SOLDIER
book one
It's been 97 years since a nuclear explosion radiated life on Earth and life support on The Ark is now failing. In a desperate attempt to grant the citizens of the SpaceCraft more time, 100 juvenile delinquents are sent down to the...
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SILENCE weighed heavily as everyone returned to camp, leaving only Vivienne, lost in her grief, and Murphy, his head still spinning from the beating he had received. The once soothing sounds of leaves rustling in the wind and rain hitting the dirt now felt like a cruel mockery.
Vivienne stared off into the distance, watching as the fog slowly parted. Lonely tears continued to trail down her cheeks, leaving sore stains in their wake and a sour taste in her mouth as they collected on her chapped lips.
"Viv..." Murphy's quiet voice broke the silence, pulling her attention away from the abyss. Vivienne turned, glancing over her shoulder without meeting his eyes. Murphy stood shakily, his legs trembling beneath him, his face covered in sweat and blood. "I-I..." he stammered, choking on his words as he spat blood at his feet.
Slowly, Vivienne approached the tortured boy, cracking twigs under her boots, yet still avoided his sorrowful eyes. Standing toe-to-toe with him, their shoes mere centimeters apart, she unsheathed the knife Murphy had gifted her and let it drop into the dirt. Unable to find the words, she hesitated for a moment before brushing past him and venturing back through the woods, leaving behind her weapon as both a goodbye and a good riddance.
It felt wrong to leave someone she had grown to care for, someone she had bonded with, but Vivienne couldn't bear to look at him. She couldn't face the man she had begun to trust, the man who had been responsible for the death of her last semblance of a family.
•••
UPON returning to camp, Vivienne strode in, shoving past the crowd gathered around Bellamy, Clarke, and Finn—everyone eager to know what had transpired. Her eyes darkened as she approached the trio, anger surging through her veins and burning her flesh. Her chest heaved with each breath, nostrils flaring, and teeth grinding as her heavy glare focused on the back of Bellamy's head.
"Vivienne..." Clarke trailed off, noticing the unrecognizable glint in Vivienne's eyes, unfamiliar with the girl striding before her. Bellamy, unaware of her arrival, turned to face her, his eyes softening as a wave of guilt crashed over him.
"Viv—" His words were abruptly cut off as Vivienne's right fist connected with his face, her knuckles cracking against his tensed cheekbone. She didn't even flinch. As Bellamy stumbled, caught off guard by the sudden hostility, Vivienne grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, yanking him up until they were eye-to-eye.
"Screw you!" she yelled, her voice dangerously deep, before her fist connected with his face once more. Bellamy's body went limp, collapsing onto the dirt with a thud. Fueled by a surge of strength she had never felt before, Vivienne kicked him in the chest, flipping him onto his back. She straddled his waist, her fists alternately pummeling his face, landing brutal blows to his nose. Her hands grew slick with blood, the metallic scent heavy in the air around her.
