Brotherhood (001 Reboot)

The Labrats

The facility

0600 hours

001's cell age 15

All I heard was those machines...each day, on and off. 9:00 AM to 12:00AM. How long has it been since I've been placed in this damn cell? A month? A year? I can't remember...they give us guns daily...each group different guns...we change every week...the days meld together...it's all wrong...every Friday a man comes in. He seems all millitary, yet wears a grey mask...the way he walks...his clockwork schedule it's like he is watching us...My mind kept flowing with the time...everything fogging...untill...

"L/N, or shall I say number one. Your test are over...pack your things then report to the area a for a send off." I heard the facilitator say over the Intercom...so I did as told. Packing my things...putting them up and heading to the arena, two men stand waiting for me...both wearing white masks. "Well kid...first to get here?" The facilitator says standing on the observation deck, the grey masked man beside him "this is your final test. Simple CQC...though if you fail this means your booted from the program."

Booted...what would happen if I did get booted? Would I die? Go home? Hell...where is my home... "Yes sir!" I saluted, squaring up the two men "Look at that Rick..." the one to my left said "yeah looks like the thin kid gots fight Greg..." They where toying with me...trying to get in my head...but I shook them off and looked around before the bell. More than one person sat wearing grey masks, this wasn't a normal test...it was an initiation... so I shut my brain off focusing on the ticking of the clock. Tick...tick...tick....then the buzzer sounded...

The two men where sloppy...I was ready...it's what lost them the match...the bigger one or 'Greg' was faster than I thought...but his feet weren't placed correctly, I just ran in kicking his shin toppling him over, before blocking the wild haymaker from 'Rick', he put all his power into the punch...he tried to pull his arm back but I was too fast, grabbing his wrist, I turned my waits throwing him over my shoulder into 'Greg' as he was getting up.

I could feel the eyes of the crowd on me as they got up, 'Rick' throwing a one two as he thought I was off guard...he was wrong, I back-stepped last second causing him to stumble before I slammed his head into my knee knocking him out. I was unable to block the punch coming from 'Greg'...so I tried to turn into it to absorb the blow, this barley helped as the wind was driven from my lungs. I got in close to stop him from using his reach and punched his throat, this knocked him down as he held his airway struggling to breath

"That's enough!" I heard the grey masked man say as I feared back for another punch, I let my hand drop to my side as the facilitator nodded, I couldn't hear their words...but I read the facilitators lips during the last sentence he spoke... 'They are damn loyal too, will listen to any command'...command? Loyalty? The only people I would ever be loyal too would be the others who went through this...

"Ok then..." the Grey masked man said louder "kill them both kid." As soon as he said that the man in-front of me looked up about to run...but I broke his neck...I walked over to the unconscious man and stomped his head in, I heard a murmur through thhe crowd as I looked back to him....I looked in his eyes and saw some crooked enjoyment...pride...acceptance....and a cold hard piercing happiness...my worst mistake was this...matching his gaze...

5 years later

Paris, France

1200 hours

It flew by...a war without a name...I was the first of the facilities 'Devils' to be let on the field, but soon others branded with the numbers joined our forces, not many of us survived the harder missions, but eventually they put us all into a squad...the one I lead this very moment on a secret mission.

"Hey 001, everything is packed we got to move out." I heard 029 say behind me "Just a moment...checking the target one last time." I look through a scope at our target...it was clear...but surrounded....exactly what we wanted... "Ok move out we need the trucks and gear...everyone put your maintenance gear!"

We came out of the building in maintenance trucks and drove to our target...the Iron Lady...the Eiffel tower...I motioned to my snipers and both guards stopping us fell, we drove in unhindered from that point on. I sat in the middle smoking a cigarette as my men worked...looking like a normal foreman, though my radio wasn't tuned to any normal channel.

"001." I heard buzz over the radio, "001, what's your progress over-" whoever this was was new...he ended the broadcast a bit early... "Kid it's happening soon alright? Who gave you the radio anyway?" I asked jokingly as my men started coming down, "001, your sass isn't permitted." I heard, to be truthful I chuckled at what he said...before my eye caught movement...a civilian...a mother...with a carriage for her baby...

I've looked at these scenes all my life in the masks...but never once has it affected me like this...Looking around I saw more children..mothers fathers....sons daughters....I looked around and felt...wrong, because I'd seen all their faces before...all but the children... "hey...hey guys get back up there and unwire those..." I said to my teammates, they all looked at me confused and refused the order "look go undo those charges that's an order!"...they started to listen...right as 221 got hit with a .308 "Get down its a set up!"

We all got behind beams and in cracks as my radio buzzed "Smart kid...shame your too smart for your own good..." I heard the facilitator...a voice I hadn't heard in so long...say, "Caught on quick. Tried to stop your men from setting up your mousetrap...too bad...this will go down in history as a terror act that killed the terrorists that started it...oh...I should say kill the Terrorist that started it..." 221 got up...pulling off his fake vest "sorry boss...it's how it goes..." I looked around as all the others walked out of hiding aiming at me

"See 001 yo-" I cut off the facilitator, "No, you listen...I was loyal... I was faithfull... I did your tests...went through hell for this war...I watched while your partnership was created...I studied you...saw the way you dealt with problems...and I learned...listened, I gassed schools, bombed hospitals and never questioned an order..." I stopped....looking down "You will rue the day you crossed me...because loyalty...it goes...both...ways!" I threw myself to the ground shooting one of the charges

The charge blew, shaking the whole structure as my kinsmen dropped to the ground, the iron and steel creaking as the other charges blew...this was to be my magnum opus...my great victory....my end....

CLIFFHANGER

I was able to recover some of the chapter! This is now when I finally get to publish it and I can't wait!