AN: Thank you guys for all the reviews and support. I really appreciate every review I get! For the guests reading this and trying to keep up with updates: I'm trying to update this story weekly. This chapter took a little longer (reason will be in the author's notes at the end of the chapter). So it's safe to check for updates after a week or so.

Ch. 5

Soldier Enhancement Program Training: 34 Years Ago

Jack Morrison

"Subject SEPA04JM076," a wrinkle faced doctor said as he shined a bright light in Jack's eyes. The man's brown eyes glinted behind his small glasses as he examined the soldier. He turned slightly to a woman to his right. She was holding a tablet that projected a little hologram of Jack's vitals as it scanned him. She tapped the screen a few times.

"Looking normal, doctor," she said. Jack tried not to flinch when the doctor moved the burning light from one eye to the other.

"Compare to recordings," he ordered her as if she didn't know what to do already. She brought up an identical scan. They hovered side by side.

"Matching."

"Excellent." He shut off the light, causing Jack to blink back the white spots left behind. "You're good to go, 76."

"Yes, sir," he replied automatically. He turned from the two scientists as another subject took his place. He moved from the exam room and down the hall to the training grounds. The exams were a mandatory morning procedure. He wasn't sure of the point – the "enhancements" had yet to begin. He didn't think that there would be any vital changes from day to day. Still, they didn't take long and Jack had barely even noticed them after a week of the regimen. He liked schedules – always had – even before he'd joined the army.

As he exited the building to the outside the sounds of droning conversation filled his ears. Most would think that a program filled with highly skilled and valued combatants would be a little stricter, but because of that they were actually more lenient than what Jack was familiar with. The men were all spread out, chatting with one another. A line of officers were standing at the far end of the open field. Jack approached the officer he'd been assigned to, Peters. Peters looked him up and down; examining his uniform, assuring it was pristine.

"You the last one, Morrison?" he asked.

"No, sir," Jack replied formally. "Leon was behind me."

"They've been waiting on group four."

"The doctor had an issue with his tablet," Jack explained. He nodded, sighing. Jack disliked how disinterested Peters always was with absolutely everything. It was like he had a look of boredom chiseled into his face.

"Alright. We're sparring today, you're…," he looked at his tablet, squinting quizzically at the screen, "over there." He pointed to an arrangement of men. "Set Nine." Jack looked at the circle of men. "No fighting until a ref joins you." He sounded tired with the line that he'd probably told the eight other men before Jack.

"Yes, sir," Jack responded.

"Dismissed, Morrison."

Jack turned from his sponsor, strutting up to the collection of people that Peters had gestured to. He kept his shoulder high, straight and solid. It commanded a sense of power that was always good when being introduced into a new group of soldiers. It was always uncertain what he would walk into, so he made sure he went in with the impression of strength. It was a bluff that tended to work well with most of the others. It wasn't wise to let on to the skin deep anxiety that he really felt – the burning of lungs as he submerged himself in a group of men he didn't know. He was a good actor, and no one had called him out on his false bravado yet. Sometimes, he felt like he actually convinced himself more than anyone else. If he'd just think hard enough that he was just as alpha as the other guys that he really would be. Unfortunately, he had to put on that act a lot with the way they did things around there.

It was an honest tactical trend that Jack had picked up on right away. When they had first been admitted to the program the one hundred soldiers were split up into ten groups of ten which were assigned officers to watch over. For the first day it had seemed that those would be the ten that did everything together. However, as soon as they started activities the groups were split up, one from each being placed in separate temporary sects that lasted for the duration of the exercise. It was a smart play: keeping them from pack mentalities. Grouping them up made it easier to manage, but not solidifying that group assured that they made bonds with other members of the program.

As Jack formed with the group of mostly unfamiliar recruits he glanced around. He knew a few of their names, but for the most part had never worked with any of them prior. The exception to that was a young woman by the name of Allison Brena. The two of them had been grouped together by the random name generator twice before and had become acquainted.

"Jack," she said, smiling. She waved him over.

Brena was a woman in her mid-twenties, older than Jack. She was tall, almost six foot, and muscular, though not overly so. She was one of the few women in the program – making a little over ten percent of the drafted soldiers. From what she'd told him, she'd been a sniper with an impressive record before getting noticed by SEP. She'd made it clear that she'd earned her right to be there and would fight any man that attempted to tell her otherwise. Jack kind of enjoyed the idea of the program being unforgivingly co-ed, pairing the women to fight the men like they were no different.

Jack swaggered over to the familiar face, dropping the act quickly once he stood beside her. He smiled a light smile that made his sweet face seem even more childlike. He was already one of the younger members of the program and the last thing he needed was seeming more like a kid.

"We're finally going to be seeing some real action," he said enthusiastically, smiling at Brena.

"Finally going to kick your ass," she replied, balling her hands into fists and punching the air.

"Settle down there. I don't know what the ghost did to you, but it's not worth it," Jack joked. She smiled, dropping her arms. Her display had drawn attention over to them. Jack made a point of flattening his shoulders once more and straightening his back. He waited for the hazing to begin. He'd heard it already, but they said nothing this time.

A part of Jack felt very out of place there. The whole aura was much different than the army despite it being made from the military. It was certainly different than the rural area he'd grown up in. This was a collection of the best of the best and Jack was proud to even be a part of it. Still, sometimes he doubted that he even belong. He wasn't sure how well he fit in. He was younger, smaller, and overall what appeared to be frailer than the other men. Still, he'd been picked over officers and specialists. There had to be something that the program heads saw in him. He wondered if the other guys there felt the same. Some part of him felt that he was not alone.

Was everyone putting on a show?

The sound of yelling caught his and everyone else's attention. They all turned their heads to watch the scene that folded out before them. A man, dressed in the garb of a recruit, was arguing with an officer. Jack didn't recognize the officer, but he recognized the recruit. It was hard not to. That was a man who wasn't putting on a show; that was for sure. Jack couldn't imagine anyone speaking to a commander that way especially not that early in the program, but someone would always surprise.

The officer pointed towards Jack's group and the recruit rolled his eyes. Jack couldn't see his eyes, but he still knew that's what had happened. He turned and trudged towards them with the most displeased look on his face: eyebrows knitted in displeasure and mouth turned into a grimace.

"Oversleep again, Reyes?" one of the other men asked teasingly as the angry recruit arrived.

"Shove it, Powell," was his curt reply.

Gabriel Reyes was a smoldering force of anger. That's how everyone saw him, anyway. Jack had never spoken to him or been anywhere near him, but his reputation preceded him. He'd been an officer before his acceptance and because he'd known authority it was obvious he had trouble taking orders from men he would have once been bossing around. He was tough, built like a brick house and as strong as one too. Jack wasn't even sure if he needed enhancements. He didn't get along with really anyone well. He had already been in a serious fist fight with one of the other men.

Honestly, Jack felt it was better to just stay away from him. He was the type of guy that Jack didn't really want to be around – the kind of person that made him feel the need to hold his shoulders high. It was a… disturbing thought thinking he may have to fight him.

Reyes pushed his way through the congregated soldiers, shoving forwards to where Jack and Brena had been standing. A pang of anxiety shook Jack, but he didn't let it show. Reyes stood on the other side of the woman.

"Officer Nowell is going to fucking kill you if you keep yelling at him, Reyes," Brena said. Jack arched a golden eye brow in curiosity.

Brena knew Reyes?

Reyes rolled his eyes and said, "Like I'm scared of that little bitch." She snorted.

"You will be when they kick your ass out for insubordination."

"They're not going to kick me out," he said confidently.

"Don't be so sure. If you're more trouble than your worth…"

"Who's deciding exactly how much trouble I'm worth?" His tone was cocky.

Jack rolled his eyes. A part of him wanted to see Reyes get thrown out if only to spite his arrogance. He half-smiled at the thought.

"Something funny, blondie?" the gruff voice growled. Jack's blue eyes flicked up to meet Reyes' dark brown grimace. For a second Jack wondered if the guy knew what a real smile was. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Nothing," he said semi-passively. He'd rather not be Reyes's second real fist fight in one week. Though, a part of him tingled at the idea of telling this guy off. Reyes's brown eyes darted to Brena who was glancing between the two.

"Who's the boy scout?" he asked. It was a purposeful move. He was minimizing Jack's existence by not addressing him personally. Reyes was establishing his dominance.

"Jack Morrison," he said formally, holding out his hand in an attempt to shake. Reyes crossed his arms, a look of almost disbelief on his face. Jack wasn't going to play his territorial game.

"I hit the nail right on the head with the boy scout thing, didn't I?" he asked, looking over at Brena. Jack dropped his hand. He mimicked Reyes, crossing his arms. Brena looked a little startled by what was happening. She shook her head.

"Don't drag me into this," she said. Jack smirked, looking his adversary over.

"You gonna say anything, or you just going to stare at me?" Reyes asked, waving his hand in front of Jack's face.

Reyes was about Jack's height, but had a larger build. He wore the same uniform as the other recruits: a gray t-shirt with khaki cargo pants. Reyes, however, had embellished his a little with a studded black belt. His dark brown hair was kind of long – chin length – and pulled into a small but wavy ponytail at the nape of his neck. He also wore small silver earrings in both of his ears. All of which was against uniform regulations, but Reyes didn't seem to care in the slightest. No one had said anything to him either.

"Sorry," Jack said. For a second Reyes had a flash of smug satisfaction dance across his continence, but Jack added, "I just thought you had made a wrong turn on your way to a Halloween party." The arrogant look died, shifting into a grimace. Jack enjoyed that.

"Ooh, this puppy has a little bite." Reyes leaned forward, his face an inch from Jack's. He tried not to show the fear that he felt. "Let's see how hard it is in the ring." He leaned away. Reyes took a few steps back, winking at Jack before he moved away.

"What's that guy's problem?" Jack asked when Reyes was out of earshot. Brena crossed her arms.

"He's just a little overbearing. He likes pushing the others, but from what I've seen it usually works out. Everyone likes showing him up. They usually don't, but they try their best."

"You've been paired with him before?"

"Once, yeah. We've eaten in vaguely the same area in the lunch hall too."

"Sounds like a pleasure," Jack murmured. Brena snickered.

"What was 'a pleasure' was the look on his face when you told him off." Jack smiled.

"It felt good."

"I bet." There was a pause. "He's gonna kick your ass now, though, you know." Jack sighed. He rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his golden hair. He didn't regret his quip, but he wasn't sure he wanted to face the consequences. Reyes was clearly not one to let things go.

Their referee, an officer named Holt, arrived. He was carrying a tablet as most of them did while observing the recruits. They took notes, observing who did the best and who did the worst. Jack wasn't quite sure exactly what they were looking for. A few rumors were they were looking to who would be promoted up and who would be placed under who. It was early in the program, only a little over a week, and so far it had been nothing but training and watching. The officers were silent and eagle eyed. Some of the other recruits said that those officers had been the few survivors from the testing phases of the drugs they were going to use on them. It was an unsettling thought to Jack: that these men were all that was left.

When they'd been conscripted a low mortality rate had been promised. There was always a possibility, but it wasn't something that had become obvious until Jack had arrived. Everyone gossiped about it, but all the higher ups refused to answer any direct questioning. It was a dark topic, but it was assured that the project would never have been approved and funded if they'd thought that the countries best soldiers were being put in certain danger.

Holt spread the boys out and picked two of the boys to be the first sparring partners. The rest of the group formed a large ring around the two partners. Holt stood further in, off to the side, so that he could split them up if needed.

"The rules are what you'd expect," he explained. "No hitting below the belt, try not to bust each other's faces open, and first to call submission loses." He stepped back a few feet. "Fight!"

Jack watched as different pairings of guys went up against each other. Occasionally he would glance up at Reyes. Each time his brown eyes were glued on Jack. Unlike a normal person caught staring who would look away quickly, Reyes smirked. Jack gritted his teeth, his eyes moving away from the other man. He felt a little nervous that this man – who was already notorious – had set his sights on him. Jack crossed his arms, trying to ignore the obvious stare that made his skin crawl.

Jack won every brawl he was put into; as did Reyes. The two systematically put to shame every other man and woman in the group. Reyes had taken out Brena, knocking her feet out from under her and pinning her down with her arm behind her back until she tapped out. He smiled in pure pleasure as she limped back to Jack. He was enjoying this far too much.

When Jack and Reyes were the only two undefeated, Jack knew what was coming. It was what Reyes had wanted since the second he looked at him.

"Morrison, Reyes," Holt said. "You're the last two standing. This fight will decide the champion."

"Will we go on to regionals?" Reyes said sarcastically with disinterest. He didn't seem to care in whatever meaningless title that was bestowed upon the winner. He was invested in the sheer rush of the brawl alone. Jack snorted at the joke, causing Reyes's eyes to flick back to him.

"This is state, Reyes, now get in the ring."

Reyes did as he was told, for once, and moved into the center. Jack mimicked him, standing a few feet back from his opponent.

"Let's see what ya got, blondie," Reyes teased.

"Watching didn't show you enough?" Jack retorted.

"I like to be a little more hands on." Reyes winked.

"Are we going to fight, or are you going to keep flirting with me?"

"I don't know. Looking at you makes me think you'd be a little better in bed than you would in the ring." Jack grimaced at him. He'd gotten that a lot in the army. He was 'pretty' and a lot of people only saw that. He always had to prove himself as more and that was something he hated. Still, that fight would definitely be his chance.

"I didn't get here because of my looks."

"That's right. A first class boy scout, like yourself, has to have an impressive résumé."

"Would you like to see it?"

"Maybe when I'm your commander I'll have a look." Reyes taunted.

"Maybe when I'm yours I can slap you with insubordination."

"I'd like to see you try."

"I'll throw in a uniform violation for that stupid ponytail too." Reyes, almost self-consciously, touched his longish hair. His dark eyes narrowed, examining Jack closely.

"And I'll teach you a thing or two about being a real soldier."

"Are you two going to keep smack talking or are you going to fight?" Brena yelled from the side.

"We're waiting on Holt!" Reyes yelled to her. When the soldiers looked at him he shrugged.

"I was enjoying the banter," the officer defended. He stepped back a few feet. "Alright then. Fight."

Reyes went in fast, moving towards Jack a little faster than he had expected. It caught him off guard, allowing Reyes to force him to the ground right away. He just shoved his hand hard into Jack's shoulder while hooking his leg under Jack's. The swift movement and technique brought him down before he could even think of countering. Reyes dropped to pin him, but Jack kneed him in the stomach and rolled out of the way. He jumped back to his feet quickly. Jack kicked Reyes, but his leg was caught. Reyes punched him in the stomach and used his recoil as opportunity to get back on his feet. He moved back, bringing his fists up. Jack did the same. Reyes smirked at him, going in for a punch that Jack blocked. From there it was back in fourth boxing: a mix of throws and blocks. It was a standstill – neither man gaining the upper hand. Jack was breathing hard, feeling the burn of the fight.

"Getting tired on me, Morrison?" Reyes teased.

"Not a chance," Jack lied, dodging under a punch thrown by Reyes.

"Just give up and I'll go easy on you."

"That how you win, Reyes? Forcing your opponent into submission with sweet talk?" Reyes chuckled.

"No, but I thought it might work on a boy scout like you." Jack growled, getting frustrated by the mocking. Of course that's what Reyes wanted.

Jack threw a punch blindly, but Reyes caught his arm. He punched Jack in the face – not too hard, but hard enough to stun him. It was a move that was clearly meant to be avoided while sparring. Reyes tackled Jack to the ground, knocking him hard on his back and pinning his arms above his head. Reyes hovered over top of him, his knees on either side of Jack's waist. He was using his weight to keep him down. Jack pushed against him, but Reyes was solid. His strength was pretty impressive, Jack would admit.

"Get off me, Reyes," Jack huffed. He just grinned.

"Tap out, Morrison." When Jack didn't comply Reyes said, "We can lay here all day, but you're going to have to tap out sometime." Jack growled, struggling one last time.

"Fine, I give," he grumbled.

Reyes released him, shifting his weight so it wasn't pressing down on Jack anymore. He sat up straight leaning back onto his knees, but still over Jack's legs. He smiled at him. He reached out and ruffled Jack's blond hair, making him grimace.

"Good try, blondie," he said, standing up. "You might want to leave fighting to the big boys, though."

"Looks like Reyes is our win-," Holt started to say, but Jack jumped up.

"What is your problem with me, Reyes?!" he yelled. "We just met and you're already torturing me!" Reyes shrugged, smiling deviously.

"No problem with you," he replied.

Jack glanced at Holt who had taken a few steps back, reserving himself to watch the argument. He was too into drama and this juicy stuff.

"He does it to everyone, Jack, calm down," Brena said. Jack ignored her.

"Yeah, calm down, Morrison, your pasty skin is getting all red," Reyes teased.

Jack clenched his fist. He was a reserved and level headed man, but something about Reyes had just pushed over the edge. Jack moved towards him, moving into his face. Reyes grinned, amused, white teeth gleaming against his dark skin.

"You smell nice," he said, still teasing. Jack ignored that.

"I want a rematch," he growled. Reyes laughed a deep laugh.

"You're exhausted; I don't think you can go another round."

"I bet I can and I bet I'll win this time." Reyes shrugged.

"If that's what you want then how could I turn down that pretty face?" Jack growled as Reyes leaned back some. He looked at Holt in question.

"Sure, go ahead," the referee said, uncaring.

Reyes and Jack moved back into their fighting stances once again, a few feet apart. Reyes was smiling at Jack in a way that Jack couldn't quite read. He wasn't sure what Reyes's face was displaying. Was it admiration? Or just amusement?

"It's cute you think this is going to turn out any different," Reyes tormented. He half-smiled, his lip twitching up at the left side and making small little wrinkles.

"Someone has to put you in your place," Jack challenged. Reyes raised a dark eyebrow curiously.

"Where would that be, hm?" he asked. "Under you?" He winked, insinuating his innuendo. Jack's stomach twisted in a momentary knot. Did Reyes flirt with everyone like that?

"Possibly," Jack answered for lack of a better response.

He wasn't exactly sure how to handle Reyes's composure. It was so strange: violent yet flirty, competitive but teasing. Jack had managed a lot of men who had thought they were better than he was, but no one quite as conflicting as Reyes was turning out to be. His charm rivaled Jack's own and it was annoyingly disarming at times. A part of him liked the compliments, but another part was angered by it. He wasn't some air head pretty boy who would just swoon over men and women who came along with kind words.

"Is that a promise?" Reyes growled, rolling the words in a hefty tone from between his lips.

Jack scowled, clenching his fists. "Shut up, Reyes, and fight me… unless you're scared you're going to lose. Are you trying to stall?" Reyes smirked. He looked at Holt.

"Let's go drama queen," he grumbled. Holt shrugged, moving back away.

"Alright. Fight," said the officer.

This time Jack didn't give Reyes the chance to charge him. He moved towards him rapidly, dodging a jab and returning a punch to his ribs. Jack jumped backwards just as Reyes's fist swung causing the edge of his knuckles to brush Jack's shirt. He punched only for Reyes to block with his arms, a strong hit landing on his hard bone. Jack felt his knuckles split open and blood was left on Reyes's brown skin. He followed the blow up with a left handed punch, also hitting Reyes's defense. Jack brought up his knee, out of respect avoiding the groin and instead hitting him in the stomach. Reyes grunted, doubling over slightly. Jack swung once more, but Reyes recovered enough to move away from the hit.

"What are you doing, blondie? Hit me!" he yelled, challenging. He dropped his stance, stepping back to beckon his taunt. Jack was frustrated. He was sick of this guy and his pettiness. If he wasn't going to fight then Jack would give him what he wanted. He wound up his punch and forced his fist hard into Reyes's face.

He heard a crack – an awful popping noise. Reyes barely budged; he recoiled in pain, grasping his face in shock. Jack had half expected his blow was hard enough to cause him to hit the ground, but he hardly moved. How tough was this guy if Jack's full might didn't even shake him?

Jack blinked, realizing what he had done.

"Shit, Reyes," he murmured. Reyes's dark brown eyes moved up meeting Jack's. They stared hard at each other for what seemed like forever. It wasn't an angry glare or a smug one – it was more one of respect. Jack felt every cell in his body shiver.

Holt rushed over, grabbing Reyes by the shoulder and turning him to look. As Reyes reacted it broke the intimate gaze, allowing Jack to think again.

"You ok?" the officer asked. Reyes dropped his hands, revealing the blood mess that pooled from his nose. Some of that blood had gotten on Jack's knuckles. He wiped it on his pants.

"Do I fucking look ok?!" he hissed, returning to the pissy version of himself that Jack had met when he'd first arrived in the group. Holt tried to move closer to have a look, but Reyes took a few steps back. "Back off."

"I think he may have broken your nose."

"Yeah, no shit!" Blood was still pooling from his face, streaming onto his shirt and staining it burgundy.

"You're going to need to go to the med bay." Reyes shook his head.

"I've had worse," he insisted. His thick eyebrows knitted in frustration and sheer unwillingness.

"Reyes, go get that checked out."

"I'm fine." Holt scowled.

"That wasn't a fucking suggestion, Reyes, now go to the damned doctor!" Reyes straightened his shoulders and back, leaning towards Holt in a clear standoff. It was clear he didn't like being bossed around. He was challenging Holt and his authority. Jack would never admit that he found the whole situation a little exhilarating. After a second of dark stares, Reyes backed down and returned to his normal semi-relaxed posture. It was possible that he realized he did need to get his nose looked at.

"Fine," he grumbled. He spun quickly and retreated back into the compound. Holt moved to follow him, but paused. He looked back at the crowd and at Jack.

"Oh, and Morrison, you're the champion."

"You really can't go in there, 76," the med ward nurse told him.

"I just want to make sure he's ok," Jack replied gently.

Jack genuinely felt guilty about hurting Reyes. He'd be so angered by him at the time that he just let his adrenaline take control. He didn't think things through like he should have. That was not the behavior that composed a leader – someone to be respected.

He had snuck away from the group in order to check up on him. Part of him expected Reyes to just punch him right in the face when he walked in. Still, he felt it was his responsibility. He was ready to face the consequences if confronted with them.

"I'm sorry, 76, but shouldn't you be with the other recruits doing training?"

He hated the number they used for him. It was dehumanizing. The doctors and medical staff were really the only ones to use it. He wasn't totally sure if any of them even knew the soldier's names. They had all been given a serial number which was branded on dog tags that they wore around their necks. The doctors used them to separate them out. Jack assumed it helped differentiate people with similar names. Still, it made him feel like just another number… another face among the sea of soldiers that mattered very little to the medical staff or to the world.

Jack fluttered his deep blue eyes, staring down at the nurse.

"They won't miss me," he said with a half-smile. The nurse rolled her eyes, her face pinching into a look of confliction. Jack leaned forward, over the desk she sat behind. He held himself up with his arms and cocked his head to the side. "C'mon." He reached out, touching her arm slightly. He found establishing contact always made it harder to turn him down. "I feel really bad about hurting him and I just want to make sure he's alright." The nurse sighed.

"He's being examined now." Jack cocked his head.

"I won't get in the way, I promise," he deepened his voice, turning it raspy but deep.

"They will be mad that I let you through." Her green eyes bore into Jack's hypnotized by the iris lakes. "But you can go on in. He's just in the exam room over there." She gestured to a door down the hall. Jack released his gentle grasp on her arm and leaned away. He smiled wide at her.

"Thank you!"

"Just try to stay quiet."

"Will do."

Jack spun around, strolling down to the door the nurse had referenced. He opened it slowly, peeking inside.

"Don't you fucking prick me with that thing!" Reyes was yelling. There was an elderly nurse leaning up with a needle. Reyes was towering compared to her. She could barely reach him. His bleeding had been stopped and cleaned from his face, but his gray shirt was stained with the crimson liquid.

'Red looks nice on him,' Jack couldn't help but think.

"It will help your bones reform together faster," she explained.

"I don't care. I don't want that thing -," he cut off, hearing a creak come from the door. His brown eyes flicked up and once again lock with Jack's prying gaze. Jack blinked, partially startled by his own intrusion. The nurse turned, indicated to Jack's presence by Reyes's sudden attention.

"What are you doing in here?" she howled in confusion. "I'm with a patient."

"The – uh – the nurse in there told me I could come in," Jack explained. He shook his head, switching back into charm mode. "I came to see Reyes. I wanted to make sure he was doing ok."

"This isn't the ER, boy. He has a minor injury." Reyes chuckled, crossing his arms. He watched Jack with thorough scrutiny.

"I know," Jack said. He moved into the room, shutting the door behind him. "I just feel bad about the whole situation," he added smoothly. The nurse blinked.

"You're the one that did this?" she motioned to Reyes. Jack glanced at Reyes who was smiling with amusement. It was clear he wanted to see Jack explain it to the nurse.

"Yeah, but it was an accident."

"You punched me in the face," Reyes said. The nurse looked at her patient then at Jack, an accusatory look on her continence.

"You were practically asking for it," Jack responded to Reyes. "I mean, 'hit me,' is pretty straight forward." Reyes smirked. The nurse glanced between them.

"Ugh," she sighed. "I don't understand you young men. Too much testosterone." She gestured to Jack. "You can't stay."

Jack grinned. He moved from the door and stood in the corner – out of the way to the best of his ability. He observed as the nurse went back to Reyes with her needle. Reyes visibly cringed, arching away from the small pointed syringe. His eyes flicked momentarily to Jack, who, for some reason, smiled in encouragement. Reyes looked away, but stopped moving. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"It'll just be a pin prick," the nurse assured.

She lightly slid the small needle into the base of Reyes's nose. Reyes flinched. His fists balled and his jaw clinched. It was obvious he was trying not to pull away. She injected the liquid into him before withdrawing the syringe and backing away. Reyes flicked open his eyes, moving them to Jack.

"See, that wasn't so bad," she said. Reyes shrugged, clearly uncomfortable by what had happened. "Now, I need to go prepare a splint. You boys play nice while I'm gone, and don't touch your nose."

"Yes, ma'am," Jack said.

Reyes agreed with a grumble of, "Whatever."

The nurse left the room, leaving the two men alone together.

"You don't like needles?" Jack asked, not knowing what else to say. Reyes frowned.

"Hate them," he said. "I hate hospitals too."

"There a reason?" Reyes snorted.

"Got a shot when I was a kid. It made me so sick that I was hospitalized for two weeks. I don't trust them anymore." Jack chuckled.

"Holding grudges then?" he teased. Reyes smiled – fully this time.

"I'm good at grudges."

Jack looked down, hanging his head. He bit the inside of his cheek.

"I hope you're not going to hold one to me," he said, slowly. Reyes shook his head.

"No," he replied. He shrugged. "I did tell you to hit me, and like I said, I've had worse. If I couldn't take a hit what kind of soldier would I be?"

"To be fair, you pissed me off, Reyes."

"That was my intention."

"I could tell." Jack sighed. He moved closer to Reyes, crossing his arms. He leaned against the exam table. It was a bit risky being beside Reyes. If he decided he wanted revenge then Jack was a sitting duck. He didn't really care though. He looked down, at the glimmering skin of his arm. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Reyes shifted beside Jack, moving his arm up. Jack flinched, catching the movement out of his peripheral vision. He thought he was about to be hit and was ready to dodge. However, Reyes simply clapped his hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Apology accepted," he said.

Jack glanced over at him.

"You going to be ok?" he asked.

Reyes released his hold on Jack's shoulder and moved to touch his nose. Jack made a noise of protest causing Reyes to stop in realization. He shuddered, a little uncomfortable. Maybe he had an itch.

"The nurse said the shit in that syringe is supposed to hyper boost the bone. They're ganna put a brace on me to hold it in place. I should be good in a few days." Jack nodded.

"Good. Don't want my mistake to interrupt your performance." Reyes grunted.

"Jesus, you're just… some kind of… golden boy, aren't ya?"

Jack looked over at him. Reyes's eyes were boring into the side of his face, taking in his form. He recoiled slightly when Jack caught his stare. He shook his head, trying to act nonchalant.

"I would've decked me too, Morrison," he said. Jack shook his head and looked away from Reyes.

"Golden boy, huh?" He asked.

Somehow, it was a nice title.

"That's what you are… with your hair and your goody goody attitude. I liked seeing you get all riled up. I liked the look of anger on your face when you punched me." He paused, seemingly thinking. He nudged Jack gently, drawing his attention. "I like the boy scout routine though too." Jack smiled and so did Reyes; their eyes mingling in a mutual stare.

Jack for some unknown force of the universe actually liked this asshole.

AN: Well that was a doozy. I would like to point out that this was the hardest chapter for me yet. I really struggled with young Jack Morrison's personality, and at one point I had written him incredibly bland and boring. It was so bad, I ended up jokingly calling him Saltine76 or Cracker76 because he was "as bland as a saltless saltine cracker" It wasn't for lack of vision. I kind of understood how I wanted him to be, but I couldn't find a way to make it translate. My friend, Nekorun, actually had to help me sort out a good personality profile for him which resulted in him being a little more relaxed and humorous than he had been originally. I'm still not sure if I'm 100% happy with how Jack turned out, but I'm hoping I can develop him in further chapters. I guess it's good Gabriel Reyes is so outspoken or the conversation may have been boring.
Anyway, thank you guys for reading! Reviews (especially regarding how you think I handled Morrison's personality and how you think he may have been) are appreciated greatly!