I turned around and slapped Richard. The sound cracked through the room. Everyone eyes grew to saucers, some of them taking a step back while still saluting, even as he tumbled over his chair from the blow, landing hard on his ass. He looked up at me, holding his face tightly like he had suffered a grave insult. I just grinned at him, taking the tray full of food in front of him as I walked back to my chair and sat down. Marnus and Kate both gave me pleading eyes, trying to make me stand even as they kept saluting. I just ignored them.

I was eating my third meal now, devouring the salty pasta with gusto, when I heard slow footsteps approaching me. I internally rolled my eyes, already expecting more bullshit than I’d already dealt with today.

Finally, after what felt like half an hour, the footsteps stopped right behind me. I took another sip of what the others called orange juice, then kept eating.

“I believe you are meant to stand before your superior officers,” she said. Her voice, like always, sounded melodic, as if it were trying its very best to be the most soothing sound one could hear—but it was ruined by the pomposity that seemed to follow behind it, wriggling into my ears like a worm.

“I believe I’m also not supposed to speak to you without permission, but look,” I said, waving my fork around with a piece of pasta on it. “Breaking two rules today. Three if you count stealing.”

“In the future, you shall be a Lieutenant. Please stand. I wish to speak face to face.”

I rolled my eyes. See what I mean? More bullshit.

I sighed, since I had already finished the meal. I stood up, taking the orange juice with me as I turned around to face her.

“Look, your royal highness,” I said with mockery, bowing slightly. “I have done as you asked. Can you do me a favor? Go away.”

She looked at me like I was a puzzle to solve. Stupid girl. But she just asked, “What is your name?”

“Don’t you know? My name’s Steve,” I said sarcastically.

She hesitated, like she almost remembered my real name from my conversation with her mother, before holding out her hand for a handshake, “Well, Steve, I believe we got off on the wrong foot.” She was looking me straight in the eye.

I didn’t like that she was my height; I couldn’t bully her into submission. But I saw straight through her. She was playing a game, and she saw me as a piece that wasn’t doing as she intended.

I grasped her hand, not wanting to let her know that I knew.

She looked at me skeptically before turning to address the room. “Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you. I am Sofia. At ease.”

Everyone stopped saluting, putting their arms at their sides.

“I am here today as your superior officer. When you serve under me for the next few years, I…” and then, she faltered, her eyes scanning the room and a sheepish look almost growing on her face as she glanced down to her shoes, before that same look her mom had came out, the flat, I’m better than everyone and nothing affects me look.

“...I expect you to work together and follow your officers orders, uh. To the letter.” she continued, sounding like she was trying to sprint toward the end of her little speech.

“Alright everyone, thank you for your time. You may go back to your meal” she said with half the volume she had before, and then turned to me.

“Steve, every time I see you, you are hitting someone. I advise you to stop, or next time there will be consequences,” she said, giving me a side-eye.

“Your apologies are fantastic,” I said flatly, bored of her. She didn’t even bring me a meal to apologize. And from the looks from the others, I guess I was the only one to see that she'd messed up her little speech.

I watched as she walked out the door, leaving us.

“Well, that was useless.”

“You bastard! I’m going to kill you for that!” I heard an angry voice behind me.

I turned around and saw Richard holding his spear. He was probably going to do something with it before his eyes rolled back and he sank to his knees.

I sighed as Lieutenant Zenzele walked in, screeching at the top of her lungs, “All of you will get back to sector B in the next thirty seconds or so help me God, you will wish you never became Blessed!”

And with that, every B-rank started frantically trying to get back to that warehouse, or I guess I should call it Sector B. People even pushed each other out of the way to get there first. I decided that jogging behind the chaotic mess would be for the best.

As we jogged there, I saw one man in a plain white tunic carrying food outside and throwing it into some bins on the side of the building. Then I was called forward and started running faster toward the exercise warehouse.

I reached the double doors, and everyone was getting back into their lines to start the torturous process of watching people show off impossibilities yet again. And before I could forget, the Lieutenant graciously reminded the others and myself of the laps we had to do because of yesterday's little scuffle after the bus. Fun for everyone.

We finished our laps as they continued, and I got back in line, after watching one guy become translucent and have an apple thrown through him like he was a ghost, Lieutenant Zenzele said, “Finally, last one. Boris! You’re next. Get up here.”

And with that, I walked to the front. I tapped my left arm, willed my ability to activate, and yet again, nothing happened. I just sighed as the Lieutenant asked, “Is there a problem, cadet?”

“I have no idea how this stupid thing works. It feels like it has a mind of its own. Feels like the only time it works is if I’m having my face bashed in or getting into a fight,” I said, looking up at the ceiling like it would have the answers.

“Are you just looking for an excuse to fight someone now?” she said with skepticism, clearly not believing me.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

I just looked at her. “Do you think I need to look for an excuse to fight you people?”

She shrugged. “Fair enough. Fine then. Any volunteers?” she said to the B rankers behind us.

I found my volunteer among the Lieutenants sitting at a table, all eyeing me with hatred as I grinned at them. I gave them a wave, cupped my hand around my mouth, and shouted at them, “Oi! Only time my power works is if I’m getting my face bashed in! Who wants to volunteer?”

They glanced at each other before one of them said, “We’ve seen you activate your power, boy. Leave us out of this and get on with it.”

“Yeah, you saw my power activate when you were bashing my face in! What? Too scared to do it again? Chicken shit,” I said, basically spitting in their direction before turning around.

“Oi, Richard, arrogant bastard. Wanna help me out a bit?” I said, scanning the crowd and finding his flabbergasted face. I gave him the marvelous mock salute and added, “Please, good sir, only someone as ugly as you would do.”

He looked at me with utter hatred, almost stepping forward before I heard lapdog again behind me.

“Come on then, I’ll assist you with your little call for attention, boy.”

My grin grew far wider as I turned around. “Why, thank you!”

I stepped forward over the hole that Marnus had made, and we circled each other slowly. Finally, he started lunging forward, and my head got into the fight, away from the humor. Instantly, the dice was rolling. So, I did have to be in a fight at least. It landed in front of me again just before he was on me, and I was dodging backwards. As his hand closed around where my throat would have been, he seemed to start half-assing everything again, like he had slowed down.

I realized everything had slowed down a little. Okay. I guess it's finally time to take this bad boy for a test drive. I dodged him one more time, then I leaned in, putting both hands on his chest and pushing with all my might.

He flew backwards, landing only after a few meters and tumbling a few times head over heels. Some of the other Lieutenants booed at him, as if this was the best show of the entire day so far.

I didn’t realize how loud they were, feeling like they were shouting right into my ear. But I tried to ignore the sound as I raced towards him, making out the three beard hairs on his face that he had missed shaving this morning. Then I was on him, picking him up by his back and pulling my fist back to punch him, before he grabbed my hand like he did yesterday.

I immediately threw him sideways, remembering how I'd felt weaker after he touched me, and he'd hit a whole lot harder. The leech—probably able to suck up whatever he lacks and add it to himself.

He stood up, and I realized he had not activated his power. Stupid, I could have ended it right there, before he slapped his left arm, his tattoo glowing, and then he was coming towards me again, arms out like if I tried anything, he'd grab me.

Then I heard my Lieutenant shout right into my ear, loudly, “Enough! I have seen enough. Boris, come back here.”

I really didn’t want to end it there, and neither did lapdog, as he whirled on her.

“We are not finished here! You will wait!”

He turned back to me, and we ran towards each other, as I saw his eyes roll into the back of his head and he face-planted right in front of me. I stopped and looked up, seeing her point at him, her eyes wide like she couldn’t believe what she’d just done.

His eyes refocused as he shot up, roaring at her as he did so. “You dare! I am your senior by five years! And you interrupt one of your own! I will have you working in the mines for the next—”

“I’m sorry!” she said, interrupting him, her eyes wide as saucers, like she couldn’t believe what was coming out of her mouth. “But he’s just a sleeveless! Practically a boy! And this is just a demonstration! It’s over! I know what his powers are, we can just move on!” she pleaded, but lapdog was having none of it as he turned on her, walking towards her now.

“You dare interrupt your senior! And now you beg for leniency for a fucking civvie? You will work in the mines for the rest of your life! I swear on my sleeve!” he shouted incoherently, his voice even cracking at one point.

I was about to whack him in the head again, since the noise was too loud—almost on the cusp of hurting me—before I felt fish’s water grab a hold of me. I immediately tried to wriggled out of it, feeling my whole body strain against it, as the other Lieutenants from yesterday ran up behind me and held me down, each of them grabbing a limb. The one who could make his hands larger stood a little to the side and nodded to fish. Fish let go of the water and then he used the giant hand to squash me down, his fingers wrapping almost wrapping around my whole body.

“Please, Lieutenant Daniel! This demonstration has gone way too far!” I heard the Lieutenant begging. I realized she was begging for me, even as I struggled, and I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. It had literally been two days. Why was she suddenly on my side when she carried a tranquilizer around just for me?

Still, all lapdog responded with was stomping up to her, fury on his face. “You abandon one of your own? You let a civvie behave this way after one day!”

And then, he raised his hand and slapped her. In front of all the sleeveless. I saw her look down with such shame in her eyes, it made even me feel bad. Although I was being held down by five finks, so I guess I wasn’t in a better position.

After a moment, our Lieutenant seemed to realize something, as she looked back up at him and said, “When Colonel Walker hears about—”

“When Colonel Walker hears about this, he’ll do absolutely nothing!” Lapdog shouted, his arrogance making his voice crack. “You think he’ll care about a new Lieutenant who can’t even keep ONE civvie from misbehaving? No high ranker will give a shit. You’re in my house now. Mine!” He screeched, trying to sound like the king of the castle, but all I heard was a spoiled child not getting his way.

He kept shouting at Lieutenant Zenzele, but fortunately, the giant hand crushing me had shifted over my ear, so I couldn’t make out the words. I almost welcomed the silence. The dice made everything feel amplified, making even the smallest sound feel deafening.

Then, he slapped her again, knocking her to the ground, before spitting on her. With a wave to the other sleeveless, they exchanged looks, then rushed out of the room. Many of them glanced back at Lieutenant Zenzele, curled on the floor, clutching her face in her hands. Her eyes were filled with disbelief and shame.

As they left, Lapdog turned back to me, squatting down, and nodded to the giant hand. It lifted just enough for me to hear him.

“Thank you. Been waiting all day for you to do something stupid. Knew it was only a matter of time, Civvie.”

I glared at him, the only eye not swollen shut from the beating. I grinned. “Couldn’t take me by yourself, you fucking fink. When you go home tonight, just remember th—”

I was cut off when he kicked me in the mouth.

“Alright, boys,” Lapdog said, stepping back a little. “Let’s teach him a lesson he won’t forget.”

I closed my eyes, bracing myself. The church basement. A wooden stick. The smell of stale beer.

What’s one more beating to add to the collection?

But then Lieutenant Zenzele was there, ripping one of them off my leg. I started flailing, and another one collapsed to his knees, eyes rolling back into his head. As the lieutenant helped me, I remembered my vow. I had almost broken it then, but she had helped me remember.

With one arm free, I grabbed at the giant hand that held me down, but it didn’t do much. Instead, I went for the fingernail, getting a good scream out of the man as I pulled hard, feeling it come lose. But then Fish’s water was on me again, taking over from the man as he pulled his hands back and looked at me with utter hatred.

Then I felt some of that extra strength from the dice dimming, and realized Lapdog’s hand was on my leg. I kept thrashing, kicking one of them in the face before getting onto my hands and knees. Someone kicked me in the face, and I saw stars shoot across my vision, the world going out of focus.

I saw Lieutenant Zenzele land next to me, her eyes closed, nose bleeding. I realized the water wasn't holding me down anymore when Fish came up and dragged the Lieutenant by her hair, toward the exit. The others started kicking me relentlessly. I fought back as hard as I could, but it didn’t matter.

I have been here before. I know how it ends.

It never ends.