Chapter 9
"If this is real, please pinch me." I breathed out the words in amazement. I was lifting! I was lifting a whooping 130 lbs barbell - at least from what the holographic numbers are telling me. The barbell that I was raising over my head felt like a small sack of flour. I was still gasping in delight at the absurdity of it all, but it was real.
"You think you can handle more, miss Nathalia?" Skyr asked. He was standing in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest. There was a smile on his lips that I could only assume was a reflection of mine. That or he finds my reaction amusing.
"I think so?"
"General." A petite Atlantean girl called out to him running frantically. "Gerald and Klein are fighting again." She said to him. Skyr gave her a nod before turning towards Duncan. "Watch over them while I'm gone." He told him before moving to follow the girl out of the gym - I called it that because this portion of the room reminds me of an actual gym.
Rachel suddenly leaned in and whispered. "Want me to increase the weight?" she giggled. I joined her too and nodded my head excitedly. We were both acting foolishly but the adrenaline of my new found strenght was like a drug to me making me ignore the logical thing to do. Rachel started to turn the knob that adjust the weight of the barbel. It increased by 10 lbs and I laughed at the added weight. "Do more do more." I insisted. Rachel snickered and added another 10 lbs. I could feel it getting heavy, but I can still take it.
"More?" Rachel laughed. I nodded my head eagerly. But just as she was about to turn the knob, we heard someone clearing their throat. We both turned to see Duncan with his arms crossed over his chest and fixing us a disapproving look. I pursed my lips in embarassment while Rachel started looking at the ground and playing with her fingers.
"Can I turn the knob?" Rachel and I both raised our heads to Duncan in surprise. A playful smile appearing on the corner of his lips. Rachel and I grinned and nodded out heads like one of those bob dolls from a car.
"Yes!" Rachel said and clapped her hands excitedly at the same time as I said, "Of course!"
Duncan chuckled as he made his way towards us. He read the holographic digital scale his look became skeptical. "It's already 150 lbs." He looked surprised. "I don't think-"
"Boooo!" Rachel and I chorused in disappointment at his hesitation. Duncan's forehead creased under our gazes. He seemed offended.
"I was gonna say that I don't think 150 is heavy enough." He grinned in satisfaction the moment that Rachel and I cheered. Duncan moved in front of me and adjusted the knob.
160
170
180
190
We were still laughing like idiots. I was too, even though the weight kept increasing. I was too excited. But all our fun and games ended when we heard a familiar and displeased voice to our side.
"What exactly are you guys doing?" It was general Skyr. The moment we saw him, the three of us panicked. I dropped the barbell and we all scarambled on our feet to avoid getting our toes crushed. There was a loud bang as soon as the equipment touched the floor. I chewed on my bottom lip and watched as Duncan lowered his head and stepped forward to face Skyr.
"How'd it go?" Duncan started to ask. His voice trembled a little as he talk and he kept rubbing the back of his neck to hide his trembling hands.
Skyr's lips moved as he shrugged. "Oh you know. The usual beating them up until they know their place. Enough for them not to get too cocky about their new found ability." Then he crossed his arms and gazed at Duncan. "What about you? I see you guys are having fun. Care to tell me what exactly were you guys doing?"
"Um..." Duncan looked back to us for help and Rachel and I immediately didged his pleading gaze. I feel bad for Duncan, but I don't want to be on Skyr' bad side either. I met Rachel's gaze and we made a silent agreement to pretend to be ignorant.
"We were only doing what we were told to do, general." I said, making sure that my voice was steady. Then we both went back to our respective training circuit. Me with the weights and Rachel jumping on a low stool to practice her leaps. I briefly saw Duncan's eyes going wide with disbelief and betrayal before we focused on our training.
"I see our new recruits are are very diligent with their training." Skyrs' words might sound like he was impressed but we all could hear the venom in his tone. We were screwed. "Miss Nathalia." I flinched as I did a few dead lifts with the weights. I saw Skyr circling me like a shark. I tried to focs on my task in hopes that he wouldd let it slide. "Since you like lifting weights so much, you will be cleaning up and rearranging the gym after your workout. You will carry the equipments and place them back to their respective racks." I sighed and fought the urge to click my tongue from irritation.
I saw Skyr coming at Rachel next. She almost feel from the stool when he appeared on her line of sight. "Miss Rachel, since you are so eager to help miss Nathalia, I guess you wouldn'y mind helping me. Am I right?"
"No, sir." Rachel whimpered.
"And" Skyr continued and I have this image in my head of stranggling him. Can he stop now? "As for one of the squad leader, Duncan, I will leave him in charge for the both of you again. To monitor and help our newbies so they can put everything back on the right rack. That is, after he does 100 leaps over a 10 meter platform." The horrified looks on our faces seemed to please him and it somehow makes me wonder if he. Then he started to leave the room. The glass door beeped and it opens and then he was gone."Make sure to finish your workout before dinner so you'll have time to clean up." I heard him whistling before the door slid close behind him.
***
A few arguments and gruntings later and we were finally done cleaning up the gym. Duncan wasn't very happy about our betrayal earlier that he kept sulking while giving us directions. He would often leave a sarcastic remark that soon tickled Rachel off. It lead to a lof of bickering and fighting that ended up in me doing most of the work. My arms, even though I have the superior gene, felt like they were going to fall. I actually felt like a normal person again - thanks to all the heavy lifting that I did.
By the time we were out of the gym, I have my hands over my ears to drown out their annoying bickering. I have to give it to Rachel though, she have guts to talk back to a squad leader. Lucky for us that Duncan wasn't using his authority on us like another certain Altantean that we know of.
The place was almost desrted. It was because it was almost time for dinner. I guess everyone was strict in following the schedule. I threw the door of the cafeteria open. Eager to eat because I was hungry. The workout plus the added chore that Skyr gave us burned all of my lunch. I probably should have eaten more.
I was already falling in line when Duncan's communicator beeped. I saw a few people loooking at their bracelet as well when it giving off a sound similar to Duncans'. Then we saw Skyr running towards us - or more like headed towards Duncan. There was a look of urgency on his face. "Duncan, we have a code red. The government are targeting a school this time."
Chapter 10After Skyr, Duncan, and a few Atlantean vanished yesterday for some sort of emergency, the cafeteria seemed empty - half empty. Rachel and I sat together on one table because Jack, Emily, and Watson were nowhere to be found. We could only assume that they were part of the people that were called for the situation.I was already dressed in my red newbie uniform and was headed for the cafeteria. I kept on rubbing on my arms to massage it and try to ease up the muscles. They were still sore, but it felt better than they did yesterday.I guess I could thank my enhanced genes for that."Hey." I greeted Rachel the moment that I saw her. She was walking sluggishly, like all she wanted to do at that moment is to drop on the floor and sleep. She turned her head when she heard my voice. She nodded and gave me a weak wave of her hand. "Hey." She said and squinted her eyes as I approached her. "You monster. How can you look
Seeing the reincarnated demi god again - after knowing his identity that is - I couldn't seem to find my own voice. I was nervous and when I looked at Rachel, she was gaping like a fish. She must have been as flustered as I am. I tried to recall what Duncan and Skyr did when they faced him. I gulped and lowered my head as I remembered Duncan and Skyr. "I serve t-" "No no no. Please." Byron immediately said making me look up at him worriedly. Did I do something wrong? Did I say the wrong words? Byron must have read my expression. "Please. I really am uncomfortable when people treat me like a god. So, unless it's for some official purpose, please just greet me normally." He said. Rachel and I exchanged glances before looking back at him with a nod. Byron grinned in satisfaction. "So, mind telling me why you two are here? Are you guys skipping with your training?" He whispered. "O-of course not, sir!" Rachel quickly denied. "We have permission to be here.
What the actual f*ck!?I knew it. I should have known all along that when a guy gives a kraken and three megalodons a name, then never trust his judgement. Especially when he calls a gigantic pre-historic alligator cute - and names it Fifi. I chuckled silently but without humor. A kraken named Max. Three megs names Momo, Kiki, and Dodo. And now a very 'cute' piliosaur named Fifi.All I want to do right now is to punch a nearby wall and hit my head on it for good measure until I bleed to death.The piliosaur's head was as tall as Byron and I could not see it's lower half to figure out how big it was. But judging from the size of it's head, I could only imagine. Fifi let out an animalistic growl that shocked us all. Byron stepped back while Rachel was now hugging the wall. I, on the other hand, have my back pressed against the wall as my eyes met with Fifi. I might be imagining it but the piliosaur seemed to be studying me. Suddenly it let out a small sound
"Miss Nathalia, I have to say that I am impressed." Byron says as we exited the elevator. "Fifi is never that friendly to anyone besides me.""Maybe Fifi just thought that I was better looking than her." I pointed at Rachel, who slapped my hand away. "Sorry if I can't relate to people who have this weird fetish over sea monsters.""Hey!" Byron seemed offended. "Fifi may be a sea monster but she is a very gentle creature!"I have to admit that I somehow admire how relaxed Rachel was when she's talking to Byron. She even dismissed his argument with a wave of her hand. "Well I do have another theory. Fifi likes people with the same features as lord Byron." Rachel said making me give her a pointed look."Really?" Bryon stopped walking just so he could turn to face me. He inched his face closer to my face. The moment that he did, I saw my familiar purple eyes in Byron's eyes. "Wow. We do share the same features." Byron mumbled as he continued to obser
Is really Trei?I blinked and examined the man's features more closely. The eyes belongs to Trei but he is clearly Asian while Trei is not. His dimples also resembles Trei's and the way that he was looking at me is somehow convincing me that he is.But he isn't. This guy is not Trei."What are you doing here?" Skyr stood beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and finally saw his face closely. He has a bruised lips and a cut on his forehead. "Shouldn't you and miss Rachel be at the training center?""We were excused for the day. They wanted to prioritize the others." I answered and saw his face furrow with displeasure. "Are you alright?"Skyr nodded. "I have been through much worse situations." He answered. "And besides, I have a strong Atlantean gene. It will heal without leaving much of a scar.""Are you trying to boast?""Are you trying to escape the topic about skipping training?""I said that I did not skip
"Miss Nathalia Trace, you may go." The door to the white cell that I was in opened and in came a man with a white bob cut hair. After the fight broke out, everyone was brought to a cell to supposedly calm us down. The cell has 4 walls - one was made out of thick acrylic while the 3 remaining ones were made of white metal along with the floor and ceiling. I winced and clutched my bandaged head. We were all treated and questioned during our stay in the cubes. I guess they were still looking for the traitor within the ranks.
“You’re looking good.” Jack commented as she eyed me in our new uniform. Instead of the usual red suit that we were wearing the past few days, we were wearing white - Just like the others.The last time I saw Jack, he had this huge open wound from his shoulder and to h
My chest rose as I tried to catch my breath. Lights started to slowly turn on again and I had to squint as my eyes adjusted to the new setup. Shadows loomed over me and it took me a while to finally recognize that it was Jack. His blonde hair sticking to his face from the sweat on his face.“Well look who it is. It is the incredible she-hulk Natha