The Story Of Soldiers

Chapter 18

"Are you sure that's the same kid?" Embress asked.
Ruby nodded next to her. "Yeah, that's definitely them. They've grown. Pretty good for a bunch of pampered kids, right?"

"Oh hush." Embress snaps at her sister, rolling her eyes.
"I wonder how they fight," Ruby thought aloud, "Maybe they're even better than us?"

Embress scoffed at the mere thought. "Oh please, don't humor yourself, sister. I am the best soldiers the program has ever had."
"Keep telling yourself that, Embress. Whatever helps you sleep at night," Ruby sighs.

"I want to speak with them. That one, in particular." Embress says, pointing to the boy with black hair and eyes.
"Why him?"
"He just...seems stronger than the others. Don't ask me why."

Ruby shrugs it off, "Alright then, sister. You should speak with Robinson and Diaz first."
"What do you think I'm going to do?" Embress laughed, no humor in her voice, "Just walk up to the kid yielding a deadly weapon?"

Ruby blinks, momentarily confused before looking closer and realizing the child was indeed holding a gun.
"They give the 7-year-olds gun lessons now?" Embress asks though it's not really a question at all.

Ruby laughs. "Why so worried? Scared they'll hurt you?"
"No!" Embress snaps, "You wish. That damned kid couldn't hurt me if he fucking tried."
The sisters share a laugh before the older of the two make her way over to Robinson.

"Hello, ma'am," she smiled, "Long time no see, aye?"
"Only a year," Robinson said softly, writing something down on the clipboard that always seemed to be attached to her hand.

"So how are those kids coming along? Oh, wait, lemme guess, they died?" Embress snickered.
"Which of the children are you referring to?" Robinson asked stiffly, clearly irked at the negativity aimed at the kids.

"Those 888, 887, and 889 kids?" Embress says in a questioning tone.
"Oh, those three. They're over there." Robinson gestures over to the three who were in the sandy pit she remembered all too well.

"Why are you giving the 7-year-olds guns? We only learned that at ten." Embress remarks curtly.
Robinson pursed her lips. "You know full well why. With that monster on the rise, we need all the soldiers we can get. And as fast as we can."

Embress bit her tongue, a new question crossing her mind.
"Say, Robinson, how old will they be when they graduate?"
"This group will graduate at eighteen at the very latest," came Robinson's reply.

Embress sputtered. "E-eighteen!? That's it!? I was- me and my sister were in our mid- twenties!?"
Robinson closed her eyes with a deep sigh. "As I said, he's on the rise. Faster than ever, in fact. There is no time to spare, 332. You understand that better than anyone."

Embress looked down, biting her lip. She nodded silently.
"May I speak with them? I'm... curious."
"Curious about what?" Robinson prompts.

"I was part of the team that took them. I thought of them as spoiled brats. I thought they were too soft for the program. I want to see how far they've come. And see if I was correct."

"You are not." Robinson assured, eyes trained on the clipboard, "But you may. If Diaz permits it."
Embress nodded affirmatively. "Yes ma'am."
Embress approached through quick strides, eyes narrowing at the kids.

"Good afternoon, Commander Diaz," she announced her presence.
Diaz looked to his former trainee. "Oh, 332. I didn't think you'd be back so soon. That mission was meant to take another year or so, correct?"

The Embress shrugged, grinning. "Yes, it was. But I like to defy expectations."
"You always did," Diaz sighed, "What can I do for you?"
Embress looks over his shoulder to the team.