*8 years later...

"As I told you before, we can at least take down their annoying smirks at us as if they're better than us", Michael said still hoping for me to agree with his suggestion as I let out a deep sigh.

"Tell me about how you would do that. Do you even calculate the consequences of that plan of yours? Do you still remember that we're under strict supervision since they still don't trust us over the past 11 years and still counting?", I bombarded him with questions that made him think twice before answering me which made me smack his head in disbelief.

"You two still on it again, right?", Alexa said as Jason and Samantha followed behind her as they carries some boxes of supplies.

"He won't stop nagging at me to shut those lunatics of a soldier up at they're discontent at us", I said as Michael gasps in surprise to hear me saying such words. "What? Too surprised to hear me say something like that? Asks mom how on earth do I still keep myself under control while facing those lunatics", I added to my statement as the two kids laugh it off as they saw Michael got dumbfounded.

"Big brother Ezekiel kept on rumbling on and on at mommy about it as mommy tried to hold her laughter", Samantha said as I shot her my annoyed glances at her as she hides behind Jason.

"Big brother Ezekiel even flipped an overly muscled man with a brain of a 4-year-old kid for looking down on us. Everyone present got their mouth shut tight as big brother gave them his bloodlust stares", Jason explained as Samantha kept on giggling behind him as he shrugs his shoulders.

"I'm happy that my two younger siblings graced me with a very warm and sweet compliment", I sarcastically said as the two of them started to laugh it off.

"They really got awfully closed to you, Zeke", Alexa marked as Michael nods in agreement.

"More like they stick to me like they're glued to my sides that sent Sherlly into despair seeing these two won't live by my side while we're in this base", I said as the two stared at me like some innocent kids who didn't get any slightest idea of what I just said.

"Jason... Samantha... Let's get these supplies back to the kitchen before Sherlly would cut our shares if we kept on delaying." Alexa said as the two looked at me like begging me to stop their big sister to do that.

"Just don't give her some headaches, I'll reason out to her so she won't cut your shares", I said as the two brightens up as they run inside our base.

Alexa followed them while shaking her head in disbelief since those two became food buddies each time we got a vacation break.

As I went inside and saw a disgusting sight of someone being full of himself in front of the other kids. Some of them laugh it off awkwardly as Candice still showered him with sugary compliments.

"I prefer big brother Ezekiel than big brother Jackson", Samantha said as she hugs my right arm tightly while staring with disgust in front of us.

"As my little angel Sammy said, I prefer not seeing him in the same building with us", I said as I pat her head as she pouts still looking at them.

I hold her hand as I pull her away from that place since she might get into trouble when Candice saw her glued to my arm again. I remember Samantha following Candice since she's the youngest of us all like a confused kid following whoever was older than her. But after mom told them to choose between her and Mrs. Lawrence as their new mother, she and Jason choose mom as their new mother for adaption.

"She still doesn't like them since they kept on showing off when they're the poorest in performance", Jason said as he took Sammy from me as he helps her sit down over the table.

"You hate their guts too, you know", I said as me and Sherlly sat down beside them, getting them between us.

"I prefer you, big brother. You don't show any of that self-confidence like someone who's better than any of us", he explained as Sherlly ruffles his hair as he smiles.

"I'm glad you two break out from their circle", Sherlly said as the two of them smiles at us.

We eat our meals silently as the two kids kept on showing their love towards me and my twin sister. Michael and Alexa came along and sat with us as they keep on teasing Samantha for acting like a baby at me just to see her cute face getting pissed off.

The two kids suddenly stiffen from their seats which made me and Sherlly look up in front of us as Jackson stand behind the two confused teens to look behind them. Sammy on the other hand, suddenly scoots near me as she buries her face to my chest, I pat her back softly since she suddenly trembled in fear.

"What do you want?", I said in a serious voice that made little Sammy flinch as I hugs her for comfort.

"Being the passionate brother really makes you become softer than being feared by many", he commented that made Samantha push me a little but I hugged her close to me.

"I rather keep on myself under the radar than show off that I'm someone who can slit anyone's throat at ease. It's not because I'm being soft, I just act like a brother to the youngest of us all of I can think of as reassuring her that she would be safe beside me at all times", I said as the trembling little angel sigh in relief as I motioned at Sherlly to take Jason and Samantha out of here.

"I really hate your guts", Jackson said while gritting his teeth in annoyance.

"I would say the same thing to you", I said as Michael and Alexa stood up to keep us from getting neck to neck again.

"If it's not for mother, I would totally slit your throat", he said while gritting his teeth as I scoffs at him.

"If you could even land a hit on me, and that's only an 'if' to that", I said as he suddenly going to attack me as Michael and Alexa grabs him to keep him from doing anything stupid.

"Attention, Phantom troops!!!"

All of us got up to salute whoever shouted their way in to get our attention as mom walks in with some other lieutenants beside her. She gave us a deep sigh of disbelief at me and Jackson like she saw what happened before getting us on our feet.

"We got another mission for the older Phantoms and will be sent out in 3 days", She explained as I clicks my tongue at the thought I'll be in the same team with that knucklehead.

"Big brother...", Samantha called out to me as she tags my shirt to get my attention, I just smiled at her.

"You will be accompanied by Lt. Sanchez and Lt. Larson's selected troops for this mission", she added as she looks at me as I shoot her a look saying don't-you-even-dare-to-say-that. "And you all be split into two groups to lead the troops accompanying you."

"I don't want to see how it will go south", I said as I sigh that made Sammy and Jason snort while trying not to laugh.

"Zeke and Jack will be the leaders of the two groups, while the rest should choose whoever they wanted to group with", 1st Lt. Harrison said as she breathes deeply before she continues. "Sher, Alex, Michael, and Candy will be joining the two leaders for this mission. Any violent reaction?"

Sherlly and Alexa look at each other as Michael sighs in defeat since we need to make it even out for the groups. Michael just shoot me a begging look as I shook my head in response as he drags himself behind Candice and Jackson.

"So we all clear now?", 1st Lt. Harrison asks while looking strictly at us.

"Yes, ma'am!!!", Five of us said in unison as we raise our hands for a salute, mom saluted back at us and we all put our hands down.

The three lieutenants walk out of our base building and we all sigh in relief as they vanish from our sight.

"We're skipping school days again! I won't get that perfect attendance if this goes on", Michael grunts as he sulks off in his seat.

"And after every mission, we only get to rest for 8 hours upon coming back. We still need to go back to school the next day", Sherlly said as she plays her food while sighing in defeat.

"We can ask mommy to give you all some time to rest before going back to school, big sister", Sammy said to cheer her sister up which made Sherlly smile a little.

"We just need to finish this mission as soon as possible before the allotted time frame. We might get some rest days instead if we execute it successfully in one go", I said which made them look at me with their surprised face like it's impossible to do it in one go.

"You're crazy, Ezekiel! You want us to get killed?!!!", Alexa shouted which made me jolt in surprise to hear her shouting for the first time.

"Damn it, Ezekiel! If you want to die that eagerly, do it by yourself! We want to live after we finally got freed from those shackles we had, 8 years ago", Michael said like he just snapped from resisting to raise his voice at me.

"Then I'll die by myself", I said as I carry the food tray with me as I stand up. "I'm expecting that you all will do better for this mission in 3 days. I won't be planning how to secure any safety measures for anyone since I'll just let you all die while I'll be watching from a fair distance", I said as I walk away from our table, their face got dumbfounded by my remarks.

I sigh deeply after I put down my food tray at the designated area where we should leave it there after our meals. I don't want to be sounding so arrogant or whatever, I'm tired of using my brain to be the leader where everyone would depend on my plans while thinking about how it would go altogether.

"Once all of these is over, I'm locking myself up in my room for good. If that won't help, I'll run away from home since I already have saved up a very unbelievable amount of money", I said as I look up on my phone to look up how many zeroes are there in my bank account. "I still need to put more money on the investments I have in the stock exchange market, just in case if I need to buy something way expensive."

I've been planning all of this since I learned how investing in the stock market works 6 years ago from 2nd Lt. Larson, the son of our family's head maid. He knew that I got a brain that is over the top when it comes to planning things beforehand, so he thought he should try teaching me how to do some stock exchange.

After 4 reasonable months of in and out lessons for it, I already raised more than enough money that a company can produce in the span of half a year. He was so excited that he told me to keep it a secret from mom since she will kill him once she knew about how scared I was while doing those exchanges.

"Ohhh... I really need to open another bank account to have some emergency money for unexpected events", I said after counting again the zeroes in my bank account after I got billions in it. "I'll ask uncle about it if it's possible to open another one that mom won't know about this."

"What are you up to, Ezekiel?"

I suddenly jolt in surprise as I look behind me to see Sherlly raising a brow at me like she sensed something on me.

"Nothing much for you to worry about, Sher", I said as I put my phone back in my pocket. "Why? Wanna scold me about what happened back there?", I said waiting for her to respond to me while my hands are in my pocket.

"I knew you very well, brother. I only said those because you were appointed as the leader of the troops for the upcoming mission", she said as she gave me a worried smile. "But what you said back there was a little bit insensitive to us."

"Try to use your brain just to measure everything before doing something life-threatening. I'm so sick of it, Sher!", I said as I let out a deep breath. "But I can't blame anyone about it, either way..."

"The others knew that, so they told me to lessen the pressure you already have", Sherlly said as she gave me a tight hug. "You did everything to reason out at those generals, which was impressive since you already did put up a very good fight at them. The reason why we got half a year to finish this supervision of ours", she said as she hugs me even tighter. "I wish that I helped you and lessen these boulders of responsibility you have."

"Don't blame yourself about it, Sher. You just need to worry about how you will live your own life after all of this. I just did what I knew what's best for us, knowing we might be into another problem", I said as I pats my twin sister's head gently as she buries her face into my chest.

"We all see you as someone who never gave a damn about us once we got into trouble, but you did something in the shadows that got us out of it that no one even noticed", she said as I gave him a confused look on my face. "I saw you arguing and reasoning with mom and the other lieutenants who are supervising us."

"That's great that someone saw it and it's irritating me, even more, to clean up someone else's mess", I said as I smirk at her which made her giggle while looking at me.

"So don't be upset about it", she said as I sigh deeply before I push her away from me as I took my phone from her hand.

"Sneaky but too predictable", I said as she laughs it off awkwardly. "Curious about why I'm looking at my phone too closely?", I ask as she nods her head and waits for me to fill her in. "I better not tell you since you're way too blabber mouth and it will be my disadvantage", I said as she pouts since I didn't give her any hint.

"Are you looking at some lewd pictures of so-called showing off of some girls on some social media?", she ask batting her most terrifying gaze like she will kill me if I told her that's what I'm looking at.

"Me? Looking at those almost naked lowly girls on social media?", I ask as I smack my forehead in disbelief after hearing her saying those things. "I don't even own a freaking social media account! How the hell did you stoop me down to Michael's level of preferences?!", I said as I walks away before she could say anything.

Damn it! Girls these days are competitive in many lewd ways! Why can't they just pose on their phone's camera fully naked?!

It's a hypocritical way of thinking that they pose over the camera while in swimwear confidently, but will start to squeal and shriek when they're in their undergarments once someone enters their room unannounced.

"I can't even understand why girls get jealous over those things when some ill-mannered guys would drool over them without respecting them as a person", I said as I walk out of our base and walks towards my car at a nearby parking lot.