_"You can assume that it's none of your business, you rat."
_
“Ahahaha, oh come on Miss Jackson! You’re seriously calling me a _rat_? Ahaha, oh man that’s rich!” Spencer said with little to no regard to her pain. In fact, he rather enjoyed the gleam of despair reflecting off her eyes and smirked widely.

“Savor that pain commander,” he said lightly. “Because the next few days will be filled with all sorts of it!”

Taking no heed of their instructor’s conversation behind them, Melody could only assume Jackson had said something funny to get Spencer riled up like that. Still, she had other matters to attend to, mostly a staring minotaur.

“Um, heh, so what made you join the Imperium?” she asked casually, for lack of a better conversation starter.