"Well, aren't you a problem child?" Ms. Yam said, tapping a bag of ice on Priar's blackened eye. He winced in pain as the cold came into contact with his skin. "Hold still, you big baby. It's only going to hurt more without this on." The two sat at the stairs Priar had climbed to escape D-hall. He'd been dragged back and practically tossed down the steps. Thankfully Nurse Yam had already been on the way at the behest of Headmaster Daliah.
Ms. Yam, although annoyed, was relieved to see much of her supplies wouldn't be needed. In her time working as a nurse, she'd pick up the pieces of encounters much worse than this. Killing machines and rebellious teens were bound to end in disaster, which is why it was refreshing for her to see the standard cuts and bruises for once.
"How's your arm?" she asked, allowing Priar to hold the bag himself. He shrugged, embarrassed by his failure.
Yam tilted her head to the side, with a frustrated look that said Are you really going to act like this?
"It's not my fault! He's the one that took it too far. He would've broken my arm if I didn't fight back." Priar complained.
"You wouldn't have to fight back in the first place if you'd just stay put." Yam stated. Priar couldn't argue with her on that fact. She dug around her bag, retrieving a dark green sling. She gently lifted his arm, feeling along his shoulder. "Does this hurt?"
Priar twitched at the discomfort, but his pain was tolerable. "Kind of." with a swift motion she yanked priar's arm down and back into place. He yelped at the sudden flash of pain. A pair of trainees at the end of the hall heard his echo and questioned what animal had made its way into the basement.
"Better?" Yam asked. Already putting his arm into the sling. Through gritted teeth, Priar nodded. The pain was beginning to subside to only a dull soreness.
"Thanks I guess Ms. Nurse-"
"It's Yam." she interrupted. Priar hadn't forgotten, but he'd wanted her to think he did. It was one of his go-to tricks when it came to peaking someone's interest, even if she was older- Priar preferred her that way.
"Thanks, Yam"
She grimaced, then shook her head. "I should be thanking you. Since you pulled that little stunt, Daliah said she's going to have me set up shop down here" She packed her supplies back into her bag and zipped it closed. "It's uncommon there are so many failures, so you all get special treatment from yours truly."
"Well if it means anything, I'm glad I'll get to see you again." Priar prodded once more.
"I'm not" she ignored the bait.
"I'm going to grab the rest of my stuff. Sergeant Bright will probably want to talk with you so go and see him when you can."
From further down the hall, the beating of rapid footsteps dashed towards them. A trainee neither of them had seen before raced like his life depended on it. His form was stiff and awkward like he'd never learned how to run. His fluffy hair bounced with each step, the whole time holding a serious expression that made Priar increasingly weary as he drew closer. The trainee screeched to a halt in front of them, casting a large shadow. Although he was sitting down, Priar could tell this trainee had been blessed with his genetic. He was much taller and much more handsome. As confident as Priar was in his looks, he was no match for the specimen of perfection. His dad had said before, "There's always bigger fish" and for the first time he could finally say, his dad was right.
"Priar Witt?" The tall trainee asked. Priar leaned back against the stairs, dropping the ice pack from his face. Ms. Yam whistled and walked past the two of them, heading back up to the med-bay.
"Yeah, that's me." The trainee nodded, then got down and settled into a push up position. After a small breath, he began pumping out the exercise without further explanation. Priar, confused, asked "W-What are you doing?"
"Sergeant Bright asked that I "find you on the double" and when I did I should give him 30 more push ups for speaking out of line." Priar looked around. He'd not seen Bright anywhere, nor any trainee for that matter. The stragglers had all made their way into their dorms or been exercising with Bright.
"But he's not even here. You don't have to do it, you know?"
"Yes I do"
"Why?"
"Because Sergeant Bright told me too." the trainee said, getting to his 30th push up. Priar slapped his hand into his face, giving up on the poor kid.
"Who even are you anyways"
"I am Rudolph, I have no rank or status." he replied blankly, standing from the disgusting floor.
"Did Bright tell you that too?"
"Yes."
At the top of the stairs the boys hear the door creek open as Headmaster Daliah steps into the hall, an overburdened look stuck mouth that curled to a frown. Her formal appearance contrasted heavily with the infectious design of D-hall, but this place was as much a part of the school as anywhere else, so she'd have to come down there eventually. Besides, she'd had a job to do as a member of the family.
"Well boys, shall we?"
They walked in tandem with one another, Daliah keeping a close eye on Priar, waiting for the moment he'd turn and run. Priar, of course, was not going anywhere. He'd seen the lengths this place would go to just to keep him trapped. If he was going to escape again he'd need a better plan.
Rudolph matched her pace perfectly, making sure to even step at her same rhythm. How a trainee so dedicated failed the test was beyond Priar's belief, but if there's one thing he's learned since starting here, it's that a lot can go wrong with just one mistake.
They'd heard Bright shouting from one of the rooms. Rudolph allowed their headmaster to take the lead. The door opened to a wide room that looked similar enough to a gymnasium, only the equipment was destroyed. Basketballs laid deflated on the floor, the hoop itself was only attached on one side, threatening to break off at any moment. The floor hadn't been swept in what looked like decades. Dead rats and bugs littered the ground as well as their copious amounts of droppings. Priar plugged his nose the second he stepped in, but no amount of protection could keep him safe from the smell. All 30 trainees had been lined up facing Sergeant Bright, most of them following his commands, except Slug of course. He'd stood far away from them all on the other side of the room taking advantage of his sergeant's disability. Daliah placed her hands behind her back and called out to the crowd.
"I hope you can excuse the interruption, Sergeant." Bright's voice halted in an instant, recognising the voice immediately. "Will trainee Lance Lefraun please meet me outside." Lance, with a smile shuffled through the gathering of people to the headmaster's side, unaware of the news he was about to receive.
"Is Priar with you?" Bright asked.
Priar stepped forward, making sure to move around the animal waste coating the floor. "Yes sir, I'm here."
Bright sighed and roughly told the class, "At ease." he gestured for Priar to come closer. As Priar walked through the group he bumped shoulders with Jolie, her hair tied back into a ponytail, all she could do was glare. The same couldn't be said for Esme who walked from the other side of the room just to tell him-
"You're a dumbass, you know that?"
Rudolph fell back into line awaiting his next orders. One of the girls in the platoon had walked up to him, trying to spark a conversation, but he'd ignored them, not wanting to speak out of line again.
Priar cautiously approached his sergeant making sure to stand an arm's length apart. "Sir?" he asked.
Bright turned and coldly stated, "I don't like deserters, Worm. They have no place in an army and no place in the future of this world." He walked further away from the platoon, stepping on a mouse. "Surely you know what is done to cowards right?" Priar remained silent, wondering if he'd be able to slip away, but a rough hand gripped his forearm. His eyes met with Bright looking into the almost milky white voids of perception.
Sergeant Bright could have been described as a modicum of words. Old, senile, ragged, and even an asshole. At that moment, Priar never once thought blind "Do something like that again, and I will kill you."