Fated Ones: The Waking God

(4) Lots and Lots of Nicknames

I woke up in a soft cot in a pale blue room.

"You hyperventilated, but all the other trainees think that the cut to your side was deeper then we all believed and you're here because of blood loss. You can thank Zippy and Squeaks for that," Leslie said. He had been sharpening a small knife. The handle looked worn from excessive use. He wore an indigo T-shirt with a roaring lion on either sleeve. Over that he wore a combination of metal and leather armor.

"Why the armor?" My first question.

"It's just my training set. My quest set is much larger and thicker. Light as a feather though." Leslie put the knife away. "If you hadn't ran off to Monica on Wednesday you would be having your first sword lesson right now."

"If you had come to me on Wednesday then you would be right." I swung my feet onto the ground. "Where are my shoes?"

"I was away when Batman and Commander approached you. I told them to wait until I got back. And your shoes are in your dorm, no not your Copperview dorm, your LionHeart one." He tossed me old looking boots.

"Batman and Commander?" I asked as I laced up. I noticed I was wearing the same shirt as Leslie. My glitter pants had been replaced with the matching sweatpants to the shirt.

"Deon and Andras."

"Why all the nicknames?"

"Tradition started back with the first Misfit. The other trainees made fun of another Copperview by calling him Turtle because he was slower than the others. The Head Misfit turned it into a positive thing. So we call each other by names that would normally be insults. Deon's always had this moody, dark, black knight sort of personality so we call him Batman. Andras gets nailed by the other trainees and instructors for treating us as equals so we call him Commander to let him know we know whose boss."

"What do they call you?"

"Cyclopes. According to Greek myth, they're the best blacksmiths next to the God of the Forge himself. The other trainees were trying to make fun of my size. When the Head Misfit when I was a little older than you saw how well I worked in the forge, she thought it was perfect."

"We have a forge?"

"How do you think we create and maintain all our weapons and armor?" Leslie laughed. "Come on, I'll properly introduce you to everyone." He tossed me my backpack. Leslie led me down a hallway that greatly resembled a five star hotel's. The carpet was a soft yellow and the walls a faded blue. Every so often white archways went over our heads. Pictures and paintings of past trainees and their accomplishments lined the walls. Up to two flights of stairs and we reached a room that was completely and totally awesome. It was at the end of a long corridor that no one really used anymore and it looked like the senior's lounge back at Copperview only twenty times cooler.

There were six TVs mounted to the right wall in two by three set up and three game consoles were plugged into them. In the back of the room there was a full size refrigerator and along the right wall was a bar stacked with every kind of soda imaginable. There was even a pinball and foosball table. Along the floor were bean bag and gaming chairs as well as several remote controlled vehicles. At all these locations a Misfit could be seen.

"Alright, introduce yourselves!" Leslie ordered.

"Swashbuckler," Dana Lemki; apparently she had the class of a pirate.

"Potter," Harry Wu; people kept asking when his letter to Hogwarts would arrive.

"Councilman," Steven Devees; people complained how he couldn't let an argument drop.

"Zippy," Zay Donner; he has ADHD.

"Lunatic," Russell Silas; he's not exactly sane.

"S-Squeaks!" Bailey Shaw; generally quiet and super shy. She squeaks whenever someone gets too close or too familiar with her.