Anti-bandit army camp - early morning

I arrive back in the army camp, expecting myself to be able to fall asleep without anyone none the wiser besides the obvious people who knew I wasn't. However, that thought went out the window as I saw that everyone was awake. They’re all looking directly at me as if I’m some weirdo with an eye on my forehead. I'm guessing everyone knows What I did. If that's the case, then I might as well play along with it.

"Man, that was sure a close one, you guys should've seen what I did to the statue in the plaza and castle ground. I thought for sure I-"

"Proxy, we must discuss your actions," Alex sternly told me. He didn't seem angry but rather serious.

"Come on Alex, what do we need to discuss?"

"What you did was dangerous, you could've gotten yourself and Richard hurt."

"But we're back in one piece, so I think that everything is a-ok-"

A familiar sensation ran through my brain, something was heading towards my face. I catch it without much thought put behind it. Marie is the one who almost hit me from behind.

"What was that for, Marie?"

"What in the hell were you thinking? What did you do in the Kingdom?"

"Having fun, isn't it obvious?"

"Are you stupid or something, the knights were going to kill you, and you think that's what fun looks like!?"

". . . And what if it is? What if I was having fun with the guards chasing, and you know what, I had fun painting over that statue in the plaza and the castle ground."

"Are you serious how goddamn stupid are you!? If those guards had caught you and Richard, they would've killed you two and that would've affected the army!"

"I wouldn't let Richard get killed."

"You let him get poisoned."

That was an immediate nerve hitter, she just hit the one sore spot that you should never hit with me.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means you say all these grand things, but you never actually live up to the ego that you made for yourself. And the day you nearly got him killed was an indicator of that."

"Guys, please, don-"

"Stay out of this Richard…! I think you might want to stop talking. You're stepping on thin ice."

"What's the matter, why are you so hot and bothered by it? Maybe you know I'm right and that you're just not everything you're cracked up to be, instead just some hot-headed kid that couldn't handle his own!"

Her snarky looking face was the last goddamn straw with me.

"Marie, you just…"

My body moves on its own to deliver a punch to her face.

"...PISSED ME OFF!"

I could hear the uproar of those who were shocked by my action. Alex didn't move an inch when I hit his sister, rather, he looked calm about all this. Whatever I could care less about what anyone thinks. She was pissing me off something fierce. Her lip was bleeding as she took her hand off her lip.

"You little shit," Marie cursed under her breath.

She grabbed me by the jacket and hit me right in the face. It was much harder than I expected, she slams me down to the ground. My nose messed up.

"Feel better Proxy, did that knock something right in your brain!?"

"Not even close!"

I went in for seconds but I was stopped before I could get close enough and so was Marie. Richard and Gil are keeping me away from Marie, and Nunnalé is keeping her away from me.

"Proxy, stop, calm down!"

"Seriously man, you need to settle down."

The two of them tried to calm me but it isn't gonna stop me.

"Let me get two things straight, I do whatever the hell I want, nobody controls me! Second, I could give a rats ass about this army whatsoever, I'm only here so I can fight! So don't go acting as if you can tell me what to do, damnit!"

Marie was visibly upset by what I said, but shortly after, she began to calm down.

"You know what, I don't care to deal with a brat like you, and if you want to do whatever you want that's fine by me. But you won't compromise this place. So if you're gonna act like this, then you can just leave!"

Hearing her say that is a surprise to me. Her tone of expression and body language showed that she was serious about me leaving. You know what, that's fine, I was getting sick of being restrained on what or what I can't do.

"Whatever, I'm out of here then."

"Proxy, what do you mean," Richard asks.

I went over to the couch where my bag and all my stuff was.

"Wait, you're not actually-"

"Yep, I'm out of here."

"Hang on man, think about this."

"I already did, I can't stand places or people that try to control me and what I can or can't do. So I'm leaving."

"Then I'm going with you. Nunnalé, get your stuff, we're-"

"No, you stay here, I'm better off on my own. Besides . . . Nothing, just forget it."

"Proxy wait a minute I...!"

I sling my bag over my shoulders and start walking out of the camp, but there's something else I got to say.

"Marie, don't act like you give a damn about this camp or anyone here, cause I know you don't. After all, you sent me and Richard down in the Hell Mine, knowing that we could be killed. So don't act like you care about any of our lives."

With that, I walk out of camp without looking back. It took me a bit to make sure I had everything that was mine. I noticed that I forgot about the book but I didn't care to go get it, they can keep that worthless thing. I drove off the moment the bike was on. Behind me, I noticed Richard. He was panting heavily with his hands on his knees and him hunched back. He was just standing there as I drove off into the distance. I wanted to turn back and bring him along, but I can't, I just can't. . .

"GODAMN IT,"

This whole situation sucks.