The me starting this chapter hasn't started her winter exams. The me publishing this is free from her winter exams.

Year One: Weight Class Distribution

Operations' Training Room B - 10:02 AM

Just because people are in the same program doesn't mean they'll share classes. Most courses are offered at many times during the week and at different hours. And there's the division within levels, mostly for classes in Operations. The biggest division is by weight class which gives students a fair chance against their classmates. The classes involving lectures and readings are free game. The first-year of Operations is all exercising, weaponry readings, muscle building, and getting your aviation license. The second-year is all sparring, combat training, and practising with simulations and fake weapons. Third-year is when you get the real toys but, according to their RAs, that's when growing tension and dropouts, including failed psychological evaluations, have a positive correlation. Because who can really handle being given a loaded weapon?

Merida turns towards the door and sees James enter. She isn't sure how to react since he's wearing a damn sweater-vest instead of his training uniform. Merida knows that he's doubling in Sci-Tech and likely had a class there before here, but still. She honestly finds this hilarious. Their classmates turn and stare, probably wondering what's this lanky-looking nerd kid doing here? Is he lost? Merida hopes he's supposed to be somewhere else.

If Merida didn't know him, she would've thought the same thing. But this lanky child can blast them with finger guns so he's got that advantage.

Wait, James is in her class. They're the same weight class? Oh, now she wants to drop out. She's offended but that snarky grin on his face means that he's flattered to be at her level.

"Where's your uniform?" Merida asks.

"It's cold in here," James whispers back.

Merida sighs. Why did she get stuck with this moron? At least nobody, not even the head trainer agent, asked him. Perks of syllabus day.

"I hope you did the summer reading on the upcoming training regimes," their professor says.

He gives the whole class a somewhat dirty look, knowing that they didn't do the reading so they'd better cram it for their next class. Except he gives James a small smile. Merida wasn't aware of the sweater-vest benefit. He looks smarter so that means he likely did the reading. Goddamn, she should've worn a stupid sweater-vest on top of her uniform. He didn't even get yelled at for not wearing his training uniform!

"There's a lot of training for you kids to be a specialist," the professor summarizes. So what's the point of doing the reading now? "You have your standard falls, fighting styles, weaponry, etc. It's a continuous cycle to make you stronger. You had the chance to prepare yourself because, out in the real world, there's no preparation. You only have what you know."

Merida glances at James and sees that he's already bored out of his mind. He's disappointed that not all the training at the Academy was the cool superhero-related activities their parents did on the weekends. They had to train up to that point. Espionage work isn't like the movies. It's more paperwork, surveillance, training, etc. She got that speech many times from her parents when she packed her bags.

James catches Merida looking at him and he smiles. For once in her life, she can't help but smile back.

They didn't do the reading. They didn't know there was a reading. Even if they did know about it, they wouldn't have touched it.

-o-

Sci-Tech's Laboratory - 10:11 AM

Unlike the lecture room, the laboratory classrooms were smaller. It's a bright white room with loads of natural light coming in from the windows that were the size of doors. Along the walls were spaced out lab benches, each with four chairs. Each section had a sink, eyewash stations, two burners, and enough counter space for the group to do their individual work. Which might be his route since he doesn't know who's at his bench.

It reminds Daniel of a high-tech version of his high school, like if his high school had at least a million dollars in funding for their science program.

Daniel looks around and sees all his classmates typing away on laptops. He isn't sure what they could be typing since the professor wasn't teaching anything. It's syllabus day. Daniel didn't bring his laptop because why would he? All he has is a notepad and pencil and, even then, he didn't write anything down. The syllabus is on their class site and any important information will be repeated when relevant. But on any other day, he still wouldn't take notes with a keyboard. Many studies show the link between memory retention and writing.

"Know your calculator," the professor tells them. "It can be your best friend, lover or worst enemy."

Daniel isn't sure how to that information but he drops his pencil on the counter. Everyone around him has stopped typing, looking at each other with did he really say that faces. All their faces are blank with terror, confusion or all the above.

But Daniel knows this: his calculator will only be a calculator.

-o-

Operations' Training Room A - 10:28 AM

Angela and Xavier walk beside each other in the crowd of their classmates. Their head trainer for this session was absent and their teaching assistant (or TA) was leading. There wouldn't be any routines since they just got here. How nice of them. Today was only a tour of the area they'll spend their next four years running circles. Each stop had a piece of equipment that was demonstrated and had the benefits provided. There was a track indoors and outdoors. Indoors would only be used if the weather screamed apocalypse.

"But if I was in charge, I wouldn't do that to you," the TA says. "If it gets to the temperature where I wouldn't want to stand, I won't."

She leads them up a staircase that brings them to a circulatory observation deck of the room. From up here, they have a better view of the holes on the floor meant for the blood and sweat to seep through. And there are a lot of them. As the TA gives them a rundown on their assessments and training regimens, Angela and Xavier look at each other. Twin telepathy isn't real, but they've known each other since the womb so they know what the other is thinking.

They will die here. But they're warriors on the inside. The more they train, the more they're in contact with the holes on the floor.

-o-

Hudson Residence - 15:25 PM

Xavier comes back to his dorm, tired as hell after the day although he did nothing but here about the course. His day wasn't even over yet. He still had upcoming lecture halls to visit. Xavier couldn't imagine what would happen when they started training, especially running outside during the dead of winter. But he'll be fine. Those super-soldier genetics will kick in although his dad got defeated from crashing a plane in ice. He could overlook those details. Xavier was more concerned about his other classmates. He overheard them coming from military schools and programs so they've likely been through worse, but still. They would only go inside if the weather screamed apocalypse.

He wasn't sure if the military had an apocalypse drill.

Xavier throws his bag by his desk and sees Ashton lying on his bed on his phone. He looks up when he sees Xavier.

"How were your classes so far?" Xavier asks. Because there's no way in hell that anyone is done this early.

Ashton puts his phone to the side. "Angela's boyfriend is in my weight class. He came in a sweater vest."

Xavier is speechless although that makes perfect sense the more he thinks about it.

Ashton sits up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. "His redheaded friend had the same face you did when he walked in."

Oh, that makes everything better. "So, Merida's in his weight class."

"I didn't catch her name, but I guess."

Xavier takes a minute to die laughing. He didn't think the Academy would kill him this early, but this was the best way to go. God, it must've humiliated Merida to realize that she and James share a weight class, be he would've loved it. And he showed up in a sweater-vest. Ashton didn't get what was so funny and that makes Xavier laugh more. That's a story for another time.

"Anything else?"

"The profs are intense," Ashton responds.

Xavier nods. "My mom was a trainer before she went back to being a field agent."

Ashton's face opens with a little pity. "… you must've had it rough."

"Not really."

"Why'd she change?"

"She met my dad."

"Damn." Ashton whistles. "That's a romance to live up to."

Xavier shakes his head in defeat. "I can never achieve that."

"Don't say that. You had your high school girlfriend. You have that experience. Anything's possible."

"Yup."

Had. Past tense.

Me too, Xavier, me too.