This idea just came to me today and it was too sweet to pass up! This take places after Operation: PIKMIN, starring the best girl from SAO, as well as a Nextgenner that doesn't appear as much.
The heart. Right shoulder. Forehead. Left knee. The cadet sniper aimed dead center at the targets, whichever body part on which dummy they were marked. A dummy dropped above her—she shot, but was off the mark of the stomach target. One sprung out of the floor, she aimed for the pelvis, but only hit the stomach. …She wondered which worker put the target on the pelvis.
Shino Asada wore a blackish-gray sweater that went with her skirt, stockings, and combat boots. Her hair matched her attire, with bangs tied by braids, and glasses supported her dark eyes, her left closed while her glaring right focused through the scope. The score counter increased with each successful shot, with less points for the imprecise. A decent 11,000 is what awaited her at the end.
Shino marched back to the training hall lobby, giving her eye a well-deserved blink. "Impressive work, Cadet Shino." Marcus Drilovsky nodded. Dark eyes and blonde hair, the Drill Sergeant was a well-toned young man, albeit hiding his muscles under a gray sweatshirt, black gloves, and matching pants with boots.
He was a model of a long-standing operative that he hoped other cadets would aspire to be… if not for him being 4 feet tall. Marcus was a victim of the Great Reduction like many other ops, so while on the verge of fully returning to his 5'8" size, Cadet Shino stood a full foot taller. It was certainly an embarrassing time to join the KND, but on some level, it alleviated Shino's fears. There had been a fair amount of pressure and warnings on joining the crew, but seeing several sectors turn into munchkins only brought her a smile. "You still seem to have trouble with the more 'unexpected' ambushes."
"I tried to hone my Haki with Maddy's help, but I haven't really got it down yet, I guess."
"Well, Haki ain't much good on harmless dummies, anyway. I'll have to bring in some live bait to help you hone it."
"Hahaha!" Shino let out a passive laugh. "Just make sure you get their permission, sir."
"Noted. Well, wanna round up the other cadets with me? We'll be jogging in the snowfield next."
"Are you sure the others are… fit for that?"
"We sized up enough to where it can be a manageable challenge. I still expect you to keep at most 10 paces behind me."
"I'll do my best, sir!"
Marcus was silently thankful to her cordial tone, refraining from any quips about his diminutive situation. Cadets like her were rare nowadays, but her readiness was always welcome. She wasn't an impatient teenager attending some "boring" class, she was a cadet genuinely wanting to train and join the KND. It helped that she already had experience with Sector SA and was privy to the kinds of dangers they face, but Marcus could only hope the danger wouldn't be too much and she would stick with it.
Granted, he could say the same about the other cadets who were involved in the Aincrad or prior incidents, but Shino felt a bit more special to the Drill Sergeant. Maybe it was because she was spared of the Reduction, yet she was still asking Marcus for help with Haki or seeking recognition for her training. As far as non-operative teenagers go, it was hard to find such a respectable girl. Marcus could tell you firsthand that normal teens were much worse than kids in terms of respect.
"So, Instructor Marcus," Shino began amidst their walk, "where would you rank among the strongest operatives? I'm a little curious."
"Well, my last Tattle read me at 4,500."
"Wow, that's high!"
"It's medium, honestly." Marcus sported a modest smile. "By now, tons of operatives outclass me. If you want an example, Maddy's at least 8,000."
"I would think you've been in a ton of battles."
"I don't really go out to the field as much, anymore. I don't really know how to explain it, but… it feels more fun to bring up new heroes than to keep trying to be one."
"What made you decide to quit trying?"
"If you have time to ask questions, you have time for some warm-up jogs."
"Y-Yes, sir!" Shino began to jog alongside him. "Sorry for… asking."
"No harm done."
"Heh heh…hm?" A rather tiny, brownish, gnat-like bug buzzed just by Shino's spectacles. She quickly lost sight of it and would pay it no mind.
It had been when the previous Supreme Leader, Abram Johnson was in the office. Abram was still tied to the old ways of the KND, between good traditions and bad traditions, whereas Marcus went on average, "classical" missions that involved stopping broccoli farms or rescuing kids from Tutoring Prison. Those silly supervillain plots were still seen within the new age, albeit lost among all the heavier crises, and Marcus had no problems with the old-school romp… but it was just the way Abram handled things and working under him that made Marcus feel kind of old. There was a kind of aura exhibited by Cheren and all his colleagues that made Marcus feel he wasn't as special. Now, it did him pride to bring up operatives who were special. Anthony, who was now a top earthbender, Mocha the once-crybaby Amazon, or… that army of clones was kind of debatable. Marcus had seen lots of talent in his years, and in spite of recent events discouraging newbies from trying, he was glad cadets like Shino were still rolling in.
The cadets all gathered in the entry room and made the trek to the elevator that would lift them outside. The younger cadets, such as Kazuma or Lexi, were a little shorter than Marcus due to the aforementioned incident, but while they still had the resolve to become operatives, Shino felt lingering doubt and dissent over a few others. "OW!" Marcus cut the walk short, his painful yelp startling the cadets.
"I-Instructor?" Shino spoke.
"You okay?" Lexi asked.
"My knuckles just cramped… like I punched a wall or something."
"Glad to see the ice is still solid." A voice said from the elevator room.
A teenage boy stepped in, the front bangs and ends of his brown hair spiky. His right eye was covered and he wore a black jumpsuit with skeletal designs. "N…Numbuh 206 Bones?!"
"Hey, Marky. Glad ya still remember me."
"Numbuh?" Kazuma asked. "He's an operative?"
"He used to be…" Marcus heard he had gone on hiatus after the Halloween incident. "What brings you here, Barny? Not here for a refresher course, are-"
"SHUT UP! The heck are you newbies even doing here? You really think joining the KND is gonna get you anywhere?!"
"I smell an emooooo…" Kazuma whispered in a sing-song.
"It's too late for any of you to be heroes! All you'll get are cheap little missions while the REAL operatives get all the big stuff, and the only role you'll get is being a cheap victim for the real villains to bully. No one even cared that I left, no one wanted me back. I still remember when you freakin' trained me to the bone, Marcus, but where did it go? Nowhere. You probably forgot about me until just now."
"Alright, Barny, let it all out of your system. Want me to let you kick my ass?"
"I'll do more than that." Barny punched himself in the eye, Marcus grunting as his left eye was bruised.
"Barny, what did you do?!"
"I hooked up with the Brotherhood is what I did! They gave me the Connect Fruit! I connected myself to you so all my pain goes to you!" He flipped down and bashed his head, the sensation shocking Marcus. "And I don't feel a thing! Your wannabe cadets are gonna watch you turn into a broken mess! See if they'll wanna join THEN!" He flipped for another headbash, but Shino shot a light-purple gum straight at the impact point. The gum inflated into a cushion to thwart his self-harm. "What the-?!"
"Wait, does it work in reverse?" Lexi wondered.
"Let me see." Marcus punched his nose.
"HAH!" Barny sprung up with a smirk. "It's only one way! You just punched yourself, you-"
Shino shot his elbow with an Antikill bullet, then looked as Marcus's grabbed his arm, feeling a numbness. "Darn, it works with that, too."
"Hah!" Barny scoffed at her flop. "And ya know what, maybe I WILL take the refresher course!" His shoes became ice skates with propeller heels, the rogue zooming through a hallway. Shutters would try to block his progress, but it was nothing a rotatable laser rifle couldn't cut through.
"Lexi, let's catch him!" Kazuma said, dashing after the emo. "Maybe if we throw him in chi-blocks, it'll break the connection!"
"I hope so!" Lexi joined.
"Nn!" Marcus winced. "He just bit my finger… How did he even set this up?! Shouldn't he have to touch me first, or shoot a dart in my head, or something?!"
Or… a bug… Shino thought.
"Well, I ain't gonna let a little pain stop me from dishing-"
"Instructor, wait!" Shino held him back from pursuit.
"What's wrong, Shino?"
"I, I was wondering… could I try to check your head with my Haki? A few minutes ago, I thought I saw a really small bug. I'm starting to wonder if it flew inside you."
"Ouch!" His knee was hurt. "Alright, Shino… have a wing at it."
Shino bent down and gazed over Marcus's head. She tried to calm her mind to sense any irregular aura. …There seemed to be a very tiny, faint red dot flickering on and off in the back of the head. "I think there's something right there. It… could be the bug."
"Heh, you can actually see it?"
"Yeah, barely, but what can we do about it?"
"Hey, Shino… what do you think would happen if Barny was hit in the very spot that bug is?"
"You think that would work?"
"I'm willing to take the chance. If not, I ain't afraid of taking some—OAF!" His stomach cramped. "That felt like a laser! Shino, the shooting range, hurry!"
Numbuh 206 Bones was merrily dancing his way through the shooting range, set to "Hostile/Medium" as the practice drones riddled him with lasers that only partially damaged his skin. "Hey, Kazma!" Lexi said as the impish duo dodged the fire. "If he's really gung-ho about this, why doesn't he shoot himself in the head or something? Why not set the lasers higher?"
"Either he wants to enjoy the torture as much as possible, or maybe he couldn't survive any fatal wounds."
Marcus faltered getting to the training hall with the lasers constantly riddling him. "Here, get on my back!" Shino squatted in front and practically nudged him on.
"You realize I'm way too old for—ow."
"You're never too old to get a lift from a friend."
Once in the shooting lobby, they studied the camera to find Barny's dance nearing its completion. He cockily stood with his back against the exit passage, tanking a storm of lasers that side as he moonwalked toward the exit. "Here, maybe THIS'LL test your mettle!" He drew his quadruple laser rotator and fired it with a wider range, Kazuma and Lexi hesitating to go through. "HA HA! Why'd you sign up for this crud, anyway? Thought it would be fun? Thought you'd get a free pass to adventure?" The exit door opened once he was near, with Shino locked on directly behind him. She memorized the spot in the center-back of the head where the "bug" was located. "Well, soon you're gonna find out you were nothing but FODDER!"
The trigger clicked, the Antikill bullet flew, and bounced right off Barny's head. "Huh?!" He spun around, stunned by the rifle locked on him. Marcus had barely felt the numbing sensation overtake his head… until it went away.
"Shino… I think it worked!"
"Impossible!" Barny panicked, no longer feeling the connection.
"Well, then." Shino locked on. "One more shot should end this."
"Wait! I'm sorry!" Barny backed up, but seeing Kazuma and Lexi approach behind him, the emo merely dropped to his knees. "Please forgive me! It was only a harmless prank! I'll sweep the floors, I'll repair the doors!" The cadets could only listen with pity and skepticism. "I'll do anythiiiiing!" He bowed face-first to the floor… hiding his smirk. Heh…FOOLED you.
If his bug were destroyed, he would have to wait weeks before his power could produce a new one. Fortunately, he had two. The second bug was buzzing straight to Shino's ear. Now it's YOUR turn to be tortured! I'll show you what happens to-
Shino aimed a smaller gun in her left ear, sending an impending danger by it. She clicked, shot the bullet through, and KO'ed herself along with the bug. "WHAT?!?"
"Heh…barely caught that… in time." The sniper passed out.
"AGH!" Kazuma and Lexi seized the chance to pin Barny down.
"Heh…" Marcus approached the former op with a proud smile. "That was an adequate counter to an unexpected ambush. You, on the other hand… still have a long way to go."
One Haki-imbued punch knocked the daylights out of the traitor. Barny reeled straight backward… into a prison cell.
…
"Yawn…ugh…" Shino awoke in the Arctic Base infirmary.
"Wakey, wakey." Marcus sang, bandaged in the bed across from her. "You've been out for 45 minutes. …You can hear me, right?"
Shino covered her right ear. "I think the left is still numb. Doesn't feel too horrible."
"Kaz and Lex are waiting outside. You really did me a solid, Shino. I was only planning to whale on that guy until the pain finally clicked with him… but your idea was probably safer."
"Awe, it was nothin'. …Unless it means I get extra credit."
"A day's worth." Both stood from their beds and joined each other at the exit. "Um…Shino?"
"Yes, sir?"
Marcus wasn't sure what he was gonna say, actually. First, it was gonna be how she was a promising cadet, but that wasn't strong enough. He couldn't quite remember the last time he could put such faith in a teammate. He would occasionally fight alongside Francis in a big war or something, but they were family. But how often has Marcus worked alongside a relative stranger that he could feel genuine trust for? Marcus's change in height altered more than just his angle of Shino, it seemed. When was the last time he could look up at a tall, reliable teammate? …Certainly not the giants. "…Er, don't attempt a reckless maneuver like that unless you're absolutely sure your team can bail you out."
"Well, you three were right there, haha."
"Heh, I suppose we were. Let's get you home now. I still expect a top performance next time."
"Yes, sir."