I sat on my bed, oddly peaceful, as Omega leaned her head on my shoulder. A wet spot had formed from her tears.
About an hour ago we had been told that the mission had failed, and that Zeta, Delta, and Iota had been captured.
Not only did Beta take it harshly, but his anger fits seemed to be much more frequent. Without Zeta here to stop him, and without Alpha attentive enough to calm him, he became vicious. If you looked at him the wrong way he would snap your arm or punch you until you passed out. He had already broken Tau's foot for asking him to calm down.
She was in the infirmary with Psi, who had made it his personal mission to work until he could get them all back. At least Beta didn't blame him.
"Omega can you lean your head up a bit? I... want to go train for a bit," I excused as she lifted her head.
"Sure."
She sniffled and flopped her face down on my pillow as I grabbed my training suit and walked towards the showers.
I stepped into the shower and locked the door behind me.
"Be strong Sigma. It's all you can do," I repeated with an irritated edge in my voice.
"Stay calm, stay stable, keep a clear head. Think before you say, but if your gut says to do something, do it."
I pulled the training suit on and tossed my small pile of jeans and a small t shirt into my bedroom before leaving Omega once more.
"Don't be scared of being scared. Bravery is the absence of fear, it's the overcoming of it," I spoke softly to myself as I walked through the halls.
"Keep your body low. Use your weight. Don't forget to breath. Be safe."
I pushed open the double doors and grabbed a baby pink staff. The voice system activated.
"Level one. Staff combat. Just me," I rattled standing at attention in the mat room.
"Loading holographic enemy. Level will increase if seen fit. Vitals are being tracked and recorded."
I waited for the blue figure to pop up around me.
A large blue male shape appeared a few feet away from me with blue knives in hand.
He tossed it up and caught it before flinging it at my head.
I spun out of the way and studied the body shape. It reminded me of someone. The form had a feminine appearance but something about the small figure threw me off. Normal people could look like that, but it just hit me as odd.
"Increasing to level ten. Chancellor's orders," Spot chimed.
I jolted as the blue figure solidified and turned to colors. A face slowly formed and I realized why the figure had startled me. It was Iota.
Iota snarled and threw another knife. If I hadn't ducked out of the way it would have plunged into my chest.
"You're useless. Too young. A weak link," the voice came from the Iota look-alike.
It sounded exactly like Iota, except robotic and almost like Spot.
"You can't do anything. You won't attack me. I'll beat you, and you'll die."
I lifted my staff up and jumped over a knife sent to hit my leg.
"Give up and role over already pipsqueak. We all know you're itching to go back to your dresses and dolls."
It was like the voice was deep inside my head, finding exactly what I wanted nobody to ever say, and Iota was saying it.
"Spot What is the description of level ten?" I asked as I darted out of the path of another knife.
"Mental challenge. The holographic figures look like people, and show codes emotions. They find and use your deepest fears. Simulated true battle. There is a limit of thirty holograms at once."
Suddenly another figure formed. She stood and frowned.
"Please don't hurt me," Omega pleaded in a robotic voice.
"Omega? Don't use Omega. Spot, go down to level one again," I pleaded quickly.
"Chancellor's orders." He barked.
I rushed towards Iota and lifted my staff over my head.
I smacked him in the stomach as if I was using a baseball bat.
I spun the staff and jabbed him in the side of the head with it harshly, sending him off balance.
He felt to the floor and as soon as he did he disappeared.
I looked at Omega as she stood weakly.
"Sigma were friends. Please don't hurt me," she cried sticking her bottom lip out.
"You're not Omega," I pinched my eyes closed as I flung the staff in her direction.
I didn't open my eyes to see if she was on the ground for a moment and sighed in relief. She had already fallen and disappeared.
Suddenly I felt a staff push up against my throat as a figure yanked me towards them.
I felt my airway get cut off as they choked me between the staff and their chest.
I held the staff and tried to push it away but the person, whoever it was, was much stronger than me.
I panicked and kicked my legs to see if maybe I could hit them.
Suddenly the staff released a foot kicked against my back, sending me rolling across the floor.
I coughed and held my neck tightly as I looked up.
Zeta was standing with a staff identical to mine.
"I'm screwed," I whispered to myself.
I looked around and found nothing. It would be hard to take her down, and Spot seemed to want me dead.
Zeta ran up to me and pinned me to the ground harshly, pushing my shoulders into the ground until I cried out.
I tried to use my legs to push her off but they were secured tightly with her own.
"Sigma!" I heard Beta yelp excitedly as I heard the double doors slammed open.
I turned and saw him froze.
Again Zeta's hands secured around my throat and squeezed tightly.
Beta rushed over and flung Zeta off of me, sending her to the ground.
"Spot. Simulation off," he snarled helping me up.
"Level ten, seventy five percent complete. Simulation ended."
"Level ten?! What the he'll where you thinking?!" He shook my shoulders angrily like I was a rag doll.
"I didn't... it was the Chancellor. She turned it up." I sounded like I was pleading.
"Well anyways they're back. They got Zeta and Delta and Iota."
"Really?" I rubbed my neck gently and tried to calm my heart rate.
"They're in the communications room. They're still being debriefed, but they'll be out soon."
