Underground

5

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" He hissed. "Joining the Underground?! Were you that desperate!?"

Ouch.. Mitchie stepped in front of me with her hands up. "Hey, leave her alone—"

"Learn your place, recruit," he snapped and it caused her to shut up quick. Tommy must be a high ranking Assassin. But I knew Tommy. He wasn't so...strict.

"Sergeant Masters. Are these two giving trouble?" Sergeant?

Tommy gave me one last glare for good measure before turning to the person he was speaking to before and telling him to ignore us. Mitchie grabbed my hand and gave a sympathetic look. "We are going to be late," she whispered. I took another look at Tommy's back before nodding slowly and following her to the training hall.

•••

I stood against the wall with Mitchie in annoyance. Our teachers were late and we have been waiting for going on an hour. We all straightened up when the double doors opened and two built guys walked in the room. Both dark haired with the same familiar grey eyes I've begun to associate with the Mason family. I looked at Mitchie and she nodded. Definitely Masons. "You all are probably the most pathetic looking group we have ever had," said one with a scar from his chin to his hair line. The second guy stayed quiet and just looked at each of us.

Loudmouth walked in the middle of all of us and stopped next to me but looked at someone else. "I am First Lieutenant Alex Mason. The quiet one is my older brother, First Lieutenant Dorrian Mason. Our father is General Eric Mason," he said loud and proud. No wonder he was such a douche. I heard chuckles around the room and angry grey eyes swung my way and I realized I said it out loud.

"What did you say, recruit?" He growled turning fully to me.

You heard me, bitch. This is why I didn't join the military after high school. I'm too much of a smartass. "Nothing, sir!" I shouted straightening up.

"Just for that comment, you will be my test dummy. Go stand in front of Lieutenant Mason," he snapped. I quietly walked over to Dorrian who had a smirk on his face too. Duchess is going to hear about this later. "You are one of the Mason's Candidates and yet you show disrespect to your senior," Alex said circling me and then turning to everyone else. "Our class is to each you hand to hand combat. Being an Assassin in the Underground is about much more than the weapons we have or in your case, the power you have. Some times you will have to resort to the usual way of fighting."

One second I was right side up and then I felt a sharp pain in my leg and I was on my back staring at the ceiling. My eyes immediately found Alex's, who was smirking at me. "You weren't paying attention, recruit," he taunted. I stood up and snuck a look at Dorrian who gave a stiff nod. Hit him back. Yeah right. If I tried anything he will see it coming and I'll become part of the floor again.
"Remember that the grade we give to the council will determine if you move on to the next part of training so I suggest you get on our good side," Alex continued.

I scoffed, "So basically kiss your ass," I snapped.

Alex glared at me over his shoulder. "What was that?"

"You heard what the fuck I said, sir," I said more confidently. If I get in trouble so be it but I'm not about to kiss the ass of a bastard like him who thinks he deserves my respect. Alex turned to me and started walking over to me and I started counting. When he got close enough he leaned forward and said, "Listen here you little bitch—"

I lifted my right leg and kicked him right in the nose, sending him flying back into Devlin. There were gasps around the room and Mitchie ran over to me, scolding me. I didn't pay attention to anything but the clapping I heard from behind me. I looked and saw Dorrian smiling and clapping his hands but behind him was a very amused looking General Mason and his wife. Dorrian walked over to me and I straightened up.

"Never give your enemy the satisfaction of knowing they have power over your emotions," he said to me. "How about everyone pairs off and try some sparing techniques."

•••

"I heard you kicked my nephew in his face."
I looked up and frowned at a laughing Duchess. After that whole scene in training I was forced by Dorrian to run fifty laps around the outdoor track for lunchtime. When I finished I just found a spot under a tree to lay down to catch my breath. "He was being arrogant and called me a bitch," I growled as she sat down next to me.

Duchess chuckled, "I knew that was going to happen. Alex is a hot head and your personalities would have clashed one way or the other."

I sat up and leaned back on my elbows, "Did you make the right choice? Making me a Candidate for this?" I asked softly. I felt Duchess's eyes on me. She rested a hand on my head and I looked over at her. "You won't disappoint me, Justine. I picked you for a good reason," was all she said. I watched her get up and start walking away. I fell back on the grass and groaned. They will either kick me out or I will end up quitting, I thought to myself. I'd rather not though. My college tuition is riding on this.

"There you are."

I looked up to see Mitchie holding a bag of McDonald's in her hand. I sat up quickly and she chuckled. "He knows you well it seems," she said handing me the bag.
"He?"

"Yeah, Sergeant Masters. He told me to bring you lunch," she sat down next to me. I smiled biting into the burger and moaning softly which made Mitchie laugh. If Tommy is going to buy me food everyday then I don't mind running laps.

•••

The next two days went by quick and we fell into a routine. Training, eat, workout, sleep and repeat. After a week, Mitchie and Devlin were top of the class and I barely made it to the top five. Asshole Alex always made sure I was paired up with him for our sparing exercises and I wanted to kick him in his nose again. His nose healed pretty quickly. But on the morning of our second week...that's when shit got real.

Mitchie, Devlin and I made it to the training room early and we found some of the Candidates whispering and mumbling among themselves. "What's going on?" I whispered to Mitchie. She looked at me and shrugged. I was going to walk over to one of the others when General Mason walked in with a grim look on his face. Something is wrong. I felt something was off. I looked around the room and gasped. There were only fifteen of us today...

"For those of you who haven't noticed, five of you are missing this morning. I'm here to tell you why," he said as we stood at attention.

I saw Mitchie and Devlin look at me but I kept my eyes trained on General Mason who shook his head. "This morning, five Candidates did not wake up. They died in the middle of the night," he announced grimly. "They had a negative reaction to the venom that also courses through the veins of each of you. They didn't survive."

The blood from my face drained with each word that he said. I knew there was a possibility that some of us could die but I prayed it wouldn't happen so soon. A commotion started among the Candidates and I saw some of the other higher ups come into the room.

"We can die from this?!"

"What if I'm next?!"

"You don't give a damn about us! We're just your experiments!"

I looked over at the people in front of us and there was a pained look on their faces. They didn't want this to happen to one of their own or the ones who would one day be one of them. But they already did this to us. My gaze zeroed in on Duchess who gave me a worried look. I stared back at her, straightened my back and with my right hand raised my index finger which was the Underground's salute.

As long as there is one of us still living...the mission will get done.

That's what the salute stood for. So even if I'm the last "experiment" standing, I will be at graduation. General Mason looked at me shocked and one both sides of me I know Devlin and Mitchie also saluted them, along with a few others. I smirked. Let the others give up...they only need ten of us anyway.