Chapter 5
The flashes on the screen were cut off, the satellite that sent the images, destroyed. The others around me exclaimed, they now saw the power of our enemy. I couldn't help but feel grief for those on the planet, the now glassed planet.
"That's the enemy, what we were trained to fight." I whispered to myself. A hand was suddenly on my shoulder. I looked up expecting it to be James, much to my surprise it was John.
"You…" I growled and he laughed. "What do you want now?"
"To train with you, nothing more, nothing less." He turned and walked away, I decided to follow him.
"What is it you want to train in? Fighting seems to be down for you." I asked him. He didn't answer me.
We made it to the main gym and I watched him go over to the clear area where people stretch. Makes sense… I thought to myself, as he beckoned me over.
He began to stretch and then looked at me carefully. "I'll be right back." He walked into the bathrooms. I knew he was taking off some armor to be able to stretch a lot easier. I walked into the women's bathroom. Inside was changing stations, and they also had a closet with work-out clothes.
I picked out a pair of black shorts and a blue work-out shirt. Then went into a changing booth and removed my armor. After I had the work-out clothes on I walked out into the main section of the bathroom and placed my armor in a cubby box, and locked it.
When I got back out no one was on the warm up mat. I started stretching while I was waiting for him. A tall man with slightly pale skin, crystal blue eyes and short blonde hair walked over to me.
I looked at him carefully, His build is the same as John's, and I haven't seen him without his armor on yet, could be him. The man was wearing blue shorts and a black T-shirt. He looked at me and started working out.
"It's Liz, right? You haven't seen what I look like yet, I'm John." I nodded at him. "Alright, I wanted to show you some of my own moves. You're really good, but we got the enemy attacking now." He stopped stretching and I did as well.
"Follow my movements." He ordered and I nodded, saying Go Ahead.
I watched him carefully as he bent down and touched both of his feet. Then he came back up. I copied, knowing this was the kind of movements that were added onto. "Don't come back up after this one yet." He said then repeated the first step and then stood on his hands for a moment and flipped over into a bridge.
I copied with ease.
He smiled at how swiftly I went through the first part. He then pushed himself back up onto his feet. He then watched as I did the same. I laughed. "Rather easy."
"Try this on for size then." He said with a large smile at my challenge. He went through the first bit and then after that back flipped and landed with his hands first holding himself up for a few moments and I saw his muscles bulge.
I had to glance away for a brief moment-for his arm muscle rippled-as he lowered himself and then pushed off, landing in a roll on the ground and stood up, and beckoned me to copy.
I took a deep breath and touched my feet, stood on my hands and flipped over into a bridge. Then I stood up, jumped up flipping backwards and landing with my hands, suspending myself an inch above the mat.
I felt a large strain on my arms; I centered my gravity so I wouldn't fall over. I took another deep breath and then pushed up and rolled over. I laughed when I was standing up and he was nodding.
"Well done Liz."
"You expected me to fail?"
"No, but I didn't think you would do it so well."
"Of course you didn't."
He glanced at me strangely. Examining me and I felt a little squeamish under his crystal blue eyes. "Alright," He said. "Let us move on to the next exercise."
He went over to the other side of the mat and started doing some basic punches, and beckoned for me to come over and copy. I walked over and felt his eyes on me. Is he staring at me? I wondered.
He punched, I punched, he kicked, I kicked, he rolled, and I rolled. He dodged, I dodged, he kicked high, I kicked high, he uppercuts, I uppercuts. We continued to copy each other, perfect sync.
Then I saw James walk into the room. He must have been looking for me. I realized as he started looking around and then when he saw me, walked over.
I acted like I never saw him come in. John and I kept going, and then we without trying to, changed things up. We both back flipped and kicked to the ground. Then we turned to each other. Our eyes watching each other with such intensity; things got quiet.
We raced at the other; sweat had started to drip down my face. He slid kicked; I jumped over him and rolled to land. We turned and jumped to the side and raced at one another again. He jumped over me this time as I slid kicked.
Despite my burning legs from the mat going against my legs as I slid; we faced one another again. I looked deep into his eyes, and he looked deep into my brown eyes. With a roar we ran at the other.
He threw a punch and I threw a punch. Our fists collided and an agonizing pain rippled through me, I saw him cringe with pain as well. We brought out other fist up, and punched. They collided again, and the pain intensified.
We both brought up our right leg and they collided. I saw the sweat beading down his face; he was staring into my eyes. He keeps doing that…
Standing on only our left leg; we broke free from one another. Panting hard and I doubled over. I looked up after a minute and saw he was lying on the mat, exhausted.
Out of nowhere a large sound erupted around us. I looked up and saw the others in the main gym were clapping and cheering. Some hooting and hollering, others were yelling our names.
James climbed up to the mat-which was raised maybe three feet above the ground- and cheered my name. "Wow, Liz. I only came in the last bit, but that was amazing." Then he looked at John. "Who is that?"
I pulled up a hand for him to wait, and someone came up to me with water. "Thanks." I managed to get out between breaths. I gulped the water down; another Spartan had given John a large bottle as well.
"It's John." I answered to James. He glanced at me and then him.
"That's him?"
"Yes, that's the Spartan from yesterday."
"And you trained with him?"
"No James, were just doubled over in pain and exhaustion for the heck of it. Of course we trained together. Didn't you see the orbital bombing? They are finally attacking and we need to get stronger."
James pouted and walked over to John and leaned down. John was still lying on the mat. James leaned down and started to say something.
I was close enough to make out. "Stay away, Liz. Or I will make, John. Got it?" I was shocked by James and picked him up by the collar of his shirt. "What Liz?" He asked me innocently.
I glared deep into his eyes. "I never took you as the jealous type James. Make sure I'm right when I say you aren't the jealous type James."
He smiled cocky as ever. I grew frustrated by his bravado. I let go of his shirt and he turned to me. "Aw come on Liz. I'm only trying to look out for you. I'm making sure scum like him doesn't get too close and screw with my girl."
I grew furious. "I'M NOT YOUR GIRL JAMES! AND HE ISN'T SCUM! YOU BETTER WATCH YOUR TOUNGE AROUND ME FROM NOW ON! AND WIPE THAT DAMN COCKY SMILE OFF YOUR FACE! YOU MAKE THINGS GO FROM GOOD TO TERRIBLE IN A MOMENT WITH THAT DAMN SMILE!" I yelled in his face and slapped him across his face.
Things got real quite as I helped John up and stormed out of the room with him. James was sitting on the mat. His expression blank, and he rose; anger pouring off him like a waterfall. He walked over to the men's bathroom and that was the last I saw of him for the rest of the day.
