Chapter 8
I stared at the Spartan. My mouth was wide open and John placed his hand on my shoulder.
"I want my armor back, James took it from me. He broke into my cubby box in the gym and was seen taking it. Where is my armor?" John spoke from over my shoulder.
"Here it is. Now you don't have a reason to look for James. You and your bitchy girlfriend can leave him alone." She threw John's armor at us and turned away to the boarding rooms.
I wanted so bad to grab her, spin her around and punch her perfect nose. But John's hand prevented me from doing so. I yelled after her.
John moved away from the icy cold water and pulled me into the trees. "I bet that if we follow her," he said as he started putting his armor on. "We can find James. Go ahead, and go after her. I'm putting my armor back on. I'm sick of people seeing the real me."
I nodded and took off down the tree line. I caught of glimpse of her ruby red armor and sped up after her. Heart racing, I ran down the hallway. Catching more chance sights of her ruby red armor, the faster I went.
I dashed down the hall and wormed my way between the other people in the hall. She knows where James is! I thought to myself. She knows!
I jumped over a crate that was getting sent to the armory. As I went over it, I thought I glimpsed the scope of a gun, lethal guns, not the kind we used in our training battles.
I shook my head and sprinted farther down it. I saw the girl turn a corner or maybe she entered a room? I ran to it and found a vent about two feet from the door. Hands searching, I found a hand hold and pulled off the vent and before anyone could tell what was happening, crawled in and put the vent back.
The air was surprisingly stuffy and flat in the vent. It must be a heating duct. I thought to myself. I shuffled in and soon heard the wound of voices through the wall on my right. "Did you talk to Liz?" A deep and manly voice asked. JAMES!
"Yeah I talked to the bitch"
"Lilith, I told you already. Liz is not a bitch"
So… her name is Lilith. Makes me think of a story I heard once, Lilith was a demon that worked for the devil, devouring souls and bringing people to sin. Name fits for a whore and bitch
The continuation of their conversation broke my thoughts. "Oh James… Why don't you… Come… Here? I have something for you…"
The last part was spoken so slowly, and seductively. It made my skin crawl. I wanted to break through the wall and rip her hair out of her head, her short blonde and silky hair.
I could see her lying on her bed-because this wasn't James's room-eyeing him like a predator. Her armor would be off by now. I think I heard the sound of unclipping metal, plus she is a whore. I know that for certain.
James is probably deciding on whether or not he would do it. Betray me in such a manner. What if he does it! What if he actually falls for her seductive charm? My hands grew cold and I shook my head. NO! He is better than that! He is better… right?
I don't know who I was asking, but no answer came. Other than labored breath from the room they were in. I couldn't take any more. I had found James and that was all I needed.
I moved backwards and pushed the vent open and crawled out. As I moved out I felt a hand fall on my back. HAVE I BEEN FOUND! I screamed in my head.
I looked up and saw the armor clad John. I bet he is smiling. He helped me up and pulled my helmet from behind him. "I got it from the obstacle course. You might want to see about upgrading the helmet lock on it." I smiled and put it on.
Suddenly a scream of horror erupted from the room. It was James. THAT WHORE BETTER PRAY I TAKE MERCY ON HER!
I kicked the door open and saw Lilith on the bed, she was completely nude, and James was below her. She was trying to get his armor off, but he was reluctant to let her. ATA BOY JAMES!
"HEY BITCHY HOE, GET AWAY FROM MY JAMES" I yelled at her and she looked up. Fury crossed her face. And even her bright blue eyes turned ugly with hate.
I grabbed her by the hair and threw her out into the hallway. I was going to ruin her. I ran out and punched her stomach. Her eyes white out as the power behind my blow take effect. She bends over and coughs up blood.
I kick her into a wall and am soon on her, my hand on her neck. I scream with fury and punch her stomach again and again and again, in a continual rhythm. Then I let go of her neck and bring her head to my knee. I could hear the sound of her nose breaking.
"YOU, HOW DARE YOU!" She yelled at me through coughs of blood. She rose and wiped her mouth. "I'LL TEAR YOU TO PIECES FOR THAT BITCH!" I simply slapped her.
I laughed in her face and then lifted my helmet and spat on her. "As if you could, I would have to be a thousand years old before you can do that!" I pulled my helmet back down as she punched at me.
Everyone was watching us, even John and James were silent and still as we fought.
I dodged her strikes with ease.
She was off balance and lacked her armor. My blows had an extra effect.
She brought her fist up to my head to attack and I knocked it away and then grabbed her wrist.
A smile crossed my face as I looked at her horrified face. Her eyes were wide with freight. Lilith's mouth was gaping wide and she watched with horror as I twisted her wrist and brought my right arm up and then brought it down on her elbow.
The sound of breaking bone and ligament filled the still and quiet hallway.
She screamed with the pain and fell down on the floor. I watched her muscles convulse with the pain. A doctor rushed forward and covered the hoe with a blanket and two others helped her transport Lilith to the med-bay. I stood there, not even breathing hard. John and James rushed forward and everyone around us cheered and yelled my name.
"LIZ! LIZ! LIZ! LIZ!"
I felt a stir of pride in myself and my skills. John lifted my right hand as though I was the winner of a boxing match. James hugged me hard. "THANK YOU LIZ! I DON'T WANT TO EVEN IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU HADN'T SAVED ME!"
I was smiling at him, John and everyone. But then a motion in the crowd made my smile fade and fear trickle into my blood and stop my heart.
A lot of the trainers, doctors and scientists were discussing what just happened. Then three came forward and grabbed John, James and me. They took us to the research portion of the complex. The machinery nearly blinded my with the bright flashing lights and moving pictures.
They put us each in separate rooms. I grew fretful, this can't go well… A single hoe and were all screwed… Damn her! DAMN LILITH! DAMN HER TO HELL!
A swoosh of the door made me turn around. The doctor that caused it all, the reason we were all here, the woman who made us Spartan. Stepped into my room, her blue/grey eyes were harsh and she looked tired. Her black and graying hair was short of course. But something seemed different about her.
She was the same height, the same build, and looked to be the same weight from what I remembered from the last time I saw her. But something was off! My mind buzzed and tried to figure it out. But I simply couldn't. She looked at me and sighed. "Elizabeth…" She began.
Is she going to lecture me? Or tell me love is an emotion and desire the human race cannot afford? Whatever it is I don't think I will like it.
She pointed at a chair. "Will you sit down? This might take some time…"
"Yes Ma'am…" I sat down and looked straight at her. Something in my head said, Take off your helmet. So I did.
She seemed to stare into the real me. I shifted a bit in my seat and looked down. "You are an interesting Spartan... A very interesting Spartan indeed, you have managed to make two other Spartans fall in love with and then brutally damage another Spartan. You showed excellent promise of being a squad leader, but you have been very emotional lately. You were seen kissing James in the weight room and then you yelled in his face and slapped him in the main gym…"
I looked up and saw she wasn't reading this, she knew it all. From top to bottom, she knew it all… I swallowed, and felt like I was about to be brutally attacked with words. But instead she started laughing.
I looked at her confused, I didn't see that coming. "Ma'am..?" I asked her.
"You are a very interesting Spartan indeed." She said again. "One that needs to understand a few things…"
