Palinoia

Chapter 13

I stared at the man suspiciously as he observed each one of us. When his eyes landed on me I couldn't help but feel like he was trying to intimidate me.

He suddenly let go of the creepy smile. "I guess I'm assigned to you lot. Well, before anything rational happens, I believe it is important to introduce myself. My name is...Hmm...What should you all call me? I guess you guys can call me nobody."

"Nobody?" somebody who's name I did not know questioned.

The man gave him a nod. "Yes. Nobody. I don't see any reason to give you my real name and you're only my group for the training. After that, the majority of you will probably be kicked out of the force anyway," he answered.

Assuming he was our mentor, I asked "Why do you say that?"

Nobody stared at me with a confused look like what I said was completely and utterly stupid. "They didn't tell you?"

"Tell us what?" Brie asked with crossed arms.

Nobody blinked and stared at each of our genuinely confused before laughing out loud. "This is more interesting then I'd thought it would be!" he exclaimed. "You really all have no idea that only twenty-four people from here are going to be chosen for the TSN force? That's priceless!"

My eyebrows rose and my eyes widened in response to what he just said and I was pretty sure everyone else was the same. What he said shocked me so much it took me time to stop staring in shock.

Darius was the one to ask the question we were all thinking about. "What do you mean only twenty-four of us are going to be picked?"

Nobody managed to calm himself down and give him a serious look. "What's the confusion? Have you ever seen more than twenty-four people in the armed troops? Do the math genius," he answered rhetorically.

What he said didn't reduce the confusion but the others seemed to answer the questions I was thinking about.

"If twenty-four people are only being chosen then why are there so many here?" Lucas asked.

Nobody let out a sigh. "A big number is obviously necessary because we need the best of the best. Do you have any idea what you're up against? This isn't some silly brawl with a group of friends or a rivalry between countries; this is a war. A war with monstrous creatures with powers beyond the human nature. Yet those creatures can be slain with some simple shots from a specific weapon."

"So if we fail we just go back home?" Lucas continued.

Nobody nodded slowly. "That's how it works. Honestly, I think it's quite generous. It'll save people the trouble of either being killed or infected."

A low growl erupted from one of us and I glanced at who made the sound to meet someone stalking up to Nobody with an annoyed expression. He stopped when he was close enough. "So all the training, all the sweat, hard work, dedication and determination that I'm going to put into my training will all be a waste if I don't pass the exam?" he asked.

"It's not about passing the exam," Nobody stated. "Almost everyone passes the exam. It's about impressing us. Showing just how good you are; what's unique about you."

The guy pinched the bridge of his forehead. "Okay. So say if I don't 'win the hearts', all I have done will be a waste?"

Nobody let out a puff of air. "Pretty much, yup."

My teammate growled again. Maybe he was also a dog too. "That's bull. So what is the point of me doing this?"

Nobody smiled. "The point is to prove to us why you deserve to be here."

After that, Nobody moved passed him and walked forward to stand in front of us all. He kept the smile but the emotions in his eyes showed that he meant serious business. Either way, he was starting to creep me out and not in an 'oh I'm terrified' sort of way, it was more of a 'I don't trust his intentions' way.

"Anyway," he began. "One of the most important things you need to learn before you join the force is how these demolishers work."

I listened attentively to the next set of instructions.

"First thing you need to know...Actually, you there!" he called. He pointed his finger at Dean who frowned slightly.

"Yes?" he answered.

In a blink of an eye, Nobody swiftly threw a small object at Dean and a 'thud' sound could be heard from the impact of the object with Dean's head.

"What the?!" Dean exclaimed, rubbing his forehead.

Nobody looked unfazed and shrugged. "That thing was bothering me. Needed to get rid of it. However, that, people, was just an example of how the demolishers attack. They are unpredictable and strike when you least expect it. Also, quit whining you're a possible soldier now."

I frowned, my mind reverting to a familiar case with a Demolisher. It did not attack me the way Nobody described it to. In fact, it approached me in a way that even I was able to stop it and it didn't even try to sneak an attack after that.

My thoughts were soon cut once I felt a cold, metal object touching the surface of my neck. I was stunned as I met Nobody who held a knife at my throat while staring at me with an expression I could not identify.

"Another thing; wild demolishers will always go for the kill," he informed.

Wild? I barely knew anything about those creatures and the way he said wild made me think that there wasn't just one type of Demolisher but different kinds. Also, if a wild Demolisher was what I came in contact with the other the other day then it definitely didn't go for the kill which was strange. At least I was still inhaling oxygen.

Nobody pulled his knife away and faced the rest of us. "Now the training will begin. You will all, in pairs, show of how well you're able to dodge the attacks of demolishers with a similar method. Follow me."

We walked in the direction Nobody was going and stopped when he stood in front of a tennis ball shooter in the far side of the field.

"Tennis balls?" I heard Peter whisper to me. I responded with a shrug, not having any clue myself.

"In your pairs these tennis balls are going to be shot at you and your partner in different directions at fast speeds. Why? Demolishers move fast and these tennis balls represent the scrapes their claws send. If you were struck be even one claw, you're instantly infected. Remember, the wild ones will do this to but only for the intention to kill," our trainer explained.

None of us gave a response so Nobody took it that we fully understood his explanation. "Good. Now to assign you into pairs because I assume none of you know each other."

"I beg to differ," Peter muttered.

"First pair; Lucas and Chase. Second pair; Dean and James. Donatello and Cameron. Zack and Darius. Peter and Brie. And Sebastian and Velvet," he read.