Reunited [Matt x Reader] [Eddsworld]

Chapter 9 - Demonstration

'I'm going to train you how to shoot a gun.'

I blinked a couple of times, processing the information that had just been relayed to me in absolute disbelief. 'Shoot a gun?' I repeated, completely taken aback by this.

'Yeah. Shoot. And, well, all the other physical stuff. We're gonna get you a bit buffer. But mostly, yeah, the shooting part. Leader wants you to know your way around an assault rifle. Which, ...figures. You're one of us now.' he said, hitting my back with his palm playfully. 'You're even getting special treatment. I don't know why he didn't just have you train with the rest of our people, but...I guess it makes sense considering you being...' he said, pausing briefly to look me up and down.

'...a special case of sorts.'

I looked at Paul, still in a state of shock, my jaw slightly agape. 'You..you're serious? This isn't like a prank or anything? Or like...initiation or whatever.'

Paul nodded and shook his head. 'They really didn't tell you anything, did they? I mean, I knew they weren't going to say much, but...could have at least prepared you a little bit. This just seems a bit cruel.'

'And...what did you mean by saying I'm "a special case of sorts"' I said, after another brief pause, rubbing my upper arm nervously.

Paul paused, going a bit wide-eyed, and averting his gaze. 'I'm not sure what I'm allowed to say or not. Confidentiality wasn't ever my strong suit. That type of stuff is better suited for Patryck...' he said, looking at the floor, thinking. 'Our Leader has special reasons for hiring you. Let me just leave it at that. Or else I might spill something I'm not supposed to and screw up the whole operation.'

Paul walked over to the other side of the room to do something, while I remained motionless, thinking through the whole situation in my head. I was truly confused beyond any reason, and I couldn't just shake it off anymore. This was all so strange, and the feeling of danger I had was just starting to creep up my back again. It wasn't Paul or Patryck who made me feel unsafe, actually, somehow, even tho we were just strangers, they didn't feel like they had any ill will toward me. Especially Paul. From what little I've been around him, he seemed like a down-to-earth guy, even tho he was keeping secrets from me.

What really unnerved me was "Leader". An ominous figure shrouded in mystery, almost standing as a looming concept rather than a living human, who I wasn't allowed to even know the name of. Either they were someone extremely high profile who liked to keep their identity under wraps or...they were someone I would recognise. And that second option scared me. This was all so strangely personal all of the time, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that this was much more insidious than I could ever have imagined. But, at the forefront of it all. I just wanted to know one thing.  One might even call this a stupid question on my part, but it's something I at least needed to ask once.

'That...Leader person...and this whole "operation" as you called it...it's not anything like...bad, is it? Like I'm not saying this all sounds like some sort of villainous scene, but from what little information I've gathered...yeah.' I said, with a nervous laugh at the end, scratching the back of my neck apologetically once I realized how dumb my question sounded spoken aloud.

Paul chuckled and pulled something out of a locker by the wall. 'No, it's a reasonable assumption to have. Can't fault you for that.' He said, slamming the locker shut. 'Don't worry. We won't be having you killing puppies or robbing orphanages if that's what you're worried about.'

'That didn't exactly answer my question.' I thought to myself, but decided not to voice my concern. I followed Paul as he motioned for me to come over to him, as he was pressing a key to a door on the far back wall of the room.