A/N: Sorry for the late update again. Hope you weren't too worried about Shelby's hair. ;) Thanks to sailorraven34 who always reviews! To the rest... please review! :D MASSIVE THANKS :)

Chapter 9

"Are you athletic, Alex?" Otto asked before their first class for the day, Tactical Education.

"A little."

"Then you'll love Tactical Ed.. We're taking fitness tests today!" He slapped Alex on the back and winked.

Alex groaned, although he was pretty sure he could ace it. It wasn't as if he didn't exercise daily or keep in shape.

Laura laughed as she and Shelby joined the threesome. "Aye, Otto. Colonel Francisco would definitely give Alex much more attention."

"Yep. The Colonel loooves fresh meat!" The now-pink-haired Shelby added.

"Hey, Shelby, care to tell us what's really in your hair?" Otto asked tauntingly.

She muttered something. "Fhrnjsifnn."

"What's that? Can't hear you!" Otto grinned.

"IT WAS RADIOACTIVE, MALPENSE!" She shouted.

The rest of the gang instinctively backed away carefully then ran all the way across the corridor and stared at her. Except for Laura.

"I carry a Geiger-counter with me everywhere, you know. It hasn't beeped crazilly yet." She said, like a teacher scolding a student.

"I know. Apparently, the Professor was just experimenting on a new shade of pink. I asked him last night. He calls it, the 'Pinke' shade, spelled as an 'N' between his name. 'Ingenious', he says. Well, he did add a bit of superglue. But then I always keep anti-superglue handy." She smiled evilly. "So no radioactive stuff at all. I might actually pour it in Otto's shampoo to see how he likes Pinke hair."

"When are you planning to tell them?"

"Oh, when your boyfriend-"

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"Okay, okay. When your crush-"

"I don't even like him-" Laura snapped, turning red.

"Let me finish my sentence, Brand, before you deny whatever you're feeling!" She sighed. "Okay. When Otto finally realizes he should bring around a Geiger-counter at H.I.V.E., like you, smarty-pants."

Shelby continued smiling like the Joker, while Laura walked beside her in silence. What was she really feeling about Otto? What about Alex? Never mind, she thought. I don't have time for boys.

The gang arrived inside the grappler training cavern together (Otto finally figuring out that Shelby wasn't dumb enough to have a radioactive source right on her head). Suddenly, everyone grew quiet.

Alex noticed Colonel Francisco grinning at him- not a pleasant sight.

"Positions!" He barked. "RIder, over here."

The rest of the class quickly arranged themselves into a line, and Alex walked awkwardly over to the Colonel.

"Today, as you all know, we are taking fitness tests. Rider will have the honor of being the first-"

Tribute, Alex thought silently.

"Victim." The Colonel finished. "The first test is the beep test. I'm sure you've had your share of those though, Mr. Rider."

Alex nodded. That sounds easy. I've done loads of those in school.

"Here at H.I.V.E., we have bombs instead of beeps." He paused dramatically. "Shut your mouths or I will shut them for you!" He shouted suddenly. Alex snapped his shut. Was it just him, or did the Colonel seem glib about what he was presenting to them?

"Then for the next class we'll have the 9-minute run, where you'll be running in a minefield. The class after that will be the obstacle course. You will be separated into teams and whichever wins the battle-" he paused again.

"Lives."

He laughed evilly while the whole class grew silent.

"Of course, this is all in a simulation." He said after he had his fill of manic laughing.

The class seemed to sigh in relief, although no one dared to utter a sound.

"But you will still feel the pain. Now then. Rider, please demonstrate the Bomb Test."

Alex stepped into the simulation and heard the familiar sounds of the beep test announcing which level he was on. Yet the moment he started running, he heard a bomb explode behind him. Faster and faster he ran, not knowing when he will stop. Either the bombs get to me, or I outrun them, he thought. Run, turn, BOOM! Run, turn, BOOM! The rhythm struck to him and he still kept running-

BOOM! The bombs were getting louder and-BOOOOM! - the intervals between then getting shorter. Alex could feel the heat on his neck and could almost smell - BOOOOMM!- his burnt hair. He ran for his life- BOOOOMMM!- even though it was just a simulation, he didn't want to BOOOOMM! simulate the feeling of being burnt. BOOOMMMMM!

"Level 21-16. Beep test complete." What? Alex still continued running. "RIDER! ARE YOU DEAF? STOP RUNNING AND COME OUT! NOW!" Colonel Francisco's voice suddenly boomed over the speakers, shocking Alex and making him run even faster.

Outside the simulation, the Colonel stood watching Alex, not knowing what to do. No one has ever finished the beep/bomb test, not even his Henchmen. "Fanchu! Get him out of there!"

Wing opened the simulation centre door and stepped in, trying to stop Alex from running. He grabbed him by the wrist and pulled. What he didn't expect, though, was Alex grabbing his wrist and pulling him back, forcing Wing to run instead. The two of them were hopelessly running away from imaginary bombs.

Finally, after not hearing any bombs, Alex stopped, panting. He let go of his grip on Wing's wrist, who instinctively rubbed it immediately. Alex walked out of the simulation with Wing behind him, aware of all the stares from the class, especially the Colonel's half-agape mouth. Shut your mouths or I will shut them for you! Alex thought in delight. Look who's shocked now!

"Ahem." Colonel Francisco interrupted Alex's thoughts. "That was good, and I expect nothing less from the Alphas. But it was definitely not good enough."

What!? Alex thought. What a lie just to save his pathetic face.

"Rider, you better be aware of your surroundings and orders or else it will cost you. Class dismissed."

The class walked out orderly and in silence. Alex was last out the door, still shocked by what happened and the Colonel's response.

"That was being very cool, Alex!" Franz said immediately when they were out of the Colonel's earshot. "You are becoming a secret ninja, like me!"

Alex had met Franz the night before and almost snorted in laughter. "Excuse me?"

Shelby rolled her eyes. "You'll see."

"You were very good in there, Alex." Wing nodded in agreement.

"Except for the fact that you had to drag him out," Otto pointed out.

"Hey, give him a break! It was his first meeting with Colonel Francisco, not to mention his first day of classes!" Laura said.

"And you are forgetting that Wing was being dragged by Alex," Franz said knowingly.

"Yeah, that was cool. I mean, no one is as strong as Wing here." Otto said, a little disappointed that no one else came to the same conclusion as him and the Colonel- that Alex was good, but he wasn't good enough.

"Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't Wing and Alex face-off!" Shelby exclaimed.

Alex smiled. That sounded great. If I play my cards right, I could actually get some training before I escape from H.I.V.E..

Wing nodded. "We can do it after my training with Raven today. Meet me at the grappler training cavern at 4pm."