Chapter 14 Chaos

Is really Trei?

I blinked and examined the man's features more closely. The eyes belongs to Trei but he is clearly Asian while Trei is not. His dimples also resembles Trei's and the way that he was looking at me is somehow convincing me that he is.

But he isn't. This guy is not Trei.

"What are you doing here?" Skyr stood beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and finally saw his face closely. He has a bruised lips and a cut on his forehead. "Shouldn't you and miss Rachel be at the training center?"

"We were excused for the day. They wanted to prioritize the others." I answered and saw his face furrow with displeasure. "Are you alright?"

Skyr nodded. "I have been through much worse situations." He answered. "And besides, I have a strong Atlantean gene. It will heal without leaving much of a scar."

"Are you trying to boast?"

"Are you trying to escape the topic about skipping training?"

"I said that I did not skip my training." I insisted and Skyr simply folded his arms over his chest and looked down at me with a smirk. He wasn't buying it. 

"Really? Then what were you doing all day?"

"All day?" I looked surprised and took a look at my cuff to see the time. It was already 3 hours past noon. Realizing that I missed my lunch, my stomach grumbed.

Skyr chuckled. "What made you so busy that you forgot to eat?"

I kept my face stoic as I tried to hide the look of embarassment on my face. "We visited Fifi." I answered.

"Fifi?" He looked confused.

"Lord Byron's 'cute' pet piliosaur." I scoffed as I remembered the gigantic alligator.

Skyr was stunned for a few second before he gave me a lifeless nod of his head. "I see. Alright." Then he turned his back and I though for sure that he would leave. But then he returned abruptly and grabbed my shoulder. "You were with who and met what!?" He demanded loudly that a few people turned to look at us.

"With Lord Byron and his pet piliosaur named Fifi?" I answered uncomfortably.

His lips curled into a grimace and he closed his eyes. He looks like he is ready to faint. "Are you sure you're alright?" I asked worriedly and looked around to see if there are any medics who are available. "Medics? General Skyr isn't feeling well!" I announced.

"No I am not!" He yelled and denied the offered assistance from one of the medics. "It's just..." He paused. He seemed stress that I saw bags forming under his eyes. I looked at Rachel to see that she abandoned me when she saw that I was with Skyr. She had a mischievous grin on her face and gave me a thumbs up before ushering Emily and Watson away.

That girl is unbelievable. She thinks that she's Cupid!

Skyr shook his head tiredly and sighed. "I guess it's okay if it's with lord Byron." He says and suddenly straightened up to look at the crowd. "All front units!" He announced. Everyone suddendlty stopped to look at the general. "To those who can move and are able to move, I want all of you to meet me in the training facility right now. It won't take a while." Skyr started to leave to head to the training facility. Others started to follow him, but I stayed for a few more minutes just so I could take a look at the boy, the one who resembles Trei. The medics were hauling him on a stretcher. His eyes were closed and I watched as they dragged him away.

It's not Trei. It is NOT Trei. I kept reminding myself as I followed Skyr.

***

"I have a few announcements to make." Skyr addressed to those who are sitting in front of him. We were back in the training facility. Rachel and I sitting side by side with the others, who did not come with Skyr on his recent mission. The ones who did were standing in full attention behind him. Each with a sullen and sunken face. "First of all, is that almost half of the troupes that came with us on the mission are...dead. The others are gravely injured to the point that they may not be able to join the fronts any longer."

"Tyler?" A girl gasped from our side. Her eyes scanned the people who were behind Skyr. I noticed how some of the have their eyes casted down when they heard his name. "General, what happened to Tyler?"

"Sit down, miss Bianca." Skyr ordered. "Tyler is fine and is receiving medical help in our hospital." The girl relaxed a bit and went back to crouch down and bury her face to her knees. Her brown hair cascading over her face as Skyr continued. "Before I show you the faces of our deceased brothers and sisters, I kindly ask all of you to remain here for a while. I have a few important matters to discuss further." He says and gave each of us a look. Once he was satisfied, he and Duncan nodded. Duncan came forward and raised his cuff. A large holographic monitor flashed in the air large enough to show the faces of the Atlanteans there. "The faces that you don't see on the screen or are not present here are injured and are currently receiving medical treatment."

Series of gasp and wails were heard. Some cried and some demanded answers for their death. Others let out a breath of relief.

"That is a lie!"

"Where are their bodies? How can we  be sure that they are dead!?"

"My brother!"

"If we have Atlantean genes then how coud they simply outsmart us?"

"We have the weapons! How could this have happened? Is this a joke?"

The facility turned into a chaos as they are demanded for answers. Rachel was clutching her stomach and I could only guess that she remembers the death of her unborn child at the pained cries of the people around us. Skyr simply raised a hand to shut them up.

"Death could have been avoided. Yes." Skyr admitted. "We already had a plan, unfortunately it failed. Not because we were imcompetent, but because someone leaked our plan to the enemy. There is a traitor in our ranks." Series of murmur started to form in the crowd. It started from a few harsh whispers and then fingers started pointing.

"It was you, wasn't it?! You keep on skipping training. Where have you been?"

"It was him! There's no remorse in his face!"

"Maybe it was one of those two!" Someone suddenly says and pointed their fingers at me and Rachel. Rachel stopped from mopping and turned to glare at the girl named Bianca. The girl with the brunette hair were throwing daggers at us with her eyes. I was able to keep my emtions in check, unfortunately, Rachel wasn't in a good mood either.

"Maybe instead of pointing that finger at us then maybe you can start training so you can join them on a mission and save your precious boyfriend." My eyes widened at her words and I moved back as Biance lunged herself at Rachel. The two were now strangling each other on the floor in a fit of rage.

And that was the starting point of it all. Seeing the two girls fighting must have triggered something from the others because they started attacking each other as well. I heard Skyr give out a commmand that I didn't quite hear. I crawled until I saw Rachel and Bianca again. I got up and tried to pull the two girls apart. "Stop this!" I yelled and attempted to pry their hands off of each other. 

"Back off!" Bianca yelled and punched me on the face. Her Atlantean strength amplified the strength of her hit that I was slammed to the floor and the back of my head hit the ground loudly.

"You bitch!" I heard Rachel roar in anger but I could not tell what they were doing. My head was spinning from the impact and I groaned in pain when someone helped me to sit. My ears were ringing and I don't have to see to know that my nose is bleeding.

"Are you okay?" I could tell that it was Skyr. Without looking at him, I nodded my head. I opened my eyes a bit to see that Skyr ran towards the two girls. Well attempted to but he was blocked by other men on the way. I looked back at Bianca and rage suddenly filled up within me. I have never been one to seek out revenge when I am hit. Maybe because my head got hit that I wasn't thinking at that time. 

But I did remember something. I remembered feeling angry and gritting my teeth as I wiped the blood off of my nose. I remember getting up and fixing my gaze at her with pure hatred. My hands balling into fist as I lunged at her. I let out a loud scream as I ran, pulled my fist back, and threw the very first punch that I ever did in my whole 19 years of existence.

I felt the impact and as my fist collided with Bianca's stomach. I can't exactly remember what happened but I heard a loud bang and multiple curses and gasped followed. When I looked up, I saw Biance lying unconscious on the ground. The wall above her was bend from the impact.

"Nat, what did you..." Rachel trailed off and I suddenly became aware of my surroundings the moment that I turned to face her. The fighting has ceased and every eyes were either on me or to on Bianca, who's head was now bleeding. I found Rachel's gaze. There was fear and disbelief in them.

"Nat, what did you do?"