Malevolent

Chapter 23

"Thanks guys for being good today, test is tomorrow, don't forget, it isn't hard at all." I say

Everyone gets up and leaves.

"Group leaders please report to the round table." Someone says over the newly-installed intercom

I organize my papers, and push in my chair and walk towards the round table, I'm one of the first ones there, but people quickly arrive.

"Okay so today is a surprise group training day, obviously we're not gonna go outside because it's dangerous, but we're gonna do a circuit. We're gonna run the warehouse perimeter twice, once you finish, you're going to crawl underneath the fences, you'll see them. To finish, you're going to do 35 pushups, 40 sit ups. Not too hard, but it'll get harder." Chloe tells us

Great.

"So if you have clothes that you wouldn't mind sweating in, change into those. Meet me back here in five minutes." Chloe says

I walk to the sleeping quarters, the door is shut, but I have a key. I unlock the door, it's cold and quiet. I find my small closet. I scan the closet for some old clothes. Hopefully they fit.

I walk out of the quarters, and I lock the door.

We follow Chloe to the starting line, marked by a long strip of tape.

"Run this twice, then crawl through those." She points to the fences

"Go when you're ready." She says, running off

I wait a second, and begin running. I've never enjoyed running, but I'm pretty good at it, I can run for a decently long time without becoming tired.

I cross the tape for the second time, I rest for a second, out of breath, panting. I continue on, crawling through the fences, not too hard, except it isn't very comfortable, at all. A crowd starts forming around us, watching us.

The fence part was easy, I get up and stretch my arms, I begin doing pushups.

Down, up, down up, your doing good, fifteen more.

My arms begin to wobble and buckle, I'm at 25, and I stop, roll over and do my sit ups, the easier ones. I easily accomplish 40. I roll over again, and do 10 more pushups, and roll to my side.

I lay there completely out of breath, Chloe goes up to me and pats my shoulder.

"Good job James, you were one of the first to finish. Consider this one a groundbreaker, they'll get harder." She says

"Thanks." I sarcastically say

I get up and grab a water bottle, and force it down my dry throat. I go to the roundtable, and sit down, it feels amazing to finally sit down.

After 45 minutes, everyone returns. Most of them still catching their breath.

"Good job guys, we'll get better soon." She says

"Now since we're here, I'd like to propose a plan, it's sort of risky." She says

"And what's that?" Noah asks

"Well, I was thinking that we take everyone to the middle of nowhere to shoot, we need practice. Maybe we could stay for the night. And the pilot kids could go out farther and fly, they need actual practice before we seriously use them." She says

"I like it, it's really risky though, especially the flying part." Eric says, he's right

"I'd be willing to teach these guys." Noah says