CHAPTER 86: TALK TO HIM

Beatrice stood as they approached, offering a small smile. "Hey, you made it."

She turned to gesture at the man sitting beside her. "This is Supreme Commander Marlon Pitt, head of Scientific Advancement and Power Development at AMSO. He’s my superior and he asked to meet you personally."

Theo kept his expression unreadable but took the man’s outstretched hand. "Theodore Luther."

Marlon returned the handshake with a firm grip and a kind smile. "It’s finally good to meet you, Theodore."

He gestured for them to sit, his tone calm but deliberate. "You’ve been on our radar for a while now. It’s not every day someone outperforms our cleanup units in red zones."

Beatrice added gently, "This isn’t meant to pressure you, Theo. But AMSO can’t ignore what you’ve done. You saved Commander Lexa Spears. You pulled civilians out of a collapsed stadium. And you did it all without any official backing or authorization."

Seeing Theo in action last night had completely caught her off guard. And later that same night, everyone who had been at the scene was questioned one by one by Marlon, who, aside from being her superior, was also a long-time family friend and like an uncle to her.

When it was her turn, she told him the truth: she knew the person who had saved Commander Lexa and the two other survivors trapped in the stadium. The entire situation had been chaotic. Most of the AMSO soldiers deployed there were seriously injured. It was Commander Lexa who had ensured the rest made it out alive, because she chose to stay behind and hold the line.

Theo leaned back into his seat, arms crossing tightly. His eyes didn’t leave Marlon.

"So now you’re here to...?"

Marlon met Theo’s gaze, unbothered by the pushback in his voice. "To extend a hand," he said. "You have a gift, Theo. Something we haven’t seen in any registered AMS. Your survival rate, your precision, your use of variant skills, it’s unprecedented."

Theo stayed quiet.

"We don’t want to put a leash on you," Marlon continued. "We want to equip you, support you. Imagine what you could accomplish with full access to our tech and resources. You wouldn’t be operating alone, blind, or scavenging supplies through sheer luck. You’d be leading squads, saving lives on a much bigger scale."

Theo’s jaw ticked slightly, but he kept his arms crossed. "And in return?"

Marlon raised a brow. "In return, you’d follow AMSO protocols. You’d take missions. You’d be... accountable."

There it was.

Theo exhaled through his nose. "So, a leash. Just dressed up in a shiny uniform."

Beatrice gave him a look, part warning, part concern. "Theo, it’s not like that. I vouched for you. Commander Lexa did too. This isn’t a trap."

He glanced at her but didn’t reply.

"I get it," Marlon said smoothly. "You’re used to freedom. To moving how you want, when you want. But this war - it’s bigger than personal freedom. The red zones are spreading. Meteorborns are mutating. And worse... we believe something else is coming."

Theo’s brow furrowed slightly, but he said nothing.

Marlon leaned forward slightly, voice low and serious. "You’ve seen things most AMS haven’t. You’ve survived where others died. You were meant to be more than just a lone survivor."

Theo’s fingers drummed once against his arm. "And what if I say no?"

"You’re free to walk away," Marlon said. "For now. But if things escalate and they will, we’ll come back. And next time, it won’t be to ask. It’ll be to coordinate. Or intervene."

Aries shifted in her seat beside Theo, but said nothing.

Theo stood up slowly. "I appreciate the coffee."

Beatrice stood with him. "Theo-"

"I’m not ready to be someone’s soldier," he said quietly. "Not now."

Without another word, he turned and walked out of the shop.

Aries gave Beatrice and Marlon an apologetic smile. "I’ll talk to him," she said, her voice soft with awkwardness.

Marlon nodded calmly, reaching into his coat pocket. He pulled out a small, sleek contact card and handed it to her. "Give this to him," he said. "In case he changes his mind."

Aries took the card quickly and gave a small, respectful bow. "Thank you."

Without another word, she turned and hurried after Theo, who was already heading toward the car. Her steps were quick, her brows furrowed with worry. She clutched the contact card tightly in her hand, uncertain what would happen next but she knew her brother well enough.

Theo wouldn’t walk away forever. Not if the world kept burning.

**

Meanwhile, Marlon didn’t look the least bit disappointed. In fact, he looked intrigued.

"He’ll come around," he murmured, eyes still fixed on the door Theo had just walked out of.

Beatrice slowly sat back down, her expression troubled. "He doesn’t trust easily."

"Then we give him time," Marlon said calmly, tapping his fingers thoughtfully against the table. "Or we give him a reason."

Beatrice didn’t reply. She simply turned her gaze toward the direction Theo had walked away.

Truthfully, she had been hoping Theo would say yes, hoping to see him more often, like before. But something about him had changed. In just a few months apart, he had grown more distant, colder even. She wasn’t used to it.

He used to chase after her, used to go out of his way just to be near her. But now... it was like she barely knew him.

And worst of all, she couldn’t erase the image of him carrying another woman in his arms - Commander Lexa Spears.

Beatrice bit the inside of her cheek, the memory stinging more than she liked to admit. That woman’s name had been echoing through AMSO headquarters lately like some rising star.

’Lexa Spears,’ she thought with quiet annoyance.

"Do you know where they’re staying now?" Marlon asked, snapping Beatrice out of her thoughts.

"I know their old address in Capital City," she replied. "But Aries mentioned they’ve moved to a province recently."

Marlon nodded thoughtfully. "I see. His sister still wants to join, right?"

Beatrice nodded. "Yes, she’s determined."

"Then have her take the entrance exam as soon as possible," Marlon said with a hum. "If her application pushes through, it might be the key to convincing him. Family ties are strong motivators."

Beatrice hesitated before asking, "What if Theo continues entering red zones without authorization?"