Breaking Away

Chapter VII: Re-living the Past

Micah

I scrape the last piece of chicken off of my fork as the whistle blares in my eardrums, making me jump. We say goodbye to Dani and Brooks, who head toward their separate trainers. While eating and conversing, Dean, Jackie, and I found out that we all have received the same trainer.

We make our way over to Olivia, who is standing against the wall with the other trainers. There are a few other men and women in our group, including Levi.

Alexander steps up to a podium in the center of the dining hall, tapping the microphone to make it ring, acquiring everyone's attention.

"Trainees. Students. Newcomers. Welcome to the Nightdogs."

As soon as he says this, people all around me pump their fists into the air and howl to their leader. It's clever, how Alexander can change his personality so quickly. The Alexander I saw when I was kidnapped was a menacing individual and a tyrant. The person I am listening to now is reassuring, kind, and respectful.

Is he really, though?

He raises his hand to silence everyone. Everyone who was howling, that is. Jackie and I out of all the others were the only two not to do so.

Was it because she doesn't trust him as a leader like me, or was it because she is too selfless to act upon such things?

"Tonight, will be your first training session. In other words, each of you will undergo a series of exercises given to you by your trainers to find your special ability, or abilities, if you're lucky, and sort you into new groups accordingly."

I bite my lip as he speaks. Unable to move, I faintly remember not having to go through training when I was a Nightdog years ago. They told me I was too young to fight, that the training exercises would practically kill a kid that was my age. I was crushed inside, because all I wanted to do was to fight like my brother did. Protecting people that I loved and hurting the people who hurt them. I still go by that teaching today. The Nightdogs were a last resort to me, and they turned me away. That is the reason why I give so many of them the cold shoulder.

But then there are Nightdogs like Olivia, Dean, and all of my new friends, who don't just come here to kill people or to get revenge, but for a different reason. A reason that I can't quite say just yet.

As I'm lost in my thoughts, panic starts to rush throughout my veins. I don't even know if I have an ability.

"Your training will begin in five minutes. When that time comes, your trainer will take you to one of many specific training rooms in the facility. Good luck."

Alexander steps down from the podium and walks over to the other trainers. Among them was that man who hugged Olivia.

I wonder who he is...

Then the complete chaos begins. Everywhere, people are completely ecstatic, jumping onto tables, running around the room. A man runs into Jackie, who grabs my arm for support.

All at the same time, every trainer takes out a whistle and blows it. The combined forces of the whistling is extremely painful to my ears, and I drop to my knees. I am joined onto the floor with the majority of the new trainees. Those not falling down, are already playing the tough card.

Olivia helps the people who have fallen in our group back up, she seems like the only trainer doing so, but they don't care. Still on my knees. I feel the presence of her hand in front of me. Taking my hands off of my ears, I grab it firmly and I'm pulled up with her.

This action reminds me of when she helped me off of the operating table. I'm lucky that I have Olivia as my trainer. Anyone would be.

"Follow me."