A New Kind of Army

Chapter 29: They Say Ignorance Is Bliss

Well, this was it. I walked out on to the outdoor training field. Nico stood in the middle of it, sparing with a dummy. The weather seemed to match my uncertainty with this situation. The sky was painted grey with clouds, not sure whether or not to pour, with a slight chill with an erratic breeze in the air.

"I know you're standing there," Nico called out, "Quit looking like a cat that was drenched in the artic, and come over. I'd rather not waste any time more than necessary."

Was that what I looked like? And how did he even know I was here? Never the less I walked forward and hoped for the best. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when it came to Nico. Christin's brother, while civil towards me, was always distant. I didn't know why, it might have been the same reason why Junia had his reservations about me, but it was never clear.

"So, what are we doing today?" I asked.

Nico scowled, "Before we begin anything, I believe somethings must be clarified. One, I am not one to repeat myself, if you weren't listening, I will allow you to fail before reexplaining. Which could mean your life."

I nodded.

"Two, your tutelage under me will not be like the one with Steve Rogers. I prefer cut to the chase, and value tradition. You will address me, as Master, or Master Nico. Three, you will what I say and exactly as I say it, even if you don't understand it. Understood?" He turned to me and raised a mostly silver brow.

"Yes, sir," I said falling back on to how I addressed my old drill sergeants.

"Good," Nico replied, "Now, as for your question, today will be less of a training session and more of an evaluation. To understand what we need to work on in order to give you a chance at survival," He twirled the staff in his hand between his fingers.

"Okay, when do we start?" I spoke.

The staff came flying at my head, the stick of hard wood becoming a blur with its speed. I barely had time to duck.

Nico smirked, "Right now."

I twisted to the right and the left, narrowly avoiding the harsh strike of the wooden rod. Nico wasn't pulling any punches. I hadn't seen him really fight before, but less than two seconds into this evaluation as he called it. I could tell that he was seasoned fighter, that held years of experience under his belt and didn't hold back. His strikes with the staff were precise, calculated, and almost not actually trying to hit me. Like he was aiming for certain spots to see how I would react. Whether if I would block of dodge.

I was never more thankful for muscle memory. Somehow even after all that time in the ice, and what I spent recovering didn't wipe away the instincts of a soldier. The technics I learned all those years ago, began to flow back into my limbs. Reactions and reflexes happening before I even thought about doing them.

That didn't mean I was top of my game however.

Suddenly, before I could retaliate, Nico stopped striking at me, and then whirled the staff through my legs. The blow rattling my shins with pain that crackled like fireworks. I was sent crumbling into the ground.

"That's enough," Nico said, the staff returning to his side, "This battle is over."

"You could've just said that," I grumbled, "You didn't have to nearly break my legs."

"Watch yourself boy," Nico glared, "First I stopped you in such away, that was to add information to my evaluation. Second, if I had wanted to break your legs, you wouldn't be able to get back up."