The Protectors

Chapter 5 - Mrs Hemley

It was the crack of dawn and Emile, Alex, and Mia had just polished off their breakfast. "I can't believe you've never tasted tuna before!" Mia exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief as she looked at Emile. Emile chuckled at her reaction, finding it amusing. "I just can't stomach anything that comes from the sea. Have you ever thought about how dirty it is? All those sea creatures doing their business in there. It's disgusting, I can't bring myself to eat it." Mia's mouth hung open in astonishment, but she quickly shook her head and resumed munching on her tuna sandwich. Just then, Izumi walked in and motioned for them to join her. They hastily finished their meals and tossed the paper plates into the trash. Following Izumi, they struggled to keep up with her brisk pace. "Combat training is starting early today. Victor insisted on it," she grumbled, her face displaying clear annoyance towards Victor. "That's alright," Mia replied, the group then quickly got up and followed Izumi with Alex lagging behind.

They hopped onto one of the carts scattered around the camp. Izumi took the driver's seat and they drove for a few minutes to reach the Combat training field. "Hey, Emile! It's been a couple of days. How are you settling in?" Izumi asked as she parked the cart. "I'm doing well. I like it here. Have you heard anything about Luna's mission?" Emile inquired, hoping for some information. Izumi paused for a moment before responding, "Not yet. We won't receive a full mission report until they return, which should be in a few days." She tried to hide her disappointment, but no one seemed to notice. "Alright, that's fine," Emile replied, although he wished he could have learned more. They all got off the cart and followed Izumi to the training area. There were already a few people there, including Sonya, whom Emile had met on his first day at camp. Izumi positioned herself at the front, indicating that she would be leading the session. Emile, Alex, and Mia joined the others.

"Hey there, stranger," Sonya greeted Emile with a radiant smile. Emile returned the smile politely, relieved to see a familiar face. "How are you doing?" he asked. "Not bad. This is Kaine and Rio," Sonya introduced the two individuals standing beside her. However, the energy instantly dropped as it became clear that Emile and the two newcomers didn't get along. Perhaps it had something to do with Sonya, as she also sensed the tension in the air. "Guys, this is Emile," Sonya introduced Emile to Kaine and Rio, and they all exchanged nods as a form of greeting. "I think you'll be with us all day today. We're going to see Mrs. Hemley for endurance training," Sonya informed Emile, catching Alex's attention."Oh, is it cookies day?" Alex asked excitedly, prompting a chuckle from Sonya. "I think so," she replied, her smile widening. Emile, however, had no clue who Mrs. Hemley was. "Who's Mrs. Hemley?" he inquired, turning to Sonya. "You'll find out later," Sonya replied, her gaze shifting towards Izumi, who seemed eager to speak.

"Alright, everyone. I'm not sure why we're here so early today, but it seems like this might be the new time for combat training, according to Victor. Anyway, let's get straight into it. I don't believe in the whole Mr. Miyagi approach. I believe that to become the best fighter, you have to fight. Out there, against the ashen claws, you don't get a second to breathe. Most of you already know that" Sonya paused, her attention drawn to a cart pulling up in the distance. Curiosity piqued, and everyone turned to see who it was. It turned out to be Captain Lola, an A-rank officer. She hurriedly made her way towards them, and Emile couldn't help but be captivated by her presence. However, it seemed that Kaine and Rio were equally fixated on her.

"What brings you here?" Izumi inquired, noticing Lola's tired appearance after her brief jog from the carts. Lola continued to make her way towards Izumi, effortlessly passing by everyone and locking eyes with Emile along the way. "Can't I have some combat training?" she retorted rudely to Izumi. Surprisingly, Izumi smiled, indicating a strong bond between the two that allowed her to overlook Lola's sarcastic response. "Shall we start everyone off?" Lola suggested, prompting Sonya to whisper to Emile, "This should be interesting." They all stepped back as Izumi and Lola positioned themselves opposite each other, wasting no time. "With or without powers?" Izumi glanced at everyone, seeking a unanimous answer. Everyone, except Emile, enthusiastically shouted, "With powers!" Emile's curiosity was piqued, as he had yet to witness Izumi's ability and was aware of Lola's persuasive skills. How would she employ them in battle?