prove it. The perfect score, the intense training, and completing your first mission with true grit. You're a hardened Soul, Nicholas."

"Okay." The hyena didn't smile, though he wanted to. He could only merely accept the raccoon's words.

"Do you want to graduate? They're ready for you."

Nick pouted. "So that's what you came here for."

"No, no, no. They told me to come a lot later, but you know me. I always wake up early. I really was worried about you."

Nick exhaled softly. "Okay. Well, I guess I can graduate to get my mind off everything else that happened."

"I'll let Iwai know," Richard told him. Then, he stopped, looking around. "You have nowhere for me to sit?"

Nick rubbed the back of his neck. "Wasn't really in the mood to go shopping, so no. Sorry. And you would have come with me anyway . . . ."

Richard crossed his arms, choosing his following words carefully as if he were grabbing them with a claw machine. "Why don't you . . . come to my residence after the ceremony? I have a gift for you, actually. And furniture."

That got a slightly amused sound out of Nick. "They do say you can learn a lot about an animal by seeing where they live . . . Plus, it would be fun. Probably."