Dynamic Patrol: Gel-Squad (Remastering!)

Chapter 46: End Of An Era

Tommy hated this; he hated being a part of Blade's squad and how Russell 1000-yard stared at him blankly. Not that he wanted to say anything to Russell anyway, but he wasn't asking for a conversation, just an acknowledgment; Russell seemed to deny that privilege. He wasn't sure what Kallum and Blade had done to Russell this time, but he seemingly gained Kallum's trust a little more because they were assigned to the northwest corner of the village all by themselves. 

The rules were still present, though; they were not supposed to talk to each other, just stand in the tower and watch the outside world move along without them, freedom in their grasp but so far out of reach. There was another guard here to keep an eye on Russell, more so than Tommy. His presence made talking an impossibility. Tommy noted that Russell seemed exhausted, which was evident as he was slouching slightly and had bags under his eyes, likely deprived of regeneration. Despite this, he still glared at the wall behind Tommy, determined to win the staring contest against it. Sleep deprivation was a torture tactic that Tommy had learned about during his training: classic brainwashing. Now that they were alone and without any other source of entertainment, Tommy's memories started to haunt him. Tommy remembered that training perfectly because he had a total-recall memory. He could recall anything he read, saw, or heard. He could even remember something after looking at it for just a few seconds. This helped him be a great shifter and a good hero. 

His memory shifted from the Patrol to the journals in Kallum's desk... medical files on medical files... and logs... all about Russell. Tommy was sure that some additions had been made, and as much as he wanted to learn more, he couldn't look at that journal again, not after all this. Tommy was pulled out of his train of thought by Oscar, who entered their tower unannounced, breezing right past Russell over to Tommy, beginning to drag him along. "Come on! Kallum's said you can go now. I convinced him that this wasn't what you wanted, and he reassigned you to the garden!" Oscar said eagerly, trying to pull Tommy out of the tower.

The guard seemed to care less, but he thought that Oscar's desire to be with Tommy was delightful; he was smirking. Not in a teasing way but in an approving way, because Oscar was one of the younger members of the tribe and one of the last standing 'royal' family members. His romantic options were to be evaluated by everyone and then properly approved. The guard was sure that Tommy was a good match for their young Oscar, and they made a rather adorable couple. Russell stood there, dumbfounded, "Wait, what about me? How am I supposed to guard this tower alone?" Russell asked quietly, his voice wasn't above a whisper, but it was still frustrated. Oscar forgot that Russell was there. "You can take care of it alone, can't you?" He said, suddenly sparking an attitude, that he was still upset about the 'stay away from Tommy!' interaction. Yes, he could take care of the tower alone, but that didn't mean he necessarily wanted to. He actually enjoyed Tommy's silent company. "But that's not exactly... fair." Russell had stated, stepping closer. The guard glared at him, warning him that stepping outside of his box was not the wisest choice. Tommy was allowed to move from his spot, but Russell was not.

At the sight of his glare, Russell took a cautious step back into his circle, and the guard stopped looking at him and faced forward again, satisfied at Russell's compliance. "Well... I don't want to go if it's just gonna be Russell. If I'm going to stay in the tribe, I'd better get used to how things work, and I'd rather stick around for the experience. And I'm used to going where I'm sent... I shouldn't have special treatment." Oscar was disappointed with that decision but had no choice but to accept it, knowing that he would not be able to change Tommy's mind. "Fine... If that's what you want. I'll see you back at the house then." Oscar prepared to depart, moving down the ladder once more and exiting the watch tower. Tommy was lying. He didn't want experience at all... he just wanted to be with his friend, even though Russell appeared to be pissed at him. But before he departed, Oscar returned to give something to Tommy, and as he did, he whispered something into the squirrel's ear that neither Russell nor the guard could hear. Tommy gripped the item into his hand before it morphed into his palm to be protected by his goo.