*Hey guys! I've been super busy, but I'm trying to take like a half hour or so every day to update. Seriously, the reviews have been amazing (ghouse98, I freaking LOVE YOU), and I'll try to keep updating as often as possible! Hope you like it!*

*Chapter Six*

ALICIA'S POV

As instructed, Mindy and I met Dave at an abandoned tire factory (coincidentally the same place where I was shot at for the first time) for my first training session.

I have to admit…I was scared shitless.

Mindy was dressed for a workout- in simple black leggings and a pink long sleeved tee shirt, but her eyes were hungry and driven- she was doubtless out for blood.

I was immensely grateful to not be in Red Mist's position right now.

"Okay," Mindy said when we were all in the factory with the lights on. "Are you ready, Alicia?"

I sighed, and bit my lip- "As I'll ever be," I said.

She emptied her backpack out on the ground, and I saw it was, again, full of guns, as well as a few knives, including the butterfly knife I had used that….that night. There was also an enormous bow staff with two mirror-shiny blades on each side.

"All right," Mindy started. "Guns first." She tossed me a Kevlar vest, which I hurriedly put on over my shirt. I would need as much protection as possible.

And I was right.

I barely saw her move- but one second there were six guns on the floor, and then there were five, as she drew one up with the speed of…well, a bullet, and aimed it at me.

I didn't hear the gun fire- there was an enormous silencer attachment on it, which I guessed accounted for it, but I doubted I would have heard anything anyway.

All I heard was my heart thundering my ears- I was sure it would stop any second.

The bullet streaked into my vested chest, and landed right where my heart was- I flew backwards, into a huge stack of boxes.

It didn't matter that I wasn't really hit- it still hurt like hell.

"Mindy!" I said, scrambling to my feet. "What the fuck?"

"Rule number one!" she barked, suddenly looking much older than eleven. "Never let your guard down!"
"What?" I yelled. "What the hell, Mindy? That fucking hurt!"

"Yeah, well so does getting shot for real," she stepped forward, and stared me down. "Never. Let. Your. Guard. Down," she said.

And then the bow staff was streaking through the air, a millisecond away from slicing me in half, and I leapt backwards, slipping over my feet, and landing on the ground.

Hey, at least I was still in once piece.

Dave watched this exchange calmly, as if this was nothing new.

"What about him?" I shrieked. "Why isn't he getting attacked?"

Mindy stopped the blade, which was about to strike at me again, and turned around.

"You're right," she said.

And then Dave was getting swung at too.

I felt bad for a second. I knew it was a pussy move to use Dave as a scapegoat, but at least now I had time to get up and catch my breath.

And then she was back, striking again and again, as I struggled to stay out of the way.

Finally, she put the staff down.

"Well," she said. "At least you're still alive."

And then she put her gun up again.

In the millisecond I had, I tried to leap behind the boxes again, but there were still bullets striking me painfully in the chest. I ducked behind, as Mindy peppered the boxes with bullets.

Using my foot, I dragged one of the five remaining guns back towards me, and picked it up, holding it to my chest. I reached around the boxes, and tried to shoot at her. I fired one shot, two, but she effortlessly stepped out of the way, and actually SHOT THE GUN OUT OF MY HAND.

"Fuck!" I said, grabbing another one.

She reloaded her gun impossibly fast, and didn't stop shooting at me, running to get to new angles. Somewhere in my mind, it registered how lucky I was that Mindy wasn't actually trying to kill me.

On a whim, and as best I could, I kicked one of the boxes towards her mid shot, and though she sidestepped it, it bought me a few seconds to get an uninterrupted shot at her.

I missed, of course.

She rallied instantly from a barely-there-stumble, and shot again, landing two bullets perfectly into my Kevlar coated chest, and I flew back once more, landing in a heap on the floor.

"Ugh," I groaned, in more pain than I was willing to admit.

Mindy put her gun on the ground, dusted off her pink tee shirt, and meandered over to my still form.

"Get up," she said.

I did as she told, because, honestly, she was fucking scary.

"Mindy," Dave said, coming over. "Mindy, go easy on her, okay? She's just staring out-"
"I am going easy on her. She'd be fucking dead if I wasn't."

Taking advantage of the situation, I grabbed another gun off of the ground, and aimed it at her Kevlar'd chest, but she high kicked it out of my hands, and then kicked me in the face and across the room, for good measure.

She then calmly picked up the gun, and walked over to where I was attempting to nurse my bloody nose.

"Alicia," she said. "You have to point your gun from your exact line of vision. Support your gun arm with your other hand, underneath. Or use your wrist if you're holding more than one weapon."

I stared at her for a second, marveling at her transition from ruthless killer to calm instructor.

"Okay…" I said, but then she was raising the gun, about to pistol whip me in the face.

I barely ducked in time.

Somehow, she had grabbed and flipped open the butterfly knife, and was now throwing it at me. I scrambled sloppily out of the way, and then picked it up from where it had fallen.

I threw it at her from my undignified perch on the ground, and she actually CAUGHT IT, blade first, midair.

Badass, I have to admit.

"Alicia!" Dave called, helping me out. He tossed me a gun, and I carefully caught it, before pointing it at Mindy, holding it like she'd instructed.

"Good!" she said, shocking me. Praise from Mindy was clearly rare.

I pulled the trigger, and she leaped out of the way, so the bullet barely scraped her Kevlar covered side.

Suddenly, the bow staff was in her hands again, and she was swinging it wildly at me.

I fired the gun again, and she blocked the bullet with the bow staff, before knocking the gun out of my hands-my broken fingers smarted considerably-once again.

I tried to stay heartened. At least I still HAD my hands.

I scuttled to grab it again, and from the floor, I aimed up, and finally, FINALLY, landed one good shot to her vest- it was near her shoulder, not quite perfect, but it was a start.

However, as she staggered back, and I got up, she spinning kicked me in the chest, causing me to fly back again, and then she appeared behind me somehow, kneeing me in the back as I fell.

I was down for the count, the world spinning, my face and back on fire, and I was actually kind of convinced she was about to kill me when she stepped forward, and offered her hand to help me up.

"Better," she said.

*What do you think? I'm pretty psyched that I got this done, actually. I have no time, like I said! Comments, suggestions? Review por favor!*