One in the morning, and Callie was awake. Yes, that was absurd, wasn't it? But she was. The itch between her shoulder blades flared up again as she realized that this was going to be a very, very long… you know what? She couldn't even call this morning, it was still dark out. She'd say it would be a long evening. She wanted to wake her Boat Crew, but she didn't have time. She didn't know when they would be coming, so it was time to get her ass moving, by herself. Sure it wasn't conducive to the team now, but she had a feeling that it would later.
Her eyes adjusted to the sheer, total dark, seeing the images of kats stirring in their sleep, trying to get more comfortable.
'They don't know what they're in for,' she thought to herself as she got up and began heading for a position near the door. She knew it was there, knew where it was, knew that someone was behind it, waiting. And she suddenly knew that there was someone behind her as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
"So someone else is awake too," she said, but before the kat behind her could respond, the door was thrown open and the muzzle flash and reports of gunfire could be heard. She knew they were blanks. They were meant to harass, not fire live rounds. The lights were suddenly turned on, covers were torn from their beds, and megaphones blared.
"Good morning, you pansy asses," one of the instructors shouted. "Any time is a good time to get your asses kicked! Get your asses outside, now! Move it!"
It was at this time, while everyone else was getting their rude awakenings, that Callie began heading outside at a jog. When she saw the chaos that was before her, she grimaced. There were boats, life jackets, paddles, huge logs, and it was all strewn about everywhere. Yes, it was going to get heavy from this point forward.
"Looks fun," the kat behind her said with no small trace of sarcasm. "Ready to get your ass beat?"
Callie recognized that voice from anywhere. It was the gang kat. "All night long, baby," she said without hesitation. "Are you?"
The guy shrugged and said, "Not like it's the worst thing that could happen. Let's do this."
She didn't ask why he was being so agreeable. It didn't matter now. She would ask later. "Let's get going before they start chewing us out," she said as she heard everyone begin to scramble out behind her.
Thus, Hell Week continued.
Kanto the Slayer presents
A SWAT Kats Fanfiction
SWAT Kats: Endgame
The two members of Boat Crew Two who were already wide awake organized the others successfully. Once again, they were the first ones to get their gear on, the first ones to get moving. The others were in a state of chaos from having to gather their things and constantly being yelled at. Soon, they had a boat. But getting that boat required a lot more grit than they thought it would.
"Boat up," the instructor before them barked, and they lifted the boat. The bad news was that not everyone was awake… and they were still slightly out of sync. "Fuck, this shit is heavy!" the gang kat shouted. His thought wasn't behind those of others. For an inflatable boat, it weighed a good amount.
"Well if it's heavy," the instructor said with a sarcastic tone, "Why don't you just walk away from the team? Maybe I should give you a massage or some other crap. You better start putting out, jail bait, before I kick your ass from here to Anakata Island!"
They had finally gotten the boat up, the weight equally distributed among the eight of them. It was effectively sitting right on top of their heads. "All right grunts, let's see if you can actually move as an interdependent unit. Haul that boat and count it out!"
They understood immediately what that meant, and all eight of them lifted it above their heads. Every time they lifted, they counted. There were some at the back that were having trouble, though. "What in the hell are you doing back there? That's the most pathetic lifting I have ever seen. I am going to be watching how you lift and how many times from now on! Now get it up!"
Well that was an incentive. The kats in the back began lifting with everyone else this time. "See how much strength you got there? Damn, you are a machine! I want you to put out like that every goddamn time, you get me?"
"Hooyah instructor," The kat shouted in sheer anguish. He just kept lifting until the call was given. "Boat down! Damn, that was sorry. That wasn't even close to what I was looking for. I was looking for no pain, no stress, no sign of fatigue on your faces; I was looking for mind over matter! If you do not shut that little voice in your goddamn heads out, I will shove it out for you!" He pointed towards a log and said, "Get that log, go!"
They ran, nice and warmed up now. For the next few hours, they were made to lift the log, run around with it, do sit ups and bench presses with it, squat with it. If one team member couldn't haul, the rest felt the pain. Orders had to be followed exactly, or undue suffering would be the result. Sometimes, orders were given to do a part of the exercise without the use of the log, and if they were followed, the whole team got a break.
It didn't always happen.
One team was constantly sprayed with water until they started paying attention. Another was put through the wringer, having to lay down with the log on top of their chests. "You feel that? That is the weight of your actions right now, grunts. I swear you are not cut out for this, any of you. And don't think you can quit- we're not letting you go just yet. Oh no, we got all night!"
But the first one to get it right early was Boat Crew Two. It was mostly because of Callie. "Come on, let's get it moving! All together… up!" The log was raised over their heads. This time, no one complained. Everyone lifted at the same time, at the same speed. "You feel that? That's how it's supposed to feel. Down, up!" they lowered the log to their right shoulders, and then lifted again. There was less pain due to even application of force on all sides.
From that point forward, they were linked. They all did their squats together, each holding a paddle above their heads. "Do not let that paddle lower! I will personally beat you with that stick if you let it drop past your head! You remember, if one does not execute this exercise perfectly, the rest stay in squat position until the individual gets it done!"
There were all sorts of disaster situations with that one- some things just couldn't be remedied. By the time the first hour of it was over, it was pain for all. And they hadn't even gotten into the full swing of things yet. But hey, if it was going to get worse, that only gave one time to dig in deeper, didn't it? At least Callie thought so. She would bring her team out of this with the least amount of harassment as possible.
Because she didn't like seeing anyone suffer.
They were hauled into vans and driven out towards the beach, the place where the physical readiness tests had taken place. Only this time, it was too early to see, the water was much colder, and now they were made to lie in the sand. Callie didn't know about this part- she was entirely unprepared. But she could feel the ebb and flow of the water; feel the chill on her toes, seeping through her boots.
'Cold, wet, and miserable,' she thought to herself. 'You certainly got it right, Chance.'
But of course, she did the same thing as everyone else did as they interlocked arms. "You will all feel this cold at the same time- it's only natural that you do it with your arms joined. Lie down and stay down, keep your heads down. Do not move until I tell you to."
It was called Camp Surf for a reason, and they were about to find out as the first fifty-six degree wave of water ran into them. There was immediate, instant shock. Callie squealed and squirmed as the cold took her over. Her mind registered the cold and began making up all sorts of complaints. Callie ignored them, or at least tried to. But some of them actually made sense.
Then the second wave hit her, and those things that made sense were reinforced. She instantly knew what was going on and began tuning the commentary in her head out. The third wave hit, and she gritted her teeth- against the cold, against the uncomfortable sand, against the wind that added to the cold, against the pain of the salt water. The fourth wave hit. Callie's mind gave up fighting with someone who would not listen to it.
The voices would be back later, but for now she was all right.
'You think this'll stop me?' she said to herself. 'It's just water. It's not even deep water. I won't let some little wave get the best of me.'
"Bring it on!!" She said fiercely.
A few kats just looked at her as if she had grown a second tail. But three of the kats that were closer to her, members of her Boat Crew, responded with, "Hooyah!" Well, that helped. By wave number eight, they were laughing. "Water is nothing but water," she said as the timing of the waves became predictable. She could feel the currents, the tides. Feel them as if they were a part of her. Callie closed her eyes and tried to read the ocean's movements.
Her skin tingled as the next watery assault prepared to wash over them, making her eyes open wildly. "Brace, here it comes!"
It came, on schedule.
The gang kat suddenly saw why she was chosen as Crew Captain and for some reason he couldn't be angry at her. 'This ain't a day camp… but she's treating it like one. And because she is, we're moving ahead of everyone else.'
He wasn't stupid. He could see her plan; crafty and cunning. Or was it a plan at all? No, never mind. He would play along for now and ask about it later. If she gave him a bullshit answer, it'd be back to business. For now though, he grinned wildly and let himself relax. "You think you can kick my ass? I dare ya!"
Callie smirked and said, "Well put. Hold on, here comes another one!"
Whoosh.
They were being checked for signs of hypothermia when he finally asked her. "What was that back there? You keep on treating this like it's some kind of damn picnic. It's not, y'know. We're essentially being tortured to our limits." He had to sound callous, just to egg her on and get her to talk, but he really wanted to know.
Callie was silent for a moment, letting the chill run through her so that she could maintain her awareness and stay awake. "You really don't know, do you?" She looked towards him sternly and said, "What that was back there, was how I'm going to save our asses from ringing that alarm. We need to act like this is nothing, like it is fun to be put through misery. We need to pull together, which means I'm both leader and team member. I keep everyone from washing out, I keep them motivated when they can't find it themselves, and then I carry my share of the weight."
She turned to face forward for a moment, showing that she was bright-eyed and bushy tailed, and the gang kat next to her did the same. After the instructor was a good ways past, she continued on. "So you say it's not a day camp… well, turn it into one instead of a prison yard."
The tom flinched. The arrow had hit its mark.
"Look, don't think you fuckin' know me, okay?" he said softly. "I'm only listening to you because I don't get you one bit. I want to know how you can take all this and still smile like I've seen you do. I've been through such shit that I don't think I can smile again, and here you are acting all buddy-buddy in the worst situation imaginable." He looked towards her and said, "That's why I'm going to stay here. So I can watch you and figure you out."
She nodded and said, "Maybe you'll learn something."
He scoffed and said, "Doubtful. And don't get any ideas- I'm on your team for the long haul now, but I ain't your buddy."
Callie nodded and said, "Fair enough."
Unfortunately, not everyone would remain at Camp Surf. Some decided that first shocking experience on the beach was enough for them- too much cold, too much sand. They dropped. Others gave in to the hypothermia- they couldn't take much more without being sick for the rest of it, or at least they thought so. They dropped. Still others gave in to the fact that it was too early in the morning to take this shit. They dropped.
At that moment, Callie realized what this part of the week was for- it was for weeding out those who really did not want to be here. By the time the sun had crested the horizon, thirty two had turned to twenty four, a Boat Crew's worth of kats gone. But her eight still remained, and that counted for something.
The problem for those that lost members was that they still had the same teams, and that wasn't pretty when they had to carry boats and logs. But fortunately for them, they didn't- for now.
As five a.m. approached, they were called to a halt on surf torture.
"You done yet, grunts?" The Sergeant Major shouted.
"No, Sergeant Major!" They replied.
"You know you can ring that alarm at any time, right?"
"Yes, Sergeant Major!"
He walked among the remnants of the boat crews and stopped at Callie's, raising an eyebrow. "Well, look at this. One of the two remaining full Boat Crews, and the last one I expected to succeed. I'm starting to think you all can hack it, but I have to be sure. You eight, are coming with me. We're going on a little run, with your boat on your heads, and you will be timed. You have thirty two minutes to run four miles. You make it, you get breakfast. You don't, you get surf, and you run again."
He looked towards the rest of them and said, "Don't you dare think that I won't be back for the rest of you- you better pray that the other instructors give your asses something to do. Boat Crew Two, move out!"
"Hooyah," they said in sync. It didn't matter now. Nothing mattered but the team.
Eight a.m. at breakfast. The members of Boat Crew Two sat together- well, mostly- and munched on some good eggs, pancakes, toast, things of that sort. It was a good thing that food was unlimited. Hot food, the heat was on, and the sun was up. But the best part was that they were still together. Life was good right now, despite the name Hell Week.
But of course, the gang kat, still believing that he was better off somewhere on his own, was at a table in one of the far corners. He didn't even look like he had touched his food yet, and appeared to be deep in thought about something. Thus, he hadn't even noticed when Callie had popped up at his table of all places, worried about him.
But she didn't look worried. Instead, she smiled.
"Hey, you gonna eat that?" she said, fully expecting him to jump out of his chair. He almost did, but when he looked behind him and saw her, he gave his best mean face. "I am. If you want some, get your own, with all your friends over there. I told you I ain't your buddy, so if that's what you're here for…"
Callie raised her hands defensively and said, "I wasn't here for that, promise. I'm just seeing if you're still breathing over here, that's all. Don't mind me." With that, she began walking away, silently hurt. Was he really going to be an ass for the rest of this whole week? If he was, she was better off not trying.
She need not have worried.
"Hey!"
Callie stopped in her tracks.
"Changed my mind," he said softly, his head down slightly. "Sit down before I change it again."
She nodded and walked back over to his table, pulling a chair out and taking a seat. Her plate was still hot, and it was still ready to eat. She was still entirely quiet, and she made the silence hang like a heavy, humid storm cloud. It made the gang kat feel uncomfortable, heavily so. "Quit staring," he muttered.
Callie smirked and said, "You're the only interesting thing to look at on this table. I can't help but stare. But don't think that I have a thing for you- I already have a tom waiting for me back on the mainland."
The gang kat raised an eyebrow and said, "That so? What, did he send you here?"
Callie nodded and said, "He did, but it was only because I agreed to it. If I hadn't, he would keep me as far away from this place as possible- in fact, I wouldn't even know it existed." She smiled and said, "He's kinda protective like that, but I don't mind. It's what I love about him."
The guy across from her was silent for a few seconds before he said, "…Must be nice to have someone who gives a damn about you." He sighed and, for some reason, began to talk about himself. It was strange, because he didn't even know it was happening. The words simply came. "My mom was a big-time real estate agent, hot kitten on the block. She worked most of the time, so I didn't see her except on sparse occasions. She rarely even looked my way because she was buried in all that work, too busy with her career. My dad was a steel worker, and he's the one who had to take all the bullshit, I think. I wouldn't know- I saw him about half as much as I did mom, and when I did see him he was drunk as hell. I guess you could say I didn't have any guidance except when I was younger, when it was all about me and my little brother and not about work."
Callie was silent, just listening. Why did he say was? Weren't they still alive?
"Anyways," the tom continued, "Come age fifteen, I think that was the point when shit started happening. I guess I got sick of my folks, because I ran out on 'em in the dead of night one day. I didn't expect my little brother to follow me. Apparently, he couldn't live without me, the little runt." For the first time, she saw him smile. And it made her smile.
Then the smile left as he continued. "I got caught up with the wrong kats, so to speak. Snuck into their place, thought I'd spend the night there. I almost got us both killed, but they said the fact that I had even found the place, much less infiltrated without detection, showed promise. At least, that's what the guy in charge said."
He sighed and said, "They let us stay, I owed them one, I figured I could help them out. I started out as lookout for some of the little jobs, things like tagging territory and jacking cars. From those jobs I started picking up things, learning something from them." He looked towards Callie and said, "They became the family that I didn't have back at home. You get it?"
Callie nodded. "I got it."
The gang kat lowered his head again, trying to find his words. "I was in that gang for one year before I first got caught. My folks apparently grew a pair of souls and sent out an all points bulletin for me and my brother. They found us with tattoos and shit, robbing a corner store."
Callie grimaced. That wasn't the best position to be in.
"We got put in the cooler for five weeks, nothing major. It was just a bunch of lowlifes in there, no real killers. But my little brother, he was scared. I was all he had at that point. Mom sprung us, but then she went to town on us." He smirked and said, "I guess I went kinda nuts on her, because I told her what I thought of her and her concern. We ran away again, this time in full view of our parents. We knew where to go, who to talk to, who would hide us."
He paused again, perhaps to gather himself. "We were able to evade the Enforcers for a year, and we both moved up the ranks." He pulled back the left sleeve of his BDUs and said, "You see these? Each one of them represents a rank, as well as the trial that I had to pass to get it. They're like rank insignia for the Enforcers, get it?" There were four of them on his forearm.
"My little brother had three. I was there on the day he got this one," he said as he pointed towards the third one from the left. "I was so proud of him, I felt like I had brought him all the way to this point. That was the only time in my life that I cried," he said with a chuckle.
Callie's neck tingled, and she suddenly felt a sadness that was deeper than the cold ocean they had just been dunked in. He didn't have to say it, she knew. "He's dead, isn't he? He got killed in some kind of fight?"
The talking was stopped in its tracks. After a few seconds, without saying anything, the tom nodded. It looked like he didn't have to explain any more on that.
For some reason, Callie wanted to hold him, to tell him it was all right. This was why he had been alone, why he said that it was better to be on his own. The only family that actually cared about him, and he was dead. How would he feel about everything else that was transient, that wouldn't last forever? He would be hostile towards it, and that meant any sort of friends.
But she couldn't… because if she did, he would probably shy away again, as was his nature.
"Finish it," Callie said softly. "You have more, I know it."
The tanned tom was silent for a good fifteen seconds before he sighed and said, "I don't know what was going through my head when I heard that he got axed in a territory dispute with a rival gang of ours. I… I didn't think, I didn't blink, I didn't even cry. I just took all the weapons I could, headed over to their stronghold by myself, and started going crazy. Got shot five times for it and almost died. And I didn't care."
She could almost notice a tear coming down his face- or was that her crying? She couldn't tell which anymore, and didn't try to.
"By the time I came to, I was in the hospital with an oxygen mask on my face. I felt like shit, I probably looked like shit, and my brother was dead. Life could not be worse. On top of that, when I had fully recovered, Commander Feral hit me with prison for manslaughter and possession with intent to sell." He scoffed and said, "Hell, I deserved the second one- I shouldn't have been pushing that katnip. That shit is dangerous to carry."
Callie did not respond. She simply let him finish. And indeed, he finished.
"Yeah, well my mom bailed me out again… and she convinced the Enforcers that I could change, that I could be somebody. I knew she was pissed as hell and I knew she was doing it to save face. So yeah, I'm here now, trying to work off my time." He chuckled derisively and said, "Some work it is."
"Yeah," Callie said softly, "Some work."
He looked up towards her and raised an eyebrow, noticing the tracks of her tears. "Hey, listen… don't tell anyone, all right? I don't know why the hell I told you all that, but now you know, and I'm…" He hesitated for a moment, and Callie knew it was hard. "I… trust you… to keep it from the rest of the Crew. You don't, and the next time we meet after this week, I promise I'm not going to play nice with you."
Callie nodded and smiled a watery smile. "Consider it locked and forgotten."
He nodded and lowered his head for a moment. She really did give a damn about him.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, "For the shit I put you through." With that, he stood and began to throw his plate away. He wasn't hungry right now.
Callie got up and followed him, not saying a word. Part of her rejoiced. She wouldn't be surprised if, for the rest of this week, she finally had a fully cohesive team. A split second after, she wasn't concerned about that. This tom needed friends, and she would bring him out of himself if it were the last thing she ever did.
But it wasn't like he had to know, right?
Eight p.m. that evening. And it was a painful, tiring, cold evening. This time they were digging holes for no apparent reason other than to play in the sand. Only that it wasn't playing. It was work, and it was hard work. Some didn't know why they dug, others didn't care. The instructors figured that they would take time out to play a few games with them. But those who played and lost quickly found out that it paid to be a winner.
That statement was becoming a norm.
"We're gonna play a game of rock-paper-scissors," one instructor told the leader of one Crew. "I want you to pick the luckiest son of a bitch in your group and have him or her play me. You win and you get a three minute rest. You lose and you get surf."
The luckiest person in the team wasn't so lucky. They were forced to take a dunk, and the water was as cold as the early morning. The day did not seem to end for them. Callie knew that the instructor would pick something random every time, and was probably picking one in a pattern so that those watching would think that they could beat him.
Callie picked one of her she-kats, even before the game started for them. "All right… now listen. I want you to do this while closing your eyes. Don't pay attention to how silly it is or how he's looking at you, just shut your eyes and play against him. Don't think about your move; don't think about his. Just clear your mind of all those assumptions and guesses."
The she-kat nodded, understanding what that meant by now. "I understand, Captain."
Callie smiled and said, "Just let the answer come by itself. You should see a picture in your head or feel something about… one second before he makes his move. Yes, you only have one second. Once you find out what it is, you know what to do. I don't care what it is or how it comes across, trust the first thing you feel and pay close attention to any sign you get."
The game began and the rules were explained again. The she-kat nodded and closed her eyes. "What are you doing, grunt? You think you can do this with your eyes closed?" He shrugged and said, "Fine by me, just means I'll win faster. Ready!"
One… two… her right ear twitched. Alarm bells went off in her head- it was rock, she was sure of it. She put down paper without another thought. The Boat Crew cheered. "Well I'll be damned… you did it. You get three minutes' grace, then dig again. Don't slouch off."
The gang kat looked at her for a minute, and then looked towards Callie. "Saw her right ear flick before that happened. Did you tell her to do that?" Callie nodded. "There are signs, subtle ones, that tell you when something is about to happen. You pay attention to them, and they'll save your life. I told her to close her eyes so her mind wouldn't register what it saw, and thus it wouldn't be occupied. I can do that same thing without my eyes closed at all."
The gang kat nodded. "And that's how you could tell when the surf was coming, even when you couldn't see it. It was how you knew that I was awake and behind you, even in the dark."
Callie nodded again. "You catch on quick. I figured you were smarter than you were acting."
He smiled. Not smirked, smiled. "I can be… stubborn. You know that. I'll try it sometime, see if it works. It'll probably look stupid when I do though, but I guess that doesn't matter. Like you keep on saying, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter. Am I right?"
She nodded. "You're right."
They soon found out why the hell they were digging as they turned their boats and paddles into lean-tos. The boat managed to protect against the wind, and the pits they had dug provided some semblance of warmth. "I want your asses sleeping like babies within the next thirty seconds! Move it before I knock you unconscious!"
They had never been ordered to go to sleep before. Boat Crew Two knew that going to sleep would mean eventually waking up later, and at a hellacious time. They did what they were told anyway, without hesitation. Their beds were the sand, the impromptu lean-to was their roof, and it was all they needed.
Sleep came in ten seconds for the eight of them, all huddled together back to back.
Tomorrow, whenever the instructors decided that would be, was another day of Hell Week. It didn't feel so much like hell anymore.
Chapter 38: Hell Week (Part 3) – Cold, Wet, and Miserable
Let me tell you, that's rough stuff.
Then again, that which doesn't kill you… will try and kill you again, so watch out. HAW. Anyways, let's see what we can cook up for next time, hmm? I'm running out of options here. Callie seems to have brought herself through the fires (or rather, the cold) of the second day, and her team is still in the thick of it. The next chapter will cover two days in at least five thousand words, or at least it'll try to. It might take more, only time will tell.
Regardless of how many words it takes, it'll only take a few more for Reviewer Appreciation. Kodachi Claws has my sincere apologies for getting his gender wrong. I'm a silly person sometimes and I make assumptions. Just proves the saying that it makes an ass out of you and me, right? Sorry about that. With that said, You know my response to your review- it was the only thing I could think of at the time, and sometimes I just go with that. I'll have her dye her hair or something later after this is all over.
RaidenSilversword, what's goin' on? You like this so far? I believe you do. And yeah, I should get a raise, huh? Wonder how much I should ask for. But seriously, this is a non-profit organization. I write for the glory of writing so that others may read and enjoy my work. Sure, I'm working on an actual book, but does that mean that I'll stop being here? Hell no. The Mercenary will keep on putting out, one hundred percent.
Right, for the rest of you, I know you're reading. I know you are paying attention. And I appreciate it. But I would still like for you to leave a review, because even though I know, I'm still a paranoid bastard, and I like to hear opinions on my work. They are what drive me to write, and even then I would probably keep on writing just to write. Because I like it.
Okay, bed for me, again. I woke up at around four in the morning to finish this.
Hasta la vista, see ya when I see ya.