The first thing Chris knows, he’s punching someone hard in the jaw.
There’s a chorus of “whoa” and murmurs following the exclamation. A circle even forms around them and Chris feels his entire body heave with every rattling breath he takes. His sudden burst of rage catches even himself off guard.
“Don’t ever say that again,” Chris snarls to the guy, his new groupmate. “You know nothing about me or where I came from.”
“Hey! What’s going on here!?”
Chris’s Trainer, Evans pushed through the formed circle, looking distressed and he doesn’t even look surprised at the situation unfurled before him. “Stephen, you alright?” He asks the boy Chris had punched.
“‘Fine,” Stephen grits out and with the help of his friends, he’s standing up, wiping the blood away from his mouth, flexing his jaw. Chris hopes he’s broken something. A tooth or a dislodged jaw would be satisfying.
Now that Chris is off his adrenaline, he can clearly see who he punched. Tall, lean, and cherry blonde-haired, the guy definitely looks like one of those popular people. He’s glaring at Chris with such venom that Evans has to step in between them.
“Nothing,” Stephen spits out and turns, returning to his friends as Evans sighs, looks at Chris who looks at him.
“Can I ask what happened?” Evans asks, waving away the onlooking crowd. Then he gestures for Chris to follow him. They stand at the wall where they’re isolated from the group in the training room. “Alright, go ahead.”
“He just said some stuff,” Chris says quietly, staring at his knuckles. There were purple and blue bruises starting to form on the skin. Chris doesn’t have to look at Evans to know that the older and much taller man is staring at him with intense eyes. Probably trying to figure him out.
“Your friend, Timothy, was it?” Evans says quietly, and Chris whips his head to look at him. “I’m friends with his Trainer. Trainer Gale? He’s told me that Tim’s also having trouble...fitting in.”
Fitting in. Chris thinks. Maybe that’s what I’m feeling right now.
“If that’s the case, then--”
Chris doesn’t let him finish. “It’s not that,” Chris briskly says. “It’s just, that guy said some things he shouldn’t have said. He knows nothing about Genecis. It’s not paradise,” Chris feels his eyes burn and there’s no way he’s going to start crying right now. “I’m not lucky to have come from there.”
Evans doesn’t say anything or a moment before he places a hand on Chris’s shoulder. “That doesn’t mean you get to punch someone on your first day,” He says gently. “I’ll let it pass today, but next time I’m going to have to take some action, alright?”
Chris nods, shame and guilt starting to take over his face into a flush. “I’m sorry,” He says quietly, his voice cracking.
Evan’s hand on his shoulder squeezes. “Your knuckles alright?” He asks.
Chris nods. He can’t bring himself to speak. His voice is going to break and he’s going to appear vulnerable.
“Alright,” Evans slaps his shoulder. “Come on, let’s get through this.”
Chris runs into Tim during break and the relief on Tim’s face makes Chris wonder how his classes and his group has been.
“Hey, little bird,” Chris says, offering a tired grin. “Rough day?”
Tim shakes his head, a smile lighting up his face. “Tell me about it.”
“Yeah,” Chris holds up his black and blue knuckle. “Started mine off with a punch.”
“Everyone’s been talking about that,” Tim says as they walk towards the cafeteria. “‘New guy punches Stephen Lightheart in the jaw’,” He rolls his eyes. “I knew it had to be you.”
“Shut up, you,” Chris noogies Tim on the head and the younger laughs. “Yeah, it has to be me. Who else punches someone else in the jaw on their first day?”
Tim snickers as they stand in line.
Chris catches looks and stares from Fighters around them and glances at Tim who looks visibly uncomfortable with it. “I’ve come to ignore what’s around me,” Chris says loudly. Loud enough for everyone behind and in front of them to hear. “We’re not any different after all.”
Tim looks up at Chris with wide eyes and Chris grins at him. “We escaped Genecis after all,” Chris taps behind his ear where the trackers were embedded in. “You and me, yeah?”
There’s a clap and Chris looks to see Ignyter clapping loudly, a proud look on his face, Thieves looking hunched and tired. “Well said, Cadet! Everyone here is the same,” Ignyter calls and he has everyone’s attention on him. “We all share the same goals so I really recommend teamwork and helping each other out!” He winks at Chris and he can’t help but grin widely.
There’s a moment of silence before the entire cafeteria goes into roars and cheers of agreement and Ignyter just nods, proud while Thieves just sighs visibly. Suddenly, there are pats and slaps on Chris’s back and even on Tim who finally smiles. Genuinely smiles and Chris feels some of the worry and anxiety leave his shoulder as many their rank and other ranks slap Chris’s shoulders and back, cheering.
“Welcome to the Resistance!” Someone calls loudly and many more echo back.
And this is the moment Chris feels welcomed and ultimately empowered.
“Must you have to be so loud?” Thieves complains as Ignyter shrugs good-naturedly. “I swear, sticking with you is like sticking with a megaphone.”
“Our fellow newbies needed some words of encouragement,” Ignyter points his fork at him, splattering drops of tomato sauce all around as he does.
“We needed it,” Chris says, nudging Tim who’s nodding furiously. “And it helped.”
“Well, you're welcome,” Ignyter says dramatically and Tim giggles beside Chris. “I heard some amazing rumors about Chris punching a guy on his first day.”
Chris groans. When’s he ever going to hear the end of it?
Tim laughs. “Well, those rumors are true.”
“I’ve been laughing at that for hours,” Ignyter admits. “I was thinking ‘Wow, that’s so Chris’.”
Tim snorts. “Me too, actually.”
Chris throws his hands up. “Wow, thanks, guys. Great support,” He sarcastically says.
“Just eat your food, if you say another word I might laugh,” Ignyter says and shoves a forkful of pasta in his mouth.
“You were right about everyone being really aggressive and competitive,” Tim says, taking a gulp of orange juice. “Also, the food here is amazing.”
“I figured,” Ignyter says, smiling. “I know Genecis doesn’t really feed their human pets.”
“Geez, Timmy,” Chris says, after watching Tim stuff his face and drink cups after cups of orange juice. The kid even stole Chris’s cup. “Slow down,” He says with disapproval.
Tim freezes, cheeks puffed out with food. “Sowry,” He says and Chris shakes his head, smiling.
“I’ve never seen you eat so much,” Chris says, handing a napkin to Tim.
Tim swallows thickly, downing it with water. “I’ve never eaten so much either.”
“What’d you guys live off of in Genecis?” Ignyter asks, his tray scraped clean. “I know it’s rough, but I really never got the details.”
“We ate mostly off of dried jerky,” Chris says. “We barely cooked and if we did it was usually something rich like toast or eggs. But sometimes we didn’t eat at all.”
Ignyter has a pained expression. “So coming here must be something like a dream then.”
Chris shrugs. “It’s paradise here,” Chris looks at the lunch line, the array of foods spread out. “We knew about food but we never had the Bits to be able to eat or even make them. We didn’t have choices at all.”
“Have you ever eaten off the ground?” Tim asks quietly and Chris stares at Tim, startled.
Ignyter and Thieves are also still, surprised.
“I have. Chris has. Every human out there has in Genecis,” Tim calmly wipes his mouth with the napkin. “The Nova think it’s really funny to throw food on the ground and see us desperately eat it off the ground,” Tim takes a sip of water and turns the glass as he stares at it. “It’s true we were treated like animals,” Tim goes on.
Chris places a hand on Tim’s shoulder. He places his hand to stop Tim there because there’s something in Tim’s voice that sent chills down Chris’s spine. Like he was triggering something that Chris didn’t want to think or forget entirely about. And Tim is just so calm about it. The way he speaks, the way his eyes sort of die as he goes on. It wasn’t like Tim. “That’s enough, Timbers,” Chris says and he’s letting go the breath he’s been holding, glancing at Ignyter’s and Thieves’s paled looks. “That’s enough,” He says quietly.
Tim looks at Chris and his eyes are wide. “Oh, sorry,” Tim quickly apologizes. “I got carried away.”
Ignyter laughs weakly. Thieves clears his throat and Chris’s hand is shaky when he reaches for the glass of water.
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