The Forever War::Book One-The Dark Side of the Sun

-After the operation: Date; 10/27: Location; W.I.C HQ -

Joey could feel them taking the bandages off of his eyes, his face, everywhere.

" Try to open your eyes. Slowly, though." One voice said, it seemed scared. Who wouldn't be? Ever since the first bomb, everyone had seemed that way. Even he had, though his mother persuaded him to do this after a bomb had been dropped on their town.

He nodded, then slowly opened his eyes, which felt like they were covered with bricks. He could see the woman who spoke-her eyes were bloodshot and red, and had dark circles underneath them, and were filled with terror but, a slight glint of hope was hidden beneath: she was seeing the possible weapon her company would use to ensure it's victory.

Omce Joey was able to open and close his eyes easily, he started to scan the operating room, looking through the glass walls to the rooms next to him, searching for the two girls and his older brother who were all either 17 or 18 years old that had been with him for the past few weeks, learning about what they would have to do after the operation:

Save the world.

" Excuse me, miss, but where is everyone? You know-Serena, Grace, and Tom?" Joey said, after looking around twice to make sure that they weren't simply evading his sight.

The woman looked away from him, obviously unnerved by his question. " Your abilities should arrive by the next few-"

" Do you know where they are?"Joey asked again, his voice slightly impatient.

She paused for a single second, then continued with her lecture.

" Where are they?" He shouted, slamming his hand down on the operating table, his once green but now shining golden eyes demanding an answer.

She nodded with a sigh, which was obviously forced. " They...didn't survive the operation."

Joey chuckled, which surprised the nurse. " This is just another test, isn't it? You guys've tested all of us repeatedly, with worse things than this even. How can you expect me to believe this?"

The nurse stared at him, wide eyed. " I-"

" Stop lying. I'm sick of this, you know, all of these tests and experiments." Joey said, his voice growing louder.

" I'm not lying, Joey Marck." The nurse said confidently, the tone of her voice making it sure to him that they weren't here anymore.

He stared at her, his mouth agape, and his expression a mixture of disbelief, shock, and blame.

The glass door creaked open, and another woman walked in, her dark brown curls bouncing with every step. She sighed. " Joey, I thought you might have a problem with this..."

Joey snapped out of his trance. " Mom, you've done enough." he said to the new occupant of the room.

His mother shook her head. " Joey, I know this is going to be difficult for you-not to mention, me-without Tom and everyone else, but now, it's all in your hands. I know that you can save the world on your own."

" You know as well as I do that I can't do it without them-most of all, Tom." Joey said to his mom, laughing a little at the remark, how ridiculous it was that she could even think that he could possibly do it alone.

The nurse stepped awkwardly out of the room, feeling out of place.

Joey's mother spared a quick glance to the nurse, then back at him. " You can do it alone. Do it for them. Heck, even pretend that they're there with you. Sarah would have wanted it to be that way."

Joey felt a hot tear run down his cheek, remembering his little sister, Sarah, who had died in one of the first bombings. Then Tom, who had chosen to go through with the experiment with him. Joey smiled slightly through tears, recalling what his older brother had to do to get him to go through with it.

It was little less than a week after Sarah was killed, and Joey refused to come out from his room after their mother had told him that Joey could be the perfect person to go through with the modifications-his DNA was perfect. It took a few hours of "persuading" from Tom, and eventually ended in the agreement that Tom would go through with the experiment, too.

" You might have a small point there..." Joey mumbled to his mom reluctantly, aftcots sighing the options against each other for a few moments.

His mother smiled faintly, then turned around and opened the door. " Let's go get you out of those rags," she said with a small laugh.

Joey obliged, and jumped out of the bed happily.