Chapter 4- Boot Camp 101
A/N- Another chapter, and late once again, I'll have to be careful or I'll turn into an irresponsible writer. I would also like to just give a shout out to Kebarton whose PM's have been a great source of encouragement for me. Anyways on with the next chapter, as always, R&R. :)
Mike and Ike, being the pleasant people that they are,decided to wake me extra early the next morning before 'escorting' me to breakfast in the same room with Jess. 'Morning' I mumbled through my porridge, which actually tasted all right to be fair to the terrorist assholes. 'Morning, how you been sleeping?' she asked back, a concerned look on her face; shit, she saw then. At this point I should probably mention the fact that I am looking like absolute crap due to only having about 8 hours sleep in the last two days. I had a pretty similar dream last night to the night before which therefore meant that sleeping didn't go very well. 'I'm not gonna lie, I've had better mornings, and better accommodation!' I raised my voice for the last two words to make sure that Mike could hear me, standing by the door. 'Michael, seriously, why do you try to piss them off, it's pretty clear that it isn't gonna work to get us out by now!' she whisper-shouted at me, I simply rolled my eyes, used to her lectures. 'Well I gotta do something for fun, besides, Mike and Ike know I mean it' I turn to look at Mike 'Don't you?' he simply turned to have his back facing me. 'Well someone's pissy today, what did Ike not let you be the man last night?' Jess nearly choked on her food in front of me and Mike whirled around looking thoroughly pissed. For future reference, I am not homophobic or anything, it is simply that jokes of that nature are the easiest way to annoy men like them. I thought as Mike stalked over to me, grabbed me and Jess by the scruff of our necks and dragged us out of the room, we didn't even finish our meal.
Mike unceremoniously threw us through the door into a room that reminded me somewhat of a high school gym. There were several crates and canisters along one wall and windows covered another, showing the barren wasteland of the planet outside, the few decrepit, dying bits of brush reflected my mood perfectly. There was an observation room up on the wall opposite to the windows which projected out into the room slightly with four scientists, including Wilson, in standard Cerberus garb with their Omni-tools glowing. The intercom then sounded across the room, echoing off of the bare walls.' Hello you two, I hope that you have enjoyed your stay so far and that you have been treated well' I scoff, none too subtly 'Well, I once went to the Ritz, and compared to that this place is a shithole, white is VERY fucking boring when you put it on everything, just so you know! Also cut the bloody false niceties you piece of shit' the scientists all seemed a little stunned by this, bar Wilson who seemed to calmly write down some notes on his Omni-tool. 'You will quickly learn that unpleasant language will not be tolerated here. We saved your lives, you could at least show, Common Courtesy!' He screamed the last two words, his composure failing. Suddenly pain blossomed from my left forearm and I fell to the floor screaming, barely aware of Jess suffering the same fate next to me. Wilson spoke very slowly and deliberately now, the smug tone clearly evident within his voice 'Subdermal nerve implants are a fickle thing aren't they? Such a small thing causing so, much, pain' cuing his Omni-tool at the same time he said the last word and the pain further intensified before suddenly ceasing. 'Now, you are going to do what we say and demonstrate your biotics or', he waves his Omni-tool ominously, 'so first we want you to lift the containers in order of size on the other side of the room'. You bastards will pay when I escape, I'll just bide my time I think as I temporarily resign myself to fulfilling the tests.
Jess and I spent the rest of the day in various testing halls, completing tests in various attributes such as intelligence, biotics, fitness and lateral thinking. I do reasonably well in most of it but fall down a little in fitness and Jess has issues with her biotics, with them being weaker than mine. After the last test, we are given a decent meal that I don't really remember what it was as I was so hungry after using my biotics as much as I had; Mike and Ike then put us back in our cells. A passageway appeared between the two with a door which somewhat surprised me until I discovered that the door was locked. Sighing I turned around, quickly ripped the logos off of the new uniform I found on my bed and passed out onto my bed, not even moving the covers.
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1 Year Later
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(Over the course of the last year, very little had changed in my routine from the first day; wake up- piss off mike, got to training- piss of Wilson, go to dinner-piss of Ike, go to bed- talk to Jess. They allowed us a little free time at night and one day a week and at these times Jess and I were free to go into each other's cell, which were still completely plain. Both of our biotics had improved, although mine were slightly better and we were both in peak physical condition now, There's at least one positive I thought grimly as my family still plagued my nightmares and I felt their loss just as strongly now as I ever did.)
I run across the small opening with the stun bolts slamming into the walls around me before smoothly sliding under a beam and narrowly dodging a stun baton aimed at my head ; smoothly flipping Mike off as I moved past him. I move round the hall corner and dive over a desk, landing into a roll and coming straight up running again, as I move round the next bend I launch biotic attacks down the branching hallways to my left and right, satisfied as I hear cries echo round them. In the next corridor I leap over a pit and wall run over another before grabbing hold of the net attached to the ceiling, climbing along it and then up the wall that it went up at the end of the pit. I quickly haul myself over the edge and slide over the line. The scoreboard blaring up my time in big red numbers, not my fastest but it'll do to keep the dogs away. Walking through another hallway straight into my cell I wonder how Jess did on her course, dumping my sweaty uniform (minus logos still) into the laundry chute I climb into the shower.
About half an hour later I am dragged to the canteen for lunch and meet Jess there, 'How'd it go with the goon squad?' I ask, sliding into the chair opposite her and grabbing a protein bar. 'Alright, I guess, heard that we're doing something different this afternoon; military training I think' she tried to act nonchalant to everything she was saying but I noticed the worried look flash on her face when she mentioned the afternoon- we were both waiting for when they would kick up the training, and dreading it. 'Well they can't push us any harder, or beat us any more' I shrug, the bruises having long since faded with only a few scars remaining 'I'm sure that things will be fine, besides you have me to constantly save you when you screw up'. She scoffs at my last comment and levels me with a glare that would make Batman flinch 'More like I have to save you every time you annoy Tony and Steve!' 'I told you not to call them by their names, they're Mike and Ike, if you name them then you'll have a harder time getting rid of them!' The aforementioned Cerberus lackeys seemed to have heard the last statement and came over to take us to our afternoon 'activities'.
We were led into the same hall that we had our biotics tested in, instead now there were two weapon benches in front of us with an assault rifle disassembled on each. Weapon racks lined the walls with every kind of weapon, attachment or mod that you could think of on them. There were also two firing ranges laid out for us to use and we spent the rest of the day being taught via hologram how to disassemble, reassemble and clean an assault rifle before we had a quick go firing them. With my imagining each target being the Batarian who killed Emily my aim improved quite quickly. Afterwards we got a horrible surprise as we were taken to new cells far away from each other at least I think they are I thought glumly as I looked back over my shoulder to see Jess being led down a set of stairs at the other end of the hallway. My nightmares came back full force that night.
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1 Year Later
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I hadn't seen Jess or Mike since the day I began weapon training and whilst I was quite pleased with my progress in weapon proficiency as I now knew most weapons inside out and had decent aim with all (although I prefer ARs and shotguns), I had never felt more alone. I literally had no one as mike never spoke a word and all training was done through a faceless, monotone VI; the only reason that I got through was the thought of putting my new skills to the test on my captors and then every Batarian slaver that I could get my hands on.
Ike then decided- along with Wilson I have no doubt- decided that It was time to start CQC training with me and then proceeded to spend the entire afternoon handing my ass to me in what must have been every way imaginable, payback for all the wiseass comment about him and mike. However over the next year I slowly improve as I learn several different martial art forms and just general dirty fighting (most of my knowledge I attribute to Ike repeatedly kicking my ass for around 300 days of the year until the fight became more even and I started to occasionally put him on the mat. Over the course of the year he slowly seemed to warm slightly to me as he worked out all of his hatred and frustration out on my face, he even occasionally ground out a brief 'Morning' to me once in a while.
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2173
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I woke up yet again to Ike dragging me out of bed and forcing me to put on my uniform (they had taken to ironing the logos on and so I had taken to slicing out those parts of my uniform). He then led me to a new door that I hadn't ever seen before, gave me an almost regretful, sad smile as he opened it and I walked past. That was freaky; Ike usually shows the emotional range of a paperclip. I thought until I saw why even the man of steel had cracked; I was in an arena of some sorts with an observation window on the left wall and cameras covering the others. There were faint red stains on the floor but the walls were their usual sterile white and that's when I saw her, the image that would burn into my soul and plague me for years to come, Jess…
A/N- So I know that this is late and I'm sorry that I have no excuse except that I'm a horrible person. Despite this please review; also can you PM me and tell me what you think of Jess so far as a character and whether or not I should keep her or not ( I have two versions of the next chapter planned and would like some audience input). Anyways, have a good one :)