An Act of Chivalry (Sander Sides)

Chapter Ten

One, two, three great hits as I bounced on the balls of my feet. The bag smashed against the ground behind it, rolling to the side a bit and making the most displeasing noise. The note made me cringe, but I quickly left it behind me.

"It's strange," I commented to myself, bending to pick up the bag once again. Once I had it up I started again.

"What is?" A smoother, lower voice asked from behind me. My thoughts were almost to focused to notice the new presence. Sadly, I was keen and listened with surprise.

My head turned for a millisecond. Just enough time to prove my suspicions. Yup, it was Roman. "Oh," I started in a half focused, monotone comment. I turned back to the bag before I continued. "Hey, princy."

"You didn't answer my question."

I swung at the bag twice before answering, "What question?" Bouncing on my feet, I kept my focus ahead of me. "What's so strange?" He mimicked. My annoyance only continued to swell.

"This guy, with the yellow dish gloves and shit. What do you think he wants?"

"He probably wants you to take off your stupid jacket. You'd fight better."

At that, I paused to look back to Roman. The hero was closer now, studying me with genuine curiosity. It took me a moment to remember that he didn't know. I shook my head and went back to my task, punching this thing until it didn't exist anymore. I sighed while doing so, "I'm being serious Roman, this dude gives me all the wrong vibes."

I could hear him shifting closer, "And you think I'm not? You didn't have that thing when you first got here, you didn't bring it with you. Therefore the jacket doesn't have sentimental value... At least, not until you started wearing it two weeks after your arrival. Did-"

My annoyance was swelling over. My hands clenched from within the gloves as my emotions clicked for a second. I rammed my fist into the punching bag, sending it once again falling to the floor. That fixed it. I took a deep breath and calmed myself, "Just leave it princy..."

The hero didn't respond, probably shut up by my threatening actions. I sighed going to pick up the bag. A hand reached out to stop me. Roman's hand drew me back and I swung with it, bumping back into him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to anger you. I promise. here-" Roman let go of my shoulder to go pick up the punching bag. He was back before I knew it, offering me a gentle smile as he continued from a distance. "You see tense, I know we're all stressed out but... it wouldn't hurt to calm down with a Disney movie for a bit, right?" He pressed the elevator door. "I mean purely for mental health reasons and all that other junk Patton talks about," Roman chuckled almost awkwardly as the elevator door opened. He stepped in, "Of course, only if you want to Charlie Gloom, I don't mind having the couch to myself." Roman joked.

I rolled my eyes, pulling off my gloves and throwing them toward the rack. "I guess I'll join you, your royal anus." I teased back, bowing before I entered the elevator with him. I was going to eat those words later. With the push of a button, we were descending to the floor below us. The living quarters.

-----

'The conference was over, thank god!' I thought to myself as I stepped into the elevator, along with four other officers. One of them was crying and the others did their best to comfort her. The sight was a heartbreaking reminder that people were lost yesterday. However, I pushed my grief down and continued on with the task at hand.

Earlier today I spotted Logan in the crowd. At first, I thought it was the lighting playing tricks on me, but then I caught otherwise. This wasn't the only thing I noticed, I wasn't referred to by others as a dad character for nothing. Logan was wearing long sleeves, something he did in cold weather. Only, it's not cold out, it's seventy degrees outside. If you thought that was all then your wrong. The leader has also been scratching at his arm for days, the normal hint of light in his eye has been slowly fading since the day he was attacked. It was scaring me.

"Thomas!" I greeted as I entered the living quarters. My mentor was on the couch, watching Cinderella with my friends. Sadly I didn't spot Logan among them. "Hey! Patton, how'd the meeting go?" He asked, grabbing the remote and pausing the movie. Roman and Virgil both groaned in protest as he did so.

"It was more of a funeral than a meeting," I frowned. Thomas mimicked my expression, "Sorry, I should have had Logan go then, he's better with that stuff, I know it must've been tough Pat."

I shook my head, the mention of Logan finally tuning me back into my mission. "Actually kiddo, I was hoping we could talk about him for a moment." I glanced back to my friends, who were listening intently. "Can we speak in the hall?" Thomas nodded, looking back to Roman as we neared the door.

"Continue the movie without me guys."

Virgil glanced between us, sensing the tension in the room. The angsty hero opened his mouth to question me but Roman started the movie again before he could do so. It only took one glance at the TV until Virgil was leaving his suspicions behind. He sank back into the couch and brushed his bangs out of his eyes ever so slightly. He was absorbed by the time I shut the door behind me.

"So, what did you wanna talk to me about?" Thomas started, leaning onto the closest wall. His face was blank, completely neutral of opinion and judgment. He was always so easy to talk to.

"Well it's just, I'm worried about Logan." I started, Thomas nodded for me to continue. "He-he looks paler right? it'snot just me, right?! I mean he's barely left his room and what if he's sick an-and what if he's!-"

"Patton!" Thomas stopped me, "Calm down bud, take a deep breath." I did rubbing at my face as I did so. "I'm just worried."

"Okay Pat, I believe you," Thomas reassured, rubbing my back as I continued to calm down. "What about we go talk to him, huh? I'm sure their's a good explanation. Maybe we just need to nag at him more. Tell him to stop stressing himself." Thomas chuckled at his own statement, before pulling me into a hug."Sound good?"

I couldn't help but think 'Dang, for a top class agent with lightning reflexes, he was a sweetheart.'

I accepted his offer, pulling away from him before a guard caught the scene. They'd never let Thomas live it down. "Come on," Thomas urged, waving at him to follow. He did, nearly skipping in anticipation as they started down the hall. The hall was pretty bland and to our inconvenience, Logan's door was the farthest one down.

An awkward silence fell between us, but that quickly changed as we approached his door. Thomas was ahead of me and knocking lightly. The knock seemed to echo ever so slightly, but no answer. "Logan?" Thomas questioned this time, knocking once again and waiting for an answer. He didn't answer back. I stepped ahead of Thomas, knocking with a bit more force than he did. No answer.

"Maybe he's not here," Thomas suggested. I had a feeling he was wrong. I took a deep breath and reached for the knob. It was cold and I was tempted to let go. I didn't and creaked open the door to pop my head in.

"Logan you th-Oh my god." I was frozen in shock.