Chapter 4
Bright and early the next morning, Zack, Kunsel, and Zen got up, changed, and reported to the training facilities where they would begin their gun training. The first step was to learn how to dismantle and reassemble their assigned guns. Lucky for Zack, his rather secretive experiments with his father's rifle back home in Gongaga made this training a cinch for him. Although the same couldn't be said for Kunsel and Zen, who both were struggling with their guns in some way. Zen could disassemble her gun quite easily, but putting it back together left her scratching her head. Kunsel, on the other hand, could take apart and reassemble his gun decently, but kept running into mechanical issues.
"Well, if they ever need anything destroyed, I'm their girl at least," chuckles Zen, who was still trying to piece together her gun.
"Certainly isn't like taking speakers apart, that's for sure," sighs Kunsel, reassembling his gun for the fifth time.
"You guys just need to get the hang of it, that's all," assures Zack with a grin.
"That's easy for you to say. You grew up around guns," retorts Zen. "I'm more of a sword person."
"You'll get there soon enough, Zen," spoke up Kunsel. "After we master guns, sword-training is next."
"I wish we start sword-training now," bemoans the teenage girl, laying her head on the table they're sitting at.
Zack chuckles and pats the girl on the head. Truth be told, he was eager to start sword-training as well. But he doesn't mind taking things one at a time. The Wutai War wasn't going to end anytime soon so he had plenty of time to train up to Sephiroth's level.
Just then he notices Zen glaring at her gun, seemingly prepared to chuck the pile of steel and bolts before her into the nearest wall. He reaches over to her before it was too late.
"How about I show you how it's done?" he laughs nervously.
Walking along the desert of Corel with guns locked and loaded, Zack, Kunsel, and Zen spot a gaggle of rogue monsters ahead of them. Not wanting to catch their attention, the teenagers flank the sides of the path they were walking, two on one side and the last on the other.
"Ugh, I hate Bombs," groans Zack, spotting the flaming orb demon floating about in the midst of the gaggle.
"Maybe we could shoot at it from afar?" suggests Kunsel, adjusting his helmet.
"It's going to take all three of us to take it down without suffering injuries," notes Zen. "Plus, the other monsters are going to know where we are once we start shooting."
"What should we do, then?" Kunsel gulps.
"Maybe we could dispatch all the monsters around it first," says Zack. "Then we can focus on the Bomb afterwards."
"Sounds like a plan," grins Zen, undoing the safety on her gun. "Ladies first!"
Before the boys could say a word, the teenage girl rushes in and began shooting at some of the monsters. Feeling the adrenaline rushing through their veins, they quickly join in and fire at the other monsters, being careful to avoid the Bomb.
Suddenly, the Bomb darts toward Zen, knocking the girl on the ground and sending her gun flying.
"Zen!" cries out Zack.
The girl turns around to see a Death Claw upon her, its spider-like arms poised to strike. It sends one of its sharp appendages down on her, but she manages to roll out of the way in one piece. With her gun gone and no alternative weapon on her, the girl was now left with nothing but her hands and feet.
"So that's how it's going to be, huh?" utters Zen as she goes into a fighting stance.
Meanwhile, Kunsel takes out one of the monster and makes his way over to where Zen's gun had fallen, hoping to kick it back to the girl before something bad happens. Unfortunately, he gets overwhelmed by two other monsters and is knocked to the ground cold. Zack had managed to kill off the rest of the monsters and sets his sights on his remaining comrade who was currently fighting off the Death Claw.
Zen manages to defeat her monster opponent and turns to find the Bomb right behind Zack. With eyes wide with worry, she calls his name and makes a mad dash toward him in an effort to reach him. Before Zack knew what was happening, he hears the Bomb roar out loudly behind him and a huge explosion engulfs the entire area, monsters and humans alike.
Just then, the world begins to fizzle and break away into chunks of pixels until the only thing left behind was a man-made steel room with three fallen Shin-Ra troopers scattered on the floor. The sliding door of the room opens and in steps a Shin-Ra captain who was looking less than pleased with the results.
"Congratulations," he says with a mightily disgruntled look through his helmet. "You all failed the mission."
Zack groans a little and gets up to face the man with a nervous grin.
"Do we at least get partial credit?" he asks, taking off his helmet.
Obviously not amused by the little joke, the captain simply grunts in response and turns to leave the room. Once he was gone, Zen and Kunsel slowly pick themselves up from where they were lying and manage to get themselves standing after a couple of minutes.
"That went well," says Zen with a sigh as she takes off her helmet.
"The plan was decent, but the execution left much to be desired," notes Kunsel, removing his helmet as well.
"It would've been fine if Zen didn't go rushing in with guns blazing like she usually does," says Zack as he crosses his arms and looks at the guilty party.
"Hey, I waited until after we formulated a plan this time," argues Zen.
"Patience is a virtue, Zen," articulates Kunsel.
"BO-RING," exclaims Zen.
"Well, today's mission is a bust, but tomorrow we all start sword-training," Zack reminds the two with a smile. "I'm sure you're quite happy about that, Zen."
"Sure am!" responds the girl, grinning from ear to ear.
Now in better spirits, the three of them leave the room and head back to the barracks.
"I can't believe they won't actually send us out into the field until we're 15," spoke up Kunsel as they walked along.
"We'll be 15 next year," reminded Zack. "At least we'll be training in the meantime. If I was back home, I'd be sent to work on the chocobo farm."
"I wouldn't mind taming and riding chocobos," says Zen. "Wanna switch lives?"
"Sorry, but I think that's a little too many girls to deal with," retorts Zack.
"Just give it a couple of years and you'll warm up to the idea," grins Zen.
"Whatever," exclaims Zack, playfully brushing her off.
Deep in the Junon branch of the Shin-Ra headquarters, two Turks stood with a Shin-Ra captain in an empty room overlooking the training facility there. One of the Turks has long flowing blonde hair while the other had short tan hair combed to one side.
"Those three have been performing quite interestingly in the training," notes the male Turk, flicking his blonde hair back.
"They've failed almost half of their training missions," notes the captain. "They're nowhere near SOLDIER material."
"That's for us to decide, not you," speaks up the female Turk matter-of-factly.
The captain glares at the female Turk. He wasn't a big fan of the Turks and having to speak to them like this made his blood boil. Why does Shin-Ra need a covert group like the Turks when the army is at its beck and call?
"With age comes improvement," adds the female Turk. "I can see potential in those three. It's only a matter of time before they blossom and show their true colors."
"Agreed," says the male Turk. "Do continue to keep tabs on them for us, will you?"
"Humph," scoffs the captain as he watches the two Turks leave the room.
A/N: Yeah, I made it so Zack doesn't turn into a flirt until later. XP He seems more interesting pre-flirt, no?
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