It was a blank sleep, a healing sleep which broke almost exactly an hour later. I just suddenly found myself staring up at the ceiling with no remaining vestiges of the headache or the white orbs. If those were in my vision any longer, I'd start believing I could see ghosts.

Keelan and Rush were still passed out. Keelan's mouth was wide open, head on the edge of the pillow he'd grabbed and drool collecting on the floor. I smiled to myself as I walked past them into the kitchen to begin preparing breakfast. I was hungry.

They woke up a short while later, probably due to the sounds of my movement. Keelan quietly joined me, cutting up vegetables as Rush rushed off to get some juice from his room. It felt a bit more normal again after I'd finished eating. They left to change with half an hour left before reporting. I tugged off the shirt I was supposed to wear to the gym and opened my harness. The clip fell to the floor as my wings spread wide open, stretching themselves. They'd be tied up for a while more after this anyway.

I took a quick shower, pulling on a sky blue tank top and placing the harness on over it.

There were a few people in the elevator as I got in. We made small talk for a short while till we reached the mess. I separated from them, making a beeline to the bread rolls and dish of butter still kept out. The conversation died down once more as the screens in the mess turned white. I stiffened, but nobody else did as only written instructions scrolled on the screen.

Assemble in the station lobby with your teammates. Don't carry anything.

I fell into step beside Rush and Keelan as the crowd started moving. Keelan glanced at me sideways as Rush reached out to take one of the bread rolls I was carrying. The crowd drew eyes. It's not everyday you see so many uniforms walking down the street. I could see the curious looks aimed towards me, the only non-uniform in the middle of them.

Everyone lined up with their teams the moment we stepped into the lobby. Malcolm walked in, scanning through the rows, checking uniforms before taking a stance at the head. I consciously ran a hand through my hair, I was standing in the front.

"Private First Class Carai!" He suddenly barked.

I jumped at first, before walking over to him and snapping a salute. I visibly flinched as he held up the remote, starting to grimace right as he pressed the button. My adrenaline shot up with my heart rate, eyes widening as my hand shot up to my throat. But there was only a click. It echoed a bit in the silence of the room. Malcolm held out his hand, and I couldn't get that cursed metal collar off my neck fast enough.

"Get back in line." Was all he said as he placed the metal collar back in its box.

I snapped a hasty salute, walking back to my line and resisting the urge to rub my neck. Rush patted me once on my shoulder in a show of support. I turned my head sideways a bit to nod at him as the post-adrenaline jitters set in. I practically collapsed on my seat inside the jet as my knees gave out. I gave a nervous laugh as some other people stared at me. "I thought he was going to shock me again."

"Shock you?" Yi asked, confusion on his face. "That was a stun collar?"

I felt my throat dry up as I realised what I'd said. Only my team knew who I was. "Yeah." I replied curtly, mind blank.

"Why do you have one?" He continued, taking his seat a bit across me.

"I-uh-I have attacked my doctor a few times. I even bit him once, they made me wear a muzzle for a while after that." I gave another nervous laugh as Rush sat down beside me. "This was an upgrade. For good behaviour."

Jenni sighed, placing her bald head in her hands. "They really do treat us like animals..."

I scratched my newly bared neck, awkward smile fading away. Rush glanced at me sideways. "That was close." I whispered softly.

"Very." He agreed, nodding as he tugged his seatbelt over him.

I started doing the same. There were about five teams in each jet. A full jet like this brought back memories of the Rebellion. A team heading out in the dead of night, tapping feet, sweaty hands, racing hearts. A tense atmosphere filled with worries and hopes, some wondering if they'd see the next day. It would be the absolute opposite when we returned from a successful mission. It was hard to keep people in their seat, energetic with the leftover adrenaline and giddy with their spoils, kills and the feeling of victory.

I'd been curious as to how they'd been doing since I'd left. Rush occasionally let me use his phone since I assumed that my search results would be monitored. They had been doing fine without me. There hadn't even been a falter in the pattern of their attacks. But the media had noticed that the death count had dropped, even if it was by a fraction. They used to ask about me- 'Where Is The Angel of Death?', 'The Fall Of An Angel', 'Angel Of Death Returned To Heaven?', 'Infamous Role Model Vanishes, Thousands Distraught'.

It was ridiculous. It was stupid. I was nobody special. All I knew how to do was aim and shoot. But at least the coverage had died down, there hadn't been anything about me in the news since about a month before my birthday. Good riddance. There were even conspiracy articles about my disappearance. Some pretty on point actually with a capture, interrogation and making me work for the State. Some just... out of this world. But looking at me, I was also pretty out of this world.

The easy conversation I was a part of paused around me as the pilot announced five minutes to landing.

"Finally." Yi stretched his arms above his head, the spines on the back of his head rising momentarily. "We've been travelling for hours now."

"Where are we going?" I piped up, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. My wings were starting to go numb.

"Don't know. It's different every year. And every year it's a different branch going for security." He nodded to the two sitting beside me. "Your team is lucky. They get to drink and enjoy the festivities tonight."

"Oh." I turned to look at them as I smiled. "That's a bit of a relief. I'm not good at parties."

"Hey! Don't worry." Rush strained against the seatbelt to place an arm around me. The scales on his face glinting in the dark. "We'll be there for you. We'll be right there, within the crowd."

"And we will be coming on stage once it's your turn to be introduced." Keelan smiled back, also straining to lean forward and make eye contact with me. "Just relax."

I did. A bit.

The thoughts in my head didn't. Bringing up Gratitude Night again brought back all the thoughts about Lionel. I'd been successfully keeping him out of my thoughts for the past few days. His cryptic goodbye had irritated me for a good while till Malcolm told me about Gratitude Night. My heart rate still rose when I thought about him, I still didn't know if it was worry or something else.

There was no way we could be together. Especially at the positions we were in. I'm a soldier of the State now, he's a sponsor of the State. This is my career now, this is my life, and I won't get very far if people keep believing that a Sponsor is helping me along. He also had the Rebellion to handle on the side, and I'd made a promise to myself to never return. I would eventually get dragged back in against my wishes.

There was a soft jolt, jerking me out of my thoughts as the jet landed. The ramp cracked open and immediately the sharp smell of salt hit my nostrils. My eyes widened as the ramp fell open the rest of the way, letting the final rays of the sun inside the jet.

"We're on a ship." Rush spoke as he stood up.

I unclipped the straps without looking away. I'd never seen the sea, never stayed anywhere close to it. But here it was. I was in the middle of the sea, or an ocean, with the sun setting. The sky was painted in colours I'd never seen on it before. The water was gleaming orange, like the gentle waves had been set on fire. Stepping outside, the rushing wind enveloped me. It was very breezy, it was very vast, it was very beautiful. Everywhere I looked, it was just a flat expanse of blue stretching out and vanishing beyond the Earth's curve.

It was beautiful. My wings itched to feel the strong breeze in them, but I turned away from the sun as my name was called out. A man with a forked tongue led me away heading inside the ship. He wore a navy blue uniform.

"You're Private First Class?" He asked slowly as we started walking away. "Already?"

My heart skipped a beat. I shrugged cluelessly. "I don't know what it means."

"It means you skipped two ranks."

"Oh, shit." I tried to look surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah." He glanced back at me. "Maybe someone really likes you." He smiled at me, eyes running over my body for the third time already. "By the way, what do you have?"

"Wings." I replied easily, head turning to stare at the water again.

He scoffed, turning back around. "Nice one."

"I'm not joking."

"Sure." He snickered again. "'Wings'. Hilarious."

"Yup. Hilarious." I sighed tiredly.

We eventually reached a room filled with people. People like me. Scales, claws, pointy ears, slitted pupils, gills, webbed limbs all out on display in black uniforms strategically designed to bring emphasis to the augmentations.

"Most of them are still Privates." My escort turned to glance at me. "Which is why I was surprised when you said you're already First Class." He turned away again. "Wait here."

I stopped where I was, in the middle of the room with everyone's eyes on me. It was a nice lounge area. Beautiful wooden panelling on the floor, expensive looking leather couches, glass tables, framed pictures of former ship captains, the ship and the jets. There was even a model of the ship, with tiny jets on it in a glass display case right smack bang in the middle of the room.

I roamed around it, marvelling at the details. This was a huge ship, a battleship was what he'd called it. Turrets, missile launchers, I could see through the windows at front which showed what was probably the bridge of the ship. It was a majestic work of art, both the actual ship and the model. I would kill to be able to work here, to wake up to the sea every morning, to see that sunset every evening. I would bet my life that the view during a full moon would be breathtaking. I could almost imagine the silver waves, the glowing night sky, the brilliant starscape that would be visible at the absence of any other lights around.

"Amazing, isn't it?" I straightened up to see a girl talking to me. She wore a blue uniform, an officer of the ship. Her eyes were on the model as well. "6000 soldiers on this metal boat. Only 30 like us." She glanced around the room. "I wonder how many of you might get assigned here."

"It would be amazing to work here." I nodded, smiling at her. "This is the first time I've seen the ocean. It's beautiful."

She grinned back. "Maybe you might get assigned here."

"Nope. I already have a team." Her face fell by a fraction. "We've already been on several missions."

"Shame. It would be fun to have a few more girls like us around here." She crooked a finger for me to follow her as she turned away. "I'm Lieutenant Melinda."

"Private First Class Terra Carai."

"First Class? Already?" She glanced at me over her shoulder. "What do you have?"

"Wings."

She rolled her eyes. "And here I was just starting to like you."

"I'm not joking."

"Sure."

I followed her through a simple wooden door, closing it behind me to see a smaller version of the room outside. A bar against one wall, three couches, one TV screen and a glass table. Much smaller.

Melinda walked over to a couch a bit farther away to pick up the last remaining hanger on it. "Here. You're the last one."

"No shit." I replied, taking the uniform from her. It was in a transparent plastic bag. I twisted it this way and that, seeing that the back was entirely open. No sleeves either. A collar that clipped behind my neck and then led out into a full jumpsuit. Even my shoulders were bared, the rest of the body for the jumpsuit started from a little below my armpit. I vaguely wondered how I'd go to the bathroom in this, or even wear a bra.

"Scales, right?" I looked up from the uniform back at Melinda. "Your uniform matches other scaled people."

I shook my head. "I already told you."

"Yeah, right." She scoffed. "Like I'd believe that. Anyway, strip. Get to changing."

I cocked an eyebrow. "In front of you?"

"Yes. For security reasons. Everyone out there had to do it."

I held her stare for a few more moments before shrugging. "Alright. Don't believe me. I warned you."

I unzipped the plastic cover, placing the hanger on the glass table as I felt the material. Stretchy, yet thick, and kind of good quality. I unbuttoned my shorts first, letting them fall to the ground as I started putting the uniform on foot first.

"Uh-uh." Melinda stopped me. "Strip completely before you put it on. Those are the orders."

I grimaced irritatedly, stepping out of the jumpsuit and dumping it on the couch. "Fine." I growled, tugging my shirt off. The harness opened up with a click, wings snapping wide open to stretch themselves out. Melinda's jaw dropped open, a reaction I was used to by now. I tugged my tank top off as well before pulling my wings back in and taking a round in front of her with my arms outstretched. "Done?" I asked irritatedly as she didn't reply after a few circles.

"Umm... uh... Ah-ye-yes. Yeah. Fine. You can... you can wear your thing now."

Stutters. Reaction two.

The uniform fit perfectly, clipping behind my neck without any hassle. It was a bit form-fitting, didn't hide much, certainly not my wings. She gave me a small box to place my clothes in. And then the questioning began.

"Can I touch them?"

"Go ahead."

My wings twitched away a few times before getting used to her gentle, yet curious touches. "They're... smooth."

"It is skin."

"But they're black."

"I don't have an explanation for that." I turned around to give her the box, my wings moving out of reach.

She took it from me, writing my name on it in marker and placing it aside with the others. "You get to keep this uniform, but don't forget to take your clothes home at the end of the evening."

"Yeah." I replied distractedly, staring down at my chest. There were cups built into the fabric. It wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be.

I walked out behind Melinda, shifting the jumpsuit in certain areas. It was molding itself to my body. The floor was cold, she'd even taken my shoes. I walked over to sit on a barstool, still distracted with my new suit as Melinda started speaking.

"Alright." She clapped her hands, the sound was surprisingly loud. "Everyone is dressed up. Everyone is ready. In a few hours, someone will come along with shoes and some light makeup. Then you will be led to the backstage area. Till then, some ground rules."

I looked at her as she held up a finger, starting to count the rules as she spoke. "One, no fighting, verbal or physical. Especially, physical. Two, no fucking-stop laughing, I mean, don't sleep with each other before the damn event okay? Because we will find out. Three, no one touches the bottles at the bar. Four, don't remove your jumpsuits or damage them in any way. Five, you will not talk back to any of the officers or sailors on this ship. You will not disrespect anyone wearing any kind of uniform. And six, no ruckus when you're backstage or on stage. You will not speak on stage, unless you're handed the mic. And that's it."

She put her hand down, looking around at everyone once again. "Refreshments will be provided in a short while. I know some of you missed lunch to be here."

My stomach rejoiced. I twisted on the barstool as she left, turning to the tablets attached to the bar. Pulling out the inbuilt earbud, I idly scrolled through the news. I'd been reading a lot since I was set free. Trying to improve, maybe even inculcate a habit. But news was boring. There were some shops I was eyeing in Section B. Some bookshops. When I had the money, I would go there, get something interesting to read and try to improve. Right now, my most used apps were dictionary and the notepad.

Luckily, I wasn't approached by anyone and left to my own devices. I think everyone here was wary of each other. They'd probably spent years in the labs, watching their friends die, watching new people being brought in who'd also die. Being a few of the only ones who'd made it out, that was a special mental burden. I was lucky enough to have been able to escape from the labs after barely six months. But I'd also seen friends die. Kids I knew and even played with sometimes. Some I'd watched grow, I knew most of their parents by name. It was painful. I'd known at the time that I couldn't let it get to me, that I couldn't grieve for them because I had to watch out for me.

And it had worked. I was still here, more or less mentally sound. I had friends now, but none who knew me. None who know all that I've done.

But Lionel does. Marcus has somewhat of an idea. Had... had somewhat of an idea.

Damn it. Why do I miss him? After all he said to me, after what he tried to make me do under the guise of a 'favour'... why do I miss my friend? Do I really have no one else I trust that much?

No. No, I don't miss Marcus. He's dead to me. The Marcus I used to know is dead. I will get over him. And shoving him out of my mind right now would be a good step.

I found something to read online, distracting myself with it to help the hours pass. Refreshments arrived after a while, an assortment of pastries, sandwiches and juices. I got up after a while, when the majority of the crowd had dispersed, to help myself to it.

"Hello."

Dammit.

I turned to see this guy watching me, or rather my wings curiously. I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Can I help you?"

He smiled at me, holding out his hand. "I'm Martin."

"Hello, Martin. How can I help you?"

He let his hand and his smile fall as he realised I'm not interested in indulging in niceties. "What's your name?" I stayed silent at that question, pondering turning away from him. He sighed. "Come on, we're all in the same boat here, pun not intended. I'm just trying to be nice."

"Terra." I replied curtly, actually turning away this time. He didn't follow that up with anymore questions as I retreated to my barstool.

My hostility and anti-socialness was out there now. Hopefully, they all knew not to annoy me. I really wasn't in the mood for making new friends. They seemed like nice people, but that's about all I cared to know. Refreshments are always a good way to strike up conversations and make friends. I could hear the volume rise in the formerly silent room, making me look up occasionally at hearing sudden bursts of loud laughter.

The sky outside the porthole darkened, the amber lighting making the room seem a bit more cost and warming. I pulled away from the tablet, taking a walk around the room to refresh my eyes and stretch my back. Heading to a bit of an isolated corner, I stretched out my wings a bit, feeling relief pass through my back at the pops emanating from the bones.

I could still feel eyes on me, despite the people in here having had hours to stare at me. My wings twitched of their own accord as I wondered if they wanted to touch them too.