The Defective Soldier || Newt

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟖

𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕤

✃✃✃✃✃✃✃✃✃

"Stop!" He cried. "I don't want to kill him!"

"Soldier S5, shoot." The command infiltrated itself inside his mind without his consent, making him raise a gun in the air, pointing at his target; Aris. "Shoot!"

"No!" His grip on the gun faltered, his finger leaving the trigger. "I won't! You can't make me!"

The gun fell out of his grasp just as his knees gave out, causing him to drop to the ground. Joy was little compared to what he felt. He had gone against the orders; he hadn't killed his brother. Aris was safe and sound.

Or so he foolishly thought, until a gunshot made its presence known, followed by the obvious hit of a body colliding against the marble floor.

"No!" William's eyes snapped open, being welcomed to reality by his ragged breaths, and a hand grasping his shoulder.

Without having to look, he knew who it was. The dim moonlight and the fire, faint, but still lasting despite the passage of time, let him have a somewhat clear sight of Newt's face. The boy's eyes were wide open, staring at him with worry.

"Hey, it's OK. you're fine. It was just a nightmare ..." Newt assured him countless times.

"Newt," William muttered under his breath. With the boy's help, he sat up, his hands clinging onto Newt's jacket like a lifeline. "I—I ..."

"It's alright," Newt said quickly, bringing William closer to soothe him. "You're safe. It's only a nightmare."

"A nightmare?" choked out William, barely keeping himself from giving in to a panic attack by copying Newt's somewhat paused breathing. "Yeah ... yeah, it had to be one."

Silence filled the air. William could hear the creaking of the wood in the fire, the ashes slowly drifting to the ground, almost like a dance, and everyone's pace and calm breathing. Newt's comforting whispers broke it every so often, trying to get any reaction from William, who was still clinging onto his jacket while staring at Aris to make sure his brother was still alive by his side.

The passage of time soon became irrelevant. They only noticed the fire, slowly becoming dimmer. Fortunately, the night wasn't cold enough to revive. Otherwise, they would have been forced to attempt all kinds of ways to get out of the centre of the sleeping formation to get wood, only to get back with their hands full. And who knew? Maybe someone would have moved in their sleep and blocked their path.

"What if we don't find The Right Arm?" The words flew out of William's mouth before he could stop them.

He couldn't take the rebel army out of his mind, despite how many other challenges and obstacles appeared in his way. One thing was thinking about what his team would do after entrusting Group A and Aris to the Right Arm, and another completely different was the slow realisation he was having. What if they didn't find the Right Arm? What if they run out of food and water before being anywhere near?

Newt stared directly into his eyes, not budging or looking away for a second as he answered, "We'll find them. I trust Tommy and Minho. We all do."

William glanced at the sky, trying to find comfort in the countless glowing stars. "I trust them, too. But we need to have a Plan B."

"I think Mae is ahead of you." Newt watched the stars with him as he added. "When you were on the hill with Aris, she was talking with Minho. Pretty sure they were coming up with other ideas."