Being Different

Easier said than done

A/N: Damien takes his punishment like a man...All hell breaks loose in a virtual environment supposedly for training purposes only as Darius and Damien find themselves in danger...

Mick POV

"Agent DB2025, come here, please. After much deliberation with your peers, it is only fitting that after the skirmish yesterday with Agent Mullins, that you be punished for your actions" Darius commanded his son to come forward and face his trainers, Nik, Alonso and Felix, as well as the other trainees, both from senior and junior levels of which he was now at the senior level.

"I understand, sir. I will accept my punishment for the insubordination that I displayed during training. I am fully aware of my inappropriate actions during that time and willingly accept my fate" Damien responded vehemently. "But before I do so, I wish to ask for everyone's forgiveness, especially Agent Mullins, for acting irresponsibly yesterday. I am terribly sorry Agent Mullins. Please forgive me" Damien spoke sincerely.

All of us acknowledged that Damien had shown great remorse for beating up Agent Mullins, and in front of every agent present, had asked for the man's forgiveness for his actions. Agent Mullins was present, but still unable to participate in the activities due to the injuries he sustained and was confined to a wheelchair to watch the proceedings. He accepted Damien's apology immediately.

We then followed them indoors to a huge, enclosed space, which held virtual capabilities. Virtual environments were created here with Zack's input, using actual, realistic scenarios and situations that the trainees would eventually have to go through, and complete accurately without getting injured in the process.

Damien was sent into the debriefing room and while he suited up, Zack gave him strict instructions with regards to the environment he was going into, and handed him a single weapon. Zack's assistant, meanwhile, set up the environment where Damien would be given a several tasks to complete. Should he fail, he would be knocked back down to junior status and have to go through the entire training process again as a newbie.

Damien had no idea that everyone would be watching his every move whilst inside the virtual environment. He was on his own, totally relying on his instincts which he had honed during his training over at Project Eden.

Damien entered the dark interior of the space and literally found himself in a hostile situation where he was enclosed in a metal cage with others who were actually fellow trainees, about to get fed to a monster from another galaxy, by a fierce, tribal community. This was only the beginning of his tasks, one of which he was to free himself and the others while obliterating the monster.

The environment was so realistic in that all virtual aspects were three dimensional and solid to the touch, and that it was difficult to distinguish what was real and what was not. For every hostile anomaly he encountered, he had to fight or defend himself against, another would be created in his place, making each of the tasks more difficult to complete.

He could sense the others rooting for him as they viewed the entire scenario on their screens. As he continued to ascend through each section, the level of difficulty increased. He found himself being bombarded on all sides at one point.

"Are you ready to surrender?" Darius opened the communications com-link provided, as he watched his boy sweating it out, struggling to stay on his feet from the onslaught of formidable, alien opponents that continued to blast their way towards him, and gunning down anyone in the process.

"NO!" Damien yelled, as he lunged, parried, dodged and kicked his way to the upper levels.

Damien scoped the outer parameters of the area before him. To the left were deep trenches that seemed to go nowhere. To his right were buildings of odd shapes and sizes, some crumbling or about to fall apart from the heavy destruction that ensued between him and his opponents.