The Peacekeeper

Part Eleven

General Daars stood above my bruised body. "Coward." He spit, warm and slick landing right next to my head. "Don't you fight? Isn't that what you're here for? I thought you came to learn." He shook his head. "You're nothing but weak. Just like  everyone I've taken on before."

I took a shaky breath, my ribs and head throbbing with every inhale. "I might be weak this time, but I swear-" my body was wracked with coughs. I felt something warm and watery come out of my mouth and run down my cheek. "I swear I'll kill you."

He bent down and grabbed my arms yanking me up. I yelped at the pain but put up no fight. The general smirked at the sight of my little resistance. "Pathetic." Daars threw me across the room, I rolled till I hit the wall.

"Lucas. Lucas I tap." I tried to speak but with no avail. The General got closer and closer still. "No, I tap!" I said as loud as I could. It wasn't much but by some luck Lucas heard my plea.

Slowly the room dissolved into nothing but a black bliss. I welcomed it. My body was exhausted, my head pounding and foggy. I thought to myself, why am I here? All I've done is gotten beat down and over again. It's not worth it.

But Dad is. I opened my eyes to sit up. The virtual reality room was a mess. Blood splattered the floor, it looked like it came from me. Wiping my mouth from the warm watery liquid it came back bright red and plentiful. I nearly wretched at the sight of my combat suit. Full of stab wound paint marks and fake bullet holes showed I really would have died.

The door to the VR room opened and a very panicky Lucas came to my side. "Annie? Can you hear me? How do you feel?"

"Like I just got thrown across the room." I glared at him.

"I know I'm sorry I shouldn't have let it go that far." He tried to apologize. I wasn't having it.

"Just go. I don't even want to look at you right now." I fingered a stab wound in the breast plate of armor.

"No let me help-"

"No."

Why did I do this? I don't belong here. I'm just some stupid girl who has some impossible hope that her dad isn't dead. That her joining the Peace Corps was going to make a difference. "I'm not doing this anymore. I don't belong here! I can't even kill the simulator, and its been months!"

Lucas shook his head. "You can't give up! I know it's been a really rough year, but please you can't give up! The Core needs you!"

Why would I want to? It's been nothing but getting beat on and broken down and I can't do this. There's something that makes a Peacekeeper, no matter the branch and I don't have it. "I quit."

I'll find him some other way.