VIII

The Training: Last Two Days

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Since Amy will prepare tasks for their team, Lance accompanied her in going early to the Portland's Trainer. Amy and Lance arrived in the classroom and sat on their armchairs. Amy was writing their agenda for her team when Lauren took her pen.

"Hey!" Amy exclaimed.

"My pen lost its ink. So I have to borrow," Lauren said.

"Do you know . . . the word permission?" Lance said.

"And do you think your agenda will work?" Lauren asked while chuckling.

"Sorry to disappoint you but I don't really need your questions," Amy said as she took the pen from Lauren's hand.

"What the . . . " Lauren said as she turned around and went back to her seat.

Amy continued writing their agenda. Lance stood up and said, "Amy, I'm just going to check the bulletin board."

"You may go," Amy replied without removing her eyes on what she's writing.

Lance left Amy and went to the bulletin board. He came near to the bulletin board which is just seven strides away. He saw nothing posted on it but the announcements yesterday. He walked back to the classroom.

"I found nothing," he said and was surprised that all of them were already there.

"Okay, now, we're going to maximize our time. By 7:00 to 8:30, we're going to have a practice with the lasers. And 8:30 to 11:00, we're going to have a practice fighting each other . . . " Amy said.

"Seriously?" Lance almost screamed.

"Yes, I'm serious," Amy said. "It's for us to be more aware of the dangers we might encounter when we fight something with brain."

"Okay," Lance said. "I thought we're gonna kill each other."

They all laughed.

"Okay, 11:00 12:00, our lunch break. On 12:00 to 12:30, we'll have our rest. By 12:30 to 3:00, we'll fight the lasers on war mode," Amy said. "Now, let's start."

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It's already 8:30 am and they have already went to the training field to train with the lasers. They have stepped on the platform and they have trained with the lasers as usual.

Between 8:30 am to 11:00 am, Amy borrowed coveralls for their training. The long-sleeved coveralls were patched with laser detectors.

"We'll start the practice, I've borrowed our coveralls for us," Amy started checking the condition of the six coveralls in hangers. "And also the laser weapons, we'll be using it. When the laser of the weapon touched the coverall, the solid part of your weapon will alarm. Instead of being disqualified or defeated, it's either you'll just seat or practice more. So, let's start."

They formed a spacious circle right after they've zipped their coveralls' zippers up. The shooters parted from the front liners. The shooters definitely need to be apart from each other. Amy glanced at the surroundings and she found a place to hide – behind the bleachers. She neither knew where William nor Tom hid.

Amy peered on the right side of the bleachers. She looked at the left then to the right. She saw no one's head but because a bullet is made of laser, it shined in red, easy to see. Knowing that it will cause her own defeat, she made her way out of the bullet's path. Then the bullet hit the wall near her.

The bullet came from the back of a Technical Room wall. It simply means that either Tom or William is there. Amy pulled the string of the bow she borrowed and a laser arrow materialized. She aimed at that direction with her alertness. When William peered his head with the rifle, Amy shot him at his shoulder.

William's borrowed rifle sounded and alarmed, giving a reminder that he was defeated. He humbly sat on the bench and lazily dropped the rifle beside him.

"One down," Amy exhaled.

Amy stared at William who is sitting on the bench. William might have known where Tom is hiding. Then Amy rolled her eyes uneasily when she heard some weird footsteps at the left side of the bleachers. It's Tom, she thought. She dexterously ran to the right side of the bleachers, fully opposite to Tom's hiding place.

Pulling the string of the bow, Amy moved to aim at Tom's peering spot. She looked at her back where Tom might be. Tom's not here, Amy thought. Then she aimed at the previous place. Tom was aiming at her, too.

Bullet's faster than arrows. Tom pulled the trigger and Amy heard it. Amy laid her back on the opposite side and inhaled. She aimed at the place again until a laser bullet shined at the front side. That's where Tom is,
she thought.

Amy decided to let Tom shoot and shoot continuously. Going against continuous bullets is a risky deed so Amy aimed at the wall where Tom is facing. She released the string from her right hand. The laser arrows shined and dissolved at the wall. It's impossible for Tom not to see it, she thought again.

Amy pulled the string again as she waited for Tom to look and aim at her, too. When Tom aimed at her, Amy unleashed the string and the laser arrow hit Tom's chest. Amy hid back into her place and waited for the Tom's rifle to alarm. Finally, it goes, too-tut-toot.

"Hey, Amy, you did it against us," William grinned and patted Tom's shoulder.

"I've wasted my energy on pulling the trigger repeatedly, hoping that one of my bullets will hit your coverall," Tom awkwardly smiled. "But you chose to make use of your wisdom, leader."

"Thank you for the praise," Amy held her posture upright.

Meanwhile, Elise is standing in the middle of the field, calling out for Sally and Lance.

"Hey, come out, please?" Elise called out.

Elise exhaled in tedium. She did not know Lance was creeping behind her. Then Sally crept behind Lance. Sally's right heel mistakenly clicked. Lance yelled as he heard the heel clicked.

Lance slashed the laser blade of the sword but Sally ducked too swiftly. Elise turned around involuntary.

"There you are," Elise mumbled.

Elise swung her axe towards Lance, who ducked better than Sally. Sally leaned the laser-bladed sword forward and it hit Lance's identical sword. Lance stood up straightly and swung the sword intensely to Sally's way. Sally shielded herself from Lance's sword using her sword. But since the swords are laser-bladed, the sword Lance was holding passed through the other and it hit Sally's tummy.

The handle of Sally's sword alarmed and she was finally eliminated.

"Okay, bye," she said as she went to the comfort room to remove her coverall.

Lance held his sword tightly and swung it against Elise. Elise, who is nurturing her speed, threw her laser-bladed axe to Lance. Lance tried to get out of the axe's way but he still ended up being defeated.

"Congratulations," Lance said as he laughed and made his way out.

Elise and Amy have met each other on the way and chatted funnily.

"So who won in the front liners?" Amy asked.

"Me," Elise smiled. "But that's no logic. I think that's panic."

Everyone had removed their coveralls and met up to sit on the bleachers.

"Listen, what we did is for us to be trained, not to win," Amy said.

"Yes, we know," some of them responded and the others just nodded.

"Whoever won, we're still the winning team," Amy smiled as they exhaled in exhaustion.

Around 12:00 noon, they were in the canteen to buy food and eat packed lunches. They shared the usual table, like everyday.

"Later, we need to stick together even if it's just our resting time," Amy said.

They all nodded with their mouths full.

"Amy, you said that we need to prove Lauren and Jacobson wrong. What if we'll not win in the selection?" William asked after he forcingly swallowed a spoonful of mashed potato.

"What? Don't think in a negative way," Amy exhaled as she pushed her food container away. "We'll win. I'm also nervous but we need to do our best . . . to win. Everyone's got the potential which is already unleashed."

"We don't need to worry. So, promise me that we'll do our best, not just in the selection but also, in our everyday life. Should I expect that from everyone?" Amy smiled as she tried not to forget glancing into everyone's eyes.

"Yes," they said.

"We can always do this," Amy finished.

Right after they're done eating, by 12:15, they went back to the classroom. In the classroom, they're planning to rest and chat for a while.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Lauren asked with insulation.

"We're resting," Sally stood, hiding her rage.

"You know, you should do something more useful than resting," Lauren said.

"Are you saying that you're a better leader than Amy?" Elise said with her uncontrollably blinking of eyes.

"I'm just giving tips," Lauren said. "I'm doing nothing bad."

"Do you really want to give tips or just want to find a good hole to spot our flaws?" Lance asked while looking at Amy, who is just smiling and staying calm.

"Well, if you don't need tips, it's alright," Lauren walked away.

"Well, if you don't need tips . . . " William tried to copy the insulting voice of Lauren.

"You know, we need to go at the training field where there are no mean people," Amy said.

"I agree!" Sally whispered.

They made their way out of the classroom with their bags and weapons in their hands. William and Tom made noise as they walked on the indoor bridge into their Training Fields.

"Let's do what we want later, Tom," William said.

"Yeah, I badly needed sleep," Tom chuckled.

After their long and slow walk to the Training Field, they've finally settled their backsides on the bench.

Elise, as usual, she was reading her books. Sally was sharpening her sword. William was seating on a chair and looking down while Tom was sleeping beside him. Lance was watching a movie on his phone. Amy was watching her group and smiling because she made her team happy.

Their watches ticked too fast towards 3:00 pm. They all stopped doing anything and went to the center of the field. Some were from sleep and are stretching.

"Now, I'll set it into war mode," Amy said.

She walked to the pole that contains mode settings of the field and set it into war mode. She ran back to the field as the machine counted.

"Please ready yourself for the war mode. Three, two, one, go!" the machine monotonously said.

They started to run closely to each other on the green man-made grass surrounded by arena chairs. Nothing is fair in a battlefield, axe to gun can be unfair in games but this is life. Everyone can make a way to stay a little longer in this world. They're using the war mode of the training lasers for the first time but they found it easier than any of the modes. War is when you can just be practical to survive.

Amy, together with Tom and William, are at the back shooting. Elise, Lance, and Sally was at the front to attack whose anyone will come closer. Amy was at the back of Elise, shooting arrows that will come close to her and her group. That formation is frequently used for trainings but it won't be so useful for a long time. It is just used to survive and to have a good start.

Elise was fighting two laser men who use guns and sword. She can't move to other places and she find it difficult to defeat two laser men. Amy shot an arrow to the two laser men Elise encountered. Sally and Lance are doing it easily because the laser men on their sides were too few but Tom and William kept on shooting from their rifles. They all did it well.

Good to know, no one was hurt. All of them are in a fine condition until the end of the training.

"Amy," Elise said. "Thanks for the shots to those horrible laser men."

"You're welcome and that's nothing. Besides, it's for everyone," Amy replied.

They've prepared their things and carried their weapons comfortably.

"Hey, let's go back to classroom," William suggested and they all agreed.

"Tomorrow, we'll focus on the war mode because that's probably what we'll be doing on our selection of groups. So, let's go now," Amy said.

Their team walked out of the Training Field. On their way, chatting can't be avoided.

"Amy, tomorrow is our last training, right?" Sally asked.

"Yes," Amy replied.

"Aren't you worried?" Sally asked.

"Nope. Um . . . Maybe, yes, I'm nervous but how can we be Portal Soldiers if we're not confident that we'll win? Do you think soldiers fight if they know they don't have enough bullets?" Amy said.

"No," Sally replied.

"That's our team. We go against difficulties because we know we can get through them. We're not going to this school if we don't want to learn to defend ourselves strongly," Amy comforted Sally.

The conversation ended when they reached the classroom's door. They entered confidently. General Phillip walked in after them and everyone greeted him. He looked around.

"I hope you all had a good and productive day. I have nothing much to say," General Phillip said. "Class dismissed."

General Phillip looked at all of the chairs but Jacobson's group wasn't there. General Phillip's face turned as red as an apple and clenched his fist so hard like he was smashing a rock through his fingers. He went out the room.

"Why is he mad?" Tom asked to his group while munching an apple as a reward for himself.

"I don't know," Amy said. "Stay here, mu friends. I know it's dismissal but we have to talk."

Amy stood up and followed General Phillip. She brought her feet lightly. The angry General walked to the hall and stopped. Amy suddenly pretended that she was getting her way to the comfort room. As he looked at Amy, he found her innocent. He continued walking along the hall.

Amy followed him again until her feet brought her to the gate of the school.

"Robert, have you seen Jacobson Edison?" General Phillip asked Robert, the guard Amy and Lance talked to when they enrolled.

"Yes, he asked me to go to you earlier but I've not found you. I think he had cut classes," Robert said.

Amy gasped furtively.

"What about his friends?" General Phillip asked while controlling his anger.

"Maybe after he asked me to go to you, he called his friends to come with him," Robert explained his hypothesis.

"Thanks," General Phillip said to Robert.

Amy raised her right hand and recalled the physical appearance of the classroom. A Patented Portal shined and Amy entered it. General Phillip would not see Amy anymore.

"Jacobson had cut classes," Amy said exited the portal and she was panting in panic.

They all gasped.

"He'll be expelled soon, right?" William asked.

"No, it's just second offense," Amy said, "Remember, the first time? Come on, let's go home."

Amy made a Communal Portal that will lead them to the streets of Portland Goldens.

"Listen, don't think about Jacobson, he'll be punished by the school when needed," Amy said.

They all nodded and waved goodbye.

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