Half-Dead

21: The Enemy of my Enemy (M)

Michael

I lost my way twice and ended up in a headlock once for walking in the wrong room. I eventually found a door marked Outdoor Arena on the first floor.

I take one step inside, and every eye turns to me.

"You're late soldier!" A man in all black yells as he marches over.

"Sorry sir?" I said more like a question then a statement. I wondered if my simple apology would please him.

"Sorry? When your sorry ass is late to the battle field your fellow soldiers have already died because of you, are you going to stand there and say sorry to your dead friend?"

"Well no I-"

"I think the answer you're looking for is, sorry sir, it wont happen again sir."

"Sorry sir, it wont happen again sir." I repeat back.

"Damn right it won't happen again." He yells. "Now shut it." He yells. "And give me 50."

I fall to the ground and get into push up position.

"Are you waiting for a invitation soldier?" He asks his voice not lowering a bit. Well at least he was better then Mark. Mark was a brutal trainer, testing our weakness and pushing our limits. 

"Blood is weakness leaving the body" He once said to a kid.  He shatters our hope along with our bones. His very existence frightened me.

I start my push-ups, but only get to four before he's yelling at me again.

Are you trying to get of my nerves soldier?" He asks still yelling. I stop my push ups confused at what I had done wrong.

He gets on his knees and puts a hand on my back, pushing my back all the way down until the tip of my nose is touching to ground.

"That is a push up soldier." He yells in my ear.

"Yes sir!" I yell before restarting my push ups. I can feel his eyes glaring daggers into my back.

I'm only on thirty when I start to slip up. My arms give way and my face smashes into the dirt. 

I quickly get my arms back under me and try to push myself up, but something is keeping me down. 

I risk a glance behind me and see the man has his foot on my back.  When he sees me looking he pushes me back into the ground, before picking me up and marching me over to a stern looking trainer.  He pushes me into front of the group of teenagers probably around eighteen, doing push ups. Everyone was wearing the same outfits as me.

"Does anybody know what 70,000 volts of electricity running through your body feel like. Everybody shakes their head. These must be the newest recruits.

"Well if anybody wants to know, you can just ask this man right here." He says pointing to me. I look down at the ground, alarmed.

The guard pulls his taser from his belt.  I look up trying to see his face better and freeze.  I'm staring into the face of a middle aged man with short blonde hair and cold unforgiving blue eyes.

Mark.

"I'm very dissapointed." He whispers to me, before jamming the device into my side.