Traitors and Roses- Animal Jam Story

XII.

Commander didn't understand. Wasn't I a criminal to them? He stared at the phantom in shock.

"I'm Mx47880gX10. I honestly didn't mean to scare you, I'm sorry," it said.

Commander shook his head, dislodging his doubts. "Uhm, can we shorten that? I don't think I can remember that..." Hr thought for a second. "Aren't names supposed to be more creative than just numbers?"

"What's a name?" asked the phantom.

Commander was jarred by this. "A name? You don't know what a name is?"

The phantom looked uncomfortable, and shook its head.

"A name is... it's... it's what people refer to you by, because... well, it's what you're called," Commander explained. Defining a name is harder than it looks.

"Then my name is Mx47880gX10. That's my title," confirmed the phantom, smiling.

Commander shook his head. "That's not a name. Names are words," he explained, "Like Eternal, or Victory, or-"

"What's your name?" the phantom inquired.

"I'm Commander," he said.

The phantom looked up quickly. "Footsteps."

"I don't hear any-" And then he heard it.

The phantom exclaimed, "I WAS SUPPOSED TO CAPTURE YOU!" Suddenly realizing his mistake.

"If they catch me, I'll never get out!"

"That's not my-" The phantom shook his head. "Who am I kidding, at this point, I'm helping you," it gestured down the hallway. "Follow me."
Commander followed, but still felt the need to notify the phantom that, "The footsteps ARE IN THE DIRECTION WE ARE RUNNING!"
"I'm aware of that, yes!" The phantom responded frantically.
He yelled, "Do you WANT us to get caught?"
"If you keep yelling, we will be caught!"
They ran, and the footsteps got closer.
"Those don't sound like phantom footsteps..." Commander stopped.
And Victory turned the corner.