Military Brat

Hero

A soldier went into the cockpit to check on the pilot, yelling for a medic the moment he saw the blood and the slumped over figure. The amount of blood covering the chair, floor, and controls was concerning. Many of the personal on base also were looking for the Magician, whose plane was sitting on the runway. It was intact but no pilot. He was aware of the lack of pilots who would be able to provide air support and was able to piece together what no one else had. The boy who could die at any moment was the Magician. He was shocked at the realization.
The base patched the plane up before it was shipped off to a museum. The surgeons had operated on the 15 year old for hours, fixing what they could. There was a General who had to find the next of kin and tell them that their kin had no one, was wounded to the point of an honorable discharge from the military, and needed a family. The pilot had been hard to identify, finally a name being able to be given to the squadron he had saved. They were sworn to secrecy, guarded the teen, and would ship home with the teen.
Alfred woke up, confused and in pain. A face swam above him. The voice told him to rest. He did. When he woke again, the General was sitting next to his bed.
"Captain Jones, I am here to thank you for your service to your country and to regretfully inform you of your honorable discharge from the military. We will miss you and I wish you the best of luck in life. You will remain here until you are able to walk and we find your next of kin. Your belongings have been packed, medals and plaque in your duffel bag, and the eleven years of service will not be forgotten. Your sacrifice and your family's service will be kept a secret but the public demands a documentary about the Magician. I am warning you for your own sake." The General left the devastated teen alone to his thoughts. A group of soldiers entered the room a few moments later and talked to him. For almost six months he went through extreme physical therapy, assisted by the squad he had saved. Finally he was able to walk well enough for him and the group to return to the states.
He was quiet as he watched all the families reunite and was slightly jealous of them. As the happy group drifted away, he awkwardly watched, duffel bag at his feet and loneliness hanging from his frame. A throat was cleared to his left. He turned to face the person. There was a whole group of people smiling at him. A man was standing closer to him, a gentle smile on his lips.
"Welcome home, Alfred. You don't know me but I'm your father's cousin. I had thought both of you had been killed eleven and a half years ago. I am sorry for your loss and am willing to help you in anyway I can. Let's go home, hmm?" The British accent made Alfred smile slightly, nodding at the Brit and leaning to pick up his bag. Another man had already picked it up and had to steady the teen as the teen had become dizzy. Alfred was silent for the whole ride to the home he would stay at before they decided he was too much of a burden and give him to someone else. There was a boy who could pass as his twin sitting next to him in the car.
"Hello, I'm Matthew. Leo, Peter, and I will be in the rooms closest to yours. We didn't know how to decorate it so Dad's going to be taking you and I to find things for your room whenever you are ready." Matthew smiled brightly, Alfred returned a smaller version of it for just a second. He decided he wasn't going to speak until they gained his trust.
He was shown his room, bare but nicer than anything he'd ever had before in his life. He placed all his belongings away in a matter of minutes and with the neatness of the military.
"You need other clothes than fatigues." The whisper caused him to whip around, fist raised. Matthew smiled at the soldier. "It's fine. You're safe here. Promise." Matthew left and Alfred just sat on the bed, staring at the plaque on the bare shelf. He started to silently cry at the loss of everything he had ever known being ripped from him so cruelly. He finally started his daily workouts and had formed a pattern in this new life in a week. It was a tense week but no one did anything to violate his privacy or force him to do anything. He dreaded the fact that he had to attend school, even if it was just to adapt to civilian life.
"Hey, Military Brat! Why don't you just kill yourself! No one's ever gonna love or like you!" Ah, the bliss of being bullied. Alfred ignored the idiotic boy, leaning against a wall and in full view of many teachers. "Freak, has your mind been left in the last place you lived?" The bully and his goons surrounded the Veteran.
"For your information, I am not a Military Brat anymore. I am a veteran who has many metals and honors. I would like you to leave me in piece or you could try to fight me. Your choice." Alfred easily blocked the fist that had flown towards him. The gang attacked him and he fought back. He defeated them, brushed himself off, and dragged a wide eyed Matthew to the next class.