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Chapter II

FREEDOM

Ex

It took me several moments to process what he had just said. My ears swiftly perked up after the statement, and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach, and I had no idea why.

I coughed. "Come again?"

My reaction seemed to amuse him, causing him to chuckle lightly with his deep voice. "Let me put it simpler. Do you want to go outside where there is no wall keeping you caged?"

The man had an amazing pokerface. He basically tricked me into feeling terrible in order to tell me what he was actually aiming for. Even I had to admit his strategy was pretty smart and, though I hated him for it for a few seconds, I gave credit to where it was due. It was also kinda scary to know how well he could play me without me realizing it.

Was he serious about his word, though? After so many years of just begging him to have a few minutes outside, was he really going to allow me a few hours outside the glass bubble? Could I fly? Did I have to wear some sort of breathing tube or something? There would be no point of going outside the wall if I couldn't be truly, utterly, undeniably free and fly around like the birds that passed over the compound constantly. I wanted to fly with them and see them up close without restrictions.

I turned my gaze back to him after staring off into space. "You're serious about this?"

He nodded again. "I am being completely honest with you, Ex. This is not a lie. I'm asking you if you want to fly around--"

"And I can fly outside the walls too?" I nearly exclaimed. A grin broke across my muzzle until my white fangs were noticeable.

Kindle remained collected. "Yes, you are even permitted to fly as much as you wish. I only ask you to be careful. Alexander and Blake will also accompany you and report to me if anything goes wrong."

"Why the sudden change of heart?" I asked, wanted to know why he decided I could leave now rather than in years prior to this.

He looked out into the distance and sighed. "We're preparing to show you to the public in about the next month or so." He held up a hand, stopping me from cutting him off. "You were created to become the perfected being on the planet, and we must show you to the public. If they back us up on this endeavor, you may not be the only Project on this planet."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

His smile returned. ""It means if the public backs us and aids in our funding and research, we can create more Projects and begin a new race of people just like you. And you will become the one who leads your new species of people."

"I'm no leader, though," I countered softly. How could I lead when I was still a teenager who needed training? I was far from ever becoming a leader, so how did he expect me to do the impossible.

The question made him chuckle. "It takes years to become a well-endowed leader, Ex. You will be much older by the time your kind reaches the same age as you are, and you will have plenty of years under your belt to know what it is to lead."

"That's only possible if the public wants others like me," I argued. "Who's to say they won't hate me outright and shun me and never ask for another like me?"

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen then," the Director assured. "You'll just have to prove to them that you and your new species are needed to bring this world into a new age."

I huffed. "It'll take more than words to convince everyone."

He didn't seem fazed by my statement. "You're right, and, if your words fail, then you prove them with your actions."

I was still unsure about that. Could the people of this world really accept me as one of them even though I was a freak? Considering I was barely accepted here, I still held high doubts the people, who were still controversial about me, would accept me.

What if the people on this world treated me like the men and women who worked here? If I wasn't accepted here or out there, there would be no point for me to even exist since I was basically not wanted by anyone. Of course Director Kindle would disagree on that, but I lived long enough and saw it with my own eyes. It would take more than words to convince me, otherwise.

My eyes looked over my empty tray. "I still dunno about this. I'm perfectly down with flying outside these godforsaken walls for a change, but, in case you haven't noticed, your scientists don't exactly treat me with a lot of... 'acceptance'."

He looked offended. "Ex, they mean well. It takes time to grow accustomed to someone like you."

"How long then? Seventeen years? Forty years? A hundred years?" I could feel my anger rising once more and took a few seconds to calm myself down. "Sir, with respect, I don't think they're ever gonna look at me like they look at each other."

The man didn't even change his expression but looked at me. "Is that what you believe then?"

I sighed. "It's just an observation, sir."

Another smile, not as wide as the others, broke out across his face, getting up from his perch. "Well, at least you're observing. I'll have either Alexander or Blake come to me once your time outside is done. You will be fine, I assume?"

I smiled in return. "Well, considering you guys haven't killed me yet, I think I'll be fine once I'm out there."

He looked content with my answer. "That is good. I will see you in a few hours then."

Kindle was out of the room by the time I got up and put my tray away. I still couldn't believe this was happening. He was letting me outside after all these years of being behind bars! Even though it was to get me prepared for some sort of unveiling in front of the world, I was more than glad I could finally escape this prison for the next few hours.

I couldn't just let an opportunity like this go to waste, though I would be getting out more often as the days went on. The feathers along my folded wings just ruffled from excitement, and I had a bit of trouble trying to keep a straight face amongst my excitement. As I exited the room, I nearly skipped in my step walking to my room, passing by dozens of workers around here. I honestly didn't care if they noticed me now. I was in _way_too good of a mood.

Before heading outside, I had to change out of my sweat-induced clothes. Now that I thought about it, the Director didn't even mention how badly I must've smelled after sweating for a few hours. I thought at first he just didn't notice the smell, but he might've been holding in the comment so I didn't have to stand far away from him.

I quickly changed into a pair of tight jeans and another T-shirt, this one white in color. Considering how much dirt was still blowing outside, I realized this thing was a catalyst for creating huge messes, but I didn't care. I was going to go outside the walls for the first time in my creation, so I wasn't going to let a dirty shirt bother me in the slightest.

Once I grabbed my bag full of things Alexander and Blake told me to carry around, I headed outside the building in a hurry. I didn't pay any attention to the scientists I passed by, and they didn't to me. It was a mutual relationship we shared for the first day in many.

Near the front of the lobby, which I rarely visited, stood the professors. They were dressed in their usual white lab coats and such, carrying clip boards and pens. No doubt they were going to be taking notes while I flew around and once finished, they would send all their findings to the Director for analysis. Even as I walked up on them, they were buried within their notes, but I watched as Alexander looked over to Blake a few times. He smiled sheepishly then turned away just as quickly as he glanced.

Wait, did I just see him blush? That was a first. Even after all the years we spend together, I never saw him do that to Blake even while I was around them constantly. I decided to just drop it.

I waved to them once I was close. "Hey, guys!"

Blake looks up from his pads, throwing me a quick smile. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied hastily.

He cleared his throat. "That's good. Now, before you get flying, we need to know if your lungs can handle the unfiltered oxygen because throughout your maturity, we've had filtered oxygen pumped throughout the base. While that is good, we're unsure if you're able to breathe in the un-filtered oxygen."

"What's wrong with that then? Shouldn't be too bad, right?" I looked to Alexander.

The fox looked up from his board, a little surprised by the question. "Well, there are chemicals in their air, Ex." He seemed to know where we were at, at least. "Chemicals, particles, and certain diseases that are easily spread via air travel. Whether or not you have immunity to the air...well, that remains to be seen. If you experience anything abnormal, and I mean out of the ordinary, then you immediately find us and we'll take you to get checked, alright?"

I could tell they were worried about this. The smartest things they could've done was pump un-filtered air into my room randomly over the years and monitor its effects on me, but I supposed they forgot they could do that, or maybe they were afraid of trying it entirely. They didn't know if the stuff in the air could kill me, so I guess that was good reason to be cautious.

Nodding, I stepped forward. "You have my word."

"Right then," Blake shrugged. "Lets get this over with."

Alexander nodded in agreement. "Indeed. The quicker we get Ex outside, the faster we can deem if he's suited to the outside world."

They didn't need to tell me twice, for I was already one step ahead of them. Okay, I was practically ten steps ahead of them on my way to the front gates of the compound. This was the furthest I had been in a few years and just being outside that confined building had my wings furrowing with anxiety. My heart raced while I watched the front gates of the wall grow closer.

Was it nervousness or sickness that was getting to me? Either felt possible. I was already feeling sick to my stomach just as I got closer to the wall. My hands shook uncontrollably while I thought about what it was like out there. The wind had died down enough to where there wasn't a lot of dust blowing, so I had nothing to worry about, yet I was still nervous enough that I stumbled forward every dozen or so steps. I couldn't be this nervous about being outside the wall now, was that even possible? After all these years of begging to be allowed outside the watchful walls of the Division and the Director and finally be given the privilege to go outside for the first time, I was already feeling the effects of cold feet slowly creep up on me.

Maybe I wasn't ready. I couldn't just turn around and tell them I didn't want to go outside just because my stomach was in knots. Not only would that make me look weak to everyone inside the sealed off area, I would never forgive myself for backing down on a new challenge.

I picked up my pace. With each step, I took a deep breath until I was panting. No, I would not allow my nerves to get to me right now. I was way too close to achieving something I had been dying for, and I would not let my body quit on me because I felt like I wasn't ready. I was ready. Whoever told me otherwise, I would discount them and persevere.

A hand stopped me from going any further. It took me a second to register that it was Alexander's hand keeping me from moving forward, but I soon figured out why. I was about to run right into the clear wall diving Delta from the outside realm. Now that I could see it, I could see the red-brown dirt surrounding us and the tan path that headed off into the distance. No doubt that was the road our supply trucks had to drive down when helicopters were unavailable

Not all of the land looked dead, though. From what I could see, there were small bundles of grass laid out in very odd places, and they showed no pattern to where the next would pop up next. At least there was life out there besides dirt, dirt, and more dirt.

Alexander stepped up to my side. "Just say the word and the doors are open."

He was very stolid with his expression. He was a different man as opposed to his more affectionate self back inside Project's House. Even Blake shared the same expression as his friend. I had no clue what they were thinking or what they were expecting, but I had to make a decision regardless: either turn back and look like the biggest wimp inside this bubble, or venture forward and find out if I had what it took to be outside.

I swallowed and let out a long breath. "Open the walls."

There was no delay, for the doors slid apart really slowly. I watched as they opened and opened the door to the new world. With the doors slowly sliding open, the rush of air hit me hard, nearly taking me aback. Alexander and Blake held me there and covered their eyes with their arms while they helped me stand my ground. I pushed forward, unfolding my wings and then folding them until they made a cross in front of my face, blocking me from much of the blast of air.

I stepped forward, passing the boundary between the base and the land. Once I was outside the walls, the air stopped pushing me back and actually only lightly brushed against my body like running water. I pulled my wings back until they rested where they were before, allowing me to see the world I had been missing.

My feet were touching the dirt and rocks that littered across the ground. I flexed them and dug my claws into the earthen floor, hearing them scraping against the hard ground I stood on. It felt amazing! Realizing I had plenty of space, I opened my wings up to their maximum wingspan, each extending eight feet in length and had the strength to propel my skywards in a snap.

For the first time in what felt like ages, I felt free. I didn't feel like a trapped animal trying to abide by some stupid rules some superiors forced me to follow, though I still had to abide by them. I took a big whiff of the air until my lungs were full. The air wasn't that much different than the stuff they pumped into the base, and I didn't feel anything from it. Whatever chemicals or other things they were worried about, they clearly didn't affect me in the way they were thinking. I felt fine.

That was a lie. I felt great. No, that was another lie. I felt purely amazing after being a caged bird. My wings could breathe and take in the extra space as much as they wanted to, and I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity of a lifetime.

What I felt right now was incredible! Everything else up through the years didn't even compare to what I was feeling right now, and I couldn't get enough of this new freedom. It was doubly difficult to stay calm and relaxed considering I had all the space in the world.

I felt a hand rest on my shoulder again. This time it was Blake. "How do you feel, Ex?" His tone was urgent and hard.

"Besides feeling amazing?" I turned to face him, a smile still upon my face. "I haven't felt this great in years!"

It was true. It had been a long time, and I mean a long time since my body felt this light and unrestricted. My wings could breathe without a wall blocking them off, and I could stretch to my heart's content without the worry of seeing a wall block my way.

He still looked nervous. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," I honestly replied.

My wings continued to grow restless. Even though I had full control over them, they tended to have a mind of their own when my emotions went off the charts. I knew what they wanted, but I had to get the green light from both Blake and Alexander before even attempting it.

Blake noticed the feathers along my wings furrowing and twitching. They both knew what that meant, and so he turned to Alexander and nodded in agreement. "Go ahead, Ex. We need to report our findings to Director Kindle. Take this so we can notify you when its time to go back."

He handed me one of those ear-piece communicators I had to use when we had long-distance tests when the intercom failed. They were good until a person was a hundred miles away, but we never even remotely got to a distance like that, only a fraction of it.

I smiled and jumped back, sticking the communicator in my ear, and gave him a quick nod before I beat my wings against the ground and shot into the air like a speeding bullet.

The air outside wasn't at all that much different than the air they filtered into the compound. Though it was cleaner inside the base, and I could tell considering the new scents outside, there was still a very vivid similarity between the two. The only difference was the one was cleaner. My wings didn't care for the slight difference so long as we had air to beat against.

I continued to beat my wings against the space around me, gradually rising higher and higher. The light wind around me drifted through my fur and clothes, blowing them all over the place while I dove forward to pick up speed. The temperature was cool and warm at the same time, which was absolute perfection in my book. I had no clue why plants didn't thrive out here considering the conditions were kinda perfect. Maybe it had something to do with the land rather.

With the wind as my ally, my wings beat more roughly against the air and brought me higher, soon forcing me to dive forward once again to pick up speed. I decided to head forward and so beat my wings while I let the wind take me onward, not worrying about the distance.

I opened my arms and tilted to the side, closing my eyes while I took a different direction of things. At this point, I was going at a moderate speed where I could control my directional changes with ease, but I knew I had to go faster and faster until I was told otherwise. For now, I didn't have to worry about anything other than staying close to the base. While I had went off into the land of dreams, I barely noticed I was really high up in the air considering I had to be four football-fields off the ground.

Looking down, I stopped my wings from taking me high yet continued to strike my winged appendages against the air while I gazed down at the land around me. I had no clue how high I was, but I could see so much around me and it didn't just mean the base. The rock formations around the base were much more distinct and large now that I was hundreds of feet into the air, probably a thousand by whatever calculations I was making.

The tan road appeared to be much longer than I thought, extending for what looked like miles. Now that I was pretty high in the air, I decided to do a little adventuring. I shot forward and investigated the road. Seeing as I had plenty of space to work with, I focused harder and harder and continued to go faster as the wind zipped past me.

I went lower and lower until I rested just as high as the base was, taking my speed down a few notches just to glide along the air while I followed the dirt road. I turned my head back just to glance at the fading base. It eventually became a small glass dot in the distance which eventually faded into nothing.

I stopped and bashed my wings down, propelling me skywards once again at high speed. As I neared the clouds, I opened my wings again and stopped myself from going any higher, steadying myself until I hovered just a little ways below the clouds. I had be much higher than before, turning back just to look at the base, which still looked small but still noticeable. Once I confirmed the base was visible, I turned back to the road and traced it up the land, finding that the dirt road was replaced with something black in color a few miles up.

Before I could take a look, I felt the ear-piece vibrate. I tapped it, watching a long metal rod slid out until it was right next to my muzzle. "This is Ex speaking."

"Where'd you go, Ex?" Alexander asked with worry.

I blushed and turned back to the base. "Uh...not that far?" It sounded more like I question when I thought about it, and I cursed in my mind only a few seconds later after hearing Alexander sigh.

"We need you to come back to the base for a few minutes. The Director wants to make sure you're alright."

_ _ "But I've been flying around for...How long have I been flying around exactly?" I asked, actually shocked that I lost track of time.

He hesitated for a few moments, thinking it over himself. "About an hour or so, I think. Might've been longer."

Now that was surprising. I honestly didn't think I was flying around for that long. Maybe around ten to fifteen minutes, but I didn't realize I had been flying for over an hour and, judging by the new placement of the sun, I had no other choice than to take their word for it. It just showed me how easily I could lose track of time when I was focused on something other than tests.

Quickly I turned around and began to glide back to the base. "I'm on my way as we speak."

"Alright, we'll be waiting for you at the gates. Don't worry, though. You'll be able to fly more once we get all this sorted out. This'll take nothing more than a few minutes."

_ _ "Promise?"

"Have I ever lied to you, Ex?" I heard him chuckle on the other end, soon after dropping the call.

He did have a point. From the time we met a long time ago, he never really gave me any reason to distrust him and showed no signs of hostility towards me otherwise. Blake did have a temper and was strict, but he did that only because I had to be pushed, and that didn't mean his words lost credit. While Alexander was the compassion I needed, Blake was the strict and tough man that had to push my limits. They were the two halves of the same coin that brightened my life and kept me from wandering astray.

Considering the long flight I had back, I decided to take my time with it instead of rushing. He told me I would get to fly more once it was over, so I didn't really feel the need to rush at all. I allowed the wind to curl and glide across my body and help carry me higher, and then help me drop lower when I felt I was getting too close to the clouds.

I looked down and saw the base come back into focus. Considering I was still pretty high up, I folded my wings in and dropped, falling like a needle thundering towards the ground. I cut through the air like butter and dove forward, shooting through the wind current as if it wasn't even there. The ground continued to grow closer and closer until my reflexes kicked in, forcing my wings out.

I hovered a few feet above the ground before folding in my wings completely, dropping to the ground with a thud, easing the strain on my landing with a crouch. That was something I rarely did, and I still loved the feeling of uncertainty until I landed.

Standing up, I was met by Alexander and Blake's gaze. In the back, I could see the Director with his two top bodyguards, both looking pretty menacing especially with their semi-automatic guns. I doubted he even needed those men around here considering we were out in the middle of nowhere, so who would even bother attack us? We had a good military force anyway. They'd have to be pretty dumb to attack.

I didn't think too much about it and instead turned to Blake. "I'm back."

"You do realize there are dangers out there, right?" he groaned, rubbing his temple in frustration.

"Well, you didn't exactly tell me where I could and couldn't go you know," I countered in a playful tone. "I merely assumed I was allowed to fly around the base for a bit, but you never specified how far I could go."

Even though he knew I was only joking around, he still looked pretty frustrated. "Why do you always have to take my words too far?"

Though I was pushing my luck, I smiled. "'Cause you make it too easy for me."

Alexander stepped in before Blake had the chance to strangle me. "Alright, alright. Settle down. Blake, he has a point. We never really gave him a limit as to where he could go." The professor was about to counter, but Alexander shushed him and turned to me. "As for you, Ex, you should've known better than to venture out too far. He is right when he says there are dangers out there you don't know about, and we want to make sure we have eyes on you so nothing happens."

"But..." we both tried to counter at the same time but he stopped us both.

"Don't talk about. Apologize to each other so we can get underway with the real reason for calling you back."

We rolled our eyes and faced each other once again. At least there was one thing we could agree on--that Alexander knew how to nullify all of our arguments all at once. We quickly apologized to each other, and soon after we were done, the Director came up to us.

"Well, it seems Ex can withstand the air outside the walls. I didn't want to believe it when I was told, but I can now see it with my own eyes. This just shows how extraordinary you are, Ex."

"Yeah, sure," I muttered. Extraordinary.

He cleared his throat. "Well, onto the pressing matters. Ex, you need to adjust to the new outside air as quickly as possible, and while you think you're already adjusted, we have to be certain the new atmosphere is akin to your talents so we don't encounter any problems during the reveal." He looked at me intently. "Are you sure you're alright?"

I nodded quickly, somewhat unfurling my wings just to answer. "I'm really okay. Seriously. There's nothing to worry about."

"We just have to be certain, Ex," he pressed on.

"And I'm telling you, I'm fine," I stated, extending my wings out to their maximum length and flapped them, not enough to lift me off the ground, but enough to blow a gust of wind around the group.

The men "protecting" Kindle took a few steps back. If they were scared just from my wings, I could do a few other things that would shock them even more just to prove they were really pansies. Just because I was intentionally trying to scare them didn't make me a bad guy. I was just testing their fear levels only a tad, so was that such a bad thing?

The Director held up his hand, which was my cue to stop and bring my wings back in. "I need to speak to you for a moment, Ex." Before his guards could go back to his side, he stopped them. "In private."

They nodded and stayed where they were, along with Alexander and Blake, while the Director took me to a more private location. We went a couple dozen of yards away from the base so they couldn't hear us before stopping near a boulder. For some reason, the look on his face told me he had something on his mind and he was going to tell me about it. Great, I could only hope this didn't turn into a long, boring lecture because I wanted to get back to flying as soon as possible, and I could tell my wings wanted to as well.

"What's up?" I asked immediately, wanting thins to get moving.

He sighed. "We have a bit of an issue, and it involves you unfortunately."

"Please tell me this doesn't have to do with me doing badly on my tests today," I groaned, rubbing my forehead.

He waved his hand aside. "No, no, no. It has nothing to do with today; rather it has something to do with your progress in the past seventeen years."

"Like, what's the problem then?" I pressed on.

"We haven't been the only ones monitoring your progress, Ex. All the findings we've made about you, ranging from your strengths to weaknesses to your likes and dislikes, we've had to report to those above us."

"You mean your superiors," I stated, not even asking in in the form of a question.

The man nodded. "Yes. We've had to copy all the work we obtained from you and give them the same exact research, meaning they know just as much about you as we do. Well, I suppose that is a lie considering we know much more than we're letting on."

"I though you said you gave them everything you knew about me," I countered, only to be stopped by him.

"And, as I said, that is a minor lie. We've had to keep some of your work secret for the greater good because, much like their feelings towards us, we don't trust them with a lot of our work. We just copy and give to them what they ask, nothing more."

"So, there's a little they don't know about me."

"I wouldn't say a little."

"So a lot then?"

"Let me put it like this: sometimes books become very popular they then have movies about them. The true stereotype is that the movie is never as good as the original book and that it misses many of the details and what the book is about, and that is why critics are constantly hammering their reviews on movie-based books."

"How does that tell me how much they knew about me, though?" I asked, unsure why he was going off the subject.

He smirked. "I said all that to get to this. They are the movie and we are the book. They may think they know you, Ex, but believe me, we have ten times as much knowledge about you. They only know your summary, not the full story."

"A brief overview then?" I asked.

"Exactly. Though you know yourself more than we do, we know more about you than they do. It's quite an odd level of knowledge."

"So what does that have to do with anything?"

"Because members of our superiors are coming to evaluate you. They're going to come and watch you for a few days and determine whether or not we have the reveal. Ultimately, they have the final say whether or not we show you to the world or keep you inside the base."

"That's bullshit!" I almost shouted, feeling my cheeks burn from embarrassment afterwards. "Sorry."

He shook his head. "You have every right to be mad, Ex. We've decided what was best for you for a long time, but, if they deem you too much of a danger, then we have no choice than to keep you inside the base. They could shut us down and kill you if we fail to comply."

"So, what you're telling me is that I have to be a Mister Do-Everything-Good-So-I-Don't-Get-Killed? That's not fair! I've never done anything bad to them, so I don't see the big deal if things come to that! Can't you do anything to influence their decision or something? I don't want to spend my entire life locked in a cage, Director. You've already kept me in there like a bird with its wings clipped, and you're telling me they'll permanently keep my grounded if I do one bad thing?"

"Unforntauely, yes," his reply was sad and heartbroken. Had I gone too far with my attitude? Considering I had a chance to either die or be revealed to the world, I felt I should at least know and be vocal about my emotions.

I turned around and placed my hand on the boulder, sighing with grief. Just when I thought something was going good, I always had to have some bad news to follow it. Though it was the type I lived on a daily basis, I still hated that I had to go through all of it.

"Listen though, Ex," he stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder, "all you have to do is convince them you're not a threat but a miracle that should be shared with the world."

"And how do I do that? With my actions or with my words? Chances are they're already biased about me. That's just the nature most people have around me, sir. If someone doesn't have harsh feelings towards me, there must be a blizzard going on in hell."

"Be practical, Ex. All you have to do is show them your good side and they're going to let you live and be free. They'll accept you and let you become a part of the world."

I turned to look at him with a blank stare. "What do you think I've been trying to do for all these years? All I've wanted to be was free and accepted, but I can never feel that way around here! They created me for god sake, yet they still treat me like I'm sort of abomination! If they won't accept me, and keep in mind those are scientists who helped create me, what makes you think that a bunch of higher level men, who don't know as much as they think, will accept me either?"

The question was a harsh one, but I was tired of just letting myself become a passive person. My life and freedom was on the line and it was going to be taken away from me depending on a single biased choice but higher-ups who didn't know crap about me. I don't know if the Director did it like that to intentionally screw with me or if it was a way to protect me.

I couldn't be sure anymore. We waited in silence for another few minutes, but I think the Director just did that to let my anger simmer down. Though I felt calmer to an extent, my rage continued to boil inside my body but it was more controlled than it was before.

He eventually cleared his throat to break the silence. "I'm not asking you to be perfect, Ex. Though that was your original design, I know that perfection is not an idea philosophy to have. You're flawed and its going to show one day, but I need you to just be on your best behavior once they're here."

The man stepped towards me and knelt down. He looked into my pained eyes and brought my gaze to meet his. Reluctantly, I looked into his saddened eyes and felt terrible. He was trying to fight for my life just like I was and I was giving him crap for it, but I only did it to show how much I didn't want to be grounded for the rest of my life or to end up dead.

"Ex, I believe you can do great things. All you have to do is prove to them you're capable of great things, not destruction. I have faith you can convince them to let you be free."

I turned away and sighed. "When will they arrive?"

"They're scheduled to arrive in one week."

"That leaves two more to plan for the big reveal, that being said if they let me live to be in it." I sighed again, shaking my head. "I don't like this."

He nodded and stood up. "Neither do I, my friend, but I have no other choice than to abide by it."

Before he left, he placed a hand on my shoulder and threw me a warm smile. "You'll do good, Ex. You've made me proud before."

Taking his hand off of my shoulder, he departed for the base once again, leaving me in awe. Was he really proud of me? Unfortunately, I didn't have the ability to read minds, but all I could feel was bitter strength. He might've raised me in a cage, but he made sure I was treated like nobility.

And I was acting like a brat.

I didn't care about flying for most of the rest of the day even as the sun began to set. I stayed close to the boulder and sat for the next few hours, hoping that when those men arrived, I acted like a humble and honored person. There was no room for error when they arrived. The rest of my life was on the line and, if I screwed it all up, they were going to knock my lights out--forever.

Even though I was flawed, I was not going to screw this up.