I was normal once, it was horrible...
Chapter 1
The battle front.
My name is Six. A few years ago, I was a part of a group of kids the military pulled out of the orphinage to do experiments on, I'm the only one left. The experiments were meant to give human beings supernatural abilities to use for their own purpose and with the rising tensions on all borders, there was no time to lose. That was 12 years ago, I'm 18 now and a so called 'lost cause'. After years of their experiments and unimaginable pain and injections, after I was the only one out of seven others to even be alive , they just throw me aside like a used rag. They sent me to training so I could join their ranks as a 'proper soilder'. Since I was too old to know any other life style beside this there was no way I would have made it out in the real world, so they said. Not like I had a choice anyways. And here I am now, doing the dirty work of the military like they had intended on doing from the start, leading my squad into enemy territory, to their deaths. To my death. Our mission was simple enough, scout out this spot that was enemy hotspot and then report back asap.
It was hot, if I had a chance to stand in one place long enough a pool of sweat would form just from my face, but we couldn't stop moving for tacticle purposes. The added gear didn't help either, my armor, vest, and full magazines not including the one loaded in my M-16. I was use to it all but as the day got longer, their presence became more noticed.
We've been going for awhile now, we reached an abandoned town that was uncharted on any of our maps and have been clearing the area. So far so good, it's quiet but something doesn't feel right. Something never feels right.
We reached a shaded alley between two rundown stone buildings and I hold my right fist into the air to signal a stop. I hear a few sighs of relief from the rear. I turn to my men "This is our check point" I tell them. "take a minute to catch your breath before we head back." No one protested, they all swallowed their water, some splashed it on their face. I didn't, I couldn't. I had to make sure my men were safe, I wanted to do a good job knowing that half these men were years older than me and had much more experience than I did. But I had 'special privilages' and for some reason was put in charge of this mission. What a stupid choice. I moved forward to see what was ahead of us even though I know we had to turn back, I just could shake this feeling like somethings going to go bad. There's only five of us and wouldnt stand much of a chance if we ever encountered the enemy. The path ahead lead to a giant dirt filled clearing, old houses surrounded it in a nearly perfect circle. Definately a place to avoid. I walk back to my men and took a seat next to them and start to drink from my canteen. Even though the water was warm, it felt good sliding down my dry throat. "What's up ahead?" I hear someone ask, Sargeant Quinn I think. "Just a clearing, might be the center of the town." I responded taking another large guilp. "Seriously? This place is huge, how could we have no prior knowlwge of this place?" Someone else, Specialist Nelson. I nodded "I don't know but we should head back now." I said "Lets get ready and move in two." This isn't the ideal place to be when your a 18 year old girl but it's better then dead right? Maybe not.
We turned around and head back the way we came, through alleys and across deserted sands following our own tracks. I started to notice an extra boot print every now and again. At first I thought nothing of it or that it was just one of my own doing something stupid but then I started to notice it more and more and the differences between them. We were definitely not alone. I raised my alert level looking every direction for anything out of the norm. Then I saw it, it was a blur but I could tell that it was a man and he was armed. I stopped the squad again, this time it was complaints and protests I heard. I turned to them and help up my finger to my mouth for silence. They went quite and I whispered "one possible enemy sighting, male and armed." to Sargeant Ram. He looked at me wish a 'are you sure?' look. I nodded. He gave me a quick nod and pasted the message down, each gave each other the same look. The rear two came closer so I could give them what I saw. I kept my voice low "he's using the alleys like we are but I'm pretty sure he's knows this area better then we do so we have to act fast. It's not our job to engage, though now we can confirm that they are here." Right when I finished that sentence a small crude metal ball rolled right next to use, smoke rising out of the top. "Grenade!" I yelled everyone else ran the opposite direction but I instead pick it up and throw it as hard as I can in the opposite direction knowing that it could go off at any second. The explosion went off moments later and then out of nowhere, gunfire sounded but not just from one spot, it sounded like it was all around us like we were surrounded. I turned and ran to catch up with my team who back tracked to a previously visited alley. They were breathing heavily and so was I. The rounds kept coming, I don't even think they were even trying to hit us but they knew where we were for sure. They were trying to scare us, back us into a corner, a trap. My guess was the clearing they could pick us off one by one. But it still didn't make any sence. "What do we do?" I hear and suddenly I realized that they were all looking at me. What do we do? I don't even know. These people have friends and family waiting for them at home. These men were counting on me to bring them home and I had no idea what to do. I hope they'll forgive me one day.
But I wouldn't tell them that. I wouldn't tell them that I had no idea what I was doing or that I was scared senseless. "We just have to keep moving." I said. "Right now I think they are trying to move us back to the clearing so we obviously was to avoid that area. We are going to go around this boulding and keep moving out and try to get out of this place. If you see an enemy do not fire unless fired upon, ok? Stay close and keep moving."
The rounds stopped for a second but we couldn't take any chances. We moved fast, they followed me around the building making a u-turn. I sprinted across the old sandy road and waited for the others to stack on me. One, two, three, four, The sound of a speed bullet sounded from behind us, I turned to look. Private Lee lay unmoving in the middle of the old road, a pool of blood began to form around him but was soaked up by the red sands. It was a kill shot by a sniper, how could they have know we would come this way. A sniper takes time to set up his place. It wasn't the first time someone had died ibfront of me but it was the first time someone had died under my command. as heart breaking as it was, we had to keep moving. I don't want to leave him there but there's no other choice, not with that sniper out there. "keep moving!" I said. "We can just leaving out there!" The protest came from Nelson "No man left behind!". But before I could say anything he ran out to him. He was dead before he even reached him. I sighed, there goes two good men then moved on. I kept running, slowing to make sure that the other two were keeping up, they weren't. Rounds started to fly again but still no sign of where from. They were getting tired, I don't think they can go this pace any longer and I'm pretty sure we are lost. I stopped, there are struggling building from here on out, almost randomly placed. If they had eyes on us, we wouldn't make it. "We need to get to that building over there." I said " Me and Quinn are going to lay down cover fire while Koop runs, Loops once you get there take over for Quinn while he runs across and then do the same for me." They seemed to agree, considering it was basic crossing skills. "One question though." It was Quinn. "What are we shooting at? I havnt even seen anyone yet." I know that "We just have to make sure that they don't get a chance to fire of any rounds. Just burn some brass." I said.
It worked, Koop was across and then Quinn and finally me. We hunkered down in the old house trying to think of something, but at this point none of us had any clue of where we were let alone the way out."Look,they'll send a search party for us if we don't make our time quota, so let's just stay here until we get see our search party." I said. They both agreed. We would take shifts on guard and rest and... I heard a clunking noise behind me, the same noise metal makes on cement. I turned "Grenade!" To late rothrow it back. We get up and run as fast as we can for the exit, but not fast enough. The blast dents me flying against a wall, as I hit it I feel my back crack in several places. I hit the ground and find it impossible to breath. Gasping for breathe I look through the clouds of smoke and dustll, looking for Quinn and Koop but with no luck. I'm struggling to stay conscious and my vision is fading. Imbleeding out from debree shards it my body, I can't feel my legs and my fingures hurt too much to move them. I feel the world spinning around me, I'm dizzy and sick to my stomach. Why did dying have to be so painful.
I started to cry. It was the first time ever since brie first day of testing since I'd cried. So why now, while staring death in the face. I wasn't scared to die, I've s seen deaths doors more than once. Maybe it was because this time I wasn't coming back. There were no doctors on standbys here, this was it. Darkness began to surround me, whispering its sweet lulliby to me. After all I've been through, this was it. I've lived through harder trials and more painful pains and this was how I was going to die. I gotta say, I was a little disappointed in myself.
As I closed my eyes I began to hear voices. Quinn? Koop? But it didn't sound like their voices. "WhY a shame she ended up dying here after all." one man said "I thought she would have unlocked her power by now, but still it lays dormant." "Are you sure she has it, you've spent so much time on this one while so many others have already found theirs" Another mans voice came from the darkness. "I know she does, I've seen it in her eyes. Hers is unlike anything, if she figured out how to use it we would become unstoppable." "Then, shouldn't we try to save her?" "No, your right. I've spent to much time on her, its time to move on."
"Shame."
Was that it. This whole this was just a test? Those men who died today died because I couldn't save them and this whole time they shouldn't have been in any danger in the first place. This whole time I thought I was done with testing. But this whole thing was a test, the tests never stopped. i hated them. I want to kill them. I want to kill them so they can never do this to another person ever again.
No matter what, I wasn't going to die today.
