Chapter Six
The next day, Damian and his team were awoken by the sound of announcement over the intercom from Ironwood. All new students had to report to the training room within the hour. As Ryu was strapping on his armour pads, he asked a question to the room.
"So guys, considering we're already in a group, how do we make sure we don't accidentally end up on someone else's team?" Nathan spat out some water and said:
"Well, it all depends on how the groups are chosen, but I imagine that Ironwood will do something about it."
"Well, whatever it is, I hope we get to have a good training session while we're at it." Damian said as he walked out of the shower.
"Damian!" Put some damn clothes on, you savage." Gagana shouted, and threw a pillow at him.
"Gagana, as you can clearly see I am wearing a towel." he motioned his hands to it as he spoke.
"I don't care!" Gagana squealed with her hands in front of her eyes. "Have some common decency and cover up!"
Damian rolled his eyes. Gagana had been like this since yesterday, when they were setting up the room. She had claimed the entire left half to herself, along with the bathroom, and had even put up a curtain and announced that none of the boys could cross it on pain of death. Nathan walked over to Damian and looked at Gagana.
"Look, Gagana, at first I thought you might just be a little anal, with all this making sides and what not, but don't you think you should give the guy a break?" she lowered her hands.
"Y…you wouldn't get it…" she mumbled, and walked off to her shower, slamming the door behind her. Ryu walked behind the two other boys and whispered:
"I'm thinking she's been brought up by some sort of heavy-handed family, with a 'no boys' policy. Or more likely 'no boys and girls sharing rooms'. That sort of thing." The other two boys looked at each other, then at Ryu
"Well, even if that's true, she should accommodate for the majority."
"Nathan, don't cause more conflict then is necessary." Damian said while putting on his shirt.
"Whether she changes or not, we need to fix this." Ryu said, pointing at the beds. They had been stacked into a pyramid shaped bunk bed, with two beds on the bottom and one on top, balanced between the two.
"Saying something about my handy work?" Nathan asked, with a frown.
"It just looks really unstable-" Ryu began.
"Did you die in your sleep?"
"Well, no…"
"Then I don't see a problem." Nathan concluded, defiantly.
"You two really could argue for Atlas on a professional level, couldn't you?" Damian said before downing a glass of milk. "Gagana, you have twenty minutes left," he called in the direction of the shower door.
"Don't talk to me while I'm in the shower, you weirdo!"
"How was I… oh never mind?" Damian sighed. He looked at Nathan and Ryu. "Yes, Ryu, it does look silly, but we can fix it up when we get back. Is that a problem Nathan?" The other two nodded in agreement.
"Big bear is taking his new role pretty well." Ryu chuckled.
"Big bear is my father." Damian responded with a smirk. Nathan let out a gasp of realisation. Ryu looked at him.
"What's up?"
"Damian's father must be huge…" Nathan said slowly. Damian started laughing.
"Well, yeah."
"Come on, guys." Gagana called, now out of the bathroom. Nathan narrowed his eyes at her.
"We were waiting on you."
"Nathan…" Damian said, looking at him with one eyebrow raised. "Yeah, let's get going and do this thing."
"Come on, guys." Gagana called, now out of the bathroom. Nathan narrowed his eyes at her.
"We were waiting on you."
"Nathan…" Damian said, looking at him with one eyebrow raised. "Yeah, let's get going and do this thing."
When the four students entered the training room they were greeted by the warms smiles of Scarlet and Mary.
"Morning y'all!" Scarlet said with a little wave.
"How was sleeping in a real bed." Mary said now with no hint of a smile.
"Was sleeping in the hall that rough?" Nathan asked.
"I guess you'll never know the joy of it." She replied sarcastically
"I must admit, I have slept on rocks softer then that there floor. Why does atlas insist on all this metal?" Scarlet added.
"Metal you say?" Nathan said with a glint in his eyes. Ryu smacked him over the back of his head.
"I don't know what awful pun you were away to start but I recommend you don't continue it."
"You wana go mate?" Nathan snapped as he whipped out his gun and dug it into Ryu's face. Gagana jabbed the two in the sides and sent the two into a spasm on the floor.
"Oh you guys will need to sign in." Scarlet said trying to return to peace and normality.
"Good idea." Damian said as he followed scarlet over to a holographic screen at the far side of the room. Damian looked down the list. Gagana Arkid, Richard Blackwall, Damian Carmine
"There we go." He pressed his finger against his name, it briefly lit up then a green tick appeared next to his name. Gagana dragged Nathan and Ryu over and they did the same.
"I guess we were a little early." Damian said looking at the practically empty room.
"Well there are only meant to be twelve of us here." Gagana said looking at the register. Ryu scrolled up and down looking at all the names.
"I'm pretty sure Richard is that guy Damian had a fight with, Oscar was there as well, and who's Timothy Moor? Or Brett Tawny? Oh I recognise these two they are the Teal twins."
"How'd you guess that?" Mary asked sarcastically.
"Because they have the same last name." He replied deadpan. With that the door opened and the Teal sisters, Ramona and Rylee entered the training room.
"Oh we were just talking about you guys." Scarlet said flamboyantly as she waved to them.
"Hope you were saying nice things!" Rylee said, faking a serious tone.
"Of course." Scarlet replied.
"Now back to my question," Ryu continued after the brief interruption. "So who are Brett and Timothy?"
"I can help you there." Ramona replied as she and her sister walked over and signed in. "Brett is a loud orange haired boy, about five, nine, uses a rocket powered skateboard as a weapon." Ryu stared back blankly.
"A what?"
"Look man, it's not that crazy, I use my roller blades and Oscar uses a bike." She said motioning to her feet." Ryu continued to look blankly.
"Some of us want to do more than just fight!" She said defensively. Ryu was taken aback by her outburst."
"So how do you know him?" Nathan asked to move the conversation along.
"I saw his board and asked him about it last night, he's into extreme sports like me and Rylee. Apparently him and Oscar came from the same combat school." Ramona replied, now less tense.
The door opened again this time bringing three people. Richard, Brett & Oscar.
"Howdy friends!" Scarlet said in her normal manor.
"Morning" the boys replied.
"Are we the last to show up?" Brett asked casually.
"Nah we're still waiting for one more, Timothy right?" Nathan said then asked to the room.
"Yea we were just talking about it." Scarlet added.
"I know we haven't exactly been assigned teams yet but I'd like to say, if we get any choice in the matter me, Oscar, Rylee and Ramona will be forming a team." Said to the group in general.
"I guess you haven't got much choice with all the pros already being drafted together." Nathan said cockily.
"Yea I remember now, you guys getting lumped together for better or worse." Oscar said with a chuckle.
"Well that leaves Myself, Mary, Richard and Timothy." Scarlet said diplomatically.
"I guess it does." Mary said, showing clear signs that she didn't like this set up.
"What's wrong Mary?" Damian asked.
"Oh you'll see don't worry." Eyes rolling as she spoke.
As if on cue the doors opened again and a thick cloud of white smoke entered.
Instinctively all the students readied their weapons. A voice erupted from the cloud.
"Who is ready to join the ranks, to become brothers in arms, with the one, the only Timothy Moor!" With that a blue haired boy in baggy white shorts jumped from the cloud, preformed and impressive flip and landed in front of his not so impressed crowd.
"Oh Timothy, wonderful your finally here!" Scarlet exclaimed. "We welcome you to team… Well we don't have a name yet but the team that consists of myself, Mary, Richard and now yourself." Timothy looked on in surprise.
"When did this get decided?"
"About the same time that Brett formed his team." Scarlet said with motherly tones.
"Well I guess I can lead you lot." He said disgruntled.
"Actually we don't have a leader yet," Mary said, "and I'm sure as hell not working for a clown like you!" She barked.
"Good morning students of Atlas." A voice boomed from above and the screen on the wall flicked and now showed two people.
"I am Doctor Emrys. I along with help from my college shall be overseeing this training event. The event its self is split into two parts, two different puzzles. But I am getting ahead of myself first we must assign teams."
"Gwynn it would seem that they have already assigned themselves groups." Another voice said from the speaker.
"That's Doctor Emrys to you Ruaridh! Yes it would seem they have…you should probably Introduce yourself instead of just butting in."
"Very well I am Professor Ruaridh King and I will be your secondary moderator as the Headmaster is busy with another group of students."
"Let's start, potential captains please walk forward." Gwynn commanded enthusiastically. Damian, Brett, Scarlet and Timothy all walked forward. Scarlet and Timothy looked at each other, then Scarlet walloped the blue-haired boy over the head and he retreated behind Richard.
"You three are now responsible for the well being and success of your teams. Lead them to victory!" Gwynn commanded again.
"Your test starts now." Mr King declared, with the push of a button the floor fell away and all three teams tumbled into the darkness.
"So Gwynn how do you think they will fair."
"I'm not sure but I have high hopes but we definitely can't have the same sort of outcome that we had last year."
"That is true." Ruaridh replied solemnly.