Chapter 1
The combat simulator was the best of the best, as it was meant to be.
Another large, underground space had been designated specifically for environmental training. In the vast two acre space rested a bevy of obstacles. It was divided into four main sections, each of which was nearly half the size of an American football field.
From the observation deck nestled high above the only doors leading in, you could see nearly all of the landscaping at your feet. Inside the observation booth was a wall of monitors just behind the wall of windows that relayed everything they were fed from the multiple cameras planted within each 'world'.
In the far left, upper corner of the space was the desert training area. Massive dunes rose and fell in gentle slopes. Random outcroppings of rocks and a few small caves were hidden within the movable mountains and all manner of desert flora was spread within. Its purpose was simple.
Rows and rows of lights spanned the ceiling high above and would shine blinding, boiling hot light down on whoever was within the sandy design. It was meant not only to mimic the intense dry atmosphere, but also teach students to find somewhere to hide in such an open landscape. Every once and awhile, the dunes would be shifted and intentionally made to cover rock faces and caves, just to help limit the agent's ability to hide. It was no one's favorite.
To the far right and across from the desert was the mountain landscape. It was the easiest to design. In truth, it was simply the least excavated amongst the four spaces. It was carved right out of the stony walls that surrounded the underground location. The sides were steep and dotted with trees and bushes. It was hard to navigate and climb while either hunting or being hunted, and that was the point.
To the left and beneath the observation booth above was the urban environment. It had everything people would assume was needed to learn how to traverse and fight within a standard cityscape. There were cars, buildings complete with fire-escapes that ran up their sides, a small park with low cut shrubs and shops you could hide within if needed. It could have easily been mistaken for a movie set.
The final block to complete the amalgamation was the jungle. It was filled with dense foliage, towering trees and heavy underbrush. Even with the overhead lights turned on, the rays would barely pierce the canopy. As with the desert-scape, the jungle was equipped with natural aspects beyond the plant life. When it was in use, sheets of rain could fall from above and drench the jungle in water making it absolutely miserable to anyone caught within.
The Kingsmen went above and beyond when it came to training. They wanted to make sure their agents would be surprised by nothing out in the field. They had to be able to survive intense heat, move easily in hot, humid forests, navigate a city without issue and scale a mountain side at a moment's notice. Nothing was left to chance.
"Okay, agents," Merlin's voice echoed over the loudspeakers to those within the training area below. "This is going to be a night drill and a very special version of capture the flag. A flag has been hidden within the jungle. There are no teams. Eliminate the eight other agents, return with the flag in hand and you are the winner. If you're hit, exit the jungle immediately. Understood?" Merlin's eyes danced along the edges of the darkened jungle below. Even from his vantage point he couldn't see the agents set up along the outer edges of the landscape. "Good. Begin!"
The nine candidates raced into the jungle without hesitation. Each of them wore the same standard outfit consisting of black pants, a black long-sleeved turtleneck, black combat boots, black gloves, black ski masks and black goggles equipped with night-vision. Strapped across their bodies was an ammo belt filled with neon paintballs meant to fit within their handguns. Merlin ensured that none of them would be able to see the others clearly unless they were shot.
Merlin pressed a few buttons on a control panel. Immediately, the wall of monitors lit up. All large, eight screens glowed green and were broken into four frames each. Every camera hidden within the jungle was online and set to night-vision, including the one focused on the flag.
He scooted closer to the screens and began to search for the agents. There were a few glimpses of the ones seeking the flag. When they were deep within the jungle, a smile touched Merlin's lips.
"Did I forget to mention," he pressed a few more buttons, "its monsoon season."
Almost the instant the words left his lips, the 'sky' opened up. Sheets of rain poured from the plumbing above and quickly saturated the jungle area.
Those hidden within the leaves weren't prepared for the sheer volume of water that came down. They were drenched within seconds and miserable just as fast.
Immediately one of the agents scaled the thickest tree. Merlin watched and grinned to himself as they did. From their vantage point, they could better see what was happening below. Another body-in-black began to slowly trudge through the thick underbrush, tense and with their weapon aimed. The agent in the tree didn't hesitate and quickly unloaded. The agent on the ground was lit up with brilliant yellow pain that only spread in the rain. It didn't wash off.
"God damn it!" came his muffled anger.
Cursing the whole way, the yellow agent picked a direction and headed for it, knowing they would reach the edge eventually.
The game continued slowly. With the ever-pouring rain, pitch black surroundings and thick foliage, there was no other way for it to go. Merlin still sat comfortably in the control room, watching everything transpire below with a grin on his lips. At the moment, four of the nine were out, but it seemed like things were about to get interesting. The agent from the tree didn't feel like sitting still any longer.
Merlin watched as they climbed down, wove between the trees and stayed low to the ground. They were light on their feet despite the heavy boots and stayed almost invisible, even to the multiple cameras dotting the area. He knew it had to be Galahad, perhaps Lancelot. No one else was as good at staying hidden as those two.
Transfixed, Merlin watched through his green screens as the agent found the flag. He waited for him to crawl up the vine-covered tree to snag it, but he never did. Instead, he took to the adjacent tree and hunkered down, hiding beneath wide, dense leaves.
"Clever," Merlin muttered to himself. He knew what was happening. Whichever one of his friends was hidden in the tree planned to pick off whoever found the flag next, and they did. Merlin pushed the intercom button, "Four down. Five to go."
As his friend remained hidden, someone else found the flag. Without hesitation, they sprinted up the viney tree only to be pelted in the back by a trio of neon yellow dots. After cursing, the fallen agent left.
"Five down." Merlin relayed.
And so it went until there was only two. Merlin knew for sure now that Lancelot and Galahad were the remaining two, but he wondered who would be the victor.
Slowly but surely, the agent in the tree began to emerge. The rain still fell and it offered a hint of cover as he walked out along the thick branch. With a quick glance to ensure no one was hidden within the ferns below, he leapt across the gap and clung immediately to the tree holding the flag. Before he could be discovered, he snatched the bright white flag, shoved it quickly into his shirt to keep its color hidden and fell to the ground.
As he had to get there, the agent stayed low and out of sight as he raced quickly for the edge of the jungle. Faster and faster he raced for safety. All he had to do was breach the tree line and he'd be safe.
Merlin had taken to sitting on the edge of his seat, both hoping the agent would make it and also be taken down. He was one the fence about whether he wanted his friend to succeed. Regardless of the outcome, he had to admit the show was tense.
The agent on the ground could see an opening and ran for it as fast as he could. Within seconds, he burst through the foliage and didn't hesitate to throw his arms into the air in victory.
"Well done!" Merlin chimed from the intercom. A moment later the rain ended and a moment after that Merlin emerged through the double doors. He was clapping his congratulations. "Well done, my friend." He said. His eyes glanced briefly behind the victorious agent. "But you seem to have forgotten something."
Before the agent could ask what, a figure in black emerged from the trees, gun aimed. He pulled the trigger and pelted the 'victor' in the back. The agent who'd stolen the flag immediately slumped and growled his frustration while the last 'living' agent tugged off his mask.
"Always watch your back." Merlin smiled.
"Better luck next time, Lancelot." Harry grinned as he held out his hand for the flag.
The newly dead agent reached into his shirt and pulled out the flag, but didn't hand it over.
"I'll remember that." Lancelot replied as he appeared along side the other marked and 'dead' agents.
Merlin and Harry turned to the one with the flag as they tugged off their mask. An irritated face shined back at them.
Harry felt himself begin to chuckle at the sight. He was surprised, but knew he shouldn't have been at the same time.
"Guinevere." He said with a gentle nod of acknowledgement.
A young lady stood beside Harry. Her usually pretty face was twisted with annoyance, her black hair stuck to her head with water, and yellow paint now soaking into her shirt.
"You cheated, Galahad." She told him as she handed over the white piece of cloth.
"How so?" he asked as he claimed his prize.
"Shooting someone in the back when they've clearly already won the game is unsportsmanlike." She said simply. "Hence, cheating."
"You forgot to eliminate all of your targets." He replied just as easily. "Always pay attention to your surroundings." His voice was suddenly a bit terse. "Always."
She began to nod. It wasn't long ago that he lost his candidate to a missed grenade and while it was still three years prior, it haunted him everyday.
"Okay," she said in a small voice. She wasn't used to him being so intense towards her.
Her reaction made him realize what he was doing and he lightened his exterior again.
"Well done." He told her. "You should get cleaned up."
Guinevere nodded and left the training hall alongside the others. Merlin watched and waited until they were gone before approaching his friend.
"Go easy on the girl." He told Harry. "She's only seventeen."
"She needs to be prepared." He said in the same even, borderline cold voice. "Especially if Arthur intends to make her an agent some day. It won't always be paint in these things." He said, waving his gun briefly before slipping it again into his holster.
Merlin nodded, but didn't exactly agree with how his friend chose to handle the girl. She was –after all- still just a child, but everyone knew how that young man's death had affected Harry. The fact that he left behind a child and wife didn't help ease Harry's guilt either, so he always tried to instill how important it was to take in everything, whether it was an exercise or not.
~!~
Fourteen years later:
The group of six was led into another long, stark room. The only difference was, this one seemed to be outfitted like a gymnasium. There was a large, ugly blue, thin matt in the center of the floor. The walls were lined with staffs, wooden swords, dummies and dummies wearing padding.
It dripped with pretention like every other suite and immediately set Eggsy's teeth on end.
The double doors behind them opened causing the group to shift to see who'd entered. Eggsy was at the 'front' of the group, so the furthest from the door. He didn't get a chance to see who had arrived until they walked passed him and to the center of the matt. A young woman wearing the typical spandex outfit women wore to workout in stood in front of them with her dark hair tied tightly into a high bun. Her ice blue eyes danced along the new recruits.
Charlie, Digby and Rufus chuckled amongst themselves, but Digby was the one to speak.
"I wouldn't mind giving her a good ride." He muttered.
Her eyes found sharp focus on the blond and darkened just a hint. Rufus noticed and smacked the chuckling Charlie and Digby, silently telling them they'd been caught.
"Come here." She told him simply.
With her eyes still laser-locked to him, Digby knew he couldn't get away and did as she instructed. He pushed his way to the front of the group and took only a few steps beyond them.
"No, no, no," she chided in a deceptively innocently voice. "Come. Here." She pointed to an area only a few short feet from her.
Slowly, Digby complied until he stood within arm's reach of her.
"What was that?"
"I didn't say anything, mum." He muttered.
"Yes you did." She replied easily. "Now, what was it?"
"I uh…"
"Speak up." Her voice was a bit icy.
"I said you look like you could use a good ride, mum." He said loudly enough everyone could hear him. A few in the background immediately groaned at his stupid comment, a few others rolled their eyes.
"Do I?"
Her voice was disturbingly innocent again and for some reason, it made the groups' collective blood chill. Somehow, they knew something was coming.
Sure enough, she reacted and reacted quickly. In quick succession, the dark-haired woman swept Digby's leg out from under him. When he attempted to steady himself, she snatched his hand, twisted it around his body and wrenched it high into the air so he had no choice but to comply with her direction or risk breaking his arm. He cried out in pain.
"Apologize."
"I'm sorry!" he bellowed in a panic. He prayed she didn't snap his arm.
She released him and motioned for him to return to the group. Rubbing his aching shoulder, Digby's face turned sour.
"Fucking bitch," he muttered under his breath.
She heard him and again, reacted quickly. Before they could truly register it, she swung and landed a sharp blow to the back of Digby's head. It hit him at just the right angle. The group was privy to the sight of Digby's eyes rolling back into his head just as he lost control of his body and fell to the ground unconscious. The few closest leapt back to keep from having Digby land on their feet.
"Now then," she chimed loudly. Their eyes slowly traveled to the woman in the center of the matt. "My name is Guinevere, and I'm here to teach you how to fight."
This may be just a one-shot, I'm not certain yet. Let me know what you think and if I should continue. I hope you enjoyed it. :)