PROLOGUE.
[Sacha]
I didn't ask for this.
We didn't ask for any this. None of us did. We we're all children. Different countries, different homes, but here altogether. They called themselves the Bedrohung. They took us from our homes, our families. And broke us with their harsh methods of training. Preparing us to be soldiers, they said.
I was now twelve years old. Having spent roughly five months with them had taught me fear; the fear of being killed. We we're the Trojan horse of the Bedrohung
At the moment we were in the bunker. Hitting targets in front of three of us. The best among other soldiers. To my right was Chad Smirnoff, European... I think. Tall, gangly with tan skin and dead brown eyes. His head was shaved giving him a cold look. And on my left, was Susumi Takahashi. She was Japanese with silky chestnut hair and soft brown eyes. Our handler, Ivan stood behind us with a stern but blank expression. He was in his early twenties, about 5'6'' feet tall with long platinum blond hair and black eyes. He was lean but with the right amount of muscles. I had seen him spar with men buffer than himself. He wasn't to be underestimated.
"You are to hit your targets directly in crucial and precise areas. Aim to kill. An assassin never overlooks an opportunity. Remember, lock your wrist and place your best foot in front. Do not throw too fast and not too slow. Keep in mind to align and let go." Ivan said in a dead voice. He handed each of us small, wide throwing knives. "Begin."
Chad took a relaxed stance and gripped the blade. He aligned it with the dummy's head and threw it. I watched with nervous anticipation as it slid from his hand in a full spin and stuck itself in the target's forehead.
Chad sneered at Susumi and I. He crossed his arms and smirked at us. Susumi muttered curses under her breath and stood six feet away from the dummy. She closed her eyes and with a backward spin sunk the knife into the target's chest.
Ivan lifted an eyebrow in mild surprise. " Very good, Takahashi." Susumi bowed in respect but I could see the pain in her eyes. We both had the same thoughts. What if that had been a human we we're aiming for?
They all looked at me and it was obvious that I was next. I stared at the knife in my hand. Somewhere in my mind, I knew this was wrong. Taken from my family, watching my friends die by the boss's hands, raped by numerous soldiers. It was engraved in my mind. I hated this place. I hated my self. But I had to do this. Or face punishement.
I took a relaxed stance and held the blade by it's hilt. With a slight crouch, I let it sail. The knife bounced off the dummy aimlessly. My shoulders sagged in defeat. I knew I was going to miss. I always did. Chad was snickering behind me. Susumi merely shrugged.
"Pathetic," Ivan spat. " Had it been in a real situation, you would have been dead! Ffycin ddiwerth! Beth allech chi obeithio ei gyflawni? [ Fucking useless! What could you possibly hope to achieve?]" He had slipped into his homeland's tongue without knowing but I could tell he was insulting me.
He spun on his heel and shot out of the bunker. The cold dark bunker had suddenly gone colder.
" Sie hören nie auf, mich zu überraschen. Kleine Ratte.[You never cease to amaze me. Little rat.]" Chad chuckled softly. He stood in front of me and as much as I hated it, I had to look up at him. "I excel in linguistics, combat, nuclear studies and you...you fail in everything. You should let the powerful do all the work and sit down like the lazy loser you are."
Susumi dragged me away from him and proceeded to walk out of the bunker when Chad yelled.
"What? Come to take your pet away? You should stop acting like a goddamn saint 'cause you're just a bitch! Just like the little rat! Slut!"
Susumi tensed and I saw tears falling from her eyes. She was one of the kindest people I knew. This place had failed in taking her humanity and Chad had no right to call her a slut. I was angry. No, I was fucking pissed
I jerked out of her grip and without a second thought, snatched her knife and threw it at Chad with all of my strength. Flying out of my hand in a blur, it cut Chad's cheek and buried itself in the wall with a wiggle.
Chad froze in fear as blood dripped down his cut cheek. He touched the blood with a wince and glared at me. I could sense danger coming off him.
He's going to hurt you...run...he will hurt you...RUN!! The little voice in my head screamed.
I barely made it far when something threw me against the floor. The air got knocked out of my lungs and Chad grabbed my arm. With a feral snarled, he broke my bones in a half. I screamed and thrashed around. My head was aching. I couldn't breath. It hurt. All sounds were muffled. Chad turned me around and punched my face over and over.
"YOU ARE NOTHING!! YOU HEAR ME?!! NOTHING!!"
Everything hurt. I wanted my Mum. I wanted Dad. Where were they?! At some point, my body shut down and I couldn't feel anymore. My blood coated Chad's knuckles and I could hear Susumi screaming. Chad was pissed. His face was suffused. Red. His eyes glinting with sadism.
My last thought before I blacked out was. I am something... someone... right?
