"James, you got a call." Neil called me while I unwrapped the bandage from my hands.

"Who's it?" I asked casually.

"Calls himself Boss. What's up with your people? One day there's Tail. Now there's Boss?" He said uninterested and I stunned for a second.

"Damnit!" I left the bandage hanging loose on my wrist and ran to take the call.

Guessing that it's something important as my life, Neil moved the speaker back at the last moment. "What the hell?" I mouthed, warning him to give me the phone.

Kelly sniggered behind me and I ignored him this once. I'll deal with him later.

Neil pushed me away with one hand and started talking to the person on other end. "James says he's busy. Can you call back later?"

My eyes went four times bigger. "Neil!" I shouted and struggled to snatch the speaker from him.

We had a little fight where he was laughing and I was struggling to get the speaker from him. Somehow after using violence, I snatched it from his hand and brought it to my ear.

"Boss.." I said but boss cut the call by saying "....go to hell."

Fuck! FUCK!

"What have you done!" I yelled at Neil. "What? I was just joking. He said he'll call back."

"He won't! He's my Boss!" "Doesn't he have a name? Who is he, a mafia or what?"

"Sir Kelvin Hudson." "What's with this Boss thing, sir?" Kelly asked carefully.

"He pretty much owns me." "Kindly elaborate." Neil commanded crossing his arms on his chest. Rascal just dug a grave for me, and instead of apologising, he's asking me to elaborate!

"A boss is a senior cadet who choses a junior cadet as his dog. They have a special brotherly bond that stays for life. A dog gives his boss his loyalty and gets trust in return. Since it all starts within KMA, the bosses are bound to go hard on their dogs." "Can anyone be a boss?" Neil was intrigued.

"No. Only a dog can be a boss. It's like a hierarchy. A lineage." "I see. And what is the importance of this lineage?" Never knew Charles was interested in the conversation too.

"This channel is separate from all other channels of passing information and giving jobs. We're servants of the men above us and owners of the boys below. It's the quickest path of execution of an order given informally. For booking hotels, arranging guest rooms, lending vehicles, completing paperwork in their absence - Boss calls his dog with complete authority, and the dog delivers without fail, no excuses. Basically we're a family of assholes filtered from every batch." I chuckled realising I was talking about myself too. Neil smacked on my head. Can't say didn't see that coming. I knew he'd strike.

"Look. I can't use anything other than asshole to describe us. So bear with it." Kelly laughed this time.

"So what's the fuss?" Kelly asked.

I got angry again and turned to Neil. "What's the fuss? He literally insulted my lifetime ass owner by saying that I don't have time for him. Do you even know how big of a disrespectful gesture that is? I'm supposed to attend his call even if I'm dying!"

"Looks like I did a lot of damage here." Neil said laughing apologetically.

"So kind of you to realise that!" I scolded him sarcastically.

Before I could do anything else, the phone rang again. I didn't want to take a chance this time so I picked it up quickly and placed it on my ear tightly.

"B... Bossss....?" "Too busy for me, huh bitch?" Damn he's going to roast my ears! But thankfully he's not in a mood to screw me.

"No, Boss. It was.. uh... a friend.." I tried to save Neil's ass too.

"Quite some daring friends you have." I faked a laugh trying to calm him down though I knew he was in total mood to pull my leg.

"So you got through the tests I heard." "Yes boss." I said happily.

"Proud of you, dog. Beta will adopt you after this, if he hasn't already." He laughed loudly and so did I. Boss was proud of me. My heart elated at those words.

"I tried calling you during your trial. But they wouldn't let me past some fucker named Norman. Shove something up his ass if he's around, he abused me like his personal bitch." "I hate that bugger too. Made my life extra hell for first two weeks. Thank god he left." I replied remembering the horrible times.

"Bugger? Celebrating no-cussing day today?" he asked chuckling. "Sad story, Boss. A child is after my bottom! That's another tale for later." I replied cussing in white, without looking at Neil.

He laughed loudly. "I can't stand men who can't stand swearing! Kudos to you, only you can tolerate such shit. Dog, it's always a pleasure to see you become better everyday. Just keep one thing in mind - Never doubt yourself."

"Thank you, Boss." I said with my voice broken, chuckling that he's a sucker for emotions. He'll melt in a moment and he hates it.

I smiled stupidly and hesitated before I asked something I knew the answer of. "You would never say that back in academy. Not even lie once." I complained.

"You wanted me dead? Had I praised you in academy, my Boss would have killed me. Dumb bitch!" He said and I cracked. As expected.

"Thanks again Boss." This one came right from my heart. He had always been a hardass, never complimented me for anything. This is the first time I heard such good words from his mouth.

"And you dare be busy when I call you again. Don't forget who owns you." "Yes boss. Sorry for that." I said glaring at Neil.

"Don't be sorry. Give that fucker a black eye." He said and I laughed so loudly, all three men in the room looked at me crazily.

"Done, Boss. He'll have one soon." "That's my bitch. I'll be finishing my tenure here, might come to HQ for a few days. Let's plan a meeting."

"Sure, Boss. Afterall the feast is long due." "Damnit. You're going to make me sell my clothes on street, won't you?"

"Two titles and now these tests? I'll make you sell your dignity!" I said excited already planning on how to get a pay back from him. Bloody butcher, screwed me mercilessly for handing over two titles back to back.

"I should have killed you that very night." He spoke sounding scared, remembering the same time.

I laughed like a devil. "Too late, Boss." "I'll see to it, bitch. You'll know when you're needed. All the best for training. Keep up the spirits."

With that he cut the call and Neil, Kelly and Charles continued to look at me like morons.

"What?" "I thought you'll be singing strings of Sorry." Neil said.

"Yea. But you smacked his as... I mean you had the upper hand in that conversation." Charles saved himself from that glare just in time.

"Well. Lucky for me, he was in a good mood. And moreover, he had the upper hand all throughout Academy days. It's time for him to payback." I said feeling devious again.

"What's up with two titles, sir?" Kelly always asks the most sensible questions.

"There's this thing at KMA. A cadet is handed over a title by his senior if he performs extremely well in something, or gets screwed the most. Mostly a title represents how much misery one went through for his batch. And earning a title is another misery in itself. The senior handing it over to his junior practically beats him to death. But it stays with you for lifetime. After you pass out from the academy, if any of your senior meets you somewhere and you have a title on you, he treats you like a king, nothing less. Even more if he's the one handing over the title during your academy days. He owned your ass back then, you own his now." I tried to summarise the whole concept with an overwhelming feeling.

"And he handed you two?" "Yeah. On the same night. One for beating our senior instructor in a marathon race and another for scoring a hat trick in our football match. I was on the last stair to hell when he finally declared."

"Wow!" Kelly was impressed. I chuckled. Yeah stupid and crazy but fucking genius concepts.

"That's interesting." Neil couldn't stop himself from saying that.

"Alright time for run." Charles announced and the fun was over.

"You guys go. James and I have to submit some documents at the office. We'll go after that." Neil spoke.

"Okay. But nothing less than five miles." Charles warned looking at Neil knowing I won't cheat.

"Okay instructor, five miles!" He exclaimed dramatically earning a laugh from the supremo.

"I hate running!" Neil whispered after Charles left.

"That's why his finger was at you and not me." I laughed.

"Whatever. Let's get over it quick." We proceeded to finish our paperwork, changed and took on the streets.

Neil was pissed off even before we left Commander's office. General Warren had taken it as his personal mission to get on his nerves every fucking time they meet. He tried that with me a few times, but when he got an absolutely calm and composed response, he let me be on my own and focused completely on Neil.

He was doing it to teach him how to put up with listening shit about his family and not lose his calm. Warren would find smallest of mistakes in his work and give him a nice lecture followed by a strenuous punishment that would leave him gasping for air.

Good technique, I must say. Raise his hackles, force him to contain his fuming energy and then give him a channel to let it all out.

Neil had not opened his lips since we came out and I knew he'll be running ahead of me today. I won't be surprised if he crosses the five mile point one way - he looks that pissed.

I took off like a daily routine, my thighs and legs pumped up for the gruelling. But never in my dreams I saw that coming.

We reached mid point and stopped to take a break. Neil was still fuming. God what's up with him and his stupid anger issues!

I took the matter in my hands and spoke "Sweat it out." "What?" He asked still panting angrily.

"Sweat that shit out of your mind. Pushups, crunches, Burpees - sixty in sixty." He looked at me with questioning eyes and I laughed like a devil inside.

He had no clue what he was about to undergo in next few minutes.

I dropped next to him and we started. One set done and we laid on the ground like tired donkeys. When I thought I'll live another hour, I turned around and got on all fours.

"Another set." I said and he looked at me crazily.

"You're crazy." He said turning around and getting on all fours.

We did it again and again till Neil started wheezing and I got flashes of all my instructors from KMA.

"Enough. Enough. I've cooled down. Stop." Neil said curling himself before I could say 'another set'.

I laughed at him knowing he's going to be in worse state than mine after we complete the remaining five miles.

We got up and took our turn back. He was ahead of me in the beginning. But within a few minutes, I took the lead and was way ahead of him.

"I got a cramp!" I heard Neil yelling behind me. I turned back without stopping and banged into someone from behind.

Luckily my speed wasn't too much otherwise the guy I hit would have had quite a flight before landing.

Or may be not a guy...

************************************

Kelvin Hudson! He's such a lively personality! And he already hates Neil? 😂😂 Finally we met the Supreme God's Boss and I can't stop laughing.

************************************

Vote and COMMENT your guesses for the big bang! 😉

PS - there will be a change in one of the chapters of 50PM. So I'll be republishing it. Thanks in advance for not freaking out. 😂