The Sidekick.

sei

After I had been registered into the rebel system, Harry insisted that I train with Fitzgerald after work before our first task the following two weeks. I was curious in what kind of training we would be doing. My memories from my parents work flooded back, I had been blocking them out for a long time.

When I arrived in the Sottos, Fitz greeted me and led me to a room of lockers. My cubby was labeled with my number, 739. Inside was a packet of the yellow jumpsuits and other wear. The blonde informed me the other clothing was for missions.

"While underground in the Sottos, you must wear the yellow." Fitzgerald made sure I understood every rebel rule. The pale boy seemed to always be down here, which made me wonder if he was in fact registered above.

"They are slightly baggy." I state as I look down to the suit. Length wise, they fit my tall figure.

"You will adjust soon. Come, we must train." Our matching suits made me feel like I was apart of a machine. I didn't feel human when wearing strict uniform. Above, the rules were colors, simpler, and slightly more free.

"Your eyes, they dance." The boy speaks, his wording was awkward. His face looked like it was made to be sad. The bags under his eyes reminded me of lonely caves.

"Pardon?"

"Apologies, you are an observer. Harry mentioned that." He corrects his wording as we enter another empty room with a black mat.

"When?"

"When did he say this? The week he met you."

"Why do you speak like that?" I question, the first of many I had for him. We continue walking through the room with the mat into a medical center.

"It is unkind to say that. Making fun of the way others speak is rude. Would you tell Alem this? She has an accent." He calls over a nurse to do a routine check up.

"No, no! I would never make fun of accents or lisps. Your words are placed so awkwardly."

"Oh, I am unsure of that." He shrugs, sitting down into a seat across from me. Most would say ' I don't know'.

"You must live here in the Sottos. Have you ever been above?" The nurse pricks my finger and small drops of blood slip.

"Alem says when I was young I lived above, but I was saved. I have been here from then on." Fitz answers, crossing his slim long legs. Every part of the boy was lanky and long.

"You're an orphan?"

"I do no like that word very much. My family is Alem and Harry, along with all the people in the Sottos, even your parents and siblings." He speaks quickly, his eyes looking down to the floor.

"You know my family?"

"Yes, yes. They are famous here. Harry is too."

"Why are they famous?" My question go on like a river. I hadn't visited this world in years, I hardly remembered it all. I don't remember my parents being stars.

"They are the best UCs or Under Covers. They have the most information from The Government and help the most people. They are simply famous."

"And Harry-"

"Wait, I have a question." Fitzgerald stops me while I speak. The nurse continues his routine. "Why have you gone unregistered? Your family, why did you not follow them? Did you even know of this life?"

"I did know, my family raised me to do this. I refused. My parents had many close calls with The Government, that frightened me. I just wanted to live a normal Ostten lifestyle." I explain, running my fingers through my curls.

"Oh sweet Sandrine, there is no such thing as a normal life. If there was, we would have nothing to speak of. Unnatural events are far too common to lead a normal life." He shakes his head, his white hair shinning in the lighting. His hair was very familiar to me, but I didn't know where from.

"I see. Now Harry, is he like you? An orphan?" I move on quickly, there was so much to learn about the new people in my life.

"Similar. His parents live, but they are the 2.4 percent."

"Shouldn't he live out in the Outsides? That where they send the 2.4 percent and more."

"Hasn't he ever told you of his acting? He's an amazing actor, he loves to act for The Government."

"He has."

"You're finished." The nurse tells me, Fitz leads me back into the dark room with the mat.

"Stand here." The blonde points to the mat as he moves toward a pad to enter in a code. "Now, run." The floor begins to move, a belt on a pulley system. My long legs carry me with little effort, my large mass of hair began to double from the heat on my body.

"Did you and Harry meet here?" I shout out to the boy across the room.

"You hold many questions in your head."

"I do."

"I met Harry here. I was around the age of seven, he was eleven from what I recall. Alem brought him from the Outsides, an angry child he was." The younger boy remembers his part in the Sottos, memories flooding back. "When I met him, he was in one of our clinics. I was ordered by Alem to check on him. The first words he said, rather yelled to me were 'stay away from me'."

"I see." My gasp out for breath as the machine speeds up.

"We soon became friends, due to our sharing of a room down here."

"Why does he live above now?"

"For you."

"For me?" My breaths were becoming shorter as the pace of my running was increased.

"You can slow to a jog now." The belt slowed so I could walk again.

"Why for me?" I ask again, more concerned.

"Harry believes you're the key to the fall of The Government. He snuck back into the Government school system. He's very good with computers, made himself appear in the system. Trained to work in an office for you. Your parents told him all he needed to know. Harry got the job at Hydra, so your parents pushed you to work there."

I quickly step off the mat at the sound of Fitzgerald's words. Harry had set their meeting up. "That's upsetting." I whisper under my breath. "It was a trick, I look like a fool."

"A fool? Far from it."

"Harry was acting for me! You said he loved being an actor." My feelings were now hurt, my fingers run along the skin on my cheeks as they burned. "I never wanted any part of this."

"For The Government, he knew you would be his friend. He would never act for you. He has told me so."

"I'm not sure." I sigh heavily, Fitz moves me back to the met to run again. We repeat the running for a while in silence.

"Why does he think I'm the key to the fall of The Government?" I question during one of my breaks.

"As I've stated, he is very good with computers. He discovered the crystal thing, and knew that he needed it. He's tried many times to capture it, but he says it's not fit for him. He hacked through The Government's personal system and read through people's files to discover a person who could get it."  Fitz had all the answers, but that was understandable since Harry was once his room mate. "Once he created the theory that you were the key, he talked to your parents about your future and getting close to you. He knew you didn't want this life, but if you were convinced by someone you were comfortable with, perhaps you would join." I nod, still not on board with the whole idea.

"We are finished, you may go to your complex now. Don't ponder too long."