Second Adventure (AWC Sequel)

Recruit VI

"Georgy! Help me here, please!"

"Wait up! I'll be there in a few!"

A nineteen-year-old boy almost tripped on his way to the woman who called for his help and almost dove onto the wet ground of the wet market because of too much focus on the game that he had been playing on the keypad phone that was given by his grandfather way before.

"Be careful!" his grandmother chided him, watching as he scurried and pocketed his phone and grinned widely at his grandmother.

"What can I do with my favorite person in the world?" he asked sweetly, this side of him never came out unless it was in front of his grandparents who had been raising him since his parents had abandoned him and lived with their new families completely forgetting him who had been once the offspring of their love.

But he might have a little resentment toward them, but he was also thankful because he got to be with another family which was his father's parents—his loving grandparents who had been supplying and filling him the love that he couldn't get from his parents.

"You need to help the man who bought everything in my store, we're basically rich," she answered with a new enthusiasm with her voice as she raised the thick money in her hand that seemed to be newly withdrawn because of how straight they were.

"Hide it, Gama, I do not wish to have my constantly wobbly legs run after that money or have my frail arms land onto the faces of the thieves that really did not affect at all because you flaunt it around your peers."

His grandmother chuckled and did what he told her, hiding it securely inside the box that was securely fastened onto the metal beside her, and the box itself had a lock and password combination that George personally bought around the market for his grandmother wm because she was once stolen with money and his wobbly legs and frail arms were put to challenge that he never wanted to repeat.

"Where is the customer anyway?" he asked, looking around but found no one in front of the rice business of the old woman. She was selling sacks of rice, his grandfather was the one behind it, they were both farmers so they owned everything, and not to mention, rich.

"He has started getting these sacks in his truck, help him so your thin arms could at least have muscles in it," she said then pointed to the man who was on his way to their store, "That's him. Go help him."

George looked to the side to where his grandmother pointed the man—he looked expensive, with shades on and simple casual clothes but one would still think he looked rich, it couldn't be denied, especially by the tobacco in his mouth that blew clouds of smoke.

The young man's eyes widened in recognition, he even gasped as if he saw a ghost, he rubbed his eyes multiple times, making sure he wasn't dreaming. This man, this man in front of him, walking like he rules the whole earth with just those flip flops, he knew him very well. He might not be known by the world, by every people because he wasn't the frontline of what he had built, but the thing that he built was certainly making noise and everything around the world.

And George himself was an avid fan, he knew this man who was the only person that was publicly announced as part of the agency that he built for the country, and since then, he liked him, since the news about every action they took to give justice as much as they could with further and fair measures unlike what police do, he had been following this man in all of his social media though he knew it was just fan accounts but the news about Themis Agency had just kept him alive and dreamed of becoming part of it.

And now, he wouldn't take this chance to go away just like that.

"Mister Hermes?" he asked after having his senses back because of his grandmother's tap.

The man looked up at him from taking another sack on his shoulder to settle in his truck. He squinted his eyes and raised his brow, "I see, kid, that you know me. I'm sorry, I can't disclose any of our agents' identities if you liked one of them."

"Three sacks of rice all at the same time, have me under your care," George answered, or more like challenged instead, looking so determined which caught the man by surprise and her grandmother weirded out by what he was talking about suddenly.

"What?" the man asked confusedly, he tilted his head and put the sack down from his back, crossing his arms, "Have you under my care as in the care that I am thinking right now?"

"If you're thinking about the care where you will make me one of your agents, then yes," he whispered, careful not to be heard by anyone because this man surely wanted to live lowkey, and if he just revealed who he was because of his excitement, he might get the bad shot about him then would decide against what he wanted to happen.

The man looked at him from head to toe, scanning him with his judgmental eyes. He then shook his head, "You are so thin, by the scratches on your knees and legs, you are also clumsy, your hands look soft, though they are calloused, but it seems to have weaker bones to even make a man blackout from your punch. I can't see as one aspiring agent as what I have been recruiting."

George frowned but then he smiled, "I wish to get those strength in your training and stuff," he honestly told him with determination, "My hands seem to be weak but I can endure the pain a lot. I could also be in the mind component of your agency if you wish me to, I can adapt."

The man still shook his head, "I don't think it's a good idea, boy. The thing is, I don't just accept trainees, I eyed them, then I recruit, but this kind of thing, I don't accept insistent kids. Kids like you tend to be impulsive, they just loved the idea of becoming an agent, to be praised, to be seen by everyone as a hero, that isn't what I want."

"I'm not like any of them-"

"My child here has a good heart. He has been saving people even with just a simple thing like pulling a kid to the side to not be run by any vehicle, he is known for his good heart in here though he might appear a little cold with people he didn't know. This is me, as his grandmother, talking to you. He has been liking this agency of yours that his mouth only spits nothing but your agency and his dream to become part of it. I can give you more sacks of rice in exchange for taking him."

George gaped at his grandmother, then realizing what he said, he shook his head and walked to her to hold her hand, "No, Gama, if he didn't want me, I'll still insist, no need to give him your everything for him to take me."

"You are my everything, Georgy," she said with a soft smile, her calloused and wrinkled hands softly rubbing his cheeks, "I do not wish anything but your happiness."

"You'll make me cry, Gama," he said while chuckling. He looked at the man who was watching the scene unfold before him, "Please, I can transfer everything from here to your truck, just accept me."

"This isn't easy as you think, Georgy-"

"That's George for you. Only my Gama and Gapa can call me that," he told him kind of sternly, the cold self that he had inside him was showing in this kind of thing.

The man just shrugged, puffing the tobacco which hid his face, "As I was saying, this isn't easy like how you deemed it to be. With your figure, you would probably pick as the most loser, they would just make fun of you, especially my top agents who never hold back with their comments."

"I'm ready with all of those, sir, those didn't really enough reason to make me stop with this dream," he said with a simple smile, placing his hands inside his tattered pants, "I'm ready to face them all if it means I could save people legally without getting praises with my name dragged with it."

The man once again stared at him, huffing and puffing his pipe as he thought of his decision. He sure had recruited a lot of kids of his age, and never in his time of running the agency someone came to him with this sincerity, whenever he asked them why did they wanted to be an agent, they would just shrug and answer boastfully, or like they would just say that it seemed fun to be an agent knowing that they get national, or even international recognition, and it would immediately be a hard pass for him.

After a while of staring, even George's grandmother was waiting for his answer, he sighed, "You have to prove your strength to me, so I would see if you at least have one percent chance to be an agent."

"I'll do everything."

Hermes nodded at the sacks of rice that he was supposed to carry everything as his exercise as well. They were for the agents under his care, so they would have a supply of rice, but since this man was insistent, there was nothing wrong to try, "Carry all of them to my truck, three sacks of rice in one carrying."

"What? Are you trying to break my child's back? That's not how you-"

"Gama, it's fine. I can do it," he interjected before his grandmother could even chide Hermes. He walked to the side where the sacks of rice were, "Can you help me put them on my back?"

"Sure," he replied gladly then walked toward him, carrying a sack of rice with his muscular body like it was just a piece of paper and put it on George's back who groaned because of how heavy it was.

"I'm okay, Gama," he said before his grandmother could even say anything.

At first, it was easy, he could send three sacks of rice with only a little hardship, but when he was starting his third round, he was starting to feel extremely sweaty and stiffened.

"George! What are you doing?"

George's eyes from looking on the ground and massaging his back turned to his peer who had skater shoes flaunting in front of him, and light just popped above his head.

Hermes was surprised upon seeing George skating his way toward him with a huge smile, the smile that never faded his lips from the very start, he even looked more enthusiastic right now as he tapped his back and urged him to put the sacks of rice on his back. His grandmother couldn't help but cheer at his child's smart ways.

His work had become easier and faster, and Hermes could say that he was impressed by his ways, if it was others that he asked about it, they would just continue their image of having a hard time so he could have accepted them out of pity.

But this man was witty.

And perhaps, he would be perfect for his last person of recruitment.

Though he would indeed have a hard time.