Sang's Freedom (Original And Rewritten)

35

-Chapter 35-

Matthew Eli's POV:

"...I have been appointed the new leader of Team Blackbourne."

Everyone's cellphones went off at once, receiving confirmation text messages from the Academy.

I can't say I wanted to be the leader of Team Blackbourne, but at least I would have an opportunity to train them before throwing them into the whole people trafficking mission they had agreed to.

When I messaged the Academy, I was just trying to recruit Sang. She needed an out from these overprotective boys. She needed to know how strong she was, and the Academy could give her that.

Instead, since Sang was already considered a family member of Team Blackbourne, the entire unit was shifted under my command.

And the lone wolf gains a pack, I thought miserably, as I maintained my outward bravado. "Any questions with the change in command?"

The big guy pushing eight foot began to yell at me. I didn't know what he was saying, but I recognized the language as Greek.

Most of the blonds looked confused. The boy Sang had spent a great deal of time hugging had managed to grab her hand and was talking to her quietly while Mr. Blackbourne typed away furiously on his phone.

Send all the texts you want, buddy.

"You are not our leader," snarled the other big guy, North. His eyes were dark, and I figured I was going to have to kick his ass sometime in the near future. Establish dominance and all that.

"How do you figure?" I asked.

"Because I never said I was willing to have you as my leader, and I definitely won't obey."

Oh, for the love of god. These little boys with their diplomatic group votes.

"You will obey, Mr. Taylor."

I watched as Mr. Blackbourne dusted himself off. The man really was about my age, no more than twenty, though he carried himself like a man well into his late thirties.

"Everyone will obey because we all do as the Academy commands. Won't it be nice for Miss Sorenson to have the same lack of free will?"

Sang scowled at him for me. "Mr. Blackbourne, why do you want to take away my chance to give something back to this world?"

"Because the Academy will take over your whole life until it is all you have."

"Your team will become your family," said the doctor. "You won't have friends outside the Academy. You'll never be normal."

Sang simply shrugged, and I was struck again by the amazing amount of inner strength she carried. "I killed two people yesterday. I think I'm past being normal."

"Those weren't people, Sang. They were scum." I muttered, glancing over at the big guy and North to find their mouths hanging open.

"How did someone your size..." One of the blonds asked, tilting his head to the side.

She put a finger to her lips in a way that had me wanting to pull her hand away. What was with this shy shit all of a sudden? Sang's green eyes met mine. "I knocked someone into a cement wall and their head broke open. The other time I had a gun--"

"You fucking gave Trouble a gun?" A short guy with mismatched hair was outraged. "Trouble is trouble enough without giving her a god damn fire arm you stupid ass juke."