Oh The Places You Could Go...
Nov. 30th, 2009 12:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anonymoose_auChapter Fourteen
Sector 752, Quadrant Gamma, Feld Asteroid Field, Durvon, Time Academy
5082
Agency Year 107
There was a general outpouring of astonishment at the fact that Cadet Vane was still part of the Academy, not least of all from Marek himself, because, seriously? Even he wouldn’t have been able to put up too much a fuss if they’d kicked his arse out after that spectacular failure.
But for one reason or another he was given another chance, maybe because they’d managed to complete the mission, even though killing one guy seemed sort of…low key, that’s what the mission had been.
Marek sat in the pub, relishing a glass of hypervodka and wondering if Jax would pass on through.
He sighed a little, wishing Gret, Keith and Luon were still here, they would have been celebrating and singing karaoke and just fooling around in general.
But friendless wonder that he was, Marek was by himself.
Hope was near however! Jax entered the pub, a bevy of followers as always, Marek was of the opinion that he was looking a bit bored. And well he should! Marek was certain no-one could be as interesting and as much fun as himself.
Jax took a seat on the other side of the pub, which some might take it as avoidance, but Marek chose to take as a challenge.
Taking his glass in hand, he strolled on over.
“Hey, Boeshane!”
Jax didn’t bother to look up, but he did return the greeting…if “Marek” counted as a greeting.
Jax’s entourage glared at him, but Marek ignored them taking a seat at the next table over. “I hear we’re going to start Wrist Strap Training,” he began casually. “You know, travel of our volition and all.”
That got Jax’s attention, he actually looked at Marek and gave a tiny smile. “It’s all anyone talks about these days.”
“So they should! Once we learn how, we’ll be one step away from going on missions by ourselves!” Marek bounced slightly in his seat.
“Oh God,” Blondie rolled his eyes, “didn’t you fuck it up enough on your first go?”
The cadet sitting next to Blondie laughed. “The classy thing to do would be to drop out gracefully. God knows why the Overseers let you stay, but you’re bringing our entire year down.”
Marek glared, Goddesses those guys were arses, but then he smiled innocently. “You know, I heard through the grapevine that you two didn’t even manage one day on your missions. Something about sea sickness –“ he looked at Blondie – “and bad meat,” he looked at the other cadet.
That shut the two of them up.
Marek turned back to Jax. “Heard you kicked arse though, no surprises there!”
Jax smirked. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”
Marek pouted. “Just making an observation! I’m not only interested in shagging you senseless you know.”
Jax laughed. “Well, good for you then, because that won’t be happening.”
“Why do you say that?” Marek whined. “I don’t understand why you don’t like me!”
“You don’t?” another one of Jax’s entourage asked to general chortling from the rest of them.
“It’s all very easy, Marek,” Jax spoke slowly as if to a child, “you have absolutely nothing to offer me.”
For once in his life, Marek was speechless. It wasn’t…he hadn’t even been sworn at…but…
For ten whole minutes all he could do was stare at Jax, not that Jax bothered to meet his eyes even once.
What a bastard! It was one thing to ignore the obvious sexiness that was Marek Vane, but to suggest that Marek was useless!
Well! Marek would show him!
And he did! But landing right on top of him.
“Oops.”
Jax glared up at him.
“Wrist straps can be a little off target!” Marek protested, pointing to the antiquated wrist strap that they had been supplied for in this introductory class. “Not my fault! And hey! I didn’t throw up on you.”
The corner of Jax’s mouth quirked just slightly.
Marek knew he had a point, as it turned out Vortex travel could be nasty, every third or forth cadet who used the wrist strap seemed to arrive throwing their guts up. Others managed to satisfy themselves by just stumbling around with ashen fasces.
Marek, Jax and a few others though, seemed to be able to handle it, although Marek would certainly never forget his first trip. It was only going from one side of a huge room to another, but it had felt like going across the universe. And it had taken a good five minutes for Marek to get his bearings, not to mention vision back.
But they’d been working on it for a good three months now and now they were travelling from the Academy on Durvon to a small outpost facility owned by the Agency.
Legend had it, that the final twenty percent of successful cadets would be made in this class. It wasn’t hard to see why, but Marek doubted the rumours that cadets actually disappeared, swallowed up by the Vortex forever. Sure, a lot of people’s clothing seemed to have been sucked up, but the cadet who’d been wearing them was pretty much fine.
Although it was certainly true that around a dozen cadets hadn’t managed to make it this far, the class of 5083 had been whittled down from two hundred to a little over fifty. If Agent Artiz had been totally accurate then twelve more of them would go before graduation.
But Marek didn’t really care about that, except to hope that Blondie would be one of them, but at the moment, lying on top of Jax, he didn’t care who got in.
“How about you get off me then?”
Marek pouted. “And spoil the fun? C’mon Jax, aren’t you the least bit curious about me?” He tilted his head and looked alluring, if he did say so himself. “I mean what about my reputation?”
“For being a complete fuck-up?”
Marek scowled. “I am not a complete fuck up!”
Jax took advantage of his distraction to push him off, he got to his feet. “Could have fooled me.”
“You never sing karaoke with me, or share a drink or anything! Why are you so stubborn! ‘Fraid you’ll enjoy me too much?”
Jax burst out laughing. “Marek, you have the most ridiculous ego of anyone I’ve ever met.”
“Pot meet pan,” Marek retorted.
Jax shrugged. “It’s not ego if it’s true.” He walked off towards the instructor.
At that moment Kashi, who’d he’d been partnered up with that first lesson appeared out of the black swirling vortex.
“Hey!” Marek greeted him with a big kiss on the lips. They’d been flirting like mad and of course, shagging like rabbits.
“Hey yourself,” Kashi laughed, then put a hand to his head. “Eww…I hate that feeling.”
“What do you mean? It’s great!”
Kashi shook his head. “For some.”
Marek looped his arm through hers and lead her towards the instructor. “You just have to open yourself up to it, you know, enjoy the ride and everything.”
Kashi wasn’t buying it, however. “I can do it without losing my lunch, and that’s as good as it’s going to get for me.”
“Oh, it’s not as bad as all that, gorgeous!” Marek leaned close. “There’s plenty of other rides for you to enjoy!’
Kashi whacked his arm, but Marek was well aware that he would be having fun that night!
He couldn’t help wondering though…would Jax go for a threesome?
By far, the theoretical side of things was the least enjoyable part of the Academy. In fact it was like some sort of…torture-fest.
Even if it was via direct learning, which long ago Marek had wished they could do at school back in Grange.
It had side effects though, for Marek at least, it gave him headaches, which he could do without.
Although, they were less and less of a problem as time went on, he remembered back in first year, the first time he’d attended one of the classes it had all but knocked him off his feet.
These days it was more like an unpleasant tight sensation rather than some horrible pounding that felt as if his brain was going to burst out of his skull.
No-one else had the problem though, which made Marek wonder a bit. Did they just not complain? Or was he really that different from them? As far as he knew he was the only one of the cadets from Earth, did that have anything to do with this? He’d ended up asking Maddy about it a while ago, but he’d proved to be less than helpful, which he usually was these days.
Kashi caught up with him after one particularly gruelling half hour on galactic history from the 25th century to the present.
“Damn, that was a lot to take in, wasn’t it?”
Marek rubbed his forehead. “Yeah.”
“What’s with you? Headache again?”
Marek nodded.
Kashi ran a hand through his hair. “Poor you, I’d have thought with that big head of yours…”
Marek poked his tongue out at her. “Ha, ha, very funny.”
“It is big! Seriously, Einstein’s got nothin’ on you.”
“Why thank you! You’re obviously talking about the photograph where he’s doing this,” he poked his tongue out again and put a shocked look on his face.
Kashi laughed and pressed him up against the nearest wall for a nice bit of a snog, ignoring the gawking from some First Years.
Finally, Kashi let him go and they continued on their way, more weapons training was scheduled, which Marek thought was only fair. Still he was curious. “You never get a headache? At all?”
Kashi titled his head thoughtfully. “Well, I did get a pang or two once, but nothing serious.”
“Well, mine’s not serious,” Marek was quick to say, he didn’t want Kashi insisting oh his going to the Medi-bay, he had a tendency to do that, even after the tamest fight. Marek had a suspicion that Kashi looked at him as being rather more delicate. Which was kind of annoying, but he meant well, so Marek didn’t get pissed of at him for it.
“Certainly makes studying easier,” Kashi grinned. “I mean imagine if we actually had to read everything we learnt? I’d turn my resignation in right now!”
Marek grinned, although secretly, he did read rather than use the direct learning instrument more often than not. Wasn’t worth the headaches in his opinion. A former roommate seemed to think it was hilarious, but Marek had shut him up with knee to the groin. After that Turoka had kept his mouth shut, and besides that had failed second year, so that was the end of that.
His latest roommate hardly spent any time at all in their quarters, which was brilliant as far as Marek was concerned. He and Kashi could get up to all sorts of stuff! Marek liked the rope tricks best. Apparently Kashi’s family were quite well known for that sort of thing, although Marek was pretty sure they’d never used their talents for stuff like this. At least not in public.
Marek’s favourite thing about Kashi though, was that he loved karaoke as much Marek did! None of his previous shags at the Academy had been up for it, but Kashi could be guaranteed to get up in front of the microphone and belt some oldie out.
Still…Kashi wasn’t Jax, and he hadn’t helped attract Jax either, even though Jax had shagged Kashi. The whole thing was grossly unfair.
Especially since Kashi confirmed that Jax was everything he was reputed to be and then some.
“Why doesn’t he go for ME?” It wasn’t the first time Marek had asked this question and it wouldn’t be the last.
Kashi gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. “You must have pissed him off, ‘cause I gotta tell you, that guy can hold a grudge.”
“Great…hmpf, I can’t see how, ‘xcept for that time in Weapons Training…” But really, Jax would have to have a pretty thin skin if that was all it took. He perked up a bit as a thought occurred to him. “Maybe he’s saving the best ‘til last.”
Kashi laughed, and leaned forward to give him a kiss. “I could believe that…”
It was the big day…
Marek had waited for this day since he’d snuck into the Agency all those years ago and seen exactly what they got up to in there…
All the training, the learning, the taunting, the good times, it had all led to this moment.
The bestowing of the wrist straps!
In the end twelve more students had dropped out, finding Vortex travel too gruelling to want to endure it for eleven more years (even though, now and then Agents travelled by time ship), so at the Presentation Ceremony towards the end of June forty cadets waited patiently in alphabetical order to receive what they had worked for.
Marek was next to Blondie, who sadly hadn’t got himself thrown out. All Marek could do was pray that they never got paired up because he was pretty sure that only one of them would survive it.
Marek could hardly stand still at the best of times, but right now, he was practically jumping up and down! Hell, why did he have to be near the end? Whatever happened to the stereotype that all aliens had names beginning with ‘z’? Yet another thing that didn’t live up to the stories.
Agent Artiz stood before them and despite what she’d done to Keith, Marek couldn’t help admiring her, she was ridiculously sexy.
“Now, you who stand here today are the best of the best, the cadets that have proven their worth and therefore, have earned this particular honour. By this time next year, you will be among those of us in the Agency, working through time and space for the benefit of the universe.”
That sounded a bit too much, but hey Marek would roll with it.
“Of course, this doesn’t guarantee you will become a Time Agent,” it might have been Marek’s imagination, but he was pretty sure she was looking at him. “But I’m sure you won’t disappoint us.” She smiled that dazzling, addicting smile and there was a general murmur of assent.
Then she began calling them forward one by one.
The wait was excruciating, Marek swore he was going to go nuts before Artiz got to him!
Blondie suddenly elbowed him in the gut, fortunately not too hard, because Marek would have smashed his face in, otherwise.
He settled for giving the guy a hard glare, but managed to stop jumping.
Fiiiinally, Agent Artiz was in front him, looking at him somewhat bemused, but she took his wrist strap from the hover table beside here and presented it.
“Cadet Marek Vane, Earth, fifth in the class,” she certainly raised her eyebrow at that last bit, but Marek gave her a huge grin.
She laid the wrist strap in his hands, and the leather was soft and he knew just under the cover were bright shiny buttons and crystal clear display and holograph function and more!
It fit perfectly! Marek couldn’t stop looking at and admiring it.
As soon as the presentation was over Blondie leaned in. “Yours is small,” he sneered.
Marek blinked and looked over…noticing that Blondie was right, his wrist strap was bigger and so was the cadet’s on his other side.
In fact, it looked like everyone’s was bigger than his, what the Hell was that all about?
“Little man, little device,” Blondie continued in that annoying way of his.
Marek smirked back. “You know what they say about compensating.”
Blondie’s eyes flashed and Marek was more than ready for a fight, the guy had never bested him after all.
As usual, Blondie was all talk and no action because he didn’t take him on.
Shrugging Marek headed over to Kashi, who had an amazing little quirk that intrigued Marek to no end. “Let me see yours? Is it pink?” He joked.
Kashi rolled her eyes, she was looking very fine indeed today! She was nearing the middle of…whatever cycle her people went through, which meant she was nice and buxom. Always fun. “Oh please,” she held out her left wrist. Well damn, her wrist strap was bigger than his as well! They were basically the same height!
“Well, show us yours!” Kashi all but demanded.
Marek held out his right wrist and she looked it over, not mentioning it was smaller. But then women didn’t seem to notice stuff like that.
He wondered what Jax would think and luck was on his side! Jax was still in the room admiring his wrist strap.
He blew Kashi a kiss. “Meet you at the pub tonight,” he promised and all but skipped over to Jax.
“Well, we did it, Boe!”
Jax looked up. “I wasn’t aware you’d had anything to do with my success.”
Marek shrugged. “I meant it in a generally sort of way…”
Jax had gone back to fiddling with his wrist strap, which wasn’t quite as big as Blondie’s, but still bigger than Marek’s.
“So you gonna come and celebrate with us? You know you want to! It’s Karaoke night.”
Jax looked back up with a raised eyebrow. “Is that supposed to tempt me?”
“Oh come on, don’t be a pain in the arse about it! Can’t we just be friends or something?”
Jax gave a laugh. “Oh please, you’re kidding me. God knows that you’ve got only one thing on your mind.”
“Oi! My mind’s a cavalcade of thoughts,” Marek paused then added. “And not all of them are about shagging…”
“No, some of them are about fighting.” But Jax actually gave a good natured laugh, so Marek pressed the issue a bit.
“So are you coming?”
Jax shrugged. “Wait and see.”
Hmpf! Typical.
But Marek could only beg so much, so he left it at that. He’d decided that Jax wasn’t attracted by begging either.
Word Count: 3,002
Onto Chapter Fifteen
Sector 752, Quadrant Gamma, Feld Asteroid Field, Durvon, Time Academy
5082
Agency Year 107
There was a general outpouring of astonishment at the fact that Cadet Vane was still part of the Academy, not least of all from Marek himself, because, seriously? Even he wouldn’t have been able to put up too much a fuss if they’d kicked his arse out after that spectacular failure.
But for one reason or another he was given another chance, maybe because they’d managed to complete the mission, even though killing one guy seemed sort of…low key, that’s what the mission had been.
Marek sat in the pub, relishing a glass of hypervodka and wondering if Jax would pass on through.
He sighed a little, wishing Gret, Keith and Luon were still here, they would have been celebrating and singing karaoke and just fooling around in general.
But friendless wonder that he was, Marek was by himself.
Hope was near however! Jax entered the pub, a bevy of followers as always, Marek was of the opinion that he was looking a bit bored. And well he should! Marek was certain no-one could be as interesting and as much fun as himself.
Jax took a seat on the other side of the pub, which some might take it as avoidance, but Marek chose to take as a challenge.
Taking his glass in hand, he strolled on over.
“Hey, Boeshane!”
Jax didn’t bother to look up, but he did return the greeting…if “Marek” counted as a greeting.
Jax’s entourage glared at him, but Marek ignored them taking a seat at the next table over. “I hear we’re going to start Wrist Strap Training,” he began casually. “You know, travel of our volition and all.”
That got Jax’s attention, he actually looked at Marek and gave a tiny smile. “It’s all anyone talks about these days.”
“So they should! Once we learn how, we’ll be one step away from going on missions by ourselves!” Marek bounced slightly in his seat.
“Oh God,” Blondie rolled his eyes, “didn’t you fuck it up enough on your first go?”
The cadet sitting next to Blondie laughed. “The classy thing to do would be to drop out gracefully. God knows why the Overseers let you stay, but you’re bringing our entire year down.”
Marek glared, Goddesses those guys were arses, but then he smiled innocently. “You know, I heard through the grapevine that you two didn’t even manage one day on your missions. Something about sea sickness –“ he looked at Blondie – “and bad meat,” he looked at the other cadet.
That shut the two of them up.
Marek turned back to Jax. “Heard you kicked arse though, no surprises there!”
Jax smirked. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”
Marek pouted. “Just making an observation! I’m not only interested in shagging you senseless you know.”
Jax laughed. “Well, good for you then, because that won’t be happening.”
“Why do you say that?” Marek whined. “I don’t understand why you don’t like me!”
“You don’t?” another one of Jax’s entourage asked to general chortling from the rest of them.
“It’s all very easy, Marek,” Jax spoke slowly as if to a child, “you have absolutely nothing to offer me.”
For once in his life, Marek was speechless. It wasn’t…he hadn’t even been sworn at…but…
For ten whole minutes all he could do was stare at Jax, not that Jax bothered to meet his eyes even once.
What a bastard! It was one thing to ignore the obvious sexiness that was Marek Vane, but to suggest that Marek was useless!
Well! Marek would show him!
And he did! But landing right on top of him.
“Oops.”
Jax glared up at him.
“Wrist straps can be a little off target!” Marek protested, pointing to the antiquated wrist strap that they had been supplied for in this introductory class. “Not my fault! And hey! I didn’t throw up on you.”
The corner of Jax’s mouth quirked just slightly.
Marek knew he had a point, as it turned out Vortex travel could be nasty, every third or forth cadet who used the wrist strap seemed to arrive throwing their guts up. Others managed to satisfy themselves by just stumbling around with ashen fasces.
Marek, Jax and a few others though, seemed to be able to handle it, although Marek would certainly never forget his first trip. It was only going from one side of a huge room to another, but it had felt like going across the universe. And it had taken a good five minutes for Marek to get his bearings, not to mention vision back.
But they’d been working on it for a good three months now and now they were travelling from the Academy on Durvon to a small outpost facility owned by the Agency.
Legend had it, that the final twenty percent of successful cadets would be made in this class. It wasn’t hard to see why, but Marek doubted the rumours that cadets actually disappeared, swallowed up by the Vortex forever. Sure, a lot of people’s clothing seemed to have been sucked up, but the cadet who’d been wearing them was pretty much fine.
Although it was certainly true that around a dozen cadets hadn’t managed to make it this far, the class of 5083 had been whittled down from two hundred to a little over fifty. If Agent Artiz had been totally accurate then twelve more of them would go before graduation.
But Marek didn’t really care about that, except to hope that Blondie would be one of them, but at the moment, lying on top of Jax, he didn’t care who got in.
“How about you get off me then?”
Marek pouted. “And spoil the fun? C’mon Jax, aren’t you the least bit curious about me?” He tilted his head and looked alluring, if he did say so himself. “I mean what about my reputation?”
“For being a complete fuck-up?”
Marek scowled. “I am not a complete fuck up!”
Jax took advantage of his distraction to push him off, he got to his feet. “Could have fooled me.”
“You never sing karaoke with me, or share a drink or anything! Why are you so stubborn! ‘Fraid you’ll enjoy me too much?”
Jax burst out laughing. “Marek, you have the most ridiculous ego of anyone I’ve ever met.”
“Pot meet pan,” Marek retorted.
Jax shrugged. “It’s not ego if it’s true.” He walked off towards the instructor.
At that moment Kashi, who’d he’d been partnered up with that first lesson appeared out of the black swirling vortex.
“Hey!” Marek greeted him with a big kiss on the lips. They’d been flirting like mad and of course, shagging like rabbits.
“Hey yourself,” Kashi laughed, then put a hand to his head. “Eww…I hate that feeling.”
“What do you mean? It’s great!”
Kashi shook his head. “For some.”
Marek looped his arm through hers and lead her towards the instructor. “You just have to open yourself up to it, you know, enjoy the ride and everything.”
Kashi wasn’t buying it, however. “I can do it without losing my lunch, and that’s as good as it’s going to get for me.”
“Oh, it’s not as bad as all that, gorgeous!” Marek leaned close. “There’s plenty of other rides for you to enjoy!’
Kashi whacked his arm, but Marek was well aware that he would be having fun that night!
He couldn’t help wondering though…would Jax go for a threesome?
By far, the theoretical side of things was the least enjoyable part of the Academy. In fact it was like some sort of…torture-fest.
Even if it was via direct learning, which long ago Marek had wished they could do at school back in Grange.
It had side effects though, for Marek at least, it gave him headaches, which he could do without.
Although, they were less and less of a problem as time went on, he remembered back in first year, the first time he’d attended one of the classes it had all but knocked him off his feet.
These days it was more like an unpleasant tight sensation rather than some horrible pounding that felt as if his brain was going to burst out of his skull.
No-one else had the problem though, which made Marek wonder a bit. Did they just not complain? Or was he really that different from them? As far as he knew he was the only one of the cadets from Earth, did that have anything to do with this? He’d ended up asking Maddy about it a while ago, but he’d proved to be less than helpful, which he usually was these days.
Kashi caught up with him after one particularly gruelling half hour on galactic history from the 25th century to the present.
“Damn, that was a lot to take in, wasn’t it?”
Marek rubbed his forehead. “Yeah.”
“What’s with you? Headache again?”
Marek nodded.
Kashi ran a hand through his hair. “Poor you, I’d have thought with that big head of yours…”
Marek poked his tongue out at her. “Ha, ha, very funny.”
“It is big! Seriously, Einstein’s got nothin’ on you.”
“Why thank you! You’re obviously talking about the photograph where he’s doing this,” he poked his tongue out again and put a shocked look on his face.
Kashi laughed and pressed him up against the nearest wall for a nice bit of a snog, ignoring the gawking from some First Years.
Finally, Kashi let him go and they continued on their way, more weapons training was scheduled, which Marek thought was only fair. Still he was curious. “You never get a headache? At all?”
Kashi titled his head thoughtfully. “Well, I did get a pang or two once, but nothing serious.”
“Well, mine’s not serious,” Marek was quick to say, he didn’t want Kashi insisting oh his going to the Medi-bay, he had a tendency to do that, even after the tamest fight. Marek had a suspicion that Kashi looked at him as being rather more delicate. Which was kind of annoying, but he meant well, so Marek didn’t get pissed of at him for it.
“Certainly makes studying easier,” Kashi grinned. “I mean imagine if we actually had to read everything we learnt? I’d turn my resignation in right now!”
Marek grinned, although secretly, he did read rather than use the direct learning instrument more often than not. Wasn’t worth the headaches in his opinion. A former roommate seemed to think it was hilarious, but Marek had shut him up with knee to the groin. After that Turoka had kept his mouth shut, and besides that had failed second year, so that was the end of that.
His latest roommate hardly spent any time at all in their quarters, which was brilliant as far as Marek was concerned. He and Kashi could get up to all sorts of stuff! Marek liked the rope tricks best. Apparently Kashi’s family were quite well known for that sort of thing, although Marek was pretty sure they’d never used their talents for stuff like this. At least not in public.
Marek’s favourite thing about Kashi though, was that he loved karaoke as much Marek did! None of his previous shags at the Academy had been up for it, but Kashi could be guaranteed to get up in front of the microphone and belt some oldie out.
Still…Kashi wasn’t Jax, and he hadn’t helped attract Jax either, even though Jax had shagged Kashi. The whole thing was grossly unfair.
Especially since Kashi confirmed that Jax was everything he was reputed to be and then some.
“Why doesn’t he go for ME?” It wasn’t the first time Marek had asked this question and it wouldn’t be the last.
Kashi gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. “You must have pissed him off, ‘cause I gotta tell you, that guy can hold a grudge.”
“Great…hmpf, I can’t see how, ‘xcept for that time in Weapons Training…” But really, Jax would have to have a pretty thin skin if that was all it took. He perked up a bit as a thought occurred to him. “Maybe he’s saving the best ‘til last.”
Kashi laughed, and leaned forward to give him a kiss. “I could believe that…”
It was the big day…
Marek had waited for this day since he’d snuck into the Agency all those years ago and seen exactly what they got up to in there…
All the training, the learning, the taunting, the good times, it had all led to this moment.
The bestowing of the wrist straps!
In the end twelve more students had dropped out, finding Vortex travel too gruelling to want to endure it for eleven more years (even though, now and then Agents travelled by time ship), so at the Presentation Ceremony towards the end of June forty cadets waited patiently in alphabetical order to receive what they had worked for.
Marek was next to Blondie, who sadly hadn’t got himself thrown out. All Marek could do was pray that they never got paired up because he was pretty sure that only one of them would survive it.
Marek could hardly stand still at the best of times, but right now, he was practically jumping up and down! Hell, why did he have to be near the end? Whatever happened to the stereotype that all aliens had names beginning with ‘z’? Yet another thing that didn’t live up to the stories.
Agent Artiz stood before them and despite what she’d done to Keith, Marek couldn’t help admiring her, she was ridiculously sexy.
“Now, you who stand here today are the best of the best, the cadets that have proven their worth and therefore, have earned this particular honour. By this time next year, you will be among those of us in the Agency, working through time and space for the benefit of the universe.”
That sounded a bit too much, but hey Marek would roll with it.
“Of course, this doesn’t guarantee you will become a Time Agent,” it might have been Marek’s imagination, but he was pretty sure she was looking at him. “But I’m sure you won’t disappoint us.” She smiled that dazzling, addicting smile and there was a general murmur of assent.
Then she began calling them forward one by one.
The wait was excruciating, Marek swore he was going to go nuts before Artiz got to him!
Blondie suddenly elbowed him in the gut, fortunately not too hard, because Marek would have smashed his face in, otherwise.
He settled for giving the guy a hard glare, but managed to stop jumping.
Fiiiinally, Agent Artiz was in front him, looking at him somewhat bemused, but she took his wrist strap from the hover table beside here and presented it.
“Cadet Marek Vane, Earth, fifth in the class,” she certainly raised her eyebrow at that last bit, but Marek gave her a huge grin.
She laid the wrist strap in his hands, and the leather was soft and he knew just under the cover were bright shiny buttons and crystal clear display and holograph function and more!
It fit perfectly! Marek couldn’t stop looking at and admiring it.
As soon as the presentation was over Blondie leaned in. “Yours is small,” he sneered.
Marek blinked and looked over…noticing that Blondie was right, his wrist strap was bigger and so was the cadet’s on his other side.
In fact, it looked like everyone’s was bigger than his, what the Hell was that all about?
“Little man, little device,” Blondie continued in that annoying way of his.
Marek smirked back. “You know what they say about compensating.”
Blondie’s eyes flashed and Marek was more than ready for a fight, the guy had never bested him after all.
As usual, Blondie was all talk and no action because he didn’t take him on.
Shrugging Marek headed over to Kashi, who had an amazing little quirk that intrigued Marek to no end. “Let me see yours? Is it pink?” He joked.
Kashi rolled her eyes, she was looking very fine indeed today! She was nearing the middle of…whatever cycle her people went through, which meant she was nice and buxom. Always fun. “Oh please,” she held out her left wrist. Well damn, her wrist strap was bigger than his as well! They were basically the same height!
“Well, show us yours!” Kashi all but demanded.
Marek held out his right wrist and she looked it over, not mentioning it was smaller. But then women didn’t seem to notice stuff like that.
He wondered what Jax would think and luck was on his side! Jax was still in the room admiring his wrist strap.
He blew Kashi a kiss. “Meet you at the pub tonight,” he promised and all but skipped over to Jax.
“Well, we did it, Boe!”
Jax looked up. “I wasn’t aware you’d had anything to do with my success.”
Marek shrugged. “I meant it in a generally sort of way…”
Jax had gone back to fiddling with his wrist strap, which wasn’t quite as big as Blondie’s, but still bigger than Marek’s.
“So you gonna come and celebrate with us? You know you want to! It’s Karaoke night.”
Jax looked back up with a raised eyebrow. “Is that supposed to tempt me?”
“Oh come on, don’t be a pain in the arse about it! Can’t we just be friends or something?”
Jax gave a laugh. “Oh please, you’re kidding me. God knows that you’ve got only one thing on your mind.”
“Oi! My mind’s a cavalcade of thoughts,” Marek paused then added. “And not all of them are about shagging…”
“No, some of them are about fighting.” But Jax actually gave a good natured laugh, so Marek pressed the issue a bit.
“So are you coming?”
Jax shrugged. “Wait and see.”
Hmpf! Typical.
But Marek could only beg so much, so he left it at that. He’d decided that Jax wasn’t attracted by begging either.
Word Count: 3,002
Onto Chapter Fifteen
