ADRIEN

"Move faster, Adrien!"

"I'm trying!" I laugh out loud. One of my comrades pushes me hard from behind as we all run to our mess hall. All of us, soldiers, are asked to gather there for this new recreational activity the nurses and medical practitioners have prepared for us.

A break from our hectic training? Who wouldn't say yes to that?

The activity last month comprised of a fest that focused mainly on sports. We were grouped into three different groups as we competed with one another's teams. The so-called "sports fest" lasted for two whole days ending with a bonfire to celebrate camaraderie with our comrades.

Unfortunately for this month, we only have a free night allotted for this activity. It must be because of how things are getting busy around here and to even find time for another recreational activity was, I bet, a pain in the neck for the heads of the project.

"So, what do we have for tonight?" I ask one of my comrades, Rig, standing beside me as the both of us try to see what's happening in front amidst the sea of soldiers.

"No idea, man," he sighs, struggling to see what is going on. "I can see a makeshift stage though."

"A stage?" I exclaim. "Are they going to stage a play?" I playfully ask. The both of us laugh raucously. Suddenly I accidentally bump into someone and just as I was about to apologize to him I immediately ask, "Sor-wait," I point at the bottle of beer in his hand, "where did you get that?"

"This?" The soldier slightly raises the bottle in his hand, "there are some nurses there giving these babies out for free!" He points to his right before taking a swig of his beer. "I haven't had these in months!"

"Because we aren't allowed to have them!"

"Not tonight!" He takes another swig of his beer, finishing it to the very last drop. "Tonight's an exception since it's karaoke night and I'm going to get myself another one. You fellas should come with me!" He drags me by the shoulder and does the same with Rig with his other hand. We head straight to a makeshift booth where we see some familiar faces either enjoying their share of beer or opening the bottles to distribute to others.

Someone offers me a bottle and I do not hesitate to take it from him. I bring the bottle to my lips and chug down at least half of the bottle.

"I've never had anything as refreshing as this in a long time," Rig comments after grabbing another bottle right after finishing one whole bottle in one chug.

"Tell me about it!" I shout over the music that just started blasting loudly from the speakers around the mess hall. "Woah! I guess karaoke night has officially started!"

We see some soldiers onstage holding their own microphones. While some were facing the screen that was about to flash the lyrics of the song, others tried to make the crowd excited and pumped. "Are you ready?" One soldier shouts on the microphone which causes the crowd to break into cheers. "Sing along with us in five, four, five, four, three, two!"

"I'd sit alone and watch your light! My only friend through teenage nights! And everything I had to know, I heard it on my radio!" Those with the microphones sing loudly on them and the rest of the crowd follows.

"What's this song again?!" I ask Rig who was singing loudly beside me.

"Dude, it's Radio Ga Ga by Queen!" He answers, excited. "I haven't heard this song in years!"

"Same here!" I finish my beer and continue to sing with the others, "You had your time, you had the power. You've yet to have your finest hour, radio!"

All of us bring our hands to the air and clap simultaneously, "All we hear is Radio ga ga, Radio goo goo, Radio ga ga! All we hear is Radio ga ga, Radio blah blah! Radio, what's new? Radio, someone still loves you!"

"We're living the good life, Adrien!" Rig shouts beside me. I laugh in return as I find myself having fun too.

Rig suddenly stops clapping and singing as he suddenly turns curious, looking around the mess hall. I notice his sudden change of demeanor and rest a hand on his shoulder. "Everything okay?" I ask amidst the loud music being played.

"Do you smell that?" He asks, distracted. He looks around the mess hall, eyeing even every corner of the mess hall.

"S-Smell what?" I scoff, "Dude, maybe you just had too much to drink."

"No!" He exclaims, "I'm serious!" Suddenly his eyes go wide and tries to push me to the ground. "Adrien, get down!" An explosion goes off by the stage which causes everyone in the mess hall to go in a frenzy but I do not budge at all. It's like I have no control over my body- I freeze in place and I could not even shout or help the others.

Why...why can't I move?!

A woman runs to me and cups my cheeks with her hands. "Adrien, run!" She shouts as I just stare helpless at her. "I said run! There is going to be another one!"

"Marinette!" I shout once I open my eyes. I gasp loudly as I look around the unfamiliar room I am in. I try to move my legs and arms but they are enclosed by metal shafts placed on the chair I am on. "No, no," I mutter under my unsteady breath as I try to pull my hands free. "No! Get me out of here!" I shout out loud, not stopping myself from trying to break free even when deep down I know that such a thing is impossible.

I could feel my wrists starting to hurt from the friction caused by my restless movements of trying to break myself free. Breathing heavily, I stop and this time I study the room I am placed in. I am facing a metal door which I am sure is made of something that is of heavy-duty, all the walls around me are dull and gray - looking worn through time. I see two security cameras on each corner in front of me, I am sure that there are two more behind.

"Ah, Christ," I swear under my breath, "what the hell is wrong with them? Placing me in an interrogation room? I ain't going to kill them or anything...like as if I still have the means to."

My head shoots up to look at the door as it suddenly opens to reveal the young general in the flesh, General Monarch Thaddeus. Smugly, he saunters in the room and I refrain from rolling my eyes at him. Three other soldiers follow him inside the room and I could only recognize the red-headed one named Nathaniel.

What have I gotten myself into?

"Lieutenant Agreste," General Thaddeus starts, "it's good to see you awake."

I choose to not respond and raise an eyebrow at him.

"Ah," the general sighs in realization, "it seems that I won't be getting any answers from you today." I face the other way as Thaddeus started to come near me. "I understand," he continues, "After all, there is no deadline with you being here. Your so-called 'comrades' think that Lieutenant Lahiffe and you are dead."

"W-What?" I whisper, immediately facing him as he finishes his statement. "How could that be?"

"Now he's talking," Thaddeus utters with a hint of surprise.

But how could they think that we are dead? Shouldn't they treat us as missing rather than dead?!

Thaddeus starts to pace around the room and my eyes follow his every movement. "It was really convenient to know the list of soldiers and nurses chosen for that dispatch days before and to find that only you and Lahiffe were the 'loyal' ones. The rest were comprised of your rookies, but for me, my comrades. I must really thank my comrades for pulling off such believable stunts to gain your trust."

Thaddeus suddenly stops and pulls off a small smile, "Although, there is this certain woman that I think deserves more of my gratitude in gaining your utmost complete trust in her."

I grunt at his mention of the person he is referring to and all the more does my hatred towards her, including myself, grow.

"Nath, please unlock the shafts on Agreste. We would not want him to be in too much of pain. After all," Thaddeus looks at me dead in the eye, "we still need more answers from him."

Nathaniel goes behind my chair and inputs a series of numbers as I could tell by the beeping noises it emitted. The four shafts that kept me trapped on the chair open and I immediately rub my sore wrists whilst glaring at Thaddeus at the same time. My blood has been boiling ever since he entered his room, and to remind me of that woman's betrayal has added much to my anger.

"I shall leave now," he says and one of the soldiers with him opens the door. "I highly expect more cooperation from you or else I would have to take matters into my own hands." The other soldiers, including Nath, leave the room until it is just Thaddeus standing at the doorway with the same soldier holding the door open from outside. "And trust me," Thaddeus continues, "you would not want that." The door closes leaving me by myself again.

Out of rage, I stand and run to slam my fists on the door. "Bastard! I will not give what you want!" I intensely shout out loud as I slam my fists on the door again. "How could she..." I murmur when I rest my forehead against the door, panting hard out of the exhaustion that is kicking in. It feels more of a burn-out and I am bringing it upon myself.

"You led yourself to your own failure, Adrien," I mutter and slump on the chair - the only reasonable piece of furniture in this room, this hellhole that I am placed in. I let my face fall into my hands and try to fight the tears building up.

I...I have failed the mutiny and now they think that I'm dead.

I hear the door open and my breath gets caught in my throat once I set eyes on the person that just entered the room. I get on my feet and stay rooted in place as she closes the door behind her.

I do not know what to feel - disbelief, love, DOUBT, ANGER, BETRAYAL? Just the mere action of looking at her sends me in a whirlwind of emotions that I cannot grasp and tame. How I yearn to embrace her but at the same time let her have a taste of her own medicine.

She imparts such an effect on me and all the more am I on the losing side since she knows it. Despite that, I am still willing to fend for myself.

I clench my hands into fists, "You do know that I can hurt you, right?" I start off quietly.

"And I do know that you would not do so," she utters, taking a step forward whilst I take a step backward.

"Then what the hell are you here for?" I ask, gradually raising my voice.

"Adrien-"

"Don't call me that," I seethe out loud and she freezes in her place, "Don't try to stay all placid with me. You snake, you've been using me this whole time!" I shout, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You bring this upon me and Nino and now they think that we are dead! Why do they not think that we are missing?!"

Her facial expressions remain deadpanned as she answers, "There were bodies that were specifically designed to have the exact same features and body mass as yours and Nino's."

"Wha- How? How could you be so calm about this?"

She raises a hand to silence me, "Lieutenant Agreste," she says sternly, "you must realize that you and Nino are not the only ones who are thought to be dead." This time she takes another step forward and I turn away from her and walk to the other side of the room.

With my head in my hands I recall the people I've seen for the past days and even the people that were part of the...

"The list," I murmur, "Only two were old members of the mutiny and the rest were," I turn to face her again, my face contorted with anger, "new recruits." I spit out. "The people you brought to me - the perfect ones as an addition to the mutiny were all under...you." I sigh in defeat and turn away from her once again. I cannot stand her presence in this room and I cannot stand how gullible I am. These thoughts of wanting to look at her and wanting not to are clashing with one another and it's best that she should leave before I do something much worse.

"We only needed you and Nino," she says in a whisper, "Some of us here are also declared dead while the others are left behind to continue their mission of sending us information. We are gaining the advantage here-"

"But how could you do this to me?" I interrupt her in a small voice.

"I'm not doing this for you," she answers in a stern manner, "I'm doing this for what I stand for."

"Bullshit," I sneer. I grunt in anger and continue, "Was it fun for you? To toil with my feelings and use them to your advantage? To let me fall so hard into this deep dark abyss...and for you to enjoy it?"

"Listen-"

No more turning back, I turn and stalk towards her in a downright angry manner. "No, you listen," I look down at her, "You relished so much in the glory of you winning every time I kissed you or said that I cared so much about you, didn't you? You loved the power you had over me and I was foolish to play along with it!"

"So tell me, nurse Marinette," I continue, "I said, was it fun for you-"

"Yes!" She shouts with such conviction. "It was entertaining for me to see the ever so-strong Lieutenant Agreste fall so easily under the whim of a mere nurse. I had loads of fun playing with you and your feelings."

"And to think that you were falling so hard for me?" She spits out then she scoffs, "Pathetic."

"From the moment you told me of the truck that was about to explode, you have already lost me there." I whisper on a shaky voice as her words has seeped its way into hurting whatever pride I had left of me.

"Oh, I did not lose you because I never had you in the first place." She retaliates and jabs a finger at my chest, "You were the one who was just assuming everything. You made things easy for me, Lieutenant Agreste. And now," she jabs her finger at my chest again, "you have led to the downfall of your mutiny."

She takes a step back as we both breathe heavily and glare at each other. "I was only here to tell you that they will be moving you to your private quarters. But I am glad to finally have this conversation with you." She walks to the door and looks at me for one last time.

"Stop those fantasies of yours, lieutenant." She whispers. "I was never yours in the first place."

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BANG! Wow. What a way to start a new year (hehehe).

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