As I sit in the mess hall for breakfast, I wonder where Frank is. Gone yesterday, still not here today. Where could he possibly be? I'm starting to worry. Sure it's not unusual for him to disappear for a day or two but he says he'll be gone before he disappears. Where the Hell could he be? He didn't get hurt...

Right?

"Howdy Jeff!" Meli exclaims sitting next to me, "how'd you sleep?"

"I slept alright," I reply, "you?"

"Pretty good," Meli smiles, "so about helping you improve, I think we start with leg day."

"What?" I ask, "I'm a puncher not a kicker."

"Yeah I get that," Meli replies, "but you keep skipping leg day. You still need to be quick on your feet to dodge and block, you know?"

"Alright," I shrug, "if you say so. You're the black belt."

"Not yet I'm only a brown belt," Meli chuckles, her laugh calm like the water of the lake on a calm day. Serene, peaceful, and beautiful. She's actually really cute. It's a wonder I haven't noticed her pretty smile before now. I wonder if I could ask her out.

Well it's worth a shot.

"Meli can I ask you something?" I inquire.

"What's up?" She smiles.

"You wanna-" I'm interrupted.

"What's up dude?" I hear a familiar voice greet full of energy. I turn to be greeted by Frank as he sits down next to me. I notice two things right off the bat that are unusual.

One, I'm pretty sure that's coyote meat. It looks really stringy and it's to small a chunk to be wolf meat and I know Frank wouldn't eat dog. Is he out of food? Is he really that desperate?

The second thing I notice is...

"Oh man what happened to your hand?" Meli inquires.

Frank pulls back his bandaged hand, the fingers still free to move, if slightly limited, but the palm wrapped in gauze, turning away from us as he sighs, "just... working out and my hand slipped."

"A slacker like you?" Meli glares, "fat chance of that."

What happens next is really shocking. I've never seen Frank do what he does now.

Frank silently, his brow lowered, his face scrunched up, his heart visibly pounding in his chest as veins on the side of his head thump without rythem, only rage guiding him.

"You care to repeat that?" He demands.

"OK that's enough," I try to ease the tension, "you didn't mean it, right Meli?"

"I know what you are," Meli glares getting up, "you're a slacker and that's all you'll ever be."

"A slacker?" Frank grips something in his pocket his voice rising in intensity, "bitch I'm only going to teach you this once. I may be nothing, but I won't take shit from you. You don't know the Hell I've been through for my work. My important work."

"And where is this work!?!" Meli demands, "You're just some slacker who holds everyone back!"

"Meli that's enough," I glare at her, "you can't go insulting my friends like this. Apologize to Frank before we both get angry. Do I make mys-"

"Meet me outside," Frank demands with such hatred I have never seen in his eyes. He heads outside, Meli following.

"What the fuck is your problem!?!" I whisper-yell.

"I hate slackers," Meli clenches her fist, "slackers who neglect their kids and get stoned all day. I had a friend who had parents like that who wouldn't even check on him daily."

"What happened?" I inquire.

"I HAD a friend," Meli turns away sadly.

"Well that doesn't give you the right to be a dick," I glare.

"Whatever," Meli sighs, "I'm just gonna teach him a lesson."

We exit the mess hall and enter the warm grassy feild by the lake that serves as the main area between buildings where Frank...

Holds a gun right at Meli.

"Let me tell you something about me," he chuckles with madness and instability in his eyes, "I have work to do and I am going to do it and I don't need assholes like you in my way. You think I'm like her don't you? Or him? You compare me to them or see me as less than you because of something I can't fix. I advise you listen carefully. The two bullets in this gun are not meant for you. One is for work, but the other is for my last act. You call me a slacker again though, and it'll get ugly."

"You threatening to kill her!?!" I demand.

"What?" Frank asks, shocked, "no! Don't be absurd! I was just gonna pistol whip her in the jaw! I'm not a killer!"

Frank sighs, "I gotta go. I can't be slacking here. Bye."

Frank runs away, crying.

"So we're just gonna ignore the fact he has a gun?" Meli asks.

"Oh NOW you care," I glare, "look, he's really upset right now. We should just pretend this didn't happen until he gets back."

"OK," Meli sighs, "so about leg day..."

We walk back into the mess hall as a silent question looms over both of us as with concern I peer into the forest wondering...

What is Frank's work?...