Heyo! Hope you've all been doing great this past week. Got a pretty awesome grade on my research essay so I'm pretty happy about that. In other news, I made an insta for my writing profile! If you want to follow or just browse the name in my profile. I'll be posting updates, memes, and art that Shadow does. With that out of the way, I just wanted to thank everyone who has commented, followed, and even just read. You peeps are some real ones. Hope you all have a great next week and I'll see ya then.

0500

A tired looking group of canines lazily stretched near the start of the school's track while the Gamma Students finished their third mile. The wind was whipping hard through the campus. Cold air stung through the exposed fur of the 701 group's workout clothes. They were not happy animals to say the least.

Durham shot his pointy head in the little fennec's direction. "Voss, I just wanted to let you know that this is all your fault, and that I hate you."

"I heard you the last seven times since we got up. I'm sure it's not going to be that bad." The fox bent over to try and touch his toes. Didn't want to pull a hammy.

In the first week of November, the canines had challenged the twin brothers to a video game tournament, believing their familiarity with the gaming system would bring them victory. The winner of the tournament could request whatever they wanted from the other group within reason. The boys of 701 had collectively decided that they would make the brothers play fetch, dog style, using only their mouths to catch. Unfortunately, they hadn't accounted for the Spartan's supernatural adaptability and their talent for rising to the occasion. Voss choked the last round of the game and he had been consistently reminded of it since. Now they were being forced to do PT with the soldiers every Tuesday and Friday. It definitely did not seem fair, but the brothers argued that it was completely "within reason."

Miguno felt like voicing his displeasure as well. "I think I remember, and stop me if I'm wrong, me saying something like 'hey Voss, don't choose Street Combat 7. The soldier dudes, who practice MMA in their spare time, probably like fighting games.'"

Voss was fuming now. "Well what the fuck else were we going to play? All we have are first person shooters and fighting games! Unless you wanted to see who could bring in the most crops in Harvest Simulator. Maybe we could've beat them by boring them to death!"

Collot got a chuckle out of that and turned to Jack who held an offended expression.

The Golden Lab loved the simplistic farming experience. "Hey, Harvest Simulator is a great game! Not everything has to be violent you know."

Voss made a knife hand at the dog. "Jack, I watch you play that game in order to go to sleep early. Ten minutes and I'm out. It might just be the lamest game ever. Of all time."

Nomad came around to the straightaway with Damon. The more boisterous twin turned to the group as he ran past. "Less talking, more running!"

Legosi was the first to conclude his lackluster stretches and hit the pavement. He could by no means keep the unparalleled pace the Spartans set, but he was certainly the most in shape of the canines with Durham being a relatively close second. Jack and Miguno kept pretty much the same stride and stayed side by side like the twins. Collot was already huffing hard by the second lap. The sheepdog was probably the one who suffered the most out of the group, but refused to complain. Voss, due to him being vertically challenged, consistently maintained last place.

As the pale girl started passing the wolf for the third time, he couldn't help but notice she was looking him over everytime she rounded to the outside. It was like she was examining him for something. She was only two or three inches taller than him, but her adjudicating glare made her look like a storey-high titan. What is she looking for? Legosi wondered.

The two had been working together for some time in Drama Club. Ana had been freelancing in the different departments of the Production Crew, going where she was needed. Legosi showed her the basics of lighting and how to adapt the beams to different parts of the script. She hadn't seemed interested at the time, but when a short break started for the acting team, she demanded to take control for the next scene. Surprised by the impassioned request, he let her at it. The girl followed his every instruction to the tee. It was the way she was now with everyone since her reassignment to Production. She seemed cold and almost passively condescending, but she listened intently to every instruction and comment. She took it to heart too.

"She was pretty good I guess." The wolf's own dismissive words bounced around in his head like they had been for the last month. He had said that about her dancing her very first week at school. She was a stranger in a foreign world and she got put down by a senior of the club that was supposed to be welcoming to all. He hadn't even thought about how he'd come off until Jack mentioned it back in their dorms that night. She probably thinks you're against her.

The very next week he was there to see Louis and all of the managers reassign her. He had sensed her intense irritation, followed by her powerful self-suppression. After that she dropped her mirthful facade and adopted a more resigned attitude towards mostly everyone. Outside of the club, she established a hardened aura that made her practically unapproachable. Is that what I look like to other people?

By the time Damon called the thirty minute marker, the Gamma students were already done with their 15 miles and were waiting for their animal peers to come back to the start. Upon arriving, the 701 crew bent over with their hands on their knees, trying to recover. Everyone had trails of steam that emanated from their bodies and rose into the chilly morning air.

Jack had tried to distract his brain from thinking how much his legs were hurting by doing calculations in his head. During the run, he had kept track of the soldiers' laps and arrived at an interesting discovery. "So you guys… run at… fifty… kilometers... an hour?" The golden dog's tongue dripped between pants.

"Yep, we're pretty fast." Nomad said with a smug undertone.

"I'd say." Durham cut in. "You guys are fast as cheetahs."

"I wouldn't say that. They can go like a hundred and twenty right?" Nomad looked to Damon for confirmation. His twin was almost bug-eyed at his remark. Why is he… oh… ah man. They only run on two legs, fucking idiot.

Jack tilted his head, confused. The Spartans weren't usually so blatantly wrong. "No, maybe sixty-five at max."

"Yeah, sorry. Was thinking about something else." Damn, I need to get good at lying.

Damon clapped his hands together loudly to grab everyone's attention. "Buddy run time! Stand next to who I pair you up with. Collot and Durham." The coyote and sheepdog followed the order and stood beside each other. "Jack and Miguno." The lab and hyena fist pumped as they closed their gap.. "Legosi and Ana." The girl made no motion towards the wolf, he would have to go to her.

"Hey! What about me?" Voss indignantly inquired. This got a few laughs from the group.

"Thanks for reminding me Voss. I made something just for you." Damon walked over to an olive green duffle bag that was resting on the bleachers and pulled out an oblong sack. The Spartan flung the sack over to the fennec and it rolled a little before stopping. It was a 15 kilogram sandbag with little strips of extra material for its "appendages."

"Sorry if your partner is not as 'lively' as the rest of us. You'll have to stand him up yourself."

The fox took this as a challenge. He huffed and struggled as the bag folded over, falling face first in the opposite direction. Voss cursed as he stood the bane up once more, careful to not let it crumple again.

When everyone was in position, the medic continued. "You're going to start by grabbing your partner's wrist with your same side hand and lifting it up." Damon displayed the step with his twin. Collot and Jack raised their tight grasps on Durham and Miguno confidently. Legosi however, tentatively lifted his light clamp on Ana.

"You're then going to put your free arm through their legs, swap the grip to the hand you have around their thigh, make sure your back is tight, and lift with your legs." Nomad's slumped body rose for everyone to see. "Make sure they're at the top of your back with their butt high in the air. Not like this." The medic dropped his brother down his back and Nomad's hips twisted, mashing his crotch against Damon's shoulder as he slid. "This is uncomfortable."

"Bastard." Nomad huffed before Damon positioned him correctly again.

"Go ahead and try it yourselves." Collot had no problem raising Durham. Jack began slightly off balance and almost drove his hyena partener into the track, but he was able to get his feet under him in time. Legosi was still cautiously adjusting his clasp on Ana.

"Your grip is going to need to be stronger than that." Ana said as she readjusted his hand so that it fully wrapped around her wrist with a lot more pressure. Legosi lifted her up and realized just how rigid the Spartan felt as she pressed into his upper back. She was also a lot heavier than her frame suggested. It wasn't what he thought a female would feel like. Then again, this certainly wasn't a regular female.

"Everybody set?" Damon asked the group who returned the question with nods. "Good. Six laps, three a partner, switch every lap. Let's go!" Damon set off on a long stride run and the rest of the group followed at their own paces.

Legosi tried hard to keep his jog smooth so that he didn't jostle the girl on him. "What are you doing?" Ana asked with a bit of ire in her voice. The wolf wondered what he did wrong this time. "You changed your step. Run how you would in a combat situation. Run like you're being chased." Legosi couldn't really relate to either of those hypotheticals, but he followed her command anyway and ran as he normally would.

Upon finishing his first lap, the wolf set his partner down. She hardly gave him a moment to breathe before he was up in the air. Legosi let his faintly fatigued brain wander as he was allowed this undulating rest. It was rare to find someone at school as big and tall as him, save a few students in the ursine family, but none could move the way Ana could. The girl always carried herself with grace and a brewing swiftness, able to take off anytime at full power. Here, at the track, she actually showed it. Bounding with pride in every footfall, it wasn't long before he found himself being let down for his turn again.

When it was all said and done, the spent 701 crew splayed themselves over the bleachers as they heaved the cold air into their lungs. The Gamma students naturally didn't look any worse for wear.

Voss dusted off his back the best he could. A little sand had seeped through the bag during the run. He turned to the nearest twin to him. "How the hell are you not smoked after that?"

Nomad's familiar smugness crossed his face. "Don't know. Guess we're just built different."

Damon noted that it was now six. The soldier understood that all the canines shared a single bathroom, so he wanted to give them ample time to get ready for the day. He clapped his hands together again. "Alright, good work today everyone. You're going to start getting sore tonight and it's going to be even worse tomorrow. Remember to stretch in your down time and get as much protein as you can get your hands on. I'll let you guys go and we'll do this again on Friday. See you guys at breakfast."

The medic grabbed Voss' sandbag, placing it in his duffle before heading off to the dorms with his brother. When they could move again, most of the 701 crew followed, except for Jack who had started off before he realized Legosi wasn't behind him. The wolf was laying on the bleachers watching Ana as she walked over to her water bottle and took a few sips before warming up her arms.

Legosi's curiosity got the better of him. "What are you doing now?"

"I'm about to start shadow sparring." The soldier realized he might not know what she's talking about. "I don't have a partner, so I perform my moves on air. It's not the same as the real deal, but it keeps the muscles ready." An idea popped into the Spartan's mind, and a slight smirk appeared. "If you could help me I could show you a thing or two."

His lips moved before his mind did. "Sure. I'll help."