"She's not a fighter, go easy on her."
I heard another voice. I knew who he was, but I didn't understand whether he really meant what he said, or was he being sarcastic.

I stopped caring about myself when I saw who accompanied him, and why.
A little smile appeared on my lips.

************************************

Before Killer could start beating me up in gym, he said with pressed lips "Meet me in the ground, move."

I heard his "Sorry boss" while I walked out. I winked at Ethan who looked at me with shock on his face, and a paper in his hand.
Good choice, Killer, I told myself. Atleast Ethan will be fair, and give Louis the screwing he deserves.

I was expecting him to break my bones tonight.
Surprisingly, I left the ground in single piece, including my dear shoulder. He had reminded me again, of my fate, if I share his secret with Colonel.

Frankly speaking, his warnings are the most dangerous stuff I've heard in my life. He sounds so deadly.

Never mind, I was going back to my room when I met Nick, walking to and fro, right outside officers mess, with arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed. He looked really angry.

"Are you alright?" I asked him genuinely concerned.
"How could he do it? How could Sir Louis do that with Wills?" that means, Nick came to know about the fumes, now.

"Well, yeah. His Boss sounded like a good person till they-" I shut my lips before creating a huge disaster.

Well, there are always some loopholes in a warning, and Killer is a human, afterall.
He said I should not tell Uncle James, or meet him in his absence.
But his warning didn't include anything about talking to Nick, or Ren, or anyone.

I was thinking whether or not I should tell Nick, that Killer and his Boss is planning something which is hidden from literally every soul in this academy. Maybe, that way I'll also know what is going on here.

I don't know what will happen with these guys, but I sure as hell know, that Killer won't let me argue about the loophole in his warning. He'll just slash my neck, in one go, at first sight.
So I decided to go against my curiosity and stay shut.

"Till they?"
oops.

"Till this fumes. I mean, its.. Its so stupid right?" I tried to save my as*.
"Obviously! That's not how you greet your dearest junior when you meet after years!" okay, Nick was angry, really angry.

"Killer won't say anything, why don't you go and talk to Louis?"
"I will. This is too much. I only have two training officers for my boys. Their term end trials are coming up, too. I need Wills to be with me, not with his Boss. I can't let my boys suffer because of him. I'll talk to him as soon as I get a chance."

I didn't get time to comment, while he left, talking to himself, in anger.
"Good, that was needed." I assured myself and went to sleep.

I woke up, got ready and proceeded directly for my breakfast in the mess. This is good. Killer told me that he'll continue my training after breakfast.

I was calmly having my sandwich, when I saw Ethan entering.
"Hey Bud!" I called him, and he changed his direction. He walked towards me with a confused, yet happy smile.

"What on earth are you doing, girl?"
He asked me half surprised, half amused.
"what? I'm just letting Satan take care of a few sinners, nothing great" I said, shooing with my hand.

He laughed and sat next to me.
"Don't call me Satan's employee. I'm not ready to take another job yet." he asked as he took one sandwich from my plate.
"I know, I know. SC is a tough job as it is." I said, patting him on his shoulder.

"Oh? So you know I'm the SC? Still you winked at me when my trainer was walking right in front of me? What if I had smiled back in reflex? You have some guts there."
It was my turn to laugh.
"Alright, I'm sorry, Ethan"

"Yes miss, you should. And you're forgiven, though this word has no meaning for the trainer who's hovering over you. Just for your info. By the way, what are your plans for the holidays?" he asked me like it was an obvious question.
"Holidays?"
"Yea. Our term is ending in three weeks. Then we'll all be proceeding for a 45 days leave from this warzone."

I looked at him stunned.
Forty five days? That's too much.
"Dare you call it too much!" Ethan warned me.
I shook my head. How the hell they learn to read minds?

"I... I'm sorry. Yea, I know life here is.. Is.. Pretty bad. 45 days are too less.."
"Actually, no." Ethan stopped me in between.

I looked at him, awaiting an answer.
"No, our lives are not bad. Difficult? Yes. Bad? Nope. Not at all."
"You mean, whatever you go through, here, is not bad?"
He laughed a little.
"No woman, it's not bad. It's good in fact. Fun, if you call it."

"Fun? Are you cracking a joke or what? Your training is fun?"
"God, you won't understand. The training is hard, cruel. But it's what we need. We need someone to kick our asses all day, so that when we finally get to sleep at the end of our day, our brains have no energy left to think or worry about anything. Only when you're dead tired, you won't have nightmares - that's the saying, and it has proven right with most of us."

I couldn't believe my ears.
This SC right here, finds all this torture, useful.

"You think I'm crazy, right?"
"Of course I do, don't doubt that."
Did I even have to say that?

He laughed again.
"I'll explain milady. See, we are a bunch of testosterones. One hundred and eighty boys, who have just crossed their teenage, who cleared one of the most difficult physical tests of the country, live here in this academy. You have no idea how much chaos they can create in a matter of few hours, if they are just left on their own. That's the reason why first year boys are not even taken out for the morning run. Our trainers hunted the beasts from the community, then train them to become soldiers, while trying to make them stay humans. If deadly trainers like Colonel James and Major Wills are not there to keep us in check, we'll all be fighting bulls."

"Fine. You need to be kept tight, I understand. But how can you not call it cruel? The way you are screwed! How can you find it funny?"
He answered with a smile.

"There's this thing about young boys. They are full of adrenaline. They'll put their last drop of blood and sweat in something they are interested in. And everyone here, is into physical, be it the routine training, or parade, or games. We just need the right kick in right direction, and our focus is on winning. We hate every moment of this training, but when we look back at what we did throughout the day, it makes us feel happy. We are better and stronger than yesterday, and this is what we chose. Add to it, the experience of playing along with your trainers. It's hell lotta fun. Before that mission, Major Wills used to play football with us, too. And the brothers never stayed in one team. They also never imposed anything on us, one of the cadets would always be the captain. They themselves, have even been goalkeepers so many times. We all feel like a team. The losing team pays hell, but they'll stick with us, and that's fun.
That's why no one here takes punishment as an insult, even when you're punished in front of your junior. It's a challenge to prove your strength.
This life looks very bad from outside, but trust me, we are the ones getting most out of this life."

I looked at Ethan, with my mouth open.
Only when he snatched the barely eaten sandwich from my hand, I realised that I had stopped chewing.
He had changed my view, the way I look at things here. I felt like I was such a narrow - minded person. These people are way too cool.

"Hey! how did the job go, by the way? Had fun?" I winked at him again.

"You have no idea how freaked out I was! When Major Wills called me in his office, Major Louis was there too. Firstly he told me my task while handing me over a list - Boss here, will be doing the following workouts tonight. You have to just document each when it's done and write the time when it gets over, and sign. Dare you speak a single word to him."

"That's pathetic! He scared you, so you don't point out any slack. Bloody Killer!"
"Forget the slack! I stopped listening after I heard the first word, Boss. Fletcher's Boss! I dare not cause him any discomfort! I replied a yes sir, but Major Louis stopped him. He said - Easy there, Dog. Let him decide how to do his job. Besides if there's no one driving me to push, I'm bound to get slow. Don't forget none other than your father trained us. It was a daily ride to hell and back, and I think I can't workout without that kind of curses and fire around me. Boy, the task at your hand is very difficult, because I haven't moved a muscle in two years. You swear on me, or you kick me, just make me finish this before 12 tonight, at any cost. Damn you Dog, you never meet easy people in your life, not even a Doctor!

I had no clue what was going on. I just stood there."

"Then what happened?" I asked him curiously, hoping that they discussed something which can give me a clue. But there was nothing.

"I was dismissed and called to gym, when I saw you. It was indeed a difficult task. Old man there has little stamina because of limited workout at his last posting. My words were a colorful range, from motivational quotes to cursing threats. But I'm glad he finished by 2330 hours."

Damn you Boss. I was silently hoping you didn't finish it in time last night.
Still I fail to understand how could one get driven by a junior cursing him?

David walked upto us and sat next to Ethan. Both of them fist - bumped and talked something about parade.

I was still on this guy who calls himself Killer's 'Boss'.

My thoughts were disturbed by Flynn.
"How is Oliver now?"
I looked at him, confused, only to realise that he was asking that question to Ethan.

"What happened to him?"
I asked before Ethan could answer Flynn.

"He is having gastro-enteritis time and again. He frequently vomits food, and gets a series of loose motion once in 3-4 days. He is on rest. Captain Renee excused him from all training till his problem is resolved."
David answered on Ethan's behalf.

"What about his meals? I have not been asked to send his meals at the med care. What is he eating?" Flynn asked concerned.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry sir! I forgot! Captain Renee told me to inform you that he'll be under her observation, including meals and rest. So I guess she must have arranged his meals there itself."
Ethan answered apologetically.

"Oh. I'll ask her if she needs my help. But Ethan, don't do this again. Poor boy might suffer because of your forgetfulness." Flynn was straightforward. Ouch.

"I'm really sorry sir. I promise I won't repeat it. Major Wills gave me a task and I got completely involved in it. I'm really sorry." Ethan said in most polite voice.
Flynn nodded, passed him a last glare and went.

"You saw that?"
David laughed.

"Flynn's concern?"
"Ya! He cares for us, much more than my mother ever did for me. And he's been doing this for years! He has seen Fletcher and Coach Carter in their cadet life. Though he never corrects us, he never denies any story that we've heard of the two brothers. He just smiles and laughs."

He answered while Ethan sat with a similar smile on his face.

I, too, smiled at that point. He's really a darling.

"I'll go take a shower. See you ladies later."
David winked and Ethan mouthed asshole while he walked away.
God these boys!

"But- Oliver? He's in the main football team, if I'm not wrong? Nick is letting him rest in med care?"
I suddenly realised.

"Oh don't even talk about Coach. He brought the sky down the first day he heard of Oliver's detention. He made Flynn check every single item of mess, to find out what caused him food poisoning. But he didn't know he's trying to find a fault in a perfectionist's job. He found not a single molecule of dirt, or unclean utensil anywhere. He went to Captain Renee to tell her that it's not food poisoning.
Ma'am suspected it to be some new allergy, when Oliver reported third time with the same complaint. She has kept him there till they find out the allergen."
Ethan rushed through the story.

"oh! Too complicated."
"Yeah! It's no fun to play without Oliver. He keeps the game interesting."
He said with a smile.

And my devilish laughter was back again.
"No, I'm not telling you, woman. Stop that smile rightaway." Ethan tried to sound scary, but he was scared himself.

"What if someone tells your Fletcher that, senior SC, who was appointed to check his Boss's punishment drill, cheated and made him do extra counts? Louis would never tell this himself, because which senior will not feel ashamed to be screwed by a junior? Just imagine... What would Killer do to you for exploiting his Boss's poor condition, huh Ethan?"

With absolute horror in his eyes, he said "You will do no such thing, Jane. I'll kill you if you -"
"If Killer doesn't kill you before, that is." I interrupted him.

His mouth was open and fixed, and no words came out of his mouth.
I could see my victory.

************************************

Another big one from my heart.
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