Chapter 19: First Infusion

"Awaken, thing." Jas- no… Hoplite heard an enraged gravelly voice say from above him.

He was a Hoplite now. He didn't have a name, no name. Just a Hoplite. A thing. Hoplite opened his eyes, seeing the commander staring down at him with angry eyes. A bright white light that was never shut off shadowed the commander's form before Hoplite's eyes could adjust. He was a tall man, well over seven feet in height and possessing some of the most advanced bionics known to man. A Paladin, retired to train the next generation of Hoplites in the way he himself had been trained.

Hoplite had been taught to address him as commander, as were all the other children in this bunker. His features bore deep furrows of age, marred by a severe plasma burn across half of his square face that exposed all his teeth on the left side of his jaw. He wore a one piece jumpsuit of solid black, with a matching long sleeved overcoat that seemed to drink in the surrounding light. It made his presence all the more intimidating, as if he was despair personified. The only thing that shone off Commander was his completely bald head from the overhead lights, and even then that light seemed to get drunk in by Commander's dominating darkness. Hoplite was terrified of Commander, as was everyone who trained under him, and for good reason.

A strong hand gripped Hoplite's nose, and Commander hauled him up out of his bed with a snarl, spittle flowing from his half burnt mouth and seeping between his exposed teeth. Hoplite did his best not to cry. He knew that it would be so much worse if he did… As he came to his feet, he could see the rows and rows of bunk beds lining the barracks of the Hoplites, all occupied with children that didn't even move their heads to look his way.

Hoplite knew they would be awake, but he didn't blame them for avoiding movement. One couldn't know where Commander's wrath could land next… it was best to avoid having his attention on you if you could get away with it. The white overhead lights blazed overhead, casting Commander's and Hoplite's shadows across the hard concrete floor as Hoplite was thrown to it.

Still he didn't cry, even as his shoulder took the whole fall, exploding with agony.

"Thirty-seven! You weak runt!" Commander shouted "A Hoplite can not have personal items from their home!"

Hoplite's breath caught "S-sir wait," He began with a terrified stutter "I-I had it with me when I was taken…"

Commander reached into his sleek black coat, pulling out a thick book from one of its pockets "I saw the bulge beneath your mattress, you thing!" Commander waved the book out in front of Hoplite as he nursed his sore shoulder "You have defied Terna and Lord Jyn himself by bringing this foolishness along with you! I don't care if you somehow managed to hide it during the search, only the clothes that were on your back were to be allowed, not this!"

Hoplite read the title on the face of the novel, knowing every single word by heart from the countless times he'd read it to help cope with the horrid training he had been put through. Whenever they were given rest and no one was looking he had read it; read it to escape and remember who he really was. A book of wizards, elves and magic… his only escape from the pains of his body and the trauma of his mind.

Commander gripped it in both hands tightly, and Hoplite's eyes widened with shock as the paladin tore the tome in half with a curse. The sound of paper ripping beneath powerful bionic muscles echoed throughout the barracks, causing a few other children to shift slightly in their beds. Hoplite stared wide-eyed in horror at the destruction of his one friend in this place, feeling his eyes beginning to moisten. Commander didn't say anything as he stuffed the book back into the black pocket of his long coat.

Hoplite felt the tears beginning to slide down his cheeks… and right then, he knew he was doomed.

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"A Hoplite does not weep." Commander said in a suddenly flat monotone "Give me one-thousand push-ups now. If you fail, you'll do two-thousand tomorrow, and three-thousand the day afterward if you continue to fail!" He began shouting again "Until the weakness has left your body and soul for the octopus and for Terna!"

Hoplite wiped the tears from his eyes as he brokenly began the motions, his shoulder protesting every single movement until finally he reached eighty push-ups… and collapsed, the ache of his chest and pain of his shoulder being too much to bear. Commander sneered down at him with disgust before ripping Hoplite's blanket free from his bed.

"Sleep cold, you thing." Commander said with an edge of spite "You will do two-thousand tomorrow."

"Yes… sir." Hoplite said with a groan, sitting up from the ground.

Hoplite didn't know how an eight-year-old was supposed to be capable of one-thousand push-ups, but arguing with Commander would be a good way to find out.

"Oh, you will thing. You get your first infusion tomorrow from what I hear. You will be able to do two-thousand, and if you can not, then clearly you'll need more." Commander said "Now get in that bed before I take that damn mattress away too!" He shouted, snapping his gloved fingers.

Hoplite leapt up and crawled into the mattress, feeling the cold of the large barracks seep into his bones as Commander stomped off with his blanket. Hoplite bit his lower lip to stop it from quivering as he buried his face into the pillow. He made no sound as his tears fell, soaking the casing until eventually, after several hours they no longer fell. His first infusions were going to be tomorrow… how could he possibly sleep knowing that?

Hoplite hadn't been able to sleep before Commander came back in, screaming for the 'things' to get up and get ready for the worst days of their lives. All except for Hoplite, who had to go in for his first infusion of Final Kind DNA.

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