Apart from knowing how to correctly use an exos suit, a seeker cadet needed to be well versed in all areas of applications. Naturally, this meant they were taught the basics of combat. These lessons were minimal during the first month. However, considering evaluation day past, cadets slowly became introduced to the main weapon of the Seeker Corps.

The standard light rifle didn't seem like much at first glance. It was your ordinary white themed assault rifle. Although, instead of shooting regular bullets, light rifles dispersed pulses of purely concentrated exos energy. 

Said energy originated from the canister shaped magazine which contained the weapon's e-core. Its faint blue fluorescence flowed through the firearm, expelling out diamond-shaped markings near its handgrip. Additionally, the weapon possessed a unique feature commonly known as "Burst". 

As the name implies, it's a rather reckless technique involving a seeker holding down the trigger for a long period of time. This would allow exos energy to amplify so when it was eventually released that particular shot would be greater and more destructive. Despite that fact, the corps had a history of seekers blowing themselves up thus the tactic was greatly discouraged.

Chase muttered under his breath, his attention lingering on the holographic target board. Today was his class's turn to use the shooting range. It was located in a three-storied building opposite the main classrooms. 

Surrounding them on all sides were reinforced metal walls, no windows in sight. The seekers took every possible measure to ensure their safety, going as far as to have the cadets wear exos suits for protection of straying shots. 

Supposedly, each floor had been dedicated to a varying type of weapon or gadget. The second floor housed everything directly related to the light rifles. This included a shooting range that allowed the cadets to gain experience with these dangerous tools of war.

"Let's try again," he whispered to himself. A scent of burned iron hung in the air. Sounds of discharging firearms reverberated. Silver walls became painted by the flashes of ignited projectiles. The instructor closest to him shook his head as Chase missed every shot. ". . . Dammit."

"Relax your shoulders, cadet. Tackle this the same way you did the exos suit. Stay calm and clear your mind. Pour your concentration onto the target alone." He pointed at the ring-shaped aim and said, "You'll get it eventually, don't be discouraged."

Chase nodded, returning to his failing attempts with a grumble. To his dissatisfaction, he was having trouble adjusting. He never fired a gun before, let alone one that expelled plasma. It required some getting used to at the start of his lessons a week prior but even now he faced difficulties. 

He held the handgrip firmly as a steady finger hovered above the trigger. Taking in a deep breath, he fired projectile plasma. The heavy recoil was absorbed in his chest, his innards vibrating synchronically with the firing of azure bullets. The barrage flew across the room at an immense speed, splattering onto the projection on the metal wall.

 For some reason, he couldn't hit the center, barely making it into the target's middle scoring ring. If he couldn't master the basic form of combat he wouldn't last five seconds in the untamed outside environment.

Even worse, he'd be useless in his attempts at safeguarding his brother should an unideal situation arise. Stop being so pathetic! Beside him, Alex unloaded repeated rounds. Confident and unyielding, she constantly struck the innermost rings of the target. 

An instructor congratulated her as she reloaded magazines, half-open eyes staring coldly at the weapon in her hands. Of course, she'd be good at this. He began to suspect Alex simply excelled in everything. To his left, Barry managed to hit the target as well while Aaron discussed with another instructor the correct footing and posture when discharging. So this is how Rex felt.

Their lessons concluded when the siren screamed, instructors warding the cadets out the room. They collected the weapons and then proceeded to hang them neatly on the surrounding walls, their muzzles pointing to the floor. The class had indeed ended yet Chase refused to leave. He thundered another round of photon blasts, a large majority of them missing entirely.

"Cadet Chase, if you don't leave now you'll miss dinner," a female seeker warned.

"Sorry, ma'am. I . . I'm not hungry right now," he assured, returning his glance at the target. "If it's all the same to you, I'd like to continue training. My performance this past week has been unsatisfactory. I won't be able to succeed unless I dedicate more hours to my training. If you grant me permission, I'd prefer to stay here for a little while longer."

". . . I'm not sure if that's a good idea-"

"I promise I won't cause any trouble."

"Well, I guess it'll be fine. I'll have to run it by the commander to avoid any complications though." Seeing as how most cadets already left along with the instructors, she ultimately gave in to his sudden request. "As long you swear to return to the barracks before curfew it shouldn't be a problem."

"Absolutely," he confirmed, not removing his sights from the target.

Alex peeked at him as she left, the boy taking aim once more. After the doors shut Chase slammed a fist on the shooting table. He'd mastered a highly advanced suit piloted by his brain yet somehow he struggled to use a mere gun? 

Glaring at the wall, Chase opened fire, blue flashes flooding the room in continuous bursts. Before long, Chase had dedicated a total of two hours to better his aim. No matter the posture. No matter how much he focused. None of his efforts gifted him with the results he so desperately craved. 

"Come on dammit!!" 

Wave after wave of light bullets sprung forward yet Chase couldn't say he'd gotten any better. His dedication to improving his skills was so strong he hadn't noticed the lights of the cavern begin to shut off. Darkness consumed the once brightly lit underground area as well as the shooting range. 

Sweat dotted his forehead. His empty stomach grumbled. His will, while strong, couldn't account for his weakened body teetering on the edge of collapse. Nevertheless, he diverted his attention from his frail condition. He had to practice. He had to endure. He'd spend the entire night in the same spot if he must.

Or so he thought.

Unveiling his agitated eyes he found himself lying in bed. Astonished, he bolted up, his head colliding with the ceiling of the bunk bed. Rex immediately awoke when he heard the alarming noise of Chase falling onto the floor. Barry and Aaron woke up as well while Seth, unconcerned as ever, pulled the blanket over his head and muttered something in his sleep.

"Chase? Are you okay?" Barry asked.

"I- How did I get here? I thought-"

"You were still in the shooting range?" interrupted Aaron, pulling him to his feet. "Yeah, that Alex girl said she discovered you passed out. She brought you here an hour ago."

". . . By herself?"

"Seemed like it."

"We didn't remove your exos suit, in case you were wondering!" Barry blurted. "That was Rex's job . . . Oh and we made sure Alex left beforehand!" His loud comments caused the other slumbering cadets, Seth included, to groan and curse at them. Aaron clobbered him atop his head. Whimpering, Barry apologized, "Yeah yeah, I'll be quiet, jeez."

"Th- Thanks, I guess," Chase said quietly.

"Since when were you two so close?" inquired Rex, climbing down their bunk bed.

"We aren't. The only time we've interacted happened to be at the aptitude test when she . . . Anyways, it's not important. What I want to know is why she'd go out of her way to help me?"

Barry smirked. "Maybe she has a thing for ya?"

"Like I said, we hardly know each other."

"Does she need to have a reason?" Rex suggested. "Perhaps Alex is just a really nice person."

"I thought we went over this, Rexy?" Seth muttered underneath his sheets. He poked out the top half of his head, silver hair strewn messily across his face. "A person void of malice doesn't exist. There's always an incentive buried beneath the surface of one's actions, pure or corrupt. As it stands, Alex is an anomaly. Don't dismiss her just yet."

Chase's finger brushed his chin. "What do you have in mind?"

"I don't, it's merely a suspicion. Personally, I couldn't care less what the girl's up to as long as she doesn't bother me. I'll stay off her radar if she stays off mine. If I was in your position, however, I'd get to the bottom of it quickly. Who knows what she could be concocting?" Seth yawned. "Should you confront her, be sure to not take her reasoning at face value."

With the odd piece of advice, the boys returned to their beds. Climbing to the top bunk, Rex wondered what actually fueled her act of kindness. He wished to believe she was simply nice. She hadn't done anything to prove that she was malicious. Yet, Seth's words lingered at the edge of his brain.

"Seth? You awake?"

" . . . I am now."

"You keep tabs on people you find interesting, right? Does Alex meet your criteria?"

"Alex Alex Alex! Why is everyone so obsessed?" he cursed. "She's skilled, sure. Regardless, her stone-cold attitude drives me away. So, to answer your question, I'd say no . . . At least for right now."

"Oh, I understand."

"Great. Am I permitted to sleep, master?"

"Sorry for disturbing you! Have a good night!"

"We're well past that."

Chase overheard them. It went without saying he'd uncover the truth regarding the girl he knew so little about. He stared at the ceiling blankly, sore hands resting underneath his head. Today certainly had been grueling in more ways than one. Hopefully, tomorrow will be far less complicated.

Hopefully.

* * *

Alex brushed her crimson hair, looking in the mirror at her worn-out expression. Their training that day had been rough, even more so than usual. She'd heard from others this was largely due in part to how the seekers intended on introducing them to field operations. 

Tasks revolving around what they should expect after graduating to official scouts. She longed for the momentous occasion. It'd mean she could finally initiate her plan after years of waiting. She could've attempted it earlier, however, it might have potentially caused certain obstructions to emerge. 

The girl simply couldn't afford to risk anything, not with all the hard work she'd put in. No, she'd stick to her plan of becoming a legit member of the Seeker Corps. It'd certainly make her happy.

Regrettably, Alex failed at combating her emotions, sighing as she left her barracks' washrooms. She strolled passed fellow cadets, the girls gossiping with each other, and to her bed whilst rubbing her tired eyes. 

She'd no interest indulging in meaningless chit-chat. Tattered bones felt their best when she was allowed to rest, the girl disintegrating atop her bedsheets. She only received a minute's worth of comfort before someone called her name.

"Alex," Eve began. 

Of every girl present, Alex forged a somewhat rocky relationship with the shy damsel. She'd short light brown hair and hazel eyes. A bit on the short side, Eve's petite frame meant she flourished at maneuvering her exos suit. 

Although, she left a lot to be desired in terms of strength and combat capabilities. Alex often theorized how a timid person like her managed to make it this far and why she'd chosen to enlist in the first place. 

"There's someone outside who's asking for you. A boy."

She sat up. "Is he looking for trouble?"

"No! That's not the impression I got from him at all!" she panicked, waving her hands. "He hoped you'd at least hear what he has to say."

"Did he tell you his name?"

"Chase. He's one of the Hunt brothers."

Her eyes sharpened, sliding off the bed in a moment's notice. Eve gawked confusedly as she made for the door without another word. Could he be her boyfriend? No, that can't be right! Alex is the last person I'd suspect of having a secret love life. Besides herself, Alex rarely associated with anyone else. It delighted Eve to know she was attempting to change. That said, things were never simple when it came to the seeker prodigy.

He stood at the bottom of the front steps, a couple of blushing girls winking and blowing kisses at him on the porch. "Thanks for coming," Chase said through a forced smile. "I just . . . Thank you for helping me yesterday."

"Helping you?"

"Bringing me to to the barracks after I apparently fainted," he clarified. "I was also hoping to know why you did it."

The other girls quickly got the message the two wanted some privacy, Eve motioning for them to come inside on the other side of the front window. Chase shuddered when he saw one of the girls placing a heart over her chest prior to entering the building with her friends. Smirking, Alex sat down at the top step.

"You came just to tell me that?"

"Pretty much."

Alex sighed into her hand. "You owe me a debt, remember? To repay my saving your skin? You need to stay in good health until I'm ready."

"You're still serious about that?"

"But of course," she grinned. "Seeing as how you're one of the more capable cadets here it'd be in my best interest to watch over you from time to time to make proper use of you later on. That's not a problem, is it?"

"Do what you will." He turned around, hands in pockets. "If that's everything, I bid you a good evening."

"You loathe staying here, don't you?" Chase stopped in his tracks. "Something tells me you long to return to Sanctuary but can't. Is it because of your brother you're putting yourself through this pain? If so, then you must be striving to be the best seeker possible in order to remain by his side. You want to quit nevertheless you can't forsake him. This is your dilemma, is it not?"

A chuckle escaped him. "Am I that easy to read?"

"To an observant eye, yes. Your dread deluges like cheap cologne; it's hard to ignore."

"Well, he's the last sliver of my family I've got. I won't abandon him. Wherever he goes, I will follow. It just so happens he desires to help humanity, there's nothing I can do about it."

"How admirable. So you wouldn't have enlisted had it not been for him?"

"I'm not particularly a fan of the Seeker Corps. In fact, I'd no specific craving for exploring the Outside World. I've long since killed that side of me."

"And what side was that?" Alex questioned, leaning forward.

He turned to face her with a compressed scowl. "I think we're getting off-topic. I'm only here to thank you, not discuss my personal life."

Alex rose to her feet chuckling. "Well Chase, if you're planning on becoming an S-tier seeker you'll have to know how to shoot a light rifle. Luckily for you, I'm not that at bad using one myself. Say please and I just might help you out."

"R- Really?"

"I can't make use of someone who's utterly useless, now can I? Meet me at the shooting range an hour before dinner. I'll give you a couple of pointers to make you seem not so incompetent during training." She turned her back to him, confidently striding to the door. "Keep me waiting and I'll shoot you instead of a target."

A silenced Chase watched as she shut the door. If she intended to help him then he really did owe her. Despite that, it bugged him how she kept mentioning his supposed debt. 

What exactly did she have in mind which required his presence? Strolling leisurely home his mind raced as to what she'd in store for him. I suppose, for now, I'll place my faith in you. He peered at the cavern's roof deep in thought. Worry not, Rex. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you alive.