Three years later, "Childe" had grown up to a young man and had left the boy Ajax behind. A few months ago he had celebrated his 18th birthday at the barracks, where they had a party going wild, with vodka and women. He couldn't even remember the girl, but since then he had continued to practice fighting rather than spending his free time in bedroom stories, because battle was, what he enjoyed most.

"Oi, Childe! Are you going to join the raid in town tonight?" a soldier asked him, just as he was making his way back to the training area.

"Sure, Vitaliy. I'm even in command, you shithead!" said Childe with a laugh.

"Pff... Pulcinella sure seems to like you. Did you kiss his ass? Or wait... maybe he claimed your ass for certain hours?" asked Vitaliy with a smile. Childe blinked. For a moment, he really had to think about it. He had no idea at first what his counterpart wanted from him there.

"What's he going to do with my ass... eh... wait, you don't seriously think I need to sleep my way up here!? You're really crazy," Childe said, stunned. Vitaliy just laughed:

"I don't know, sorry man..."

"...With a dude most of all... I'm not gay..." muttered Childe, too confused and overwhelmed by the statement. Otherwise, he would have punched Vitaliy in the face without hesitation. Especially also for the fact he was accusing Pulcinella of something like that.

"Well, Nikolai and I have been asking ourselves certain questions...", Vitaliy said placatingly, "After all, you never go along when we go to pick up women... and if you do, you just stand there and drink your drink and never talk to anyone..." he muttered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah. Because I have BETTER things to do! I don't need anyone at all and I prefer going to go practice my fighting technique, which wouldn't hurt you either," Childe said coolly and just left the other standing there. After all, he was here to accomplish something. Above all, what was he supposed to do with a girlfriend? Or with a boyfriend, whatsoever. They would only take up his time, which he needed for himself and his battle training. That's why the other Fatui didn't get anywhere, because they only drank vodka and fucked around. But he had higher goals. And that's why he devoted himself... only himself and the fight and maybe his family. And so he hoped to achieve those goals one day, so he wouldn't have to hang out with such idiots like Vitaliy anymore. He hadn't taken his anger out on him either, but now at practice and tonight, where he would again give his best. He hoped so much that one day the supreme Fatui would see this and promote him.

#

One day he was helping Pulcinella prepare for an occasion. The ten Fatui Harbingers were invited to a ball given by the Tsaritsa, which was quite an honor. Everything had to be appropriately prearranged. Meanwhile, his mentor also entrusted him with more important missions and assignments. But Childe was not so sure whether he really saw something in him, or whether he was just saddling him with work he didn't want to do himself. He couldn't figure Pulcinella out, even after years.

"I envy you guys. I'd like to go to the ball with the Tsaritsa too, and as much as I've worked here, I think I deserve it," Childe finally said as he handed Pulcinella the papers and crossed his arms. His counterpart just grinned wryly.

"You'd have to pretend to be a Fatui harbinger, though..." he said with a laugh.

"Yes. Just tell me what to do," Childe replied. He could give it a try. Pulcinella laughed out loud.

"You really are amazing. But no - the Tsaritsa knows there are only ten of us and knows us all personally," he said.

"Who says there couldn't be eleven?" asked Childe, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hmm... I already know what your ambitions are, I'm not blind. But you're my apprentice. And this wouldn't be even possible until next Saturday," Pulcinella said, grabbing his forehead.

"Yes. That's right, I'm YOUR apprentice. And you trained me well, didn't you? Would I get praise after every mission otherwise...? Don't you want me to become more? You could put in a good word for me when talking to the First of the Fatui?", Childe was now talking his head off, although he had actually sworn never to ingratiate himself with Pulcinella, but rather to give him meaningful results. He had already bathed in blood for him and had almost died during his missions...

"Childe...my boy," Pulcinella said, walking toward him. Then he took his chin in his hand, as he had when they first met, only this time more gently. "I'll tell you something now in confidence...you're a good fighter, you really are. In fact, you're without equal, and you could outrank even the top military brass right off the bat if they allowed younger members. But you are not like the Ten Fatui Harbingers...With all due respect to your military career, I am also proud of you if you continue it, but please... you'd better just stay out of it."

"Why... I thought... I could... please, I'm able to! Not only can I fight, I'm flexible... I can learn it all too," Childe stammered. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Actually, he didn't want Pulcinella to see him like this.

"No... you won't become one of us. There's not even a number eleven scheduled," Pulcinella replied coolly, letting go of him.

"Please...think it over again," Childe persisted, tilting his head. By now he had lowered the tone of his voice, "I think you won't regret it..." With a wink, he grinned at him. He didn't even know exactly why he was doing it, really just because he was trying to manipulate him... And was desperate by now... wasn't he? Pulcinella turned and grinned at him.

"Oh, yeah? Big talk you always were," he said with a laugh, and was about to turn away, but Childe grabbed his arm.

"And have I ever disappointed you?" he breathed, looking at him innocently with his big eyes as he blinked at him. Pulcinella looked at him, unmoving, and they both held their gaze. For a brief moment, the thought of the conversation with Vitaliy came to him. No... this wasn't flirting. He only knew how to manipulate people, nothing more to it. And it wasn't like he needed it at all...

"No, you rather surprised me," Pulcinella finally replied, shaking his head with a laugh.

"And I'll surprise you a lot more," Childe said defiantly, crossing his arms. By now he didn't know what was going on, he just wanted this for himself, didn't he? But it annoyed him that Pulcinella had rejected him all the way... it pissed him off so much...

"Whatever you're going to do... don't do anything rash," Pulcinella still said, then he turned to the door. There stood a blond woman. Childe had seen her many times before, she was also one of the ten Fatui Harbingers.

"Ah, Signora," he heard Pulcinella say, walking up to her and gallantly putting his arm around her. Childe folded his arms. He saw a man and a woman - both influential and apparently they were also somewhat close... it made him so incredibly jealous and he couldn't even tell why. He was tired of being treated like a doormat by the man he looked up to and who had been his mentor for years... but apparently Pulcinella would never see more in him. Above all, what exactly did he want him to see in him? The thought made him so incredibly uncomfortable, as he felt about the situation just now. "No - I didn't flirt with him," Childe kept telling himself in his mind. "It's not like that... why should I. It's all about me, and that I want to become one of the harbingers too... But that's obvious, why do I have to keep telling myself that, arghhh!"

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. And he could do that best in battle. And so he trudged towards the training ground.