Chapter 2: 1 – Brothers

"Ladies and gentlemen, please have your invitations ready. The auction will begin in one hour."

It was a slightly cold night. John was waiting in line at the museum while discreetly looking around. With his 1.9 meters, he could easily see above other people's heads. But no matter how much he searched he couldn't find the man.

'Bastard, where are you?' John was getting anxious. Five years. For five years he has waited for an opportunity to kill the man who sent his little brother to die. Colonel Verich.

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John and Lucas lost their parents in a car accident when they were just kids. John, 7 years old at the time had to take care of his little brother who was just 2.

Growing up in an orphanage was hard. John had to work around the clock to take care of Lucas while still keeping up with the studies and helping around the orphanage. But even with all of that, he kept going, because his brother depended on him.

"Now, seven times four?" 13 years old John asked.

"Errr twenty... eight?" Answered Lucas not quite certain.

"That's right. For now, it's okay to just remember the table, but in the future, you'll need to be able to calculate it." Said John with a smile as he checked the clock hanging on the wall. "Alright, that's all for today. Now go brush your teeth and get in the bed."

"Awww-"

"Don't 'awww' me, your test is tomorrow and you are not going to stay up late like last time. Now hurry up."

"Fiiine." Lucas got up from his chair and headed towards the bathroom but stopped midway. "Hey bro."

"Hmm?"

"What were our parents like?"

The question caught John by surprise. He turned his head towards the window and answered.

"Our parents... they were nice. Now stop talking and go brush your teeth."

"Ok." Lucas said and then entered the bathroom.

John couldn't help looking at a picture on top of the desk. On it, a strong black man with a goatee had a little child on his shoulders. The man was smiling towards the camera while the child was more interested in the cotton candy he had in his hand.

The man's right arm was around a brunette woman's shoulder. She had her hair in a ponytail, and in her arms was a baby sleeping.

"Mom.. dad..." John muttered as his eyes teared up.

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"John, why do you have to leave? I'm sure that if you keep trying you will find a job here." 12 years old Lucas tried to convince his brother.

John was 17 years old now and had just finished high-school. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to find work, and it would be impossible for him to pay for a college.

"Lucas, it's not like I'm going to die." John said with a smile. His little brother spent the whole week trying to convince him to not enlist in the army. "Hey, look. No matter what, I promise you that I will come back, so don't worry. Besides, you know there's no one who can defeat your big brother haha."

"You promise?"

"Of course. I will call you every day, come back whenever I can, and will also be sending you money so you can focus on school." John looked Lucas in the eyes. "You are way smarter than I was at your age. I will work hard over there, and you must also work hard at school so you can try for a scholarship to a good college, okay?"

"Hmm okay."

With that John left to become an Army Ranger and quickly rose through the ranks, ending up joining the special forces. Keeping his promise, he made an effort to always keep in touch with his little brother.

To his joy, his little brother was quite intelligent and focused on studying, easily graduating from high school and even getting the chance to receive a full scholarship for college. What he didn't expect though, was that Lucas would refuse to go to college and would enlist himself in the army.

"Lucas, stop playing around. You have the chance to enter college, a good college." Ironically, now John was the one trying to convince his brother to not join the army. "No one in our family has ever done that before, you could be the first."

''I'm not playing around. I really want to serve in the army. Besides, it's not like I can't go to college after I come back."

"If you want to join the army, why don't you graduate from college first? Then you can apply to become a commissioned officer and won't need to fight."

"I want to see what you see out there. But don't worry, you have been doing this for years and always came back safe. As the smartest sibling, I naturally will be fine too." Laughed Lucas

"Haaa... fine, but if you feel like you can't take it anymore just ask to be transferred back. This job isn't for everyone, there's no shame in that."

Though he said that, John was sure his brother wouldn't give up, even if he was close to dying. He knew that because he and his brother were two of the same mind. Whenever John felt like throwing the towel, he remembered his little brother at home so he wouldn't give up.

Lucas would definitely persevere, for he wanted to make John proud. Not able to convince his brother, John could only try to support him when needed.

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Lucas followed his brother's footsteps, joining the army rangers and already preparing to join the special forces. Unfortunately, they weren't able to serve together, as when Lucas graduated from the qualification courses, John was already preparing to retire from the army.

"Think fast." Said Lucas, as he threw a water bottle towards John who easily caught it.

Lucas, with a can of beer, sat down by John's side. "... So, you're really leaving?"

"Yeah, I've been fighting for too long already. It's time to stop." John said as he opened the bottle. "My previous squad leader started a private military company, and he offered me a job as a public relations. I will be able to travel around the world and make three times what I'm making here."

While saying that John didn't look even once at his brother's eyes. He simply found it too hard to lie to his brother. The company was just a cover. On the surface, it seemed to be a regular private contractor, but if one was able to see it's inner workings, he would find out that this company only had contracts with one single entity.

The Central Intelligence Agency, CIA.

John received an offer to work as a covert intelligence operative. In other words, a secret agent. After spending a few days thinking about it, John decided to take the offer.

"That's good. I myself will stay a few more years until I decide what I want to do. Maybe finally go to college."

"That's good. Honestly, I expected you to bail out at Ranger school and run back home." Said John joking.

"I have to admit, it wasn't far from happening. I thought I would die at the swamp phase. When I finally graduated I had lost 13 Kilos." Lucas had a bitter smile on his face.

John knew how his brother had felt. For the two months that the course lasted John slept an average of fewer than 4 hours a day with almost all the time left being used for training. The training included patrolling, reconnaissance and ambushing, among other daily activities.

The two months course is designed to make soldiers capable of operating under heavy mental and psychological stress coupled with the physical fatigue of combat.

"All that matters is that you endured it, and now you're here."

"Yeah... so, when will you be leaving?"

"Next week. In the meantime, I've been assigned to guard duty here at the camp."

"Hmm. Hey, you better save up some of that money you will be making for when I also retire. I want a really good present. A Ferrari at minimum haha"

"Ha, a Ferrari as a present? You be glad if I even buy you a Hot Wheels."

"Haha, how cheap. What kind of older brother are you?"

"The only one you have." John smiled as he lightly hit his brother's shoulder.

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"Next!"

"Right here." John handed the invitation to the guard

"Hmm, Lucas Smith?" Asked the guard after checking the invitation.

"That's right."

"Okay, you can go ahead." Said the guard as he returned the invitation. "Another guard will also ask for it along with your ID. Next!"

At the same time, a black SUV had just parked a few meters from the Museum entrance.

"We've arrived, Sir." Spoke the driver.

"Oh, good." Said an old man on his late fifties. His head full of white hair, and his face cleanly shaved. Though old, he retained both his rigid posture and a sharp gaze.

"James, you wait in the car. Michael, you come with me."

"Yes, Sir." "Yes, Sir."

The old man, accompanied by his bodyguard, headed towards the line and proceeded to wait his turn.

"Next!"

"Here you go." The old man handed his invitation.

"Emmanuel Verich?"

"That's right." The old man said with a smile.

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