"Cora, when you work for Umbrella, everyone's a giant bulls eye. You're not
escaping. Get over that fact. Just be thankful that you have your family
here." Dinzali said sadly.
Cora was curious at that, but Irene pushed her away, giving her advice on how to hold her hands straight and how to roll and all sorts of useless things that Cora had down pat. Before Cora could make a word of protest, the door to the gym was slammed shut behind her.
"Well, thanks a lot!" she shouted through the door. Her temper was jumping, now, that was just great. Where was Salven when you needed someone to punch?
She strode down the hall with only one thing on her mind : passing this test. If she didn't she would be mocked to all infinity. Finally, she reached the shooting range. Exhaling, the pushed the door open. Scythe was waiting, sitting cross legged with his back against the wall.
"What weapons do you have?" he said, getting to his feet. Great, Cora was dealing with one of those 'let's get right to business' types. Wasn't that just splendid?
"Daggers, Glock .16, and a sniper rifle." she responded in what she hoped was a professional way.
"Daggers?" Scythe rose his eyebrow. Cora glanced at his hip, from which there was a sword hanging.
"Yeah, you have a bloody sword. You would think that someone with a sword would accept daggers." Cora realized that she was beginning to ramble, and she shut up. Scythe laughed.
"Daggers are short range."
"Well, you can throw them." Cora said defensively. She didn't like being cross queried about her weapons. They had served her very well in Mexico, thank you very much. Scythe frowned.
"How old are you, Cora?"
"What?" The question had taken her completely by surprise.
"Your age."
"I'm uh, nineteen." Cora said. Scythe simply nodded.
"Fair enough. Let's just see you go then."
Cora unholstered her Glock and readied herself, flicking the safety on and making sure she had plenty of ammo. One of the targets slid back, making a loud electrical whirr as it slid across the ceiling. Cora went straight for a head shot, and the target spun around.
Cora lost track of the time. Most of her energy was going on into listening for that whirr and then blasting. Six, seven, eight, nine... she lost count of how many targets she had broken into pieces or gotten a head shot on. Suddenly, one slipped out way at the back. Cora blasted away, but the target slid into the opposite wall.
"Damnit!" Cora slammed her hand into the counter as the room darkened. "I missed one!"
"Relax." Scythe was calm. "You passed. Besides, on a team, it's not just one person who does all the work."
Cora felt her face turning red. He probably thought she was an idiot now. She holstered her gun.
"Are we going to test out my sniper rifle stuff?" Cora said. She was fairly confident that she would do better on this. She had trained long and hard with her rifle, and she was confident that she could get everything on it.
"Nah. Dinzali said that you knew it better than you knew yourself. I don't really care to sit around and see you peer into your scope all day. I have better things to be doing." He stood up and cracked his knuckles, and simply strode out. Cora stood there for a moment, completely dumbstruck. He was definitely an odd man, there was no question about that.
Then Cora realized that she was standing in the middle of the shooting range with a stupid expression on her face, and she quickly darted out of the room before she was left behind. She was out of breath by the time she caught up to Scythe, who had left the facility and pointed to what looked like an outdoor course for stealth. There were high walls that were made out of some sort of thin material, set up for purposes like this, and camera set up randomly. There were also odd discs on the ground with glowing green lights set in the middle of them.
"What the hell is that?" Cora blurted.
"This is a stealth testing center." Scythe said as if that explained everything. He caught the blank look on Cora's face and sighed. "The sensors are sound sensors. Make a loud noise, and they'll pick it up. See?" he drew one off the ground and shouted into it. The sensor turned red and began to beep. "The cameras should be easy enough. You can shoot 'em out, turn 'em, whatever. Just don't get spotted by one. Make it out to the other edge of the course, and you're home free."
"It's like a maze?" Cora said, eyeing the walls doubtfully.
"No. It's just like a regular stroll in the park. Just don't get caught. Oh, and I'll be timing you. The record is pretty pathetic, so if you're anything near as good as Dinzali says you are, you shouldn't be in there for more than five minutes.
"Oh." Cora was thoughtful. Maybe she could do this. Maybe she wouldn't screw up. It was doubtful, but it might happen.
"You ready?"
"Wait. So, if I pass this, I'm into Team Biohazard."
"That's the idea." Scythe nodded.
"Fair enough." Cora said to herself. She hesitated, breathing in and out deeply. She couldn't stall any more. This what was she had been training for all these months.
Come on Cora, you're acting like a brand new assassin on her first job. she seized onto this familiar reed. Don't act like this is a test, Merandez! a voice in the back of her head instructed. Cora listened to this voice, as it seemed to be not freaking out. And that was a relief. Think of it as going through with an assassin job. Just gotta go through the security system to get the mark. So go, and get that paycheck.
Cora was curious at that, but Irene pushed her away, giving her advice on how to hold her hands straight and how to roll and all sorts of useless things that Cora had down pat. Before Cora could make a word of protest, the door to the gym was slammed shut behind her.
"Well, thanks a lot!" she shouted through the door. Her temper was jumping, now, that was just great. Where was Salven when you needed someone to punch?
She strode down the hall with only one thing on her mind : passing this test. If she didn't she would be mocked to all infinity. Finally, she reached the shooting range. Exhaling, the pushed the door open. Scythe was waiting, sitting cross legged with his back against the wall.
"What weapons do you have?" he said, getting to his feet. Great, Cora was dealing with one of those 'let's get right to business' types. Wasn't that just splendid?
"Daggers, Glock .16, and a sniper rifle." she responded in what she hoped was a professional way.
"Daggers?" Scythe rose his eyebrow. Cora glanced at his hip, from which there was a sword hanging.
"Yeah, you have a bloody sword. You would think that someone with a sword would accept daggers." Cora realized that she was beginning to ramble, and she shut up. Scythe laughed.
"Daggers are short range."
"Well, you can throw them." Cora said defensively. She didn't like being cross queried about her weapons. They had served her very well in Mexico, thank you very much. Scythe frowned.
"How old are you, Cora?"
"What?" The question had taken her completely by surprise.
"Your age."
"I'm uh, nineteen." Cora said. Scythe simply nodded.
"Fair enough. Let's just see you go then."
Cora unholstered her Glock and readied herself, flicking the safety on and making sure she had plenty of ammo. One of the targets slid back, making a loud electrical whirr as it slid across the ceiling. Cora went straight for a head shot, and the target spun around.
Cora lost track of the time. Most of her energy was going on into listening for that whirr and then blasting. Six, seven, eight, nine... she lost count of how many targets she had broken into pieces or gotten a head shot on. Suddenly, one slipped out way at the back. Cora blasted away, but the target slid into the opposite wall.
"Damnit!" Cora slammed her hand into the counter as the room darkened. "I missed one!"
"Relax." Scythe was calm. "You passed. Besides, on a team, it's not just one person who does all the work."
Cora felt her face turning red. He probably thought she was an idiot now. She holstered her gun.
"Are we going to test out my sniper rifle stuff?" Cora said. She was fairly confident that she would do better on this. She had trained long and hard with her rifle, and she was confident that she could get everything on it.
"Nah. Dinzali said that you knew it better than you knew yourself. I don't really care to sit around and see you peer into your scope all day. I have better things to be doing." He stood up and cracked his knuckles, and simply strode out. Cora stood there for a moment, completely dumbstruck. He was definitely an odd man, there was no question about that.
Then Cora realized that she was standing in the middle of the shooting range with a stupid expression on her face, and she quickly darted out of the room before she was left behind. She was out of breath by the time she caught up to Scythe, who had left the facility and pointed to what looked like an outdoor course for stealth. There were high walls that were made out of some sort of thin material, set up for purposes like this, and camera set up randomly. There were also odd discs on the ground with glowing green lights set in the middle of them.
"What the hell is that?" Cora blurted.
"This is a stealth testing center." Scythe said as if that explained everything. He caught the blank look on Cora's face and sighed. "The sensors are sound sensors. Make a loud noise, and they'll pick it up. See?" he drew one off the ground and shouted into it. The sensor turned red and began to beep. "The cameras should be easy enough. You can shoot 'em out, turn 'em, whatever. Just don't get spotted by one. Make it out to the other edge of the course, and you're home free."
"It's like a maze?" Cora said, eyeing the walls doubtfully.
"No. It's just like a regular stroll in the park. Just don't get caught. Oh, and I'll be timing you. The record is pretty pathetic, so if you're anything near as good as Dinzali says you are, you shouldn't be in there for more than five minutes.
"Oh." Cora was thoughtful. Maybe she could do this. Maybe she wouldn't screw up. It was doubtful, but it might happen.
"You ready?"
"Wait. So, if I pass this, I'm into Team Biohazard."
"That's the idea." Scythe nodded.
"Fair enough." Cora said to herself. She hesitated, breathing in and out deeply. She couldn't stall any more. This what was she had been training for all these months.
Come on Cora, you're acting like a brand new assassin on her first job. she seized onto this familiar reed. Don't act like this is a test, Merandez! a voice in the back of her head instructed. Cora listened to this voice, as it seemed to be not freaking out. And that was a relief. Think of it as going through with an assassin job. Just gotta go through the security system to get the mark. So go, and get that paycheck.
