Category: Dark Fantasy

3rd Year, Part 14

Inside the lighthouse, Savoi and Farouk felt uneasy as they heard more footsteps and talking from upstairs. Farouk’s badly injured arm required first-aid before they could continue.. Savoi patched his shoulder with a blueish green salve. The fresh scent of aloe soothed the pain and calmed his nerves. She gave him a nod of encouragement, and he left her by the doors to divert any opposing threats. About halfway to the midlevel section, Farouk encountered nine cadets who had also breached the lighthouse.

They sized him up and quickly dismissed his less-than-intimidating stature. Farouk unsheathed the dome-shield from his sphere.  A Delta female cadet, who towered over counterparts, smirked and retracted an electromagnetic stick of dynamite. Just before detonation, Farouk reversed his shield. An explosion happened and sent electricity back to the other cadets. The violent explosion blew Farouk and the cadets a great distance apart. Suddenly, a rather pudgy girl with blonde pigtails clumsily sprung on top of him after avoiding being hit with the bolt. Farouk seized the last sphere from her utility belt and knocked the girl off with a punch to the face.

Farouk felt regretful, knowing most likely he had broken her nose. He carried on to retract a chemical grenade from the sphere. All of his limbs throbbed like fire in his veins. He limped to Savoi to hand her the grenade, but slumped over and fainted. Yoshida’s voice echoed in his mind. He remembered the promise to protect Savoi. Seconds later, Farouk launched himself up and began again. Drops of blood moistened the corner of his mouth. He arrived by Savoi’s side, exhausted and battered. She was no better off, as her face was covered with purple and black bruises from the blasted slivers of the doors. Fragments of the doors broke, but the impact of the rocket was not enough to demolish the doors.

Savoi planted the grenade by the doors, then dragged Farouk away a few feet back. She laid on top of him to shield him from the blow. This time, the doors disintegrated with only the hinges left behind. Yoshida, Roudan, and Shevchenko came hurling through the blasted entryway. Their hearts stopped for a moment saw at the sight of their fellow squad members laying lifelessly on the badly damaged marble floor. Yoshida was visibly beside himself with grief until Savoi finally roused. Straightaway, he embraced her, then examined her for signs of injury.

Savoi firmly protested being fussed over, especially since it was Farouk who needed attention. She briefed the team on Farouk’s heroism and her desire to reach the top of the lighthouse. Roudan agreed to escort her, while Yoshida and Shevchenko covered them. The team strategized to use Farouk as a decoy to lure incoming opponents so Savoi and Roudan could ease up the stairs undetected. Yoshida was certain his defensive attack would hold them off long enough for the plan to work. Shevchenko vowed to defend the already wounded Farouk from more harm.

Only a few minutes passed by before it was time to put the plan into action. The team split in teams of two, leaving Farouk displayed on the floor in front of the entryway. Fortunately, he remained unconscious and could not fretfully object his role in the ruse. Three Bravo cadets haphazardly entered the domain. The young men were worn out and mangled from the scuffle on the beach, but determined to complete their assignment. With weapons drawn, they peered down at the motionless body, completely unaware of the impending ambush.

Roudan gave a silent signal with the wave of his hand, then his team rushed the Bravos with heavy rounds of laser fire. He gripped Savoi by the arm, then whisked her away to the stairs. Yoshida and Shevchenko kept the Bravos engaged, while outside onlookers watched in terror at their intensity. The plan seemed to work accordingly until they heard General Benavides over an intercom inside the lighthouse.

“This is your five-minute warning. The exit exam will conclude in five minutes. Remember; the team with the most flags will be the winner of this simulation.”

All the clamor of laser fire and fighting turned into shouting. Roudan became concerned for the rest of the team. He looked at Savoi as she continued to climb the stairs. She felt him pause, so she stopped in a panic. Her eyes pleaded with a determination that he could not oppose.

“Well kiddo, this is as far as I can go. I have to get back to the team,” he said.

Savoi smile and nodded, feeling relieved that he did not command her to abandon the mission. It was more than curiosity which drove her up the stairs. Savoi felt a knowing in her gut that something important awaited her at the top of the lighthouse. The pair clinked the nozzle of their laser pistols, as if to toast each other’s success. Roudan made his way back down the stairs, while Savoi continued on her way.

When he descended to the bottom level to the entryway, Shevchenko was kneeling beside Farouk while Yoshida was in a shouting match with the other teams. Alpha squad had collected just under thirty flags over the course of the exit exam. All the other teams claimed to have just as many. A computerized scoreboard flashed on the wall. Each team member read the scores silently before General Benavides called out the numbers.

“Delta points, twelve. Charlie points. Twenty-one, Alpha and Bravo are tied at twenty-nine.”

“Wait a minute. How can you claim to have so many flags?” Roudan shouted. “If my memory serves correctly, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta squads spent nearly this entire exam attacking us. When did they have time to pick up more flags?”

“There’s no way in hell any of you mutts have collected as many flags as our team,” Yoshida barked.

“We won this match fair and square,” Shevchenko chimed in.

Yoshida nudged Roudan on the shoulder. “Unless they rigged this exam,” he said.

The shouting resumed for several minutes, then an A.I. hologram appeared before them. They watched in awe as Savoi came out onto the gallery at the top of the lighthouse. She circled the perimeter twice before stopping. The rain kept her vision blurry, so she extracted a rifle with a scope from her utility belt. Savoi honed in on an image hundreds of miles across the ocean. General Benavides began a countdown for the conclusion of the exit exam.

“Five, four, three—”

Savoi locked and loaded her weapon, took in a deep breath, and fired a sonic bullet towards the image. The hologram followed the bullet to its intended target, which was a cellular tower that hung a giant flag. Once the bullet struck, sonic waves recoiled back towards the lighthouse. Yoshida draped Farouk over his shoulder, and everyone inside immediately evacuated. The burning flag hit the water, adding a final point to the Alpha squad’s total.

Roudan and Shevchenko rushed around the other side of the deteriorating lighthouse. Savoi had no choice but to jump before the building collapsed. Roudan and Shevchenko quickly extracted Kevlar parachutes from their spheres and tied them together. Savoi dropped so fast they nearly missed catching her. The other teams were so impressed with the Alpha squad’s flawless synchronization that a frenzy of cheers overtook the beach.

Shevchenko was relieved Savoi was safe and unharmed. Years of well-nurse raw resentment faded into exhilaration. Savoi had come through for them in the end, when it mattered the most. By then, Farouk had awakened. Yoshida filled him in on the details before the medics came to tote him away on a stretcher. He watched his team mates reunite, and his heart swelled with pride that he was an Alpha.

~The Waring Robins~

3rd Year, P. 13

Yoshida had already unsheathed another sphere from its holster and retracted a dome-shaped shield to protect himself. Roudan and Shevchenko instinctively followed suit. Sounds similar to hailstone on a tin roof deafened their thoughts as a rapid fire of lasers showered over them. Their translucent shields held well as a protective barrier, but the consistent stream of rain and laser beams blurred everyone’s vision. A mass of bodies swarm around them, followed by waves of weapons clashing onto their shields. The Alpha team made progress towards the lighthouse doors by pushing their opponents back.

As luck would have it, the storm caused an opponent’s hand to fumble when retrieving their sphere. Yoshida nodded at Roudan with a knowing grimace, as the would-be weapon dropped near his foot in the muddied sand. The opponent tried to recover the sphere, but Yoshida intercepted it. Roudan and Shevchenko spun about, twirling shields which knocked the masses into each other. Yoshida promptly extracted and hurled a grenade. Seconds later, a majority of the opposition was blown back down the slope of a sand hill.

A small formation of remaining Bravo, Charlie, and Delta cadets emerged from the carnage. To their credit, they withstood the previous battle at the abandoned warehouse. They had also dispatched a slew of recycled cadets to lend aid to the efforts of the exit exam. Whatever trespasses landed them nearly on the brink of expulsion would be forgiven in exchange for going after the Alpha squad with full force. Each sauntered about with twisted faces as their eyes stung from rain and blood. Cries of agony echoed behind them.

Shevchenko felt a lump form in her throat as their enemies moved in closer. Another round of physical combat was imminent. She willed her mind and body to perform on command. Her thoughts fell on Farouk and on how Yoshida had tasked him to protect Savoi. Though no one had given her such a charge, she felt it was her duty to persevere and hold her own, so it would not force her counterparts to take care of her.

“I won’t be the weakest link of the Alpha squad,” she whispered.

In a blink, Shevchenko extracted an ax from her sphere. She braced herself, then walked behind a female opponent about to fight Roudan. When the girl threw a dagger, Shevchenko cut swiftly into her back. The girl howled and laid face down, convulsing in excruciating pain. There was little time to linger, but Roudan managed a half smile at Shevchenko as they darted off in separate directions.

Yoshida extracted his one more sphere, which took the shape of a guandao. Inwardly, he imagined himself a demon drunken by bloodlust. Fiercely, he wielded the short pole around his shoulders, arms, and over his head. The attached wide blade whacked every intended target from his path. It felt like ages since he had been in the throes of such violence, to which a morbid wave of nostalgia washed over him.

Roudan was busy dealing with his own skirmish when he suddenly became distracted by Shevchenko and a peculiar Charlie cadet. The lad was twice her size with a child-like demeanor. They wrestled with failed attempts of tugs and grabs. With a quick leg sweep, she leveled him into a large puddle. The cadet grunted as she landed an elbow to his temple. Roudan swelled with pride seeing that Shevchenko had returned to good form and his combat training was effective. Roudan body slammed a quivering Delta who stole a punch to his face while it sidetracked him.

Meanwhile, Savoi continued her long climb up the window of the lighthouse. Her gloves were slippery against the rope, but the tactical footgear kept her steady. Dread erupted in her mind as she heard the screams of her classmates below pummeling each other to a gory pulp. Knots in her stomach formed, thinking of her beloved squad. Resolve to succeed drove her further and faster up the wall, although hunger was also an obstacle.

Shevchenko had insisted forgoing a bite of breakfast in favor of making better time across the vast ocean. It was a small victory for her to prove whatever point she tried to make. Savoi harbored no ill-will on the matter, considering she too had made a bold assertion that the lighthouse contained a pertinent solution towards their victory in the exit exam. The sooner she found the answer, the sooner their struggles would be over. This was conundrum was parallel to the actual war itself.

When Savoi finally made it to the opened window, it took all her might to pull herself in. She did not realize Farouk had been trailing behind until she tried to retract her rope. His wounded shoulder kept him several paces down, but to his relief, Savoi had enough strength left to pull him up and inside. They looked out the window to drink in the view of the raging battle below.

“Oh, no! That looks bad,” Farouk gasped.

Savoi frowned, completely vexed with him.

“This is what war looks like. Are you going to cry?” she smirked.

Farouk shifted his stance to appear more courageous.

“No,” he sniffed.

The pair stood in the lighthouse’s midlevel. Although Savoi wanted to continue onward to the top, they opted to travel down the stairs to the doorway so the rest of the team could join them. As they rounded the corner of the spiral wooden staircase, they heard footsteps behind them. The other teams followed them up the lighthouse wall. It would not be long before they clashed. Savoi grabbed a sphere, which morphed into the shape of a rocket launcher. She mounted the large weapon on her shoulder, then proceeded to act.

“Wait!” Farouk cried. “How do you know if our men aren’t directly behind the doors?”

Savoi’s nose crinkled as her trigger finger slightly twitched. With limited time and impending doom pressed against their backs, she quickly took out a flare gun and fired it beneath a crack in the doors. Red smoke oozed from the space, then arose into the air. A skull- shaped cloud hovered over the fighters on the beach. Roudan instantly recognized the symbol of the Alpha squad and knew Savoi had breached the lighthouse.

~The Waring Robins~

3rd Year, P. 12

It wasn’t as if Savoi had given anyone a chance to volunteer themselves for the task. Yoshida ground his teeth and Roudan held his tongue, both knowing full well she would have it no other way. Though she performed miraculously under fire the day before, no one knew what was behind the walls and doors of the lighthouse. Savoi could easily make the climb up through the window, but her preparedness for any impending threat was at stake.


Yoshida called out to Farouk, as he scanned the area with a laser rifle from one of his spheres. “Remind me of her name again.” There was no trace of jesting in his voice.

Farouk turned back to look at him.

“Who?” he asked.

Yoshida wasted no time in answering.

“You know, the girl.”

Both Shevchenko and Roudan turned to look at Yoshida, both confused.

“What girl?” Farouk, Shevchenko, and Roudan asked in unison.

Yoshida sighed.

“The girl you once loved.”

A sharp pain thrusted through Farouk’s chest. No one had mentioned that incident since their 1st year at the academy.

“Taqdeer,” he slowly responded. “Why do you ask about her? Why now?”

Yoshida kept his laser rifle at the ready and never took his eyes off surveillance.

“Because I need you to remember her at this moment.”

Farouk walked over to address Yoshida face to face.

“Why is that?” he asked. His face was flushed, but he wanted to look Yoshida in

the eyes for this conversation.

“It’s important for you to remember Taqdeer. It’s important for you to remember the rage you felt when you saw her slip away from your grasp,” Yoshida replied somberly.

Shevchenko gasped at Yoshida’s boldness. Farouk stood silent, seething and still confused.

“Haru, there is no way I could ever forget that rage. Why bring this up now?” he demanded with a stiffened composure.

Yoshida placed his hand on Farouk’s shoulder, then said, “Believe me in earnest Maaz, I wouldn’t bring this up if it weren’t important. Don’t think for a second that I’ve ever looked down on you for your actions that night. I understood then what I understand now; love will drive anyone to the brink of insanity.” He nodded his head towards the sky, then fell into a daze as he watched Savoi continue to climb the wall. “Just as your beloved Taqdeer was swept away from you, the girl I love walks that thin line of being taken away from me.”

Farouk was so dumbfounded and lost in his own thoughts that Yoshida’s confession did not register with him. Nothing was lost on Roudan or Shevchenko.

“Love?” Shevchenko choked up with a bewildered cry.

Yoshida continued, with no acknowledgement of Shevchenko’s despair.

He looked at Farouk intently.

“Maaz, I need you to find that rage. The very rage that caused you to set your entire world on fire. Please look after Thomasa. Keep her safe for me,” he pleaded.

Farouk snapped into good form at Yoshida’s words. He felt validated after all this

time. Someone finally understood how he felt that night when Taqdeer went away. Farouk felt a new sense of resilience after seeing Yoshida’s passion..

Shevchenko nearly burst into tears.

” You—love—her—,” she cried.

Roudan irately interjected.

“Oh, come on, now. We ALL love Thomasa, and we ALL will make sure she is alright!”

The wide array of emotions varied from fear, frustration, determination, and pure heartbreak. None of which were spent towards the exit exam itself. The war lasting for 25 years was something that affected everyone’s experiences, as Roudan came to understand.. Suffering for the sake of the cause was only a symptom to the root of the actual problem. Each man and woman would need to determine for themselves what was worth fighting for. Was it love, or something else entirely?

Roudan looked at Farouk, who by then was fired up like never. With no commands, Farouk harnessed himself to the tail end of Savoi’s rope and climbed behind her. He gave Yoshida a nod of assurance that he would do everything within his power to support Savoi. Roudan, Shevchenko, and Yoshida stood at the base of the lighthouse in silence. They retook their positions, walked around the perimeter of the lighthouse, and waited.

Roudan sensed Shevchenko’s disarray. He knew it would not be long before she completely unraveled. Calmly, he spoke to her.

“Haru did what he had to do for both Maaz and Thomasa’s sake.”

Shevchenko shuddered at the very thought of Yoshida’s confession. His sincerity shook at her the most. There had been no doubt he had carried a strong affection for Savoi, but now no one could ever play ignorant of it.

Roudan trailed behind and continued to press at Shevchenko.

“Everyone is emotional in this situation. Haru saw fit to use his feelings in a proactive way.” He lightly chuckled. “Even if it was at Maaz’s expense.”

Shevchenko felt conflicted in her spirit in the matter. It was not as if Savoi had ever earned her scorn. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Thomasa Savoi was one of the most well-revered cadets to grace the campus of Calvary Academy. However, because of this, Shevchenko would never receive as much favor in the eyes of the man she had a long-standing infatuation with. Then there was also Roudan to consider. Unrequited love also entangled him in its web.

Yoshida’s attempt to set the tone for the next round of combat succeeded. In Shevchenko’s mind, it did not matter that Farouk would feel more determined to save Savoi from the perils of danger. Yoshida’s willingness to express his love for the girl she was in direct competition with provoked a different fire in the pit of Shevchenko’s belly.

An ominous silence took hold just before the trio saw over a dozen red laser beams broke through the fog and were aimed at them.

“Get down! We’re under attack!” Yoshida scream.
~The Waring Robins~

3rd Year, Part 11

Shevchenko roused from slumber at the sound of laughter. An uncontrollable sense of hellish rage engulfed her as she watched Savoi gayly conversing with Roudan and Yoshida. It was almost as if the three of them were merely on a fun camping trip, rather than in the throes of battle against their opponents. No matter the case of their ease amongst each other, there was no question they had earned the right to be so informal together. They had masterfully outwitted and beaten the other cadets to a bloody pulp not even a full day ago.

A gust of wind swept through the campsite, which signaled it was time to prepare for the next portion of the exit exam. Though Farouk did not stir, Shevchenko rubbed her eyes, hopped to her feet, and began erratically breaking down their tents. The trio did not notice right away, so she sighed and grunted loud enough for them to hear. With little further ado, they joined her.

Savoi attempted to help Shevchenko fold a sleeping bag, but Shevchenko gruffly snatched the sack and walked away. Savoi looked puzzled at Yoshida, who then nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. Roudan starred intently at Shevchenko, as if to penetrate her thoughts. She could feel his heavy gaze, but busied herself so that she would not have to respond to his obvious disapproval.

Farouk howled when Shevchenko rocked his tent.

“Wake up, Mousey!” she yelled.

He peeked his head outside to see what the commotion was about.

“Hey, no one has called me that since our 1

st year,” he whimpered, as he flopped out of his sleeping bag.

“No one may call him that, but me,” Yoshida interjected.

Shevchenko winced at his rebuke.

“Then I shall call him scaredy cat, instead,” she replied.

Farouk was still drowsy, but did not miss the jab thrown at him. He postured himself, standing perfectly erect. Before he could get a word in, Yoshida beat him to the punch.

“If memory serves me correctly, you’re in no position to talk. You sat idly while Emmett and I saved your ass. Let’s not forget Thomasa came to your rescue after hauling Maaz all the way up the shaft to capture our flag. If anything, he kept you company on the sidelines.”

His condemnation completely unnerved Shevchenko.

“Oh, get off my case. I helped too, long before you showed up!” she stammered.

Savoi swiftly leapt over to Yoshida and covered his mouth with her hand. He did not protest.

“We all have contributed to our team’s success,” she said.

Shevchenko murmured under her breath, then turned to walk away. Roudan stood behind her with his arms folded, causing her to crash abruptly into him. Her eyes averted his glare. He grabbed her by the shoulders so she would not stumble backwards. Savoi spoke up to break their silent tension.

“We need to paddle over to the southern harbor, near the lighthouse. I have a feeling we’ll find more flags in that area than any other.”

Shevchenko scoffed. “It will take us half the day to get there. We shouldn’t dally or waste time when it would be faster for us to comb the area here.”

Farouk crinkled his nose and added,

“Oh, but the lighthouse was an essential aspect of the entrance exam. I’m almost certain we’ll benefit from going there first.”

Shevchenko’s seething glower made him hide behind Savoi and Yoshida.

“Like I said, searching here is faster,” she answered.

“Direction is more important than speed,” Savoi blurted out. “In this instance, we need to focus on where we can find the most flags. Other teams may not think the lighthouse is important anymore, so it might not get searched. Besides, we’ve been on this side of the harbor for hours with no flags recovered.”

Shevchenko sighed and looked to Roudan to take her side, but his distant eyes gave away that he had grown weary of her. Without warning, he gently pressed his forehead with her hand and said,

“We’ve come such a long way together. The enemy is on the other side of the beach. Let’s exchange anger with passion and sadness with compassion for one another.”

Sluggishly, she shuffled off to sit by a log while the team prepared for departure. They issued each cadet from Calvary Academy a special utility belt to wear around their

wetsuits. The spheres holstered four small metal spheres designed to retract specific weapons. Just before sunrise, they embarked on their boards and paddled towards the lighthouse. Roudan led the team, with Yoshida on the right flank, Shevchenko center, Farouk on the left flank, and Savoi in the rear.

A fierce storm had been brewing before they began the trek. Turbulent choppy waters brought on an added challenge to paddle to the southern harbor. Roudan encouraged his mates to dig deep and stay the course. There were no shortcuts from where they came from. By the time they reached the middle of the ocean, everyone was suffering from fatigue and muscle failure. Going back was not an option, so they soldier on through thick beads of rain that nearly blinded their vision.

The team fought hard as their arms and legs feverishly burned from strenuously paddling. The freezing water penetrated through the high-grade material of their wetsuits. A distant shriek carried over the waves. Suddenly, the Alpha squad had to dodge and weave through a spray of arrows from every direction.

Roudan used this as an advantage to hasten their advance closer to the lighthouse. He gave the command to stand upright and surf the rest of the way. A large tidal wave brought them to shore. They nearly crashed into a stone wall which wrapped around a muddy pathway leading to the lighthouse.

Each member plopped onto their stomachs or on their side in the sand. Farouk doubled over in pain as a stray arrow had grazed him on the shoulder. Groggy and exhausted, he breathed laboriously as sea salt coated his throat. Desperate to redeem himself, he refused help from Savoi and Roudan to stand.

 Once the team had fully recovered, they moved in formation. They used the utmost caution in anticipation of another ambush or traps. They seized nine flags during the sixty-foot climb up. Upon arrival at the entryway, they found two doors made of petrified wood bolted shut. Savoi removed a sphere from her belt and extracted a python from the sphere. The large snake morphed into a heavy, knotted rope. She tied an anchor at the tail end, then lassoed the rope inside a window midway up the lighthouse.

Yoshida and Roudan stood guard, as Shevchenko and Farouk watched her climb the rope into the window.

~The Waring Robins~

3rd Year, Part 10

 

Roudan sulked in silence until Yoshida took charge and led the team to a large metal Connex container. Inside the container were small crates of battle gear. They each retrieved four large duffle bags, scuba gear, and paddle boards. Then the Alpha squad scurried with their equipment to the other side of the beach, where they made camp for the night. 

Farouk’s tired eyes glazed over roaring flames from the bonfire. He had never been so exhausted and knew that Savoi must have been even more so from having to carry him on her shoulders to capture the flag. He watched as Roudan and Yoshida stood together, bare chested with their scuba suits pulled only to their waists. Neither seemed drained of the day’s activities. They chatted calmly, going over strategies for the next part of the exam. It surprised both when Savio, peculiarly animated, friskily slapped them simultaneously on the buttocks.  

“Look alive, you two!” she kidded.  

Roudan nor Yoshida took offense at her gesture. Instead, they playfully attempted to return the favor. 

“She really has no shame,” Shevchenko groaned, as she plopped down beside Farouk on a straw beach mat. 

Farouk sighed at having to once again listen to her whine. 

“You and I are fortunate to sit in the presence of greatness,” he nodded.  

“How so?” Shevchenko scoffed. 

“The three are the true heroes of our team. They outperformed every single squad in our graduating class. No doubt, Hell’s fury will greet us before dawn. We should allow them to freely take whatever liberties necessary to cope,” he replied with a mouthful of jerky. 

An overcast brought on a chill in the evening. A strong gust of wind nearly quelled their fire out. There was no more dry wood left to cast into the pit. The team frantically searched the area for items to use.  

“We’re going to freeze to death tonight if we don’t find something to burn soon,” Farouk scowled. 

“I have an idea,” Savoi chimed, as she dug inside a duffle bag and pulled out twelve large map scrolls. 

Before she could toss them into the fire, Shevchenko attempted to yank the scrolls from her arms. 

“Thomasa, stop! Just what the hell do you call yourself doing?”  

Savoi smirked. 

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” 

Shevchenko refused to let go, and it became a tug of war with the scrolls. Neither Savoi nor Shevchenko was ready to back down. Savoi’s over-bearing brass irritated Shevchenko. She withdrew her arm back and slapped Savoi across the face as hard as she could. The sound echoed across the beach. 

Shevchenko’s temper took aback by Savoi and the rest of the team. Roudan and Farouk tried to intervene, but Savoi stopped them. 

Savoi gripped one hand over the bundled scrolls and the other on her cheek in agony. 

“It’s ok! I’m ok!”  

There was a tremble in her voice that reeked of pain and humiliation. She turned to Shevchenko with a pleading look. 

“I studied and memorized all of them. I assure you, these old maps are of no more use for the rest of the exam.” 

Yoshida snatched the scrolls away from both of them. The scorn in his eyes sliced through Shevchenko’s soul. 

“Except for right now when we are at the mercy of the wind with no wood to burn,” he said. 

Shevchenko took a deep breath and looked around. There was nothing else in their possession that would suffice. The air chilled to the bone, and the sky faded to black by then. She sat down as the others tore the scrolls and took turns tossing the bits into the flames. Fortunately, the parchments were perfect for burning. Shevchenko excused herself, citing illness, then retired to her sleeping bag. The rest of the team followed suit shortly after. 

After only a mere hour, Savoi tossed in her sleeping bag until she grew annoyed and sat up. Her eyes searched the perimeter and saw Roudan seated alone on the shoreline. She quietly joined him. They were silent as the ocean waves ministered to their weariness. 

“I’m worried about her,” Roudan confessed with a faint smile. 

Savoi leaned her head on his shoulder. 

“Worrying will only weigh you down,” she whispered. “That’s a mean right hand she’s got.” 

Yoshida awakened to the sounds of giggling between the two. He waited for them to finish before he came over. His heart melted when Savoi signaled for him to sit beside her. She had her bare feet buried in a sand pile, so he submerged his inside as well. 

Roudan leaned back onto his elbows and sighed. This would be one of the last times the three of them would fellowship as they did under the overpass at the academy. He envied Yoshida and Savoi’s connection. They kept their friendship and romantic feelings separate but intact, without allowing distractions from the war to become an obstacle. He wondered where things went wrong with Shevchenko. 

“The Bravos will come at us with vengeance,” he spoke sternly to break up their playful game of footsy beneath the sand pile. 

Yoshida stiffened himself and gave Roudan his full attention. 

“They didn’t seem like much trouble earlier. I mean, they might have a bone to pick,” he replied. 

Roudan stood, skipping pebbles into the water. 

“That’s because you pissed them off with your taunting,” Roudan sneered. 

Savoi cackled, but quickly hushed herself as not to wake Shevchenko or Farouk. 

“You called them chickens to their face.” 

To Yoshida’s dismay, she stood and began skipping rocks as well. He had no choice but to join them. 

“Awe come on; they were taking too long to fight. I just prompted them to get on with

it.” 

~The Waring Robins~

3rd Year, Part 9

They escaped the area by climbing a 12ft tall nylon-threaded rope ladder out of a window. Shevchenko struggled with her climb and needed to be encouraged by her teammates to complete the task. Though she coasted through each term and exams, the exit exam would be her hardest challenge. She had watched listlessly over the years as Farouk, Savoi, Yoshida, and even Roudan made strides for success. Now it was her turn to soldier through. 

Midday came with a scorching hot sun that was only tamed, with a light breeze from the ocean. Shevchenko was lethargic by the time they made it over the wall. Roudan sat her down on the gravel with his canteen. He became concerned when she was too tired to drink from it. 

“Liliya!” he shouted, to command her attention. “Take a sip.” 

Shevchenko’s arms trembled as she tried to hold the canteen to her cracked lips. Roudan sat behind her to help hold it in place. With eyes shut tight, she leaned her head back against his chest. Much of the water spilt down and all over her BDU top, which caused her to choke. Roudan promptly pushed her back up, then she snapped back to consciousness. 

Just as they roused to their feet, mingled sets of squads staggered over to them. When they were nearly six-feet away, one of the remaining female Delta members shouted, 

“Hey losers, I think you have something that belongs to us!” 

“Then come and get it, because as you see, we ain’t running!” Yoshida smugly called back. 

Farouk stiffened, not knowing what to do. 

“Haru, what the hell are you doing?” he whimpered. 

“We really have no choice in this matter,” Savoi answered. 

Farouk gulped. He frantically searched his mind for an answer why they had to fight the other teams. 

“What do you mean?” he shuddered, as he reached for his laser pistol. 

Roudan calmly stood beside Farouk, with one arm around his shoulder and the other placed on top of the pistol. Farouk placed his weapon back inside the holster when Roudan nodded. Their eyes met briefly so that Farouk could stand down. 

Roudan sighed and said, “Unlike the entrance exam, this time each squad is in pursuit of the same flags. There are no separate colors, because we are a part of the graduating class.” 

“Apparently, none of the other teams successfully retrieved any flags from the warehouse,” Savoi gloated. 

 Farouk had draped their flag over his rucksack, which gave them away.  

“There are over twenty flags planted all over the exam area,” Roudan shouted to their opponents. 

 The Delta girl scoffed. 

“Now you know damn well that won’t do! General Benavides said in his speech that the team to capture the most would be the winning contender of the exit exam.” 

Farouk gulped once more. He knew Roudan and Yoshida were up for the task, and even Savoi still appeared to be in good form. He had already been at his breaking point during his time in the shaft. It was a miracle that he could retrieve the flag. He looked over at Shevchenko, who appeared gray in the face. The stakes were higher, as cadets faced each other along with the psychological and physical effects of war. 

The opposing teams aligned and sauntered towards the Alpha squad. No weapons were drawn, as they had been instructed that this was a hand-to-hand duel. Roudan stood in front of his team, as if he were the tip of a poisonous dart. Yoshida stood directly behind his right shoulder, and Savoi on his left. Shevchenko and Farouk stood awkwardly behind them, unsure of how to maneuver. Roudan, Yoshida, and Savoi shifted into their fighting stances. Roudan drew a line in the gravel with the heel of his boot and said, 

“Be sure you want to come at us. Once you cross this line, there’ll be no turning back.” 

Several members of the opposition cackled nervously. Going against Roudan and Yoshida had always been a losing battle, but with the unpredictability of cadet Savoi, they were in for a wild ride. The Alpha squad proved to be formidable contenders. Tension was doused with hesitation and fear. Yoshida taunted them by making noises like a chicken. In a matter of seconds, the teams were fully engaged in combat.  

Roudan easily countered a Charlie cadet’s attempts to strike him with leg sweeps. Savoi tussled with a bravo cadet for mere minutes, then waited until he exposed his rib area to deliver a crippling jab. Three Bravos teamed against Yoshida. Before they could pounce on him, they were met with cross chops and acrobatic snap kicks. The Alpha trio veered their opponents away from Shevchenko and Farouk. It was almost as if the latter had been forbidden to take part in the fight. 

The melee of flying kicks, counter blows, and pile drives was an extraordinary sight. Though Roudan, Yoshida, and Savoi held their own, each appeared to be in an improvised dance-like solidarity. There was something to be said for their intimate harmony evoked by life-or-death situations. Cries of shock and pain carried through the air. This was a hard-charged takedown for the opposing teams. Retaliation seemed impossible.  

Suddenly, a bullet blasted overhead and ricocheted off the warehouse. The cadets froze in place. General Benavides could be heard over the loudspeakers. 

“Standdown at once! This portion of the exit exam has now concluded. All squads should retreat to set camp for the night.” 

The opposing teams scrambled away, heaving with contusions and torn ligaments. 

Enraged, Shevchenko lashed out at Roudan. 

“Why didn’t you let us fight? Maaz and I aren’t defenseless. We could’ve fended for ourselves!” 

Roudan was speechless. He hadn’t realized that Yoshida and Savoi had also intercepted any harm to them.  

Savoi ran beside her and slipped an arm around her shoulders. 

“Of course you can Lily.” She winked at Farouk. “You were protecting our precious flag. Nothing is more important than that.” 

3rd Year, P. 8

With all her strength, Shevchenko pulled slack from the polyproylene rope so that Savoi and Farouk could continue to scale up towards the flag. Her vision was blurry from the sprayed liquid and her arms were tired from the added weight Savoi brought on. The liquid also made her leather gloves slippery. She yanked the rope hard enough to release it and quickly snatch the gloves off with her teeth. Once she retrieved the rope again, her arms grew heavier. She wanted to quit, but just as the rope slipped from her grip, a new wave of determination set in.      

Suddenly, a combination of 6 cadets from Bravo, Charlie, and Delta squads surrounded Shevchenko. They were confused why she was holding on to a rope that seemed to lead nowhere. At that point, they had no awareness that the rope was also attached to the line which held Savoi and Farouk inside the vented shaft. She stood silently as the group peered cautiously at her.

“Hey pretty girl, what’s up with the rope?” Cadet Pearcy, from Charlie squad, demanded.

Shevchenko did not respond.

Pearcy did not take well to her silence, so he motioned for his team members to detain her. Savoi and Farouk heard the voices outside, and held their breath to continue their climb quietly. Farouk often lost his footing against the steel wall because his boots were covered in liquid. Savoi scrambled each time to pull him back into place. The closer they got to reaching the flag, the more they worried for Shevchenko’s safety.

Inside the control room, General Benavides green-lit squad leaders and co-leads to be released and join their teams. Each had been observing developments, which gave them an advantage of scouting alternative routes within the warehouse. Several hazardous traps were installed along those routes, which hindered and delayed the leads from rescue efforts. The senior cadets encountered everything from oscillating floors to a five-hundred-pound mechanical swinging gavel.

Roudan and Yoshida agilely sprinted to the area where Shevchenko was surrounded by the other teams. They came in hot and were prepared to use maximum force against their adversaries. There was little time to decide on a precise plan other than to eliminate any opposing force. The 2 men burst through a final metal door to witness Shevchenko in a standoff with 9MM laser pistols aimed at her. Yoshida drew his metallic sonic boomerang blade, which spiraled around the room to disarm their enemies. Meanwhile, Roudan rushed to support Shevchenko’s hold on the rope.

The opposing cadets instinctively knew they had no chance against Yoshida in a hand-to-hand duel. He stood patiently for a moment, but not long enough for anyone to decide who would attack him first. Without warning, Yoshida pounced and kicked the Delta team member in the chest. Then he swung the wounded cadet into Pearcy, which took both out. Yoshida dodged an upper cut from a female Bravo cadet and countered with a roundhouse sweep to her legs. After she recovered from her fall, 2 male Bravo cadets joined the match.

Yoshida interchangeably sparred with them using the shadow boxing techniques Roudan trained the Alpha squad in. He was so enthralled with his opponents that he did not notice the remaining Bravo cadet had re-obtained his weapon.

“NO!” Shevchenko screamed as the Bravo cadet unloaded his weapon.

The Bravo cadet was easily unnerved as he watched Yoshida eliminate his team with brute force, which caused his aim to falter. In fact, his rapid fire of lasers could only sever the rope. Yoshida lunged in the air to grip the rope before it snapped in half, but to no avail.

“What have you done, you fool?” Yoshida belted, before taking the pistol and knocking the Bravo cadet unconscious with the weapon.

Shevchenko, Roudan, and Yoshida scrambled to the vent door to see if Savoi and Farouk had fallen because the rope broke. When they looked down the shaft, they could see nothing. Once they spanned upward, they saw Savoi. Her back was pinned against the wall where Farouk once was. There was barely enough room for him to ease himself up and position himself on her back. Her legs were the only thing holding them both up.

“Hang on, Thomasa! We’re here to help,” Shevchenko cried.

Fortunately, they were only a mere few inches away from the flag. Farouk braced himself to stand and snatch the fan. Roudan knew Savoi’s legs would not hold them for long. He instructed Yoshida and Shevchenko to scale down the shaft quickly. In no time, the trio reached the bottom of the shaft. They found some sandbags and hay to pile together. Not knowing how her team would assist at the bottom of the shaft, Savoi’s legs gave out. She held on to Farouk as they plummeted down.

~The Waring Robins~

3rd Year, Part 7

Roudan slumped in the black leather swivel chair and rubbed his temples with both hands.

“Did that really just happen?”

“Hell yeah, it did,” Yoshida cackled. “That can’t be unseen or unheard, ever.”

Roudan smirked.

“It was kinda of hot though, right?”

Yoshida nodded in agreement, then turned his attention to the monitors’ screens. He moved the coordinates of the camera angles to zoom in on the corridor that Savoi led the team down. It was sectioned off by large steel walls, so they could not see members from the Bravo, Charlie, and Delta squads also in the area. Each group traveled through the maze until they came upon a door that merged them all into the same room. The room was roughly 4000 square feet, with only one entrance and exit on the other side.

Without warning, an unknown liquid sprayed rapidly from sprinklers on the ceiling. The cadets were drenched with a sticky solution. Mist from the spray was so thick no one could see in anything even directly in front of them. Although everyone was in full battle gear, the liquid ricocheted off their Kevlar helmets and seared some of their faces. It felt as if hell-fire rained upon them. Blood-curdling screams echoed through the room and bounced off the walls. Panic ensued, as everyone struggled to pull their protective headgear from their rucksacks.

Savoi was the first to don her MOPP suit correctly. She frantically scanned the room in search of where the control board for the sprinklers would be. The academy issued infrared goggles, which had thermal imaging technology. Through the steam and fog, on the opposite side of the room, she could see a metal box with a circuit breaker inside. She aimed a laser pistol in that direction, as she was clear across the room near the entrance.

A cluster of terrified cadets pummeled into her, which caused her to miss the target. By then, Shevchenko and Farouk were in full gear, prepared to block interferences. Savoi shut her eyes and counted to ten. She calmed her breathing, opened her eyes, braced herself, and took another shot. This time, she blasted the metal box open. The sprinklers system was disabled. Instantly, the room erupted with cheers.

Yoshida and Roudan were in awe of Savoi’s calm demeanor during so much chaos.

“I can’t believe she made the shot!” Roudan shouted.

“The epitome of grace under fire,” Yoshida beamed energetically.

Moments later, the lights in the room flickered out. Another wave of pandemonium arose in the darkness. Savoi seized both her teammates by the arms and slung them forward. They mad dashed towards the exit with their flashlights. The remaining cadets brawled amongst each other without noticing the Alpha squad had escaped. Shevchenko took a large rubbish bin and blocked the door path behind them.

The trio sprinted towards a door which led to a tiny room. The room was barely large enough to fit the three of them inside.

“This must be one of the main control panels,” Farouk said, as he shined his flashlight across the circuit board.

After a few fumbles, he turned on the building lights. When they came out of the room, they noticed a metal pulley hanging from the ceiling. Two ropes were attached to the pulley, but appeared to lead nowhere. Behind the pulley was a vented shaft door mounted on the wall. When they carefully opened the door, there was another rope hanging inside. Farouk scanned his flashlight to see a red flag hanging 100 meters upward.

“I see our flag, but how do we get to it?” he asked.

Savoi looked at the pulley and ropes just outside the shaft door, then back at Farouk.

“One of us is going to have to tie themselves to the rope inside the shaft, while two of us pull him up to it,” she replied.

The trio gawked at each other until they heard voices coming from down the hall.

Shevchenko broke their silence.

“There isn’t much time, and this is a no-brainer. I nominate Maaz,” she blurted.

“What? Why me?” he gasped.

Shevchenko patted his shoulder.

“You’re the lightest weight among the three of us,” she said, then winked at Savoi. “No offense, Thomasa.”

“None taken,” Savoi sighed.

Farouk wanted to protest, but did not want to take time away from the team’s effort to capture the first flag. He perched himself on the ledge of the shaft doorway and allowed the girls to harness the rope around his waist. Then he waited for them to grip one rope attached to the pulley before he plunged down the shaft. The walls were made of steel, which made it difficult to climb. Since Farouk’s MOPP suit had not absorbed the wetness from the sticky liquid sprayed earlier, he could not plant his feet and slipped off the walls.

“I can’t stop slipping,” he cried. “Perhaps a little coaching or a pep talk might help!”

“Move your ass, Maaz!” Shevchenko shouted.

“What kind of pep talk is that?” he asked, as he was slightly frustrated and hurt at the same time.

Savoi released her portion of the rope, which caused Shevchenko to lose a bit of her grip.

Both Shevchenko and Farouk screeched.

“What the hell, Thomasa?”

Savoi took a step backward to rummage through her rucksack.

“It was a lube,” she whispered, as she rubbed the stickiness of her sleeve.

Shevchenko and Farouk looked at each other in panic.

Savoi continued to talk in a low whisper to herself.

“This viscous solution is a combination of parabens, petroleum, and phenomia acid.” She looked up at her confused team mates and spoke in a normal voice. “They sprayed us with that solution so that we couldn’t easily climb up the shaft to retrieve the flag.”

Savoi grabbed her end of the rope and signaled for Shevchenko to pull Farouk back up. She took a bar of charcoal out of her rucksack and rubbed it all over and Farouk. His eyes revealed a certain level of concern, so she calmly explained what she was doing.

“This charcoal has a chemical agent that can decrease the effects of the lubricant.” She looked at Shevchenko, was crossed for not receiving the same treatment for the lube. “I only have enough for the two of us. Maaz is light enough to pull up, but he will need more support from me.”

Shevchenko helped adjust the rope harnessed around Farouk so that Savoi was also squeezed inside. The pair lunged backwards inside the shaft, then braced their backs against each other and scaled the walls in unison.

~The Waring Robins~