Porcelain Face | HIATUS |

Chapter 2: A Talk With The Army

Tord insisted on making a speech despite his injuries.

The mess hall of his army base was overflowing with his soldiers, crowding the place. All of them had confusion written all over their faces, baffled why their injured leader wanted them all to listen to his speech.

Tord stood tall at the speaker. For a short man, he seemed to loom over the soldiers like he was a giant. Tord coughed before opening his mouth. "Dear soldiers." His heavy Norwegian accent filled the microphone. "Firstly, I want to apologize."

The muddled looks on the soldiers' faces was astounding. Why would Tord, a dictator, apologize to his soldiers? They were merely lower class men. Someone he can dispose of when he was done with them. To him, they were all peasants. Or that's what they think.

"I realized I was acting very harsh. I was a dictator." Tord bowed his head, shadows clung onto his face. "Secondly, ever since the failure of my mission to retrieve the giant robot, and billions of dollars wasted, I decided to make a change of course."

The leader's confidence arose in the small room, he puffed out his chest, and resumed his speech. "I want to change! I want to make this army better! I know you guys regret the innocent lives you have taken in the past, but that'll change today! I will make this army good! I will do my best to include ourselves in fighting for the better! Help others! If each and one of us are going to die one day, we might as well be remembered for doing something good, rather than doing something bad! It's time for change! So who's with me?"

A wave of silence crashed over the soldiers for a minute. Tord's heart was pounding against his rib cage, all he could hear was the doubts filling his head. What if they didn't like his ideas? What if they kick him out? What if they kill—

A resounding roar of cheer came from the soldiers, pumping their fists into the air. Tord's confidence rose again.

Tord raised his good hand in the air, his silver eyes sparkling with hope and pride. "Today, we will fight for the greater good! I promise that I, as your leader, will make sure I will never make the mistake of being a tyrant! You have my word!"

As the cheers of the soldiers got louder, a few tears slipped down from his cheek. He had never felt so happy in his life. A smile formed on his lips, he raised his voice once again.

"For we, are the Red Army!"