Shattered Legacies: Book 1, Holo Change

💠 Chapter 19: Mentor placement 💠

With a deep sigh of half tiredness and half relief she'd gotten the number right, Anna took her place waiting by the lowered tracks in the Neon City train station that late morning after a shorter training session. Though it was the same place as where that teleporter pad had sent them, she could only assume it was in a different area, as this one was closer to the way back above ground and was way less abandoned looking. For one, among the red brick walls there were people and workers placed about waiting for their own trains, helping people who were waiting, and filling the air with the sounds of idle chatter. It wasn't busy per se, but there were life forms populating the area, that wasn't growing from old gum stuck to the bottom of benches if anything. The floor looked clean enough, like someone actually mopped it, the benches were in use, and she could smell traces of smoke from the trains that came through. It wasn't a pleasant smell, and made her nose wrinkle. "Ugh.." She groaned under her breath. She really didn't want to stand here and wait for a train with that nasty oder floating around. How did people on commute put up with it? Obligation, she supposed, holding her nose.

It had been a couple days now since she spoke with Bruxo and got the elixir medicine, the Order giving her an ever so gracious two days to get used to it before sending her out on her official first placement exam. And even if the smell in the station wasn't bad or she had a stuffy nose, her stomach would have still been twisted in lumpy knots like an ill made pretzel. She didn't have the faintest idea what to expect. Common sense said they were sending her out into the field to see how she did naturally with an unfamiliar environment, or maybe see what she tried to do first. And that would have been fine, if she didn't also know part of that might include getting into a fight with a wild monster. She was sort of banking on that elixir having kicked in at least a little bit to give her some sort of chance should danger arise. Even though that was hopeful thinking. She hadn't seen any improvement during her training sessions, of course. Making her question why they gave her time at all, if they knew her condition well enough to send her to get medication in the first place. Medicine took time to work. More than two days when it was something working on a level so small inside the body. Did they not understand that, or was this just the most convenient time for them?

She sighed again, pushing out the frustration. It wasn't going to help her issue to be ticked off and anxious. At least she didn't have to worry about Christine during these past lessons, they had a substitute. Another nice one who didn't seem to get the memo on her group's progress, so he just had them learn weapon parts one day and practice basic swings and the like the next. And her arm hadn't felt weird like the other day since either, which she hoped would stay like that until the exam was over. Anything could wind up slowing her down in a fight, if one happened. And she didn't want to lose her life today. Er...relife? Second chance. Whatever this was, she knew she had no chance keeping it against so much as a BorMouse with a limp if she ran into danger. Maybe she should think up some sort of strategy to make sure she's put on a certain level.
They were most likely looking for whatever the recruits seemed best at. That's why they plopped them out in the field on their own. You were most likely to do a good job if you were doing what you were good at. So maybe she should try to focus on the area she'd be going to, see what she can find so they'll put her in recon. Yeah. Having that plan put her a little more at ease. But where was the train?

She looked up to the station sign with the number on it. It said "11" like she thought in a brace material. But that didn't stop her nervousness from redirecting to the thought that she'd gotten the information wrong, even though she knew she'd gotten it right. There was that tiny "what if" that made her feel uneasy, mainly because she knew missing the train or just having to go back would mean Elijah would be unhappy. She was quickly becoming aware, especially after that speech regarding Outcasts, that he was someone to best avoid. She didn't know which was worse, facing him or facing a monster. Out of the sake of peace of mind, as she heard the distant screeching and smoke puff of a further off train coming to a stop and shoes of passengers, Anna went into her bag and quickly pulled out her instructions card to run over the information one more time. A small card with outlined lines of steps she needed to take, one after the other. "Head to the west station, board train 11 out of town at, get off at the first stop, head south of the station stop..." She muttered the information to herself verifying her thoughts.