Author's Note: When this was originally posted over at Gatchfanfic, this section was split into two chapters.

This has got to be the most humiliating thing that has ever happened to me.

Jason sat alone in the ready room poring over the training manual for the Level G Galaxy Security Fitness test. He couldn't remember the last time that he had taken the test seriously.

Was I twelve? Thirteen? Will I ever live this down?

He grabbed another cookie from the snack tray. Apparently, 7-Zark-7 had been busy baking again.

Jason tried to break down the fitness requirements into categories. Okay, there are things I know I can do, things I should be able to do, and stuff that's really going to take some work.

But he had no idea how to realistically assess his capabilities. I've never had to worry about the things I can't do. I've always been able to do anything I wanted.

He sighed.

Just then, Tiny bounded into the room, closely followed by Keyop. Jason tried to hide the book, without success.

"Hey, whatcha studying?" Tiny asked good-naturedly.

"Tiny!" Keyop poked the heavyset young man in the ribs.

"Oh, sorry," Tiny said.

Jason glared at both of them. "Do you mind? I'm trying to read here."

"Touchy, touchy." Tiny sat down next to Jason, ignoring his protests. "When do you want to start lifting weights with me?"

Jason was clearly taken aback by the question. "Uh," he started to say, but Keyop interrupted him.

"Tai chi … with me."

Princess entered the room. "I'll be your swimming instructor."

"And I'll be overseeing your training." Mark smiled as he came in. "Think of me as your fitness coordinator."

Jason was overwhelmed. "I … I don't know what to say."

"Just say you'll do the best you can." Mark said. His look, Jason noticed, was one of encouragement.

"And that you will let us know when you need something." Princess added. Her tone almost concealed her concern.

"Or if … you're hurt." Keyop put in.

Jason gave the boy a hard look, but Keyop held his stare. The kid's got guts, Jason thought. He nodded and Keyop rewarded him with a smile.

"Or if you mind sharing your cookies," Tiny said, reaching over to snatch one of the chocolate chip cookies from the plate.

"Tiny!" Mark and Princess said together. Jason and Keyop burst out laughing.

"Hey, I need to keep up my strength," the big man said, flexing a muscle with one arm and eating a cookie with the other.

"What, so you can eat more of my cookies?" said Jason, pulling the plate away. "No way!"

At their weekly progress meeting - conveniently timed to coincide with Jason's once-a-week health assessment from the Chief – Jason's three trainers updated Mark on his status. Four weeks into training, all three continued to report that things were going well.

"Jason can bench press almost as much as me!" Tiny chortled happily. "I never thought I'd say this, but I hope he beats my weight record."

Princess was also happy. "Stamina training is also going well. Yesterday, we ran up and down the stadium seating in the gym. Jason's timing has improved and he didn't trip once. I think he's almost fully recovered from that ankle injury."

Mark turned to Keyop. "How are aerials coming?"

Keyop didn't want to answer. For once, he was glad that his stutter gave him an excuse for giving short answers.

"Um … fine."

"Anything I need to know?" Mark cast a glance at Princess, who lowered her gaze.

Keyop watched the subtext and wondered exactly what they knew about Jason's on-going balance problems. He couldn't look Mark in the eye when he replied. "No … we're up to … Level 4."

"All right. Make sure you perfect those Level 4 aerials this week. Meeting adjourned."

"Same time, next week," Tiny laughed.

"No, Tiny," Princess reminded him. "Jason's fitness test is this Friday. We've got less than a week."

Keyop sighed as his watched his teammates exit the ready room.

We've got a lot of work to do, he thought.

Keyop strode down the halls of Center Neptune quickly, acting as if he actually had somewhere to go.

I hate lying to Mark.

But he couldn't talk to his commander. Not now. How can I tell him that I've been lying to him for the past month? Keyop shook his head. Mark's been so busy with the Chief that he hasn't even noticed. He turned a corner and narrowly missed bumping into a technician.

Not entirely a lie, Keyop rationalized. Jason's doing great compared to where we started.

His pace increased as he weaved in and out of a group of graduate students. Oh, who am I kidding? Is Jason ready for his fitness test? No way.

It was so hard to watch Jason practice. Each time they worked on aerials, the mighty Condor fell again and again on jumps he had mastered years earlier, the same aerials he had taught to Keyop. And each time, he dusted himself off, set his jaw and tried again. He was working so hard, Keyop knew, but it just wasn't good enough.

He's never going to pass aerials. He's only landing one jump in four.

For better or worse, Jason tended to perform better on the rare occasions when Mark was actually watching. Maybe that bodes well? Keyop thought, hopefully.

Probably not. As the tears welled up, Keyop tried to turn his attention to something else, but he found he couldn't stop himself from obsessing. Jason's balance was improving, but each step in his recovery had been a slow, hard-won battle. Keyop and Jason often practiced late into the night, mainly to avoid their teammates.

For most of their activities, Jason actually was doing well. An outsider would never realize that he was in recovery. Jason's balance was fine as long as he had at least one foot on the floor. With intense concentration, he had even remastered their most difficult tai chi maneuvers and kata at speed.

But spinning with a kick was difficult. Jumps with spins were that much harder. Straight rotations through the air? Only with intense concentration.

And twisting in freefall? Keyop shook his head. He can't do it. We haven't even worked on Level 4 aerials. If Jason can't land a simple twisting back flip, how will he ever pass the fitness exam?

Keyop took a deep breath. Okay, this isn't helping. I have to focus on what Jason can do now. No point in remembering the past.

He entered the ready room and pulled the Level G fitness exam manual from the bookshelf. Had anyone cared to look, they would have noticed that the aerials section was dog-eared. There were lines of numbers down both margins where Keyop had added and re-added points values for different jumps. As the day of Jason's fitness exam loomed closer, Keyop and Jason pored over the manual any time the room was free, looking for some way that Jason might possibly pass this key required element.

Keyop thought about the Condor's current strengths. Jason could finally land basic acrobatic maneuvers like front and back flips with some reliability. They might, just might, be able to squeak through the review board with a series of triple back flips. It was one of the few qualifying elements that didn't add additional twisting or turning. For some reason, moving through the air sideways triggered Jason's nausea far more than being upside-down.

The degree of difficulty for the triple back flip was so low that the Condor's landings would have to be perfect. Perfect didn't exist for Jason yet.

Keyop slammed the book shut. Back to the gym, he thought, and went in search of his trainee.