Bullets, Bomb-blasts, and Battlefields: Facing the U.D.C.

Chapter I: The Beginning 

“Go!”  I quickly ran through the obstacle course, finishing with a time of 30.6 seconds. I wasn’t even out of breath. The average time it takes for an adult to accomplish the course is 2 minutes, 45 seconds.

Before you say anything, no, this is not magic. For some reason I’ve always been faster than all my friends, faster than most people, actually. I joined the track team in 6th grade and went to the national level, but that’s another story. My grandfather saw the potential in me and started to train me. He had me run up in the mountains. After I succeeded on each mountain we moved to a higher mountain. I have now run at full speed on each of the continents’ highest mountains, all except Everest. So now I’m used to exerting myself in very thin air.

A couple years back, my grandfather had me thrown into the army’s boot camp. Since I was the youngest in the group, it was very hard for me to fit in. Everyone else was either a high school senior or college-aged, and I’m just going into middle school. It was especially hard because I was the top of my class every year. No one actually goes to college any more.

Ever since the dawn of the dark ages, a kid goes to elementary school, and has a blast. They also enjoy one year of middle school before they may have to fight for their life either in 7th or in 8th grade. The chance of getting picked doubles when they are in 8th grade. If they make it out of middle school, then they again enjoy four years of high school. But then immediately afterwards, those students are thrown into a branch of the military, and they’re off to boot camp.

Along with the Army Rangers, my grandfather saw fit to also train me as a Marine. If you think the Army’s training was tough, you haven’t seen anything yet. The Marines are hardcore military (no offense) who never lose.  At the same time, he had me learn Tae Kwon Do and Jujitsu. 

 I waited at attention for the Admiral and my grandfather to finish conversing and receive my next set of orders. Oh, by the way, my grandfather is the legend, the myth, the amazing Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the best Marine in the corps.

“Damn, that kid is fast,” said Commandant Andrew Hayes, the retired Commandant who now supervises recruitment and boot camp.

“He can keep up that speed for long periods of time. He’s been like that ever since he was four,” said my grandfather.

 “As I understand it, he is training with the Army as well, is he not?” Commandant Hayes asked. 

“Yes, I want his average survival rate to be well over 500%.  I want him to be the best of the best of the best. I want him to be a G.I. Joe, if they existed,” my grandfather replied.

 “I think he is. He has the fastest time on this course. I’m pretty sure he broke the world record. He has the highest score in building and firing any weapon accurately. And, he is the best damn knife thrower the Marine Corps and the Army has seen in a long time,” the Commandant returned. “In my opinion, he is beyond average. Why are you pushing him so hard?” 

“He’s in eighth grade this year, and the U.D.C is coming up fast. I want him to be able to protect his team and himself as a reflex, without conscious thought or extreme effort,” my grandfather answered.

“And I’m telling you, he is. How can you be so stubborn when it’s right in front of your eyes? He’s ready, so stop worrying!” Hayes practically shouted, clearly ending the conversation.