|| Conflicted || Armitage Hux x Reader

Chapter 4

Time skip : Three days

             Y/n woke up again to the sound of the alarm. When she stretched her hand to deactivate it, the artificial light reflected the gem on her ring, which Armitage had given to her a few days ago. She smiled fondly as the memory returned to her, recalling what he had said. She was certain that he meant every word of it.

            She checked the time, and the clock simply flashed four numbers. It was 0400 as usual, and Y/n grabbed her uniform, a clean one, and she walked to the refresher, changing in the bathroom. When she was done, she styled her hair to conform with the strict regulations and left. She never wore makeup but she never needed it anyways. She made her way to the mess hall, and went on her usual routine, grabbing a tray, waiting in line to be served food and walking to the table she and Armitage shared. The food was different today, it wasn't the usual slop, but instead, she got wheat crackers, a tube of jam, and a bar containing dried fruits and nuts. She wasn't surprised. She overheard two officers discussing about the new menu they're going to implement. It was supposed to lift their spirits and increase productivity of the cadets. Honestly, it did lift her spirits a little, but knowing that they were going to have a match today led her to feel downcast. She wasn't in the best shape, even though she tried her best and exerted herself to the point of collapse.

           She placed her tray on the table. Armitage was already finished with his meal, and was resting his head on the table, the mop of fluffy, red hair visible from afar. Armitage was waiting patiently for Y/n to arrive, and taking a short nap while doing so. Y/n started to mess with his already untidy hair. He turned his head and joyously greeted her. Y/n returned it and ate her breakfast, occasionally petting the ginger strands.

          "You have ten minutes to stun your opponent. Your marks will be determined by next week. You are not allowed to aim for the groin, doing so would lose you marks. I have paired up everyone, all the information is on the list over there." The officer gestured to the list that was pinned into the wall. The pair walked up to the list. Y/n read the names until she found hers.

She was paired up with Marrose Leargou . Of all people, why her? It could have been anyone, anyone else! Y/n sighed in defeat, and looked around for Marrose. Marrose's nonchalant expression could be recognised anywhere, and Y/n had no difficulty finding her. She bid goodbye to Armitage before leaving with Marrose. "We're going third," Marrose said, "If you stun me, I will kill you." Her tone changed from an annoying one to one laced with poison. Y/n stepped away from her, and Marrose smiled triumphantly.

Y/n watched as the officer gave an 'all clear' signal, and the first pair started. It was a pair of boys, and they held their weapons tightly, clearly set to stun, but their body languages digressed. One of them looked no older than 19, while the other looked like a new recruit, Y/n could see the fear in his eyes as he was faced with a challenge. They circled each other, the older boy in a predatory stance, waiting for each other to move. In a blink of an eye, both of them shot at the same time. However, only one carefully-aimed blast made it. The new recruit lay on the floor, his body limp. The older cadet dragged him out before the officer called for the next pair, and they continued.

Y/n couldn't think straight. She fidgeted with her collar, adjusting it every few seconds. She felt her hands become clammy and slippery, due to the sweat that coated it. She moved a little to the left, and then to the right, and to the left again. She hadn't even noticed when the officer called for them, and Marrose forcefully pushed her inside the training room. Y/n held her blaster in her hand. She was trembling as she faced Marrose. It wasn't possible for someone to induce so much fear in her, yet Marrose managed to.

"Start!" The officer commanded, and Marrose almost immediately pounced onto Y/n. Y/n was in shock as she was tackled to the ground. When Y/n finally regained her composure, time seemed to slow down. She had one goal for now, and it was to win. She aimed at Marrose, it was difficult, as she was now straddling her, preparing to stun her as well. Y/n fired. The tension was unbearable.She watched as the bolt travelled towards Marrose, and hit her square in the chest. Y/n felt Marrose's body slumped on hers. Armitage was cheering for Y/n, and thrust his arm in the air when she emerged victorious. Y/n grinned and the weight that she constantly felt on her heart was lifted. She shoved Marrose's body off her, stood up and dragged her away, to make room for the next pair.

            Outside the room, Armitage clapped a hand on Y/n's shoulder. "Great job, Y/n. It's not every day you take out a senior cadet!" His adorable smile was contagious, and Y/n could feel the edges of her lips lift. She chatted with Armitage while the rest of the cadets underwent the match. When it was Armitage's turn, Y/n had her eyes trained on him. He was going against another boy that looked 20, five years older than him. Armitage whipped out his blaster as if he was doing something part of his daily routine, and Y/n was amazed by how easily he took the boy out. After the officer started the match, the other boy fell to the ground instantly. Even the officer was amused by what had happened. Armitage effortlessly dragged the older and probably heavier boy away, to where Y/n was standing, watching the next pair. They were instructed to wait for their partner to regain consciousness, before retiring to their dormitories. Luckily, they had the rest of the day off. When Marrose finally came to, she shot Y/n a furious glare, and she quickly left, her face a shade of deep red.

            Y/n decided to go back to the dormitory first while Armitage waited for his partner to revive. When she left, she heard Armitage calling for her. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, or if he had actually called her, so she left. As she walked through the hallway to her dormitory, she tripped. On closer inspection, she realised she tripped over someone's foot. She turned around, and saw a figure in the shadows. The figure stepped forward and Y/n recognised her. Marrose.

          "Were you deaf, when I told you not to stun me?"An ugly sneer was present on Marrose's face. "No," Y/n firmly replied, slowly calculating her next move. Marrose snapped her fingers and two other cadets appeared behind her. Y/n had to think carefully, she was no match for three cadets. "I think it's time we teach you a lesson," Marrose smirked maliciously, and the three of them balled up their fists, preparing to strike.

           Y/n tried to grab her blaster but when her hand reached the holster, it was met with the feeling of emptiness. Kriff... Y/n left her blaster on the one of the benches. She positioned herself in the same stance as before. One of her assailant kicked her in the stomach, and Y/n fell back into the ground. She quickly steadied herself and aimed for Marrose, though her attempt was futile. One of Marrose's acquaintance held her hand behind her back while the other held her legs together. She was stuck. Marrose leaned forward and her hand connected with Y/n's face. Y/n's head reeled backwards sickeningly as it slammed into the wall behind her. At that moment, she felt herself thrown against the wall, and a sharp pain came from her arm. When she looked down, crimson red liquid started flowing out of her blast wound, staining her recently-washed attire. Black dots started to fill her vision and Y/n saw stars. The last thing she saw was a head of fiery hair, and Marrose's frame on the ground beside herself, before blacking out.

A/n - Hi! If you read this far, thank you so much. I hope you like the story. Soon, it'll get more interesting.