— You know I'm not in the best condition, right? — said the boy.
— Are you kidding me? — The Lieutenant laughed. — After all the officers with the greatest experience who are away or disabled... you are part of one of the only reliable agents I have left.
Slezzy averted his gaze from the Lieutenant, who confronted him once again:
— Listen good! That was your biggest dream just over a month ago and you're giving up now? Just in the drug of the moment when all those insects... who are manifesting against the military institutions of our city and blind to the atrocities committed by these criminals... more depend on the true heroes?
— Hmm! You know what, Lieutenant? — Slezzy raised the tone of his voice with every word he uttered. — Maybe... I was also blind at that time. But, after all the time I spent training at the FMA and also after everything I witnessed in the great robbery, I managed to mature a concept that I cared little! Lieutenant Jan, I've finally realized that in... a single misstep in these streets can make the little family I have left without any prospect of life in the next few years!
The Lieutenant put his hand on the young man's shoulder:
— If everyone thought so, who would defend us every day?
Jan withdrew his hand and distanced himself, gaining Slezzy's looks this time:
— In the last three years, the city has been consumed by the largest exponential growth of all possible crimes. That's when Crow and the Baron, leaders of different mafias, began to gain name in all newspapers and televisions, even already practicing all that early. Don't you know that? The media is always censoring most of this sort of thing, building a fanciful city of shit... full of false hope.
Slezzy was still reluctant.
— After the surprise operation last month that resulted in the baron's death, I thought we could hold them off for a while, you know? Who knows a minimum percentage of daily crimes! But it was not quite so in practice...
— Are you talking about the big heist?
— It's not just that! According to the intelligence sector, also responsible for the security cameras secretly deployed in the most dangerous regions of the city, we had images of the alleged son of the Baron. It's funny enough... everyone's calling him Baron Il. Anyway, it looks like he took over his father's business, not letting the bastard's empire fall into the hands of some other mobster. We also have images that caught a possible partnership between the Noble Society and Asa Negra. Ah! Something else! In the autopsy of the bodies of the hostages and robbers, who died in the great robbery, tattoos were found that referred to these same two mafias.
— So the mafias are helping each other...!?
— Exact. Although... this idea has never been so applied in practice... due to the selfish and infinite desires of each of the mafiosi and their leaders.
After the long conversation, the Lieutenant began to observe Sanches.
— I need to go, Lieutenant — Slezzy took small steps off the balcony.
— Wait!
Slezzy turned to listen to Jan's last words.
— Think well about my proposal! For this, I will take you away from the NCC for a week. Stay at home and reflect on how you feel best about your next decision. But... please... don't end up like Agent Sanches, with your wasted talent. Unlike him, you at least have a choice! And... don't think it's all over by the time you flunked out of fucking training!
Slezzy shook his head and left the balcony, leaving the room afterwards.
*
On the way home, Slezzy strolled slowly, still thinking about all that. The noise of the city, between cars and steps, attenuated his mind.
— So... the Lieutenant planted a seed in that brain? — said Haram, assuming his physical form to poke the boy's back, teasing him.
Slezzy just ignored him.
— What happened in this such training? — Hiram asked. — You looked so upset when he brought it up! Um, what the hell! We shouldn't have spent so much time away...
— It was kind of a test run for a possible entry into the FMA. It happened all over the past month. There were thirty mornings and afternoons, among different types of training.
— And... how did you get... flunked? — Hiram was thirsty for answers.
— I got the highest score of all. But for some reason, it didn't count at all in the end. You know... that "word" from the captain seemed worth more than that.
— What?
— That's right. The two children with the lowest score were selected at the end. At least, I left with some experience.
— So... I hope you do not waste it! — commented Haram.
Slezzy interrupted his steps, lowering his head and staring at the ground this time.
After a few moments, he stood up and smiled, continuing his journey.
The Sam Brothers surprised him, but decided only to accompany him this time, without any other of his questions.