Chapter 3

Two weeks Time

"Ah, Zero and Sam. You are both looking great," Commander Ezekiel says welcoming us into his quarters. "From now on, I am going to be your Instructor and Commander. I want you two trained separately from the rest. You possess abilities that only our enhanced have that survived the changes and improvements."

"What exactly is the 'enhancement and improvements'?" Zero asks. He is clearly playing dumb, he knows more than he should.

"It's the future of our warriors and protectors," Ezekiel answers. "No need to play dumb Zero. I know what you like to do in your spare time."

"Sir?" Zero looks shocked.

"Yes, I know everything," the Commander says smirking at him. "Anyways, Sargent Conner said you had homework? Get rid of that, it's for recruits. He is sad to lose you two."

"Sir, you said you would teach us about us."

"I did," he says stroking his pokey chin. "You're very determined. Well subject 100, remember how I said you killed the first two soldiers that we sent to get you. They were your parents, of course, you didn't know that. The Wolves made you forget. They were so proud of you, you were the first of many they had programmed to forget their parents that actually turned out successfully. Except for Zero here, almost died trying to stop you, he was devastated. It almost got him thrown out. You took out a lot of our best before they sent me in. You almost got me, left me a scar though. I'd show you, but that would be irresponsible."

"I don't believe you." There was no way I killed them.

"Then I'll show you." He stood up and we did the same. "Follow me, speak nothing." We walk for what feels like ages till we get to a room that is made completely out of stone with a glass ceiling. "This is the remembrance room, any soldier recruit, commander, and so on, gets their name and rank put up on this wall after they die. They don't really die though; they live on passing their strength and energy to those next in line."

"There must be at least a couple thousand million names on this wall," Zero says amazed at the carved names.

"Your father," Ezekiel continued. "Is on that wall, 17th collum, 3rd from the bottom, and your mother is just above." We go over to look at the names, as we read them silently. Ezekiel tells us the names of both of them. "I put their names there. Your father told me if he were to die one day, it would be from the hand of his kids. He was right."

We walk back to his office in silence, thoughts about our existence now raising our minds.

"Ahh, Soot. Just the woman I was looking for. Fetch Subject Max for me," Ezekiel says

"Sir, why is Max needed?" asks Zero.

"You have a strong bond, that's something any team needs. I'm sending you on your first mission outside of the green. You will be with one of our enhanced. This will be a test of your support and loyalty to your squad."

"Only four of us on a mission!? But isn't that dangerous sir?"

I remain quiet as Zero and Commander talk about the mission. I don't care, it will get me outside of these walls. My loyalty was probably the most questionable out of all of us, even if Zero is my brother, this is my chance to escape.

"Sam? Hello Peace to Sam," Zero is waving his hand in front of my face.

"If you don't quit that I am going to bite you."

A girl started laughing. "I like her spirit Commander. So is this my crew for the mission?"

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The commander explained that our mission was to go out to each of the traps they had set up and get any of the children that had been caught, knock them out and bring them back to the headquarters. We weren't told what they would be doing with them, but we figured they would be put into isolation and fed pills to make them forget and all that stuff. We were told to collect any adults that were caught and to kill them where the kids couldn't see.

Soon we are suited up and heading out to the first spot. The trees tower above us making me want to forget what we were sent out to do. Killing adults and basically kidnapping the children. The side by side was the only unnatural sound out here. There was lush dark green grass in every direction and unmarked territory. We cross over a brook and passed a sign that reads Red Zone, 20 minutes away. The lush grass started to feel as if it was dying, I could see it from the front passenger's side a clearing that leads to the scorched lands. Andromeda took a sharp left changing my view to a narrow path that led to a large opening. She stopped the side by side and hopped out, took a few steps forward and looked up. There was a kid dangling by the ankle several yards above the ground.

He was far enough up that if he had tried to cut himself down he would have broken something or died. Yet, that didn't stop him from trying but he had dropped the knife and it was lying below him. He saw us get out and started laughing before spitting down on us. He looked like he was no older than seven at the most. There was a red w painted on his left arm. For supposedly being one of the wolves soldiers he was not well equipped with armor. He was one of the ones that attacked from behind or above most likely.

Andromeda did something with a hidden rope and the boy plummeted down till his head was only inches from the ground. Then she walked over and hit him upside the head causing him to lose consciousness. We didn't say anything but watched her as she loosened the rope and then picked him and took him to the cage that was being pulled behind us.

After she had the boy locked in the cage. She climbed in the front and then waited for us to get back in.

At the next couple of traps, we collect a girl, two boys, and an adult male followed by an adult female.

"Sam." Andromeda looks at me. "Take this one over there." She pointed towards an even more narrow path. "You know what to do."

I nod my head than with my best efforts dragged the adult, who is a pregnant woman, towards the area where I had been directed.

"You have a baby," I look down at the bump. While the woman was starting to regain consciousness.

She looked at me, she was horrified. She didn't have a red w on her left arm like the others and she carried no weapons.

"What's taking so long?" Andromeda says startling both of us.

"She's with child. I refuse to kill her," I tell Andromeda. Andromeda only looks her up and down.

"Where's your W?" she asks the woman. The woman says nothing.

"You hit her on the head and want her to be killed! What makes you think she wants to tell you." But I had spoken too soon. The woman was using hand signs.

"Take this one. Put her with the others. Also, just so you know, if we get in trouble this will be on you," Andromeda tells me. The woman acts terrified of the kids but does as we said. "Last one, then we head back."

The last trap is empty, but there are footsteps circling the trap. Whoever has been here is well aware of it and has marked its position.

"There are other traps besides these right? For the ones that don't fall for this one?"

"That's classified."

An arrow then whizzing past my ear. "Who are you and what is your business," says a voice that seems to be coming from every direction.

"It's a rogue wolf." Andromeda seems to be familiar with the voice. "Show yourself and maybe we can talk."

"What would be the fun of that?"

"Just do it or I will have to execute you."

A rogue wolf is a member of the blood wolves that hunts alone. They scout the area to find traps, but nowadays they only have one left who is too scared to go back to his pack.

"Have it your way then," a tall muscular guy jumps down from the trees. The W on his arm is severely faded. "You have something of mine. A woman, she's mute."

"She's ours now. Unless you kill all of us and steal the side by side." Andromeda makes a great leader. She shows no signs of fear.

"Tell your people to put down their weapons. I have no intention of killing anyone today. If I had you would have all already been dead." He folds his arms. Then glances at me for the first time. "Sam, is that you? Damn you've grown up." My eyes widen. How did he know my name?

"Don't speak to her speak to me." Andromeda steps between us blocking his view.

"I do what I want," he glares at her. "I surrender and demand that you take me to your leader."

"Our leader wants all adults killed."

"I'm no adult. I'm the same age as your stolen child who I picked out a name for years ago." He recognizes me but not my brother.

"Fine, but on one circumstance. If our Commander wants us to kill you, I get to do the honors."

"You sound like the people you fight to protect others from," He laughs. "Sure, But I have important information. Also, I'm not riding in the cage. I'll sit on the side by side."

"Fine.." Andromeda shakes her head. "No talking."

The whole way back to base is long and quiet. One of the kids comes to about halfway back and starts crying. They are all skinny. The woman looks at the rogue with a calmer tone in her eyes.

"So, my wife?" The rogue asks.

"What about her?" Andromeda speaks in a hideous tone.

"What are you going to do with her? She's with child."

"Hmm…" Andromeda says while formulating a thought. "We will keep her till the child is born and no longer dependent on her. Then commander will probably have her executed."

"You're disgusting." He turns up his nose. "That makes you just as bad, if not worse than the blood wolves. At least they give siblings a chance and have a fair system. No ranks or positions. Everyone is equal. Well… unless you become a fighter for the cause of war."

"SHUT UP!" It seems like they are keeping something from us; something that the rouge clearly knows and was trying to hint at.

"A successful run," Ezekiel says clapping while looking at the cage. "But, who is the extra member and why is there an adult woman in the cage?"

"That would be my pregnant wife." The rogue jumps off the still moving side by side. "I came to talk to you. I want to join, or at least tell you what you want to know."

"Oh, so it's you." Ezekiel glares at the rogue. "You surrendered after all those years, the retaliation of us taking away your precious Sam."

"It was for her," he looks to his woman in the cage. "She told me I should, to protect her and the baby."

"I'll think about it." Ezekiel walks away ignoring the rogue. "Stay away from subject Sam, it took a long time to get her to this point, I don't need you ruining my plans."

Sam looks at the rogue. He pretends not to notice. "And her brother?"

"Sure, you can talk to him, but I would advise you are careful what you say. I have eyes everywhere. Andromeda, let the woman free to be with him, you know what to do with the kids."

She nods her head and frees the woman. She runs to the rogue and wraps her arms around him and buries her face in his chest.

"Subject Sam, come with me." Ezekiel beans. The walk is short and rushed. Commander Ezekiel seems pissed.

"Sir…"

"Sit down. Shut up." He paces back and forth behind his desk before speaking. "I am… disappointed in you, I heard back that you showed hesitation in taking orders. I want you to know trainee, that woman, and the child are now your responsibility. You would have been better off killing her and the spawn, but you didn't."

"Sir, I would have, if she hadn't have been pregnant!"

"What do you suggest I do with the woman and that… rogue Jasper? They can't stay here, he's an enemy."

"Give him a chance? Put them in quarantine." I want to get to know them. Jasper could answer my questions, the ones about the before and who I was.

Ezekiel lets out a frustrated sigh. "And give them free food and let people think our base accepts rogues and runaways."

"Runaways?"

"The Mute. They damaged her voice box so she could never talk after the first time she ran away."

"Sir…." Sam hesitates. "Sir I'll do anything you want me to, please just give them a chance."

Ezekiel stops and stares. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Yes, sir."

The commander gets a wicked look on his face. "As you wish, but there's no going back now."

Part of Sam wants to run, the look in his eyes said that whatever he has in mind would not be for the best of her intentions. "Sir, one more condition besides keeping them, I want to be able to freely talk with them."

"Sure." Ezekiel no longer seems to care about the rogue and the mute. His mind is elsewhere. It is, honestly, getting scary. "I'll send for you when it's time, but for now, you max and Zero have some enhancement appointments to anticipate for." Ezekiel excuses Sam so he can make an important call.

"She's ready, send him in. It's time for his punishment….. the part from me anyways."

"Sir, here he is." Soot pushes the fired worker in the door. "May God or whatever have mercy on your soul."

"Hello, Rocco," Ezekiel's voice is cold. "Do you know why I have summoned you?"

"No Sir."

"Good." He forms a wicked smile. "Perhaps Mendez could tell you if he wasn't dead. Let me refresh your memory, you kicked my niece and whipped her for disobeying your orders."

"She had to learn to be obedient."

"Oh, she is obedient. Just like her father. We just had to convince her we are the good people. Good job though, you failed and now, on my orders, she is going to kill you. Of course, after her enhancements are completed."

Rocco's eyes widen in horror. "Sir!!! I won't stand a chance, not with those kinds of enhancements".

"But until her enhancements are complete, you are going to be my little toy."

"Sir?"

"Don't worry. I will take good care of you." He winks at Rocco, "some things are better left unsaid." He pulls out a blindfold and puts it over Rocco's face.

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"The commander has granted you permission to stay," one of the lower rankers informs Jasper and his wife. "Jasper had to be confined to quarantine and the runaway will stay in Subject 100s room. A bed is being moved there. You will be allowed a visiting hour every day, but no staying the night. Until such notice as otherwise, this is how it will be."

"It okay, love. Sammy will take care of you." Jasper tells his wife in comfort. "Don't hurt her please, she's all I have."

They separate the couple and take them in opposite directions. Several trainees including Zed find their attention focused on the woman being walked towards the housing unit in section c. You can hear people ask who is that and when did she get here.

"Hey you guys, generals, stop," it is Zed. "Let's have a look at the fresh meat."

"Zed, this is no time for games, move or be tasered."

Zed swings. His fist smashes into the security's face causing him to stagger backwards. "Don't make me ask again."

"Leave her alone," Sam commands catching on to what was going on. "Unless you want me to beat the shit out of you, not that it matters since you have to be obedient to me."

Zeds face turns red with embarrassment, he didn't want anyone to know he has to follow orders of scum on the bottom of his shoe. A couple people laugh, then carry on with what they had been doing before the woman had walked in.

"I'll kill you for that, one day," Zed balls up his fist. "When I get to have the enhancement and you don't then we will see who's better."

"You know what Zed, little zeddie boy, I have my witnesses. From now on, you are the lowest scum here, if someone tells you to do something you have to do it, or I'll kindly ask your father's buddy Soot to escort you to the quarantine zone till you are ready to cooperate."

"What?!? You can't do that!!"

"Actually she can, you're father said she's in charge of you and with witnesses, anything she says will go down as a permanent follow until such day as you all graduate and move on to the next step."

Sam take the mute woman to her room before the argument could get more heated. Zed is in the mood to put up a fight and Sam didn't want to deal with it.

"So…uh, do you have a name? If you can write, I have paper. We need a basic form of communication because I don't know signs," Sam says once the mute has got all settled in.

For the first while, Sam just watches the woman as she looks around familiarizing herself with her new surroundings.

Sam gets out a paper and a writing utensil and leaves it on the desk. "If you want to tell me your name…, here's this. That is if you even understand me."

The woman nods then lays down on the bed and stares at the ceiling, her hand tracing a scar on her neck. It is the first time that Sam has actually seen it.

"If you don't mind me asking… how'd that happen?" Sam asks making the woman jump, she must not have been used to someone having a conversation with her. She gets up and goes to the desk. She picks up the pencil and begins writing.

"You talk a lot. I guess I would too if I still had my voice. I ran away and someone found out I was sneaking out to see someone and so I couldn't spill their plans they took my voice… My name is Raven," the mute writes.

"Oh, Raven. That's a cool name," Sam is now standing next to her. "That's pretty shady to take your voice away, but, they probably excused it as the price of war." They stand at the desk in silence for a couple minutes. "Hey, do you know anything about the blood wolves?"

The woman nods her head, but she didn't write anything. Perhaps she didn't want to talk about it or maybe she wasn't the one to tell about it.

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"Hey, you!" Jasper yells at the nearest person watching over the quarantine unit. "Come here."

"Shut up, it's quiet time mate." Jasper bunk mate says. "Before I get down there and shut you up myself."

"I need to know how my wife is."

"I don't care, I'm trying to sleep along with others."

Frustrated Jasper hits his fists against the wall before laying down on his bunk and staring at the bottom of the top bunk.

"Fuck this place…" he whispers to himself. They made him change his clothes and cover the faded red w on his arm. He probably will never get out of there unless he swears his loyalty to them, but then he'll have to kill his brothers and sisters. No war, that's what he wanted, after all these people are family too.

"Wake up. Breakfast is here." Jasper feels a tray get dropped on the bed. "You're dressed like us, but you don't act like one of us. Anyone knows you gotta be up before the food gets here."

"What?" Jasper is still confused and partially still seeing parts of his dream.

"Are you dumb?" the buff guy sits down on the bunk, his bright green eyes glowing as he stares at Jasper. "I'm Jax, unit f, what unit are you from?"

Unit?!? What the hell was that? "Err, I'm from, unit w."

"Unit w." Jax laughs. "Quit pulling my leg, there's no such unit. You're probably part of Unit c, you look like an outsider, that's where all the young kids go that get caught. After they get out of quarantine and pass the failed memory test. So what you do to get in here?"

"Well….." quick come up with a reason.

"Hey, rogue, you got a visitor." They look up to see Raven standing behind the guard who is overnight watch.

"Well, hello there cutie." Jax winks at the woman.

"That's my wife."

"Oh my bad, so that's why you're here, knocked up a girl in your unit?" Jax asks, he has a wicked glint in his eye. "Grant, when am I getting let out, I've been in here for ages."

"Tomorrow."

Jax gets up and goes to his weights on the other side of the room and begins working out while Raven and Jasper speak.

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