Second week of training was fun. Plenty of skill tests, plenty of drills. And one duel. Yes, one duel. Between Carol Tucker and George Flowers...
After the confrontation with George, Carol went to her father to consult his opinion.
"Director, what am I supposed to do now?"
"Agent Carolina, I have no time for your business. I have to judge Team B's skills. Just follow Agent Georgia's orders."
The Director returned is attention to the training arena, where North was showing off his superb dual-sniping skills
"But what if I don't want to? And why do you favour him more than me? Why are you so supportive of him? Why are you so unfair!?" Carol showed her agitation, with face turning red with sheer anger.
"Are you done complaining? Yes? Good. I'm supportive of him and want him to be better because I value you more. You see, your mother died fighting because she was the best and most sacrificing of her team. I don't want you or Taho or Lavernius to be hurt. I know George will be the sacrificing one for this team so it's his life before yours. I also knew his father well. Quite a loving father, he was, until he was stranded on Chorus. But don't worry, we will see them soon."
"Director, with all due respect, I can take care of myself," Carol denied the Director's prediction, raising her tone.
"No, you can't," the Director replied more firmly this time
"How can I prove to you that I am good on my own?!"
"FINE! If you want to show me, you shall fight him. Winner gets the leadership position," the Director suggested, annoyed by Carol's defiance.
The Director reluctantly summoned George to the training arena via PA system, gaining the attention of Team B, the two pilots, and obviously Butch and Donut.
So there George was, confidently pacing towards his side of the arena, with Carol readying herself in her light blue armor. George was well aware that the duel put his leadership position at risk, but was unshaken by her threat, for he had improved greatly in combat over the past week. Andy was removed for equality purposes.
"First to 2 points wins," according to F.I.L.L.S., the ship's AI. "First round is a one-on-one fistfight. First one to knockdown the opponent for 3 seconds wins"
Team B's skill testing halted so that the whole judging panel could watch the battle, much to the dismay of Agent South Dakota, for she was next for testing. Everybody came flocking into the viewing area, placing bets on who was going to win.
The now familiar monstrous sound signalled them to start, with Carol immediately charging towards George and George standing his ground. Carol delivers a fierce right running swing punch. George expertly ducks under it at the last second possible, sending Carol flying over him because of her own brute force. Carol landed on the ground with a significant thud, mainly due to the high-density armor. Unfortunately, she was unable to get back up quickly enough.
"1 point to Agent Georgia"
George proudly returns to his side of the arena with his quick reactions while Carol quickly gets up after the punch, not wanting to embarrass herself further. She got more aggressive after the point loss, with her seething rage being fuelled further. She was determined to win the next rounds at all costs.
"Second round is a pistol fight. Pistols are loaded with armor immobiliser pellets. They lock down your armor. Render your opponent motionless to win"
Stone-like pillars arranged in a regular 8x8 pattern mechanically rose off the ground, with a table rising to show a pistol. Carol smirked, knowing she would win as the Magnum pistol is her best weapon. She did, landing 6 pellets on George's torso, shutting down his armor. George knew he was going to lose so he didn't put in much effort.
"1 point to Agent Carolina. Third round is a melee weapon fight. Weapon is a single staff with electric ends. These weapons are lethal on unpowered armor so stop the fight when the light turns red. Knockdown for 3 seconds to win."
The pillars sank back down and the arena became brighter. They picked up their weapons and fought at will. George was somewhat confident about this battle, as he had learnt a lot about fighting the past week. However, Carol managed to overwhelm George after a fairly long series of skilful blocks and powerful attacks. George lay on the ground, trying to get up to fight again but then the 3 seconds were up and the bright white arena lights turned into a dim red hue, prompting them to stop.
Carol pondered for a moment, with a strong thought, 'Am I going to leave George alive only for him to steal my leadership position in the future?'
Carol succumbed to her grim self, making the unwanted decision to kill George with the lethal staff. Carol set her foot firmly on the downed twin, raising the staff, both hands grasping it tightly, and delivered a precise strike to his chest next to her foot, wounding him. Seeing that his armor was no longer functional, Carol repeated the strike. However, before she could land it on George to finish him, the Director remotely disables her armor, keeping Carol in that position.
The Director made his way to the arena floor and reenabled Carol's armor whilst sending George's wounded body to the infirmary. Carol was frustrated by the fact that she missed her chance to kill George but would soon find another way to do so.
"That was irresponsible of you, Agent Carolina. Despite the warning given, you still chose to kill him. I would've given you the leadership position otherwise but in light of this new event, I will be returning the position to Agent Georgia. You better think twice before trying this stunt again" the Director reprimanded, showing more seriousness after each sentence
The Director then went on to brief the 7 remaining agents on the next mission which would happen the next week, showing a more relaxed attitude after assuring that the battle was not fatal.
"Due to the incident earlier today, Agent Georgia will not be joining you for the next mission. He...will be fine, but a major surgery has to be done on his upper body. As such, Agent Washington, you are the leader for this next mission. You will be going to a planet called Coda to retrieve the Lopez AI from the Spanish temple there. Counsellor will be giving you more details later but for now, let's just say that the top agent of this mission will be rewarded handsomely. Counsellor, please update the leaderboard. Also, Team C would be joining us next week. They are Agents York, Maine and Connecticut. Agent Texas will be joining not long after that. Good luck when you meet them as they are better than you now. And, before you go back to training to prepare yourselves for the arrival of Team C, I would like to remind you that any acts of violence to other agents will be dealt with...severely..."
The leaderboard flashes on the screen once again, with the change of new names being added. There was also the addition of designation and team name:
1. Agent Georgia, Leader, Team A
2. Agent Washington, Leader, Team B
3. Agent North Dakota, Support, Team B
4. Agent Wyoming, Sharpshooter, Team B
5. Agent Utah, Support, Team A
6. Agent South Dakota, Muscle, Team B
7. Agent Carolina, Sharpshooter, Team A
8. Agent Florida, Muscle, Team B
The 6 agents simultaneously look at Carol with disapproval, as they were certain that the Director was referring to her. However, Carol was still unperturbed by their stares as she would still find a way to get rid of George in the near future, even if it meant resorting to lowly means like sabotaging equipment...