Second Adventure (AWC Sequel)

Roommates

Fortunately for George, he really had an advantage in this test. The way he never stopped on walking even though the walk that he expected was only short because of what Hermes said was just nearby turned out to be miles away from them.

But nonetheless, with only a few callous on his palm, he managed to arrive at the huge elegant dorm of Themis Agency nearby with the beautiful view of the agency itself and the view of sunsetting, though the room had two beds each room.

There were poor trainees who were pulled back to the starting line because they stop, they pause with the excuse of having their shoelaces untied, but the agents guarding them weren't having it so that only brought them to the worst-case scenario.

"Isn't that excuse? You saw my shoes untied, I would have stopped regardless either because I tripped or because I have to tie it. That should be a valid reason!"

Of course, as a cunning man, as he was, Mikael was the one to do that. He was still smart though, he just tried his luck, he was out of the training room when he did that, not too far when he walked. He tried to untie his shoes casually and see his luck if he could use that as his excuse to stop, but he was only stopped by the agent and ordered to go back inside.

"If you can tie your shoelace while holding the weight bags without having it land on the ground, you're good, mister. But you let go of the weights, so you're excuse isn't valid at all," the agent replied indifferently.

Mikael huffed and took the weight bags, walking back to the starter line, and once again started his journey, he wasn't the last though, others were having a hard time with this one, couldn't even take three steps further than would already drop the weight bags and slumped.

"I swear, Hera, I will leave you here if you won't get you a*s up from the floor for the nth time now and start walking again," Leira threatened with a huff, she had been stopping every time Hera would have the weight bags fall, she would stop and looked at her with incredulity and annoyance while Hera would just cutely pout at her because, hello? She was born with a silver spoon, she wasn't used to carrying this heavyweight.

"You can go, then help me once you're done," Hera replied with also the same frustration, already tired and sweaty because of this test. Her hands were bleeding, it would surely form blisters and wounds, she now couldn't carry these weights properly.

Leira saw it and rolled her eyes, coming toward her and took her hand, taking her handkerchief and used it to clean the blood. She then looked at the agent nearby and waved her hand at him, the agent saw her so he walked toward them.

"Can she carry a bag bearing these weights? Her hands were already bleeding, I think that's an exception, right?" she asked, showing him Hera's hands with a lot of skin toppled and red.

"I guess so. Your health is one of those that we prioritize, so wait here and let me get a bag," he said then ran back to the door on the side of the training room which where the things and equipment were placed.

He came back with the back bag, carefully placing the weights inside before giving it to Hera who sighed in relief because she would surely never going to drop this, though it was a little much heavier than what she carried, which later then explained by the agent.

"I added another five kilograms of weight because it would be unfair to have your whole back carry these while the others were just their bare hands," he explained then took out a gauze, "Let me tend to your hands, first."

The agency wasn't that bad, they wouldn't force trainees for a test if they were seeking or feeling something. It didn't come from Hermes though, because he was the reason why this rule existed, it came from the top agents, Dale was sick before but Hermes still pursued which ended her up in the hospital, so knowing how heartless this man could be, the top agents top the health as a priority because one couldn't function if this one failed.

Leira took the weights after the agent tended to Hera, they both walked now, finally advancing out of the training room that they couldn't do earlier.

Despite the thin physique, Lance was still a little much at disadvantage, in fact, he was just right after George whom he really adored because of how he carried the weights like only a pad of paper. Since he was previously a clerk, he was used to carrying multiple boxes all at the same time inside the store, and most of them were fragile and made of glasses, so they really were heavy.

Though not as heavy as this, but even though these weight bags were tearing his muscles apart, he could still handle carrying this with all his might. He also almost let go of the weight bags and almost pause, but with that extreme rule in mind, he just fixed his hold while walking, it wasn't easy, but he still made it.

As soon as he came into the dorm, he let go of the weights and mourned for his forced muscles that would surely feel sore tomorrow, and his wounded hands. There were nurse-agents on standby so they tended him as soon as he collapsed on the floor.

"Your room is on the third floor," the nurse-agent told him after he was tended and helped to stand, "Your clothes were already there, a roommate of the boy who came first."

Lance nodded weakly and utter his gratitude, thankfully he didn't need to take the stairs but the elevator was available there. He punched the third floor, holding onto the wall because of how stiff the muscles on his shoulders were.

When he came to the floor, then to the room, the boy whose name was, as far as he could remember, George, was already there and eating the food on the table. His mouth was full, and when he smiled, his cheeks puffed.

"Yow! Congrats, you survived!" he greeted enthusiastically, covering his mouth in case there was food spew out of his mouth. He had manners after all.

"Congrats to you too, you're amazing," he congratulated back, then his eyes went down to the food he was eating, his stomach growling, "What are you eating?"

"I don't know? I just saw this here so I eat it, this looked fancy by the way. There are two of these," he pointed to the fridge, then to the microwave on the side, "Reheat it in the microwave."

Lance gladly followed, taking the plate full of food and reheat it on the microwave, but they were still conversing, already clicking even though they just met because it seemed like they would be together in this journey for the rest of their lives.

"I'm genuinely curious," George asked, already fone with his food, "What happened to your wounds? Are you one man fond of fights?"

The other man gulped the food in his mouth and shook his head, "No. These were fresh, a g**g ganged up on me and my sister so I have to fight for her as her older brother."

"Really? Are you previously a part of a g**g?"

"No, I just happened to witness one man being killed by them, and so they wanted to get rid of me too. Luckily, that night, agents came, and it happened that Hermes was the last customer that I subtly asked for help," he explained, "I didn't really know what happened that night, I just passed out, and the next thing I knew I was in the agency's hospital, being told that the g**g was already taken into the police, my sister and mother were safe, and Hermes asking me to be part of this trainees as a payment for my mother's medication, so, I'm here."

"Hermes is really cool, with just desperate eyes, he already knows something was wrong," he said, crossing his arms, "Unlike all of you, I think I was the only one to push myself to him. I have been his supporter ever since, and I want to be part of this agency since this Themis Agency started that's why I knew him."

"It's good that he accepted you."

"He didn't want at first, he made me carry the rice he brought from my grandmother and there were tons of persuasion happened before he agreed. I'll try my best not to disappoint him."

"I know you wouldn't. We'll be real agents someday," Lance assured with a cheeky grin and nodded at him.

On the other hand, Hera was throwing tantrums once again because of the roommate that she had which wasn't Leira. She was frowning while looking at Leira went inside the other door. Apparently, they came not at the same time, Leira ran because she could, she wanted her journey to be faster so she ran and left Hera behind, and since there was another girl in front of her, they became roommates, while Hera became roommate with the girl following her.

Hera's roommate was the girl with a laptop and specs who looked smart. As far as she could remember, her name was Andrea, she seemed kind and all, but she wanted Leira because she knew she could trust her and was now a friend for life. She didn't know though, to this woman who seemed to be always busy with her own life.

"Hi," she greeted the girl who was now once again buried them on her laptop, "I'm Hera. You are Andrea, right?"

The girl glanced at her, fixed her glasses, and nodded, "Yes. Nice to meet you."

"What are you doing? May I know?"

She sat beside her and looked at the dizzying moving numbers and letters in green on the screen, she couldn't read anything there, but the girl seemed to know entirely what she was doing as she continuously pressed on the keyboard that it was only the sound heard inside the room.

"I am protecting my laptop, the agency sent me a virus, curse them," she answered with full focus on the screen.

"Why though?" she curiously asked, taking her eyes away from the screen and looked at her instead, watching as strands of hair fell out from being tied.

"I don't know, I guess they're tripping on me. Anyway, I saw food there and a note telling us to rest as much as we could because we don't know the next time that we'll have the training, so if I were you, I'll rest instead of interviewing me."

It's a good thing, Hera followed her advice.