Chapter Two: The Conversation
"See, I dunno why they have us learn this crap…" Aaron stated in clear frustration. "There's literally nothing I will ever do with any of this!" Nathan couldn't refrain from laughing. Both had long since finished their meals; fortunately, there were no fights this time around. A member of Alpha had been assaulted two days ago by a group of Delta sympathizers, but other than that, things had been surprisingly peaceful around Nimbasa the past few days. No riots, no large-scale violence…
"They just want you to get a balanced education… or just have you take more classes so they can take more money. Anyways, who knows? You might end up using some of it…" Nathan knew quite well that this was incredibly unlikely, and he couldn't hide the smile as his younger friend looked up at him with an unamused glare.
"Dude, I just wanna teach people how to battle. I don't need to be some sort of math wizard…"
"There's more to it than that," Nathan said. "Math teaches you how to think logically. Step-by-step. Maybe it isn't interesting or 'out-of-the-box,' but sometimes the situation calls for what's practical over whatever's fun."
"What's 'practical' is me not having to spend three hours on two problems," he muttered.
"Would you like some help?" Nathan asked.
"Please…"
"Alright, what is the subject?"
"Integration with trig substitution."
"Oh, that's it? That isn't so bad. Dear, would you like to show him, or should I?"
"What the hell do you mean 'not so bad?' Not everyone's an engineer." He looked over at Nathan's wife, focusing his attention on her. "And what did he mean by that? I thought you didn't go to college…" Her hands quickly signed a response, to which Nathan translated.
"She didn't. Adira is self-taught, as she is in most things." He slumped against his chair. Why anyone would actually learn this stuff on their own accord was beyond him. "Truth be told, she's a bit smarter than me… even without a PhD…" The lady in question placed her head on his shoulder cutely, clearly proud of his compliment, before hopping up and grabbing a nearby chair, sliding it up to Aaron. She motioned from something from her husband, who provided a notepad and pen.
So which problem is giving you trouble? she wrote elegantly.
"This one right here," he said, motioning with his pen. Amongst all the messy work was the original problem. She wasted no time in writing on the notepad.
Ok, so there are three main forms that these types of problems can take when looking at the radicand. With that, she wrote out all three scenarios, and Aaron recalled seeing them in class. Now keep in mind that this just means our "a" term and our "x" term. So if I wanted to use one of these three, which would I pick? He looked at the paper inquisitively.
"I mean… the last one is the only one that starts with an x term…"
Exactly! So since each term is squared, we have to do the opposite to plug it into our formula. That gives us the function x = 3/2sec(Ө). This function here is going to be very important for a lot of stuff, so make sure to circle it!
Aaron watched silently and asked questions where necessary as Adira worked out the problem. Along the way, she drew out and explained a reference triangle, which really seemed to help in Aaron's opinion. It was amazing to him how someone – without a degree, nonetheless – could just pick this stuff apart so effortlessly. Maybe Nathan had taught her? But what reason she would have for learning this outside of some bizarre form of entertainment was beyond him. Any questions he had of that nature were not voiced. One thing was for certain: he was very appreciative of the help.
After a lengthy process – one that he was certain she had to slow down for his sake – the final answer ended up having an arccosine within it. The process to get to this point had not required any particularly difficult mathematics but was rather very finnicky and subject to mistakes. It made Aaron long for the day when he would never have to perform such operations again. Despite what Nathan had said, Calculus 2 served no purpose to someone looking to be a professional trainer.
Speaking of the older male, Aaron found him fixed on one of the hanging televisions within the facility. The results of another riot were displayed. From the subtitles, the news anchors were showing the source of the conflict on Alpha, who had seemingly held a free speech rally within Driftveil. Delta, unable to resist, had made an appearance, and that had resulted in nearly thirty people being hospitalized.
"Funny," Nathan commented. "They're trying to pin it all on Alpha. I'm not surprised by that anymore. Not in Unova."
"Weren't they the ones to start it?" Aaron asked.
"Depends on what you mean. It's still legal to protest things peacefully – even though the president is trying to tighten down on that – but I'd argue that they knew things weren't going to remain that way given how they were armed. But people in Delta… they just can't resist. They've gotta feel like heroes touting some progressive cause. Crusaders for change. They have the same right to say what they want, but it often leads to someone on their side throwing a punch." He looked at Aaron. "The only difference is that Delta tends to use their fists. Maybe throw a pokémon out into the mix or throw a drink on you. Alpha pulls out a gun." He motioned to the screen, where a blurred and bloodied picture of a person on the ground was displayed. There was no telling the gender or whether they were even alive.
"You said last week that things used to not be like this…"
"Not this bad, at least," Nathan replied. "I think the biggest tragedy is that most people still aren't. We've just managed to convince ourselves that they are. Those three guys from Alpha last week – they ordered from this very cafeteria. Most of the students and workers at this university tend to support Delta. And yet they were served their food just like everyone else. Most people have not yet been radicalized by this tribal stupidity, but I fear things will only get worse unless something happens soon."
"It would take nothing short of a miracle to get those two to calm down," Aaron stated.
"Sure. But enough of that," Nathan said. "How have things been with your team? Did you have the talk?" He averted his gaze. "Really? A week went by and nothing?"
"Look, I don't even know how to bring it up. I tried once – I really did! But Aster clearly wanted to doze off, Krista and Pierce were watching television, and Marcus was… well, doing that meditative stuff that he's into."
"You can't seriously tell me that you only had one opportunity to bring it up…" Adira focused her gaze on Aaron. Despite her silence, she unnerved him far more than the directness of her husband.
"I just… don't know how to." Despite his physique, he had never gotten in any form of real confrontation. Aaron was far too much of a people pleaser for that. He wasn't good at the hard stuff like this… "And it's not even all of them that I'm worried about," he added. "I mean sure, Krista and Aster throw out a few memories of the good ol' days every once in a while, but those two seem to be pretty content with things now. Marcus and Pierce are the only two that actually go out and seek battles."
"Then maybe those two are the only ones you need to talk to," Nathan replied, but immediately shifted his focus to Adira. She signed something to him, making him pause. "I suppose… She said that they've been a team this whole time and deserve to hear whatever you have to say as a team."
"Huh, so you two actually disagreed on something," Aaron stated.
"Well… I tend to come around and see things her way," Nathan joked, placing his arm around her. She gave off a triumphant grin and kissed his cheek. "Nah, but in all seriousness, you ain't ever gonna see eye-to-eye with anyone on every single thing. What matters is how you approach those differences." He motioned back to the television. "One could very well argue that that's the very problem the world is facing as a whole…"
"So what should I do? Talk to those two separately or as a group?"
"I don't know," Nathan replied. "Never found myself in a situation like this. I'd say, personally, that since only those two seem to be taking it the hardest, you should focus your efforts on them. But Adira has a point. They are a team and should be told anything important as such. Whatever you do, you need to stop putting it off." Those last words were spoken with a seriousness that nearly made Aaron flinch. "Stop running from it. See that you've taken care of this issue tonight."
"Tonight, but—"
"But nothing. When you get home, take care of it." He looked as though he were about to continue speaking, but a ring of his phone caught his attention. Or rather, an alarm that he had set. The three of them had been there for nearly two hours. "Listen, I've gotta head out, but make sure you tell them. You owe it to them to be honest. If you no longer aspire to see your previous campaign through, then they deserve to know." Adira stood up, followed by her husband, who lightly grasped Aaron's shoulder. "I'll seeya around. Remember what I said." And with that, Aaron was left alone at the table.
Okay, he thought, you've got this. These are your friends. You've been open with everything else. This won't be any different… Aaron couldn't figure out why he was getting so worked up about this. If I had to tell them that I was going to lose my academic career, then surely this won't be as bad…
But maybe it would. He knew at least two of the four potentially held dreams that he no longer did. Aaron couldn't see himself competing against the Elite Four – not in practicality or even in intent. Two of them had been there for well over thirty years, and that wasn't counting Iris, who hadn't been defeated ever since the region nearly went to hell. Even then, the trainer had decided to travel elsewhere.
Get ahold of yourself. Nathan's right – I owe them this. All four of them were right there, focusing on a match between Nimbasa's gym leader, Marion, and a recent trainer. Any other time, the sight would have been humorous; Krista was sprawled out amongst the couch's decorative pillows while Aster was neatly coiled up in the corner with his head perched on top. Marcus and Pierce were on either side of Aaron on the couch. Now would have been as good a time as any, but each time he thought about saying a single thing, the trainer found himself unable to initiate the conversation.
Fortunately, he didn't need to.
"Alright," Marcus stated, grabbing the remote and muting the television, "what's going on? You've been off all night."
"What… are you talking about?" Aaron asked.
"I wouldn't need to read auras given how fidgety you've been." The lucario narrowed his eyes at his trainer. "So what is it?" The other pokémon in the room focused their attention on Aaron. Oh well. Might as well get this over with.
"Do you all miss battling? Like as a career?" The lucario looked down, but slowly nodded. Pierce didn't move an inch.
"Yeah, I'd be lying if I said I didn't," Marcus replied. "I felt like we were really good at the whole battle circuit, too. I doubt we would have beaten Iris, but… I still wish we would have at least tried, you know?" Aaron nodded, not able to look the fighting-type in the eye. "But of course, I get it – humans go to college, and that's okay! Besides, you're my friend. I chose to tag along with you for that reason only. So yeah, it is unfortunate that we didn't get to go through with the Elite Four challenge, but that wasn't ever the main goal. At least, that's my take on it." Aster slowly blinked, then shook his head.
"I don't particularly care," he said simply. "Makes no difference to me one way or another."
"But you were good at it…" Aaron stated. "Like… really good at it. All of you were."
"And that's alright. It's entirely possible to be good at something you aren't passionate about."
"Mhm. Battling was fun and all, but so is not waking up sore every other morning. Oh, and like… all the other conveniences that come with staying in one place. Especially the shower." Aaron expected such an answer from Krista. Audinos tended not to be too combative in nature, either.
With three of his pokémon out of the way, only the krookodile was left. Perhaps Aaron was worrying himself over nothing at all. But Pierce was seemingly staring off into space. Finally, he broke the silence. "Are we ever going back to it?" he asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Our campaign – are we ever gonna challenge the Elite Four?" Aaron sighed. He didn't know the answer to that. A summer break might be enough to get them all into shape, but that would prevent him from taking on any internships – something that he'd likely need to pursue given the competitive nature of his field.
"I don't… know if I can answer that," Aaron honestly replied. "I mean… there's a chance of it after everything's said and done with my degree. I have to prioritize that – you all know. But I can't rightfully expect you to be okay with that all things considered. I don't know what to do in this case…" For a moment, nobody spoke; this was the one that Aaron was the most concerned about. Pierce was always the most adept in battle, and being the first pokémon that the trainer had caught, he had witnessed more of the campaign than either Krista or Marcus. There had been more anticipation for a finale that never came.
"I'm sorry," the trainer said, trying not to tear up. "I made these past few years all about me, and I overlooked what you two wanted. That was wrong… and now I don't know what to do about it."
"It's… it's fine," the krookodile said with a smile. Aaron had known him long enough to see that it was fake. "I guess we can't always know how things'll turn out, right?" Pierce focused on the televised battle once more, and after he fell silent, Marcus unmuted it. As quickly as the subject had been brought up, it faded away.
Nothing more was said about the topic that night. On one hand, Aaron was glad that three of the four did not have an issue with their current life. But he was anything but content with what he had heard. The ground-type, while usually rambunctious and excitable, was clearly trying to keep from showing how much he missed their older lifestyle. The trainer had hoped that he'd be able to go to bed with a sense of contentment. But bitter truth was preferable to a convenient lie. There was still a problem.
Pierce wasn't happy.
It wasn't clear what Aaron needed to do about this, but he happened to know someone who might have a little more advice. But he would focus on that tomorrow; no doubt Nathan wouldn't enjoy receiving a text at nearly two in the morning.
Nathan had woken early to make breakfast. He enjoyed his days off but having a team of his own was a constant reminder that there was no such thing. Aiden wandered into the room and simply dropped onto an open chair. The charizard stared at the table nonchalantly. There was no energy in his eyes. "Rough night, bud?" Nathan asked with a laugh. The fire-type simply nodded. He set a cup of coffee beside the dragon, who did his best to respond with a small grin. Given his biology, Aiden had no need to let the hot beverage cool and instead took a hearty sip.
Omelets tended to be a safe bet, so that's what he was cooking. Everyone in the house was on at least decent terms with that. He knew for a fact that what was simmering in the pan next to the eggs was quite the popular item amongst the family.
Soon he was joined by a few others. Looking outside, he didn't see Naomi in the nearby waters, so Nathan assumed she would not be joining them for breakfast. A pair of hands found their way around his side, clasping one another over his stomach. "Morning, dear." He smiled as she kissed him on the neck, then went about setting plates on the table. The first omelet was placed in front of , and the second was well on its way to completion.
Could I get a little more salt? said a voice within his head.
"Sure thing, Trina," Nathan replied. The espeon smiled sweetly at him, and he grabbed the saltshaker, gently turning it onto its side…
He was far too slow to stop the inevitable. The cap immediately came off and the white grains poured out. The psychic was unable to refrain from laughing, placing her forehead onto the table as tears streamed out. "Really? It's not that funny," Nathan stated.
"Yes… yes, it is!" He looked at Adira.
"Looks like you'll just be waiting longer for your omelet then. Gotta start over."
"Look again," she said smugly. The salt particles were barely floating above the surface of the egg, and while it was certainly an impressive feat for her, that didn't make it any less annoying. The small crystals swiftly spun around before rushing into the saltshaker. The cap was screwed on tightly.
"Well, alright then. Aiden, you want another? This one was going to Trina, but…" The charizard shook his head.
"Aw come on – don't be like that!"
"Adira? What about you, Love?" As he joked around with his team, a vibration in his pocket caught his attention. Fishing for his phone, Nathan was forced to remember. That's right, he thought, I did say I'd chat with him this morning. "Would you mind finishing this up?" he asked, pulling the sausages onto a large plate and setting it between the espeon and charizard. Adira nodded before placing a lone finger against his nose. He smiled before realizing that she had dabbed him with a little bit of syrup. "Arceus, I live with children. I'll get you for that one," Nathan said as he made his way through the hall, answering the phone.
"Mornin.' Took you a minute."
"My bad. Just cooking breakfast for the team." Nathan quickly walked into the restroom, and, grabbing a piece of toilet paper and wetting it, he quickly removed the spot of syrup from his nose. "How're things going back home?"
"Well, you know… ain't much that goes on around our parts. Floyd got engaged, though, and the wedding will be in the summer. Would you be able to make it?"
"I'll try to set aside a day or two to fly back, but I can't promise anything," Nathan answered. "Who's he marrying?" There was a pause on the phone.
"Amy Palmer."
"Really?" Nathan asked, only somewhat interested. "Is that so?"
"Yep." His father stayed quiet for a minute, clearly trying to think of something to say. "You know, she was interested in you for the longest time…" Nathan rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, I know. And she was a nice gal, too, but I'm more than happy with Adira. And I'd rather not have that conversation again." Everything had already been said about the topic, and Nathan was adamant that he wasn't changing his position in the slightest. And if his father still didn't like it after all this time… then so be it.
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before. Still plan on staying up there? I'm sure there are quite a few power plants down here in Kanoma."
"I'm sure there are, too," Nathan replied, "but I'm pretty content here for the time being. We've only been in the new house for four years. I think it's a bit early to consider moving again. And besides, things aren't all bad up here. The people might be rude, but the cities are convenient and the coastline here is quite beautiful," he said, staring out at the sea from his bedroom window. He could hear Walter sigh.
"You know we worry about you being in Delta territory and all… If they find out…"
"I doubt they'll pay me much attention, even if they find out that you're an Alpha admin," Nathan replied. "And if anyone on either side tries to give me trouble for any reason, well… I'd say the team and I are more than capable of protecting ourselves."
"That's what you think. But one day they show up in numbers. Only way to respond to that is have an army of your own," Walter said.
"You're making it sound like we should be at war with our own neighbors…"
"We are at war, son, and we didn't start it. But we're sure as hell going to end it. These degenerates can't seriously think that they can march into our land and tell us what to do."
"So we should do the same exact stuff as them? Gang up and attack people over what – political differences?" Nathan said. "This is ridiculous."
The rest of the call went about as awkwardly as it usually did. Walter eventually excused himself, though Nathan was never certain whether he truly had something to do or if he had found something else to do. Why even bother calling if that's how it's gonna be? But in truth, he knew that his father did love him. Nathan could never see eye-to-eye with him on certain things, but Walter was a hard worker and cared deeply for his family. Maybe that care manifested itself in ways that weren't always the best – at least, in Nathan's eyes – but it was there, nonetheless.
If only he had extended that sentiment to Adira, then half their disagreements would disappear. And it was annoying, too; Walter had thought very highly of her when they had first met. It was when she and Nathan fell for one another that everything changed – and there were several reasons for that. Reasons which Walter had been unwilling to accept. But you know what? It's not his say in the matter. My life, my marriage.
Nathan pocketed the phone as he left the bedroom. The moment he stepped out, Adira was there to greet him. It would have taken him by surprise if it weren't for the fact that she always tried to get the jump on him. "Oh, and you were eavesdropping on me, I assume?" he jested. Adira shook her head. "And you know what? I seem to recall owing you a little payback for breakfast." Her eyes sparked with playfulness, and before he could react, she tackled him against the bed. Nathan quickly turned things around and pinned Adira down, laughing all the while.
Finals were approaching quickly – next week, in fact. But unlike his prior self, Aaron refused to let himself be caught off guard. Not this time. He was seated in the library, having temporarily booked one of the small rooms within the building. Only hour-long time slots were allowed to be claimed but seeing as to how there was nobody directly after him, he wasn't particularly worried about being cut short in his study time.
He wrote out the information as he read it off of the class notes he had taken: tiers of pokémon based upon their strength or level of threat, matchups and counters, and general classes that each species belonged to, of which there were four. Regardless of what type of moves each pokémon could utilize, all species could generally be classified as offensive, supportive, tactical, or balanced. Of course, these were only basic labels; there were classifications within each group. His own lucario, for instance, while being a well-known attacker, was not as fast as "glass cannons" such as weavile. Then there were members that belonged to two or more groups, such as tyranitar, whose natural bulk was more than enough to place it within the support group while also possessing the strength required of an offensive individual.
Aaron nodded. He was very familiar with this information from his trainer days, even the more intricate stuff such as particular matchups and movesets. What was new to him was the tier ranking system based on the potential level of danger each species posed to humans. It was not hard to comprehend, either – it was just something he hadn't really considered before. There were five tiers, each being more dangerous than the last, with tier one being species which were relatively harmless – sometimes even less so than the non-sentient animals on the planet. Things such as the regional bird species, most first-evolution starters, and in general, anything that one could consider safe to have within a house.
Tier two was composed of slightly more powerful species, many of which were more adept in combat, but not so much that they would be any more of a threat to a human than another aggressive human would be. There were more species within this category than there were in tier one. Things such as second evolutions, most normal-types – including his own audino – and several fighting-types found their place here.
The third tier was where the majority of species found themselves. These pokémon were very much capable of harming a human, whether it be from their sheer strength or some feature of their biology. It was also this tier that was the most diverse; machamp and the nidoran lines, stronger members of elemental types, and exceptionally skilled species such as lucario belonged here.
Tier four was where things could become notably dangerous, and the species classified as such were a testament to that. Aaron wasn't surprised to see most dragon types and stronger psychics here – creatures that could resist others or manipulate small portions of reality. Creatures with more potent poisons were also found in the fourth tier. While they were legally allowed to engage in the battling circuits, there were more restrictions as to what exactly they could do, and it was up to each individual trainer to know the laws relative to the teams they had put together. Thank Arceus they raised the age to sixteen to become a trainer, Aaron thought. As more restrictions were applied to battling, most countries agreed that the previous age to get involved with the circuit was too low, and as such, it had been raised by five to six years depending on the region. That did not mean that a younger kid could not be acquainted with a pokémon, but they were not allowed to engage in any official battles that had members higher than tier one species involved.
The fifth and final tier was composed of the most dangerous species, and as such, any belonging to this tier had to be legally registered and tended to be subject to some degree of monitoring. Fortunately, most of these species were not commonly found in society anyways, and as such, this tier was mostly a footnote when it came to official battles. Biology played the majority role in this case: species such as the slugma line, lethally toxic individuals such as croagunk and muk, and similar scenarios composed the majority of the fifth tier.
There were, however, some exceptions that Aaron found fascinating. Certain species could potentially belong to this tier for different reasons. The ability of the gardevoir line to create an incredibly tiny and temporary, yet dangerous all the same, singularity made it very dangerous in theory. While only a few had ever been observed doing this – and most seemed not to know how to – the potential to create a small, barren crater where there had previously been life could not be overlooked. Interestingly enough, the zoroark line was considered a tier five species solely due to its illusive abilities. But then again, I guess that makes sense. After all, every modern military base possessed thermal cameras and tended to have a lucario or two just to counteract the threat of espionage from that single dark type. Lastly, several ghosts found their home in the fifth tier for similar reasons.
On the next page in the textbook, there was a far smaller section dedicated solely to legendaries. There were only three tiers for them. The vast majority belonged to the special tier one, in which members were often comparable to the fourth tier of the normal list. Members that belonged to well-established populations such as the legendary birds, the roaming beasts, and similar species belonged to the first special tier. Less threatening mythics such as mew, shaymin, genesect and meloetta were also noteworthy inclusions, along with most of the grotesque species known as the ultra-beasts. These were allowed, within certain legal parameters, to engage in the battle circuits. After all, these legendaries were just elusive species.
Special tier two was where things became really interesting. These legendaries were significantly more powerful than the prior tier. However, many of them still belonged to populations, albeit far more elusive. Though Aaron doubted there would be much information on the midterm regarding this category, he began listing out several species on the whiteboard. The lati duo, deoxys, lugia, ho-oh, heatran, the tundra horses…
Finally, there was the third and final special tier. Most of these were unique individuals, having only been seen – or claimed by others to have been seen – once. There was the infamous clash of Groudon and Kyogre, both of which had disappeared since then. The most powerful legendaries found their place in the third special tier. Beings that were so powerful that they supposedly controlled entire aspects of reality. Of course, most of this was a hotly debated topic, especially amongst scientists. Since there was no definitive proof of some of these species even existing – such as Arceus, though this would likely be the sole tier four legendary – there was no purpose in classifying them.
Another hour went by before the whiteboard had been completely full of notes. He was ready for this exam, and as he gave a confident smile, Aaron heard his phone ring. Huh, thought I silenced that. Picking it up, he saw that it was Darian and answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey, sorry to interrupt you. I know you mentioned going to the library to study, but your audino wanted me to call you, so I'm having to use your translator."
"…Alright. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. She just wanted me to ask you if you could pick up takeout on your way back."
"Arceus, you've gotta be kidding me. This is the second time this week. The leftovers from last time are still in the fridge."
"Should I tell her that?"
"Yes." A few seconds passed, and he could hear his roommate relaying the message before returning to the phone.
"She said that there is only rice left since Marcus ate all the chicken."
"Yeah, that wouldn't surprise me," Aaron replied with a sigh. "Ask her what she and the guys want." Sometimes he regret leaving a copy of their favorite Johtonian restaurant's menu on the fridge. Another muffled pause followed with Darian telling the excited audino to slow down.
"You know what? I'm gonna write this down and text it to you. How's that?"
"Works for me. I'll seeya when I get there." Aaron hung up the phone and sighed. Ah well, it's safe to say I'm ready for this one. The Calculus 2 exam might be a different story, but he was at least certain that he would get a C or better after receiving help from Adira. Aaron took a picture of the board before erasing it. After packing up his things, he left the room and switched off the light as he closed the door.
Alexander ran his hand along the exosuit, trying to contain his sense of awe. What a phenomenal piece of machinery… His fingers traced along the grooves, each of which had been measured to utmost precision. Everything had. Though he had overseen each step of the design process, feeling the finished product was another thing entirely.
"Is it to your liking, sir?" Dulse asked from behind him.
"Yes. Your people have really outdone themselves with this."
"But this is nothing compared to… well, to everything else we've made for this upcoming conflict," Dulse stated. "Nothing but a… suit of armor if you will. Like something you might see in warfare centuries ago. Almost barbaric compared to our other inventions."
"No, no – not barbaric. It gives our movement a face, don't you see? A uniformity, so to speak."
"I guess one could say that…"
"And besides, there is no purpose in making them more expensive and capable than needed. The suits only need to enhance the wearer's abilities and allow them to withstand what most human weapons are capable of." Alexander doubted it would come to that in most cases; the vehicle units and heavier artillery would be able to take care of the majority of combat. "And speaking of which, has it faced the durability test yet? I know what your calculations say it should be able to take, but I wish to see it put to the test."
"That is what we were about to do." He nodded towards one of the other scientists, who swiftly left the room, only to return minutes later with several others. They were pushing a rolling table nearly as long as a car. Several weapons from Alexander's own world were neatly lined up.
"Allow me," Alexander volunteered. Dulce nodded. A hologram shot up from his wrist, and he tapped a few things, causing the floor around them to change its shape. A thick, clear barrier was raised from the floor nearly twenty meters away from the suited mannequin. Alexander browsed the various firearms. "I've always wanted to shoot one of these," he commented as his hands trailed along the M249. The massive LMG was a daunting machine for anyone else. For the purposes of this test, it was the weakest thing on the table. "Cover up," he said, placing some hearing muffs on his own head. The others followed suit, and receiving a nod of confirmation, he opened the bolt, slid the box mag into place, placed the belt inside, and took aim.
The gun sang. He was surprised by how little recoil it had. Holding the trigger down, Alexander watched as sparks flew from the suit, and before he knew it, a far quieter click sounded. That fast, huh? He tried to contain the almost childlike enjoyment he had taken from using the firearm, and after safely setting it down, he walked over to the suit.
"Well, that's unfortunate," he said. Dulse hastily made his way towards him, clearly concerned.
"What is it?! I don't understand how—"
"Scratched the paint," was all Alexander said. He grinned at Dulse, who released a held breath, and shook his head. "C'mon, gotten lighten up every once in a while." Then again, he supposed that seeing one's world wither away into nothingness would harden just about anyone.
Next was another iconic weapon. This one was a gentle beige in coloration, and despite not having nearly as much ammunition, it sported a far higher fire rate and a much more lethal cartridge. The SCAR-H was chambered in 7.62x51 mm: something that would be far more threatening to them. Alexander loaded the magazine, pulled back the bolt, and took his place once again.
There was definitely more recoil this time, due to the more powerful round, the lower weight of the weapon, and the higher fire rate. The thirty-round magazine was completely depleted within only three seconds. He was certain that most of the shots had landed around the chest and head portion of the suit. Once again, he walked over, seeing plenty of projectiles embedded within the material. None of them had gone through – even in the head portion.
"That's a good sign," Alexander said. This was the most significant test, and the suit had passed with flying colors.
Gun by gun, he kept working his way up the calibers. Finally, the .50 BMG was able to punch through the titanium-alloy exosuit. Even then, so long as it wasn't a shot near any vitals, there would have been a decent chance of survival. "You should all be proud of yourselves. You've done incredibly well." The scientists placed their right fist over their chest and bowed before heading out.
"Are there any further changes you would like to make before we start mass production?" Dulse asked.
"No. I've already seen what it could do in terms of strength and agility. This was it. Go ahead and give the order." The two bowed to one another, and as Alexander was left alone with the prototype, he carefully dug out what was left of a 7.62 round from the upper chest. Smiling, he pocketed the souvenir, and giving one last look at the exosuit, he left the room.
Amidst the silver and white armor, a lone, purple symbol stood out. Omega.
Special thanks once again to FuryWrites for beta-reading this chapter.