Author Note: Since I couldn’t post last week like I had wanted this weeks post will probably be a bit longer. I apologize and hope that you all continue to enjoy this adventure with me =)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: 

PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY

I never worked out a day in my life…officially that is. Most of my daily exercise had come from either running from hounds or dragging heavy scrap metal for miles back to Ricky’s with my tired ass to see what we could sell it for. I’d never once said to myself, Davu, let’s get in shape a day in my life since I had been born with my father’s athletic gifts. As I looked back, I probably should have done a couple of crunches back in the day. 

“GET UP OFF MY FLOOR MAGGOT! I SAID I WANT TO FEEL YOU PUSH THE EARTH, NOT MAKE LOVE TO IT!” Sergeant Mendoza said as he bent down into my ear. 

Sweat dripped from my pores as I realized that even as my enchantments made me stronger, faster, and harder to tire out, it didn’t make it impossible. A fact that I discovered the hard way after I reached somewhere around the halfway mark. My body wasn’t used to the structured motions. Every muscle in my upper torso burned from my neck to my arms and even down my back, as if the devil himself had taken a piss on my head. I raised my neck to see the rest of my team were faring better than I did as I gritted my teeth to complete another push-up. VV-06 struggled a bit, but didn’t stop while sweat plastered her hair to her face. PA-10 was more relaxed as she met my gaze when I landed on her. Purposely messing up her rhythm while she stared back with a seductive smile, blowing a kiss. Squeezing her breast together as they rocked back and forth. Crazy bitch. I kept pushing, up, down, up, down, raising my head once again to see Cunt-Seong hadn’t broken a drop of sweat. He squinted his eyes together as if he were half-asleep while he gave me a condescending look that reeked of narcissism. A look that pissed off every fiber of my being. 

“Alright, get up. We don’t have the time for you all to struggle to do just a few push-ups. Delta Team, grab your rifles and come with me. I want to see everyone move with a purpose.” Sergeant Mendoza said, stepping back out of our barracks as he waited outside.

As everyone sprung back up on the drop of a dime, while I took my sweet ass time getting to my feet. I was more than sore from Sergeant Mendoza’s torture kink. I reached for my rifle, turning back towards the doorway as I caught the irked gaze of Sergeant Mendoza. His facial features twisted up in ways I hadn’t thought possible, as if I had gotten up early in the morning just to piss in his bowl of cereal. Bad move D.

“Recruit SSM-13.” Sergeant Mendoza called out.

“Yes, Sergeant Mendoza.” I said, cradling my rifle in my arms as if it would protect me keeping a flat expression on my face.

“I believe I said to move with a fucking purpose. Not move like a snail face-fucking the ground.”

My head dropped a bit as a chuckle escaped my lips that I hadn’t met to let out. It was a nervous reflex I had to stressful situations. You know, the kind where you could literally feel your asshole pucker up. I did my best to school, my face back into a blank expression that contradicted how much my body had filled with absolute dread. I saw nothing except hellfire and brimstone in Sergeant Mendoza’s eyes. Good shit D. Just keep fucking up. Sergeant Mendoza stared down at me, one of the few people I had met since being here that was taller than I was. A devilish smile spread across his lips at the same time that he drew closer.

“I guess you must think I’m pretty funny, huh, recruit? You must think I moonlight on the weekends in a hole in the wall club as some kind of fucking comedian. Well, don’t I have a joke for you?” Sergeant Mendoza twisted his body to look back at the rest of my team, who were waiting just outside the barracks doors. “Delta Team, from now on until I relieve recruit dickwad over here of his task, he will carry his rifle above his head, arms fully extended everywhere he goes while the rest of you are tasked with making sure his rifle stays up, am I understood?”

“Yes, Sergeant Mendoza.” The rest of Delta Team said.

“Good. So what are you SSM-13 waiting for? Get her up.” Sergeant Mendoza stepped closer.

I swear after I make it out of this place, I’m never coming back. Fuck this shit. No, you can’t let them break you D. I slowly raised the heavy M-24 rifle above my head as elbows clicked, letting me know they had fully locked. I must’ve looked like a fool because I saw Cunt-Seong doing his best to stop himself from keeling over from laughter, but I had no one to blame except myself. Don’t react, D, you just have to make it through. I moved around Sergeant Mendoza to join the rest of my team. VV-06 paid me no mind as she kept her eyes set forward, while PA-10 gave me another one of her playful smiles that sent shivers down my spine. I moved behind her to avoid eye-contact while she gave a knowing look as I stepped in front of Dae-Seong to rejoin the group. 

“Good job, Shit-stain.” Dae-Seong whispered in my ear.

I kept my cool while I did my best to ignore him. Fighting against everything in my body that wanted me to turn around and whack him across the face with the butt of my rifle. It wouldn’t do me any good to start another fight, but it for damn sure would’ve made me feel better, though. I gritted my teeth as I pushed through the pain, hoping I would complete my task soon whenever that was.

“Let’s get moving Delta Team. We’re already way behind schedule. Let’s go, let go, let’s go recruits. I want to see knees to chest.” Sergeant Mendoza said, taking off in what might’ve looked like a jog, but felt more like a full-sprint.

If I thought my arms hurt before, I was definitely in for a world of hurt for the next few days as I ran with my rifle in the air. Every step made the muscles in my shoulders twitch with pain as they burned. I tried flexing my core to keep myself steady, but that only helped to spread the pain even further to my abs. Grit your teeth, Davu, you’re better than this. You’ve always had to push yourself. Today ain’t no different. It’s the same shit, just a different day and a new place. Get it together.

###

Keeping my balance as I ran with my arms up was harder than I initially thought. I had to stop myself from falling over so many times that I lost count while Sergeant Mendoza slowed down, sped up, and made sharp turns. At some point, I thought he was doing the shit for fun just to get back at me. It also didn’t help that Cunt-Seong took every chance he could to trip me up. One thing I learned real quick was that the cadre sure put the p in petty. In a weird way, though, running behind PA-10 wasn’t the worst decision I could’ve made. Yeah, the bitch was crazy, but she looked out for your boy. I didn’t know what insect they spliced her with, but whatever it was gave her the weird ability to predict the direction Sergeant Mendoza was going to head in as she used her rifle to subtly point in the direction we were going to head in next. That and I had to give PA-10 her props. Ole girl had a banging body that I took note of as my eyes traveled down her back, landing at her hips as I watched the way her spandex bodysuit hugged her ass. What did Ricky say again about crazy women and nice bodies? I quickly shook my head to get the wandering thoughts out of my mind. I almost ran into PA-10’s back, not noticing the way she slowed down at the same time that Sergeant Mendoza had come to a stop in front of a door that was labeled Training Field.

“Delta Team, for the rest of this morning, I will instruct everyone on urban tactics, team formations, and the weapons system we have issued you. I expect everyone to carry themselves as the Superiōrem they pray to god to one day be.” Sergeant Mendoza said.

“Hear that shit-stain. Try your best not to embarrass us.” Dae-Seong whispered in my ear.

I twisted my neck back to mouth the words wait until tonight while he gave me another stupid smirk.

“Yes, Sergeant.” I said, along with everybody else.

The doors opened to reveal an outdoor field filled with small abandoned looking buildings while they covered the ground in mud and littered the roads randomly placed junk cars. I looked around as my eyes soon landed on the other teams in their chimera suits led by their Superiōrem cadre at the same time moving through the buildings, rifles raised to the ready.

“Delta Team, activate your chimera suits and prepare to be sorted into your positions.” 

“Yes, Sergeant.” We responded again as a unit.

I forced back up the flashes of memories of the rainy night that took my family using the trauma as a trigger. The bands around my hands and field melted into a small sea of miniature spheres that soon encapsulated my body as my vision filled with the chimera suit interface. My eyes swiveled from left to right as I noticed the differentiating colors of my female teammate’s chimera suits. While mine was a mixture of red, black and gold, VV-06’s was a two color combo of matte black and bright yellow that popped out against her slender frame. As opposed to her bolder personality, PA-10’s suit was a single subdued shade of coyote brown that contoured to her curves.

“Nice suit.” PA-10 said in a sultry voice as she cocked her head a bit.

While we finished activating our suits, Sergeant Mendoza led us to the door of the nearest abandoned building as we traveled down the muddy roads, standing in front of us.

“Lesson number one, for a Superiōrem to be an efficient killer, they must know their weapon like a young boy knows the palm of their hand. You each hold in your arms the Superiōrem issued M-24 rifle, capable of firing seven to eight hundred rounds of pure fucking hate per a minute at an effective range of six hundred meters. That’s not even mentioning the fact that this beauty uses a specially designed high powered .375 H&H depleted uranium casing with high-explosive incendiary tank armor-piercing rounds that would tear a one-ton grizzly bear to shreds.” Sergeant Mendoza smiled as he paced back and forth. “This is all to say that the weapon you hold near and dear in your hands is not meant to stop, maim, or incapacitate the enemy. Its sole purpose is to put a motherfucker six feet beneath the dirt where they belong. Each fireteam has four members and each of you will have a part to play in keeping your sorry asses alive. First is the pointman, the first motherfucker through the door every single goddamn time. They are responsible for not only doing the initial clearing, but giving due warning to the rest of the team in case of an ambush. Next comes the machine-gunner, who will carry a modified version of the M-24 drum-equipped magazine for heavy fire-power in sticky situations. They are supported by your third member, the rifleman and last but not least the grenadier who will provide backend security with grenade rounds that pack a twenty-five meter kill radius.” 

“Yes, Sergeant.” We responded as Sergeant Mendoza scanned my team, his eyes soon landing on me.

“Recruit SSM-13, front and center.” 

“Yes, Sergeant.” I said, having already lost feeling in my shoulders.

“You will be Delta team’s pointman. You are now responsible for each and every one of your teammates’ lives. The pointman can never hesitate in front of danger. They must push through every obstacle in front of them without fear even when certain death stares them straight in the face.. Do you understand me, SSM-13?”

Certain death…..Are you fucking kidding me? I thought for a moment as I gulped, relieved that no one could see my face under my helmet. No, you wanted to be something more. Something greater, a hero…Now you got that chance. Ain’t nobody braver than the first man through the door. You wanted respect, right? Time to go and fucking get it. 

“Yes, Sergeant!” I said, stepping forward. 

“Good, you just might be worth something recruiting. Step back while I sort out the rest of you dickwads. It’s going to be a fun day.” Sergeant Mendoza laughed maniacally. “MF-09, you’re the machine-gunner. PA-10, rifleman. VV-06, grenadier. Now form up on the door on the double. There are simulated Parasites inside each building. Delta team will spend the rest of the morning clearing each one.”

“Yes, Sergeant Mendoza.” We said.

I moved to the front of our formation, stepping past PA-10 and VV-06 as I braced myself against the wall of the abandoned building.

“Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll watch your back meu amado. Every single detail.” PA-10 said.

“You better stay focused and get your head out of your ass. I want to get in the top ranks and I won’t let your fuck-ups get in the way.” VV-06 followed on her heel.

Ok, she needs to take a chill pill. I fidgeted while Sergeant Mendoza pushed and pulled my body into the proper position as he gave a brief rundown on how to breach a door. At the same time that he spoke, my heart began pounding within my chest while my vision snapped back to the infrared sight and my hairs stood on edge as I felt the vibrations in the air even stronger now than before with my chimera-suit. A rush of sensation that came from everywhere flooded my brain that made me want to vomit as I gagged holding it in. It wouldn’t do me any good throwing up when my helmet had no mouth piece to hurl out of. 

“Steady yourself SSM-13. Imagine your chimera suit as a second skin that connects directly to your brain. It’s living armor, wear it like one. There’s no room for error when you’re the pointman.” Sergeant Mendoza said, backing up to observe our first run through.

“Yeah, shit-stain, try not to fuck this up and get us all killed.” Dae-Seong chuckled behind me at the same time place his left hand on my shoulder.

“Fuck you, Cunt-Seong.” 

“Shut up and focus, you two, or we’ll be out here all day.” VV-06 said from down the line.

“Princesa has a point. Ignore Cunt-Seong. You can do this, meu amado. Take a deep breath and focus. You got this.” PA-10 said in a soft voice.

I took multiple deep breaths as I counted down from ten, all while I patted Dae-Seong’s hand, letting him know I was ready to breach. The touch ran down the line as each member let the other know they were ready for whatever, as it ran back down to me. I took one last deep breath, stepping out from the line as I maneuvered in front of the entryway. Bracing myself, I launched my right foot forward towards the door as it flew off the hinges backwards into the building. Nothing but pitch black greeted me from the inside of the shoddy miniature high-rise as I stared into the abyss. At the same time that I stepped through that narrow doorway, I noticed the abyss stared right back as I gazed down the sights of my rifle.