Scarlet Angels.
Titles
“I wonder why.” The Commander said it dryly. “That can’t be the only reason, Rookie.”
“It was one of the most important.” Hailey wasn’t about to reveal that she’d been dared.
“I heard you had a… an argument earlier today. And a warning.”
Hailey managed to look surprised. “Really?” She asked, “An argument with whom?”
“With Diana. Heard you nearly came to blows.”
Hailey just looked at Crystal. “Not true, High Commander.” Her face was carefully blank.
Crystal’s face showed nothing, either. “What part, Rookie?”
Hailey’s gaze flicked down before returning to Crystal’s. “The blows part, Commander.”
Crystal nodded once, signalling for Hailey to go on. “And the rest? I know more than you think.” She said when Hailey frowned. Only because Diana spilled with a different story before I could cover my back, she thought angrily.
“Really? Like what? What did Diana tell you?” She crossed her arms and began to pace.
Crystal’s head went on a slight angle. “It wasn’t her. Another angel told me the truth, because I knew you wouldn’t, for better or worse.”
Hailey stopped. “Who?” She asked suspiciously. Her eyes were stormy.
“I’ll tell you if you tell me the truth.”
“How will you know it’s the truth? I could tell you anything.” She began to pace again, subconsciously assessing all the exit points – the windows, the door, the skylight.
“Is it true she dared you to scale the 200 foot flying fox?” Crystal asked bluntly.
Hailey hesitated, and then said, “Yes.” How could she know? No-one in Diana’s gang would have told her… is someone on my side for once?She asked herself.
“And you know that the fox is for last-year students only?”
Hailey stopped again. “Of course I do. I’ve wanted to go on it since I saw it, and the only reason I didn’t was because of that.”
The High Commander nodded her approval. “So why did you do it now?”
Hailey almost rolled her eyes. “Because she gave me a great reason to do it. I think I surprised her when I did, though.” She looked almost smug.
“Are you proud of yourself?” Crystal asked. She managed to look disapproving, though she was amused in spite of herself.
Hailey grinned. “Definitely.”
Crystal smiled now. “You should be. You broke the female angel speed record for it.”
Hailey’s mouth dropped open. It took her a moment to recover, but when she did, her eyes brightened; her wings snapped open, and she began to fly around. “Yeah!” She yelled. “Shame, bit-” She corrected herself just in time, seeing the High Commander’s face.
“I mean, wow!” She floated back to the floor. “Are you serious?” She asked. Or is this just a hoax? She turned away, shaking her head. I can’t believe I thought she was telling the truth. How dumb am I? She mentally kicked herself.
“I’m telling the truth. You now hold the title of fastest time down the 200 foot flying fox.”
Hailey stopped and turned back to Crystal. “So what happens now?” She asked warily.
Crystal looked at some papers on the desk. “Quadrant Sergeant Liam would like to talk to you. Then there is the matter of your punishment, and Diana’s punishment.”
Hailey sighed. “Great. But… Do I get to keep the title?” Crystal looked at her for a long time, assessing her. The silence grew to be almost unbearable.
Finally, she said “Yes, you do. But remember, you will still be punished.”
Hailey mentally grinned. She didn’t care about the punishment, because she had the title. And imagine; it’s all thanks to that uptight cow, Diana. No,she corrected herself, I did it. All on my own. This is my accomplishment.
“Your punishment is that you will not receive the medal until you have proved that you can do the other tests of a fifth-year student.”
Hailey stared. “What?” she breathed. Do the last-year’s tests? She couldn’t do that! She still had a year of training to go! But… the title! Could she turn that away?
“What happens if I pass the test?” She asked cautiously.
“You will graduate early, with the other fifth-years.”
“…And if I fail?” She said it in barely more than a whisper, looking at the other angel.
Crystal took a deep breath. “You do not get the medal, and you will be punished accordingly by your Quadrant Sergeant.”
Hailey took a deep breath. “Do I have to decide now?” She asked. Her eyes looked troubled as she looked up at her senior.
“No. You are dismissed, Rookie.”
They saluted each other. Hailey steeped back and turned to open the door, and then she froze. “One more question, Commander.”
The High Commander wasn’t surprised. “Yes, Hailey?”
“Who held the title before me?”
“It was one of the most important.” Hailey wasn’t about to reveal that she’d been dared.
“I heard you had a… an argument earlier today. And a warning.”
Hailey managed to look surprised. “Really?” She asked, “An argument with whom?”
“With Diana. Heard you nearly came to blows.”
Hailey just looked at Crystal. “Not true, High Commander.” Her face was carefully blank.
Crystal’s face showed nothing, either. “What part, Rookie?”
Hailey’s gaze flicked down before returning to Crystal’s. “The blows part, Commander.”
Crystal nodded once, signalling for Hailey to go on. “And the rest? I know more than you think.” She said when Hailey frowned. Only because Diana spilled with a different story before I could cover my back, she thought angrily.
“Really? Like what? What did Diana tell you?” She crossed her arms and began to pace.
Crystal’s head went on a slight angle. “It wasn’t her. Another angel told me the truth, because I knew you wouldn’t, for better or worse.”
Hailey stopped. “Who?” She asked suspiciously. Her eyes were stormy.
“I’ll tell you if you tell me the truth.”
“How will you know it’s the truth? I could tell you anything.” She began to pace again, subconsciously assessing all the exit points – the windows, the door, the skylight.
“Is it true she dared you to scale the 200 foot flying fox?” Crystal asked bluntly.
Hailey hesitated, and then said, “Yes.” How could she know? No-one in Diana’s gang would have told her… is someone on my side for once?She asked herself.
“And you know that the fox is for last-year students only?”
Hailey stopped again. “Of course I do. I’ve wanted to go on it since I saw it, and the only reason I didn’t was because of that.”
The High Commander nodded her approval. “So why did you do it now?”
Hailey almost rolled her eyes. “Because she gave me a great reason to do it. I think I surprised her when I did, though.” She looked almost smug.
“Are you proud of yourself?” Crystal asked. She managed to look disapproving, though she was amused in spite of herself.
Hailey grinned. “Definitely.”
Crystal smiled now. “You should be. You broke the female angel speed record for it.”
Hailey’s mouth dropped open. It took her a moment to recover, but when she did, her eyes brightened; her wings snapped open, and she began to fly around. “Yeah!” She yelled. “Shame, bit-” She corrected herself just in time, seeing the High Commander’s face.
“I mean, wow!” She floated back to the floor. “Are you serious?” She asked. Or is this just a hoax? She turned away, shaking her head. I can’t believe I thought she was telling the truth. How dumb am I? She mentally kicked herself.
“I’m telling the truth. You now hold the title of fastest time down the 200 foot flying fox.”
Hailey stopped and turned back to Crystal. “So what happens now?” She asked warily.
Crystal looked at some papers on the desk. “Quadrant Sergeant Liam would like to talk to you. Then there is the matter of your punishment, and Diana’s punishment.”
Hailey sighed. “Great. But… Do I get to keep the title?” Crystal looked at her for a long time, assessing her. The silence grew to be almost unbearable.
Finally, she said “Yes, you do. But remember, you will still be punished.”
Hailey mentally grinned. She didn’t care about the punishment, because she had the title. And imagine; it’s all thanks to that uptight cow, Diana. No,she corrected herself, I did it. All on my own. This is my accomplishment.
“Your punishment is that you will not receive the medal until you have proved that you can do the other tests of a fifth-year student.”
Hailey stared. “What?” she breathed. Do the last-year’s tests? She couldn’t do that! She still had a year of training to go! But… the title! Could she turn that away?
“What happens if I pass the test?” She asked cautiously.
“You will graduate early, with the other fifth-years.”
“…And if I fail?” She said it in barely more than a whisper, looking at the other angel.
Crystal took a deep breath. “You do not get the medal, and you will be punished accordingly by your Quadrant Sergeant.”
Hailey took a deep breath. “Do I have to decide now?” She asked. Her eyes looked troubled as she looked up at her senior.
“No. You are dismissed, Rookie.”
They saluted each other. Hailey steeped back and turned to open the door, and then she froze. “One more question, Commander.”
The High Commander wasn’t surprised. “Yes, Hailey?”
“Who held the title before me?”
♠ ♠ ♠
:)