Kick and Run

"Ugh...aaah. Good morning Ann."

Jun looks around but doesn't see her.

"Ann, where are you?!"- he called her worried.

Then from under his bed the girl's head appeared. She had somehow gotten there during the night and had a verry messy bed hair.

"Waaah...good morning?"

"Don't scare me like that. I though you have disappeared somewhere. Come with me. Let's get ready and have breakfast."

"BREAKFAST?!"- she started to drool.

"Haha, you sure are a glutton."

They went to the bathroom and changed into their clothes. After that Ann hurried downstairs following the scent of food, leaving Jun behind.

"Oh, you both are awake this early?''- asked the boy's grandpa.

"Yes, today is also a big day. The first day I'm going with my partner to the base."- he said and put his hand on Ann's shoulder.

"It's good that you are excited but I'm still not done with the cooking. Can you and Ann put the plates, the glasses and pour some juice?" -his granny asked from the kitchen.

"Sure. What are you making? It smells amazing."

"I'm making pancakes and some lunch for you."

"OK. Come Ann."

He handed the girl some of the stuff and she happily helped him put the table. After they ate and lifted the table Jun took his bag and with Ann he headed to the door. Suddenly the door bell rang.

Who might it be...- the boy thought. It was his friend Lili and a small girl, probably her Initiator.

" 'Morning !"- Lili greeted him.

"Good morning Lili. Why are you here so early? I thought for once that I'll come and pick you up."

"I was worried. Yesterday I waited for you but you didn't came so I left at around 16:00. I thought you haven't found an Initiator and went home."

"Thank but I have one. Well... I registered her a little before the deadline but we get along pretty well. Ann, I'd like you to meet my friend and her partner."

"Hi, It's nice to meet you Ann. This is Maki. She's my partner."

"Nice to meet you!"- said Maki with a wide smile.

"Nnice to meet you."- replied Ann.

"Now, shall we go? We don't want to be late."- said Lili pulling Jun by the sleeve.

After a while, they entered the base.

" Oi, Jun, Lili. How are you?"- Eric greeted them.

"Hi. We're fine."- said Jun.

"That's good. I thought you hadn't found an Initiator because you were verry late but I guess I was wrong. Now... let me introduce you to my Initiator Clio. Say Hi Cleo."

"HMPH" - the girl pouted and turned her back to them.

"She isn't verry talkative."- commented Lili.

"Yes, apparently she didn't expect her partner to be someone so 'uselessly looking', that's what she said."

"Don't worry she'll get used to you."- Lili tried to lift his spirit.

"Good morning friends." - Yuki greeted.

"Good morning Yuki duo." - said Eric.

"Yuki duo?" - asked Jun.

" Yuki's Initiator's name is also Yuki. A pretty big coincidence, don't you think."- Lili told him.

The door opened and the captain entered the room.

"ATTENTION!"

Everybody saluted except Ann. She was confused and was nervously looking around.

"Today we'll see how well you work with your Initiators. There will be two groups 1. Those with Initiators from HQ and 2. Those with Initiators that haven't been trained. This is going to be your first try, so don't worry if your results aren't good but let me warn you. Follow vice-commander Chizaki , she'll lead you to the traininf facility."

Everyone followed her. After a while they entered a big stadium-like place. There werw huge metal doors on the walls. From behind them ther were strange noises comming out.

. BAMBAAM.

"What's behind these doors?"- someone asked.

"Gastrea, of course."- Chizaki answered and fixed her glasses on place.

"GASTREA?!"- a lot of people said at once.

"Yes. This will be your test. These stage 1 wolf Gastrea are chained and have muzzels so they can't ite you. In other words- the easiest target possible. You have five minutes to show what you can do. First are the second group we'll be leaving the first group for the end. Get ready first is Bern Volt. Begin!"

One of the doors opened and the Gastrea came out. Once it was out it dashed towards the traineese but got stopped by the chain. From the group a man came out. It was the same man that made fun out of Jun at the abandoned part of the city.

"Finally. My time to shine, unlike those amateurs. Go!"

He and his Initiator bagan. They both dashed to the Gastrea. The girl was shooting with a gun while Bern was attacking with a sword. She shot at the Gastrea's eyes to blind it. He dashed behind it and cut it's back legs while she shot it's front. When the Gastrea was immobilized Bern jumped and stabbed the monster then pulled his sword and cut it's head off. The Gastrea was defeated in less than 2 minutes.

"Hmph. How was that?"- he asked jauntily, heading towards the croud of amazed trainees.

"Quite good mr. Volt. Next Jun Kurayami.

It's my...no our time. "Let's go Ann!"

=== After the end of the training on the way home===

"Haah...I can't believe this." - said Jun dissapointedly.

"Don't worry it was your first time." -Lili tried to calm him.

"Yeah, don't be so sad. We didn't do it so good as well." - Maki said.

"But you didn't get diqualified because you 'weren't working in team' she didn't attack or try to help me defeat the Gastrea. Right after that guy's victory we looked pathetic."

"Then you'll just train more, even at your free time and you'll get a lot better, I know it."- Lili comforted him.

"Thanks" - he thanked her.

"We have to go shopping, so buye Jun, Ann."- said Lili.

"Buye. Have a nice day!" - said the boy.

"Ok!"

"Now, let's go shopping, we also have to buy you some new clothes, shoes and also food for home." - he told Ann.

As they headed to the super market something caught Jun's eye. A man that had just passed beside him. He was looking strange so he tried to talk to him.

"Are you alright, sir? You don't look so good."

The man turned and the boy saw his face. He was pale and his veins looked like they'll pop out.

"Hhelp me..."- the man collapsed and his body started to swell.

"Run away! He's infected!"- Jun shouted.

Everyonone panicked and started running. The man had already transformed in a Gastrea. A wolf type stage 1 to be exact.

What shall I do? The ones at the base were chaned...can I really beat it? Should I r...no! I have to hold it here untill the Promoters come!

He reached for his gun but before he reached it his Initiator dashed past him and headed for the Gastrea. Ann was verry fast. She attracted it's attention and made a circle around it. While it was distracted she jumped towards it's head and kicked it. CRACK. Whit one hit the Gastrea's head flew, it was defearted and fell to the ground. Jun's face was filled with amazement.

"With only one hit!?" - he said shocked.

"Hurry! It's this way!"- they heard some voices from one of the alleys.

Ann lifted her partner in her hands and ran away with him. When the Promoters reached the place where the monster was lying they were like thunderstruck.

"It was defeated?! By whom?! There souldn't have been anyone else near here and why would the person run away?"

A few blocks away from there Ann finally stopped.

"Ann, if you could beat it so easily, why didn't you do a thing at the base?" - the boy asked.

"Because it wasn't a threat. That's why."- she answered him.

"Listen. We have to talk about this seriously and make a plan for next time but for now we should go and do our shopping. We'll talk after dinner. OK?"

She shook her head for Yes.

"But thank you. You saved me today, I owe you one, so... do you wand me to buy you something tasty?"- he asked her.

"Yay! Something tasty. I want!"

They headed to do their shopping, walking away calmly, holding hands.