Battle Born Vagabond

Chapter 18: Laurance Alexander "#4" Flynn: Lessons: March 3, 5007

About a year ago I got into a physical scrap with #10. I got my ass kicked really bad. And Dane told me that I need to learn how to fight physically and I depend too much on my powers. I started a training regimen which first began with learning to walk and use my arms to use rods as weapons. I was barely able to use my legs and arms everything I did was with my mind and it's been that way since I was a toddler.

Learning to walk only took about two months with this flabby body but still, it was not fun. Using a rod as an extension of my powers, that turned into the perfect weapon for me. I have gotten better, but I'm not great yet. Today I am doing a drill, using my powers to enhance my sense of touch as a radar as I am using a blindfold and earplugs so I cannot see or hear the people around me. It is to stimulate the chaos of a major fight in low or no light conditions.

I put #1 in charge of who comes on the field today with me and every how often. "Ok number four, today you will be facing four opponents at a time, starting with one opponent and every 30 seconds cycling someone new. Powers are allowed but discouraged against you. For this practice today we have only nine volunteers so things will go quickly. This exercise will only last for 900 seconds or 15 minutes." I put on my blindfold. I have never felt so sober; there's a danger in here that I can feel all the tension. "Are you ready Laurence?"

I scream yes to him, "Turn it, bitch! Till get fucking hot! Mother Fucker!"

He responds to me again, "Number 4 that was not necessary give your thumbs up. Begin."

I feel someone run up and I turn to him and smile. I can feel the running as he goes in a semi-circle, I swing my rod around about 20 feet from me going the opposite direction. I allow the momentum to take over as it goes around he had dodged it with no problem. I can feel him running close to me, so I retract the pole and make it spin while it is coming back. A few feet from me I feel the electricity in the air. But I know the pole hit him because he goes flying and stops moving entirely.

I hear over the loudspeaker through my hearing aids, "simulation pause. Someone go get him. Number four you need not to try to kill our people. Seriously, I know you are trying to gain control but seriously. Number four kneel down to acknowledge you are not going to hurt the two on the field."

I can feel the two pairs of footsteps shuffling away trying to be quick. I stand back up, and I can feel the tension in the room rise again. "I. I. I. Groundhog. Want a HOLY DICK challenge."

#1 speaks, "You took out a new probie who was voluntold to be here. Why not give you a couple of probies who have been rising in the ranks."

I give him my thumb as my middle finger goes up and I shout, "no. No. No. no."

He questions me, "You want this to stop?"

I struggle to shout a number but finallg get it out, "Three!"

Number one understands, "Ok. Four. I understand through your Coprolalia. I will be sending Three guys in to fight you."

I give him just a thumbs up. I feel a massive rumble in the floor as I retrieve my rod I'm getting prepared for war. And I mentally prepare for what is to come. The next two people who enter the arena are much smaller. One is pretty quick on his feet, but the large one that is my primary target that is Duck, nine years old 13'9" and already 2200Lbs of rage and muscle, he is getting bigger over the last year, and it's terrifying. His footsteps make me almost blind to the other two opponents. But I still can't ignore them either.

I send my pole to the big guy trying to go through him. He catches the pole letting it go through his shoulder, I hear his deep voice, "ha.ha.ha, little man. This just feels like a little bullet." I know for sure it is Duck, he is a fucking monster. I try to pull my rod back. "Little man. You are not getting this back!" It's not budging. I feel a footstep near me of a smaller guy. With my awkward girth, I kick him as high as I can kicking him in the stomach forcing more power out with my leg using my skills sending him flying back into the bleachers.

I use a lot of force to try to get my rod back to me. But it's pulling the colossal guy with the rod. When the rod should come to me, I jump up to try to get it out of him. But instead there's nothing there, and I flop onto the ground and rith on the tile.

I hear Dane's voice over the loudspeaker that number one was using. "Terminate the training this instant!" I go to one knee and await orders. Dane walks over to me pissed off he takes off my earplugs and blindfold looks out into the others, "That is fine Duck. Just get back here and kindly hand number four his rod back kindly duck this isn't a real fight."

Duck thinks for a second and speaks with a delay, "Yes, boss. Will do." As he leaps back onto the arena in two leaps.

Dane is pissed, "Everyone here! Front and Center. Who's fucking idea was this?"

Number one says, "we have been doing this for about a year."

Dane berates number one, "And how long have you been using our men instead of prisoners?"

Number one tries to defend himself, "This is our first time since taking over. Number four has been doing other drills and wanted to start doing this again."

Dane gets him right back to the point, "And why couldn't you use fucking prisoners like I used to encourage you to do so in the past? There is not one expendable person here. What the fuck is wrong with you both!? I do not make any of you face your death, not even a fucking chance unless I am leading the way I volunteer to be the first to die! As with any leader, I'm not just a fucking boss! You tried to commit your own homicidal mission if you win and suicidal mission if you lose but either way, it would be a suicide mission for the team no matter what. This is tacenda, and I should never have to be explaining this shit, common sense people!" Dane slaps number one hard as he can, number one stands there unmoved as a welt is created on the left side of his face and a tear involuntarily escapes. Then he walks to me and slaps me as well, "do you have anything to say?"

I shake my head, "no."

Dane chooses someone new, "Duck. Do you still have his rod?"

Duck speaks, "Yes, boss."

Dane is still angry, " You're lucky I can't reach your face to smack you. Give it to him while we walk to our next area."

Number one inquires, "Where are we going, Dane?"

Dane explains, "Both Flynn, not you 4, and Malone are awake and well since they both succeeded in pretty destroying just about everything I had to think of a new game. I'm not saying anything more. Let's go are we all understood men?"

All together we respond to him, "Siempre Fi!"

We walk to another arena to the locker area, and all of us are in formation. "Everyone here in the audience experienced the gunfire already, so they are unarmed in the bleachers or on stage awaiting our instruction. We will get in the same teams as, before the same areas as before, we are missing people, and that's okay. Let's go, guys, march."

We get to the stage and dance goes "attention." We all stop simultaneously with a thunderous clap. "Outside face." We all face the four different directions with another clap. "Present arms" we all charge our powers if we can and aim straight up. The sound of charging powers becomes one loud buzzing. "Fire!" An array of sounds erupts from us as in less than 10 seconds 50- 60 floors above us and everything there it's destroyed. "Full rest in designated places." Dane starts counting from 20. The last person arrives in a spot at three is me because my fat ass can't run.

He waits for us, and then he starts, "above us. Is the power of my team. That has got to be 40 hollowed out areas if not more. That is what we can cause. A few days ago you saw what I could do using one of you and powering you up using technology. I made you bet on who would win then showed you a movie of who you wanted to lose. All had great fun. Well both of them succeeded as you know by now, they both stand on stage. Today they will decide the fate of around 20k soldiers here tonight. They will fight to the death and whoever loses, the ones who bet on the loser, also die."