16 ~ Please, God ~

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Thursday, July 13th, 2008:

Moscow, Russia

Little Agent 4 had failed, and she now awaited discipline.

Tira Arcelin was eight years old. Today was her birthday, and it was on this day that the young trainee vowed she would never allow tears to fall again.

Today's training was complete. Tira had almost passed every aspect of the beating, utilizing her skills, agility, and speed to counterattack. She'd endured the pain as she normally did. But, today, the metal rod had struck her across the shin much harder than ever before. Young Agent 4 continued to fight. In the same spot, the rod struck again. Still, Tira fought. On the third strike, the excruciating pain broke her mind. The pipe cracked, seared through her nerves, and eight year old Tira dropped to one leg. Tears flooded over her cheeks. In agony, she cried. Her papa was displeased.

'Subhumans cry, girl,' Papa spat. 'You're useless if you cry.'

Now, moments later, she awaited her discipline in a lab room.

Standing beneath fluorescent lights, wearing a black shirt neatly tucked in child-sized tactical pants, Tira Arcelin did not blink. Her left pants' leg clung to her shin, and the cloth was dark with blood. Another line of blood dribbled from the little girl's nose. It landed with a red plop onto her shiny black boots. She wondered if she would be disciplined for that too.

Resting her weight on her right leg, Tira Arcelin stood lopsided. With a shaky hand, she reached up and smeared the blood away from her mouth. Bruises throbbed from her increased heart rate.

Where was Papa?

Dr. Sovonov sat on a stool several feet in front of her. He'd just finished sifting through a cabinet with hundreds of small bottles. The lab room lights were bright, but an eerie glow still highlighted the isolated syringe that lay on the metal table in front of Dr. Sovonov. What was that for? A video camera sat next to it too. Tira wanted to inquire about it all, but she did not want her shin struck again.

Were they going to give her a drug to take her genetic abilities away? That would be a devastating punishment. Tira didn't want that. She wanted to succeed. She would succeed. She wanted to be the best. Whatever it took, she would be the best, and she would make her papa proud.

Right?

Where was -

The door slammed open. Gasping, Dr. Sovonov jumped and instantly rose to his feet.

Little Agent 4 did not jump. She was accustomed to Papa's grand entrances.

"Tira." Papa stormed past her and he spoke with annoyance. "Stand up straight. You are still in training." As the breeze of his entrance tickled Tira's skin, he slammed a crate on the metal table and let out a sigh. "Dr. Sovonov is taking a better military stance than you are."

Tira attempted to shift her weight, to gain compliance out of her pained leg. Then, her eyes found the crate on the table. She stopped moving, and her breathing quickened.

"Papa." Her voice remained flat. At least, she hoped it did, because she did not want to get punished if it tremored.

"What, Tira? You're still lopsided."

She straightened up, hoping it would change the outcome of what might possibly occur. "What are you doing with Hamster?"

Tira hadn't named her hamster. Papa always told her not to bother, because he'd probably use it for the 'empathy test' anyway. He always laughed when he said that. Tira never laughed. She did not find him, or anything, funny.

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