by G L Rathweg
“Thanks, Brotha! See you later Hiro. Fam with me!” Rick called, taking off the rest of The Fam waving and following quickly after their leader.
“The rest of you, bring your gear into the dorms and then meet back here in fifteen minutes. That is if that’s ok with you Anna?” Robyn asked
The Sophomore A-Ball Captain nodded, and we all broke up and headed to the airships. None of us had much but duffel bags with spare socks, underwear, shoes, and training clothes had appeared during our last time in the pod. After grabbing our stuff, we headed to the two building that were in the place my old home had so recently vacated. There was one barracks for the boys and one for the girls. I waved to the Maggie and the rest of the girls and headed into the boy’s barracks with the others.
Inside was a military barracks style room with identical beds and personal areas down both sides of the building. It reminded me of the places in the old military films my Sensei loved. Beds were chosen by teams first and schools second. I headed to one in between Bron and Blake. I nodded to the Sophomore and gave my teammate daps, then tossed my bag on the bed and went to the back of the barracks where the showers and bathrooms were. There were towels, soap, and stuff so I took a quick shower and cleaned up. They were communal and some of the others did the same, but we were all dressed and back outside inside of fifteen minutes. Clean and refreshed, along with new clothes, I felt like a new man.
“This is crazy.” Bron said, from next to me.
“Yeah man, I can’t believe the schools gone and the NRE and everything.” Cayden said, coming up beside us.
Various other students echoed them, and I agreed, things had been nuts. Now, we were back at my childhood training home with an AI about to teach us how to fight back against an invading army. I shook my head in wonder. I mean, how much crazier could things get? The girls came and that shook most of us from our musings as they were dressed like us in the schools training leotard, albeit now in a plain grey and not in our school colors. Maggie, Anna, Tomoe, and Guinevere were walking our way deep in conversation. Lancelot and Blake joined us, and we all watched the foursome walk over with appreciation.
Anna noticed us looking and raised an eyebrow.
“Really boys? Are you getting a good look?” She chastised.
We coughed and looked around while Cayden joined the girls in laughter.
“Good, I’m glad you all had some fun at the boy’s expense.” Robyn said.
“Yeah, uh, your welcome.” I replied, red faced and chagrined.
Laughter sounded out as the rest of the students heard and joined in. A moment later a mental clearing of Robyn’s hypothetical throat got our attention.
“Yes, funny, I am sending you all your training regimens now. We will begin with group training.” Robyn explained, as dozens of AR-2s dinged.
“Wait, we are starting now? We just got here.” Tiffany said, surprise in her voice.
“Yes, now check your messages.” Robyn snapped.
“Yes sir, Mr. Grumpy Pants.” The pretty Sophomore replied, then gave the air a raspberry.
“I saw that!” Robyn said.
“How?” Bron whispered.
We all laughed, and I shook my head as I accessed the message.
TRAINING PLAN ALPHA STAGE INITIAL D
The first part of getting ready to retake Warrior Academy and defeating the NRE is with group training. All participants will train their bodies past the point of caution and make them hardened living weapons. This training will also increase personal Affinity Power to almost Master levels if the combatants are successful. The main factor for completion is staying alive.
“Seriously? Death dude?” Peter whined.
I was about to reply with a smart aleck comment when I happened to see Anna’s glowering face.
“How about you start to take things seriously Kakarot. If you haven’t noticed our friends and family are either dead or imprisoned. Our homes are occupied or under siege and we are fighting for our lives.” Anna said, her voice full of iron and reproach.
Peter had the decency to look chastised, but I could tell he was about to comeback with a witty quip. I knew that was a bad idea and was about to intervene, but just then Tuki reappeared and began gathering all the remaining AR-Sprites that hadn’t left with him before.
“Tuki! I’ve missed you buddy.” I said, smiling broadly at my friend.
He’d been gone so long I hadn’t realized how much I had missed him, and I was starting to get worried in the back of my mind.
“Hiro! I missed you too, but I don’t have time right now, I need the rest of the sprites. We are onto something big and I need all their help. I gotta go, but I’ll fill you in soon. Hey all you wigwogs let’s go!”
He barked once and then popped out of existence along with all the rest of the AR-Sprites.
“Well, doesn’t that beat all.” Maggie said, shaking her head and staring at the spot that her sprite had just occupied.
“You’re telling me. What do you think they are doing?” Vanessa asked.
“I don’t know, but Tuki is usually good about these things so I’m sure it’s something important.” I answered.
A klaxon sounded again startling us and I looked around then Robyn began speaking.
“Let’s go all of you, lollygaggers, it’s time to work!” Robyn yelled, in a strange voice that was a conglomeration of drill sergeant and British gentlemen.
My mini map appeared in the upper righthand corner of my vision unbidden and then a message next to that.
TASK NUMBER 1 – ALL TRAINEES MUST COMPLETE A 20 MILE RUN FROM THE CENTER OF HOMEBASE TO THE LAGOON THEN AROUND THE ISLAND, THROUGH THE JUNGLE, AND BACK TO HOMEBASE. THERE IS A TIME LIMIT SET OF 160 MINUTES TO COMPLETE TASK NUMBER 1. FINISH AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND TRY NOT TO GET INJURED OR DIE. OUR HEALING SERVICES ARE LIMIITED TO ONLY LIVING PATIENTS.
GOOD LUCK,
ROBYN
A timer appeared next to the map and a translucent pathway appeared on the ground. The timer started and began to tick downward from one-hundred and sixty minutes. I looked around at my fellows than realized time was going at about the same moment as everyone else. As one, we all turned and began sprinting at the start of the pathway and the first of many tasks I was sure.
Chapter 4
All the Smoke
The boy stood on the railing and watched as the island shrank in the distance. There were only four of them still together, the others had left. They stood with the boy, each staring at the shrinking island. They were aboard an airship and heading back home. The training had been a success, but the overall goal had been a failure.
The ship’s captain stood at the helm and watched the young warriors. He knew what the reason was for them to train together. They were all the children of world leaders and were supposed to form a bond that would be strong enough to help them work together in the future. They were supposed to be the end of humanity fighting against itself, instead things may have gone the exact opposite of what the powers that be hoped would happen.
The man shook his head and looked off into the distance. What would happen now? How will the world change? All these thoughts and many more cycled through the Captains mind as he stood there. Although he didn’t know how things would change in the future, but he knew they would, either for better or worse, only time would tell.
TRACK 13 – LAST DINOSAUR – THE PILLOWS
The timer kept ticking downward and we started running faster.
02:39:59… 02:39:58… 02:39:57…
There was a little bit of a bottleneck as we all hit the start of the trailhead at the same time, but a few not so ladylike orders and shouts from Anna soon sorted things out and everyone was chugging along.
I came up alongside Maggie, Ari, and Bron who were pulling up the rear along with the rest of my friends and classmates.
“So, what’s the plan?” Bron asked, in between breaths.
“Kind of like the message said, I guess. Finish the course as fast as
possible and stay alive while doing so.” I responded, while studying the route on my mini map as we ran.
Our path led us to places I remembered, albeit vaguely, from my childhood. The start of our run was the light forested area that was just after the top of the mountain. There were weak monsters around but every so often, I remembered a dire bear or dire boar would wander up this high, but for the most part there was nothing we couldn’t handle.
After the forest it was a thick and wild jungle. There we would be in actual danger. The MOBs in the jungle were higher leveled, vicious, and cunning. Then, once we got through the jungle there was the beach and the killer man-eating giant beetles and other MOBs. I shuddered thinking about the vile hordes of insects. I still remembered the pain of their pincers shredding my flesh.
“The whole stay alive thing is getting old can you be more…” Ari started complaining.
“Battle formation! We’re under attack!” Anna’s voice rang out, from the front of the group.
All of us skidded to a stop and I glanced at my mini map. Dozens of red dots had appeared all around us from out of nowhere. One second there were just green dots on the map and the next all this angry red. Most of the dots were in front of our group and I could hear my fellows fighting, but I couldn’t see it. Screeches and shouts sounded out and then my attention was pulled back to my immediate surroundings.
All my Class S friend’s along Justin’s group were taking up the rear, his cohorts were on the left side and mine were on the right. All around us on both sides and coming out of the forest were squat humanoid looking beasts. They were only two to three feet tall, were all different shades of brown just like the trees, and naked as the day they were born. I mean, you could completely see who the boys were and who were the girls, twigs and berries smacking around and all that. Their skin was like bark and their hair was like the leaves. Gnarled and malicious faces snarled at us as they hissed and spit from their positions in the woods.
Information on the creatures popped up automatically on my AR-2.
ISLAND BROWNIE – Monsters of Battle – Level – 4
CLASS – Rare
WEAPON – Claws x 16, Bite x 1,
ARMOR – Wooden Hide
AFFINITIES – Earth, Spirit, Life,
These denizens of the forest are considered the origin of the word pest. Brownies are hyper aggressive and extremely violent, not to mention they have no care about their own lives. They live in groups and always attack together. There is an old axiom that says, where there is one brownie there are a hundred. Made from the leaves and tree bark of the forest’s trees, brownies are the living embodiment of the forest. Their hard skin and sharp talons are perfect for rending the flesh of their victims.
“Brownies!” I shouted, closing the window and sending the information about the creatures to Robyn who distributed it to everyone.
“What? These are not delicious chocolatey dessert squares Hiro!” Dwayne yelled.
“Not that kind of brownie. Check your AR-2 you oaf!” Vanessa yelled, elbowing the big boy in the side. “Too late, here they come!”
The MOBs attacked from all sides. We were severely outnumbered by the diminutive beasties and they knew it.
“Skills on!” Anna shouted.
I had already activated my fire skill to level two automatically and dropped into a defensive fighting stance, Lily-among-the-Reeds, since I didn’t have a weapon. Four of the monsters came at me at once and I activated my Prescience skill and extended my senses out. The four MOBs entered my sense range in moments, but I waited till the last second to act.
“Compound Blow!” I called, leaping from my crouch and striking out at the incoming attacks.
Time slowed down for me and I studied, planned, and riposted all in an instant. Two of the MOBs were diving headfirst at me from the front, while the other two were jumping in from my left and right respectively, claws out and fangs barred. I kicked out in a double split catching the two front attackers in the sides and redirected them into their brethren. The two pairs of monsters collided midair and while they were still there, I lashed out in a spinning roundhouse kick, a miniature Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, if you will.
I caught the pair on my left and sent them back into the forest and right into the trunk of a tree with a bone crunching smash. Using the momentum from the attack I spun in a reverse kick and hit the other pair on the right and did same, launching them back to the other side of the forest. They also hit with a bone jarring crunch. Both pairs of MOBs fell to the ground either dead or unconscious.
I looked around and my comrades had already downed their attackers, and none looked injured more than scrapes and bruises. These were all the elite fighting students of the schools I expected no less, but this was only the beginning of our tasks and the day was young.
Everyone’s AR-2s dinged.
TIME DOES NOT STOP FOR BATTLES. HURRY UP, TIMES A WASTING!
ROBYN
2:34:32… 2:34:31… 2:34:30…
“Stupid AI.” Anna yelled to the sky then turned to us. “You heard him, let’s go, skills on and heads on a swivel.”
She turned and bounded back on the pathway quickly followed by the rest of us. Every single one of us was bloody, scratched, cut, bit, snapped, sliced, hit, and a morass of black, blue, and red as we crested the mountaintop. The last 19.9 miles of the run had been hell, almost literally. But smiles adorned every one of our faces as we trooped back to the barracks as the timer counted down to zero.
0:00:03… 0:00:02… 0:00:01…
Cries, cheers of success, and high-fives sounded out all around the center of the area.
“Great job everyone. I now have a better sense of your skills and abilities. That will be your morning run from now until we leave.” Robyn said, his voice echoing in the sudden silence as we all stared around us in disbelief.
“I’m sorry, my ears must have heard you wrong, did you say daily morning run?” Cayden asked.
“You heard correctly young Master Cross. Your ears are just fine.” Robyn said, as if he was being helpful.
“You, stupid son of…” Cayden started railing.
“Cayden chill dude.” Anna admonished, quieting the angry boy.
“Thank you, Ms. Belmont.” Robyn replied.
“Don’t thank me AI. I’m not thrilled about it either, but I know we have to train ourselves beyond the normal means to do what we need to do.” Anna said, with iron resolve in her voice.
“Well said and I apologize for my sad attempt at humor. You are correct. All of you will have to push yourselves harder than you think is possible. To succeed at your tasks, you must face death so regularly that it becomes common place. Every single day you must work your bodies and minds to the point of exhaustion and beyond. Are you ready for this? This will be your only chance to give up the only other way out is death.” Robyn said, solemnly.
Silence was his answer, only the sounds of the wind in the trees and the calls of the animals could be heard. It seemed like the perfect time to make some sort of speech. In all the eighties Rom-Coms my Master had loved there had been moments just like this. I was about to clear my throat and give said speech when someone beat me to it.
“Ora, ora, ora! What’s the matter with you pansies! This is training to save our friends and family. Death is nothing to dishonor!” Kagero raged. “Are you such coddled babies that a little danger makes you cower like mice in your den? I am no cowering mouse.” She spit and glared around at the group. “If I am a mouse, then I am Tom the mouse and I will destroy any cat or Jerry that messes with me! Like the legendary mouse warrior from so long ago I will train and fight no matter the danger.”
The crass but beautiful SNES warrior with her tattered training leotard had pretty much just shamed everyone. Her little speech had the desired effect though and I looked around seeing newfound resolve in everyone’s eyes.
“Judging by the mood and your pulses, heartbeats, and mental waves you are all on board. Good, now no more dilly da
llying go on to Task 2, hurry up.” Robyn commanded.
Our AR-2s dinged again and a message appeared.
TASK NUMBER 2 – 10 MILE SWIM AROUND THE LAGOON, OUT TO THE OCEAN POINT WHERE THE WATERS MEET, AROUND THE REEF, AND BACK TO THE BEACH. YOU MUST SWIM! NO CHEATING AND FLYING OR JUMPING. BE CAREFUL AND DON’T DIE.
GOODLUCK,
ROBYN
“Form up, formation Tri-Gun 143.” Anna called out.
That formation was an A-Ball formation that was diamond shaped with the strongest at the front, rear, and two sides. Everyone placed in the middle areas were support. It was a loose formation that was meant for speed and all-around defense and offense.
“We’re not going to rest and recharge our Affinity Power? I mean, what about washing up or changing these ripped up leotard things?” Tiffany grumbled, as we jogged to our next task.
The journey down to the water was as expected and we were assaulted by MOBs, not brownies this time, although they looked like flying brownies. They were called pixies, but with no resemblance to the historical ones. The only things they had in common were size and wings for flying, besides that they were blood thirsty evil little pests who were the bane of our existence. Pointy fangs and claws along with bark skin and nasty temperaments, made everyone wish them extinct.
At one point, Mordred took up a cadence that started with, ‘kill all the pixie babies.’ At first the girls were mortified but soon they and everyone else was singing along.
“Kill all the pixie babies, stomp them all flat, smash them all to paste, kill all the pixie babies, I hope they all die, stupid pixie babies, die, die, die!” We chanted over and over, as we killed MOB after MOB and reveled in the deaths of the stupid pests, who were forever more known to us as, The Worst.
After the swarms of stupid jerk pixies, we made it to the beach and the lagoon. The water was bright and glowed a florescent blue while the sand was so white it seemed the clouds were here on the ground. The smalls waves were lapping back and forth up and down the perfect beach scene. We had all breathed a collective sigh of relief, which of course was extremely short lived, and the devil beetles from my past immediately assaulted us the second after we stepped onto the white sand.