A Little Calm...

New Normal

***Me again! So listen, I liked the idea of showing the training process, in theory. Once I started writing it, it just felt like I was dragging out the story for no reason. Therefore we're gonna do a descriptive chapter here to explain what happened for the rest of the assessments and we'll pick it back up when you're half way through the program, but from a different perspective ;) xx

Count On Me - NEEDTOBREATHE

When you got home that evening, you and Bucky talked at long length about the logistics of you two remaining strangers when at the facility. You agree that actively trying to hide it will only end in tears and so decide that whilst you will not go out of your way to stay apart, you will also not invite attention to the subject through PDA.
Although you were dreading it, the weapons assessment wasn't as bad as you expected. As much as you hate to admit it, you had a certain level of natural ability in the shooting range which meant that you could keep up enough as to not draw attention. You were nowhere near getting the top score but you didn't mind in the slightest. Other weapons covered included knives, archery (bow and crossbow), and staffs. You had zero experience in archery and so had to rely on natural ability again, however Bucky had given you some lessons in knives and staffs. Once the assessments were complete, you were quite comfortably identified as one of the weaker members of the group in this discipline. It didn't bother you or motivate you to climb the ranks, but it did reassure you that you're not so out of place; you're not the most amateur, nor the most experienced.

The final assessment was a Specialised Skill of your choosing. As this was completed on the third day, everyone was assessed privately. Hunger Games Style. You had to think long and hard about your skill, given that you didn't really have any when it came to this kind of stuff. In the end, you decided to keep it simple. The only weapon that Bucky had given you extended training in was knives, so that's exactly what you chose. You didn't have a lot of experience in throwing them so most of your success would be pinned on avoiding getting 'shot' so you could get close enough to take them out.
You were told that the assessment would be held in one of the simulation rooms and so arrived at the crack of dawn to get some practice in before the afternoon.
The simulation was simple. Make your way past 6 hostiles (holograms), leaving minimal injuries, and collect one number of a passcode at each check point as you went. At the end, the passcode would let you exit the sim. If you get killed by a hologram, the sim ends. If you get the wrong passcode, you exit the sim with a fail score.
As hoped and expected, you finished the sim in an average time with few hiccups. You took down the targets with minor injuries, remembered the code, and left the sim with no injuries. Again, you didn't get the best time out of the other trainees, but some didn't finish at all.
Once the assessment days were over, you and the other trainees were ranked privately. Only the trainers knew the rankings but through persuasion, you managed to make Bucky tell you. You were completely in the middle. Not bottom or top half, completely average. Although you were happy with the outcome, you could tell Bucky was a little disappointed that his teachings weren't of upper quartile standard. You figured, however, that this would be your motivation for actually trying during training. To make him proud.

The program was simple. You show up, get shown the demo, practice together, use the sim room for extra training. When you weren't working, you spent almost all your time at the facility. You liked having something useful to do and it meant that you and Bucky could spend more time together. You didn't let him give you extra training sessions as you didn't see it as fair on the others, which he agreed with. Instead, he spent his time continuing to work cases from a more stepped back position with Sam, minimal involvement. When he wasn't with the training group, that is.

After about 2 months of the program, it finally feels like a normal part of your week. You made a deal that means if you miss a session because of work, then Bucky catches you up in your own time. By this point, you're getting to be very well skilled in several aspects. Your fighting technique is improved, along with your fitness. And your weapons knowledge has increased ten fold. It's not normal, but life feels regular at least.