I rush around the room frantically trying to find Dagger. We are supposed to pick a partner for Practical Training and I don't in particularly feel like ripping 14′s eyes out today. If I had to choose anyone's eyes to stab out, they would be hers. Finally I see her, we rush towards each other instantly in a silent agreement. Yet before she gets to me she stops suddenly with a sly smile as 14 cuts her off, walking towards me. No way am I partnering up with him. I make a 360 degree turn and find myself facing Switch. "Partners?" he asks. "Partners," I respond.
Great! (Sarcasm) Now I end up with someone who is as competitive as I am, who won't inexplicably risk himself for me like 14 and whom I don't entirely dislike. Choosing partners never works out well for me. I inconspicuously run my eyes up and down Switch looking for exploitable weaknesses. "You know you can stop sizing up ways to kill me," he says amused; I look up quizzically as he continues. "I heard them talking, we are working together today, not against each other.." I don't believe him but I nod anyways relinquishing my death stare slightly.
Apocalypse leads us through one of the many doors in the Practical Training room and into a sterile white labyrinth. We walk through a narrow, well lit hallway for what feels like a quarter of a mile. Pairs of Titles are dropped off in various dark rooms and quickly disappear behind heavy metal doors. Finally Apocalypse opens a door gesturing Switch and I inside of what appears to be an operating room. He shuts the door and I hear the click of a lock. Our wrist ports buzz emitting beams of light that merge together and create a three dimensional holographic image in front of both of us. Doomsday's voice begins to speak as an operating room appears on the screen that is identical to this one except for the presence of a body on the table. I anxiously look over at our operating table to notice a human figure draped in white. I choke on my saliva for half a second edging slightly away from the table as I watch the projection.
"Today you shall be learning not to fear what can not hurt you, and not to possess reverence for what can no longer be revered. To complement your studies in Past Events you will be mummifying biological matter." My eyes grow to five times their normal circumference. I remember seeing a picture of a mummy in a text book once; I can't explain why but it gave me nightmares, the images searing a permanent scar into my mind. Funny how the things you try most to forget are the things that stay with you indefinitely. I have always hated corpses, especially the notion of decaying: worms and puffy flesh, dry yellow eyes and teeth peeking out from behind the ragged remnants of what used to be lips. I shudder inwardly.
I watch in horror as mini versions Doomsday and Apocalypse begin to casually remove the brain of the corpse on the screen via the nose, yet it isn't just a corpse. I recognize the face: 30, a girl with light brown features. About a month ago she slipped on ice and cracked her right patella, she couldn't walk and disappeared quickly afterward. Her knee, which once was bruised and bloated is now perfect as she lies completely naked on the operating table, eyes staring into nothingness. Funny how they felt the need to fix it in death, but not in life. I look from the screen to the operating table in front of us and start to panic internally. Switch is turning green. We both watch transfixed as they go through a slow and tedious process turning 30 into hollow husk.
Regaining my composure I begin to take notes on my wrist port gesturing for Switch to do the same. Finally 30′s transformation is complete: she has become a thin human shape wrapped in white cloth. The video times out and Switch and I are left staring into space. After several minutes seem to pass I take charge. If there is one thing I learned from my whole ordeal with 12 it is that you must always keep your composure. "Come on 42, we only have six hours to complete a process that was once took over 70 days." I boldly make a move up to the table and throw off the plastic covering on the body before I can object to my own actions. The cold dead eyes of Captain Neutrally stare up at me in an accusing matter as I jump away from the table letting out a small yelp and almost knocking Switch to the ground.
