Warning: Rated for language, violence and references to adult behavior.
The main characters of this story are based on characters from the cartoon 'Code Lyoko.' I do not own, nor do I claim, any copyright to these characters.
It took some doing, but the gang was able to get permission from their parents and the principal to take the weekend excursion to the air base. Jeremie's parents, Aelita's aunt and uncle, the Della Robbia's and the Ishiyamas also said that they would come along. Principal Delmas, Ulrich's mother, and Ambassador Wilkerson and his wife were also coming along. Herve's parents allowed him to participate, but couldn't come themselves. Jeanie said that her parents would adopt him for the weekend.
Before the weekend came, two groups of people held meetings about the upcoming trip.
In the first, Jeremie spoke with his friends.
"Guys, I know that this is kinda strange, like airing our dirty laundry in public, but I think we really need some help. I'm not saying anybody is screwing up, but we have to prepare for XANA when he turns up. If that were to happen now, I don't think we'd last five minutes."
"What's the problem, anyway, Jer," Ulrich asked.
"I can't put my finger on it, that's part of the problem. Since Sissi joined, things have been different. I don't mean that as a slam on Sissi, but it's true nonetheless."
"Also, I have to change my role in the group. XANA's out now, so my sitting at a console somewhere isn't going to help us. I need to be able to fight with you guys if it gets down to that. Also, if something happens to me, and someone does have to sit at that console, we have to have someone ready to handle it."
"Anyway, I've come to trust and respect MGySgt. Thompson. He's been doing this kind of thing longer than any of us has been alive. He may be able to pinpoint just what the disconnect is and help us fix that."
"Now, the reason I've got everybody together is to state the obvious. When we're on this thing, we're going to have people with us who know diddly-squat about Lyoko, XANA or what we do. It needs to stay that way. Other than that, everybody who's out there with us is part of the team, and we treat them that way. That means Herve and Jeanie in particular."
Odd and Ulrich groaned at that.
At the Embassy, another meeting was taking place.
"Alright, Cpl. Pyle, Cpl. Coffy, you will be with me supervising the kids through the course. Safety is Priority Number One. These kids have not been through Basic, so we do not run their asses off. If at any time a situation looks to get dangerous, I want it stopped and I want to know about it. None of them 'shall dash their foot against a stone,' get me?"
"We get you, Master Guns!" said the group.
"Gunny Grace, you will lead a squad of roving security. Your mission is to remain undetected, and provide me with intel on any activity that occurs outside the training exercises."
"Aye-aye, Master Guns," GySgt. Grace replied.
"Good. I want reports of final preparations on my desk by End Of Day. Dismissed. Gunny Grace, stay behind, please. I want a private word with you."
The rest of the Marines filed out of the briefing room, while GySgt. Grace remained.
"Ann, I want to give you an 'expanded' explanation of your orders," Thompson began, "I've got a sneaking suspicion that I know what's at the root of Jeremie's 'problem.'"
"Care to elaborate?" she asked.
"Hormones," he said.
"Oh, Jeez."
"Oh Jeez and oh shit. You've noticed how Jeremie's 'team' has seemed to pair off, haven't you."
"Are you kidding, if one of those girls would trip, she'd have her boyfriend's dick in her so fast it's not funny," GySgt. Grace said.
MGySgt. Thompson smiled at that. "Jeremie doesn't look like he's got it quite that bad, but that's an accurate assessment of the others. What I want you to watch out for is for any of them sneaking away for a little trysting. If one of them does, break it up in a way that doesn't blow your cover, and let me know. I think we are going to have some 'counseling sessions' this weekend."
"Tell their parents?"
"I haven't decided."
"What about the princess?"
"I told her in no uncertain terms that if she tries to bone her boyfriend this weekend, I will personally see to it she spends the next four years going through Basic at Parris Island, after I told her father. She just about shit when I told her that, so I don't think she'll be a problem. But keep an eye on her too."
The weekend of the confidence course came and it was wet. And chilly. Both parents and children met at Kadic Academy for the trip, including the US Ambassador and his family. A bus was waiting to take them to the base.
There was also a surprise guest for the weekend. General Allen Maxwell, USMC, the senior officer at the Embassy, was accompanying them.
After making introductions, the visitors were loaded on the bus and they were off.
During the drive, MGySgt. Thompson spoke with General Maxwell.
"Sir, is there any particular reason why you decided to accompany us? Not that you're not welcome, of course."
"I'm just curious how my Senior NCO is spending his time," the General replied, "you've been involved with these kids for what, three, four months now?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, I was just wondering, what's the point? From what I've heard, you've helped the Belpois boy and his girlfriend. This seems to be going way beyond helping a boy find his confidence."
"General, I can't really explain it. You're right, Belpois at least has enough confidence that if he wants to go further, he can do it on his own. But ever since his father called, I've just had this feeling, a feeling that he needs a lot more help than he's asked for. When he brought this little problem to me, that feeling really struck home. Now, if you tell me to, I'll end it. The original purpose has been accomplished, and we can always talk on the phone or write. But I really feel that we need to stay involved with this kid and his friends. Call it paranoia, call it senility, but that's my read on it."
"Tay, I've never second guessed your 'feelings.' God knows your feelings have saved my ass on more than one occasion. About the only thing I will say is be careful. Don't get yourself into anything that'll hurt your career. You're about due to retire in, what, two years?"
"There abouts, sir. That's when my current hitch is up."
"Well, I'd hate for you to get a case of 'short timers luck' and have that screwed up," Maxwell said, "just be careful."
"I try to be, sir. I try to be."
The weather moderated by the time they got to the base. The sun was out, and it was drying the land off as well as raising the temperature. MGySgt. Thompson escorted the group to a building close to where the bus had parked.
Once everybody was inside and settled, he called for everybody's attention and spoke, "I'd first like to thank everyone for taking the time out and coming today. Now this is primarily for the kids, but we also have some activities planned for the adults."
"The group of buildings where we are now will be our base of operations for the weekend. I'll have someone come around in a bit and give everyone billet, I mean, room assignments. Families will be rooming together, so you parents shouldn't be too worried."
The adults chuckled at that remark.
"I need to see all of the kids in the next room for a moment, then we'll get started. Thanks again for participating, everybody."
Once the kids moved into the next room, MGySgt. Thompson and two other men, Cpl. Coffy and Cpl. Pyle, joined them.
"Okay, here's what's going to happen," MGySgt. Thompson began, "you will be taken out onto the base's Obstacle Course. When we get to each Obstacle, you will be given instructions on how to complete it. Once the Obstacle is complete, we will move on to the next."
"Depending on how well you do, we could complete the course by noon tomorrow. Of course, if we finish sooner, the rest of the weekend will be more or less unstructured."
The kids smiled at that remark.
"Now, here are some rules. One, Safety First! We are not here to get you injured or get you killed. You have to sign up for that."
They laughed.
"If you aren't sure about something, ask us. We will help you, or we will adjust the situation. If you do get hurt or injured, say something! A Corpsman will be with us the entire time. If he can't handle it, we can have you in the base hospital in five minutes."
"Two, no one leaves the course! I've got the whole thing reserved for the entire weekend, but this is a working military base. There are activities going on all around us, and some of that activity can be dangerous. Like I said, we aren't here to get you injured or killed. Don't you do it for us."
"Three, the issue here is trust and teamwork. I'm sure that some of you could complete every obstacle on the course in record time, but that's not the point. There are those on your team that may not be able to match your physical prowess. Because of that, no one leaves the obstacle until everybody has completed it. Those that do complete the obstacle may help those who haven't yet, but it must be in a way that the person completes the task as presented."
"You were all given a list of clothes and equipment to bring today. In a minute, we'll be around to make sure you have everything. Additionally, we will be passing out an equipment belt with a canteen of water. The canteens hold 3 liters each, and that should be more than enough to get you through today. Drink when you need it, and remember there are no bathrooms on the course."
They laughed again.
"Alright, equipment check!"
It was about a mile from the building where they gathered to the obstacle course. MGySgt. Thompson set a good pace, and they arrived at the first obstacle a half hour later. The kids were winded, Herve and Jeanie especially so, but they were ready to begin.
The first obstacle was a wall, about twelve feet tall. At the top were three ropes, hanging down about half way, but still out of reach.
"Here's your first test," MGySgt. Thompson began, "everyone has to get up and over that wall. Those who get up and over first may help the rest to complete the job, but they cannot go back around the sides to do it. Those that do will have to scale the wall again. Any questions?"
"Can we use anything to help us?" Yumi asked.
"You can use whatever is on this side of the wall. If you find something on the other side of the wall that would be useful, you must bring it back up the wall and over the top to use it, you can't run it around the side," Thompson replied, "anyone else? Good. Get to it."
The eight kids approached the wall. On either side, Cpl. Pyle or Cpl. Coffy stood, preventing them from circumventing the wall. MGySgt. Thompson walked around to the other side.
"Any ideas, Einstein?" Odd asked.
"I think the first thing we need to do is to get someone on top of the wall. Thompson said if there's something on the other side we could use, we will have to get it back over the wall. That makes me wonder if there isn't something over there we can use," Jeremie replied.
"I'll go," Odd then said, "someone will just have to get me to the rope, that's all."
"I'll help," Ulrich piped in.
Ulrich and Odd went over to the wall. Ulrich set his back against the wall and cupped his hands to give Odd a foothold. Odd used the foothold to climb up on Ulrich's shoulders. He then stretched as far as he could and managed to grab one of the ropes. He pulled himself up to the top of the wall and looked over.
"Hey Jeremie! There's a ladder on this side!" Odd called back.
"Great! can you get it over here?"
"No, it's lying flat on the ground. I'll have to jump down to get it."
"Okay, wait... Odd!" Jeremie called, but it was too late. Odd jumped from the top of the wall down to the other side.
It was very tempting to peek around the wall to see what was going on, but the gang resisted the temptation. After a moment, they heard a thud! as something hit the wall on the other side. Seconds after that they heard Odd shout, "Crap! I can't reach the top!"
Yumi then said, "let me try next. I can get to the top and throw one of the ropes over to Odd."
Ulrich then positioned himself against the wall again, forming his hands into a foothold for Yumi. She ran up, putting her foot into his hands, the other on his shoulder, and vaulted up to the rope. She hung there a moment, eyes closed, muttering to herself. Then, she opened her eyes and scaled the wall.
Once on top, she took the rope she climbed, and threw it on the other side. Odd was now able to climb the ladder and reach the rope.
But they needed to get the ladder over the wall, not Odd.
"Jeremie, what if Odd boosts the ladder up, and I haul it over," Yumi called down.
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Do it!" he called back.
Soon, they could see the first rungs of the ladder appear at the top of the wall. It continued growing for a few seconds, then stopped.
"That's all! I've got the bottom of the ladder over my head!" Odd called from the other side.
Yumi carefully took control of the ladder, pulling it up and tipping it over. At one point, she almost lost her balance, but was able to catch herself. When she was wobbling, all of the Marines standing there rushed up, in case they had to catch her.
She guided the ladder down until she had the last rung in her hand. She then let it go.
The ladder hit the ground on their side, and started to fall over. Ulrich caught it and set it against the wall.
Everybody whooped for joy.
"Okay, Jeanie, Herve, you go next." Jeremie called out.
Jeanie scrambled up the ladder to the rope, then quickly pulled her self up to the top. When she got there, Yumi took one of the ropes and lowered herself down the opposite side.
Herve then scaled the ladder, and took the rope. Then, he got into trouble. Herve had difficulty pulling himself up. Jeanie tried reaching down to help him, but almost fell off.
"I can't hold on! I'm going to slip!" he cried out.
Sissi then sprinted up the ladder, and grabbed the rope next to Herve. With her free arm, she grabbed Herve's waist and stabilized him.
"Ooofff! Get a better grip on the rope! I can't hold you forever, but I think I can help you up! You've got to try, Herve! You can do it, I know you can!" Sissi told him.
"Come on love, you can make it! I'm right here, waiting for you!" Jeanie called down to him.
Something inside Herve bloomed to life. No one had ever called him love before, not even Sissi. And Sissi beside him, helping him, encouraging him, triggered something. Somewhere, he found Strength.
Slowly, he started pulling himself up the rope. Sissi released her grip on him for a moment to scale the rope herself, all the time keeping pace with her friend. On top of the wall, Jeanie was calling encouragement to him, holding her hand out to grab him as soon as he was close enough.
He kept pulling himself up, hand over hand, his feet hardly contributing to the effort at all. But he climbed.
Finally, Jeanie's hand was able to grab his wrist. Sissi clambered up the remaining distance, then grabbed him too. Together, the girls pulled Herve to the top of the wall.
Now, on both sides of the wall, came the whooping and shouting of triumph!
"You the Man, Herve!" called Odd.
"I knew you could do it!" called Jeremie.
Now, only Jeremie, Aelita and Ulrich remained.
Aelita was the next to climb. It was difficult for her, but she was able to scale the wall without help. Jeanie and Sissi, dropped down to the other side when she made it to the top.
Now it was just Jeremie and Ulrich.
"You go ahead, Jer," Ulrich said, "I'll be fine."
"Are you sure? You don't think your vertigo will..." Jeremie replied.
"I'll be fine!" Ulrich snapped.
"Okay! Forgive me for being concerned!" Jeremie turned away and scaled the wall.
When he got to the top, Aelita dropped down. Now they were waiting for Ulrich.
"Just a moment before you continue," MGySgt. Thompson called out, "you need to put the ladder back where you found it."
Everybody groaned at that pronouncement.
Several of the gang, Jeanie being the loudest, started protesting about that not being fair. Thompson rebuffed them by saying, "Obstacles by their very nature are unfair. Deal with it."
Jeremie sat atop the wall and pondered. He looked at the top of the wall, at the attachment points of the ropes there. They were simply tied to eye-bolts screwed into the top of the wall. He thought for a moment longer, then called out, "Master Guns, if I put them back, can I untie the ropes?"
"As long as you put them back, fine," he replied.
Jeremie then called down to Ulrich, "go ahead and push the ladder up. I'll flip it over."
"Then what'll I do?" Ulrich called back.
"Wait and see."
Ulrich shrugged and pushed the ladder up to Jeremie. Jeremie then flipped the ladder over to the other side. Everybody scattered when if came over.
Next, Jeremie carefully made his way over to the far rope. He untied it, then pulled it back. He then pulled up the center rope. Once he had the loose end, he tied a sheet bend using the two ropes, joining them together. He then dropped the doubled rope down the side.
"Ulrich, can you climb that?"
Ulrich ran up, jumped, and caught the end of the rope. He pulled himself up part ways, then hollered and fell back down. Cpl. Coffy was immediately at his side.
Ulrich shook himself off, and told Coffy he was okay. Cpl. Coffy put his hand on Ulrich's shoulder and said something to him. Ulrich then ran and caught the rope again.
This time, he made slow and steady progress. Jeremie was calling encouragement from the top of the wall, while Cpl. Coffy was calling encouragement from the ground. He glanced for a second at MGySgt. Thompson, who just smiled back.
Ulrich finally joined Jeremie at the top of the wall.
"See, I knew you could do it!" Jeremie told his friend, "now get on over and I'll put the rope back." Ulrich dropped on the other side.
Jeremie replaced the rope where he found it, and jumped down.
MGySgt. Thompson clapped as he approached them.
"That was great! That was a unique solution to the problem, team! Now take five, then we'll proceed to the next obstacle."
The next obstacle was a series of logs suspended in the air. They were held up by posts in the ground, which raised the logs up six feet off the ground at the highest point at the beginning, and three feet off the ground at the lowest point at the end.
"The object here is to navigate the logs without touching the ground. Anyone who touches the ground has to start over again. Cpl. Pyle will demonstrate how you will cross the logs."
Thompson nodded to Cpl. Pyle, who ran up to the obstacle, jumped up and grabbed the first log. He pulled himself up, then over the log. He next grabbed the second log, and pulled himself under it, grabbing the log with his arms and legs. Then he grabbed the third log and pulled himself up and over it. He continued this way across all of the logs, until he reached the end.
"Now, I will give you this. Once you have completed the obstacle, you can remount it and come back up to help your teammates, without threading the logs like Cpl. Coffy just did. But you cannot stand on the ground and help anyone. Understood?"
"Yes, Master Gunnery Sargent," they replied.
"Okay," Jeremie said, "Ulrich, Yumi, Jeanie, Herve, Sissi, Aelita, me then Odd."
"Why me last?" Odd asked.
"Because you can jump up and grab that first log, I can't," Jeremie said.
Ulrich went first. He was able to quickly navigate the logs to the other side. Yumi came quickly after him. Jeanie was next; it took her longer, and she got into trouble. Yumi immediately jumped on the logs and scrambled of the top to the girl. She grabbed Jeanie and helped her under the log she was slipping from. Jeanie smiled in thanks and continued on. Yumi shadowed her, helping whenever she started to slip. Both girls made it to the other side.
Then it was Herve's turn. Odd boosted him up to the first log. Herve tried to pull himself up, but couldn't and slipped off. Jeanie and Yumi both scampered over the logs to get to the other side to help. Odd boosted Herve up again, this time into the waiting hands of Yumi and Jeanie. They pulled him up onto the log. Then they helped him go under the second log, making sure he didn't slip and fall. The three continued this way all down the obstacle, until he successfully reached the other end.
Then came Sissi. Odd helped her up, and she pulled herself onto the first log. She was able to thread herself below the second log and up onto the third log. She got into trouble on the fourth log. She lost her grip and almost fell; she was barely hanging on by one arm and her legs.
Jeanie and Herve immediately went back out on the logs to her. Herve slipped and almost fell off twice getting there, but the two reached Sissi and grabbed her before she could slip off. They helped her up, then followed her as she completed the course.
Aelita had similar troubles to Sissi. This time, Sissi and Yumi came to her rescue. She successfully crossed the logs.
Jeremie wasn't sure he could make it across. Odd boosted him up, into the waiting hands of Herve and Sissi. While Jeremie was working up his courage to make the attempt, they scrambled back across the logs to help him. With their help, Jeremie made it across.
Odd had no trouble surmounting the obstacle.
Once they were all across, MGySgt. Thompson said, "Good Effort! Now, let's take lunch. I guess we aren't going to get as far as I thought, but I love the progress we're making. Fall out for chow!"
Lunch was MREs, or Meals, Ready To Eat. Coffy and Pyle sat with the kids, trading items out of their MREs for items in the others, in particular coffee.
MGySgt. Thompson was off to one side, talking on a cell phone.
Ulrich and Yumi took their lunch and walked off to the edge of the course, and sat down under a tree. The rest stayed gathered together with the two corporals, talking about the morning's activities.
"Cpl. Coffy, why do they call you Sanka?" Aelita asked the man.
He smiled and replied, "well, it could be because of my perfect coffee and cream complexion, or the fact my last name is Coffy, but the real reason is I'm good to the last drop."
The other Marines responded to his declaration with catcalls and boos and a "bullshit".
"Girl, he thinks he's such a lady's man, he even had that stupid motto tattooed on himself," Cpl. Pyle said.
"Where," Aelita asked innocently.
Sanka smiled and replied, "ask me again when you're eighteen and maybe I'll show you."
While the others were talking, Yumi whispered something in Ulrich's ear. A few moments later, they were gone. No one seemed to notice when Ulrich and Yumi slipped away from the group. No one but the Master Gunnery Sargent.
He opened his cell phone again and punched in a number.
"Grace? It's Thompson. You've got customers. Yeah, they just ducked out. Got 'em? Good. Keep an eye on them and report back." He ended the call.
Yumi and Ulrich waited until they were about one hundred yards away from the others before they broke into a run. They ran down the path in front of them. There was nothing around them but the trees; they were alone at last.
They ran into a clearing. Yumi suddenly stopped, then grabbed Ulrich and used his momentum to toss him over her hip. He hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him. She stood over him, laughing, and extended her hand. He took it, only to jerk her off balance, flipping her over him. She too hit hard and had the breath knocked out of her.
He jumped up and stepped back, facing her. She jumped up and faced him. They then proceeded to spar, trading blocks, punches and kicks, only hard enough to register that the had landed, not enough to injure. Finally, they tied themselves into a knot, her blocking his punches as he blocked hers. They held the tableau for a moment, breathing heavily.
Then, they switched from the martial arts to the marital arts.
GySgt. Ann Grace watched the couple from the woods. They had absolutely no idea that she was there, watching them. She set up her camera, a digital one, and began photographing the scene.
Ann had been in the Corps most of her life, and she had her share of relationships. But what she saw through the lens of that camera was something she had never seen, something that she had always wanted.
Those two kids were in Love. This wasn't just teenage hormones run amuck, though they definitely were. They had somehow bound themselves together, and nothing in the universe would separate them. That last time she saw a bond that strong was between her parents.
Ann knew what her orders were, break it up before it went too far, but she couldn't. She tried, but her body refused the orders of her mind. She could only play the voyeur, watching perfect bliss play out between two strangers.
As the two lovers came together, she decided that she must truly be a wicked person. Her father told her once that if you led a sinful life, you were condemned to Hell for eternity. But if you were truly, truly wicked, he went on to say, you were shown Heaven first.
All GySgt. Ann Grace could do was watch Heaven play out before her through the camera lens.