Chapter 7: One Year Later. Teamwork Now or the Grave Later.
The Classes were set up in their groups. Class A, who at the moment was a head in the rankings over all the classes was in front. Mac, Blast and Jen were standing their proudly their Zanpaku-tos at the ready by their sides. The fourth member of their squad had perished early on during the training. During their first exercise against a live hollow he was struck down by a familiar hollow.
Behind them was Class D, who was second in the rankings. Rellik was in the front of his classmates with Jason standing directly behind him and to his left, with Joesph next to him and Alexis behind them all. Jason had his Zanpaku-to in the old fashion style hanging from his left side; Joesph had his dangling from his right side, him being left handed this made it easier for him to draw his sword; Alexis had hers clasped horizontally across her back, liking the quicker draw she could obtain from this stance; Rellik's zanpaku-to was tied tightly to his back following down his spine, he was more comfortable drawing his sword over his head then from his side, plus this helped with his lie that he was blind in his left side by not having to pretend to feel for his sword.
Next to Class D stood their instructor, "The Wind Demon" Captain Fredrick Downs. Over the last year he had trained this band of misfits almost to the top spot. He was impressed with all of them, moreover he knew that if they did well in this final exam that they would become the highest ranking class.
"You four have proved all statistics wrong just by making it this far." He bellowed out to his Class. "You may even make me lose a bet I made with Captain Gonzales. I bet him at the beginning of all of this that you lot wouldn't make it past the first live drill. He on the other hand thought that you lot would make it all the way to the end saying that you would win the highest ranking! I laughed at him then."
The class just stared at each other, each having small fits of snickles and giggles. They all had grown in different ways over the course of the training.
Jason Linkins have honed his physical strength and was now one of the most adept hand to hand fighters in the whole academy. Joesph Edwards had become the most strategic mind of the whole academy, working out complex situations in just a matter of seconds. Alexis Freeman had grown into a specialist when it came to hado techniques, knowing hados of the sixties level. Rellik was however the most balanced of the group but fastest when it came to sheer speed having mastered the fast step faster then any student in the history of the entire soul academy. Though he was no where near the speed of many soul reapers in the thirteen court guard squads he could give them a run for their money in a foot race.
Not only had the class changed in the way of their skills but physically as well. Jason becoming almost a mirror image of Captain Downs even cutting his hair in the same short style he had, though he couldn't change his brown hair to match their instructors near white hair. Joesph had grew out of his awkwardly long limps into that of a tall structured young man. His dark blonde hair he kept tied in a knot that was braided down to his mid back. Alexis had since changed her green streaks to orange streaks coming down from her raven black hair. Her body had grown even curvier to the shock of her classmates, though she still flaunted her curves by showing off so much cleavage it looked as though she was ready to pop from the top of her shihakusho. Rellik too hand changed in appearance. He held himself the way an Olympic runner would hold himself. He hand cut his hair short and kept his facial hair in check having it form a goatee and mustache that reached down to the edge of his goatee. Alexis poked fun at him saying he looked like an old cinematic villain.
It shocked Rellik one morning when he had looked into a mirror. He noticed himself and realized that he was growing into the man he had seen during his near death experience all those years ago. He smiled at that thought and ran his finger over his scar then checked the ribbon that was tied to his arm.
"Now however you lot are making me eat my own words." Captain continued getting the attention of his class once more. "I want you four to prove me wrong! I want you four to be the highest ranking class! Am I understood you sad pathetic maggot eating scum fuckers?!"
"YES SIR" Class D answered in unison saluting their captain who saluted back and disappeared from their sight.
Rellik looked in front of him and to his left where Class A was receiving their prep talk as well. He couldn't believe how much his friends had changed over the past year. Mac was slimmer yet stronger. He could see the man flexing his muscles to his female instructor who was impressed with him as well. 'Good old Mac still got a way with the ladies.' Rellik changed his attention to Jen who was stretching her legs and arms. She had developed over the past year to be a very beautiful woman. Though she was no where near Alexis' curves she had grown her own that fit well to her small pixyish frame. 'Besides if she was any curvier she'd curse her self out for losing her speed edge over everyone else.' Rellik thought as he continued to think of his long time friend. She was nearly on Rellik's toes when it came to fastest person in the academy only losing to him in their last race by a fraction of a second.
Finally Rellik switched his attention to his best friend who was also paying attention to Rellik. They both gave friendly waves and nods. Blast Hermit had become the most intimidating person one could see outside of a captain. No long was he fat under his shihakusho, but in its place was pure muscle. Though still large and roundish Blast had shown his dominance in strength over and over again during their past tests.
Rellik and his friends, in different classes they may have been, kept in touch during their down time after classes and during breaks. In fact Classes A and D were almost inseparable during their breaks off. Mac and Joesph had become amazing friends sharing the same traits such as their unbelievable intellect. Jen and Alexis became as close as sisters sharing everything with one another, they became such great friends that Jen even took to highlighting her bangs the same as Alexis, though Jen keeps her hair short and her bangs different colors then Alexis'. Blast and Jason had not become friends but instead rivals always challenging each other to physical contest in which, by Rellik's count, they were practically in a dead draw, neither ever able to keep a lead on the other.
Rellik smiled at his new and his old friends happy he was able to mesh his new life with his old life so easily. Though the next few months would but this new family mentality to the test. It was time for the finals of the soul reaper academy. If the students wanted to become soul reapers they would have to survive for no less then six months on their own in the wilderness. The team who survived the longest out in the wilderness would gain enough recognition to practically earn them the highest rank.
Classes B and C knew they were just in a race for third place. Classes A and D were however determined to prove themselves the highest ranking class. As they were waiting for their assigned territories the classes took one last look over the inventory their instructors left for them.
Alexis opened the bag and pulled out four water containers, a bowl, a box of matches, and a container with a fuse on it.
"Dynamite" Asked Rellik holding up the container confused. "Why in the hell are they giving us explosives?"
Joesph grabbed the container and looked at closely. "No. No. I don't think this is explosives" He said examining the container closely. "I believe this to be the smoke grenade to set off when we are ready to quit."
Jason took the container and looked over at the other classes who also were examining their own smoke grenades. "Well we wont be needing this for a while so lets put this somewhere safe." He placed it back in the bag hiding it behind the other items.
Alexis stretched back causing her cleavage to show even more almost showing her most private of areas of her breast. "So Rellik." She said seductively leaning over their table facing them. "Six months in the wilderness. I bet there will be lots of time we could spend alone."
Rellik smiled and bent over the table as well getting in Alexis' face. "I'm sure there will be. But why would we want to leave the company of such great teammates?" he asked, his signature smug smile burning its way into Alexis' heart.
"You know one of these days those two are going to shag 'eir lil h'arts out." Came a very familiar voice behind them.
"Oh yeah." Came another familiar but much deeper voice, "They're going to fuck each other's brains out."
"You just mad cause I could actually get laid." Snorted back Rellik with out turning around. "Maybe its cause I don't hide my incredible looks behind a stupid hat?"
With that Rellik was lifted into the air by Blast who was play chocking him. "Don't insult the hat!" he screamed.
Rellik broke free of the bear hug his friend had him and started shadow boxing in front him laughing. His laughter and playful attitude disappeared quickly as he saw something that lit a fire under him.
Mac was standing next to Alexis whispering in her ear. Alexis just blushed and giggled whispering something back to Mac. Rellik hated that Mac could so easily speak to Alexis. Considering the last woman Mac had contact with that was as busty as Alexis had caused him to nearly faint from a nose bleed. It took Mac six months just to be able to stare at Alexis with out his nose turning into a fountain of blood. Now though it seemed Mac was determined to get Alexis to like him more then she liked Rellik.
Mac smiled and ran his fingers through Alexis' bangs which caused her to blush bright red. And which caused Rellik to burn dark red.
"Yo you aunt jealous of Mac are you bro?" Came Blast's voice snapping Rellik out of his trance.
"What?" Rellik asked like he didn't know what he was talking about. "No."
"Ah 'ook at 'is face!" Jen said pinching Rellik's cheek, "He's so jealous he's 'actually burning a 'ole in da ground!"
"Well it seems logical Rellik would be jealous considering his feelings for Alexis." Said Joesph standing in front of Rellik with his arms crossed.
"Its true we've lived with them for the past year!" added in Jason. "There were alot of points where we thought they were finally just going to throw us out of the room and lock us out for a few days. But alas." He said dramatically taking Joesph and Blast under his arms who both made kissy face towards Rellik, "They're two lovers who will forever be to stubborn to admit their love for each other."
Jen popped into the middle with her back turned towards Rellik rubbing her own arms over the back of her head and back as though another was doing it to her. Then turned around and stuck her tongue pulling down on her eye as the others did the same thing.
Rellik just gave them a cold glare, his right eye giving off a similar effect his left eye gave off. "You can all go to hell and burn."
Everyone laughed hard even harder when Mac and Alexis joined them causing Rellik to turn away and start getting his own things together. He hated to admit but they were right. He cared alot for Alexis but never would admit it. He couldn't. He couldn't afford distractions. He knew his mission was to find his sister. He would put Winry over everything else. He looked down at his left arm and at the green bow tied around his arm tightly. He would find her and he didn't care at what cost.
Class D was set out in the middle of what looked like a forest. Captain downs said they were to survive no less then six months, anything less would be an automatic fail and they would have to start from the beginning of the academy. They all shuddered at the thought of having to go through the cruel training and punishment Class D went through before all over again.
Class D was given the nickname of Class D-liquents. Though amazingly gifted in the arts of being soul reapers the class as a whole had a problem following the directions given to them instead going about their own way to solve problems. The name was given after their fist live field test when the group took out not only their designated targets but deliberately going after the target that all classes were assigned to go after together. When asked why they didn't wait for the other classes, they gave a very unanimous answer of "We thought they were right behind us." Needless to say the Class was punished by cleaning the rooms of the other three classes for the next month.
Class D-liquents' reputation got worse and worse as they continued to defy their orders in the most productive way possible. During a field test, in which they were partnered with Class B who kept trying to take the lead, they were ambushed by a screamer who had tried taking off with a female classmate of Class B. Rellik and Jason chased down the hollow then attempted to fight in hand to hand combat instead of drawing their swords. When Class B tried to get involved Jason had kicked the Screamers head off sending it flying in the direction of the students who were yelling at them for breaking formation. This time when questioned why they didn't follow the orders of the appointed leader Jason and Rellik just shrugged saying "Dude sounded like a fucking moron." That outburst had the class cleaning the whole academy for 3 months everyday.
Rellik remember back at those times and just laughed as he set up their camp near a stream they had found. Jason and Alexis went out looking for firewood as Joesph was designated into hiding the smoke grenade. Rellik laughed to himself as he remembered when Joesph and himself had gotten their maps mixed up during a similar surviving exercise and ended up in the woman showers of squad 6 barracks. His face still stings when he thinks of all the slaps they had received. Though the punishment was only writing apology letters to all of the female squad members of squad 6 Rellik and Joesph were more then happy to write them. Considering inside their letters they spoke highly of all the members and their "assets".
"Hey Joesph remember that time we got lost during that survival test?" Rellik asked as he looked over at his classmate who's head was inside the survival bag his hands searching the ground. "Yo, Joe what are you doing?"
Joesph slowly pulled the bag off his head. Under the bag and behind his spectacles his skin was dead white. "Rellik, I swear it was in here."
Rellik just stared at his friend confused at first. Then it began to sink in why his friend's face was so white. "Joesph... Please tell me the smoke grenade is in that bag or somewhere around you and you're just playing a very, very, VERY, unfunny joke."
Joesph just sat in silence. His mouth moving but no words coming out. There was quiet for a long time until Alexis and Jason came back both holding large amounts of firewood under their arms.
"Hey Rellik you were suppose to get camp set up." Said Jason handing Rellik his firewood. Rellik's eyes never leaving Joesph who was still on the ground.
"Guys what's going on?" Asked Alexis looking back and forth between the two young men. "Joesph are you alright?"
"Its not here. The grenade... Smoke... Here... Not... I looked... Everywhere I looked but..." Joesph was stuttering his words barely able to form a sentence.
The class stood in silence for a long time. It sinking in there that was no grenade. Meaning when the time came for them to light for rescue was now gone. That the instructors wouldn't know when or even if they needed rescuing.
"Guys." Rellik said dropping the firewood. "Can you say 'We're all fucked?'"
