Beloved

Chapter fifteen A Little Man in a Big Man's World

I got off the chair and walked over to see a image of me and the general with my head tucked under his coat and another of him carrying me out of the Justice building. “Wow,” I breathed. “How can they do that?” I picked up the machine and checked it out. “They put us in here somehow.”

“It’s a picture, Reggy.” He took the tablet from me and tapped me on the head. “One day I’m hoping you figure out technology.”

I rubbed the spot and glared at him. “If someone would answer my question I would.”

Tobias ignored me. “Do you see what they wrote? Like hell am I getting soft!” He waved the screen in the air. “Makes me want to beat someone just for the hell of it. I am not soft!”

The other two slaves in the room quickly dipped out of view.

“Calm down.” Nina snatched the screen away from him. “Your over reacting and scaring the slaves. Did you ever think maybe this is a good thing. Everyone think you’re so mean looking all the time.”

“I am.” He eyed her. “I do it for a reason. A bunch of shit brain teenager aren’t going to listen to a push over Nina. Take Reggy for example.”

“Hey!” I shoved him. “I am not.”

Tobias barely moved and kept his eyes on Nina. “How am I supposed to go to work with that being spread across the country?”

“The same way you always do.” Nina patted his cheek as she passed. “Besides, I think it makes you more relatable.” She went into the bedroom and we followed. “People want to like your Tobias.” She picked up some of the general clothes that war flung across the couch. “It makes you seem more human rather than emotionless death tyrant.”

“I have emotions,” he spat.

“Mad, pissed off and annoyed don’t count.”

“They do to,” he muttered. “And I have more than that. I just choose not to show them like the two of you.” He motioned between me and Nina. “It’s a wasted effort.”

“Whatever you say Tobias,” she breathed. “Are you taking Raja with you.”

“I guess,” The general rubbed his forehead. “The commanders what to meet him. Just because the other bring there pets around, they want me to as well.”

“It won’t be that bad.” Nina went to get my clothes and came back with black shorts.

“Really!” I ran over and grabbed them from her. “I really get to wear something besides a skirt for once.”

Tobias snatched his hat off the rack. “Don’t get used to it.” He headed for the door. “Hurry up, or I’ll leave you here.”

I felt stupid over how excited I was to be wearing actual boy clothes. Stepping into them, I pulled them on and did them up before running into the hall. “Wait!” 

Tobias just kept going at his regular pace. 

“General wait!” I took the stairs two at a time and met him at the front door. I glared up at him, breathing heavily. “I asked you to wait.”

“You caught up.” He opened the door and went outside.

I don’t care whatever people thought, he was still a heartless bastard to me. 

***

“Wow,” I rolled down the window as enter what the general called the Army Academy. A whole group of men were going over different obstacles. “This is how your warrior train?” I glanced back at Tobias, who was typing something on his phone.