Hi guys!

I am so not going to rant this time and let you read the chapter.

Enjoy!

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"TJ, Amaya, you're next!" Mr. Raven called out.

TJ stood up from her seat and went towards the simulation room, her roommate beside her.

This simulation room was like the one TJ saw on her first day, but much bigger. The equipment looked more advanced, with a whole lot of processors and levers.

This time, it wasn't Calista behind the controller, but Dean. Calista sat beside him, wearing her usual professional clothes which consisted of a pantsuit, stilettoes, and a complementing stylish updo.

"Good morning, ma'am, Dean," TJ and Amaya greeted together, the faculty nodded their heads, and looked back at the screen.

Emilia and Miriam were inside. They were to work in pairs to fight the given situation, and from the looks of it, it seemed that Emilia and Miriam were surrounded by an army of, what looked like panthers and tigers. Perhaps, they were shape shifters.

The girls were trapped between a moat and the animals. TJ saw Emilia say something to Miriam, who made a fire circle around them, and the animals stepped back, but not yet gone. Emilia's hands shone green, and roots bounded the limbs of the animals as they fidgeted to free themselves.

Emilia summoned a branch of a tree as they both held it, and it dropped them just behind the ambush of animals. Emilia moved the roots further towards the moat, and the animals growled with panic.

The animals came back to their human form, and Emilia released them as Dean pulled the lever. The scene disappeared, and the door opened as Emilia and Miriam came out.

"Good work, girls!" Calista congratulated them, and the girls grinned with pride.

"Emilia, I'm certainly impressed. Your powers are increasing day by day. Good work!" Dean said, and Emilia grinned widely. She looked at TJ and smirked looking back at Dean with a wide smile.

"Thanks, Dean," Emilia said and Dean smiled at her.

"Good work Miriam, your combat techniques are getting better. Emilia, you need to work on them more. I saw you struggling with the dodging," Dean said seriously and Emilia nodded and Miriam and she exited the room.

"TJ, Amaya, you both are up," Calista said, and TJ and Amaya approached her. "Let me tell you about this test, TJ," Calista turned towards TJ.

"We test on 3 grounds, partnership, situation handling, and creatively using your powers. We give you a situation, and you have to complete it. Like Emilia and Miriam had to make the Shape-shifters show their real self. We'll choose the situation for you so it's kind of a surprise test. Are you ready?" Calista asked and TJ looked at Amaya who looked at TJ and grinned.

"Yes, we are!" Amaya said excitedly.

"As ever," TJ said with confidence.

Calista gave them a curt nod and opened the door to enter the room.

"Wish me luck, Ashy-boy," TJ said in her head.

"Kick ass, von Stein," Asher said, and TJ couldn't hide her smile.

"Why are you smiling?" Amaya asked TJ, her face showed confusion, and TJ chuckled.

"I'm weird like that," TJ said and Amaya giggled, and gave Dean thumbs up.

Their surroundings changed, and they were surrounded by rocks and mountains. Amaya saw a piece of paper with a rock kept on it as a paper weight, she picked it up, and read out loud.

"The Lapis manalis is protected by an army of Combatants who work for an evil Lord, you have to get the stone, and place it in the Cave to Underworld. Don't touch the stones from bare hands. You have half an hour for the task. Good luck!" Amaya recited and looked at TJ.

"First we have to find this cave," Amaya said, and TJ smirked.

"No, we don't. The Cave to Underworld is covered by one stone, and the other is used to make rain," TJ said, "So we have to use the one stone to find the cave. Let's find this place first, we have some ass to kick," TJ told her, and Amaya nodded.

"Somebody pays attention in the history class. Mr. Aimes would be so happy," Amaya mused, and TJ just shook her head as they both started walking.

"The place shouldn't be far enough," Amaya said, "The places in the simulation are pretty close," She informed, and TJ was glad at the knowledge.

Five minutes after walking, TJ and Amaya spotted a small castle like thing where there were soldiers guarding the place.

"This must be the place," Amaya said and TJ nodded as she scanned the place for guards.

"There are around 5 guards outside on the front, and I think 3 more behind. We have to distract them," TJ told Amaya.

"No, that's impossible. Combatants are very focused and sharp. They can't be distracted," Amaya informed, "Why don't you make a portal for inside?" Amaya suggested, and TJ gritted her teeth.

"I don't know if my powers work that way. I have made portals of places where I have been, or I have seen. I have no idea if I can do this," She explained. "But I can try," TJ said optimistically, and they both stepped back to a place which couldn't be seen by the guards.

"Okay, I'm gonna try. You see if we are clear," TJ said and Amaya nodded.

TJ wished to get inside the castle in front of them as she conjured her powers. Nothing happened. TJ tried again, she closed her eyes and wished to get inside the castle, she opened her eyes. Still nothing.

"I can't do it," TJ mumbled, Amaya looked disappointed but smiled.

"Let's distract them then," Amaya said and TJ smiled.

"So let's do this. We enter from the back, you make the guards happy and we go inside without them looking. Then we locate this stone, and we distract the guards and take the stones. I'll make a portal to where we started, and ta-da!" TJ was excited, and Amaya laughed but nodded in agreement.

"Sounds fine to me. Let me tell you that I am still not good with it, and my combat skills are, let's say unmentionable," Amaya warned TJ who laughed.

"It's alright, Amy. I got your back. I'll be your Superman," TJ joked, and Amaya looked at her with confusion. "You don't know Superman. Do you?" TJ asked ,and Amaya shook her head. "You poor, deprived child. Let's get out of here and I'll tell you," TJ said and Amaya rolled her eyes.

TJ and Amaya reached the back of the castle, a few kilometers away. TJ made a small portal, and Amaya conjured her powers as she concentrated on the three guards at the door, after a few moments, the guards started laughing. They were laughing so hard that they fell to the ground, and left their spears. TJ and Amaya smirked, and TJ widened the portal as they both entered quietly in the castle.

Amaya was miraculously unaffected by the show of powers, TJ was relieved that her friend wasn't laughing too.

The castle was big, and it had too many staircases. TJ and Amaya hid behind a pillar under the staircase.

"So if you were to put 2 stones, where would you put them?" TJ asked Amaya.

"My locker?" Amaya said and TJ chuckled.

"A person this wealthy would have kept it in the middle of somewhere with guards protecting it," TJ said and Amaya rolled her eyes. "I think there must be a courtyard or a ballroom which has the stones," TJ said.

"Why would you think that?" Amaya asked.

"Because they are always in the obvious places in the movies where the protagonist can come and get it," TJ said in a duh tone.

"What are you talking about? What are movies?" Amaya asked and TJ's eyes widened.

"The shit just got real. Don't worry, Amy. I'll save you," TJ patted her shoulder pitifully, and Amaya gave her a confused look.

TJ and Amaya jogged towards what looked like a courtyard, and there it was. A regal pillar which had two stones, or rather bricks on it with 20 soldiers guarding them.

"These are too many," Amaya whispered, looking worried. "And we have only 15 minutes," She said looking at her watch.

"Well, fuck," TJ cursed quietly, "I'll get the stones, and you try to distract as many as you can," TJ said but Amaya still looked worried. "Chill, they can't kill us in simulation," TJ said, and Amaya shook her head.

"Let's kick some combatant ass," Amaya mumbled as she closed her eyes, and her hands shined pink, and she raised them.

Soon 5 of them started laughing hysterically, and the others looked confused. Chaos started in the room, and TJ left her friend in the corner of the room and tip-toed towards the now distracted soldiers. TJ was almost there when someone shouted.

"Hey, you!" A soldier said as he ran towards TJ with his spear. TJ dodged him before another one came from behind her. They were too many. Half of the soldiers were laughing as they rolled on the floor, but the others were now jumping on TJ to stop her. TJ remembered what her Coach taught about toughing it in the field, and as she planted her feet on the ground.

A guard charged at TJ, and she dodged him from the right, he came back, and the others made a circle around her. TJ dodged, and caught the guy's arm, and elbowed him as he lost his balance, and fell on one of the guards.

Another charged at her, and TJ kicked him in his balls as he groaned. As all the other guards came at her, TJ made a portal in front of her and the guards went through it, ending up on the stairs above.

TJ quickly took out her handkerchief from her pocket and wrapped the two stones in it. Well not properly, but she made sure not to touch them.

"Amaya!" TJ shouted as the guards were on the last step.

Amaya ran towards her friend who met her halfway as TJ made a portal to the place they started with, and they both jumped just in time as the spear approached them, and vanished before it could hit them.

TJ and Amaya sighed with relief as they reached the rocky mountain again. Both of them had their hands on their knees before they started laughing hysterically.

TJ put down the stones as she laughed, "That was so cool!" TJ laughed.

"Yes, I had so much fun, and did you see? I controlled around 10 people at a time!" Amaya said and TJ grinned at her.

"We have 4 minutes left. Let's just figure out how to make a cave from this," TJ said and Amaya nodded.

TJ removed her handkerchief and looked at the stones. They were like bricks with something written on them.

"It looks like Roman," Amaya said and TJ nodded. "I have no idea what's written," Amaya said with worry and TJ looked worried too.

Suddenly it struck her, "Hey, we don't have to read it. Look, Mr. Aimes was explaining this in the class the previous day. The stone has to be kept in front of the door, and it opens itself. The stones have powers in it," TJ said and Amaya's face brightened.

"I swear you are Mr. Aimes's best student. How do even remember all this?" Amaya asked as TJ took the stone, and placed it in front of a mountain.

"I am attentive to what I like. Simple," TJ said as they both saw a secret door appearing as a passage opened.

As the passage opened, their surroundings started disappearing, and a white room came into view. Their time was up.

TJ and Amaya walked towards the door as it opened, and they came out.

"Did we pass?" Amaya asked as soon as they saw Calista and Dean who were looking at the duo with astonished faces.

"Passed?" Dean snorted and the girls' faces paled. Did they fail? "More like excelled!" Dean smiled, and Amaya started jumping.

"I've never passed the simulation test in one go! Omigosh! Omigosh I passed!" She started jumping, taking TJ's hand making her laugh.

"Okay, Amaya. Calm down!" Dean laughed and Amaya stopped jumping.

"How did we do?" TJ asked.

"I think it was pretty cool what you did. I mean I never taught you combating, and you actually beat some of the combatants," Dean said.

"No biggie. I used to beat Nat and Asher like all the time," TJ mused.

"You never beat me! I always won!" Asher protested in my head.

"Shut up you loser," TJ scoffed him off and looked at Dean.

"No, you don't get it. Combatants are not your average teenage boys. Combatants are trained professionals. They can be killers and assassins, or guards and soldiers. Fighting with them is something you have to be trained for," Dean explained and TJ opened her mouth to speak but closed it, not able to find words to say.

"She has got it from her father," Calista said suddenly and TJ looked at her in confusion, and so did Dean and Amaya.

"Father?" TJ asked her, and Calista's face looked like she saw a monster.

"Uh...did I say..." Calista stuttered, and Dean looked at the headmistress, she never stuttered.

Calista sighed, what's done is done, "Yes, your father was a partial combatant. Maybe it's his skills you have," Calista said and TJ nodded slowly.

"Father never told me that," TJ said mostly to herself.

"TJ, good work. Your powers are getting better. Work on them a bit more and you'll do wonders," Calista said before leaving the room as TJ looked at her retreating figure.

"Well, she's right. You both can go now. See you later," Dean said and Amaya pulled TJ out of the room dragging her towards the cafeteria.

"Hey, Amy?" TJ asked her friend as she exited the cafeteria.

"Yeah?" She said as she skipped towards their room.

"Were my combat skills that good?" TJ asked.

"Yeah. I mean it was total badass," Amaya said happily as they reached their dorm.

"Wow, I wonder Father never told me that he was a half combatant," TJ wondered as she lied on her bed with a plop.

"Must have slipped his mind," Amaya said as she closed her eyes.

"Yeah, must've slipped his mind," TJ said as she felt the bed dip, and Asher's big hands intertwined her small ones, and she smiled at her boyfriend.

"Your friend is a fast sleeper. I like her," Asher said, and TJ looked at Amaya who was now asleep.

"I like her too," TJ smiled at her friend before she, and Asher snuggled to sleep.

***

Soooooooo??? Any views?

Amaya is finally getting there! TJ too! And her combating skills are super cool. Right?

Do tell me your views!

PLEASE VOTE

Until next time...