"Where are you bringing me?"
"Shh! I told you. We have to be quiet."
The two women were at the entrance of a hidden lair. Venom was struggling to insert the keys in the lock, it just kept slipping in her shaking hands. Her patience waned as the sweat pearling on her forehead flowed down into her eyes to burn her irises. That, and the never-ending questioning of Rouge, hot on her heels.
"I don't know why, but I feel like we shouldn't be here."
"That's an understatement. We'd be killed if he found out."
After endless minutes, they finally pushed the door open, and the Commander finally breathed. She felt like she hadn't taken a breath since she slipped out of the Lab's walls with her protegee.
"What even is this place?"
Rouge couldn't blink. Even though a fair amount of dust accumulated in this secret office, it still looked somewhat clean and organized. Her eyes were jumping from one piece of medical gear to another as she slowly walked deeper into this secret place. Microscopes, vials, hologram projectors, all things she has never seen before.
"This is my secret lab. Which I haven't used in quite a bit. Sadly. But it will only take a few moments to get everything set up again."
The Mad Scientist was running her fingers through the layers of dust gathered with time on her tools and key commands, talking to a built-in AI. The young recruit was devouring the place with her eyes, full of questions.
"Why did you even bring me here?"
"It's the safest place I know. Even though there isn't such a thing as a perfectly safe spot, but still. Doc never mentioned this place or any of the stuff I did here. So either he doesn't know it exists, or he does, but doesn't perceive it or anything I do as a threat. Either way, it doesn't matter. I need it to run tests on you."
"What kind of tests? And why do you need to keep them secret?"
"I lied. To you, and to them. I reported that you don't have any abilities. It's false. You do."
"Wait what? I have powers? Why would you lie to me saying I don't?"
"Calm down. I understand. But you don't. This is bigger than you. And me."
"What are you talking about?"
Rouge's voice is angry. And perplexed. The soldier is questioning the Commander's integrity. Venom could tell. She sighed before turning to her.
"Listen. There is so much you don't know. So much. But all you need to know is that your blood is special. Really special. Something I haven't seen before. And if it turns out I'm right about this, it could change everything. But for that, I need to get samples of your blood for myself and study it. And study you."
"But why do we have to do this here? We could've done that in the Lab."
"Look, Rouge. Do you trust Doc?"
Rouge didn't answer. Her eyes are hesitant. She was fidgeting in her spot, her look agitated, looking around her.
"Don't be scared. You can trust me, Rouge. I don't trust Doc."
The young soldier was staring down until the Commander spoke these words. Rouge looked up to the woman, only to see her gentle face and her opened eyes, expressing confidence and empathy. It reassured the young woman.
"I don't trust him either."
"Good. You shouldn't. And I'm glad to see not many others don't either. So I understand that I don't need to explain why we are hiding here."
Rouge nodded.
"Alright. With that being said, we can't stay here forever. We need to get back as soon as possible to avoid suspicion. So I will need all your collaboration to make this go as smoothly as possible. Ok?"
"Ok."
"Ok. Thank you. I know you're confused. I'm going to explain everything I can while I experiment on you. So please take a seat. I'll start by extracting some of your blood."
Venom was now standing behind the counter, looking at a holographic projection of the results calculated by the AI from Rouge's live analysis, plugged, lying in a medical bed. The Mad Scientist was in awe at what she was looking at.
"This is phenomenal! I was right! Alright. I'm not the best at explaining myself, but I'll do my best. Blood functions roughly the same for everyone. It contains the same properties and is made of the same stuff. It's an independent system that works freely in the body. But as I thought, you're an exception. You are exempt from that. I'll try to break it down. So, right off the bat, you have control over it. You can manually alter the course of its biological cycle. The main application of that is by modifying the elements contained in your blood. Or adding new components. On top of that, you can adjust it. As of right now, your blood system has been running as usual, unconsciously. But, if you focus and train, you could accelerate, slow or even move the flow of your blood vessels. Mix these applications together and, theoretically, you could dope yourself."
The Mad Scientist's look drifted away from the holographic data to lose itself in her thoughts. She muttered her thoughts aloud, thinking it was unnecessary to hide her hypothesis from her test subject, for she wouldn't understand anyway.
"Hmm. You could increase the amount of epinephrine to get your heart pumping harder and get more oxygen, granting you an overall power enhancement. Or you could duplicate and increase the very little testosterone you have to be stronger. Or with endorphins…"
Rouge was acting like she couldn't hear the Commander while listening to every word she was saying. Her awkward silence and Venom's whispers were making her uncomfortable.
"Umm. But like... You say I could dope myself. But wouldn't it be pointless?"
"Hm?"
"I mean, I haven't done the Tests cause I almost died. And we both know that I'm in no shape to achieve anything. Even while biologically enhanced, it would just be a waste. I'm morbidly weak."
"That is true. But your power still isn't pointless."
"How?"
Venom smiled softly. She walked around the corner to stand next to the recruit, freeing her of all the medical restraints.
"Do you know what my power is, Rouge?"
"No."
"I see. Doc still classifies anything related to us Commanders as top secret. Well, you see, I can't kill Hollows."
"Really? But you're a Commander aren't you?"
"I am. But not because of my murdering skills. I lied about your power and I brought you here because of what I saw with my early tests on you. I apologize for that. But I was right. Your power is very close to mine. Sort of"
"Wait what?"
"It's a bit complicated and we already spent too much time here. You need to go rest too. You have Bowie's training tomorrow. I'll explain to you as we're getting out of here ok?"
"Ok."
"Great. Let's get back."
Rouge felt like they bonded. Venom too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Listen up, Soldiers. My training differs in every way from all my comrades'. Even if you don't suffer physically, you will still be mentally challenged. My job here today is to change you from brute power weapons to fully thinking troopers. I will go through all the information needed for you to stand on your own on the field. Every information needed to slay any monsters in front of you. If you want to slack off, be my guest. You can just freeze in place in front of a horde of Lambdas, not knowing how to break their formation and slow their movement, until they eat you alive, limb by limb, in front of your comrades, letting them watch, knowing they're next. But, for those who will listen, you might be interested to know that I will keep my eyes open for the best of you. I will report to Doc any names I believe have a chance to become team leaders. But all that is up to you. Now, we shall begin. I will explain everything, but I will never repeat myself nor will I be interrupted. Questions will wait until the end of my presentation. Understood?"
"YES SIR!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grade Types (Lowest to Highest):
- Soldier: Trooper led in a platoon by a Lieutenant. Only follows orders given by its superior.
- Lieutenant: Trooper of high level, judged to be able to lead a platoon. Makes decisions and gives orders. Soldiers with a Grade high enough can apply to become Lieutenants. Soldiers may choose to stay Soldiers, avoiding the responsibilities of Lieutenants.
- Commander: Lieutenants positioned in the top 12 by points are automatically named Commanders, moving in rank and pushing down the Commanders in place. Points are earned by successfully completing missions.
- Pioneer: Any Soldier, Lieutenant or Commander, of any Level, can become Pioneer by challenging and defeating a Pioneer. There are 5 Pioneers. All the spots are currently taken and are yet to be defeated. They are highly skilled individuals, acting alone.
Soldier Levels (Lowest to Highest):
- Low-Grade Soldier: Level F to D
- Mid-Grade Soldier: Level D+ to C+ (Soldiers with a Grade of C+ and higher are offered to upgrade to the position of Lieutenant)
- High-Grade Soldier: Level B- to S
- Low-Grade Lieutenant: Level C+ to B-
- Mid-Grade Lieutenant: Level B to A-
- High-Grade Lieutenant: Level A to S
- Commander: In The Top 12 High-Grade Lieutenants
- Pioneer: Top 5 Strongest Soldiers in the Foundation
Hollow Levels (Lowest to Highest):
- Omega: Harmless. Too small to cause any threat. Shows no sign of aggressivity
- Psi: Causes minor injuries. Tend to attack if approached
- Omicron: Can be a threat if underestimated. Can cause injuries. Usually not lethal
- Lambda: Aggressive behavior. Need to be seen as a threat. Can cause irreversible injuries
- Kappa: Dangerous. Multiple lower-grade soldiers are needed. Can kill if not disposed of quickly
- Epsilon: Massive threat, can wipe out a squadron of lower-grade soldiers. If operating in a horde, multiple high-grade soldiers needed
- Delta: A single one can kill a Higher Grade Soldier easily. Capable of high destructive power. A Commander is strongly recommended
- Gamma: Serious threat to the Foundation. Possess incredible destructive power. Immensely lethal. Requires more than one Commander
- Beta: Extremely deadly. Very few have been spotted in history. Great threat to the Lab's safety. Lethal for one Commander, and requires multiple Commander or the intervention of a Pioneer
- Alpha: No Hollow of that level has ever been recorded. Immeasurably destructive. Power level beyond imagination. Threat to humanity
Roles:
- Fighter: Fighters are at the frontlines of any operations. They handle all the close combat and closed quarters of the operations. They go head-on against the Hollows. They are the main forces of the Splatoon.
- Ranger: Rangers operate from the rear. They deal damage to the enemy while standing on the backlines. They are the last wall between the enemy and the support.
- Support: Supports typically don't have any combat capabilities. They are there to assist and help the other Soldiers fight at the best of their capacity in the best conditions possible, ensuring they can fulfill their role successfully.
Classes:
Combat Warrior (Fighter): Combat Warriors use hand-to-hand combat. Most of them are martial artists with valuable combat techniques, or street fighters with no techniques but great resistance and damage input. They exchange blows directly with the Hollows.
Weapon Master (Fighter): Weapon Masters use weapons to fight. Most of them are skilled swordsmen, some have a more unique and diversified arsenal. They attack while avoiding direct physical contact.
Assassin (Fighter): Assassins use any fighting style they want. Most of them have weapons. They wait for an opening to finish the fight in one instant. They are not good at going head-on against Hollows, but they are good at dodging attacks, keeping some distance and finding openings to deal the finishing blow.
Sniper (Ranger): Snipers deal damage with precision, whatever weapon or technique they use, from a safe distance. Working behind the fighters, their attacks are used to damage specific parts of the Hollows.
Manipulator (Ranger): Manipulators are able to control the battlefield from the back lines. They use their specific abilities with great dexterity in a wide range. They can deal considerable damage in a large area with a vast reach.
Zoner (Ranger): Zoners are the middle ground between Manipulators and Snipers. They deal damage in a bigger zone than the snipers, but less than Manipulators. They also aren't really precise with their attack, but quickly aim at an area to launch their attacks, counting on the radius of their shots to hit the target. They deal valuable damage in medium areas with small precision.
Healer (Support): Healers are responsible for the health of the other members and the survival of the group. They use first aid and special techniques to heal injuries and save Soldiers on the verge of death, making sure the team can finish the mission.
Assist (Support): Assists have the task of helping other Soldiers in their fight through various means. They can protect, amplify the soldiers' attacks or listen to any demands their comrades ask of them to simplify their combat.
Tactician (Support): Tacticians are the brain of the operation. They come up with plans to effectively take down the enemy as fast as possible, with the least casualties possible.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"James, Adam, good job. I examined thoroughly all the reports you have compiled since the beginning of the Training to produce this document. You may read through it and remember it."
"Yes Sir!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Undead - High-Grade Soldier (B+) - Support (Assist)
Spike - Mid-Grade Soldier (C+) - Fighter (Weapon Master)
Mute - Mid-Grade Soldier (C) - Fighter (Assassin)
Nuke - Mid-Grade Soldier (C-) - Ranger (Zoner)
Gum - Mid-Grade Soldier (D+) - Support (Assist)
Butcher - Mid-Grade Soldier (D+) - Fighter (Combat Warrior)
Morph - Mid-Grade Soldier (D+) - Fighter (Combat Warrior)
Chuck - Mid-Grade Soldier (D+) - Fighter (Weapon Master)
Sprout - Mid-Grade Soldier (D+) - Fighter (Combat Warrior)
Richter - Mid-Grade Soldier (D+) - Ranger (Manipulator)
Akuma - Low-Grade Soldier (D) - Support (Assist)
Bang - Low-Grade Soldier (D) - Fighter (Combat Warrior)
Jab - Low-Grade Soldier (D) - Fighter (Combat Warrior)
Kage - Low-Grade Soldier (D) - Support (Tactician)
Bass - Low-Grade Soldier (D-) - Ranger (Zoner)
Blister - Low-Grade Soldier (D-) - Ranger (Manipulator)
Drool - Low-Grade Soldier (D-) - Support (Assist)
Flow - Low-Grade Soldier (D-) - Fighter (Combat Warrior)
Lunchbox - Low-Grade Soldier (E+) - Fighter (Combat Warrior)
Savvy - Low-Grade Soldier (E+) - Support (Tactician)
Rouge - Low-Grade Soldier (E) - Support (Healer)
Cortex - Low-Grade Soldier (E-) - Support (Tactician)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Th- This is just.. Incredible?!"
Adam was flabbergasted. Doc was exhilarated.
"I mean, not only do we have a lot of Mid-Grade Soldiers, which is insane, but there's also a High-Grade Soldier. I believe the only time that happened was during the Lucky Year."
"You know your history, Adam."
"You're so smart, Adam."
"You should study more too, James."
"I'm so sorry Doc, Sir. Please don't be mad at me Sir."
"I'm not mad, but that doesn't mean I can't be. Make yourself useful and go gather a team, I have an Exploration Mission to do. Make sure you have a Commander on the team, even Blue would do the job."
"Yes Sir!"
The big man left the room in a hurry, the cloth of his suit squeaking, buttons doing everything they could to hold together. He looked determined, he didn't want to disappoint Doc. The old man sighed once his underling was far enough.
"What a sad sight, this man. Too stupid for his own good."
"..."
"Unlike you, which I keep under me because of your resourcefulness, I just use him for his obedience."
"..."
"Haha, come on now, son. I'm sure you understand, don't you? The best you can do for a fool is make the best out of him. It's doing him a favor. As intellectuals, it is our duty to tell the masses what to do, for they don't know what's good for them. It is in their best interest to do what they're told. Don't you agree, Adam?
"..."
"Isn't that why you are friends with him? Using him and his presence has a way to secure yourself a social status among your peers?"
"..."
"You drink with him at the bar only a few times here and there, you tell him he's a good buddy, and in exchange, you don't walk alone down the halls. You can't converse well with him, so why keep him around?
"..."
"I'm sure you just go along with anything he says; after all, you don't want to actually get invested. It's not like you're looking for a real friend in him. It's better to be poorly accompanied than to be alone, isn't it?
"..."
"It's not like you're doing anything wrong. He's too dense to understand. And to him, you are a great friend nonetheless. So you see? People of his intellect are happy, even if manipulated. I would even say, they are happy because they are manipulated. He doesn't know better, so that's why we use him for what he's good for. An obedient pet. Don't you agree, Adam?"
"..."
"Haha! So you do after all. Do not worry, young man. No words are needed. Real truth can only be found in silence. Plus, you can learn a man's beliefs through his occupation. That's why I knew you understood the benefit of using human beings from an inferior class than yourself. Benefits, both for you and them. They need to be used for what they are good for, to truly flourish. After all, prostitutes will stay prostitutes, won't they?"
The displeasure present deep down in Adam was screaming in the deaf quietude. He was sure Doc could hear it. His eyes burned from their blood vessels bulging.
"Haha! Why the long face, Adam? You know better than anyone else that I know everything. Your purchases are no exceptions. And don't worry, I don't judge you. Rose is a fine woman. Master of her craft. She sticks to what she's told and what she does best, and it shows. Truly talented."
The magazine of his gun was burning his skin, well hidden inside his suit; he had to take it out. The force he needed to exercise in order to resist the call from the trigger calling his hand was unbearable. He couldn't look Doc in the eyes. If their eyes met he would've killed him right here right now. Adam was staring at the old scientist's forehead. He could already see the hole. The burned wound. The flowing blood. The pieces of skull. But it never happened. He bit his tongue without flinching.
"Will that be everything, Sir."
"Haha! My bad, young man! I know you are wanted elsewhere. Thank you for your hard work as always. You may dispose now, you deserve a break."
Adam had already passed the doorway before Doc could finish his sentence, forcing him to shout his last words out of his smile.
"Tell Rose I say hi!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The mission can't be that hard, they chose The Normie to lead it."
"Keep your thoughts to yourself."
"Aw come on, I know you agree with me."
"Sure. But I don't agree about my ass getting beat up if she hears what you said, so shut up."
"Are you scared of her?"
"Not scared. I don't have a chance against her, and neither do you, but she doesn't scare me."
"So what's the problem the-"
"Can you guys just shut the fuck up about her?"
They thought she couldn't hear them since she was closing the march far behind. She could, though she didn't pay attention. She never does. Blue is listening to music. She always does. But she can still focus on what is happening outside her bubble. As a Commander and a leader, she has to.
The mission was going well. They had encountered a couple packs of Omicron Grade Hollows, but nothing they couldn't handle. Setting up the last mechanical torches on their trail, they arrived at their destination; a somber and wet cave opening up before them. Still unexplored, they followed this new path to set up a waypoint in this new zone.
Having never been briefed on how the devices in their backpacks work, they set them up with no question. The squadron of three soldiers and one Commander are dividing the tasks and placing the different beacons and machines in the cave. Blue placed a huge iron box on the rocky wall, then pressed a button; an action she repeated numerous amount of times for numerous amount of missions. They are all done.
"Alright guys, let's head back and cash in some credits."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Shut up."
"... Hun? What did you say Normi-"
"Shut up. All of you."
"..."
They did. All of them. They caught a glimpse of gravity in her tone. Blue was facing the dark of the cave, lit by the torches and flashing lights on the reconnaissance devices they set up. The hair on her skin stood up as she felt a creeping breeze coming from deeper inside the rocky den. When her squinted eyes noticed the pair of red glowing ovals piercing the shadows, she realized; it was not a cavern, it was a lair.
Her squadron picked up on the situation right after her. Immediately, their hands grabbed their weapons of choice. Standing still, the platoon was waiting for orders from their Lieutenant, which came promptly.
"Boom, Echo, behind me. Blade, you take the left. Do not leave your spot. We stay put. Don't go in. It's too dark. We wait for it to come to us. Here it com-"
The very few lights disappeared one by one. The Hollow tore apart all the torches and devices in a terrifying quietness.
"Since when do these fuckers have brains?"
"Blade, focus. They can get to us any tim-"
Blue couldn't finish her words when Blade's head was torn off of his spine; a Hollow leaped out of the darkness to slice his head off. The beast landed on all fours before gravity had time to drop the standing corpse. The Hollow was triple their size. Its forearms were extending outward, creating two huge fleshy blades running along them, red fluid flowing inside them.
Shit, he's fast.
Blue thought. The monster jumped off the ground in a flash, disappearing on the spot. Only trails of his red eyes were left in the shadows. Boom, who had only time to pull out her exploding projectiles, saw the sharp teeth immediately closing in her face. Before its jaw could connect, Blue's foot sunk into the demon's stomach with force.
But I'm faster.
The Commander teleported next to Boom and the Hollow, throwing a heavy circular kick at the beast's abdomen. The sheer power of the kick lifted dust off the ground before projecting the monster to the back of the cave. The crew heard the body slice the air until it crashed into a rocky wall. The Normie's leadership didn't falter.
"Echo, concentrate. You're the only person that can save us right now. Use your hearing and give us its position."
"Right."
"Boom, you shoot as soon as she gives you its position."
"O- Ok."
The two young women's wills were protected by the adrenaline coursing through their bodies. Blade's death hasn't settled in their consciousness yet. Blue wasn't as close to him as they were. Grief and sorrow were never going to be part of it, but she still is greatly affected, overtaken by a devouring emotion: remorse.
Damn it. His death is on you. These girls' tears will be on you too. There's no taking it back. So now focus and do what you do best before you end up killing them to-
"Blue! It's digging underground!"
"Shit. Boom, don't let it!"
"On it. Echo where is he?"
"Right there!"
Boom looked at where her partner was pointing before shooting a rain of explosive projectiles. The clustering impacts made its way to the demon, forcing it to scream in pain.
"We need light! I can't see the bastard! Boom, give us cover while Echo installs torches."
The three-women team was trying its best to get their advantage back on the battlefield. After a few light sources were in place, they began to see the Hollow's horrendous silhouette again at the back of its lair. Blue took a deep breath. She knew what she had to do.
"You girls stay back. I'll handle it."
"Wait, what? That's just stupid! We need to team up on it!"
"It's an order. Now shut the fuck up and stay back. If I die it's on you to kill it, so stay focused."
"R- Right."
Blue exhaled longly and relaxed her muscles. She started walking towards her target.
"Now then you fucker, what abo-"
A few blue hair tips flew up in the thick underground air. The Hollow's blades cut through the end of her ponytail, unable to keep up with her crazy reaction time. She miscalculated; she doesn't get to relax.
Using her arms, she somersaulted behind to avoid the second slash aimed at her lower core. As soon as she landed on her feet, the tip of the flesh blade was dangerously close to her right cornea. Time seemed to have frozen for The Commander.
How do these monsters keep getting stronger and stronger!? And yet... me... at this rate... I...
An innocent and pure laugh resounded in her mind. A familiar and gentle face. Her older sister. More precisely, a fond memory of her. Before everything changed.
… What am I even doing?
All the Hollow pierced was a gust of air and dust. Blue disappeared. The monster's pupils sharpened and grunted heavily as it tried to find its prey. Before smelling a glimpse of her scent, knuckles bashed in the side of its skull. The hard contact of her Superman punch on the Hollow's rigid frame kept her suspended in mid-air before the demon was launched with a back draft of air and dirt. Its body whistled, cutting the air in the cave by sheer projection speed.
A solid foot bent its back in half as it hit the sole of The Normie's kick, waiting in place at the other end of the cave. The beast screeched in pain, shaking rocks off the walls. Blue yelled as she launched a slave of deadly blows to the levitating body. Switching between heavy kicks and powerful punches, she was completely overwhelming the Hollow. She unleashed her full speed.
From the sidelines, all the two soldiers could see was a fog of debris and dust, penetrated by azur flashes; Blue's hair and eyes left glowing trails and afterimages, illuminating with flashes, the underground cave. Even though they lack the knowledge to know what it is, what they are looking at is very close to the core of a thundercloud.
A brouhaha of agonizing monster shrieks and human battle cries echoed in the underground tunnel. Then, nothing. Dead silence. A silence no soldier likes. A quietude that sends shivers down any well-trained trooper's spine. The two women could do nothing but stare at the cloud of aftermath, trying to perceive anything behind its thick layers. Suddenly, a silhouette formed in their eyesight. Their shoulders dropped and their breathing came back to normal.
The Commander walked out of the war smog. Covered in blood, both the Hollow's and hers, her hair undone, she was holding the headless corpse of the fourth member of the mission. Her walk was flimsy, her strength depleted. The women ran to her, taking the weight of their friend's body off of their leader. They both stared at Blue, who walked right past them. They knew she was taking the burden of Blade's death on her, they wanted to say something to help her. But all they felt at this moment was admiration.
The Normie is the only soldier in history who didn't take the shot, making her body a hundred times weaker than any other soldier. Boiled down, this statement meant two things: she needs to train a hundred times harder, and she can't afford to be hit once. An attack that could only barely injure a soldier, could prove fatal to her. Even if she did defeat the monster without being gravely hit once, she endured severe injuries by dodging just in time to get her skin grazed and bruising her own body by hitting the rock-hard body of her enemy. Clothes ripped, muscles torn, skin bruised, cut and covered in blood, she was still listening to her music. She only needed to say it once.
"We're leaving. Let's go."