What's this? Another update in less than 24 hours? YES IT IS! I was so caught up in writing, that I kinda just kept typing and out came enough words to formulate another chapter. It is a slight bit shorter then the last few updates, but I think I cut it off at a good time.

Also, I was writing up a timeline for this story...It's going to take FOREVER. OHMYGOSH. The story in my head is personal and intense. Whoo. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy. :)

Disclaimer: Taz, Up and the G.L.E.E. are most definitely not mine.

Chapter 11

WHAM. The scrawny first year academy G.L.E.E.k had been flipped over Up's back and with a muffled THUD landed on the smelly athletic mat Up had called 'holy' an hour ago. That was the third kid to do so, and Taz was getting bored watching these adolescent males try and best the Lieutenant. Sure, it was required of them to be in this class, and yea it was expected that after a week of doing all this combat training they wouldn't be very good... But this...this...

"You boys are lamentable allá de la creencia!" She said aloud . All the boys in line against the wall turned and faced her in shock. The petite girl hadn't spoken a word all week! She just sat in her corner, watching them all with intense eyes. Unfortunately, only one kid (who was beefier and a whole lot sweatier then the rest of the lot) understood what she had uttered.

"We're not that pitiful!" He scoffed in an obvious mexican accent, translating for the rest of the class, in case that was all she could speak.

"None of you hombres have even landed a punch on him. It's been a week." She said boredly, damaging a few egos. And revealing that she knew english.

"So? I bet you couldn't last a single minute against one of us." All the guys around him sucked in a deep breath filling the room with a loud hiss. Oh, what a diss. Taz rolled her eyes and flicked a strand of loose hair out of her face. She wasn't going to let a bunch of pimply faced boys get under her skin.

Up unpinned the student underneath his arm and let the squirt go sit back down against the wall like the rest of his peers. The southern ranger was still crouched down on his toes with his knees apart to keep balance. A single drop of sweat beaded down his forehead as he stared each one of his students down. Taz had to admit, he looked like one tough hijo de puta glaring those boys. He had quite a nice profile too. All muscly and toned and stuff. "Tell me Lucas," he said gruffly, "Have you ever shot a zapper before?"

Lucas looked around, "No..." He answered hesitantly, not knowing where this was going.

"Have you ever been in a battle against the robots?"

"Not yet... but that's why I'm here though!' He voiced trying to sound tough. Taz assumed if he was one of the drafted. Her Papa and brother had been forced into this way of life. Every four years a mass lottery had taken place. Of course, it was only men forced into war, but men and women not chosen were allowed to volunteer as well. The more of humanity to face the threat, the better.

"Have you ever fought to keep yourself alive, even when you're the last man standing?"

Lucas stayed silent, as did everyone else in the room. Taz wore a slight smirk on her face,but it soon dropped as Up spoke again. "That girl over there," His right arm shot out and he pointed at his apprentice. "Taz, has done all of that already. She was so good at killing bots that the G.L.E.E. itself decided let her start training a year earlier then the lot of you. That NEVER happens." The latina kept a stone cold face, revealing no emotion. But underneath, she was worried. Why was Up telling them all this? And that part about training wasn't true, not really. You didn't see her taking any of the classes these guys were. She would start next year, along with other people her age.

A couple of the boys glanced over at her, with new-found respect in their eyes. Taz nodded slowly at them, acknowledging their existence. Maybe after being verbally shown up by a girl, they'd work at being better in hand to hand combat. "Tell me Lucas, do you think you would be able to last a single minute against Taz?"

Taz sat in her corner for the rest of that class, the corners of her mouth turned up in satisfaction. After Up's little speech all the boys seemed to show more eagerness, and a willingness to improve. No wonder why Up was assigned to be the Ranger Academy's physical combat teacher. He was amazing in a fight... but he actually connected with his students.

As soon as the last student was out the door and on to the showers, Taz was peeling herself off the mat and walking towards Up. He was about twenty feet away, lying down with his back on the floor, his breathing slightly labored. He heard the sound of her small feet squishing down into the padded floor as she approached him, but didn't open his eyes when she plopped down cross-legged next to his head. "So..." He grunted at her voice. "Why'd you go off and tell them my terrifying near death situation?"

He turned his head to the left and cracked an eye open to look at her."They needed motivation. your comment gave me an opportunity to give them some." He took a deep breath and puffed out some air, his mustache ruffling. "Hey, what time is it?" She glanced up at the clock over the exit door.

"Uh, almost 9." He groaned and sat up on his elbows, finally opening his eyes to look right into Taz's.

"That leaves us twenty minutes until my next round of kids." she frowned.

"So? Do you want me to go make a food run or something?"

"So..." He stretched and then jumped to his feet, suddenly towering over her, "You don't actually know how to fight."

"I can shoot a zapper." she pointed out, a reference to his previous comment.

He rolled his blue eyes. "Sure, you can aim a gun. But you told me just two days ago that you have never actually had to physically fight." She thought for a moment.

"Si. But what does that have to do with veinte minutos?" Up shifted his weight into a fighting stance, and Taz's eyes widened and her mouth formed a round 'O'.

"Get on up girl. It's high time I taught you how to actually fend for yerself. We've got twenty minutes." She stood up quickly, put her hair in a ponytail and then tried to copy her mentors stance.

"No... try bending at the knees more...ok, now move your right foot a smidge bit further forward... great. Center your weight more on the balls of your feet and..." Time passed by as Up patiently showed Taz how to block and defend herself from an attacker if they were aiming for her head. She had just started to get the hang of things when the next class started to pile in, wandering over to the locker rooms to change. Taz blushed as some of the boys gave her strange looks. Especially the last one through the locker room doors. Yea, she was learning how to fight and she was a girl. Big whoop to all those male pansies.

"Shouldn't I be learning how to, Oh I dunno, punch stuff without breaking my fist?" In case she needed to punch in one of their faces for instance?

He shrugged."Normally I would have taught you that first- along with a few offensive movements, but we didn't have enough time." He swung once more at her head and Taz instinctively ducked under his arm.

"Alright then. Gracias por the lesson, Up. But I better sit down, your real class is about to start." She gestured with a shrug of her shoulder towards the first boy to re-enter the gym. The Lieutenant broke out of his stance and Taz slowly stood up straight from the lowered position she was in. He nodded once and she took it to be a sign of 'alright'. As such, she pivoted on her heels and ran across the squishy matted floor to her customary corner so that she could watch this class as well. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and found her chin fitted nicely between the crooks of her arms folded on top. Now,to observe what not to do when fighting Up...

Translations:

-lamentable allá de la creencia!= pitiful beyond belief
-hombres=guys
-hijo de puta= son of a b*tch (sorry for the language, I don't like to use it... but It kinda fit the situation.)
-veinte minutos=twenty minutes
-Gracias por=thank you for...

Authors note: Thanks for reading! I had some fun writing this one. :) I'm super excited to write about Taz's actual schooling years... but those won't come for awhile yet. So you'll have to be patient while I write up all of our favorite gal's adventures before she becomes and official G.L.E.E.k. (I love that I call the young ranger kids that. so funny. XD)

As always, critique, review, follow and favorite! :D I adore each and every one.

~thegirlwhowaited411