Braelynn/Noctis

Pa dropped me off at the army base and I am getting settled in. All the trainees stay together in one last room with many cots. Everything here is coed with very little privacy. So far there is only me here that is a werewolf.

Sergeant Ross comes down and claps his hands together to grab all of our attention. Everyone's head snaps towards the sound and we stand at attention.

"At 13:00 hours, everyone be on the training field."

The sergeant walks alway and I check my watch. It is 12:45 right now. I take off my shirt and pants to get into uniform. I lace up my combat boots and tie my hair into a high ponytail. I walk out of the room with a couple of the guys as well all head to the training grounds.

"Mike Larson," one of the guys introduces himself and holds out a hand.

"Noctis Kilo," I shake his hand.

"Noctis? That's a different kind of name," Mike comments.

"I know, what's your name?" I ask as I turn towards the other guy and I stick out my hand.

"Malakai Wilson, but everyone calls me Kai," he says, shaking my hand.

"Nice to meet you guys. Do either of you know how long we are trainees for?"

"Until you pass the qualifications. There are timed runs, obstacle courses and weapon firing. Then of course there is hand to hand combat."

"Doesn't sound too hard," I shrug.

"Doesn't sound too..." Kai laughs, "It is one of the hardest things a person can go through."

I hold myself back from rolling my eyes. In the supernatural world, there are a lot worse things that this. I hope I won't have to spend more than a couple months here. I want to get out onto the battle field to fight.

We get to the training field with eight minutes to spare. Other than the sergeant, we are the only ones here. We take our spots on the grass to await instructions. The rest of the group comes out in a big clump and takes their spots.

"Tell me. When you are out in the battlefield, do you want your team to be watching your back or being late to the fight?!" Sergeant Ross shouts. No one replies, we all stand at attentions waiting for him to continue, "All but three of your were late to the field! You all came out to the field at 13:02 hours. That is not acceptable," he yells at the group.

He tells everyone that they will have to stay back two hours after training is supposed to end due to their tardiness. The sergeant exempts Kai, Mike and myself from those two hours. We start off with a timed run and the run is only ten miles. I take the lead and finish far ahead of everyone else at five minutes 23 seconds.

"That is a great time, Kilo. I think it is the second best time this base has seen," Sergeant Ross tells me.

"Second best? What time do I have to beat for first?"

"A guy we had here a year ago set the new record. He ran ten miles in five minutes seven seconds."

"Challenge accepted."

I wait for the other guys to finish. Most of the guys are in the front with two or three girls. The second place person is Mike and he came in at eight minutes seventeen seconds.

"Geez Kilo, how did you finish so fast?" Mike asks and Kai nods meaning he wants to know too.

"I told you guys that the training seemed easy. I will be out of here in no time," I smirk.

"You have to wait for us, I want to be on the same platoon," Kai pouts.

"Then I guess you two have to step it up."

The rest of the trainees get back from the run and we head to the shooting range. We are given a wide variety of guns. We have to take the ammunition out and then put it back in and take a few shots.

I take out the ammunition the first gun and then reload it. I aim at the target and press the trigger twice. One bullet goes straight through the head and the other goes through the chest. I press the button for a new target. I do the same thing with the rest of the guns and then press the button to bring forward all my targets. I line them up and each hole lines up perfectly.

"Is there anything your can't do?" Kai asks me.

"Not too much, Kai. What do I do with these?" I ask Kai, not sure where to put the targets.

"Sergeant Ross takes them and puts them in our files," Kai replies.

"Thanks."

I walk over to where Sergeant Ross is in the corner of the room. I hand him the paper with the bullet holes. He lines them up like I did before and looks shocked.

"This is the best shooting I have ever seen," he tells me, not looking up from the papers.

"Thank you. What..." I cut myself off.

I hear a loud ring of a gun firing; however, it is in my direction. I pull Sergeant Ross down to duck with me and the bullet hits the wall behind him. I turn around to see a girl looking horrified. It must have been an accident or she is a really good actress.

"Miles!" Sergeant Ross shouts and the girl flinches, "Go out to the field and stand in position."

The girl puts down the gun carefully and rushes out in the direction of the training field. I turn back around to see Sergeant Ross looking at me with curious eyes.

"You have quick reflexes, but how did you know that bullet was coming our way and not the targets?"

"Educated guess?" I answer, not sure what to say.

"Well, that educated guess just saved yourself and me, so thank you."

"It was no big deal. What do you want me to do next?"

"We are going to the obstacle course next so you can grab a gun and some ammunition."

I nod and head back to my station. I choose a rifle and put a clip into my pocket with a full clip in the gun. I wait by the exit for the rest of the trainees to finish.

We make it to the obstacle course. There are bars, nets, monkey bars, stairs, rings and ropes. It reminds me of a ninja warrior course. Throughout the course we have to wear full gear and our gun. We go in order of last name so I have to wait a while. Many people have tried the course and have fallen or can't make it to the top of the vertical run. Once at the top of the vertical run, you have to press a button to stop your time.

It is finally my turn to go. I run and grab onto the first monkey bar. The bars go up each rung and then go back down on the other side. After that I head to the ropes where I swing much like Tarzan between the three ropes. I grab the first ring and start making my way to the other end. The rings are purposely spread a apart so that you have to have a good momentum to reach the next one. I run up a set of stairs and then jump to the top of the wall that is five feet away. I heave myself overtop and army crawl under mesh. I climb up the net that goes ten feet into the air and then stand on the plate form at the top. Most people climb down the other side and get stuck. I notice a bar just in front of me that is on a track. I jump and grab the bar which slides down and I jump off once close enough to the ground. I climb a fence and grab the other side so I can flip myself to the ground. I see the vertical run and take a sprint towards it. I run up and grab the chin up bar at the top. I pull myself up and press the button.

I turn to face the crowd who are just staring at me. I give them a confused look and then turn to see my time. It only took me three minutes forty-six seconds. Everyone else was trying to get through it for fifteen minutes or more. I look back at the crowd and I wonder how I am supposed to get down. I look over the edge and see the huge drop. I look to the side to see a trampoline there. I smirk to myself and fall back first off the plate form and bounce on the trampoline below. I do a backflip and get to my feet. That was so much fun.

People walk over to me and start asking a million and one questions. That is, before the Sergeant tells everyone to stop bombarding me with questions and go back to the start of the course. We all walk over to the course and it is Mike's turn.

Mike does pretty well. He was close to falling in the ropes, but caught himself. He take the sliding bar from the top of the net like I did. He takes a bit of time to start running up the vertical run. I can see he is slowing and he launches himself at the bar. He grabs ahold of it with one hand and then tries to get his other hand up. It takes him a minute, but he finally gets it up and presses the button. His time is ten minutes three seconds. Second best time so far.

Everyone else goes and lastly, it is Kai's turn. He fumbled a few time, but keeps himself up...that is until he trying to take the sliding bar and miscalculated how far he has to jump. He ends up falling into the net and catching his ankle. Luck for him he doesn't smash his skull open. Unlucky for him, he breaks his ankle.

I rush over to him and climb up the net while grabbing his hand to alleviate the pressure on his foot. I manage to get his foot out and lower him to the sergeant who is waiting below. The sergeant dismisses Mike, Kai and I for training since the other group has to stay for the two extra hours. Mike and I take Kai to the hospital.

I feel like I belong here