It was Thursday morning, the day after my first mission. I had just finished my morning run with the team and was getting ready for school when Jenny and Jiya called out from behind me."Hey, Alex! Can we talk when you get back from school?" Jenny asked.I nodded, curious but didn't think much of it.When I got to school, everyone was still talking about what had happened yesterday. The whispers, the stares—it was all the same. But I didn't pay attention.John once told me, "Everyone in the world will have an opinion about you, but the only one that truly matters is your own."So I just kept my head down and went straight to my seat.Bull approached me not long after, his usual smirk replaced by something else—hesitation."What happened yesterday doesn't change a thing," he said coldly.But I could hear the fear in his voice, see it in his eyes. He was trying to act tough, but the way he spoke told me everything.The rest of the school day went by as usual.After school, I returned to the base. The moment I reached the main gate, I noticed something different—everyone looked serious."What's going on?" I asked one of the soldiers.He replied, "A four-star general just arrived on base.""When?" I asked."No idea," he said, still standing at attention.When I reached my team's living quarters, I saw two unfamiliar guards standing at the entrance. One of them stepped forward and blocked my way."Where do you think you're going, kid?" he said with a mocking grin."I live here," I replied calmly.They both laughed, and one of them sneered, "Sure you do. Now get lost before I make you."I ignored them and tried to walk in, but one of them pushed me back and pointed his gun at me.Five minutes later, I finally entered the quarters—both guards unconscious outside. Inside, the four-star general was talking with John and the rest of the team. He stopped mid-sentence when he saw me walk in.He turned to his guards at the door and barked, "What are you two doing letting this kid in here?"His lieutenant immediately went to check the entrance.John looked calm. "Sir," he said, "he's part of my team."A moment later, the lieutenant returned, fear written all over his face. "Sir… the two guards outside have been knocked out."The general and John both looked at me.I met John's eyes and said firmly, "I told them I'm a member of this team and that I live here. One of them pointed his gun at my head. John taught me—if someone tries to bully you and you know you're right, you put them in their place."Logon chuckled quietly at that, clearly recognizing that I'd learned to control my survival instincts—something he'd been drilling into me during every training session since accepting me.The general noticed. "Lieutenant Logon, what's funny?""Nothing, sir," Logon replied with a faint smile.John nodded at me. "Alright, Alex. Get in line with the rest of the team."I joined the others, standing tall.The general continued where he left off. "The C4 we recovered last night—good work. One of the men killed in the crossfire was a major arms dealer. He had a $300,000 bounty on his head. Half goes to the LAPD SWAT, and the other $150,000 goes to the 101st."I looked at the general and asked, "You didn't come all this way just to hand out money, did you?"He smiled slightly. "No, I came here to meet you. I heard Captain John picked someone for his team who isn't from the army. I just hope you don't let him down."After the general left, I changed clothes and went to the shooting range. Jenny and Jiya were there waiting for me. We practiced together for a while.One by one, they both started apologizing."Sorry for being so hard on you when you first joined," Jiya said softly.I smiled. "Don't worry about it."It felt good—at least five out of nine had accepted me now.Later that evening, we sat together at the mess hall for dinner. As we finished eating, Logon leaned back in his chair and asked, "So, Alex, what are you gonna do with your fifteen grand?"I looked at him and said honestly, "I don't know yet… but I'll probably just save it."He smirked. "Smart choice."
