"Alright, good morning everyone. My name is Cora, and I will be leading you in today's hand-to-hand combat training." Cora announced in front of the new line of cadets that joined the security team.
"Yes Ma'am!"
"Before we begin, we have two new people that will be observing and joining us. They are your superiors and will be treated as such. Am I understood?" Cora shouted.
"Yes Ma'am!"
"Alright, this is Special Agent Frost and Special Agent Hedix." Cora turned around and introduced the boys, who stood right behind her.
Frost let out a big yawn and waved to the cadets, Hedix nodded his head. Both boys were not awake since it had been about seven-thirty in the morning and neither of them have had their coffee, which was a normal routine back at the Denver station, so functioning without it was nearly impossible.
"Special Agents. You can just stand and watch if you want. I know you guys are tired." Cora suggested.
"Good, because I have coffee for you both." A female voice approached from behind them.
The boys turn around to see Ally and Markel making their way towards them; Ally holding two mugs and Markel sipping coffee from his own. What the boys also saw was everyone in the security wing had stopped and rendered a salute in Markel's direction.
"What the hell?" Frost questioned. "He isn't that important."
"I am. Since I own the building and you basically work for me." Markel cruelly grinned.
"Fuck." Frost whispered displeasingly.
"Continue." Markel shouted to everyone, returning them to their training.
"Have you guys adjusted yet?" Ally asked and handed Frost and Markel the coffee mugs.
"Yeah, a little bit. It'd be nice to get coffee every morning though." Frost looked at Ally in a hinting way.
"Then make it your damn self." Ally teased.
"Then what's this for?" Hedix questioned.
"Visiting coffee. Just to see how you guys are doing and if Cora kicked your asses yet."
"Not yet. We're just watching right now." Hedix took a sip from his coffee.
Frost investigated the mug and smelt the aroma, then took a sip. "This is really good. Not to bitter, not to sweet. You know me so well." Frost smiled at Ally.
Ally rolled her eyes and looked around the area. "It's been a while since I've been down here. I kind of miss it."
"You don't train down here?" Hedix asked.
"I don't need to; I help in the medical wing now. Plus, I can kick your asses with my hands tied behind my back." Ally gloated.
"Bet!" Frost exclaimed. "I challenge you."
Ally glared at Frost. "You sure you want to do this?"
"I like the sound of this. Let's make a wager on this fight." Markel interrupted. "Frost, if my sister beats you to a bloody pulp, you have to do whatever I say and when I say it for a whole day. If you manage to beat my sister, I'll do whatever you say. Deal?" Markel smiled.
Frost grinned evilly "Deal. When do we start?"
"Right now." Cora smiled and grabbed the intercom for the whole building. "Attention, E.P. Labs. Out in the training yard for the security force, there will be a battle between our newest Special Agent Mr. Frost Rosado, and our very own former lead of the security combat wing, Ally Rose. If you are available, please make you way down to training ground three." Cora hung up the intercom.
"Former lead of the combat wing?!" Frost looked at Ally in shock.
"You never asked, did you? You just assumed. I'll meet you out there." Ally waved and made her way to the field.
"What the hell! Oh well, if I die, I'll die happy. She is pretty after all." Frost smiled.
"Don't touch my sister." Markel spoke up.
"I don't have to listen to you right now. Ally didn't win yet." Frost moved his head with attitude.
"But I am still the owner of this building, so you'll have to listen to me whether you win or lose." Markel sang teasingly as he walked away.
Frost glared at Markel's back. "Oh, I hope I win. So, I can make you lick my shoe." Frost grumbled under his breath and slowly made his way out.
Hedix followed Frost and opened the doors that lead outside. Sun light poured in and temporarily blinded the boys. Adjusting and shielding their eyes, the training ground came into a clear view. Miles and miles of bright green grass, with a select few areas blocked off by gates. Some areas were covered with dirt and had a cover over head. Looking forward the boys saw a grey stone wall, about two hundred feet tall in front of them.
"What the hell is that?" Frost questioned with uncertainty.
"That's training ground three. It's a complete stadium." Cora said and walked pasted them, leading the way to the field.
Frost gulped down his nervousness and followed Cora to the field. Cora unlocked a door that led under the stadium. The hallway was dark and was only lite up by three or four dim light bulbs. Turning a corner, Cora stopped in front of a gate that looked out and up towards the entire inside of the stadium. Frost and Hedix were in awe at the amount of people who were already crowding the bleachers. Practically everyone from inside E.P. Labs were taking their seats, getting ready for the show.
"Do these kinds of things happen a lot?" Hedix asked looking towards Cora.
"Of course. Why do you think we have a stadium?" Cora laughed. "Alright, Frost. You stay here, Hedix and me will go up top and get situated. I will be announcing you and Ally and the rules of the challenge. Make sure you listen carefully. When I finish announcing the rules, you may choose between the options I give you. I will give you a time limit to decide and when that time limit is up the gate here in front of you will open and I will call both fighters to the middle of the arena. There, I will make my way off the field and then I will start the battle by saying 'Fight'. Got it?"
Frost nodded and looked out of the gate. His nervousness was starting to take over, but he had to change his mood awfully quick when Cora and Hedix made their way up top. The people in the stands had made themselves comfortable and within minutes Cora had walked out in the middle of the grass with a microphone in hand.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to a long-awaited battle. I will now announce the rules of this fight. We have two different races fighting here in the arena, so the rules are going to be a little different. First, each fighter may choose to fight with or without a weapon of their choosing. Second, each fighter, if they can transform, they may do so, but they must do it now and not in the ring later. Upon their transformation, if they do transform now, they can transform back when in the middle of the fight. Third rule, this battle will be a fight until either one of the fighters is knocked completely out of the stadium or rendered unconscious, they can use any means necessary to complete this battle. I will be back within two minutes to call the fighters to the stage." Cora put the mic down and patiently waited. Frost was stuck in a difficult situation; does he transform or no? weapon or no weapon? What was Ally going to do? Could she transform? Two minutes had gone by too fast, but Frost had made up his mind. Breathing slowly, Frost stood strong and ready for Cora to call them out.
"Alright. To my left, we have Miss. Ally Rose. Former lead of the combat wing in the security force."
Ally walked out confidently. She had on her battle outfit that consisted of black boots that were up to her mid-calf. Fish net leggings, black spandex shorts, a white bandage that was wrapped around her chest and plumped up her breasts. Her short black hair was up in a short ponytail and a long thin scarf was tied around her neck and the rest hung down behind her, tying her hands together, just like what she said. Frost stood there amazed and dumb founded, she looked amazing and terrifying.
"To my right we have Mr. Frost Rosado. One of our newest Special Agents in the Security force."
Frost let out a breath as the gate in front of him rose. He stepped forward with white boots that were also mid-calf and had ice blue trim and laces, white pants with the same color trim on the front and a silver guard on his upper left thigh. His over coat was ice blue with silver plates on his shoulders and silver cuffs on his wrists. Frost strapped up his ice blue gloves as he stopped in front of Ally, who smiled at him and nodded. Cora smiled and began to leave the field. Ally and Frost stood face to face, as tension began to rise in the stadium. Cora had found her way into the referee's box and pressed a button that activated shatter proof glass that rose from the barrier blocks that were in front of the bleachers to protect the audience from any flying debris. As the glass finished rising and was locked into place. Cora suddenly came over the mic.
"Fight!"
At those words, Frost sent out the first few punches. Ally was dodging each punch and backing up with speed. Frost suddenly swung one foot low, trying to trip Ally but was suddenly kicked to the side of his face and set flying up against one of the glass barriers. Ally landed on her feet with her hands still tied behind her. As the glass shook from his impact, Frost slid down and hit the floor with force. Frost looked up; Ally was standing there patiently waiting for him to recover. Wiping the blood away from his lip and nose, Frost glared as he made his way to his feet. Frost smiled evilly and suddenly disappeared in a flash of blue light. Ally looked around and had no visual on him, but within minutes there was a cold sensation, and she was suddenly frozen to the ground from her knees down. Frost then appeared in front of Ally and stared into her eyes. Forming ice spears above her, and then letting them rain down. Ally's face made a pained look as the spears pierced her skin and melted within her.
"Those spears are meant to freeze you from the inside as soon as they pierced you. You give up yet?" Frost asked as though he had already won.
Ally smiled as her lips turned white. "Not even close." she whispered as the ice that was holding her to the ground began to melt.
"How are you doing that?!" Frost exclaimed, as he witnessed his ice melting.
Ally grinned, and with a flash of blue from her eyes, Frost was paralyzed. The ice from her feet was completely melted and soon both Ally and Frost were floating up into the sky. Everyone in the crowd began to cheer and scream, the whole stadium was vibrating.
"This is where I end you" Ally smiled and suddenly Frost began to scream in agony. "I can hear your heart beating Frost. Faster and Faster and Faster the louder your screaming gets. The pain and the agony, the burning feeling in your gut, do you know what that is?" Ally circled around him, still smiling with her eyes glowing blue. "Those are your organs heating up to a boiling point. But since the rules of this challenge was that I could only make you faint, I'll let you off easy." Ally smiled and said, "Cool down." As she uttered those words, Frosts screaming became silent and Ally let his limp body gently float to the ground.
"Are you done?" Ally asked and floated down next to him, looking at his face as he laid there almost lifeless. As soon as her guard was down Frost was back up and grabbing ahold of Ally's throat, squeezing with all of his strength.
"Nope. If I'm going down, then you're going down with me." Frost spoke softly as he was fighting from passing out. Ally was in a difficult spot now as Frost's grip became tighter and tighter. Ally's face was going pale, but before she was about to passed out, she had uttered the words.
"Fine. Ignition."
Before everyone's eyes, a bang echoed through the whole stadium and a fire was set ablaze right where Frost and Ally were laying. Everyone in the crowd went silent, and only the crackle of the flames could be heard. Suddenly from the observer's box Markel had grabbed the mic and screamed.
"Medic!"
The whole stadium was in a state of worry when the medics they had on stand-by rushed out and began to put the fire out and tend to the injured. Markel had jumped out of the observer's box and flew down to his sisters' side. Ally and Frost had both been knocked out. Frost had been severely burned from his head to his feet and Ally had been strangled to the point of her passing out. Both were severely injured with gashes and a mixture of both of their blood on each other. Markel kneeled beside Ally and looked at the mark around her neck. Markel clenched his fist, but he had no time to be pissed off, he had to take care of his sister. Hedix ran to Frosts side to make sure he was ok, and Cora had made her way down as well. With the microphone in her hand, she began to announce. "Both fighters have been knocked unconscious. This will be rendered a tie. Please everyone, keep your silence until one of them comes to." Cora said and put the mic down. "What's the status?" Cora asked the medic who was in charge.
"Both are completely beaten up. Ally's insides are half frozen and Frost has 3rd degree burn on 85 percent of his body as well as internally. We'll have to take them to the infirmary to properly help them. I suggest you tell everyone to exit the stadium." The lead medic informed Cora.
Cora nodded and put the mic up to her mouth. "Everyone, please make your way out of the stadium. Our fighters are severely injured and need to be taken to the hospital wing. Thank you so much for coming to today's fight." Cora turned the mic off and started to help in any way she could.
****
Hours later in the infirmary, Ally had come to and sat quietly in her bed. A knock at her door had ruined her silence. "Coming in. It's Markel." Markel announced and opened the door. Ally was sitting up, drinking hot chicken broth to coat her throat. She went to speak but Markel raised his hand to stop her.
"Don't talk, just drink. I came to see how you were doing. You look better." Markel smiled and sat down next to her.
Ally smiled and nodded. "How's…Frost?" Ally choked.
"I told you not to talk. Here." Markel grabbed a pen and a note pad and handed it to her. "Write on this until your voice comes back and Frost is fine. The medical team is healing his burns. You really fried him. Like a chicken. I haven't seen fire like that since we were kids." Markel laughed. "But I will kill him for leaving a mark on your throat."
Ally rolled her eyes and began to write on the pad.
- "It was a fight; he was supposed to leave marks" –
Markel rolled his eyes. "Not like that. Not like he was an abusive husband or something."
Ally wrote. – "Brother, I'm fine. Who won the fight?" –
"Cora called it a tie." Markel said.
- "Dammit." – Ally grimaced and then placed the paper down.
The room had got silent again, but not for long when Analise and Ely had walked in the door carrying flowers and some of Ally's favorite candies. "Ally! You're awake. Thank goodness." Analise smiled and placed the flowers on the table next to the window.
"Yeah that fight was brutal, but it was awesome. We brought chocolate for you. It should help coat your throat a little." Ely said and placed the chocolates on the table next to Ally.
Ally quickly grabbed and opened the box of chocolate and began to eat them.
"So, Frost is awake now. The medics said he should be good to walk around here in a few." Ely said.
"Good, now I can really kill him." Markel snarled.
Suddenly. "You aren't killing no one."
Everyone looked towards the doorway to see Frost standing there with one crutch under his arm, and half of his body wrapped up in bandages.
"Damn dude, don't you know the meaning of rest?" Ely stood up and helped Frost into Ally's room.
"No, I don't. Plus, I wanted to see how Ally was doing? I know I put a really bad mark on her." Frost said and sat down across from her.
"Yeah, you did. I should kill you for it, but I won't." Markel said. "Oh, and the bet is off. Since you both kicked each other's asses."
"Damn I was looking forward to you licking the bottom of my shoe." Frost laughed.
Ally smiled and everyone in the room had smiles come across their faces as well. The room filled with their laughter and conversation, making the healing process for both Ally and Frost go by a lot quicker.
****
The day had turned into evening as the morning sun began to come down from its' high position in the sky. Ally was left alone to relax, and Frost had been in his room relaxing as well. Hedix had went with Cora to do some hand-to-hand training, Markel was doing his own thing in his office and Analise and Ely were doing some testing on different types of medicines, poisons and their cures, and different types of gasses. Ely and Analise were working side by side in the lab Analise supervised. Ely was working one of the two computer systems that worked in the entire building. The systems were still down with the same virus that had infected them a while back. The same green light and black screen were still on every T.V screen and computer. Ely typed away and looked at the results from their latest test, when suddenly an email popped up in the corner of the computer screen.
"Um, Analise an email came through." Ely said, looking over the computer screen.
Analise walked over to Ely's side. "Who's it from?"
Ely shrugged and clicked on the pop up. The email loaded and showed the email address. "From an A. King." Ely said.
"Who's that?" Analise questioned.
Ely shrugged and opened the email and began to read it out loud. "To whom it may concern. I am requesting to transfer one of my personnel to come and gather information about different types of medicine and their purposes."
"That's all it says?" Analise questioned.
Ely nodded. "Should we run this by Markel?"
"Yeah. Let me call him down here first." Analise said and got Markel on the phone. Within minutes Markel was walking through the lab door.
"What's going on?" Markel voiced as he came up behind Ely.
"We got an email. It seemed kind of weird but, the person is requesting that someone come down here and study from us." Ely informed.
Markel raised an eyebrow with suspicion and looked at the email. "And this is all that it said?"
"Yeah, nothing else is in the email." Ely looked at Markel.
Markel looked at the email again. He then began to type a response.
- "My name is Markel. I am the lead supervisor and owner of this lab. If you want me to grant you permission, I'm going to need a little more information from you."
- 'click' message sent.
Markel waited for a response. Thinking it was going to take while, a follow up message had come up. Markel clicked on the email, but all that was there was an address and a phone number, with 'Call me' below it. Markel looked at Analise. "Hand me the phone." Markel said and pointed in the direction of the phone. Analise handed Markel the phone and he began to dial the number below. The phone rang a couple of times and then someone answered.
"Hello?" a female voice said on the other end.
"Yes, this is Markel from E.P. Labs, I was just talking to you over email." Markel stated.
"Oh, hold on one second please." The line went to a busy tone and then clicked over to another female.
"Is this Markel?" the female asked.
"Yes."
"I'm so sorry about that, my assistant doesn't know how to answer a phone properly. Did you happen to receive an email from us?"
"Yes, but it was lacking information."
The voice went quiet for a moment, then "I'm sorry, I'm new to this kind of thing, I've always used regular mail, a bit old school. But, regarding the email. I have someone who is new to my practice and I was wondering if I could send someone over to study from your medicine team?"
"Where do you work?" Markel asked.
"Out of a small medicine shop from New Orleans. I practice natural medicine from plants and oils, but I wanted to get a technical side of things and gain some new knowledge, that's why I would like to send someone."
"Why not just come yourself?"
"I am quite needed here in my town, basically I'm the only doctor surrounded by beginner nurses, and they need extra training."
Markel went silent. "What's this person's name you want to send?"
"Oryan Vanguard."
Markel had gone silent for a quick moment and had Ely do a quick look up of the person. Ely put his thumbs up for 'all clear'. "Alright, when can I expect him?"
"Now." The female said and then the line had gone dead.
Markel looked at the phone with confusion and suddenly someone was knocking at the door to the lab. The three turned around to see a tall male; about 6'3''. White hair that was shaved on one side and long enough to touch his shoulder on the other and dark green eyes that had a brightness to them. He was wearing an all-white over shirt with a black undershirt, all- white skinny jeans and black boots.
"Who are you?" Markel stood up from the bar stool he was sitting in.
"Oryan. I believe you just got off the phone with my doctor." He said in a low and intimidating tone.
"How did you get here so quickly?" Ely asked puzzled.
"That's not your concern." Oryan looked at Ely with his piercing eyes.
Ely had suddenly felt a wave of nervousness come over him. He gulped down his saliva and looked at Markel.
"It's my business." Markel intervened.
"I got through security. Told them you had been expecting me. They let me in." Oryan smirked quickly.
Markel glared. "Alright then, well, Analise and Ely will be training you while you're here. I'll have someone come by and see that you get a room."
Oryan smiled and watched as Markel left the room. "You haven't changed one bit." He whispered under his breath and then looked at Analise and Ely. "So, you're Analise. Wow you're pretty." Oryan walked around Analise in a circle, while looking up and down.
Analise looked at Ely in an awkward way. "Well, thanks. Should we get started?"
Oryan smirked and nodded. Analise nodded as well and signaled for Oryan and Ely to follow her to another room full of the medicines that were currently in progress. Oryan looked around, scanning the room and getting the layout of everything. His gaze then came across one of the T. V's that were affected by the virus. "You guys having a problem with your T.V?"
Analise looked at Oryan. "Um, yeah. All of our T. V's were affected some time ago. We're having a technical team come out to look at it."
"I can fix it." Oryan smirked.
"Yeah right." Ely spoke. "Everyone in our building that has experience with this stuff couldn't fix it. What makes you think you can?"
Oryan smiled. "Well, I'm not from your building."
Analise giggled and then looked at Ely. "He got you there. I guess he can give it a shot. The power source for all our equipment is down in the basement. I'll call Cross down here so he can take you. We're not aloud down there by ourselves." Analise said and got Cross on the phone.
"Hey guys. What do you need my help with?" Cross said as he appeared in the doorway.
"Cross, Oryan here said he could fix our T.V. and computer problem." Analise grinned.
Cross looked at Oryan and then smiled. "You can try. Follow me." Cross said and walked out of the room. Oryan close behind him and Analise and Ely behind them as well; wanting to see if Oryan can pull it off. Cross led them to the control panel that controlled everything in the building. Oryan walked up to it and looked at the wires and their connections.
"Do you have a computer that can connect to the control panel?" Oryan asked.
"Yeah, but it doesn't work." Cross said and handed him a computer with the same black screen and green dot on it.
Oryan took the computer, already knowing what he needed to do, for he was the one who sabotaged the system in the first place. He then took a wire from the control panel and plugged it into the computer. The computer screen had begun to glitch as the green dot flickered in the center. Oryan typed away at the keys on the computer and brought up a screen with a bunch of different commands. Continuing to click away, Analise, Ely and Cross watched him closely. They looked at each other in shock, for Oryan had got to a part where no one has gotten before. The Computer screen had pulled up an image of the inner workings of the control panel. "Someone tapped into the main line. As you can see there is a wire that doesn't belong in there." Oryan smiled as he played it off.
Cross looked on the screen and saw the error code. "C348TFG?" Cross questioned.
Oryan looked at him, stood up and went to the control panel, stuck his hand inside and unplugged the faulty wire and replaced it with the correct one. Suddenly, every one of the T. V's and computers had come back to life. Above them, they could hear the cheers and excitement from everyone in the building.
"How did you do that?" Ely asked shocked.
"Again, not from your building." Oryan smirked. "Now can we get to training me?"
Analise and Ely looked at each other and nodded. The evening had turned into night as the stars and moon made their appearance in the night sky. Oryan was taking a break on the roof top looking up at the moon with the breeze dancing through the air, moving Oryan's hair ever so slightly. "Good evening." Analise's voice had come from behind him.
Oryan looked back slightly and saw Analise peering at him from the roof top door. "Good Evening."
"Would you like some company?" Analise asked shyly.
"Of course. The more the merrier." Oryan smiled and welcome her.
Analise smiled and walked next to him and looked up at the sky. The atmosphere was peacefully quiet as the two stared at the moon and stars. Analise held a cup full of hot lemon tea in her hand and played with the rim of the cup. "Um." Analise began. Oryan shot a look at her from the corner of his eye. "Thank you for fixing the computers."
Oryan nodded. "My pleasure. It was a simple fix."
"I guess for someone out of our building it was." Analise laughed a little. Oryan smiled and looked back up to the sky. "You like the moon?" Analise asked.
"Yes. It's very calming. The breeze up here is splendid as well." Oryan said.
"Are you stressed about something?" Analise asked, not sure if that was something she should've asked.
Oryan looked at her. "I'm stressed about a lot of things Miss Analise. Nothing you would be able to understand."
"Try me." Analise smiled.
Oryan went silent for a moment, looking at Analise with an unsure purse to his lips. He let out a sigh and looked back to the moon. "I have a lot of family problems. My brother has been in a coma for some time now, and I haven't the slightest clue when he's going to wake up. My wife is dying, and she's the only one who has been monitoring my brother and his health. So, if my wife dies, I'm afraid my brother will to."
Analise looked at Oryan, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm so sorry." Analise said, trying not to cry.
"Please don't cry for me. It's nothing to cry about. I'm used to this sort of thing. If I lose my brother and my wife, I'll having nothing left. I've already lost my whole family." Oryan said.
"Well, if you tell me stuff like this, I'm going to cry." Analise sucked her tears back in and wiped the ones that escaped, off her cheeks.
Oryan smiled. "I'm sorry to have made you cry. But the reason why I'm here is because the doctor thinks that you guys can teach me something that might help my wife and my brother."
"Well then, I better find more stuff that I can teach you. I'll try my hardest, just for you ok." Analise smiled and looked back at the moon.
The two had been silent for a good while, just looking at the sky. The breeze had turned chilly and sent chills up Analise's spine. "Well, I'm going to go to my room now. Did you happen to get a room here yet?"
Oryan nodded. "Yes, I have. Thank you."
Analise nodded and turned to leave when Oryan had grabbed her hand. "You'll help me, right?'
"Of course. Why do you ask?"
"Just making sure. Then I'll be depending on you in the future, Miss Analise Storm."