Deluxe Chapter Two (Motorcity)

The rumor mill was working nonstop. I could only surmise there were names going around as potential candidates and based on the strange looks I was receiving from the other cadets the next morning that my name was one of them.

I did my best to ignore the looks as I went to Jenzen's room so we could walk to breakfast together. I thought I heard bitter laughter behind me as I raised a hand to knock on Jenzen's door. I closed my eyes and counted to ten slowly before knocking. Jenzen answered before I could finish knocking; the blond grabbed me by the front of my shirt and pulled in me inside, slamming and locking the door behind me.

"Well that was rude," I said with a smile. "You could have least waited until after breakfast before you started dragging me into dark corners," I joked smiling wide his expression changed when I finally got a good look at Jenzen. He looked panicked and kept looking at the door like he expected it to be kicked down at any moment.

"Jenzen, what's wrong? Have there been more attacks?" I demanded.

It took a moment for the blond to respond and then he nodded twice quickly. "Word came in last night. It seems a few guards were knocked out and one of our storehouses was attacked. I wouldn't have known about it except I-" he cut himself off. That was when I noticed that the sheets were stripped from his bed.

"Jen, did you have a 'sode?" I asked though I already knew the answer. Sometimes when Jenzen was under a lot of stress he suffered from night terrors. As far as I knew I was only one who knew about Jenzen's problem, and even then it had been by accident. We had been bunk mates during my first few weeks in the academy and had witnessed an episode while he was having an attack. After helping him come out of it Jenzen confided in me and together we made a plan for when Jenzen has an episode.

Jenzen's face turned a light pink shade and he couldn't meet my eyes.

All thoughts of the rebel attack moved to the back burner as my concern for my friend. "Do you know what triggered it this time?" Judging by the shade of red Jenzen's face took it was something he wasn't ready to tell me. Beating down my curiosity I placed a gentle hand on Jenzen's shoulder. "What can I do for you?" I asked, by placing all the cards in Jenzen's hands I had given him a sense of control which he could use a dose of.

Before Jenzen could answer his stomach growled, speaking for him.

"Food." We both said in unison.

I followed Jenzen out of his quarters and raced down to Hall D and hoped they hadn't run out of eggs.