Madelyne

I turned to look at both Rosa and Maddie. I could see a hint of fear in Rosalind's beautiful blue eyes, but saw a smile spread across Madelyne's countenance since she was stoked to have someone standing up for her. I wondered what both women would have to say to me once we returned to Maddie's dorm room.

We left a hushed crowd behind as the only sounds that could be heard coming from the entire chamber were the three of us leaving.

* * *

I was a little surprised that no one tried to stop me on my way out of the cafeteria. I was even more surprised by the silence that had fallen over everyone. There must've been at least fifty students present for my outburst, yet not one of them had stepped forward to stop me from thrashing the contemptible lummox as I slammed his face down into the plate and table. I would've thought that of everyone present, someone - especially one of his chums - would've tried to prevent me from lashing out. Maybe everyone had just been too stunned since everything had happened so quickly...

Perhaps the person who had been the most stunned of all had been myself. I stated it before and I'll do so again: I'm not nor have I ever been a violent person. Sure, I've watched my share of professional fights on TV and taken sides on many occasions, and I have no problem writing about violence in my fantasy stories. I'm by no means some pacifist who would preach against pugilism, but I've never been involved in a vicious altercation such as the one I had just partaken in. I have to admit that while it was a little exhilarating, it was also a tad bit frightening to witness what I had been capable of.

"That was fucking awesome!" Madelyne announced as we entered her room. She no longer needed Rosa's help as she walked over to one of her closets and pulled out a clean shirt. She took off the one she had on since it still had some strawberry milkshake residue on it and put on the fresh one. "The way you put that asshole in his place...!"

"It was...intense," Rosalind gave her opinion. She crossed her arms and looked at me as if she no longer knew who I was. "I...wouldn't have imagined you capable of such anger, Marcus."

I wasn't sure how to respond. On one hand, I was proud of what I had done. I had stood up for Maddie and shut the mouth of some dumb brute who thought he was better than everyone else due to his intimidating size and status. He had it coming and deserved everything I dished out to him.

On the other hand, though, I saw myself in a whole new light. Much like Rosa, I was a little rattled to even look at myself in Madelyne's mirror. Sure, I had become overtaken by anger due to the fact that Maddie had been hurt, but to lash out so uncontrollably...it was a side of myself I had never seen before. It was a little nerve-wracking to know that I was capable of such ferocity.

"That dickhead deserved it!" Maddie exclaimed as she walked up to me and gave me a hug. "I'm so sick of people treating me like I'm beneath them just because I'm short! It sucks being the butt of everyone's jokes and constantly being belittled because of my size! I hate being called a midget and a dwarf!" After ranting, Madelyne gave me another hug and thanked me for standing up for her. She then looked to Rosa and tried to find the right words as she asked, "Would you maybe be able to give me some time alone with Marcus tonight, Rosa? I don't mean to hog him or anything, but after all, he was my knight in shining armor just a few minutes ago. I'd like to 'reward' him in a way befitting to the situation..."

Rosalind responded by first looking at me and then Maddie. She finally nodded her agreement before walking toward the doorway and telling us goodnight. She also told Madelyne that she was glad she was okay, and she informed us that she would see the two of us in the morning.

I stepped forward and mentioned that she didn't have to leave just yet. I wasn't trying to shoot Maddie's idea down, by any means: I was certainly more than willing to collect on a reward from the silver-haired fox. I just didn't want to see Rosa go yet. Besides, I felt that I owed the blue-eyed beauty an explanation for my erratic display back in the cafeteria...

Rosalind made a small motion with her head and told me it was all right. She again informed me that she would see me in the morning before telling me to have a good night.

After the door closed behind Rosalind, Maddie reached up and grabbed me by the shirt. She had a devious smile on her face as she pulled me toward the bed and beckoned, "Come on, big boy...it's time for a chivalrous knight to seize his reward..."

* * *

That night with Madelyne was unforgettable...as was the morning that followed. Unfortunately, the coming dawn wasn't nearly as satisfying as the previous twilight.

I was promptly summoned to the dean's office...and in no more than two minutes, I found myself expelled from the university. There was to be no further conversation or debating...I had been kicked out of college with only one week of classes left. That entire term had been flushed down the drain.

The moment I stepped out of that office and into the ironically bright sun, I had planned on heading to the girls' dormitory so I could tell both Maddie and Rosa about what had happened. I figured they both had the right to know, but I quickly remembered that after seeing the clock in the dean's office, they would both be in class for at least another forty-five minutes. Telling them would have to wait.

I went back home for the time being and decided to have some breakfast. I made sausage and eggs, and after pouring a tall glass of orange juice, I had a seat at the small kitchen table my roommates and I had against the wall and just stared at my plate of food. I didn't touch it for the longest time as I thought about what I would tell not only Maddie and Rosa, but also Justin and J-Bone. I also thought about my parents back home and wondered how they'd react to the situation.

I kept telling myself that I had done the right thing. My father had taught me many lessons in my youth that still stick with me to this day, but one of the most important that I recall is the treatment of the fairer sex. He had taught me to properly respect women, and he told me to always be a gentleman around them. He coached me on the ways of chivalry, and he emphasized standing up for them during rugged situations. He educated me on how to be appreciative of all females because they were one of the most important things in life.

He had been right, too.

I didn't regret what I had done. I didn't care that I had crushed that lummox's nose. I didn't care if his family came after me with the righteous fury of the law behind them. That ingrateful lowlife had laid his hands on a woman; a wonderful woman who never did anything to him. He had deserved everything I had done to him...and more.

That wasn't me talking. Sure, I didn't regret anything I had done, but something in me almost sounded like it wanted to get out. It almost seemed like there was more welling up in me than I had imagined possible. It was almost like there was another person trying to claw his way to the forefront...

The doorbell suddenly rang and made me jump.

Get ahold of yourself, I chided myself. I had wished that either Justin or J-Bone had been home so I could talk to one of them about my plight, but I assumed that whoever was at the door was either Rosa or Maddie and that one of them had rushed right over after hearing about my expulsion somehow. I realized I only had moments to come up with a proper explanation for what the dean had told me. I knew Madelyne would understand, but Rosa would be a harder sell...

I made my way through the den and living room and right up to the front door. I pulled it open without hesitation...and stared at two men dressed in suits. I had never seen one of them before...but the other had a small scar across his right cheek. He was obviously known to me.

"Mister Veovin?" The one I had never seen before spoke in a loud enough voice for me to hear through the thin storm door separating us. "May we have a word with you for a moment?"

I couldn't even begin to explain the mix of emotions coursing through my body in that instant. I think my motor functions took over and did the work for me as my brain tried to comprehend what was going on. My right hand shot forward and pushed the door open so I could step out on the small porch.

The man I didn't recognize stuck a hand out for me to shake. "Good morning, Mister Veovin. My name is Stevens. My fellow operative here is Talenos."

Again, my body acted on its own volition as it accepted the hand of the first man. My eyes then went to the one I had seen a few times too many as my brain tried to accept the term "operative." Who the hell were these guys? Operatives of what...?

"Good morning, Mister Veovin," Talenos took his turn greeting me as he also placed a hand out for me to shake. "I hope we aren't interrupting anything."

The two strangers before me could best be described as the typical secret agent types. Both men looked to be in their late thirties to early forties, and they were clad from head to toe in black. They had white button up shirts beneath their suit coats, and of course the requisite black tie. Both of them had on dark sunglasses, and they both had dark hair...well, at least Talenos did. Stevens' hair was more of a brown, but it was still pretty dark. Talenos, on the other hand, not only had a five o'clock shadow, but surprisingly enough, he had mutton chops that I wouldn't have expected any kind of secret operative to have. Then again, maybe these guys weren't exactly "secret" since I had seen one of them plenty of times before...

Since I wasn't responding to Talenos, Stevens took over once again and solemnly said, "I apologize for our timing, but we've reached an impasse and could no longer wait. We needed to approach you now, and given your current situation with your schooling..."

"What?" I finally spoke up. How the hell did these guys know about what had just happened? That was no more than an hour ago, and they had been nowhere in the vicinity...

I felt like a complete putz when I realized what they both were. They had probably been watching my each and every move all morning. Geez, for all I knew, maybe they had somehow been watching me when I had been intimate with Maddie and Rosa...

"You're important, Mister Veovin," Talenos took over for his partner. He was certainly the more imposing of the two...not to say that Stevens wasn't as well. Both men were at least six feet tall, and both of them easily tipped the scales at two hundred plus pounds. Their suits fit them the same way a tight pair of leggings looked on Rosa, so I could plainly tell that they were all muscle. Making any kind of derogatory comment would not be in my best interest.

Stevens nodded in agreement as he added, "Very important, Mister Veovin."

The way they kept referring to me as "Mister Veovin" sounded downright goofy to me, but again, I wasn't about to say something that would piss them off. Who was I to correct them?

"What do you know of the world around you, Mister Veovin?" Talenos suddenly asked me in a nonchalant manner. "What do you know of governments; monarchies, oligarchies, dictatorships...?"

I responded in the only way I could think to do so. "Huh?"

"Mister Veovin, you are a vital part of our world's future," Stevens suddenly told me in a firm voice. "You may not know it yet, but you have the makings of a great hero within you."

I stood in stunned silence. I had no idea what to say. My world had been turned upside down. It was one thing to start the day with being expelled from college, but to have two secret agent types standing on my front porch in broad daylight and spouting off vernacular that would've been better suited for a fantasy novel...

What the hell was going on? Who exactly were these guys? Were they some kind of government spooks gathering intel on me? Were they even associated with the government in any way? Was there a chance that they were some kind of elaborate act to draw me out for some reason...?

But why me? What was so special about me? I was a nothing in the grand scheme of things! I was nobody special and it made no sense why they would be monitoring me. What was all this talk about being important to the future of the world? And why would they call me a hero? I may have stood up for Madelyne, but there were a helluva lot more people in the world who had done far more significant things than I had. I certainly didn't understand anything that was going on.

Talenos was obviously getting a little antsy. "Come on, Stevens. He's not listening to a word we're saying. Let's cut to the point."

The operative with dark brown hair apparently agreed with his companion. He suddenly reached into his suit...and I was convinced that he was about to draw a pistol or something from a hidden holster beneath. It was amazing how my life had gone south so quickly...

Stevens pulled out a manila envelope. He broke the seal at the top and pulled out some documents and a few photographs. He then turned them toward me so I could actually see what was on them as he said, "This dossier should tell you everything you need to know."

I could see that a few pages were paperclipped together...along with a photograph of Maddie and Rosa together at the front. In the picture, they had some textbooks clutched to their chests and looked to be walking toward Emry Hall on their way to class. Both of them looked happy...and completely unaware that they were being photographed.

Stevens then shifted the stack of papers behind another paperclipped bundle...and on the top of that bunch was a second photograph. I think my heart nearly stopped when I saw another woman from my past in the form of the charming Harley May. She was a quiet, spectacled girl with long, straight blonde hair who I had dated before going off to college...and there wasn't a day that went by in which I didn't miss her. She was a good person with a huge heart, and the fact that these guys knew anything at all about her...

"We need your help, Mister Veovin. We need you to come with us so these women don't get hurt."

Hearing those words lit a fire under me. Stevens may have had sunglasses on, but I stared directly into the orbs they concealed as I snarled, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you threatening them?"

"We don't want to see these women hurt," Talenos stepped in as he shook his head, "But if you don't come with us, the lot of them - along with many other people - could be hurt in unimaginable ways."

My angry spheres went to the slightly larger of the two operatives. Again, I felt like he was threatening the women I cared about more than life. To hell with everyone else...I wanted to know why they had information on three out of five of the women I had at one time had intercourse with. Why would they even mention three of my greatest loves...?

"There are dark days ahead, Mister Veovin," Stevens once again took over as he shoved the documents back into the envelope. "The world is about to see a great many changes not just in the current hierarchy, but also in a systematic upheaval that could throw the future into unprecedented chaos."

"And what does any of that have to do with me?" I asked as my heart raced. All I could think about was the safety of the women I cared for.

"Come with us and you'll see for yourself," Talenos told me. "Together, we can show you what the future holds...while protecting those you care about most in the process."

It was in that moment when I realized that I was being blackmailed. For what reason, I couldn't even begin to explain. Why did these men think there was anything even remotely special about me? If anything they spouted had any kind of truth behind it, what did they possibly think I could do to help them?

"How familiar are you with your family history, Mister Veovin?" Stevens asked me out of the blue. "What do you know of your lineage?"

"I know enough. Why?"

"Do you?" Talenos spoke up with a bit of sarcasm in his voice. "Do you know where your family comes from?"

I wanted to answer just to shut the know-it-all up...but I opted to keep my mouth shut.

"Come with us and discover the truth about yourself," Stevens told me. "You may not understand everything right now, but once you learn more about where you came from..."

Instead of taking the cordial approach like his partner was trying to do, Talenos cut right to the thick of things as he grumbled, "Listen. You have two choices: You can either come with us and keep these women who are so near and dear to you safe, or you can choose to stay here and take your chances with what could happen. I shouldn't have to explain the former is the wisest decision you could possibly make if you truly care about any of those females."

I was on the verge of snapping again. I knew that the two men standing before me could more than likely have me on the ground with a few broken bones before I had a chance to throw a punch, but I still considered taking some kind of action. I knew it wasn't bright on my part, but all I could think about was what mattered most to me.

Madelyne.

Rosalind.

Harley May.

I couldn't help but think about the other women from my past who meant the world to me still. I knew there was a very real possibility that the two spooks had information on some of the other women I still loved...

"Mister Veovin," the more amicable of the two operatives spoke up, "We don't want to see anyone get hurt. That's why we've come to enlist your aid. You have no way of knowing this right now, but the key to the very planet's survival lies within you. I know this probably sounds incredulous right now, and I certainly can't blame you for being cynical of our presence. All I can really tell you is that we mean you no harm...and we have no desires to see any ill will befall these women you care so much about." As he spoke his last sentence, he shook the manila envelope in front of me.

I wasn't exactly sure what to think...or even what to believe, for that matter. The fact that these guys had files on both Maddie and Rosa didn't seem like much of a stretch if they had been following me around on campus for the last few months, but it was truly chilling that they had any kind of information on Harley. As previously mentioned, I wondered if they knew about some of my other long, lost loves.

"Well, what's it going to be, Mister Veovin?" Talenos asked with an edge in his voice. "We don't have all day...and we can't tell you everything you need to know at this time."

"If I go with you, will you let me see Rosa and Maddie before we leave?"

Stevens regretfully shook his head. "Unfortunately, they can't know anything about what's going on."

"What about my roommates?" I asked. "They're going to wonder what the hell's going on if I just up and vanish!"

"That will all be taken care of," Talenos ominously answered.

I turned my gaze toward the larger of the two operatives and pressed for further answers. "What do you mean by that?"

"They won't be hurt," Stevens interjected with a firm promise. "Talenos doesn't always speak with the most tact."

I could believe it. What I couldn't believe was the fact that I was actually considering following these two spooks to wherever it was they wanted me to go.

I knew I didn't have a whole lot of time to make a decision. In the moments I did have, I thought about everyone I cared for. I thought about my family and friends back home, along with some of the people I was closest to. Of course, the first and foremost people on my mind were Madelyne and Rosa. I couldn't even begin to explain how much the two of them had come to mean to me over the last few months. I could never let anything bad befall the two of them...or Harley May, for that matter.