Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The night was rough. He tossed and turned, the sheets twisting around his body like a cocoon, smothering him in sweat and anxiety. He tried not to think about the day, only for his mind to linger on it. If Alex had gotten any sleep, he couldn't remember it.
Eli didn't look any better than him that morning, but when Alex asked her if she slept alright, she nodded like a liar. He didn't have it in him to call her out on it. He might have made a joke about her eye bags any other day, but it wasn't like his were any better.
They went to HQ like nothing was wrong. Like Klaus was still with them. Like they had nothing to hide at all. Alex nodded when people said good morning and smiled when it was appropriate. He got started on his paperwork and sipped cheap, water-downed coffee as he looked through what he needed to fill out about his recruits.
The only other recruiter came over when he saw Alex, offering an even more watered-down coffee. Alex took it anyway. He drained the cup in a few gulps.
The recruiter didn't speak until the paper cup was empty. He even took it from Alex, throwing it away for him along with the other one. "Did you see the news?" he asked with uncharacteristic brightness.
That gave Alex some pause. "What news?"
He leaned in like it was a secret. "The Republic's smallest R&D building was destroyed," the boy said. "I heard that nothing's left. They lost everything physical and then some."
Alex hummed. No wonder everyone was so chipper. He thought he was just being a crank. This might boost the Elite's morale for a bit. God knew they all needed it. "How'd that happen?"
"Some people after hours, apparently."
"Do we know who?"
"Don't think so," he said. "And frankly, I don't care. They did us a favor burning it down and that's all I care about. I heard this is going to set them back a bit. Wouldn't it be great if whoever was responsible burned it all down? Maybe they'll consider going after a facility next."
Alex paused. Burned down the same night Klaus left.
"Boss wants you, by the way."
Immediate dread. His recruitment numbers were shit recently. So shit that the director himself had found it necessary to personally chew him out.
Alex walked to the office like a lamb to slaughter, bracing himself for the worst as he stepped into the room.
"Ah," he said in a deep voice. "Please take a seat."
Alex was not prone to fidgeting but understood the appeal in moments like this. He knew he should have been focused on what Knox was going to say, but instead, his mind kept wandering off to Klaus and what might have happened to him. Had this all been part of some plan? Was it by chance that Klaus left practically at the same time as the R&D building went up in flames? It could have been someone else - it probably was someone else. There were plenty of other Elites who were angry enough to do something like that, but-
