Atlas became enraged with the scene before him, though he had come into the military on his own accord, he hated any form of violence, bullying included.
This was the reason he would always walk away, such scenes provoked him, but he has learned to restrain himself and look away for some reason, but he couldn't at least not this time he reasoned.
His gaze moved to the crowd of people eating in the cafeteria, they didn't seem the least bit bothered by the situation in front of them. some would glance at the scene within time intervals while whispering and others silently ate their meal probably to keep off from trouble.
A voice at the back of his mind told him that this was what he was supposed to be doing but he shoved it to the side. He guessed he wouldn't be listening to the voice, after all, he was asking for trouble when he signed up for the military.
He took a step into the room but stopped in his strides with what he witnessed next.
Rome stood up from the ground after which he dusted his uniform like he was not aware of the bullies staring daggers at him.
At the word of their leader, he wondered if they had become deaf as they keep wanting him to repeat himself. He concluded that there had to be two things involved, perhaps they had lost their sense of hearing, or they were indeed mentally retarded, with that in thought he guessed it explained a few things about them.
They gradually approached him and surrounded him again with their leader standing in front of him.
"I guess now things are finally getting interesting, aren't we all having fun?"The leader said while looking side by side at his gang members before moving his eye back to Rome." Oh! what's this?"
He asked as he touched a pendant hanging on Rome's neck.
"Your hand, "Rome said, his voice calm but with a warning tone. " Move it."
"Huh?... What that you said, kid?"The leader inquired while placing one of his hands behind his ears as if trying to hear what was said.
"Well, would you look at that? the little one has got some guys."
They all burst into laughter again at their leader's words, glad that they had finally started to get a reaction from the young lad, with the fact that Rome hadn't shown any form of anger until now, they deduced that he must have been very possessive of the things he had, thinking they had finally gotten his weak spot, they decided they would use it against him.
*Let's see if you can keep up that act kid, I'm gonna thump the hell out of you*. The leader thought inwardly.
" Oh, so you want my hands off your property, hmm..let me think about that, let's see, and what if I say..."The leader relayed while moving his hands over the pendant.
In the blink of an eye, as the leader of the gang moved his eye to gaze at the rest of his gang members who while smiling the whole time he was talking, Rome swiftly and effortlessly twisted his hand that was holding the pendant after which he shoves him to the ground before he could complete his sentence.
"Ahhh!"He screamed in pain as Rome twisted his hand further and at the same time creaked some bones.
" Never place your filthy hands on my possession"Rome warned smoothly as he glared at the figure on the ground who he now towered over.
The remaining three stared in shock at him as they tried to register what they had just witnessed.
The leader hissed in pain after which he admonished with an angry voice." WHAT ARE YOU FOOLS STILL DOING THERE STARING LIKE DIMWITS GET THE LITTLE PRICK!"
Rome watched with an expressionless profile as the leader of the gang scolded his gang members.
The remaining three quickly snapped out of their trance and rushed toward him, leaving their leader who was now struggling with the pain in his shoulders.
One of them grabbed him roughly by the shirt with the other two standing closely by his sides. They stare at him with anger and they became further irked when he didn't seem the least bit afraid of them, it was almost like he was letting them attack him.
"You chose the wrong gang to mess with kid" The bully holding him by the shirt voiced angrily.
He moved his hand in an attempt to punch him but the sound of someone clapping stopped him. They couldn't help but wonder who dared to interrupt them, nonetheless, they decided they would kick his ass as well. They moved their eye toward the direction of the door to acknowledge the new figure.
"You bunch have put on quite the show, but I'm afraid it's time for this show to be over" Someone relayed with folded arms as he rested his back on the wall of the cafeteria." it would seem that some of us have been taking the military lightly."
He moved his eye from the three-figure and back to their leader"What do we have here, let me see..a tyrant and his merry band of helping hands or shall I say, lackeys".
The room suddenly erupted in whispers.
"Who's the new guy? I don't think I've seen him around here"
" You got to joking man, how can you not know the dude?"
"He must be a popular figure around here."
" I think I've seen him before but I'm not sure where."
"He is one of the top soldiers around here."
" But he looks just slightly older than some of us."
"Rumors have it that he's got insane skills, and would soon be promoted, the dude's a monster."
" He's a role model man, I prefer the term model."
"What's his name again."
"Atlas, Atlas O'Brien, the monster soldier."
"Atlas" The leader called out with a menacing smile on his face.
" Tyler" Atlas voiced as he smiled slightly revealing the charming dimples by the sides of his face.
"You've made quite a name for yourself, it really has been quite a long time since I saw you around here, I was starting to think you have forgotten about us" Tyler expressed with a smile on his face broadening.
" I've been busy, and it seems not much has changed around here, you bunch still bully recruits at every chance you get" Atlas relayed as he watched the smile on Tyler's face widen.
"What can I say, some of us have to keep these recruits in check, they need to know the law around here, so in a way, you can say we are only upholding tradition"Tyler declared as he struggled to pull himself off the ground while using one of his hands to support the fractured shoulder.
Atlas concluded that he couldn't be more irked with the situation as it was, nonetheless, he kept it to himself.
" Oh! I see..... but you seem to be forgetting something, you are not the law in these parts"Altas relayed still with a dimpled smile on his face, and derision laced in his voice.
The instant these words left Atlas's mouth the smile was wiped from Tyler's face and replaced with one trying to restrain anger.
"This is not your fight mate, you are well aware of how things run around here, you know what you should be doing which is to walk away" Tyler warned in an almost calm voice but it was clear that his anger was having the best of him.
" And what if I chose not to?'.Altas asked with a raised brow, his voice as calm and serene as he wasn't the least bit affected by the threat."Is this the part where you pretend that you could take me on?"
"Ha! ha! ha!"The echoes of Tyler's laughter filled the entire room.
By this time the whispers had already stopped, and some recruit's begun to exit the cafeteria through the back entrance while others who were bold enough remained to see what happen next as they pretend to focus their full attention on the meal in front of them.
Atlas smiled in amusement as he watched Tyler laugh like a maniac, he reasoned that if Tyler could still laugh the way he did, it meant the young lad hadn't twisted his hand properly, he noted that he would have to do it appropriately later on as he waited patiently for Tyler to laugh to his satisfaction.
Tyler's gang members could only stare at Tyler as he laughed his heart away.
When Tyler's laughter finally died down, he slowly brought his uninjured hand to his eye, wiping away the tears which may have or may not have formed in his eye.
"You know, I never remembered you to be this comical back when you were part of the recruits, I would have to agree that change is one constant thing" He fixed his eye on Altas and chuckled slightly before he continued." You know you're quite popular these days, you've got a lot of nice nicknames mate with a hella fan base, there this name I'm quite fond of, ah! yes, the monster soldier."
Tyler's expression quickly change to a serious one as he voiced."But you need to get down your high horse mate, you're no better than the rest of us."
He turned his eye toward his gang mates watching the exchange between the two fellows the whole time.
"Get him," Tyler said with head gestures while gazing back at them.
The three figures stood rooted to the spot not being able to do anything.