Roses in Flames

Chapter 3: Billy

Jesse "Bill" Remi

It was dawn. The sun was setting and the sky began to paint itself yellow. Billy stood on the top of the headquarters building and stared into the horizon. He was finally on a skyscraper and he could shout his name like he wanted to but he didn't. He stood there in silence, just watching the sun sink into the sky. His arms rested on the rail at the edge of the building. The Ferris wheel far away stood alone in the distance.

"What are you doing up here?" Sheena's voice echoed in the air and Billy turned his head around. She was standing beside the door to the stairs, her beanie was gone and her hair was flowing with the wind.

Billy spun around his body 180 degrees, facing Sheena. "This is a great spot to jump" he pointed him thumb over his shoulder. He paused for a moment as Sheena laughed, "Nah, I'm kidding," he added a moment later, smiling.

Sheena walked closer to the edge where Billy where was standing, "you missed out on the tour," she told him. Billy crossed his arms and made eye contact with her as he nodded. Sheena was a little bit taller than he was. In fact, everyone was taller than him. "Tours are overrated," he said gently.

"But this place is massive. And looks very comfortable too. You should've seen it."

"I will....eventually."

"You do you, my man. Robbie's asking for you." Sheena looked up at the sky and breathed in the fresh air of the evening.

"In his office?"

Sheena nodded. Billy straightened his jacket as he walked over to the stairs. "Don't fall," he said on his way down and Sheena chuckled at his warning.

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Billy was walking down the hallway to Robbie's office. He wore his newly issued uniform: a black flight jacket and a pair of comfortable black cargo pants, dog tags hanging from his neck, and his shiny black boots making sounds as they hit the floor with each step. The hallway was so quiet that he could hear his watch tick. He put his hands in his jacket pocket to get more comfortable.

He stopped in front of a big red door, unsure of where he was. He looked around in case anyone was around but it seemed that he was alone. So, he knocked on the door gently, hoping he was at the right place.

"Come in," said a voice from inside. Billy swung the door open, revealing an office that looked much like the room he and his friends were taken to when they first got there. Expect there was no bar. Robbie sat behind the desk near the tinted window, ruffling papers. Since they got into the building three days ago, Billy had noticed that no matter which room he walked into, every window was tinted or painted completely black. That got him curious.

As he walked into the room, Robbie gestured his hand telling him to sit down on the chair in front of the desk. So, Billy did just that. "I believe you called?" he asked as he get comfortable in the chair.

Robbie looked up from the papers to Billy, "yes, I did. I wanted to discuss something with you," he replied.

"Of course. What it is?"

Robbie opened a drawer from behind the desk and he held out something. It was a rank metal. In the army of wolves, each soldier had a metal that identify their rank. They pinned those metals on their jackets at all times. Privates had a plain silver metal, Corporals had a meal with a wolf on a silver base, Sergents had a metal with a wolf on a gold base, and Lutenents had a metal with a wolf's skull on a gold base. But this one had a sword with a wolf's head on the tip of the handle. Billy hadn't seen anyone with this metal. He didn't have his own metal either.

"Do you know what this is?" Robbie asked gently.

"A rank metal?" Billy said so quietly that only the two of them could hear. Robbie nodded and pushed the metal towards Billy. He examined it in silence. At last, "Bill," Robbie spoke, "may I call you Bill?" Billy looked up and nodded.

"I've been watching you for a while."

"That sounds creepy."

Robbie let out a snort as he tried to hold back his laugh, "it's not like that," he said.

Billy giggled, "I know what you meant."

"As I was saying...., I think--no, I know that you are an incredibly skilled fighter and you have great leadership skills".

"I'm no one's leader, sir".

"Your skills say otherwise," he pushed his chair back and got up, walked around to the front of the desk where Billy was sitting, "I'd like to have you as my General, put you in charge of the army if you're willing to accept," he said as he leaned against the desk.

Billy looked up at him with his wide eyes, "I-," he stuttered.

"I could use your skills out there," Robbie added.

Billy thought about it for a minute, looking at the city outside through the tinted window. "I would love to," he finally answered, "but I don't want it to be just handed over to me, sir," he made eye contact with Robbie. Robbie raised his eyebrows at him. "I want to earn it through work," Billy explained.

Robbie sighed and looked down at his shoes and back to Billy, "of course, I understand," he said as he picked up the metal. "When you feel like you've earned it, it'll be here for you," he smiled and walked back to his side of the desk. He opened it drawer again and put the metal back inside. "Oh, and called me Robbie. Don't be so formal, I hate it. Where did that attitude from the first time you met me go?"

"Right, Robbie...I thought I'd be a little more formal since I'm under your commands now," Billy stared at him.

Robbie scoffed, "everybody does that. I honestly hate it with passion."

"What's up with the windows?" Billy asked to satisfy his curiosity.

Robbie glanced back at the tinted window behind him, "what about them?"

"Why are they all tinted?"

"So, that people from outside can't see through."

"Why?"

"Assassination attempts!" he exclaimed with a bit of amusement in his voice.

"You seem excited about it," Billy said.

"Because it shows that I'm important!" Robbie laughed.

Billy frowned, "you're a strange man."

Billy heard footsteps in the hallway. He turned as someone knocked on the door. "Come in," Robbie said, still standing over the desk with his hand on his hips and the door opened. A tall man with blond hair walked in and a woman followed him from behind. They both had silver pins on their chests. The man walked up near the desk but stopped five feet away. The woman followed him as if she was his shadow. "Sir," he said but before he continued, he glanced at Billy.

"It's fine," Robbie said to him, "he can hear it too."

The man cleared his throat, "Sir, the gate w--was" he stuttered, "they are invading the city, sir," he practically choked out his last words. Billy shifted in his seat uneasily. Robbie, however, didn't seem too concerned by the news. He simply waved at the two Privates to leave and they both disappeared into the big hallways, their footsteps fainting away as they go.

"Another day at work, innit?" he said casually.

"Want us to do anything?" Billy asked. Robbie shook his head as he ran his fingers through his hair, "no, it's fine. Not a big deal. It happens every day. Plus, my men are trained pretty well. They can handle it."