Most mornings, Cassius woke to the sound of silence. He would scrape his nails across his bedding or the walls just to hear something besides his own breathing. Those mornings would drone on until they delivered his breakfast. Toast, orange juice, and protein-infused sausage. Sometimes it varied, but they liked to stuff him full in the morning and slowly dwindle it down to barely anything at dinner.
They didn't starve him and they didn't beat him. He would train in the mornings and then back he would go into his cage. Until he was needed once more.
It made him sick to think he went along with this arrangement. With his own slavery. But fighting would make things worse.
He'd seen what true slavery looked like to those in the care of the rich Exteru. He served in the military doing the work for the government. The Mekiah in the hands of the wealthy were sex slaves, bred like dogs for the perfect breed. They were beaten, raped, and treated like dirt.
That could have been him.
This morning started normally. He woke to the silence and proceeded to make noise to fill the gap. Then he got up, took a piss, and waited for his breakfast. His body was on a daily schedule and only after twenty minutes did the slot at the bottom of the steel door open. The tray of food slid into the room. The slot closed.
This morning's breakfast was the usual toast and sausage, but they'd given him milk and a small bowl of oatmeal. He curled his lip at the warm milk and gave it a small sniff. It smelled fine.
He poured it down the sink anyway.
He filled the cup up with water, grabbed the tray, and sat on the bed with his back against the wall. He ate his toast dipped in oatmeal and saved the sausage for last. After washing it all down with the entire glass of water, he set the tray in front of the door.
The morning passed. Slowly.
He was about to fall back to sleep when the slot opened and the tray was taken. Then the door opened.
Felix could have been the poster boy for the Exteru race. His light skin paired with his dirty blond hair and blue eyes were the staple of the Exterus. His features were unworldly, crafted by gods. He was probably a prized first son or at least a favorite in his family. He was a beautiful Exteru and a skillful Exterminator.
His personality made him one ugly son-of-a-bitch.
"On your feet. General Iza wants you in his office."
Cassius pulled himself from the safety of his bed. With his arms stretched out in front of him, he pretended to be disgruntled, but really, he couldn't be happier to get out of this cell.
Felix fastened the chains on his wrists. The metal was cold against his skin and the magic intertwined with his own, dampening and suppressing its strength. The weight of the chains was familiar and not uncomfortable.
His mind floated as if cut from the scene. He was floating freely, a being with nobody. These chains that bound him to this world and to Xtavia forbid him from ever venturing into the unknown.
There was something past the Veil. The demon he encountered was another clue pointing him in the right direction. He knew that if he followed the trail, he would discover what was on the other side.
Felix pulled him like cattle from the cell. He jerked the leash hooked to the chains around his neck and wrists.
General Iza rarely wanted to see him. He'd already given his report the day before.
He wondered why he was being called on now.
His stomach churned.
It was easier to predict outcomes when he was on a mission. When the daily routine instilled in every cadet on the base was disrupted, it threw everything off balance.
If he was scared, he would have a damn good reason.
But he wasn't.
It was hard to push down the bubbling excitement stirring inside of him. He managed to suppress it though he wished he didn't have to be so pessimistic.
Katson wasn't the happiest in the world and it had made days worse than they could have been. He couldn't hold it against the kid, not when they were slaves to a country that viewed them as less than dirt.
However, after spending so much time with someone who wasn't willing to hold a conversation—especially when that someone was the only other Mekiah around—it pissed him off.
But Katson was dead.
Fried to a crisp, his body probably thrown in some landfill where not even scavengers could find him.
The kid wasn't bad. He had the cutest smiles when he did. Cassius could tell he was shy to show a hint of emotion when it was just them. They talked about the Veil and the Third Eye when they had the chance.
It was nice while it lasted.
They would have never been more than acquaintances. The military wasn't a place where relationships bloomed. Any ray of light or hope was seeped out by the overbearing guards, cadets, and high ranking officers.
Cassius would have liked to have him around a little longer. If it hadn't gone wrong this last time, Katson would still be here. What had happened could have been stopped if there had been more Mekiah. Katson hadn't been weak. It's just he wasn't strong enough to survive the blast the demon had set off.
Felix pulled Cassius into the showering area and locked the leash onto an adjusted metal pole outside one of the stalls. The pole was welded into the ceiling and floor with a spell over-casted. With the spell and the bindings on him, he wouldn't be able to rip the pole from the ground.
The shower was a small stall with a half-wall for privacy—and an open view for the guards to watch.
He gritted his teeth in disgust.
He undressed and placed his clothes on the wall to be collected later. The shower automatically turned on as he stepped in. The cold water took its time heating and he bathed with a quick hand. His eyes never closed, never being able to fully enjoy the water even if it was colder than he would have liked. He would have preferred if it had been close to boiling his skin.
He had to settle for what he was given.
The water stopped after ten minutes. He toweled off and dressed in the clean clothes lain out.
The standard black uniform matched Felix's except for the silver X embroidered in the high right corner of his jacket. The X marked him as a military Mekiah.
When he was fully dressed, they headed to General Iza's office.
Iza was a Remu without any special qualities. His magic was weak, as any Remu's was, and he'd been stationed in Parlera since Cassius was removed from the HIVE. Cassius had been raised around Iza's stern hand and had been punished many times before, but it had been a while since he'd received a beating for his behavior. If this was a punishment, he couldn't find a reason why it was brought on.
Outside Iza's office, Felix pulled Cassius's leash towards him. Cassius startled and looked up at him. His face was stoic, yet painted pretty by the hallway lights. His light skin glowed and his blue eyes sparkled, glimmering with hate and disgust Cassius was used to seeing. Felix didn't hide his rage as Iza tried to do. While Iza attempted to hide his emotions behind a brick wall, Felix put them on display and played an angry part whenever he could. He was a fierce Exterminator who put down Mekiah like flies.
He glared into Cassius's eyes as he removed the cuffs. It was always anger and hate between them, more so than there was with Iza.
But Iza was different than Felix. Vastly different.
Felix held the leash and chains. Then, took a large step back from the door. Under Felix's watchful gaze, Cassius entered the room.
General Iza welcomed him with a pointed look. He could read it well. It told him to sit down and don't say a fucking word.
He did just that, not looking for a beating this early in the morning.
"Do you have something to say?" Iza crossed his arms.
He was calm on the surface. Under the layers there was anger. Words poised on Cassius's tongue, begging to be spoken, but he held back. Iza was searching for Cassius's fighting words.
He was looking to start something because he was angry and because he needed to beat the shit out of Cassius.
"No, sir." He spat the words.
Iza stared at him, drinking in Cassius's form in the chair. Analyzing him. He could do just about anything he wanted to Cassius and he wouldn't need a justification. This was just a game he liked to play.
"This afternoon, a General from Keshtin will be arriving at the base. He's investigating the failed mission and reporting back to the Capital on our SWARM," Iza said. He paused. "Make a mistake, boy, and I'll make sure you'll sorely regret it."
Said like a true Exteru. Too bad he didn't get a job in the Capital. Too bad he's a Remu.
A smile crept upon Cassius's lips. For a split second, his good act crumbled before he could piece it back together. Laughter bubbled in his throat and he pushed down against it. His insides burned and he knew if he looked at Iza once more, he'd lose it. The fucking shit head could boss him around as much as he wanted, but the secret lurking inside of Cassius would make him pay for all the sins he'd committed. He was weak now; later, he wouldn't be.
Iza saw the small smirk. He grabbed Cassius by the jaw and yanked his head back. Cassius cried out as he felt the tendons in his neck stretch further than what was normal.
"You don't have to wake up tomorrow. I could break your legs and throw you to the dogs to be raped until your insides are falling out."
Iza grinned, matching Cassius's burning eyes.
"No mistakes."
***
"Couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?" Felix slapped the back of Cassius's head and laughed when Cassius jumped in surprise.
Cassius licked the blood from his busted lip from when Iza had back-handed him to show good measure. The old shit knew a slap would make him feel like a little bitch than a manly punch would. There was probably a bruise on his cheek. A marker for everyone to see.
He wouldn't do anything now. He didn't want to test if Iza threats were empty or not.
Out of everything, he wouldn't let that happen. He could deal with the hits and the humiliation, but he wouldn't go through that kind of pain. He shivered with disgust, hoping the men carrying out those kinds of acts would die the most painful deaths imaginable.
The chains clanked as he touched the back of his head. He bit his tongue when he caught Felix's big ass grin. Felix thought he was smooth and everything because he was Exteru and an Exterminator. If it wasn't for his genes, he wouldn't be here and he would be back home living a dishonorable life. After he saw Iza fall to his knees, he would destroy Felix and give him the punishment Felix hopelessly needed.
***
The training yard was part inside and part outside. It was a flexible space for the team members to train whenever they wanted and that included Cassius, though he had to be supervised by Felix when he did. Felix was chosen as his guard because he was the only Exterminator on the base and if Cassius so much as charged at him, he could have Cassius near death in seconds.
The blood on his lower lip had stopped and the pain was just a dull ache. It was hard to forget he'd gone through worse when the humiliation was red hot. He wanted so badly to give everyone a piece of his mind. When he couldn't, it made him feel like the most helpless animal in the world.
Of course, he wasn't.
He was a Mekiah with magic and he could connect to the Third Eye. He'd survived a fucking demon attack when he knew he shouldn't have. There should have been pride in that. It was too bad he couldn't brag about it like he wanted.
Anger boiled to the surface and when he saw the red targets lined up against the wall, he was ready to let everything out on them. Frustration drove him to the edge. With so much unused magic flowing through his veins, it was no wonder he hadn't exploded already.
Without thinking, he ran toward the training area. He only got so far before the leash tightened and he was thrown back. He landed on his back, sprawled in the freshly cut grass, coughing and gasping for air. Felix laughed and jerked the leash one more time.
"Come on, dog," he said. "I'll give you a treat if you show me a trick."
Cassius growled. He realized his mistake and almost hit himself for it.
It was Felix's deep laugh that pulled him from his thoughts. Cassius's cheeks and ears were flaming red, burning so hot that he imagined there was steam coming off his head. He shuddered out a breath, willing the angry tears to not spill. His emotions ran from him sometimes. That's what Felix wanted from him.
Don't play his game. He's just looking for a fight.
"Are you going to take them off?" He stood up, staring at Felix and not the ground for once. Their eyes locked. Felix's smirk played on his lips.
Felix grabbed Cassius's wrists. He pulled Cassius toward him, his body heat radiating off him like a blazing storm. Cassius's breath got stuck in his throat. He broke eye contact.
Felix leaned into him as his fingers brushed along Cassius's hands. His breath tickled Cassius's ear as he spoke.
"Go along. Play."
His hot touch faded to an icy grip. Cassius ripped his hands free, leaving the chains and leash empty.
The taunts he could take. The abuse and the work he could power through. What he couldn't do was let Felix get inside his head.
His burning touch was like acid melting away his hardened skin, piercing through him like a virus. The Exteru knew how to use their bodies to their advantage and with that power, they could bring anyone to their knees. There was never a good reason behind their actions and when they used that playing card, it was the moment they revealed just how corrupt they'd become.
Cassius wasn't there when the war broke out or when the Exterus had built Xtavia from the ashes. But he knew they weren't the saviors they were painted to be. He didn't need proof because he'd dealt with them for twelve years, always pretending to be weaker than them just to be left alone. Even then, he couldn't always escape them.
He marched to the targets. The anger was a fire burning inside him and he pushed that fire out of him. The Veil was revealed to him and he searched through the darkness for his magic. It channeled through him and then it was there a second later. He put everything into the magic curling into a ball inside of him. It was a flaming ball of fire born from rage and hate, magic that was just as strong as it was fragile. Without the Dampener cutting off his magic, he could send the training yard up in flames.
He coaxed the magic, willing it to be controlled by him.
Come on, dog…show me a trick.
Cassius's hold broke. He thrust the energy out from his hand. It hurled through the air, a zap of color amidst the grey of the camp.
It struck bullseye. The target caught fire and collapsed in on itself.
He was calm. Silent.
But anger was an addiction. Once it destroyed one thing, it wanted to destroy more.