"You cannot stand a warrior in his natural habitat."
This saying had been pummeled into Zero, night and day. It was a testament to his resilience, which became his daily life.
But the Enforcers didn't need to know that.
"There are a couple levels here; try to keep up." Terry was looking down on him for some reason, but he was unfazed by such a blatant show of disrespect.
"Okay, I'll take note," he replied politely, not willing to go back and forth with someone who was lovestruck.
"We are here." Terry spread his arms and chest as though taking in lungfuls of air. He looked like a caricature and almost made Zero laugh.
Almost.
The military base was better than he expected, and the place he slept in didn't do the base justice. He stood and took in the view, taking note of traps and any potential situation that could harm him. The door was an automated one, and the Enforcers were big on technology.
Although they had their fair share of powerful mages, even the battle type, they leaned towards technology more. It was probably due to the influence of Alistair. He was crazy about technology of any kind.
It's not like Zero was any better, though.
"Impressive, eh?" Terry momentarily forgot that he was meant to be mad at Zero, making him breathe better. It was best to beat a friend without any angst between you two. But was Terry a friend?
There I go, jumping the gun again.
Zero had never had a friend. In Alistair's words, there was no use for a soldier with emotions. Emotions breed weakness.
"Yes, it is." Zero admitted, staring at the impressive structure. The door was made of steel yet looked impregnable. He could tell that it had a lot of nasty surprises for anyone who tried to bypass its security.
"Indeed," Terry said and coughed out loud, remembering that he was meant to be pissed off at Zero. Zero watched the spectacle in silence, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of it all.
We are like school kids.
"What are you doing, private?" A muscular man came from behind, holding a cane. But Zero didn't need to be told that the man didn't need it. Zero made a mental note not to cross the man he couldn't scale.
Terry stumbled over himself, and Zero wasn't sure where to look. But he didn't want to look away; it didn't seem fair to Terry.
"Zero, it's good to have you here. Due to some circumstances, I couldn't be here yesterday. But I'm here now!" The boss smiled, and Zero felt like his skin crawled with termites.
I cannot beat him in anything.
That realisation sent a wave of fear through Zero. Few people could elicit such a response from him, and those few were on a level he couldn't casually reach.
Alistair was one of them.
"Good morning, sir! If you don't mind, I want to spar with Superstar here," Terry gestured to Zero, and Zero hid a smirk. He could see Terry spoiling for a fight, even unable to recognise the pressure from the man before him.
He had neatly cropped beards, eyes that tore through your being and made your existence inconsequential, and a bearing that bespoke of authority from an age Zero never lived in.
How many wars can make you into such?
He couldn't tell.
"Just sparring? Your subordinates won't like that. Go in, and remember not to let down your guard. Permission granted," and the man patted Zero on the shoulder in a fatherly way and hobbled forward with his cane. Zero felt a bead of sweat trickle down his spine.
I didn't notice him.
This was a bone of contention to Zero because he was someone who paid attention to people. He could gauge their abilities and worth during the first meeting.
And his senses were screaming at him to avoid the man who breezed by him like it was nothing.
"You got that? Let's go in," Terry was agitated, so Zero didn't linger. He needed a way to let off steam anyway.
When he entered, all eyes were trained on him. There were about seven people already using the room, and they all sent him death glares.
"Another pretty boy joins our ranks. What's next, a sissy?" A loud-mouthed guy spoke, flipping his hair to the side.
You're the pretty one.
But Zero didn't say a word; he could tell they were trying to unnerve him.
"This is the one who they call Zero? He looks like I could break him in half. Hey, how far does your back bend before your spine shatters?" There were snickers as a big, beefy boy stepped in, a cruel expression on his face.
"You talk too much. Come at me." Zero was getting tired of playing with the inexperienced bunch.
"Who's the loudmouth now?" The big boy got red in the face and sent a punch hurtling towards Zero. He didn't dodge; he just stood there and let it land.
"Is this it? You couldn't even dodge that," the pretty boy snickered, and a blade materialised from his vinyl suit, a blade of plasma. It was a weapon that spelt death to whoever it touched, able to seat through skin and bone in a space of milliseconds.
But Zero wasn't just anyone.
He feinted to the side as the blade came crashing down on the insulated floor, sending a mini tremor down the floor.
"Look at that; he's got some moves," the pretty boy's eyes became slits, and Zero felt the sense of danger overcome him. He used to hate that, but this time, he welcomed it with open arms.
His senses sharpened, eyes glued on the pretty boy posturing before him.
Zero moved and backhanded pretty boy. It was as sleek as a panther and as deadly as a viper. It was a backhand that spelt doom to whoever it was geared towards.
The pretty boy went flying, crashing against the wall and crumpled to the floor, unmoving.
"What kind of trick was that? You killed him!" The big boy was enraged and forgot about strategy. He was a dual wielder, and his blades had a sharper feel.
If I'm grazed, that's the end.
Zero stood in one spot and waited for Big Boy to come close enough before he used the base of his palm to crush Big Boy's larynx. It was a brutal fight, but the greenhorns he took them for were why he had to prove his mettle.
The big boy tried to scream, but his voice was lost. He was choking on air and gripping his throat, eyes bulging. Terry's hands shook as he saw the state of big boy and pretty boy.
"All of you, come at me. Don't waste my time." Zero was slipping into who he was, but he didn't care. They tried to mess with him; they needed to understand the consequences of their actions.
"You're a monster." Terry spat out, and the other five looked at Zero like they'd never seen him.
I know what I am.
"You know what I am. You always have. Why do you act like I lied to you? You wanted to test me, to see what I am made of. And now, you have. Or were you not prepared to lose your life? I do not play games. If you come after me, I will ruthlessly weed you out. If you so much as glare at me, I will pluck out your eyes. My name is Zero. Do not forget. Ingrain it into your memory. I might be staying here, but I won't be subject to your stupidity. If you like someone, tell them."
Zero knew he was going too far, but he was irritated. He didn't stay away from combat because he couldn't fight; he stayed away because if he didn't, the casualties would be alarming.
I am a monster.
"Why does everyone look so gloomy?" Valerie walked in, eating a confectionery. She took one look at the situation and started walking back out.
"I'll return later; you guys have a weird way of bonding," Zero turned to look at the mess he made before laughter bubbled out from his mouth, and before long, the other six were laughing.
"I wonder how she sees us now—men who bond over fights. I'm sorry, Zero. We just wanted to see how you earned your name." Terry looked downcast, but Zero waved it away. He was the one who got the most worked up anyway.
"I should have understood. Now, is a pretty boy and big boy going to live?" Zero was worried.
Terry looked at his other friends, sharing a look that Zero couldn't decipher.
"That's what you call them? I should use that," he grinned, and Zero wondered what sort of monster he'd awakened.
"Pretty boy over there is Davis, and big boy is Barry. This is Otis, Red, Harry, Herald and Peace. We are all in the 1200s."
Zero dropped his guard and smiled.
They were immature, but who wasn't?
"The punishment for fighting without sanction is 100 laps." Zero was shocked to see the boss standing behind him like it was nothing.
"Yes, even you." The boss didn't act like Zero was anything special.
It was refreshing.
"Take them away and tell the medic what transpired." The boss said to Terry, who saluted and with the help of the other boys, they escaped the boss's stern gaze.
"Zero, hold back a little next time. I'd hate to see my soldiers in pain." The killing intent emanating from the boss almost brought Zero to his knees, and he remained standing through sheer will. He gritted his teeth, drawing blood. His whole body screamed to run away, but he'd never been a coward.
Never.
"You have gumption, at least," the boss grumbled, but the killing intent dissipated. Zero found out that he could breathe well again.
"Curious, curious indeed," the boss spoke aloud to himself and hobbled away. Zero used the back of his hand to wipe the blood off and found out his hands were shaking.
"This is why I'm here. Finally, I don't have to hold back anymore." Zero locked himself in, and raised his hand to the ceiling, letting the killing intent coming off him guide his body.
His training had begun.