Revenge--The 5th Wave *Fanfic* ON PAUSE

Chapter -- 4

A little boy who looks exactly like the one on the bus runs up to me and wraps his arms around my legs, since that's all he can reach. I notice Zombie perk up from the bunk across from mine and he walks over after throwing the magazine he was reading down.

"Nugget let go of her." Nugget? Guess that makes sense, since he's literally the size of a nugget. When he doesn't, Zombie leans down and pries his hands off me. His hand grazes my thigh and I flinch. "Sorry" He mumbles, clearly embarrassed.

"Your- your the- the girl-" Nugget stutters through tears.

"Huh?" Teacup looks from him to me.

"-the bus- my sister- bear-" Zombie crouches down beside him and hugs him.

"Nugget calm down." I can tell Zombie's trying to comfort him, yet its not working very well.

"Can you speak like, full sentences? I get your like six and probably never been to school, which is why your like the stupidest out of anyone ive even known. Hell even my three year old brother-"

"Teacup stop!" Zombie interrupts her. For some reason that seemed to work because Nugget pulls away from Zombie to look at me.

" You were the girl on the bus-"

"Yeah and?"

"My sister went back for my bear... but she never came back. Did you see her?" He takes a pause every couple words to sniffle and wipe the snot on his sleeve. "She- she promised she would come back for me-"He cuts short and starts sobbing again.

"Listen kid, I don't know what you want me to tell you. I had a damn knife in my leg and I was passed out, so I don't remember shit." I start to walk back to my bunk when someone grabs my wrist.

"You can at least lie to him? Say you did to give him hope or something?"

"I'm not here to pretend like everything's puppies and rainbows okay? I can't give someone else hope if I don't have any myself." I yank my arm and his grip on my wrist releases. I turn away and walk back to my bunk. I grab the earbuds then plug them into the small hole on the underside of the MP3 player and scroll through the songs as I get into the bed. My hair is still wet so I put it into a bun and lay back.

"Everybody to their bunks, NOW!" I don't even notice Reznik come in until she screams at everyone. They all hurry to their bunks and turns off the lights before leaving. Teacup climbs into the bunk above mine, Tank beside me on my left with Dumbo above him, Poundcake on my right with Oompa above him, and across from me is Zombie, with Nugget on the bunk above him. Thank god Flint has his own.

"Everyone get their beauty sleep before P&D tomorrow." Zombie says sarcastically before pulling his covers over himself. I hear almost everyone groan in response.

What's P&D? I don't have time to think because I'm already asleep.

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"Viper wake up!" Teacup is hovering over me yelling in my ear.

"Ugh, what time is it?" I swat at her through blurry vision and climb out of the bunk.

"Almost five, you have ten minutes to get ready or you'll be doing knuckle push ups until you bleed." She shoves me towards the bathroom and I yell at all the boys to get out, obviously they scurry out like mice after you've found their hiding spot.

I splash water on my face and my dark circles subside after a few times. After I'm truly awake I take the literal quickest shower of my life and change. I walk out and everyone else is hurrying to be in front of their bunks.

The door opens at five on the dot and out steps Reznik. " Well, well, well, Private Viper, I didn't think you would be up on time." She squints her eyes and then raises an eyebrow.

"Ok? And? I was, so what's your point?"

She licks her lips and throws me on the ground. "Give me twenty, I'll go easy on you since you're new."

"Gee thanks, how kind of you-"

"Make it fifty- and everyone can watch." She stands back to give me space and I roll my eyes before starting.

Down, up-

"Call it out Private!" She snarls.

Down, up- "One!" I say.

"Louder! Like you're screaming at your brother! Oh, I forgot... He's dead" She sounds like she's holding back a laugh and I feel the urge to stand up and punch her lights out. Yet I refrain. Shocker.

Marika wouldn't have, she would've gotten up and just beat the shit out of her. No mercy whatsoever. 

"Hey Sphinx- woah." She extends her hand out and touches the purple bruise on my temple. "How the hell did you get that?"

"Some kids at school" I mumble while draping my hair over to cover it. 

"Who?" She cracks her knuckles.

"No, no. You are not beating anyone up!" 

"But they could beat you up?" She stares at me quizzically

"They didn't beat me up, its just a scratch."

"Just a scratch? Just a scratch?! Violet, I hate to burst your bubble, but that-"She points to my temple "Is not, a scratch" She never calls me by my real name unless she's pissed.

"Max, and Christina" I mumble tilting my head down.

"Pleasure doing business with you" She says before grabbing my baseball bat and leaving.

"Wait- Marika get back here!"

Down, up- "Two!" I shout and her face distorts into a smile.

Down, up- "Three!"

After probably two minutes I'm almost done. Down, up- "Forty-six!" My arms feel like Jell-O and could give out at any moment.

Down, up- "Forty-seven!" I look around and I see Zombie who looks like he's biting his lip and Nugget hiding behind him who's clutching his pant leg.

"Three more Private!" 

Down, up- "Forty-eight!" I grunt and strain before my next.

Down, up- "Forty-nine!" I contemplate about giving up now, but it would be funnier for Reznik see I'm not a baby.

Down- My arms wobble before I slowly push upwards- up "Fifty!" She grabs the back of my jumpsuit and hauls me up before marching out. 

"Everyone outside for your run!" She yells before slamming the door.

"What was the point of slamming the door if we're going out there?" I roll my eyes and start walking towards the exit.

"Nobody really knows with her" Teacup peeps.

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Apparently every morning we have to do a team run. Its basically the whole squad doing a lap around the base. Not just the building. Their entire property. We're supposed to run in pairs, yet since there's nine of us, Tank ends up in the front as a solo, Flintstone and Poundcake are behind him, then Teacup and I, and Dumbo is supposed to be with Oompa behind us, but he falls back with Zombie and Nugget. Teacup explained that whoever is completely last runs an extra lap, and that Zombie always runs it.

"Why?" I question as Teacup struggles to keep up.

"I- have- no- clue" She has to stop in between because she's on the verge of fainting.

We run past our starting point and I look back to see Zombie push Nugget and Dumbo in front of him and take off on the extra lap. Weirdo.

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Word count: 1202