Chapter 3
Click, Click, Boom
(8:00 A.M. Training Grounds)
"All right everyone listen up, today we are going to be starting our training. Today we are going to be playing a little game called…capture…the…flag." Keith said with a smirk on his face. "You'll be using these." Each of us were given a paintball gun and a pair of goggles. The SSG wore a grin that stretched ear to ear. We all looked at each other confused. "Sir, with all due respect. We'll be piloting LFOs so why are we doing this…sir." one person asked. "Because, if you're shot down you'll need to know how to survive on foot. You won't be of much use to us dead." he answered. "You'll be split in groups of three." he informed the trainees.
"Blaze, you're the captain. You'll be issuing orders." he stated. "Yes, sir!" I replied. "Matt, you'll be a scout. You're in charge of reconnaissance." he barked. "Yes, sir!" he answered. "Emma, you're paired with Blaze. You'll be support. Your job is to watch his back." He told her. "Sir, yes, sir!" she replied. "There'll be a single LFO guarding the flag and another team trying to prevent you from reaching it. You'll have to take them out first before you can progress." Keith informed us. A wily grin formed on the Staff Sergeant's face. "Oh, I'm going to be enjoying this." he said under his breath as he licked his lips.
Keith flipped his clip book to the next page and began reciting our schedule. "Your schedule will be as followed:9:00-10:00 Hand-to-hand combat, 10:00-11:00A.M; LFO training, 11:15-12:00 P.M; Lunch, 12:15-1:00 P.M; Target practice, 1:15-6:30 P.M, you will do them again in that time, however you can do them in any in any order you are. Hell, I don't care. Do all of them or 1... just do them!!" he barked at the top of his lunges. "However from 6:35-10:00 P.M. I don't give a damn what you do as long as you don't do any funny business and I think you know what I mean by that boys. Alright, Team 1 vs. Team 3; Team 2 vs. Team 6; Team 4 vs. Team 7; and Team 5 vs. Team 8. You'll be the firsts to do the hand-to-hand combat". He said.
"Um… sir, what about the schedule, sir." A person from the second team asked. "Oh that. No, that's for teams 1 through 8. The rest of you, your schedules are on the doors of your dorms. Alright, now get to your stations lets move. The rest of you will find your real schedules on your doors." he said with a chuckle. "Dismissed." he said loudly.
(9:00 A.M. F.S. Training Ground)
As we all put our protective suits on Keith came in. "So are you all ready? Good." he said with his hands behind his back. We were team 6 and in Stadium B. It was a huge rectangle with the entrance on one of the long sides. It was filled with single walls, hallways, and empty room which were for hiding. It was Emma, Matt and I. We were on the left side of Keith and team 2 which was Helga, Izumi, and Jean was on the right side of him. "The rules are simple". he announced. "First team to capture the other team's flag wins. You get shot and you're out for the rest of the game." he stated. "START!" the officer yelled.
(9:45 training ground)
"This isn't going so good, we haven't seen them." Matt complained. "Matt, go and look again" I ordered. "But I've do it ten times already" he said complaining again. "NOW!" I barked. "Fine fearless leader, but I won't find anything." he said as he flew on his refboard.
A few moments later he returned. "…I-I found them." he said with a grin. "See, I told you that you could find 'em. So where are they?" I asked. "Two hallways down on the right and they're just sitting there guarding the flag." he said with joy. "I say we take them now." he said clutching his fist. "Wait, this could be a trap. If we go straight on we'll get shot and lose." I said with reason. "OK, so what are we gonna do?" he asked. "Well, I've got an idea." I told him.
(5 min. later)
"Only 10 more minutes left and it'll be a tie, I told you this would work." Helga said with a smirk. "NOW!!" I yelled. Emma came around the corner and ran underneath Izumi's mech where she couldn't be seen. Then she started climbing up it and placed herself in front of the cockpit. "Ugh! WHAT THE HELL!!?" she screamed. "Ha, I've got you. Now take this!!" Emma screamed. Emma unloaded her paintball gun at the enemy's LFO cockpit, blinding the pilot view. Izumi panicked and quickly tried wiping the windshield but, it was too late. "I can't see!" she yelled. Now was our chance. We rushed them head-on.
"Jean get on your board and keep the flag safe" Helga ordered. "B-But..." he began to protest. "That's an order!" Helga yelled cutting off Jean. "Yes sir" Jean said with his head down.
"Matt, you got a shot?" I radioed. "I'm working on it, Captain." He replied. "C'mon, hold still so I can hit you." Matt said looking through the scope on his gun. "Gotcha!" went Matt sniping Jean off his board. Matt ran for the flag. "Someone, stop him!" yelled Helga. Go, Matt! You can do it. He climbed up the hill, stretched his arm out and grabbed the flag. Game over, we won. "WHAT THE HELL just happened?!" she yelled.
"You just lost, that's what!" boasted Matt waving the flag for us to see. "Good work, team." I told Emma and Matt. "Nice job, blinding the LFO, Emma." I said to her. "Matt, that shot was amazing." I complimented him. "Thanks, Blaze." went my comrades. "C'mon, let's go celebrate. Drinks are on me tonight." I said hanging my arms around their shoulders as we walked away.
(10:05)
"Teams 2 and 6 time for LFO training and just like in this last one your jobs are the same. I'll explain the rules once you get there. GO!GO!" went the SSG.
We all hopped in our training LFOs. There were 4 walls that formed a rectangle. 2 of the walls were curved like a ramp except it lead strait up. "The rules are simple, once your LFO starts to smoke you are out. Any other hand held weapons other than the LFO impact rifle are forbidden. You may change forms now!" Jean, Matt, and I transformed into vehicle mode while Izumi, Emma, and Helga didn't. "You three will be allowed to either use our LFO impact rifle now or at random intervals we've set up." he said. "I'll take it now." Matt said. "I'll save it." I decided.
"As will I." stated Jean. 2 minutes went by as they attached the gun on to the LFO. "Alright, if we're all done with the fusing and insults... BEGIN!!"
"Alright Emma, take the left side, Matt take the right, I'll take the middle. We'll divide them and provide each of us cover." I instructed. And we did just that. I took Izumi, Matt got Jean, and Emma got Helga. I ran straight at her, with my boomerang drawn. Izumi fired her Rail gun in an attempt to keep her distance. BOOM! Went the sound of the explosion as the blast hit one of the four pillars.
"Blaze, duck!" Matt said while he was firing at Jean. I quickly ducked and used my boosters just barely missing what fell off the pillar. "Eat this." I shot my Rail gun, hitting the LFO's leg. I noticed the pillar was about to collapse, so I quickly turbo boosted again before it fell. "Hey Izumi, you're about to go airborne without the board!" As I came closer I quickly did a back flip while hitting the LFO's back sending it straight into the air. I backed up a bit in order to hit her with the gun. Landing two hits it finally fell. As it was about to hit the ground I sliced my blade through the LFO's back.
"Dammit!!" cried Izumi. "Guess I got lucky." I said smugly.
Meanwhile, as I was fighting...
Matt
"Kyah! Take this!" I said firing six shots, only two hit but it did stun the LFO. I looked over to see a pillar explode. "Look out!" I said to Blaze as half of a damn pillar was about to crush him. Meanwhile, Jean was getting up. "How about you …eat…this!" Jean threw his boomerang. "AAAHHH." I went as my LFO fell to the ground with a loud boom. "So, do you yield?" he was on top of me with his boomerang pointed towards my cockpit.
"Blaze, I need backup, NOW!" I said panicking. "I see you. Get your boomerang ready." he said locking on to Jean. "I would if there weren't a two ton robot on top of me ready to kill me, man!" I retorted. "Alright, just hold still and let me take it from here." he instructed. "Roger." I held as still as possible when I realized what the hell Blaze was about to do. "Hey asshole!" a voice came out of nowhere.
Suddenly Blaze smashed into Jean. "Leave my comrades alone!" he knocked down him down and got up. "OK Matt, light this prick up." he said. "With pleasure, sir." I held my gun up and shot the LFO three times directly. And with a loud boom, the LFO came down.
Hi
"Hey Emma, you need any help?" there was a huge cloud of smoke. As the dust cleared, there was one LFO on its chest and one standing next to it. "Nope, I'm good" Thank god she was the one standing. Throughout the day we excelled in every course with the exception of one: shooting. Emma's accuracy with a pistol was...well, just plain bad.