It took a few weeks for me to fully recover. I had so mich adrenaline pumping I couldn't even feel the fractured ribs or my broken hand.
After I was released Perseus and his men came to get me. While I had originally been offered a spot in the army I didn't understand that I was being offered a place into Perseus until I had actually arrived at the headquarters. It was huge. On the outside it only looked like one two floors but there were 3 more underground.
Not only did he push to make a soldier out of nothing but he decided to use my mind as an "added bonus" as Adler said. In the short time I was in college I had gained much information about my studies and bit beyond. While I wasn't exactly an expert in physcics and biochemistry but in my freetime over the past few years I had dabbled in cryptography. Joining Perseus only strengthened those skills, mainly cryptography.
"Understand that you have been given an opportunity here. I don't do that for just anyone, all these soldiers you see here, they all earned it. If you ever want more than just a desk job, I suggest you earn it as well. Comrade Pentrenko here will be in charge of your training in combat. I will be overseeing it from time to time." Perseus said as they approached the man. He seemed to be a few years younger than Perseus, and at least ten years older than me.
"This your new recruit comrade?" Pentrenko asked me, giving me a rather judgemental look.
"Yes, you have trained up some of the finest soldiers to date, he may be a challenge but I don't doubt your tactics." Perseus placed a hand on my shoulder. "Good luck comrades." He said before walking away.
"Your name?" Pentrenko asked me, my arms crossed.
"Anthony Petrov sir." I said.
"Petrov?" He said skeptically. His sudden epihany dawned on him. Being the moron I was I didn't focus on why he asked for my name twice or even the look he gave when he remembered who's kid he was talking to.
"Yes sir."
"Go get in line with the others." He pointed me towards the others he was reaponsible for training.
That day we would work on hand to hand combat. Everyone had sparred with at least four people. I was on my third.
"Your punch, don't open yourself up so much." The man advised me as I stumbled to the ground. "Or things like that could happen." He helped me up to my feet. "You must be a new asset?" He asked.
"Yeah" was all I managed to say. I hadn't been there a day and I was already feeling frustrated. I could consider myself fortunate that at least they also could make use out of me in the lab if not on the field. "How long have you been here?" I grew curious, was there anyone else as new as me?
"About seven months. Just short of a year." We introduced overselves afterwards. Antonov ended up becoming a great friend to me, much like Kirk.
Pentrenko blew the whistel, telling everyone to find a new person. How lucky I was to get with one of the most pathetic people on the face of this planet. For a rookie, he could certainly be intimidating.
He didn't say an entire word while we sparred. I guess because I didn't get one single good shot on him. He landed all of his on me. I collapsed to my stomach, my head feeling heavy. I wasn't out but for a moment I wish I had been.
After a few moments, Pentrenko blew his whistle once more. This time everyone gathered around the two people fighting. I squose my way towards the front, beside Antonov. "Thats the guy I was with just a moment ago." I pointed towards him as the man slammed his opponent to the ground.
"Him??" He sounded almost stunned. "If you know whats good for you, you would stay away from him. He's an excellent soldier but nobody has ever gotten the upper hand on him."
"Lets go Kuzmin!" One man from the crowdshouted.
"Come on Vikhor!" Another cheered him on.
"He goes by many names but I hear many people call him Stitch." Antonov said as we both watched, mesmerized at what he was putting his opponet through.
Stitch had gone through about four other soldiers so far now. He just finished up his fith with a KO. The circle was getting smaller and smaller. Stitch was running low on prey.
"Cowards." Stitch mumbled. He was right, none of us were brave enough to willingly fight him. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't choose for him. Someone from behind shoved me into the circle and quickly took my place, closing the gap. I remember wishing I had stayed in the hospital, I was most likely about to have another long visit there.
"Ah, your that rookie." Stitch narrowed his glance at me. As a 17 year old child I was terrified. I went for one punch and that was all I remembered. Antonov said I barely missed him but that I hit the ground quite rough. I certainly beleived him when I felt it the next day. And the day after that and so on and into the following week.
Another day had come and that day we were to do drills. Climb, run, crawl. I had cuts all over my arms and legs from the barbed wire. It took about three days to remove the mud that caked my body. I couldn't climb. Not really, a few inches above the ground at most but not like everyone else who touched the top.
"The only thing your good for is running Petrov! And we don't run from the enemy so you might as well be useless!" Pentrenko shouted in my face as we ran. We started around noon and didnt finish until night time, with few breaks here and there. It was miserable.
Fortunatly I was able to be of some use in the lab. I did more problem and equation solving than anything else. Seeing as I had no certificate saying that I stufied cryptography, it took a while before they let me do any serious work in that area. But that will come later.
About a month after my arrival we did some more target practice. We did that at least once a week. It seemed everyone around me was progressing, and I was just stuck. Stuck forever, never to go anywhere but down. The pressure that night was surely on, Perseus and some other important officals had come by the traning session to see how army was doing. I looked at all their pleased faces when they saw Stitch. I seem to have gotten saved for last.
As if the prescence of Perseus and his officials wasn't enough, it had started raining about two men ago. "Petrov." Pentrenko called my name and pointed at the weapon. He signaled for me to pick it up and shoot the target some many feet away. I could feel their stares on me. Long story short things couldn't have gone worse.
"Useless!" He shouted at me.
I hit the ground hard and absorbed the punches he dished. I saw Perseus and his men stand there for a second more before turning away leaving. I couldn't tell what was worse, them shaking their heads, or not, like they did. I grew angry. Standing to my feet I threw a right hook and landed. I was shocked. Suddenly I felt Pentrenko dislocate my shoulder, and I was back on my back. The world quickly grew darker and darker.
I remember regaining consciousness some hours later. I opened my eyes to see the rain still falling. I tried to move my arm before feeling a sharp pain, reminding me of earlier. I felt embarresed. I felt angry. Sad, frustrated, every negative emotion one person could have, and nobody share it to. I decided then and there I couldn't keep living like this. Something had to change. I certainly wasn't built for this but I could build myself to be this way. That didn't mean for the next few weeks to a month wasn't easy.
Antonov had found me on my back, lost in thought.
"Good, your alive!" He stood over me. "Come comrade, I'll need to get you inside quickly, you know we arn't allowed out of our bunks this late." He looked around to make sure nobody saw him in the middle of the field before squatting down and picking me up by my bad arm.
"Not that one, hold on!" I tried to keep my voice down but the pain made that a bit difficult.
"That arm? Looks dislocated. Here, I'll fix it." I didn't have time to reapond before he snapped it back into place. The sudden pain frightened me but it quickly went away once I was able to move it again.
"Come on now, up." He pulled me up to my feet. As we walked to our bunks, my mind was set on making people know my name. One day they would all thrive to be someone like me. Someday maybe even Perseus himself might envy me. Yes, envy.