Disclaimer: I don't know why you keep asking me the same question over and over. The answer doesn't change.
Learning to Breathe
Chapter eleven: Ready, Aim, Fire!
Once again, the team was up before dawn on a weekend. This time, however, it was for something that about half of them could enjoy: weapons training. While Lady M, Thunderbird, and Vampira listened to Zartan's lecture on firearms safety, Chaos, Golem, and Atlantis talked amongst themselves.
"Is this speech really necessary?" Chaos whispered.
"Dunno." His blonde cohort shrugged. "I've heard it all before."
"Didn't one of our uncles take us out to shoot, Ry?" Golem asked.
"I think it was Milton, but that ain't the point." Ry answered. "You 'member how to fire a rifle, right?"
"Sure do." Golem nodded. "Be ready for recoil."
"I think we're workin' with handguns too." Andi added. "Look at them all!"
"They all look pretty alike to me." Ry confessed.
"They got Colts, and a revolver, and even some Glocks!" She whispered excitedly.
"Since you three don't feel the need to listen to the safety rules, maybe one you wouldn't mind going first?" Zartan asked, staring directly at the three teens in question.
"Sure." Ry shrugged. "We shootin' handguns or rifles first?"
"Rifles." Zartan replied. "Go ahead."
"I think I'll take the 20 gauge." The green eyed boy said, picking up the weapon in question. He stepped up to the firing line, sighted in, and fired, hitting the target two rings from the bull's-eye.
"Not bad." Zartan commented. "Who's next?"
"I'll try." Neal volunteered. After choosing a lighter-weight rifle, he aimed. However, the kick from the gun knocked him on his rear end.
"Next time you'll be ready for it." Chaos smiled, helping his teammate off the ground.
"That, I will do." Thunderbird smiled nervously.
"My turn!" Kristen's hand shot up.
"Fine." Zartan said. "Pick your weapon."
"I'll try Neal's gun." Kris said, snatching the gun from him. Gripping the barrel tightly, she aimed and fired, hitting the upper right hand corner of the target.
"Don't lift the barrel up when you squeeze the trigger." Zartan corrected. "That will throw off your aim every time."
"Okay." The vamp nodded. "Who wants it?"
Mitch stepped up with his brother's and hit the outer ring of the target. Seemingly glad to have hit the target at all, he put the gun back in its place. Picking up a 22-gauge rifle, Andi fired and tore the target an inch to the left of Bryan's hit.
"Use this one, Reg." The blue-skinned girl offered to her friend. "It don't kick as bad as those others."
With a weak nod, Lady M slowly grabbed the rifle and walked to the line. She fumbled with her hands until Zartan walked up and corrected her. Afterwards, she fired and missed the target completely.
"This is your first time to handle a gun, isn't it?" Zartan asked. Regan nodded an affirmative.
"Don't feel sad about it." He assured her. "You'll get better with practice."
"If you say so." The telepath muttered.
"Why don't we try something a little different before beginning with handguns?" Zartan suggested.
"Like archery?" Mitch asked. "I did that at camp one time."
"I doubt you have seen this at camp." Zartan said. "Follow me."
The group followed him into another room with a target; only this one was much closer up and was in the form of a human silhouette. Cattycornered to the front and left of the target was a tray with six knives laid out on top of it.
"Knife throwing?" Kristen blinked. "Isn't that a little dangerous?"
"Not if you do it right." Andi corrected. "There's an art to it."
"Correct, Atlantis." Zartan said. "You hold the knife in your writing hand, by the handle of course, and draw the blade past your ear until your upper arm and your body are nearly parallel. Then extend your arm quickly and release the knife once your arm is fully extended." Demonstrating while he talked, the trained assassin flung the knife right into the center of the target's chest. "Atlantis, would you care to demonstrate?" he asked after removing his blade from the target.
"Gladly." Atlantis smirked. She grabbed one of the knives and flung it at the paper shadow, grinning like a madman when the knife landed just centimeters from where her employer's blade had just rested. "Will that do?"
"It certainly will." He blinked. "Who taught you how to do this?"
"My mom." She answered before she could stop herself. Then she added, "She used to be a mercenary, it's how she met my dad." It wasn't a complete lie, either.
"I'm going to have to meet your mother one of these days." Zartan shook his head. "Chaos, let's see how you do."
Bryan stepped up and hurled the knife at the target, striking it in the lower abdomen. "Learned it from a guy in the circus." He shrugged.
"I see." Nodded Zartan. "Vampira, you're up!"
Taking hold of a knife, Kris chunked the knife towards the target, only to see it land just shy of the silhouette.
"And I thought it was your aim that sucked, Ry." Andi snickered.
"I'm not good at catch, so sue me!" The ice-eyed girl retorted.
"Not now, children." Zartan admonished. "Thunderbird, how about you give it a go?"
The ruddy-skinned boy gulped as he walked to the knife tray. Upon selecting one he liked, he stepped to the line. The blade did a somersault and landed a foot in front of the target.
"Chess camp?" Andi teased.
"Miss Creed, if you do not stop this now, rest assured, I will make you." Zartan's eyes held hers in a warning glare.
"Fine, I'll shut up." Andi shrugged.
"Can I go?" Mitch asked.
"Yes, Golem, you may." Zartan replied.
Mitch strode confidently to the table, chose a dagger, and flung the knife at the paper target as hard as he could muster. His shot went through not only the target, but the wall behind it as well.
"Oops." The gray-eyed boy grinned. "Do I have to get it?"
"Depends on how confident Lady Mastermind feels in her instructions." Zartan replied. "Do you think you can throw it if I'm not here?"
"Yes, sir." Lady Mastermind nodded.
"And if she needs any help, I'll give it to her." Andi offered.
"Good." Zartan said. "Give it your best effort, Regan."
"I will." The blue-eyed girl nodded quickly. Once Zartan had left, Regan picked up the remaining knife and stared at it.
"It won't hurt you if you follow the directions, Regan." Andi said. "I haven't hurt myself on accident yet, and you know what a klutz I am."
"I know." Regan replied. "I just don't want to make a fool of myself."
"You're just learning this stuff, Reg." Ry said. "You can't expect to be good overnight. It takes practice, like he said."
"Starting now." Andi said. "Throw it."
"Okay. Here goes nothing." Regan swallowed her fears and jerked her hand past her ear, only to hear a whooshing sound.
Thwump.
Realizing that the blade was no longer in her grip, she whirled around in terror to see her knife embedded in a doorpost. And the doorpost being just inches from Zartan's face.
"Eep!" She squeaked, her eyes as big as saucers. "I'msosorry,sir. Ididn'tmeanto!" She blurted.
"That's perfectly"—he paused to pull the dagger out of the post—"all right, Miss Wyngarde." He replied. "It happens more often than you would think."
Golem's stomach rumbled during the two-second pause. "Can we break for breakfast?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm pretty hungry myself." Andi agreed.
"I think it's a wonderful idea." Zartan smiled. "I think you all have earned a break. There should be some food left in the cafeteria."
"Score!" Chaos shouted as he flew out the door, literally.
"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Kristen shouted as she too took to the air, the other four running behind.
"The first one has to eat it!" Mitch shouted from his position towards back.
"Aren't you coming?" Andi turned around, noticing that their designated adult was not following them.
"I'll meet you there in a moment." Zartan replied. "Someone has to put the knives back. You go on ahead, though."
"Okay." Andi nodded, sprinting off to catch up to the rest of the pack.
"It appears as though some of you are more advanced than others." Zartan said to himself. "Not that it matters much. They'll catch up in time. Until then, however," he set the knives in a row on the tray "they still have a lot to learn."
Here's your update for the day. I'm working on the handgun scene now, but I've hit a roadblock (no pun intended). If you would review and give me your opinions, I would greatly appreciate it.