Alexander didn't have to do anything for the next few days. He didn't even see Laurens for a long while. He was told by Lafayette one day to go to sleep early again, but, once again, was not told why. Alexander was awoken by a simple knock on the door in the middle of the night, so he quickly got dressed and stepped outside of his room. Lafayette stood there, holding out an earpiece, a flashlight, and a pistol. Alex took them and put them in the correct places while Lafayette led him down the hall. They stopped somewhat abruptly at the base of a staircase, where Lafayette pointed at the floor.
"This is where you will start," Lafayette stated. "You will walk along this hallway until it winds back around to the stairs, then you will repeat the process."
Lafayette was in the middle of turning away when Alexander stopped them to ask, "Why am I doing this?"
"Laurens wants to see if you would be a good night guard." With that, Lafayette walked up the stairs and into the darkness. The moment they were out of sight, Alexander's earpiece beeped. Laurens' voice suddenly flooded into Alexander's head.
"Start walking, Schoolboy." Alexander did as she was told, going where Lafayette had instructed him to.
"So, do you just walk around all night when you do this?" Alex stated, speaking quietly as to not wake anyone.
"Pretty much," Laurens said. "We talk sometimes, but theres usually not much to talk about. Only a few interesting things happen when you're locked in a building all your life."
"Don't you keep telling me that you're one of the most important people here? Why don't you just leave whenever you want?" Alexander wondered.
"I wish it was that easy," Laurens muttered.
"Why-"
"Why don't you ever ask anyone else questions?" Alexander didn't have a good answer.
"You could have just said you didn't want to be talked to."
"That's not-"
"It's fine, I have a question for Lafayette, anyway."
"Yes?" Lafayette replied.
"Were you always non-binary, or did you have a gender before?"
"I was originally male and used he/him pronouns." Lafayette's words sounded almost scripted.
"Why don't you still do that?" Alexander questioned.
After a moment, Lafayette responded, "I no longer have a sex; I have no need for a gender."
"That doesn't mean anything, you know. I mean, it's cool if you don't feel like you fit as a boy or a girl, but why didn't you stay who you were before you, uh, came back?" A minute passed, then another.
"I cannot remember feelings from my past; only facts. I know that I was boy before, but I do not think that would...fit anymore. I have changed."
"Alright," Alex hummed. "I can understand that. What about you, Mulligan? What were you like before you came here?"
"Well, uh, I was kind of an asshole," Mulligan said.
Both Laurens and Alexander responded, "You still are." Alexander could basically hear Mulligan's eyes rolling.
"I mean, I was a horrible bully in high school, and I only got worse after I graduated. I made the mistake of trying to mug a Third one night and was brought here. I've since become a better person, I think."
"That's debatable," Laurens mumbled.
"Shut up."
"Laurens, you've been here since you were three, right?" Alexander wondered.
"...Yes," Laurens answered hesitantly.
"So, I doubt you remember anything from-"
"I actually remember a lot, none of which you will hear about."
"Why not, Laurens?" Lafayette asked. "Everyone else knows-"
"Yeah? Well, I've decided that it's none of his business."
"Okay," Alex interrupted. "You don't have to tell me. I don't like talking about my past either."
"Look, you two have something in common," Mulligan snickered. "You'd make great friends." Only two seconds later, Alexander's earpiece faintly clicked. He didn't know why or how, but he couldn't hear Laurens, Mulligan, and Lafayette anymore, and they couldn't seem to hear him, either. After a few minutes of silence, quiet footsteps began coming up behind Alexander. He was about to turn around when someone grabbed his arm, pulling him down a different hallway. Alex turned to see Laurens, his face clouded with frustration and the shadows of night, his eyes trained ahead.
"They can't hear us," Laurens finally said. "Our earpieces have been disconnected for the time being. We need to make this quick."
"Wha-" Laurens pushed Alex forward when they got into the mess hall, as if holding his arm for so long would be poisonous. Alexander stumbled forward, but righted himself and faced Laurens, who had crossed his arms.
"We need to talk." An odd thing for Laurens to say, in Alexander's opinion, but the captain was too menacing to question at the moment.
"About what?" Alexander nervously asked.
Laurens opened his mouth, then closed it again, as if changing his mind on what to say. He eventually settled on "About you not listening to me."
"What are you talking about? I do everything you tell me to."
"Not without an hour of complaining and arguing," Laurens scoffed.
"I'm allowed to have opinions on things."
"You almost got killed and kicked off of my squadron at the same time, both because you didn't listen to me."
"Maybe because I don't care about either..." Alex muttered under his breath. "Honestly, that was your fault. You should have had a better plan, like mine." Laurens sighed.
"The tactics I use have been used for decades, and have worked just fine. My father, the previous general, taught them to me, so those are the plans I use."
"Why?"
"Because if I am to be the general someday, then I need to act like a general."
"That doesn't mean you have to act like your father. Clearly, there are better ways to do things now."
Laurens growled-actually growled, his arms lowering to his sides, his hands clenched in fists. "Clearly, you don't know how anything works around here." He took a step towards Alexander; Alex stepped back, sensing he made a mistake. "Clearly, you have no respect for your superiors." Laurens took another step, backing Alexander into a table. "Clearly, you don't understand that you have to act how people expect you to, or else you get no respect, because you're a pitiful little kid." Even though he was only an inch or two taller, Laurens towered over Alexander. Their faces were less than a foot apart, and Laurens' was twisted in anger while Alexander's showed fear, then confusion, then understanding.
"You're scared," Alex whispered.
"What?"
"You're scared, aren't you?" Laurens stammered, faltering and taking a small step back. "You think everyone expects you to be just like your father, so you act like this and do whatever he did." Alexander was the one to move forward now, making Laurens back up, his angry facade still on his face. "You're scared that no one will listen to you if you change something or act differently. You're the 'pitiful little kid,' aren't you?"
Laurens stared at Alex, getting a stare in return. Although Laurens' face showed frustration, his eyes showed a strange mix of terror, concern, and-oddly enough-hope.
Maybe Alexander's eyes were playing tricks on him.
"Go back to your room, Hamilton," Laurens said, his voice low. He looked away from Alexander, taking shaky, deep breaths.
"But-"
"I don't think you're fit for being a night guard. Go back to your room, now."
"Fine, Mom." Laurens flinched ever-so-slightly as Alex glared at him.
"Stop acting like a child, and maybe you'll get more respect."
"Last time I checked, I'm not a pitiful little kid." Alexander stormed off without looking back.