PROJECT ELITES

Chapter 1. Good Riddance

I step back and bend my body backward as the dagger swing in front of me nearly touching my face with its tip. Recovering quickly I swing my leg to his forearm, making the dagger he's holding drop. We both look at it the same time and lurch towards it.

Just as his fingers lightly touch the hilt, I grab his wrist and crook it at an unnatural angle. He yelps in pain and drops to his knees, I use this opportunity to turn my body around and press my knees on his back. He crumples on ground holding his left wrist, his breathing becomes hoarse.

It's over.

I grab the dagger with one hand and yank his hair up with other to make him look at me. His eyes are bloodshot red. He doesn't fight, neither make any move to get away from my hold. He knows what's now.

The endgame.

I plunge the dagger vertically in his forehead. Letting go of his hair I press my palm to the end of the hilt, making it go more deep inside. He stills and I take it out. Dark green viscous blood flows out of his forehead.

"I knew from the beginning you're going to make it."

"No brainer, huh?" I say without turning my head. His lifeless body sprawl in front of me in a pathetic way. Disgusted, I turn away and face Thomas.

"I really want to see you dead, Felicity." His sombre voice hint-what he says? Humour. Yes, his voice has humour. And I detest it.

My fingers twitch. "You almost did last night."

But that only makes his smug bigger than before. "I thought you're over it?"

"You need to be on something to get over with."

"Good job, Felicity," Betty interrupt us. Her brown eyes bore into my electric blue ones with a satisfied expression. "Assignment 173 needs a thorough assessment and Paige thinks you're perfect for it. Alumni room, now."

That's the thing I like about her. She's always so untalkative. If only she can pass on her vibes to Thomas.

"Is their existence required?" Thomas whistle from my side but I ignore it.

"Yes." Preferably, Betty chooses to do the same.

I dart my way out of the practice room. Behind I hear faint voice of another dummy getting ready for Thomas to practice, more likely to play; in his words.

I begrudgingly lead myself into the narrow passage which meets at the intersection. This is the same place where I took down Jace last night. I have no idea if he met his endgame yet or not, but it doesn't matter anymore.

He's always been a complicated puzzle for me. He was an ace fighter among us but was pathetic the other way. He used to talk about stuffs I never understood.

That's the thing I hate. Being in dark. And his words have always kept me in dark in my whole life.

He used to talk about things like.....Feelings. I didn't understand what they are. So I asked Paige about it, and he explained to me the effects of mismatch wiring in the brain and how it inhibits the normal functionality of the brain by creating hallucinating effects and doubting rational thoughts.

He was a gone case by the time I arrested him.

I increase my pace and bump open the alumni room to my left. Every single one of them is already standing in sophisticated posture, with their hands lock behind. My gaze sweep over each one of them.

"Welcome Felicity", Allen forward his hand towards me but when I just nod he drop it, " these are the candidates we find capable to be a new member of Elites. They've been practising for 34 hours continuously-"

I turn towards him."Jace's minimal record is 72."

"-and have a kill rate of 6.6-"

" Is that even a rate?" This time he finally stops and looks at me with calculating eyes.

"No one can be Jace. Besides after what's he's done I don't think anyone wants to be like him."

I narrow my eyes at him and gives a stern look. "It's not a comparison, it's the context I'm setting. I don't want average Joe in my team or trust me, Allen, I'll be the first to castrate them."

He steps back saying "that's upto you" and leaves the room.

I turn to the four members, each with grey eyes and a Pentagon in circle tattoo on their neck.

"Team?"

"Shaxun." They say in unison.

"Are you aware of what happens to those who don't make it?"

"Yes."

There are three groups: aberrants, deviants and Elites. All the new mutants are aberrants. All the basic rules and technique are taught in this group. This gives the most number of eliminants. Those with improper DNA mixing are incinerated in a chamber.

The remaining gets promoted to the deviant group. Each team here consists of 4 people, who are taught the best of best things and only one team makes it to the final fight for Elites.

All 4 members are kept in the fight chamber for 3 days. The only one who stays alive for 3 days comes to Elites.

And this is where you change completely.

" You all must have been aware of Jace." They all nod. " You must know he was the most successful member ever and if you think that replacing him would be so easy then burst your bubble and drop back on thorny ground. What you experienced from these past 34 hours is indicative of what your life is going to become."

I search in their eyes for fear but I find none. That's good.

"Mercy. That's what we expect you to get over with. We all are here, alive, for a very obvious reason- change. We're the future of humans and you're not going to repeat the same mistake they did. We are accomplice of each other but at the same time, we're pawns in this survival game. If the fittest survives for a better future then be it."

"Now I expect you to brace yourself for what's coming. Do whatever it takes to come out alive from the chamber. Prepare to show others their endgame. Go to your dorms and take rest. Trust me, you need it the most."

They tap their leg hardly on the ground and leave the room. But before they leave I quietly add, "good riddance to three."

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Never have I ever thought I'll take so long to publish.......But here we are😅

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