Addition.

Chapter 5

He continued on with why he thought this was such a necessary thing, and how officials have learned how to tame the Fives.

However, I was just staring at the man before me in bewilderment.

"On top of that, this would be excellent for a future war, and once we learn to tame the Sixes, we could create an even higher rank, a Sev-"

I cut him off hastily, not caring about respect. "What's the point of a reclassification, then?"

The President cleared his throat, then spoke once again. "Well, we might even consider a reclassification to be an annual event. As our Ranks are training, they're improving. Some Fours out there might now qualify to be a Five.

Therefore, a reclassification would be necessary. Do you understand?"

I nodded deliberately, trying to process the information in a way that didn't seem pointless, or worthless.

"Your name is Zoe, correct?"

I stared at his face, dumbfounded. I studied his wrinkled features, his balding white hair.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Your name, it's Zoe, is it not?"

"Oh, yeah, it is." I bobbed my head up and down quickly, and folded my hands on my lap. "I apologize, I was just thinking about what a completely useless decision you're making." I paused a second to clear my throat, then continued. "Sorry-/Mr. President/." I finished, my sarcasm clearly obvious.

He raised an eyebrow, and the corners of his temples wrinkled. "And why is that?"

I leaned forward in my seat, then sighed. "Well, first of all, there's some really stupid Fours out there. I'm not saying this out of worry for competition, I'm saying this because it's a simple fact. The majority of the Fours are provocative and irritating, honestly." I stated lamely.

"Would you please imply what this would have to do with reclass-"

"What I'm saying, is that there could be some really immature Fives too, and they could start picking on the Sixes. It would just be. . .really annoying to deal with. On top of that, Fives are currently the highest on the danger ranking. When they fight the Sixes, which would be the next most dangerous, then that would damage the system, wouldn't it? They're fighting out there, but you're just dismissing it."

"Miss Zoe-"

"Wait, I'm not done here. I'm just getting started, actually." I glared at him, and wrenched myself to my feet. "When you make some Tens, I bet there will be some Nines who'd want to fight with them, and then what? They'd want to fight to the bone, until they see blood. You can even risk the chance of them fighting until death." My words were louder, harsher than ever before.

"Anyways, I don't know why I have to explain this to you, because you stalk all the Ranks twenty-four seven!" I hissed, growing angrier by the second. "Is this seriously your 'game plan'? Keep adding ranks until there's, what, Hundreds?

"If I may interject-"

"No, you may not. Why don't you just go break up another Four-Five fight yourself, instead of sending out some of your impotent officials to do it for you? God-why don't you tell me what you're really doing here?"

I was standing by this point, pacing towards him, clenching my fists, eager to punch something, even with my handcuffs restricting that. "Why don't you just-"

"Thomas, send in Project 53, please." The President ordered, as he leaped out of his chair when I was inches from him.

"Yes, Sir." The man, Thomas, his name must have been, hurried behind a station of gears and labels and flashing buttons. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him flip open a clear, plastic case and slam his fist down on a bright red button.

A large metal door on the opposite side of the room immediately slid open, and a cylinder chamber was revealed, one of the ordinary ones that the Ranks sleep in at night.

However, this one contained a person, a man dressed in completely black, from head to toe. His eyes were shut, and he seemed at rest, like he was in hibernation.

I turned around quickly, averting my direction away from the boy in black in the chamber and the President, to Thomas, who was tapping rapidly at tablet-looking object.

After he finished in a matter of seconds, he looked up from the tablet, and pushed his rimless eyeglasses up the bridge of his nose.

I looked at what he was now intently staring at-the boy's eyes suddenly blinked open, revealing a dark shade of grey eyes.

"Now releasing Project 53, Sir."

The front half of the cylinder slid open, and after mere seconds, the boy swiftly exited the chamber, and strode up to me.

I had no time to react, as he raised his fist, and swung at my jaw.

It ached and stung horribly, but just as he began to throw another punch, I ducked to the floor. He kicked my side, and I couldn't defend myself the slightest with my handcuffs.

"Can you. . ." I strained to speak in a legible voice, but the man continuously kicked my sides as I remained on the floor, holding in my surrender. "Take these. . .off?" I cried out and shook my restraints, as he pressed his combat boot firmly on my stomach, pressing harder by the seconds.

I wanted to close my eyes, and be at peace. Where this stupid government can decline, and I won't be apart of it.

But then, for a second, I didn't.

I kept my eyes open, and racked my brain of ways to fight off this man.

My handcuffs.

I bared a small smile, as he removed his boot from my stomach, and began kicking my side again. With every kick, I groaned in agony, but tried to throw my arms out when the timing was right.

It all happened so fast.

His foot rose up to kick me again, I rolled over quickly, and threw my arms under his boot, tripping him with the metal chains that linked the handcuffs together.

He kicked me one final time, before stumbling backwards, and falling to the floor.

I scrambled to my feet, made my way over to the man, and pressed my boot to his chest.

My breathing was off track, unsteady. Yet I turned to the President, whose eyes were as wide as could be.

"This. . ." I spoke slowly, catching and regaining my breath. "Is not what I. . ." I continued to stare, as death-threatening and menacing as I could. "Would want to put up with."