"You trust me?" (A miniforce ray angst fanfiction)

Chapter ten

CW: brief implications of child abuse

Ray's POV

     Ray's phone was ringing. He picked up the phone. "Hello?" He spoke. "Ray, wake up! Today's the day! You're going to get your Miniforce License back!" Father's voice beamed with joy over the phone. "It's today? I'll go get ready now! Thank you for reminding me!" He quickly hung up and rushed to get ready.

     Ray opened the door to the meeting room and entered. "Ah, Ray. So glad you came." General Choi said as Ray walked over to him. General Choi extended his hand. Ray shook it, holding back his eagerness. "So, about your reenlistment." 'Oh no. Is he going to say he changed his mind? Oh no.' If General Choi noticed Ray's anxiousness, he didn't show it. "I'm sorry it's very rushed - but you see - this all happened very quickly and on such short notice!" General Choi gave his famous smile.

     General Choi is famously known as a kind man - always trying to solve things peacefully. Very rare is it to see him angry. He wasn't even angry when he found out about Ray's betraying the Miniforce and moving over to Pascal's side. ( he still shudders and cringes whenever he remembers those horrid memories) Quite the opposite really, he was sad. Not in a 'he cried himself to sleep' type of way, but a 'I could've stopped this' type of way.

     "That's alright, General. I'm just glad you have decided to give me a second chance." Ray said sincerely. "You're one of a kind, Ray. In that, I mean you have what many people don't have - a heart. Losing you is like losing a child. You mean a lot more to me than you might think. There is nothing in this world that would prompt me to harm you, Ray." General Choi expressed. 'Do they really care about me that much?' "I- I don't know what to say sir. Thank you." Ray could feel his cheeks slowly heat up. He hoped it wasn't visible. "Your Miniforce Gem will be handed to you in fifteen minutes." General Choi said. "While you're waiting, tell me. Has your mother returned?" He asked. 'Mother?' "No, not yet. Her flight was delayed, so she'll arrive at 10 PM instead. Why do you ask?" Ray said, trying not to sound too rude. "No particular reason." He said nonchalantly, "She's been traveling for over five years now, but she's finally coming back home. We're all excited to see her again. Commander Chen suggested we throw a welcome back dinner party for her." General Choi was engaged to mother back in their early twenties, but then she met father and fell in love with him. The engagement with General Choi was really a strategic move, to keep the status in check. But General Choi couldn't control her feelings and emotions, so he let her go. Mother was worried he and father would dislike each other, but she couldn't have been more wrong. Father and General Choi are brothers in every way but blood.

     "Your Miniforce Gem is here, Ray." General Choi said after a while. Ray looked up to see his Miniforce Gem. It hadn't changed. 'That's good.' "Thank you, General." Ray said gratefully. "But no more turning against the organization, understood?" Though his smile never left his face, his tone was a warning. "You have my word, sir." Ray said, mustering all the confidence he could.

(Flashback to a clear memory: "Ray"'s)

"Are you ready, Ray?" Father asked as they entered the car. "I think so," "Ray" paused for a moment. Was he ready? It had been a year, but that doesn't mean he was finally used to his new life. Especially his new "name". It's strange. One day he was being experimented on, (father explained this within the first few weeks he allowed "Ray" to live with him) and the next, he's in a "home" (the word still felt strange to him) with someone who "loves" him (he didn't quite grasp the full meaning behind the word, but he assumed it meant father wouldn't experiment on him)

And then there was this concept called "parents". Dr. Tao was a "father", and Auntie Pei-Ling was a "mother". And they were "parents". And they were supposed to "take care of him". What that meant, he had no idea, but assumed it meant they wouldn't yell at him or hurt him. And he was perfectly fine with that.

Still, whenever he did something wrong, he couldn't help but feel like the world was crashing down on him, and his "parents" were going to suddenly turn into the scientists and hurt him again. Of course, that never happened. But after many years of being hurt over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, he couldn't shake off the feeling. And besides-

"Ray? Did you hear what I said?" Father asked. "Ray" shook his head. Again, that overwhelming feeling of his father turning into the scientists and hurting him arose. "N-No. Sor- Sorry, father." He quickly said, trying not to sound startled. "It's okay, son." He said as he smiled. His smile. It wasn't cruel. It was warm, and sunny, and friendly, and welcoming. And safe. He felt safe when he smiled. He was safe.

"I asked if you were hungry. You still hadn't had breakfast yet, and you can't do well in your meeting on an empty stomach, now can you?" Father joked. "I guess..." "Ray" mumbled. "Well then, what would you like to eat?" Father asked. "Anything. Umm, what are you feeling, father?" "Ray" reversed the question, so that now he was the one asking him (father). "Hmmm. I think I'll haaaave kimchi pancakes!" Father decided. "Ooh! Me too!" Ever since "Ray" was "adopted" (his brother told him it meant to take care of someone who doesn't have a family) he'd loved kimchi pancakes. The sweet and spicy combination balanced the meal so well, especially if it had banana milk with it.

After they had breakfast, they continued their way to the Miniforce Headquarters.

When they arrived, "Ray" was in awe. He could've sworn it looked bigger than the last time he visited to take his entrance exam. He heard father chuckle next to him as they entered the HQ. As they entered, "Ray" took in the interior. It looked futuristic, with all the advanced technology and equipment that took over the building. And it was so bright and upbeat too. The walls were a white that looked like they were tinted with blue in some angles, the floors and ceilings were a smooth marble, and most of the doors had this card mechanism thing, where an employee would swipe the card across the mechanism, and the mechanism would open the door. "Ray" found it all so cool!

As they made their way to the meeting room, father said something in Mandarin. Mother was teaching him Mandarin, but he wasn't quite fluent yet. So naturally, he had no idea what father just said. Father caught on and gave a very brief explanation, "It means I wish you good luck in your meeting!" He said cheerfully. He was always cheerful. It was refreshing, warm, upbeat, safe. He was safe. He muttered a quick, "Thank you," and went inside.

"Good morning, Ray!" General Choi greeted "Ray" and father. "Good morning!" "Ray" greeted him back. "Hello, Choi! How was your morning?" Father asked as he sat down in his chair. "Ah, it was splendid! Ye Jun got her test results back, and guess what? She aced them!" General Choi and father laughed heartily. When they had calmed down a little, General Choi sighed contentedly. "Im very proud of her, you know. She's always been an amazing little girl. And now she's about to graduate and go to university. Oh, how time flies." There was a hint of melancholy in General Choi's tone. He cleared his throat and officially began the meeting.

"So, Ray, we are here today to talk about your enrollment in the Miniforce Training Academy," he began, "Now, normally the age to enter is around 8 or 9, but given your circumstances, I managed to pull some strings. What's impressive, however, is your fighting. It's like you're a natural at it! You're at least a year more advanced than people your age!" General Choi beamed. "Ray" was flustered. "Thank you, General." He tried not to mumble. General Choi chuckled. "So. Here's what we'll do. I'm going to put you with the eighth graders, and see how you do. If you can manage, I'll keep you there. If you can't, I'll put you with the seventh graders. Sounds good?" He said. "Ray" nodded. "And if I don't succeed, that doesn't mean I failed, right?" "Ray" asked shyly. "Oh, no, of course not! It just means you need more time. That's all. We don't want to put too much pressure on you, but we also can't put you with the seventh graders, because we know you'll want to move up and prove yourself." General Choi said. "Ray" nodded again.

    After General Choi went over the basics of what was going to happen when he started, he finished the meeting. "See, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Father said as they walked back to the car. "Ray" shook his head. "We should hurry so we can help mother with lunch, don't you think?" Father said as he began driving. "Ray" nodded. How many times he nodded that day, he couldn't count. But all he knew was this. He was very "excited".

(A/N. Omg hi guys. Yeah I'm alive 😎 was busy with school and exams but now I'm back 😌 chapter eleven will be out soon and its gonna take place when the miniforce meet the alien. Yeah that episode. Okay bye.)