“Look I’m giving you the option here. I’m trying to be nice alright.” Sam explained, pacing the empty room.

The boy she had captured was tied to a chair, it was placed in the centre of the room right below the single light that shrouded their face in shadows.

“You need food and water to live, I can provide both. Doesn’t that mean I am the most important person in your world right now?” Sam smirked, the idea amusing to her. Being the focal point of someone’s world, was it possible? She didn’t have anyone in the centre, she had quite a few people who were constant, she wouldn’t say that they were the main focus of her life though.

Dante was a friend, he would appear and make sure she was alright. He was probably the only person she considered a friend, not that she wanted more. More people that could be used to hurt her, like this boy she had captured.

She chuckled to herself, the other person who she found crossing her mind more than most once again forced his way into her head. Ethan Morris, her childhood best friend. Now one of the many people standing in her way, he had been brainwashed by the Agnecy of Power and now it was up to her to make sure that no one else ever ended up like that again.

He would try and stop her again, him and that team of his. They had already stopped her once. That was too much, she wouldn’t revisit that time period.

The boy in the chair groaned snapping her attention back to the present. How long had she been thinking about Ethan? Why, even now, was he the one who kept sticking in her mind.

“You know Ethan Morris don’t you?” She asked.

The boys head moved slightly, he was murmuring. That was good, it meant he was starting to wake up properly.

“One noise for yes and two for no. Three is you want me to let you go.”

The boy murmured three time and Sam laughed.

“Great. You can answer questions, back to my previous one, what do you know about Ethan Morris?”

The boys head lifted and she could she the impact of their earlier fight. Well, fight was a push. She had caught him by surprise and even if she didn’t he was inexperienced, new with his powers.

“Two years above. Met him a few times. Bit of a prick, like you.” The boy said, his voice strained but holding an air of confidence that Sam couldn’t understand.

“You sound very cocky for someone caught so easily.”

“You sound desperate for someone holding all the cards.”

A laugh escaped Sam’s lips, this boy was clever. Not clever enough to escape being caught, but keeping a sense of humour after a beating and interrogation showed a real sense of character.

“He was two years above me, I trained with him a few times and he kicked my ass like I had insulted his mother.”

That makes sense, Sam thought. Ethan wouldn’t hold back in training, it’s how the two of them were raised. Years on Eura training with some of the worlds greatest. You never fight anything below your best, not even while training those weaker than you.

“He was always strong. I knew that, tell me something recent.”

“Well he kicked your ass in the tournament. That was fun to watch.” The boy laughed. “Not only that but when you came back last year with that group of yours they also kicked all your asses.”

“Tell me, how well do you think they would have done if we were allowed to cut lose?”

“Oh is this the whole we didn’t try our best? Come on, you’re better than that.”

“I am better than that, you’re right. Better than all of them, that silly team. What do they call themselves?”

“The hounoured ones.” The boy said, his head rising. As if filled with some sense of pride.

“Ridiculous. What a silly name.”

“You don’t know what it means.” The boy snapped. “You wouldn’t understand, I doubt you have anyone as close to you as they are.”

“ you’d be right.” Sam said, squatting down and catching the boys eye. “It just means that I don’t have the weaknesses they do, you understand how this has all come about right?”

“The battle? Yeah your people are trying to kill ours, we don’t want to die so we fight.”

“You’re so naive. This whole thing started because that group refused to leave each other. They uprooted agency secrets and forced information into the light that made many people unhappy. That bond, the strength you speak of. All that has done is cause pain for hundreds and thousands of people.”

“Maybe. But that doesn’t matter to me, I’d do the same for my team. They are everything to me.”

“What’s your name?” Sam asked, now sitting in front of the boy, his blue eyes staring through the dark brown hair that dangled in front of his eyes.

“Sebastian. But my friends call me Seb.” He stopped for a second. “You can call me Seb if you give me some water.”

“You’re saying all it would take for me to become your friend is to give you some water?”

“It wouldn’t hurt.” Seb laughed before wincing, the broken ribs she had given him hours earlier wouldn’t be easy to forget.

“You tell me something else and I’ll think about giving you water.” Sam stood, watching Seb intently. He wasn’t scared or at least he didn’t appear to be scared. No tremors in his voice, no begging. He would have been taking all the fun out of it if he wasn’t as interesting as he was.

“Well my favourite movie is Into the Spider-verse, I love bright colours and I think you’re full of it.”

Sam nodded, walking out of the room. It led down a straight corridor and into another room which held her supplies. She grabbed a bottle of water and a pouch of food.

She thought about how Seb could defend Ethan’s actions so reverently, how he could say he would potentially start a war for a few people. She wanted to uproot the agency but that was for her reasons, not for a single person.

Walking back into the room Seb now had his head raised. He leant in back and in a move that took Sam completely by surprise he smiled at her. Through bloody lips and a black eye he still smiled.

It was a wide smile, crinkling his eyes and exposing his top row of teeth. It was a nice smile, friendly and welcoming.

Sam wondered what her smile looked like, she couldn’t remember when she last smiled. She hadn’t ever even thought about it.

“So you liked my answers then?” Seb asked, his voice weirdly full of positivity. Did this boy not understand the situation he was in?

“I’m starting to think I liked you more barely conscious.”

“Yeah that happens more often than I like. I’ve heard it more times than I think is normal.” Seb smiled, another full smile. Ridiculous.

“Here.” Sam tilted the bottle and poured the water on his face and in his mouth. He gulped thirstily ignoring the blood that was now running down his face with the water.

“Now I just need some food, a trip to a hospital and some new shoes and I’ll feel fresh.”

“Enough.” Sam said curtly. “Tell me what you were doing here, why was Ethan and your classmates doing?”

“What’s your name?” Seb asked, trying to flick the hair stuck to his face away to no avail.

“This isn’t a conversation, you answer my questions or I hurt you more.”

“I think I know you.”

“I can promise you don’t.”

“If I can guess can I have some food, or can you at least move my hair out my face?”

Sam turned and walked to the far side of the room, leaning against the wall she lifted her hand. The water around Seb’s face began to move, tightening around his head in three rings.

“Ow ow ok ow. No games fine.” Seb writhed in the chair. She didn’t stop, he started to rock in the chair and a groan escaped his lips as she watched.

She continued to press the water around his head, considering what to do with him.

“I get it. I get it fine now more jokes. Please stop, Ethan knows you’re better than this. Sam.”

The words rang in her ears, he did know her. Ethan had spoken about her, that idiot. He didn’t know her.

She let the water drop from his face and he gasped, ragged breaths filled the room.

Sam walked slowly over to Seb, his head hanging down. No more comments now.

“I think you’re better than this.” He said, his voice weak. “If you don’t have any friends why not start now. If you don’t do that again I’ll consider you a friend.”

“What makes your think I want friends?” Sam snapped. Grabbing his hair and wrenching his head up. He was smiling again, a big wide smile and kind eyes looked up at her.

“I don’t think you want them. I think it would be good for you to have one though. One that isn’t trying to fight and kill you.” Seb said, barely getting the words out through his ragged breath.

“You don’t understand a thing in this world.”

“You’re right. I don’t understand a lot. But I’ve seen people who are hurting, people who are in need of someone. I don’t know why you have done what you’ve done, I can’t even understand but hey. If you call me Seb that means we are friends, I can introduce you to my team. They’d like you.”

She let his head drop. He was ridiculous, a stupid child who didn’t understand a thing. She didn’t need friends, she didn’t need people who could be used against her. She needed information and for him to stop acting so nice while being tortured.

“I’m done with you. It was a waste to even think someone of your experience would have any useful information.”

“I get it. You aren’t used to people being open with you. That’s why I’m trying to be honest. I’ll even add more to show you that I am serious. My friends are going to be here any second.”

“No they won’t be.”

“Yes they will.”

“We aren’t doing this stupid game.”

“I’m being honest, Sam I’m telling the truth. They won’t leave me, they’re good as well. You may have hidden me from normal means but one of the people on my team has this way about the world. They won’t be happy to see me like this and will attack you.” Seb explained, locking eyes with Sam. She watched his face, he was being serious. There wasn’t any hint of anything but pure honesty.

“That doesn’t scare me, this is a useless attempt at intimidation.”

“It isn’t. If you just leave then I’ll never say it was you. Maybe next time we meet we can talk normally.”

Sam stopped and thought, she hadn’t had time to fully cover her tracks. It was only a matter of time and she had a lot more she needed to do in the coming days, a fight now would needlessly tire her out.

“You’re lucky I have other plans. I’ll take your word but I’m not untying you.”

“I wouldn’t ask you too. I hope we can see each other again soon.” Seb smiled, Sam fighting the creeping urge to smile back.

Walking to the door she opened it, stopping and looking back at the boy tied to the chair.

“I really hope you aren’t lying. Your friends better find you. We will talk soon…Seb.”