Captain Sunshine

Chapter 3: Intruder Alert

Chapter 3

Fang had somehow ended up sulkily eating in a cafeteria packed full of excited recruits and tired-looking Cadets.

Meanwhile, Sai was sitting in front of him, still laughing at his dilemma.

He scowled at him in warning and the alien snickered.

"Come on, it's not like you to give up easily." Sai scooped up the yogurt he had been eating, "Try again later. Maybe he'll come around once his head's cooled down. You did say he looked like he was in a bad mood when you arrived."

"I should've read the situation properly." Fang groaned, "I knew it was a bad time!"

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Fang stared at the annoyed-looking Captain in disbelief, "I-I'm sorry for coming too strong, Captain. But I was hoping that you would at least hear what I have to say-"

"What part of 'no', don't you understand?" He asked as his eyes narrowed at him, "It's bad enough I have to babysit and act nice to new recruits, now I have to deal with an even bigger baby?"

Fang was doing his best not to throttle the teen in front of him.

He could now see what the rumors meant.

Fang took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, "Captain Kaizo recommended me to you when I requested him to transfer me to a new team, I-"

"You wanted to leave your brother's team?" The other shook his head in amusement, "What? You got tired of your brother's coddling?"

"I just feel like I can't grow when he's always trying to pull me out of harm's way!" He was doing his best not to sound like a whining teenager but his words were definitely making him sound like one.

The Captain did not falter, "And that's bad because...?"

"Because I want him to trust me!" Fang said in exasperation, "I want him to see what I can do and be proud of me! So please, Captain. I need your skills to help me reach what you've already achieved!"

There was a moment of silence as those yellow tinted eyes looked back at him intensely.

His expression was unreadable but for a moment he thought he saw the young Captain look at him with a pained look.

As if he was remembering a bitter memory.

"My apologies, Lance Corporal Fang, but my answer is still no."

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"That guy obviously sounds like he has some unresolved issues." Sai helpfully commented as he ate another spoonful of yogurt, "Seems like the rumors are getting pretty accurate-"

"Or he's just a real jerk and thinks too highly of himself." Fang scowled, "You know what? Screw the timing! He probably wouldn't have accepted me even if I had talked to him on a good day! Captain Kaizo probably set me up for failure!"

"You don't really believe that do you?" The other alien frowned at him disapprovingly.

"He could've just let me choose the Captain I want! Or better yet, he should've chosen someone like Captain Papa Zola!"