"I see."
"Remember now?"
"Not so sure. It's all still fuzzy in my mind."
"Yeah. Makes sense."
Blue has been listening to Jab's story attentively, trying her best to remember. But it seems there is a lot she purposely cast away, deep down inside her. Hiding her memories. Her truths. She spaced out for a moment, leaving a silence between them, backtracking on everything she just heard. Suddenly, she smiled and chuckled.
"Hold on. Is it me or did you admit you crushed on me? You still do or?"
"I-Is that all you got from everything I just said?"
Jab almost spilled his drink as he was startled. Alcohol alone cannot explain the blush on his cheeks. The Commander smiled gently as the soldier was trying to build himself an alibi.
"Plus i-its not like that! And well... Well, what's wrong with that anyway, hun!? Anyways, I know this isn't mutual, so. I'm over it anyways."
"Are you reall-"
"ANYWAYS! It doesn't matter. Point is, my motives are pretty straightforward. You saved me, so I'm saving you now. You're a good person. Don't trade it away for strength you don't need. You are strong, you just need to believe it yourself."
"Hmm."
Quietness seeped out once again. Jab finished his drink, his sips being the only thing keeping them tied to the present time, away from their thoughts. Blue stood out of her stool.
"I guess it wasn't a waste of time listening to you."
"Yeah, right."
The Normie turned around and walked away. She paused briefly before leaving.
"Thank you."
Jab's breath skipped a beat. He felt that one. He smiled profoundly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Still holdin' on kiddo?"
"Yeah."
Forge always has been wary of my implications with The Lab. No matter what I do or say, I can never shake off his worries. I don't know why he cares so much for me. Maybe he's just that kind of person. Or maybe he's just worrying because of his daughters. Which is fair.
"The Trials, hun? Damn, kid. These ain't no joke, hope ya know that."
"You know about them?"
"Nothin' much. Heard they were just a big ol' scam. Nobody's actually pass 'em."
I wonder if that's true. But if it is, what's the point then? Why make us do them? Wouldn't it be just a waste of time and logistics? I wonder what Doc is thinking. And also...
"Do you know what they are like?"
"Like I said, I don't know much."
"Do you know if they include killing a Hollow?"
"Ain't safe from anything, man. Who knows."
He's not aware, but I am. They are holding a Hollow captive within the walls of the Lab. I saw it when I initially woke up and I can't get it out of my head. Why would they keep him inside? It just goes against the whole point of keeping the inside of the Lab protected. That's why I'm worried it may have to do with the Trials. Maybe we will have to kill it. But, can we? Can I? I can't picture myself besting that thing. But I guess that would be the whole point. If we can't kill that monster while it's alone and contained, there's no way we would survive out there acting as Soldiers. Maybe I'm overthinking all of this. Maybe that Hollow is just there so they can run tests on it. That's probably just it. I hope so.
"You listenin' kid? I'm sayin' ya should get some rest. Don't go underestimatin' Doc now."
"Oh. Yeah, I will."
Everybody else is probably fast asleep by now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Come on! How long has it been since you last did it? Please, I think we all need it. Even you."
"Hmmmmmm."
The young lady is hesitant, her fingers uncontrollably rubbing the white markings covering her dark skin. Her friends have been begging her to pick up her instrument. She has been neglecting it, and she knows it.
"Come on, it used to be our little routine. You can always put us in a good mood when you touch that thing. And I know you feel better too."
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."
She doesn't know why she won't. She really wants to. But she has that feeling, that stubbornness, that spite. She doesn't know where it comes from, but she hates it. All the stress and all the anxiety have built up into internal turmoil. This uneasiness is creeping its way into her life unnoticed, pushing her to unconsciously isolate herself from what she enjoys the most.
But even then, she can't resist anymore. She always saw it as a cure for her friends' hardships; a spiritual sebum to their sorrows. She never perceived her music as a self-treatment, a way to heal her own wounds. But it is.
She picked up her wooden instrument. She looked at the worn-out strings and the chipped-out frame before bringing it close to her core. She let her fingers slide on the strings ever slightly, producing a quiet whistle. All her friends immediately felt the room grow warmer. The four of them made sure to be comfortable in their bed, leaving all their attention to the performer. Spike readied her instrument and played them a song.
They love to hear the sounds of the strings, the sound of music, all so new to them. But what truly gives them shivers is her singing voice. She gracefully sings the lyrics of a song long forgotten, a song no one knows the meaning of. But it doesn't matter that they do not comprehend music. They love it. That's good enough for them, and her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Soldiers. This will be your final step before becoming a fully active member of the Foundation. These Trials will mark the end of your teaching. You have trained for this moment. The Trials are a chance for you to prove your worth. It will also be another opportunity for you to improve your teamwork, as you will work with a partner. All the Trials will take place in this immense cube of indestructible glass, another infrastructure the Coliseum can host. I will not waste any more time. We will start these Trials immediately. Good luck, Soldiers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#1
Blue's Trial
Bang & Jab
Rules
Examinees have a limited time to beat their opponents. A knockdown, total immobilization or a verbal forfeit will earn them the win. Examinees are not limited in their strategies, they are allowed to do what they want to achieve a win. If the Examiner is not defeated in the limited time, the Examinees fail.
"Isn't this familiar? It's just like when you guys were training with me."
"Yeah. But this time though, we will beat you."
"I'm pretty sure you said something along those lines last time too, Jab. And yet, you never did beat me. Why would it be different now?"
"Talk all you want, Blue, you'll see. And I mean, you personally trained me, didn't you?"
"Don't disappoint me then."
The two Soldiers were standing next to each other on one side of this transparent arena, Blue standing straight on the opposite side. All the Soldiers and Commanders are sitting in the Coliseum's stands, observing.
"Hey, Bang. It's just a random thought, but since the test is about beating her on time, I think she will try to just run around until the time runs out. So I think we should take our time and cover as much ground as possible until we can corner her. You think that works for you?"
"Sounds good to me. Just don't go and lose your cool. We have time. Plus, you might not know this but, I'm strong."
They had a plan. Or so they thought. As soon as the signal rang, Blue leaped off her feet. She wasn't running away; she was running directly at them.
Jab barely had time to dodge the knee coming right for his jaw. His eyes, wide open, perceived a glimpse of Blue's face: she was grinning. Bang could see the attack from the sideline, allowing her to position herself accordingly. Blue was careless, she didn't know Bang all that much. But Bang is not arrogant and full of herself. When she said she was strong, she meant it.
Waiting for The Commander at her landing was a clenched fist, fully charged. All Bang had to do was use her power in her joints to unleash it like a piston. The Normie could foresee broken ribs if that attack landed.
These kids grew stronger, fast.
Blue athletically dodged the cannon-like punch while still suspended in the air. She took the opportunity to use Bang's body to propel herself farther away from the two Soldiers. Jab quickly caught up to her and started exchanging blows with The Commander. Though more wary than before about letting his left side open because of his severed limb, he was still getting beat up. Bang used her knees and ankles to shoot herself at her rival. Now two against one, it was harder for the blue-hair combattant to keep up. She even felt her headset almost slip off her head.
This isn't good.
Blue ducked under Jab's deadly punch before closing in on Bang. Bang put up her guard, but Blue used the young soldier's thigh as a footing and jumped off of her. She used that momentum to throw a flip kick at the one-armed soldier, which he swiftly blocked to her surprise. He turned around quickly and tried to hit her with the back of his fist, but all it did was create a strong gust of wind. The Normie effectively slipped away.
I thought I could play with them, but it looks like it's too risky to stay close to the-
Her natural instinct kicked in. Jab's eyes glowed green. It was locked on her. He lowered and widened his stance as his teammate ran in front of him. His only fist overflowed with aura as he cranked it back. Blue didn't know what was coming, but she started moving around the cube. No matter how fast she was, Jab's iris was never losing her. Bang's right knee and ankle, along with her right elbow and shoulder, could be seen covered in an orange fog. She jumped in the air, her back facing Jab. He caught the sole of her shoe and used all his strength to push her forward. She readied herself and jumped at the exact moment Jab's throw reached its full momentum. With their power combined, she was launched at a speed that made the spectators move to the edge of their seats. She teleported.
Blue didn't even blink that Bang's knuckles were already sinking in her stomach. Out of pure survival instinct, Blue absorbed the blow, while redirecting it as much as she could, throwing her assailant right into the glass wall behind her. Only then did the thunderclap of the attack resonate. Even if The Commander was able to avoid a lethal blow, she still took serious damage.
Damn it! These guys ar-
She did not have time to think; Jab sprinted towards her. She immediately tried to leap out of the way, but she felt her sides being crushed under brutal force. Bang was already up and was pinning her down from behind. Blue scoffed.
"If you guys think I will be done over by some kids."
The Normie's muscles almost doubled in size as she flexed out of the Soldier's grip. She then used her as a footstool to charge directly at Jab, still rushing towards her. She armed her knee, but the drunkster had just enough time to block it. That wasn't enough to stop her. In a fraction of a second, she disappeared in mid-air just to reappear next to him, throwing a heavy kick in his ribs. The impact threw him away like a ragdoll as the force caved his ribs in. The young man was able to catch himself up and stayed on his two feet as he was sliding on the floor from the power of the attack.
Blue wasted no time and blitzed him. He immediately put his guard up as she was advancing with her rapid footwork. Watching her stance, he was sure she was going to punch him. But at the very last instant, The Commander expertly shifted stance and technique to grapple him. She had him completely locked and stuck to her in a split second. Jab's mind froze as he felt his body lift up the ground. He looked over to his accomplice with a helpless eye, but she was too far. Blue's kick and speed brought them too far from her to catch up. All Jab could do was close his eye as he was violently slammed on the rock-hard ground with barbarian strength.
Bang stopped her approach for a slight moment as she watched her comrade getting knocked out cold. But she immediately picked up the pace as she realized it was the perfect moment to strike. Blue was on the ground and her back turned away. It was the ideal opportunity. However, she had failed to realize she let her guard down at this very moment, now giving Blue the perfect opening she was waiting for. Before Bang could land a hit, Blue graciously spun her leg around to land a roaring spin kick on the young woman's jaw with acute precision. Yet another example of her complete mastery of martial arts.
With the both of them passed out on the floor for the remaining time, they had failed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#2
Rowdy's Trial
Butcher & Morph
Rules
The Examinees and the Examiner will take turns to attack. On the audio signal, the roles switch. The attacker becomes the defender and vice versa. When defending, the Examiner and Examinees are forbidden to fight back or run away. They must stay immobile. There is no time limit and no definite number of rounds. The two sides will go back and forth until one side cannot fight back. If the Examinees are physically unable to land a hit on the Examiner during the time allowed for their attack turn, they fail. If the Examiner is physically unable to land a hit on either the Examinees during the time allowed for their attack, the Examinees win.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What kind of test is that?"
Butcher and Morph were flabbergasted.
"You really sure about this, man?"
Rowdy laughed.
"Sounds easy right? You guys will even start attacking."
Morph kept to herself, but she was suspicious. This sounds too easy. Her comrade could tell she was nervous.
"Hey. Don't overthink it. We just need to make sure he can't stand back up. And even then, if only you or I cannot stand back up, we still have a shot. But if he does, he's finished."
The soldiers felt confident. But strangely, their ever-growing confidence seems to have no effect on The Junkie's grin. Beer in hand, he awaits his beating with impatience. The signal rang, and the duo wasted no time.
Butcher was the first to arrive next to The Commander, greeting him with hard knuckles crushing his nose. He followed through with the weight of his punch to send Rowdy flying inside the glass cube until his body violently crashed into the transparent wall. Before Rowdy could fall to the ground, a strong palm covered his face; Butcher's grip strength crushed The Junkie's bleeding face. With pure brawn, he lifted him up and swung him in the air.
"MORPH!"
Butcher used his whole body to throw The Commander towards his partner. In the other corner of the arena, Morph readied herself. She dropped on all four and started running rapidly towards the flying ragdoll coming her way. At the last instant, she leaped off the ground and used all her momentum to lariat-kick her enemy right in the sternum. Her face got splashed with Rowdy's blood and spit; she effectively damaged him. Still holding on to his can, The Junkie falls to the ground, failing to breathe correctly. Coming down from her free fall, Morph was ready to pounce back on her prey. However, she stopped in her tracks. The hair on her body stood up as her pupils sharpened. She immediately jumped back. She felt an attack incoming. Suspended above everyone, Butcher was charging an attack. Focusing all his strength on his punch, his left arm and fist were shrouded in a red aura. Using all his muscle power and the force of his fall, he landed a powerful punch directly in Rowdy's stomach. The hit forced blood gushing out of The Commander's gaping mouth. Before they could follow up with any other lethal blow, the bell rang. The two Examinees walked back to their beginning spot, leaving behind a half corpse.
Butcher and Morph were stretching and catching their breath as Rowdy was struggling to stay alive. To win, he must at least land a singular attack on either one of the Examinees. For now, it doesn't look good.
Fuck.
Rowdy painfully turned on his stomach and fought his way up. Now standing, his hand holding his stomach, he slowly wobbled his way to the Soldiers. With a gory face, he left a trail of blood on the ground as he caught up with his rivals. Butcher laughed.
"You're fucking done. Even if you do hit us, just wait until it's our turn again. We'll fucking end you."
Switching his beer to his left hand, he freed his right to land a pathetic hook on Butcher's jaw. No damage was dealt whatsoever. But according to the rules, he did land a hit. The Trial goes on. Too weak to do anything, his turn ended. The signal was heard. Time for round two.
In the seats of the Coliseum, the Soldiers were getting restless.
"What is this?"
"What is he thinking?"
"He just gave them the win."
On the other side, The Commanders were quiet and undisturbed. Jab was angry.
"What kind of bullshit is this? Why do they get a free win? If only that was my Trial, I would've won too. This is ridiculous!"
Blue, the only Commander mixed with the Soldiers instead of her comrades, clarified the situation.
"They aren't going to win. They lost."
Jab and his friends were confused.
"What are you talking about?"
They looked at her with baffled looks. The Normie was looking straight ahead, all she did was indicate them with a subtle head movement to keep watching. In the arena, the Soldiers kept the same strategy. Butcher fortified the muscle fibers in his upper body and threw a punch right through Rowdy's bruised face. The Junkie slid backward, his back arched from the hit. However, he stayed up. The Examinees froze for a moment.
"What?"
Morph ran low above the floor over to Rowdy's right side, launching a hard kick in The Commander's ribs. To her surprise, it hardly sunk in and Rowdy barely moved. Curiously, his white shirt seemed fuller, the fabric stretched to the utmost. For the following time remaining, the two Examinees gave everything they had to clubber The Junkie with waves of blows, with barely any effect. Out of breath, the time is out. It's now time for Rowdy to strike back.
The Commander squatted down and charged up his energy, his roaring aura blasting his shirt open. He calmly opened his beer and poured it on his head, his tongue out. The bubbly liquid washed down the blood covering his face. He shook his head and ran his fingers in his long wet hair. He looked up at them with a menacing look.
"You guys are fucked."
Leaving behind him a trail of aura, he was already closed in on Butcher. His knuckles almost touching the ground, Rowdy used the huge reach and momentum of his movement to throw a heavy uppercut on Butcher's chin, knocking him out before he could even see him. Morph was mortified. She had no idea where that strength came from, let alone his new resilience.
Rowdy's ability works very differently than his associates. At base form, he's powerless. He can not call upon his power at will. His capacity resides in adrenaline. To unleash his full might, he needs to be put under extreme stress. The bigger the stress, the more powerful he gets. Though his Trial appears to be a dead wish to the untrained eye, it is merely a key to unbinding his sleeping potential. High risk, high reward. And with the beating he just received, the payback is immense.
Rowdy dashed to Morph. He bulked up and used his new energy to violently crash his knee into her liver. Her heart pulsating in her brain, she's barely holding to consciousness. With his knee still piercing her organs, he brought his hands together above her head. Fingers crossed together into a hard hammer, he pummeled the back of her skull with full force, blacking out her conscience instantly.
Failing to wake up for the remaining time, they were unable to land a hit. The Examinees failed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#3
Ace's Trial
Bass & Blister
Rules
The Examinees and the Examiner must stay put in their given place. The Examinees must dodge the Examiner's attack. If the Examinees are able to successfully avoid the attack, they pass. If they aren't able to fully dodge the Examiner's attack, they fail.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Alright you guys, I won't be taking too much of your time. As I explained earlier, you just need to dodge my attack. It's that simple. Hey, I'll even tell you what I'm gonna do before I do it, so."
The Illusionist sunk her slender hands in the pockets of her high-waist black pants.
"You sure you want to do that? If you underestimate us we might just win, you know?"
Blister lightheartedly joked. Ace smiled before pulling out two coins.
"I'll be using those."
Said the blonde Commander. She was holding the pieces between her indexes and middle fingers. She then skillfully made them run across her fingers before flicking them in the air. She took the time to rightfully replace her tie around the white collar of her shirt before catching the falling coins.
"See? I'll just shoot them at you, and all you have to do is dodge them."
"Didn't you say you wouldn't waste too much of our time? Go on already."
Ace closed her eyes gently. She scoffed and slightly looked down. She quickly flicked her coins back in the air. The Commander looked back up at them while holding her suspenders.
"As you wish. Keep your eyes on the coins. Don't lose them."
As the golden coins reached her hands once again, they immediately disappeared. Bass and Blister flinched, before looking at each other, lost in confusion.
"What the fu-"
Before they could express their shock vocally, pain ran through their faces. Blood quickly splashed off as a scratch appeared on their cheeks. They quickly turned around, just to see two shiny spinning pieces on the ground further away. They looked back at the Commander with bewildered eyes, only to see the Illusionist gracefully bow; a true performer.
"How did you do that?"
Blister couldn't accept her loss, not when she couldn't even see it coming.
"Well you see, it's simple really. You know how I did it. Like I told you guys, I shot them at you. It was just too fast for your eyes to follow. Don't take it personally, no one could have dodged that, not even among the Commanders. Well, there is actually someone who would have dodged it easily: The Knight. But he's a Pioneer, those guys are unfairly strong so, don't worry too much about it."
After sustaining physical damage from the Examiner's attack, the Examinees had failed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What even are these Trials? Nobody passes. At this rate, everyone will fail. What is even their point? Why are they making us do them if they just intend to fail us anyway? It doesn't seem they will make us kill that Hollow, though. I guess that's good. But what is Doc thinking? I mean, at this point, I don't even feel like actually trying on my turn. Or maybe this is the goal? Seeing if we will fight a losing battle or just give up. Maybe Blue knows?
"Hey Blue, is there a way for any of us to actually win these Trials?"
"Huh? I mean, I'm not so sure. Akuma, was it?"
"Hm."
"Well, The Trials rarely take place. I haven't done this before, and I'm still kinda new to The Foundation as a whole. I don't think I should be telling you guys this but, fuck it. All I know is that our orders were to make it impossible for you guys to win."
So Forge was right after all.
"So then it is impossible, how stupid."
Even Jab is interested in knowing.
"Not really. There's always the chance that a Soldier surprises us and actually passes the Trial."
"But that's assuming we have the strength to beat a Commander. Do you see that ever happening?"
That's exactly what I was gonna ask.
"Nope. That is never ever going to happen."
"Right. So it is pointless. Great."
"Not pointless."
I wonder what Savvy means by that.
"I mean, um.. this is only a thought like that.. but watching the Trials, it made me think. And like, I thought that maybe the goal was actually for us to lose? I think it's because of what Doc and some of the Commanders have been saying. You know... Doc has been praising us about how we are an exceptional wave of rookies, and so, um.. Some of us grew pretty confident. That's why some of The Commanders think we're pretty, um... Cocky…?"
"Ah. Damn right about that."
I could hear the exasperation in her voice.
"Right... So um... That's what I mean by that. I think it's kinda to humble us a little bit.."
"That's why I like you, young lady. You've always been so quick-witted."
I swear Doc always shows up out of nowhere.
"For fucks sake."
I am convinced Jab didn't even try to not be heard.
"I see that you are having quite the conversation here, Blue."
"Sorry Sir, I didn't mean t-"
"Enough. You should know better than this. Why are you even hanging out with them? Go stand by your peers."
"Yes Sir. I'll catch you later, Smiley."
"Bye bye!"
How could Doc even tell what we were saying? Jab just stood up. I wonder what he's thinking.
"Where are you going, young man?"
"I'm leaving."
"No, you are not. Sit."
Now he's right in Doc's face. Everybody is looking our way. Jab is staring at him right in the eyes. Doc is pointing to his forehead with the same sign he did when he killed that nurse in front of us. Don't tell me he's planning to kill him now. It has to be a bluff.
"I have had enough of you doing as you please. You hurt my reputation and my authority. So now, you will listen to me."
"Or what? You're going to kill me? There's no fucking way you have the guts to do that."
"Really? What makes you so confident that you are betting your life on it?"
"Look around you. Just us Soldiers alone are enough to overtake you and your men. But even then, all the Commanders are here. Don't you see them staring at you? You see us, Outsiders, as a disease, as a weakness. But I see it as a strength. And it's something you will never be able to take away from us: we are all Outsiders. Go ahead, kill an Outsider in a room full of them. Let's see what happens."
"You're pathetic. You've grown delusional. Solidarity? Don't make me laugh. You Outsiders lose any trace of unity as soon as you enter my walls. Look at them carefully, kid. You may think you are still all Outsiders, if that makes you happy. But the reality of things is, you are worlds apart from them. Camaraderie decays when the appetite for luxury and comfort takes over. Egoism and vanity replace any trace of fellowship. You think they would throw away their fortune for you? Their secured lives? Their privileges? All that just to avenge the trivial death of a puny Soldier? You'd really bet your life on that?"
Rare for Jab to have no comebacks. He's nervously looking around and down.
"Right. Now, sit down."
He really was able to make Jab listen. He's now sulking in his seat. I guess that really shows how scary he can be.
"Now, to answer your question, Akuma. Your friend was right. These Trials serve to show the gap between you and experienced soldiers. But it also serves to remind you that this isn't a game. Whereas now it's all about winning and losing, the reality of it is more gruesome. It's about life or death. It is not about vanquishing your enemy. It is about utterly slaying any menace threatening your life and those of others. It is teaching you to be conscious; you are yet to beat a human so how could you even beat a Hollow? After your Trials, you will all realize the severity of the task at hand. You will become more cautious. So for now, have fun with these Trials, for it will be your last time fighting humans before you face the real deal. Hollows. And trust me, kids, you won't be feeling as pretentious then. I'll make sure of it."