System Failure (A Hayden Tree x Brandon Hoover Story)

I

Hate. It's all I feel. It's what I eat, sleep, breathe, and dream. Hate.

"You know the drill. Lose the clothing. Mandatory protocol." The medic sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"Nothing comes in the compound that shouldn't be in. C'mon. Bones is waiting for you. The faster you do this, the faster we both get in." She stated in annoyance once more.

"Alright, princess. No need to get cranky. You're the one asking me to drop my drawers. I'm not asking you." I snarled in response, taking off my belt, placing it in the clear bin on table along with my shoes, gun, and the chain I kept in my pocket in case of a Scarecrow attack from behind. Scarecrows. Nasty fuckers who reminded me more of crows than an actual scarecrow itself. Evil disgusting rats who live to serve The Raven. No one else.

"Keep Bones waiting and he'll lecture you again." She sighed. I rolled my eyes in response and pulled my shirt over my head, the various tattoos and scars showing. Next was jeans, then the bandana around my forehead. I covered myself and took off my boxers, earning a scoff in response.

"Lose the bandana, Tree." She muttered, rolling her eyes yet again.

"Fucking hell." I breathed, allowing the bandana to drop to the floor, leaving me completely exposed to the woods surrounding us. I spun in a circle, coughing loudly the whole time to avoid her nagging. She stepped forward from behind the table and grabbed my chin, ordering for me to open my mouth. I opened my mouth, swirling my tongue and winking at her after.

"You're a fucking pig." She spat, smacking me hard in the face. I grunted loudly, grabbing her wrist and gritting my teeth.

"You'll regret that, stupid bitch." I spat, letting her hand go, nearly shoving her away. I pulled my boxers back on and pulled on my jeans before tying the bandana around my head and pulling on my boots.

"Bones sure as hell will be hearing about this." I spat, shoving past her as the fear in her eyes became evident. I slammed my fist into the metal door, a loud banging cutting through the air. The doors parted ways and I stepped in the compound quickly. The foresty atmosphere was gated in large walls of cement and metal, protecting us from the predators on the outside. The exposed areas in the compound were where the commoners lived. The Resistance was growing like wildfire, meaning those who didn't contribute in some way either paid the price by pitching tents and living above ground, or getting the boot all together. On the far left and right sides of the compound were entrances to The Hollow. Our underground living and working areas. The Hollow is where we keep our new initiates and those who do contribute to the compound. The underground caves spanning for miles and miles on end. They had began digging The Hollow a couple years after The Fallout and it still continued to be dug. The compound no longer had room for the old, no one having the patience to care for them. Where they went once they hit a certain age was unknown, and something I didn't care about. My mother died when I was four and my father stopped caring by time I was the age of six. He dropped me at the doors of the compound without even the slightest goodbye. His loss.

I was now at the top of the food chain, only a few places below Bones on the totem pole of superiority along with several other guys; Taddie, Escamilla, Lopez, Vargas, and the biggest bitch of them all, Leo. In the compound, we all went by last names rather than first. Hayden Tree, Brent Taddie, Dave Escamilla, Elias Lopez, Jordin Vargas, and Andy Leo. Some shortened their names, others lengthened their first. Last names kept everything in order, and first names were generally only shared if you felt a special bond between you and the person you were telling. Due to the lack of resources, rings as a promise of marriage were nonexistent but the sharing of a first name was the closest thing to a promise ring you could get. I only knew these guys' names because how frequently we worked together.