Chapter 1: Reveille

0600 Hours January 25, 2530 (Military Calendar) Epsilon Erindani System, Reach ODST training facility Planet Reach

"Get up soldiers! Its time to go to work." Ordered Sergeant Strauss, "We have a long day of training ahead of us." Opening his eyes Mark remembered were he was. In a reclusive training facility in planet Reach, the newest members of the ODST were training. "Why am I doing this again...?" Mark asked himself. "Because you want to be the best," a familiar voice responded. "OK Michelle, why are you here?" Mark asked while getting up from bed. "When we were kids, you were the only one who would look out for me; I'm just here to return the favor." "You were the only one who would even talk to me when I first got to the Orphanage, it was the least I could do." Mark finished putting his uniform and put his hand on her shoulder and said "listen, you don't have to do this." "Neither do you," she responded, taking his hand off her shoulder. Mark started again, "I know, but I want to do this, I don't want to be known as just another Marine, I want to be the best..." But before could finish his thoughts, Michelle cut him off. "And I want to be there when you become the best. Because like I've told you before, you seem to be a magnet for trouble, and it's my job to get you out of it..." "Hey, you two! Get moving, were ready to go here!" Strauss' voice boomed in the Barracks. "Yes, sir!" they responded, then got out of the Barracks and joined the other soldiers.

"OK people, I've got news for you. Apparently Dr. Halsey thinks her little experiments are going to give us some competition. But we aren't going to let that happen now are we?" Sergeant Strauss asked his soldiers. "Sir, no sir!" His soldiers responded. "Good, because from now on, playtime is over people, we are going to have some fun." The looks of the soldier turned from hopeful to nervous. Michelle broke the by asking "permission to speak sir?" Strauss turned to her, "granted." "What exactly do you mean by fun?" Michelle asked him, nervously. "Glad you asked Meyers," Strauss reached for his pistol, drew it and pointed it at her, "By fun I mean live ammunition." Everyone took a step back, except for Michelle. She simply stood her ground in front of Strauss. She knew that's why he had made her team leader, because she was the only person alive who was not afraid of him. "OK sir, what is our objective for the day?" She asked. Strauss put away his weapon, and with a grin on his face began to move to the jungle, an obstacle course designed to have every possible type of terrain a member of the ODST might find themselves in, and then some. "You people have been through the jungle more times than I can remember, so I'm sure you know good places to take cover in. This exercise will test your ability to function under fire, wearing full gear. You won't be getting a weapon however. That part comes later. Now go to the armory to pick up your jump suits and suit up, we will begin the test in at 1000 hours." There was a sigh of relief among the group. They still had about 3 hours left before they would have bullets flying over their heads. Everyone had a nervous look on his or her face. Everyone except for Mark. "Finally, I'm really going to be pushed to my limits," he thought to himself. Michelle broke the silence again, "OK people, you heard the sergeant, get to the armory and suit up." She walked over to Mark, who was the last person to begin heading to the armory. "So, what do you think about this?" She asked him. He looked at her with a grin on his face, "just like Strauss said, we are going to have some fun."

End.