“No. Shouldn’t mind at all.”
I looked around myself. We’d arrived at the base, which was bigger than I’d expected even though I shouldn’t have been surprised.
“Almost there.” Johnathan said.
We were approaching a set of guarded gates. Inside there were twelve blocky buildings, all boringly gray with two floors, flat roofs and square windows. At least there was a little bit of grass and old trees growing between them, giving it a little less of a depressing look.
“Here we are.” Johnathan nodded, unlocking the door in front of him and leading me into the entrance hall that continued through the entire building as a wide hallway with a few large rooms on the left, separated from each other by windowed walls. On my right was a single door, much heavier looking than the rest, with a sign that told me it was the equipment storage. Johnathan was heading toward a staircase further down the hallway on our right.
I hurried after him, hastily peering into the large rooms through the windows. The closest was a briefing room, with a long table and plenty of chairs around it.
I followed Johnathan up the stairs that led straight into a very large living room with a large sofa, several armchairs and a few bookcases that were used to collect dust, apparently. Black leather and polished iron ruled the decor, and there wasn't a single carpet, curtain, orflower in sight.
To the left and behind us was a kitchen, just as big with black cabinets and a very long table with chairs by the window. Not the cleanest kitchen I had ever seen, but it could have been a lot worse.
“Most of my men are training.” Johnathan said, perhaps to break the silence “so I believe the place is mostly empty, though your roommate should be back soon.”
I just nodded dumbly in response, following him past the quiet rooms.
"Here it is," Johnathan said, stopping behind the last door on the left.
I had counted five doors on the left side, facing the big windows on the right, and a sixth at the very end of the hallway. ‘Showers’, said the sign on it.
Johnathan opened the door and stepped in, me following.
The room was surprisingly big. And clean. Still no carpets or curtains, but there were two beds against the opposite walls with desks next to them, a large couch under the windows, a small dining table and large wardrobes on both sides of the front door. There was another door on my left, ajar, revealing a bathroom.
"Here," Johnathan put my bags next to the unoccupied bed on the right. "This'll be your bed. So? What do you think?"
"It's really nice, sir," I said honestly. "Not at all what I expected."
"A small, dusty room with a bunk bed and a worn-down closet? Something like that?"
"Pretty much," I admitted, turning my attention back to him.
"Hm. The army is willing to spend a little extra to keep the morale high," he explained.
Just as I was about to reply, a presence appeared behind us.
A teen, seeming indeed my age, strikingly good looking, his expression calculating and intimidating. He was wearing sweatpants and had his shirt in his hand. It was clear he worked out. He glanced at me, approaching like a hunter cornering his pray.
My gaze flickered to Johnathan, searching for a helping hand in the situation.
“John?” The teen said uncertainly “what is this?”
“Perfect timing, Stryker. Where have you been?”
“Medical appointment” Stryker replied in a mutter. He nodded at me “who…?”
“This is your new roommate.”
He looked at me again, dark eyes scanning me from head to toe, his expression not changing except the slight wrinkle of his nose.
“Mh” he cleared his throat “sure, whatever.”
I glanced at Johnathan once more, uncertainly.He was a hard one to read.
“He’s fine.” The commander promised.
