Walking through the halls of the TEC headquarters, Cassian felt the stares directed at him and Nia.
The whispers that accompanied them ranged from admiration to skepticism. Cassian's resolve remained intact, but the uncertainty from certain inner factions, notably the Bandits, caught his attention.
As Shade, he was to be the new face of leadership, and with it came the burden of expectations.
Nia walked alongside him, feeling composed yet curiously observant. Her eyes flitted to the onlookers, gauging their reactions, and he could sense her desire to keep him as the head.
The scene changed as they navigated a corridor and into a private office. It was an eclectic space, nothing out of the ordinary.
Sitting down, he kept his mask on, wondering what he's going to do about the Bandits that don't respect him.
"I've got some reports for you," Nia finally said, breaking through his thoughts.
He scanned the open files that she scattered across his desk. She herself settled into her chair, quickly clicking a few buttons on her keyboard to pull up the latest data summaries.
"Well, things are looking well," she stated, "but we have our rough patches." Her posture shifted before continuing. "Especially regarding your new role, there are some obvious concerns."
Cassian leaned back, arms crossed, absorbing the information. The main discussions around TEC were about Shade's ascension.
"What exactly are they saying?" he coolly asked.
Her brows knitted together, "Dominance. This place used to have hierarchical structures. They want assurance of your control to make sure you're a steady leader."
He studied her carefully, contemplating her suggestion.
"So you're saying we need to establish a clear hierarchy to solidify my leadership?"
"Exactly," she emphasized. "A framework like our old one would work, and it could really help in your footing."
Cassian pushed himself to his chair, feeling a tad intrigued. He then asked, "What do you have in mind?"
"Let's recreate an effective hierarchy," she confidently proposed, "based on what you already put on the table by calling me Alpha—a structure reminiscent of the ancient alphabet with each letter representing a role, defining the chain of command."
"Interesting approach," he noted, now feeling impressed. "Go on."
Nia proceeded, listing names as she drew a visual hierarchy in the air with her fingers.
"The Alpha's already been identified—me. The Beta should be Venn; he's exceptional at intel gathering, and we'll need someone who can protect our name."
Cassian nodded, recalling Venn's reputation.
"Next is Gamma," she continued, "Venita. She's trained for combat. Though she had her doubts about you, she'll come around when she sees that she has a soldier leading."
Cassian narrowed his eyes at her mention of Venita. That was the same woman who had been visibly discontented with his rise to power.
Venita was deeply loyal to Kingston, and she had become very doubtful after seeing Shade. Yet, her strength could not be overlooked—he had seen it firsthand during her assault at North Point.
"What's her history with those two?" Cassian pressed.
"She's actually Venn's sister," Nia revealed. "They really work well together."
Cassian became silent as he absorbed this information.
Those two had no idea what he had done for them back at their failed attempt at trying to take over North Point. Had he not been around, they wouldn't have escaped, and losing their Bands would have cost them all dearly.
However, the notion of leaders bound by blood was something he could use.
"What about Delta?" he asked after a moment.
"Delta should be Aiden. He's incredibly skilled at networking. He gets people, motivates them, and knows how to create alliances. Pairing him with Venn and Venita would really help."
The truth couldn't have been said better, as it was Aiden who helped Nia to aid in Cassian's contact with Razeon.
Cassian adjusted his stance and stood up to further consider this foundational structure. It most certainly could outline a path toward consolidating his leadership—showing the rebels within TEC that strength lay in unity.
And he understood very well that unity often came at a price.
"What about the others?" he inquired. "How will the rest of the hierarchy form?"
The ranks he was referring to were the ones beneath Venita's and Aiden's. Since it was following the ancient alphabet, which he had more than enough knowledge on, that meant ranks like Epsilon and Zetas existed.
Venita and Aiden would be in charge of at least two Epsilons each, and those same Epsilons would be in charge of others.
"Leave that to me," Nia said reassuringly. "As long as you're present at the top, we can help out those lower ranks. I know just about everyone here, after all."
"Then it's settled," he finally stated. "We implement this hierarchy and see what it produces."
A feat like this seemed downright impossible since he only had a D-Rank to show his skills. Kingston, at the time, was more than qualified due to the level of his Band.
Somehow, fleshing out commands and structures seemed less daunting with Nia's expertise steering him.
Nia leaned back on a couch nearby before prompting, "By the way, how'd you learn to mask your voice behind that helmet?"
He honestly wasn't paying attention.
"It seems like I might have to talk to Venita," he deflected, trailing off as he studied the document in front of him.
Nia laughed, knowing he had just dodged her question.
As she continued her thought process, her curiosity peaked around their upcoming strategy.
"What's our next move?" she mindlessly asked while staring at the ceiling. "We can't just sit here without making sure everyone understands things. I think we need a proactive agenda."
Before she could respond, he quietly excused himself, and Nia didn't even notice.
"So what do you think, Shade…? Shade? Huh?!"
He had left the office and made his way through the TEC headquarters once more until he arrived at the kitchen-like area. It was here he found the brother and sister duo—Venn and Venita—holding their own corner.
Venn sat casually with his curly brown hair falling over his forehead, a style that made him look carefree, even nonchalant about his responsibilities. He also had a playful grin.
Venita, on the other hand, was vastly different. With her toned arms, she was more of a tomboy. Her short hair framed her face, likening her more to a woman fit for combat than an ordinary rebel.
Shade greeted them, keeping his tone light despite his masked exterior.
Venn looked up with a nod while continuing to twirl a coffee stirrer between his fingers.
"It's good to see you, Shade," he warmly replied, unfazed by Shade's presence.
But Venita's gaze was more intense, her brow furrowed. Shade took a moment to gauge her mood before addressing her.
"Let's chat for a minute," he said rather than asked.
Venita crossed her arms defensively but relented with a reluctant nod as they walked a short distance away from Venn, sensing that her brother wouldn't interject.
While both appeared strong-willed, Shade noticed something off. Why was this woman so adamant about his leadership as compared to others?
"How do you feel about things?" he bluntly asked.
Venita's shoulders relaxed slightly as she met his gaze. "Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about it. Everything's moving too fast for me. It's like, one moment things were stable, and now…" She trailed off, visibly distressed.
Shade, yet again, felt her emotional honesty.
"You're hesitant about things?" he offered. "Nia trusts things so far, so why not you?"
"That's the issue," she asserted in a sharper tone. "I believe in her judgment, but it's hard not to voice my opinion."
Both of them understood the situation. She had been spreading rumors. Why else would he have wished to confront her of all the members?
"Rumors spread quickly and easily around here, Venita. If you've got something to say, why not just say it?"
Her eyes widened in realization at being called out.
"Because I don't know!" Venita blurted in frustration. "I can't control my emotions, so yes, I've talked. I didn't mean to spread nasty things about you, but what do you expect? I'm not ready for this!"
Shade almost felt a pang of sympathy for the girl, but he had to remain domineering.
While she had whispered behind closed doors, he saw it as a cry for help, an outlet for her frustration.
"I understand," he smoothly replied, gauging her reaction. "But I appreciate soldiers, not gossipers. I won't punish you for your feelings, Venita."
Venn was honestly not that far away, able to hear their conversation. Both siblings gasped at his words, clearly shocked.
Shade knew what was clouding Venita's heart—an effect of Kingston's Band's lingering influence. He didn't need to attack her; he needed to get rid of all traces of their former leader.
"I'm here to help you," he continued, careful to choose his words. "I know change is hard, but channel that energy—not against us, but into growing TEC into something stronger. We need warriors like you."
Venita's expression softened as she processed his sincerity.
"I didn't expect you to say that," she murmured, beginning to undermine her defenses.
"Almost everyone feels the same way as you do," he reaffirmed. "I won't ask you to trust me, but you seem to believe in Nia, so that could be your starting point."
For the first time, he caught a glimpse of determination replacing her uncertainty.
"I… I'll try," she finally confessed, visibly affected. "I'm sorry for spreading those… rumors."
"Apology accepted…" Shade encouraged.
It was a good thing that he was wearing a mask; otherwise, she might have seen through his unmoved facial expression. His eyes, however, were serious. He didn't want TEC to be divided because of doubt.
And in that moment, he felt the first signs of acceptance flowing through every member roundabout, knowing that his group understood he was fit to lead.