Chapter 59 - Who's the Boss?

The old man Woodrow scowled at the dilapidated house. "I'm not staying here."

Mike glanced around at their surroundings. Weeds had overtaken the gravel driveway winding through a stretch of woods towards an abandoned building on the verge of complete collapse. "Let's take a look inside before I make a decision either way."

"I'm with Woodrow on this one," Tracy said.

Real soldiers had been conditioned to follow orders issued by their chain of command through a strict training regimen. The two new members of Marius' army had never been to any form of basic training. They were civilians through and through, convinced they could dig in their heels to shut down a policy they didn't like. Without Marius present to instill them with fear, Mike suspected they might be right. This newly formed army completely lacked a military culture. And Mike found himself responsible for leading these non-soldiers without having the authority to command them. So far as he could tell, the only authority present in Marius' army was based on the policy that might made right, with Marius having the most might of anyone, other than potentially a couple people still in orbit.

"If I decide this is our home base, then you have the choice of staying in it or living out of your car, which will be parked on this site."

"Oh, you a big man?" Tracy made her condescension plain with her tone and her expression.

Mike patted his belly, which felt noticeably smaller than it had been just a few weeks ago. "I've been called worse." He flew himself towards the house, confident the surrounding trees would shield his talent usage from any potential witnesses. There was no need to force entry as the door had either fallen off or been ripped out of its frame at some point. Mike looked around at interior before stepping inside. The flooring felt solid beneath him and some probing with his corona confirmed that intuition. He moved around the series of small rooms on that floor, then went down the stairs to the basement, which by its smell was damp and full of mold. He quickly backtracked and verified the place had a second route of exit on the first floor, a door by the kitchen that had survived better than the other. The carpeting and some detritus would need to be removed, but the wooden floors beneath were serviceable enough. They could put up tents inside to retain some warmth and provide privacy. Cots and sleeping bags should make sleeping almost comfortable. They would need to haul water from elsewhere, so some of their funds would go towards purchasing YMCA memberships, giving them a place to shower. They could eat most of their meals remotely as well, making their home base in this house simply a sleeping and training space.

He exited the house to discover his two subordinates standing apart and looking uncertain. Good. A lack of unity and confident would make them easier to bully into submission. "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

Tracy sighed. "What's the good news?"

"We've got a place to stay."

"And the bad news?"

Mike jerked his thumb over his shoulder to point at the house. "That's the place. Before you get too worked up, it is structurally sound and doesn't even smell too bad. We can continue looking for better housing options, but for now we are moving in."

"I don't understand why you are in charge," Woodrow muttered.

Mike shrugged. "Maybe because I'm a paragon and you're not. Maybe because I have seniority as a student of Marius. Maybe because I have actual military experience. Really it comes down to the fact that the big cheese picked me. If you've got a problem with that, let Marius know the next time he stops by. Until then, you report to me."

"You better watch it doesn't go to your head," Woodrow said, "otherwise I might have to adjust your attitude."

Mike sized up the other man: balding head, uneven posture, slight squint to the eyes, more than a few wrinkles. Not a threat. Based on his height and weight, he probably wouldn't have been in his prime either. Pointing out that fact wouldn't help the discipline problem at the moment. He would need to earn their respect over time. "What talents do you two have?"

"I'm an aeronaut," Tracy said.

Mike paused a moment. "Which means?"

"Noetic and kinetic," she clarified.

"And I'm a brute -- kinetic and teleotic." Woodrow seemed proud of his designation.

"Perfect. All three of us have kinetic talent. That means we can do some cleanup of this place without having to literally get our hands dirty." Mike gestured towards the house. "Let's get to work"