Relative Strangers (Book 2) No Man Is An Island

19. Acting Human

After leaving Matt outside, E made her way into Lance's hut, where he was waiting for her.
Since he was the leader of the group, he had the biggest accommodation out of everyone.
He was also one of the original members of the camp, and the person who E connected with best in the group.
"Did you bring me any presents today? Food? Clothing? Living essentials?" Asked Lance, as E came and sat down in the wooden chair beside him.
"I'm afraid not. I haven't been home recently" admitted E.
"That's a shame. The whole camp moral is boosted by your presence, and it increases even more when you bring us gifts" replied Lance.
"Well I'm sorry, but I've been busy"
"I was only teasing you".

E rolled her eyes, "I'm not in the mood for jokes".
Lance frowned, "Is something wrong?".
"Not here. But in the future I am dealing with a problem that is proving very challenging to correct. I'm currently on a mission to fix it, but I'm terrified of what will happen if I fail. And even if I succeed in my mission, there's no guarantee that it will fix my problem in the future" admitted E.
"I know you my lady. And I know that you won't rest until you have solved your problem" replied Lance.
"I wish I had your faith".

"You can do anything that you put your mind to. You are the one who makes impossible things happen" reminded Lance.
"I'm not as amazing as you think. Deep down, I am only human" sighed E.
"That maybe true, but I've seen you do things that no one else has done. Your achievements speak for themselves. None of this would be possible without you. Think of how many lives you've saved"
"It hasn't been an easy road. Think how many lives we've lost along the way. There aren't many of the original team left"
"I know. But we all would have died if you had not interfered. Think about how many lives you've saved, and not about how many we've lost".

"I wish my latest challenge was as easy as creating this camp" admitted E.
"Making all this was certainly not easy" countered Lance.
"Compared to the mission I've got now it is" sighed E.
"Who's your friend outside? Is he a part of this mission?"
"His name is Matt. He is doing his best to help me, but it is mostly up to me. I know that he doesn't think I can look after myself, which is why he insisted that he came with me"
"The man clearly doesn't know you very well then, as anyone who has seen you in action, knows that you can take care of yourself".

"Well, I'm hoping that by following me on this mission, he will see just how good I am" admitted E.
"I'm sure he will. But if you need another helping hand, I could accompany you on your mission" offered Lance.
"Thanks, but we both know that is not a good idea. You are needed here to keep things in order, and keep these people safe" reminded E.
"I know that my duty is to these people. But if you ever needed me, I'd be right there"
"I've always been able to count on you commander, and I am grateful for your loyalty. I definitely chose the right leader all those years ago"
"I'm glad that you think so".

"Out of curiosity though, do you have a second in command, who will lead after you?" Asked E.
"No. I mean, Vanessa helps me lead, but that's because she's my partner" answered Lance.
"Well, no one lives forever, so maybe it would be good to have an apprentice, to ensure that everything runs smoothly if anything happened to you. Originally I was going to appoint a new leader myself, after your death, but maybe I should leave it up to you"
"Where's this come from? I'm not going to die soon am I?"
"Not as far as I know. But having a long and happy life is not likely in a place like this"
"No, I guess it's not"
"Which is why I'm trying to ensure the longevity of this place".

"I've never seen you act like this before" revealed Lance.
"Like what?" Questioned E.
"Well, I've never seen you behave you human. So normal. You're always so detached and aloof, but right now you're behaving a lot like the other lost souls we have here" explained Lance.
"I am human. But I have never been normal... However, I experienced something awful recently, which might have changed my personality slightly. It made me realise how mortal I really am. I always thought that I was so untouchable, but now I'm realising that that's not true"
"What happened to you?"
"It's a long story involving torture and a gun shot wound, but that's all I'm saying".

"If you took me to the people who hurt you, I would kill them. Who are these people anyway? I mean, do they not know about all the good things you've done?" Asked Lance.
"No they don't. But you going into their camp with a sword would only get you killed. Don't worry about me though, I will get my revenge on the man in charge eventually" reassured E.
"Good. Anyone who dares to hurt you, doesn't deserve to live"
"I quite agree. But I can't go around killing everyone who has wronged me, I've fallen out with an awful lot of people"
"I would expect that someone like you has made a lot of enemies over the years. But you are normally so trigger happy. You like to make your enemies suffer, before killing them"
"Yeah, well like I said earlier, I've changed. And I've come to realise that murder isn't always the best option".