Chapter 93

Lillian sat down hard on the couch with a sigh, a couple of breakfast wraps on her plate and a cup of coffee balanced between them. Her eyes sparkled as she looked them over. The food was still good even after that first night. She grinned to herself and took a bite as the others made their way over. Snow sat down on the arm of the couch to her left. While Lillian was in her tank top and sweatpants, Snow wore a sweatshirt so big one couldn’t see her shorts. Alex and Greg had gone for t-shirts as well, while John and Val wore their usual. Ollie appeared at some point and sat down with all of them as they ate.

“Okay, so,” Ollie said, adjusting his glasses. "Roll call will be in an hour, so we got a little time.”

“When do classes start?” Lillian asked, sipping at her coffee.

“Noon, so we gotta get at least our first few days figured out,” Ollie explained.

“It’s ten weeks, right?” Alex asked, licking his thumb and setting down his plate. He leaned forward. "Plenty of time for everything.”

“You’d think,” Ollie said. "Take a closer look at the daily schedules, and you might be surprised. Getting your schedule right and tailored to what you need is as much a test as the actual classes.”

Alex scratched his head. "Really? Damn, man…”

“Same length of time as basic training,” John mumbled over his same obsessively neat stack of sandwiches. "Soldiers designed this and the courses.”

“Right on the money,” Ollie said with a grin. "Most of it was organized by Black Lotus herself; she’s ex-military.”

Lillian waved her hands. "We’re getting off track. What’s on for today?”

Ollie nodded. "Right! Of course.” He opened the book. "At noon there are a few options. There’s a physical assessment with Black Lotus for those who are unsure about where to go, followed by drills that take up a good portion of the afternoon,” he explained. "There’s also a hand-to-hand basics course with… Miss Chernovna?”

Greg coughed into his cup. "That tiny thing is gonna teach hand-to-hand combat?”

“That’s what it says,” Ollie said, scratching his head. “I read it last night, but it’s still a little hard to believe.”

“I’m going,” Lilly said. "I’m confident in my physical fitness, but I wouldn’t mind joining in on the drills later. What else?”

Ollie nodded. "Okay, so, there’s a time slot after that set aside for pretty much the entire camp. It’s about an hour to study policy, criminal law, and Pandora regulations with a teacher, no name, and at the end of the ten weeks, there’s a test,” he said. "Then there’s a scouting course later in the afternoon with Sonya as well, with a focus on mapping out and exploring dungeons safely. At the same time, we have the option of taking a course on gear and Pandora-tech theory.”

<I’m interested in the theory course.> Snow chimed in with the tick-a-tap of her nails against her phone.

“What about going forward?” Lillian asked.

“Let’s see,” Ollie said, flipping through. "A few highlights: battlefield rescue, disaster relief, field first aid training, several combat courses, and power theory - you can register to get one-on-one for certain days with one of the instructors to work on your abilities,” Ollie listed off. "Oh, and then there’s the monster class.”

Everyone stopped and looked at him. "...Monster class?” Val asked. "Like, actual monsters?”

“A course centered around combating the standard two variations of monsters that commonly appear outside dungeons, Hounds and Lurkers. Students will be exposed to live combat with the aforementioned entities after sufficient education,” Ollie read and looked up at him, adjusting his glasses. "It would seem so.”

Lillian leaned back and glanced at Snow, who looked uncomfortable. She grinned at her. "It’ll be fine! No biggie, right? Hounds and Lurkers are the least of our concerns. Yeah? We’re heroes!” She said with a big flex of her arm. "We got this.”

The others seemed to relax a little bit after that, with Val and Greg even sending her a small smile and a nod. Alex still looked nervous, though, as he swayed back and forth on the couch before hopping to his feet. “I gotta walk around.”

They continued talking for a while after that, going over their schedules. Fortunately, they were given pens and highlighters to make notes in the catalogs and map out their schedules for the first day or two to get a feel for things. Before long, time for roll call came around, and they looked around to see if anyone was there. It took another five minutes for Miss Mint to come walking down the hallway, looking a little flustered. Next to her, Sonya was laughing. She wasn’t in her usual suit and tie, but instead a dress shirt and vest to go with a long pair of slacks. 

“I said I was sorry!” Sonya laughed.

Carla harrumphed, pulling on the collar of her turtleneck as she schooled her expression and marched into the common area. Sonya smirked at her from behind before impishly wandering off with her hands behind her back. As she did, a familiar blonde head of hair got to his feet and made his way towards her, waving her down. The woman paused for only a moment before gesturing for him to walk with her. Marc? Is he looking to get signed with ASTA? She wondered. It would make sense for his goals, Lillian thought.

The others were caught up on another topic.

“They’re banging,” Val said.

“Totally banging,” Greg agreed.

<Damn, what did she do to her neck?> Snow wondered.

“She’s rubbing her wrists too,” John muttered.

“Oh my god, she is,” Greg laughed.

“...Pretty sure it’s a bit more serious than you’re thinking,” Ollie muttered, his face a little red as he looked down at his notes. Miss Mint made her way to the front of the room and pulled out her notepad before adjusting her glasses and going over a few things. The others squinted at Ollie suspiciously, waiting for him to elaborate. He shifted a bit under their scrutiny and sighed. "The- the choker. It’s a pink diamond, at least twenty carats and platinum - that’s got to be worth more than Miss Mint’s annual salary. It showed up after the Maui photoshoot, and they’ve been seen around one another more and more ever since. So, just saying, maybe don’t upset her, since it’ll get back to Sonya?”

Val snorted. "Wait, you know about the Maui shoot?”

The others snickered as Ollie blushed furiously. "I-I didn’t buy a copy, if that’s what you’re insinuating. What Miss Chernovna does for publicity is her business!”

Alex raised a hand. “I did. The October special edition of ASTA Magazine, right? It says in the interview they went on an extended vacation together there. I don’t know why you guys think them being a thing is news.”

“You read the interview?” Greg blurted, astonished.

“I read! Seriously, though, I agree with Ollie. Shutting up is a good idea,” Alex grunted and crossed his arms.

“Ahem.”

They all stared at him, then immediately looked up at Miss Mint, who was staring directly at them with a scornful glare. Lillian suddenly felt the urge to stand up and not say another word for the rest of the day if she could get away with it. From the stiff backs of her friends, they seemed to share her thoughts. Miss Mint searched their faces for a moment and shook her head before clearing her throat. "We’re beginning roll call. I just saw Mister Mallory leave with Miss Chernovna, so I’ll count him present,” she announced stiffly. "As for the rest of you, let’s begin.”

After roll call, she went over a few more things, mostly reminding them about the various rules that were already in the guidebooks and that they had until noon to decide on their upcoming class. “That’s all,” Miss Mint finished, putting her clipboard away and standing up straight. "You are all adults. Act like it, compose yourselves, and if you’re going to do anything improper, at least find somewhere private and clean up after yourselves. We aren’t stupid; we know things will happen,” she said, scanning the room. "Finally,” she sighed and managed to put a smile on her face. "This will be my only roll call. The instructors will be handling them going forward. It was a pleasure meeting all of you. I will be in my office if needed, but otherwise you may not see a lot of me.”

She met everyone's eyes and bowed once. "Thank you for your future service,” she said and straightened herself up. "Good luck to all of you.”

One guy raised his voice. "Let’s hear it for Miss Mint!” And a chorus of shouts and clapping followed as she turned on her heel and walked back down the hall.

–

Sonya pulled off her coat and hung it on the small hook near the rear of the dojo. It was a large open building set beside the main facility. Inside it looked like the interior of a hangar, open air. The floors were made of comfortable material that had a springiness to it intended to help with falls. It was quiet, and Sonya took a moment to enjoy the serenity as she adjusted the suspenders on her shoulders and rolled her neck. Her eyes turned towards the knife sitting on a small folding table she’d set up with some basic materials.

She wrapped her fingers around the handle and turned it over in her hand. A combat knife, about the length of a trench knife, specifically. In another life, it had been her weapon of choice. A weapon she had mastered through blood, monsters, and war. She twirled it between her gloved fingers before gripping it and examining the blade. Razor sharp. She set it back down as someone entered her space, and she smiled. "Hi, Carla.”

“Sonya,” Carla murmured; her smile didn’t entirely reach her eyes. "How are you feeling?”

Sonya looked up and turned, raising an eyebrow. “Something bothering you?”

The woman she had been seeing for a while now gave her a blunt look and put her hands on her hips. “I sleep with you. What do you think I’m worried about?”

Sonya pursed her lips. “The nightmares?”

Carla sighed and nodded. “The nightmares.”

Sonya rubbed her neck and glanced towards the woman a bit more furtively. They’d been seeing one another far more seriously since that first date months ago. After that, it had been quiet moments stolen away, and then Sonya had dragged her off to Maui for a little bit of time. She’d been thinking about going there since Vegas. She even bought herself a beach house. Little things to make herself feel better. 

Carla frowned at her and strode up towards her. She stopped just inches away and looked into Sonya’s eyes. “Talk to me.”

“I’m not ready to do that. I’ll tell you when I am,” Sonya said without blinking. You’ve been so good to me, but saying anything would put you at risk too. I want to, so badly, but-

Carla snapped her hand out and grabbed Sonya by the tie, tugging on it once and adjusting it. She closed her eyes and exhaled through her nostrils. “I have my suspicions, but…” Carla trailed off. "That was more than enough. Thank you.”

Sonya laughed. "For what? I just-”

“Sonya,” Carla said flatly. "I’m not some fragile princess, just so you know. I can handle a famous CEO having a few skeletons, among other things.” She shook her head. “You seem to forget I am an unawakened with the gall to order awakened around.”

Sonya hesitated, and her eyes narrowed a bit. She tilted her head to the right. "Carla…” she trailed off. “You are too good to me.”

Carla finished fixing her tie and sighed. "Maybe, but I did accept this pretty collar, didn’t I?” she said quietly and leaned in to kiss Sonya on the cheek. She rested her head against Sonya’s and played with the pink diamond on her collar. “I trust you. When you’re ready, we’ll talk more.”

“I promise,” Sonya murmured and wrapped an arm around her waist and was about to say something a bit more risqué when she sensed people approaching. She clicked her tongue and kissed Carla on the forehead. “My students are coming…” she whispered. “People will talk, Miss Mint.”

“They’re already talking,” Carla chuckled. "Loudly.”

“Oh, I know. Have you heard the rumor about-”

“Sonya!”

Sonya barked out a laugh as her lover slapped her arm and pulled back. Seeing Carla was just refreshing. It put her heart at ease and pushed away the problems in her mind every time. She could even look at herself in the mirror a little while afterwards. Even if the hallucinations came back, she knew there was safety somewhere. Now even more than ever. Carla squeezed Sonya’s hand and winked at her. "See you in the room,” she said and left.

“See you.”

Carla made her way out past a few of the early arrivals. Sonya watched the field beyond the entrance and saw Lillian, Alex, John, and Greg beeline for her dojo while Snow, Val, and Ollie went for the grassy field where the dark figure of Chunhua stood waiting. Sonya pried her eyes away from the woman easier than usual and shot a rakish grin towards the students who’d come to see her.

“Oh goodie!” Sonya chirped. "So many for the first day! You’re mighty brave,” she said and plucked the knife from the table. She spun it between her fingers before catching it firmly and slipping back into a stance. “Alright, who’s first? Come at me. Let’s get your measure. No powers first; I want a baseline to work with.”

Sonya watched them exchange looks and mutter among themselves. Alex tried to urge Lillian to go first, and she looked at him like he was crazy. Sonya snickered a bit to herself before being surprised whenthe rather plain-looking boy, John Nattery, marched forward and tightened his tie.

Oho? Brave one, stepping up.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade that he flicked once and extended. He took a stiff step forward before dipping into an easy sway. Good, keep moving. She thought, and he darted towards her. She grinned wildly at him, her mechanical eyes flicking about and taking in every detail of his motions. She waited for him to get within just a few meters before she shifted and tilted the blade of her weapon and let the lights from above reflect into his eyes. John pivoted, holding his arm up over his eyes, and hopped to the right just in time to miss getting his legs kicked out from under him.

Pay attention to your surroundings. Metal is reflective. I showed off my knife for a reason.

He dipped low beneath a swipe, blinking rapidly. Sonya kicked her leg up, doing a vertical split as John’s knife cut across. She brought her foot back down and onto his wrist. He grunted, losing his grip on his weapon. Sonya took a step forward, following the momentum of the downward kick, and snatched her hand out, grabbing him by his tie, pulling him close, and pressing her blade against his neck. “Ten seconds, good!. I’m impressed.”

She dropped him and brushed her hands off, turning to the others. “Everything is a weapon! The light of the sun, the lights above your head, the floor, your feet, your head, your hands, everything. Discounting your surroundings is a sure way to get yourselves killed,” she said sharply. “His opening attack was good. The swaying path was an excellent way to keep the opponent guessing. He even managed to recover quickly from me attempting to blind him. Great form.” She turned and looked down at him. "You need situational awareness, John.”

He got to his feet and bowed. "Yes, ma’am!”

“We’ll talk about the specifics of knife fighting later,” she said to him. "You’re suited for it, but you need technique, not just instincts.”

He nodded and walked back over to the group. It's been a long time since I had trainees. Was it Ukraine? No, we were prepping for the dungeon in Georgia; that was it.

The aspirants looked at one another. They looked up at the lights over their heads and only just now realized that they’d been set to be extra bright in the room. Sonya shifted a bit to let them see the switch just a few feet behind her that she could use to turn them all off. A few of them looked disheartened, while a few more, Lillian in particular, looked excited. The girl she’d invested so much in stepped forward and took a stance.

Sonya watched her approach and grinned. "Miss Landrey! I’m glad you came to my lesson. You’re wasted on Black Lotus’ drills, aren’t you? Come on! Show me what you got!”

Lillian didn’t have to be asked twice. She darted forward in a low run, crossing the distance in a heartbeat. She let out a huff and dropped as Sonya flicked her blade to shine the light in her face. She stretched her arms out and to the right, catching herself and pivoting into a near breakdance turn, swinging her entire lower half in Sonya’s direction. Woah, woah, dancer, huh? Sonya thought with amusement and took a half step back, guard up, as Lillian pushed hard, throwing herself a few meters and landing on her behind where Sonya had been standing.

That’s it, keep moving around me. Just a few more seconds.

Lillian kept pace, though, and she darted forward only to throw her head back as the blade of Sonya’s knife whipped across her eyeline. She kicked out, and Sonya wrapped her arm around Lillian’s ankle with a grin. She twirled the knife into a stabbing grip and brought it down towards Lillian’s thigh. You didn’t think I’d go easy, did you? Lillian’s eyes went wide, and she kicked downward, pulling Sonya with her. Sonya let go and snapped her hand down, pushing up and into a one-handed handstand on Lillian’s descending leg. She brought her leg down, heel first towards the top of the girl’s head.

THWACK!

Lillian hit the ground face-first, and Sonya hopped lightly back onto the floor, hands on her hips. She looked down at the girl with a smirk as Lillian rolled onto her back.

“Ow…” she groaned.

“Seven seconds, but good technique!” Sonya said. "You did parkour and free-running, right? I can see it, Maybe some breakdancing too?” Sonya tapped her chin. “You need a weapon, something with reach to complement those dynamic movements. Not too much reach, though. Polearm would overcomplicate things, and you don’t seem the kind to use a gun.”

She turned and scanned the crowd before spotting one of the aspirants she remembered having their abilities listed in the roster.

<Jessica Wayne, Awakened>

She was a cute thing with a button nose and messy dark hair dyed blue on the tips. Sonya recalled her ability had something to do with making weapons out of ice. According to what she’d heard, the girl was a natural when it came to weapons-based combat and had a sharp intuition.

Sonya pointed to her. "You, cute one! Jessica Wayne!”

A girl who had dyed the tips of her hair blue pointed at herself. "M-me?”

“Is there another Jessica Wayne?” Sonya asked, putting her hands on her hips.

“R-right! Sorry, ma’am!”

Sonya snorted and shook her head. "Right, do you know of any weapons that would work well for her? You practice with weapons too, don’t you?”

The girl mulled it over for a moment, frowning. "A mace might be too heavy if she’s moving at speed, but that momentum would complement it well.” She shook her head. "A sword? Not a short sword, something longer. That or tonfa to extend her reach.”

Sonya nodded. "Good! That’s what I’m looking for.” She turned back to Lillian, who had brushed herself off. She looked more excited than someone who’d just had their ass beat should rightly be. “Do you know what I expect of you?”

“Find a weapon that suits me, explore those options first, and come back to you,” Lillian said quickly.

Sonya glowed with approval. “Right! In the meantime, spar with John; he’s a good match-up for you.”

Lillian beamed. "Yes, ma’am!”