Oliver tilted slightly at the mumbled words he spoke, but the Director only shook his head - telling him not to worry.

  "You want a new codename don't you?" The Director smiled as he walked his way back to his seat.

  Oliver's eyes shined as he stood up straight.

  "Hell yeah!" Oliver said passionately.

  The Director smirked before sitting into his chair.

  "Right so let's deci-" but before the Director could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Oliver's ramblings.

  "Yeah so maybe I could be called super ultra megaman- wait no that's copyrighted. Alright new idea, since my suit is a crow maybe I can be called raven- wait no that's double copyrighted. Ugh... Oh I know how bout I... Um... Why are you guys looking at me like that?" Oliver asked, staring at their grimacing faces. Well the Director's and Yue's faces at least.

  There was a moment of silence in the room, before Yue spoke up.

  "Listen I know you're excited for this codenaming thing, but we have guidelines on what your name is based on." Yue explained.

  The green needle crossed their arms before adding onto Yue's explanation.

  "The codenames are picked out by the veteran Vanguards, and chosen by the new recruiting member. And what kind of names that are chosen have to be.... Simple." The green needle retorted, taking a jab at Oliver's naming schemes.

  The red claw stepped into the conversation, giving an example to the needle's explanation.

  "For instance my codename is Fafnir. A dragon from Germanic legend. Honestly it was that or Ahab, and I thought a dragon was wayyy cooler." Fafnir remarked.

  Oliver nodded slightly, starting to understand how the naming system worked.

  "So... What's stopping you all from picking out shitty names and forcing me to pick one?" Oliver asked.

  They all were silent, before the yellow wrench spoke up.

  "Because we really like giving things cool names..." They said, slightly embarrassed.

  Oliver stared at these grown adults with disbelief, unable to accept that these people who can easily destroy apocalypse class Festers would be so childish. However with the fact they looked away with embarrassment as the investigator looked at them, told him all that he needed.

  Leaning back into his chair he began spacing out for a moment. Yue and a few other Vanguards looked at him with concern - wondering if the revelation was that unbelievable. However, to their surprise, Oliver began laughing. It wasn't a laugh of insanity nor was it a laugh of mockery either. Instead it was a laugh filled with joy and relief.

  "This whole time... I thought you guys were some closed off, unreachable monsters... But you're just dumbasses like me." Oliver chuckled, a smile on his lips.

  The Vanguards stared at him with disbelief for a moment - unused to such casual speech from someone much younger than them. However... It wasn't so bad.

  Slapping his back, the red claw then ruffled Oliver's hair before crossing their arms.

  "You're a damn riot huh kid? Just fucked death over and now you're cocky. I like it." Fafnir remarked.

  Oliver rolled his eyes before kicking his feet up on the desk and leaning back.

  "Of course. I am Oliver Rand, the coolest person on planet ear-" but before he could finish his sentence, his feet slipped on the slippery marble surface - causing him to fall down.

  Hitting his head on the carpeted floor, his head didn't hurt that much... However his pride on the other hand - that was damaged beyond belief.

  "I wanna go home..." Oliver teared up.

  The Vanguards circled around the boy, looking down at him - trying their best not to laugh.

  "Y- you okay, Oliver?" The yellow wrench asked, stifling a laugh.

  Oliver immediately hid his face, unable to contain the embarrassment that would probably last till the day he died. His almost pathetic behaviour made it even harder for the Vanguards to contain their laughter - however being the adults, they calmed themselves down enough to think rationally.

  They all helped him up, the green needle patting his shoulder while Yue stood in front of him with a disappointed, but mostly proud look in her eyes.

  "Well done kid... You've somehow turned this group of miscreants that hate each other into a party... A party that’s laughing at you, but still it's impressive." Yue smiled.

  Oliver smiled back before hearing the sound of a neglected man clearing his throat.

  "Um... Did we forget about the whole naming thing? Or am I just invisible?" The Director asked, a hint- no a smidgen of jealousy in his voice.

  The group turned to him with a collective guilty frown, causing the Director to sigh in response.

  "Whatever... Let's just get this over with so I can go back home. 'Your blade and my heart' is playing in an hour." The Director remarked, concerned that he would miss his soap opera.

  The Vanguards sat back into their respective chairs, Oliver finding that his seat had a symbol of a black feather now.

  "Woahhhh I get my own symbol too?!" Oliver exclaimed, admiring the image.

  The Director began snapping his fingers, reminding Oliver to focus on the task at hand.

  "I am not missing tonight's episode. I need to know why Argalia betrayed Heathcliff! They were best friends!" The Director said passionately.

  The Vanguards looked at him with slight confusion and shock, causing the man to reel back into his chair and look away.

  "I shall not be shamed for having interests outside of work..." The Director retorted, sinking into his chair.

  Turning to the other Vanguards, the green needle laced their fingers together before giving their suggestion for Oliver's codename.

  "I believe Faust is a good name for him. It derived from a story of a man who dealt with the devil... And I do find that fitting with his situation." The green needle suggested.

  The yellow wrench crossed their arms in response, shaking their head in disagreement.

  "While that's a good name. I don't agree with what you said. I believe naming him something like Kafka would be better suited." They added.

  Leaning back into their chair, Fafnir began pushing back against the backrest as they looked up at the sky.

  "A writer who wrote a story about a man waking up one day to find himself turned into a bug... I like the idea." They responded.

  The orange ghost shook their head before twiddling with their thumbs.

  "It's not our place to like or dislike something... At the end of the day, it's Oliver's choice. Also I'm really sorry for voting to kill you..." They lowered their head.

  Oliver shook his head, telling them he understood it wasn't from a place of malice.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  "Although, if you find a horse head in your bed, don't be surprised!" Oliver said, his eyes closed and a deceptively kind smile strewn across his face.

  The orange ghost began trembling, frightened by the threat he had given. Seeing them hide under the table, Yue glared at the orange ghost for a moment before turning back to Oliver.

  "So kid... What kinda name do you want?" She asked, crossing her arms.

  Oliver paused for a moment, taking his time with his answer. He knew he wanted a name that would represent who he was, and what he wanted to achieve. However what exactly did he want?

  "I don't really have a concise answer... And this is the broadest net I can cast. But I want a name that will tell people I'm not the type to give up so easily... That I'll be there to protect them... That I'll constantly improve myself so I can be a better person." Oliver admitted.

  The room was silent for a moment, the Vanguards and the Director taking in his words. They were strangely mature for someone who seemed so frail and cowardly, yet they couldn't help but admire his answer. Even still, trying to find a name that fitted his criteria was incredibly hard. It was almost maddening.

  Then suddenly, the grey flask proposed an answer.

  "How about Dante? The main character of Dante's Inferno and the divine comedy. The story of a man who travelled down hell to climb up to heaven. Fitting isn't it?" The Grey flask retorted.

  The room fell silent as they turned to Oliver, waiting for his opinion.

  Holding his chin as he closed his eyes, Oliver hummed softly. As he opened up his eyes however, there seemed to be a spark in them.

  "I pick that one.... Cause Dante from Devil May Cry is so cool!" Oliver exclaimed.

  The attendees looked at him with disappointment.

  "That's not... You just ignored what I said- oh whatever..." The Grey flask retorted, shaking their head.

  Meanwhile Oliver began giggling to himself about his cool name, repeating it back to himself in different tones and accents.

  "Sometimes I wonder if there's something wrong with him..." The Director remarked.

  Yue turned to him with eyes that sought pity.

  "Oh there definitely is..." Yue said, her voice coarse.

  Shaking his head in response, the Director stood up before clapping his hands once. Oliver immediately snapped out of his trance, sitting straight up and looking at the Director.

  Seeing Oliver's attention had been caught, the Director breathed a sigh of relief.

  "Finally... Now then. Oliver Rand's codename as a Vanguard is Dante. This concludes our meeting to decide the fate of Oliver Liam Rand... As well as the impromptu initiation. Get your asses out of here." The Director said, shooing everyone away.

  Fafnir was the first to go, disappearing into a mist of red as they purposely fell out of their chair. The next to go were the grey flask and yellow wrench who exited out through the elevator like normal people would. The orange ghost waved bye to everyone before blinking out of existence. The green needle soon followed after, leaving by twirling and disappearing into a pile of string.

  Watching them all leave, Oliver looked at the approaching Yue with a raised eyebrow.

  "They seem to have... Unique ways of leaving the room." Oliver remarked.

  Yue rolled her eyes, telling him that they've always been like that.

  "Truthfully however... I have one of those too." Yue admitted.

  Oliver looked at her with an "are you serious right now look", before quickly shifting into a "please don't leave me!" Look.

  Putting her hand on her shoulder, she gave a thumbs up as she looked at him with determination.

  "You really made me proud. Also training starts next week! Kay thanks bye!" She said before disappearing into a cold gust of wind.

  Oliver frowned at her exit, before sneezing due to the cold.

  "Ugh please don't tell me I'm sick... Well whatever... It's finally over, victory!" Oliver stretched his arms up triumphantly.

  He looked around immediately after this little stunt, checking to see if anyone was there to see his cringines.

  "Okay... Katherine pop out now!" He pointed behind a chair.

  He stared at the empty scene for a couple of seconds, genuinely disappointed that she didn't pop up.

  "Stood me up huh... I'll get you one day... Ugh what the hell? Why am I acting like this?" Oliver groaned.

  Oliver wasn't one to really care about girls or anything like that, but for some reason he had gotten used to Katherine randomly popping up behind him. He kinda... Missed it.

  "Those guys were right... I really do have problems..." Oliver mumbled to himself as he walked to the elevator.

  Arriving at the lobby of F.A.T.E headquarters, he noticed that it was quieter than usual.

  "Usually it's like this during the night shift... Actually, what time is it?" Oliver asked himself, taking out his phone.

  He had turned it off earlier due to Liael's threats of termination, so he never got the chance to check the time back in the meeting. As his lock screen popped up, he noticed that it was already 11:50 PM. His eyes widening in shock, he quickly left F.A.T.E headquarters, using the specialized monorail to leave the remote island the building was located on.

  Dropping at Pier point harbour, Oliver checked his phone again for the train timetables.

  "Shit they're all dead... And there are no bus stops leading back home... Ugh Aunt Susan why do you need to hate F.A.T.E so much?!" Oliver yelled, pulling his hair a bit.

  As he frustratingly began trying to think of ways to get back home, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

  "Ugh what do you- oh... You..." Oliver said, calming down as he noticed his mysterious nighttime encounter was none other than Katherine.

  Tilting her head slightly, she smirked before feigning offense.

  "How dare you yell at a lady... And here I thought I'd give you a ride home..." Katherine teased.

  Oliver blinked a few times, before begging for forgiveness, causing Katherine to puff up her chest and laugh victoriously.

  "Now this is the best..." Katherine said, lifting her chin up slightly as she put her hands on her hips.

  Oliver stared at her with a stone faced expression, before asking her if she was an idiot. She gave him the middle finger playfully before threatening to leave him all alone with no way back home.

  "You evil woman..." Oliver narrowed his eyes.

  Katherine smirked before putting her hand on her chest.

  "The evilest." she remarked.

  Oliver stuck part of his tongue out, before the slow realisation of how exactly Katherine would give him a ride home.

  "What're you gonna do? Drive me back in a ca- is that a Porsche?!" Oliver said as she dragged him over to her car.

  She looked at him with a curious expression on her face, confused by his shock.

  "I live in a gated community, what do you think my parents would drive?" She said sarcastically.

  Oliver mumbled a few words, causing her to pinch his cheeks.

  "Ouch! Ugh fine I'm sorry... But this isn't your car right? Cause if it is, I'm gonna cry..." Oliver remarked.

  She sighed before shaking her head.

  "It's my dad's. He asked me to drive it over here so he could drive us back after his punishment... But then he texted me saying that he met up with my mom and headed home together." Katherine explained.

  "So that's why she was in a rush..." Oliver said, holding his chin deep in thought.

  Katherine raised an eyebrow, asking him to repeat himself. Oliver immediately froze up before begging her to not pry into it.

  "It's life and death, Kath..." Oliver said in a rather pathetic manner.

  Katherine rolled her eyes in response, before sighing and walking off.

  "Come on, I wanna go home as fast as possible. I want to shower... I had a long day today..." Katherine complained, gesturing for him to follow.

  Oliver stood still for a moment before tilting his head.

  "Huh? Who's driving us?" Oliver asked.

  Katherine turned around, raising her eyebrow.

  "Me dumbass." Katherine responded.

  Oliver paused, before screaming out in shock.

  "You can drive?!" Oliver yelled.

  Katherine leaned against the car door, putting her hands in her pocket as she looked at him with annoyance.

  "Yeah. Driver's licences on Eile are 17. I got it like the day after my birthday." Katherine informed.

  Oliver made an 'o' shape with his mouth before walking towards the car.

  "Honestly I don't know much about things like this. I... I kinda never had an interest in it." Oliver said to her.

  She raised an eyebrow, pushing herself off the car door.

  "No friends ever told you?" She asked.

  Oliver went silent, causing Katherine to nod understandingly. Walking around to the driver's side, she paused for a moment before mumbling to herself.

  "The same huh..."

  Oliver didn't quite catch what she said, but the car horn quickly snapped him out of his trance.

  "Okay okay... Geez..." Oliver got inside the car.

  Looking at the interior, Oliver was amazed by that luxuriousness exuding from the vehicle.

  "It's so nice... This is my first time riding in a sports car." Oliver said.

  Katherine smirked before starting the car. The engine began revving, just by the sound itself Oliver was able to feel its power. Looking at the absolutely amazed Oliver, Katherine chuckled softly.

  "I haven't even started driving and you already look like you're having fun. Is my passenger princess enjoying himself?" She said in a teasing manner.

  Looking at her with a weary smile, he immediately tried getting out of the car - however Katherine was one step ahead.

  "Damnit! Child lock!" Oliver said, cursing the situation.

  Katherine began laughing like an evil villain before looking at him with a victorious grin.

  "You're stuck here now. And nobody is gonna save you. Muahahahaha." She exclaimed.

  Oliver frowned, however thanks to the light coming from the car itself - Oliver was able to notice that she was in casual clothes and not her uniform.

  "Wow she looks pretty in that sweater.. I- I mean, why isn't she wearing her uniform?! Wait why am I stuttering in my own thoughts..." Oliver thought to himself.

  Katherine was curious as to why Oliver had suddenly begun staring into space, until she noticed that he was looking at her clothes. She immediately turned red before glaring at Oliver.

  "What the hell do you think you're doing creep?!" She yelled.

  Oliver perked up before explaining himself.

  "I was just wondering why you weren't in uniform..." Oliver said, very scared of her gaze.

  Pausing for a moment to take in his words, Katherine quickly began looking downwards - her face flushed with embarrassment.

  "O- oh... Yeah that makes more sense. Sorry, I should've remembered you weren't that type of guy..." Katherine apologised.

  Oliver looked at her with pity for a moment, sensing genuine guilt. He rubbed the back of his head slightly as he began to smile.

  "Nah it's okay, I shouldn't have stare-" but he was interrupted by Katherine sitting up straight and looking rather unashamed.

  "Alright that settles everything. Nobody was in the wrong." Katherine said, humming to herself.

  Oliver looked at her with disappointment, asking her if she had mental problems.

  "wǔshíbùxiàobǎibù." She responded with a smug expression on her face.

  Oliver looked at her with confusion, causing her to look back at him with a similar expression.

  "I basically called you a pot that called a kettle black..." Katherine explained.

  Oliver turned slightly red from embarrassment, immediately becoming defensive.

  "I don't know mandarin. Especially the uncommon tongue..." Oliver pouted.

  Katherine stared back at him with condescension, before laughing at him.

  "You dumbass..." She said with a smirk.

  Oliver continued to stare at her with embarrassment, but he couldn't lie and say her laugh didn't make his blush worse.

  "Well whatever... You still haven't answered my question- well... More like thought, but you get what I mean." Oliver said, leaning back into the car seat.

  Katherine hummed as she sat properly and looked out the front window.

  "I was at my graduation this morning so I had the day off. Wanted to slip into something comfy after 8 hours of preppy bullshit." Katherine mentioned, putting her hands on the wheel.

  Oliver nodded slightly, finding the answer satisfactory.

  "That makes sense. But I didn't know you graduated today thoug-" Oliver paused for a moment, before his eyes began to widen.

  With a look of horror, Oliver checked the date on his phone - terror filling his heart as it read December 10th 2035.

  "Oh shit, my graduation is tomorrow.”