Breachers

Breachers – Path of Steel

41

I

 Survival Test

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Day 49

Joline

 

Wearing her tracksuit, Joline stepped into the pub, the guild emblem boldly displayed on the back of it. She spotted the elderly man behind the bar and gave him a nod before indicating the door behind him, ignoring the smell of old beer. “I’m going to fetch my brother, alright?” she asked cheerfully. The man responded with a brief nod, resuming his task of wiping down the bar while she made her way through the door and up the creaking wooden stairs. Joline met Felix halfway up the stairs as the man zipped past her as a dark blur, sandwich clenched in his teeth, muttering about being late. He practically fell down the stairs, skipping the last few steps and nearly breaking his ankles as he crashed into a nearby beer keg before rushing through the door leading to the bar. Joline just rolled her eyes and headed upstairs, hearing the bar owner, Sam, shout at Felix. Stopping in front of her brother’s door, she knocked a few times before she heard Marcus yell that he was almost ready. Joline tapped her foot for a moment, hearing commotion inside, and then Marcus swung the door open. ‘He looks like he's been through the wringer,’ she thought as she noticed her brother’s pale face, with bags under his eyes, his usual warmth replaced by fatigue. The lines on his face seemed more pronounced, and a subtle tremor betrayed the exhaustion in his frame. “You look like shit! What happened?” Joline blurted out, eyes widening.

“Couldn’t sleep because of the nerves,” Marcus said as he stepped out of his apartment and quickly closed the door behind him.

“Couldn’t sleep? That doesn’t explain the fact that you look like a walking corpse,” she remarked, placing a hand on his forehead, checking to see if he had a fever, before Marcus just brushed away her hand. “Are you sure you’re alright? Do we need to go to the hospital?” Joline asked, her voice softening.

“I’m good, honestly. Despite the horrible night, I actually feel like I’m whole again,” Marcus assured, a soft smile forming on his face as he watched her. “I’m alright, sis. I promise. So, are you ready?”

She shot him a skeptical look, eyes going over his disarrayed appearance before she let out a deep sigh. “Ready? That’s my line, remember? I’m not the one who’s about to get his butt kicked in two hours, even though you already look the part. Speaking of which,” she paused, digging something out of her pocket and handing her brother a small, clumsily wrapped present. The wrapping paper had uneven folds and mismatched tape holding it together. “A gift.”

Marcus eyed the gift in his hand, a mix of amusement and confusion playing on his face. “It looks like you had a stroke while wrapping it up. Several even—” he started, but her finger pressed against his ribs, cutting him off. He ripped off the wrapper, exposing a mouth guard that was used in boxing and other martial arts. Examining it, he spotted white wolf fangs painted on the front of the black material. “Wait... is this Dad’s?”

“Yeah, I held onto Dad’s disgusting old mouth guard piece for the last thirteen years... idiot,” she said, tapping the piece. “Me and Felix bought it a few days ago, knowing you’d need it for your exam. It was my idea and his artwork. I mean, you might at least look the part when people fold you up like a pretzel, right?” Marcus slowly nodded as he grabbed his things and followed her, a soft smile on his face as he clutched the mouthpiece and went down the stairs, wobbling a bit, as if physically unsteady. “Survival exam, here we go!” Joline shouted, tapping the sides of the wall before barging into the bar, afterwards making their way outside as the two siblings began their journey.

 

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Two hours later, Joline sat on the bleachers, cradling a small water bottle and a few bananas. She observed a decent-sized crowd, mostly in civilian attire, with a few in suits or guild uniforms. ‘I didn’t think recruiters would be here at this rank. I thought Alpha’s were usually ignored. Perhaps they are looking for people to join the logistics or cleanup crews?’ she mused as she glanced over a few of the names. The guilds she saw were smaller than her guild, and not as well known. Still, she recognized a few of them. She took a sip of her water as she shifted her attention to what was in front of her; three large training mats. Each of the mats had a different color: red, green, blue. Nearby, a row of tables held various training weapons and protective gear. ‘Weird how much has changed these last few years,’

she thought, reminiscing about how she had become a Breacher back then. Movement interrupted her thoughts when the doors suddenly swung open, revealing three Breachers and government officials entering the room, followed by twenty nervous individuals clad in protective gear. ‘Here we go.’ She observed her brother and the other applicants forming a line as the officials began explaining what they expected of them and what each person needed to do in order to pass. From what Joline heard, it seemed rather simple—each person had three attempts to ‘survive’ two minutes against a stronger foe. As if on cue, the three Breachers positioned themselves on the three colored mats. Within seconds, they burned through a portion of their Mana, and parts of it vented through their Marks, creating a light blue distortion around their frames, almost like colored mist. Joline heard a few civilians gasp, undoubtedly worried for the safety of their friend, child, sibling, or parent that was about to face one of these Breachers. Someone even bolted out of the room, fearing Mana-sickness. Joline shook her head at their reaction. ‘Normies being normies, huh?’ she thought, doing her best not to grin. ‘It takes a lot more Mana to affect people outside a Sphere, let alone at that distance. And the Breachers there... their Mana is blue, but it’s thin... I can barely feel it from here.’ I’m guessing they are just Beta rank. So, one full rank above Marcus.’ Joline idly played with the water bottle, her gaze fixed on the three Breachers. ‘The woman on the red mat. I think I’ve seen her in the field before. She’s quite fast for a Beta.’ She shifted her attention to the other two Breachers. ‘I think the man on the green mat is the strongest. At least he carries himself like it.’

The government officials went through the rules, confirming them with each applicant before dismissing them. They allowed everyone to warm up, put on extra protective gear, and mentally prepare. Joline watched some doing push-ups, stretch exercises or some cardio, while others got used to the weight and size of the practice weapons that were available. As she peeled one of the bananas and took a bite, she observed some applicants struggling with the weapons, while others wielded them more confidently, obviously having trained extensively with some of them. ‘It’s good that the applicants face a stronger opponent like this, forcing them to encounter something more monstrous and unfair before they become Breachers and even set foot in an actual Sphere.’ She watched her brother just stare at the three Breachers while another applicant seized a training shield and sword before positioning himself on the green mat and pointing the weapon at the Breacher. Joline witnessed the large Breacher nod and grab a protective sword and shield of his own as an official began the countdown. ‘Let’s see how he does.’ She watched the eager applicant charging in but immediately get stopped in his tracks when the Breacher he was facing slammed his sword into the applicant’s shield with a resounding thud, sending it flying out of the man’s hand. The second sword strike echoed through the air, crashing into the man’s stomach, denting the protective gear with a distinct crunch, and sending him nearly rolling off the mat, unconscious. ‘Well, that was anticlimactic.’ Joline raised an eyebrow as government officials quickly ran onto the mat to help the unconscious man. ‘That Breacher’s got little to no speed behind his attacks, but a lot of power. No doubt he’s a front line tank of sorts.’ She slowly shifted her gaze back to Marcus, observing her brother just staring at the large Breacher before he made his way toward the bleachers. Joline smiled when he spotted her, seeing him wave at her before a young man in front of her suddenly stood up and made his way over to him, clearly confusing Marcus. ‘Do they know each other or something?’ Joline thought as she got up as well and descended the bleachers, making her way to her brother while eating her banana as she overheard their conversation.

“You’ll do fine. And if you need any pointers, feel free to ask me. I had my exam not that long ago, although it was a rank higher than this one,” the man said, placing a reassuring hand on Marcus’s shoulder who just stared at the strange man. “From what Benedict told me, you’ll—“ The man suddenly stopped talking when he noticed Marcus looking past him, forcing him to follow his gaze and spot a smiling Joline who was casually eating her banana. “Great, the vultures are here. Can I help you with anything?”

“Nope,” Joline said, flashing the man a banana stained smile as she stepped closer to Marcus, handing him the bottle of water and a banana. “Eat it. It helps with the nerves. Do you know him?” She asked, pointing at the other man.

“I’m Kay de Wever, Breacher and official member of the Salamanders,” the man said with a proud expression, pointing at the symbol on his vest.

“Never heard of you guys,” Joline countered, secretly enjoying the way the man’s expression suddenly changed, a second of disappointment showing before his features hardened a bit. “Wait, are you with those German brothers?”

The man paused for a moment, eyes narrowing as he stared at Joline. “I’m sorry, but who the hell are you anyway?”

“A proper Breacher,” she quipped, drawing closer. Her grin widened as she noticed the man suddenly spotting the chaotic greenish marks on the side of her head, a clear sign of her Original status. “And a guild member of the Royal Blue at that.” She displayed an amused, wolfish grin as the color drained from the man’s face as he realized he stood before a member of a significant guild. “Relax, I’m Marcus’s sister. I’m just here to see my brother get knocked down a peg or two,” she explained, all the while munching on her banana.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Kay swiftly said, glancing between Marcus and Joline with a touch of uncertainty. “If I’d known—”

“Forget about it,” Marcus cut in, dismissing the man’s excuse. He took a seat, blue eyes fixed on the activity in front of him. He watched some applicants grabbing practice weapons and step onto one for the mats to try and survive two minutes, although most ignored the green mat. “Why are you here, Kay?” Marcus asked as he watched the fights unfold—seeing someone get disarmed in mere seconds while another applicant was actually putting up a decent fight and showing great skill with a blade.

“To help,” Kay said as he sat down next to Marcus and grabbed a folder from his pocket and held it out for him. “Benedict figured I could give some tips seeing as I had my exam not that long ago, as well as deliver a list of the examiners today. It contains their records, preferred fighting style, Power rating, etc. As much as he could find out.” Marcus didn’t take the list; he simply kept his focus on the ongoing fight.

“That’s cute,” Joline remarked, swiping the folder and flipping through pages with an amused smile. It didn’t take long until that amusement turned to surprise as she pointed her half-eaten banana at it. “Wait... this is surprisingly detailed. How did you guys get all of this?” She asked, speaking with her mouth full. “Most of this isn’t public information.”

Kay smiled nervously. “Uh, well... Benedict is really good at his job, and he’s a people person. That’s all I can say.”

Joline fixed him with a stare before nearly stabbing the man’s face with the rest of her banana. “Why the folder? Why go through all this trouble?”

Kay glanced nervously at her, his smile fading as he moved away from the banana. “Because he’s an Original? And Benedict wants him to succeed?”

“Oh, please. My brother’s got a Power rating of One. He’s useless to you guys,” Joline countered. Hearing that, Marcus muttered that he was right there, but his sister hushed him by pressing her half-eaten banana against his lips like a finger.

“Er... well, you’d have to ask Benedict for the why’s and how’s. I mean, he’s not even a Marked himself, but he’s our leader. And he’s really, really good at what he does,” Kay explained as he awkwardly grabbed the folder again before turning his attention to Marcus. “Benedict told me that of the three Breachers for this test, you shouldn’t tangle with the woman on the red or the man on the green mat. The woman’s got the most field experience of them all and specializes in speed, while the guy on the green mat has the highest Power Rating of the bunch and a serious violent streak. So, Benedict suggests—”

“How much?” Marcus suddenly asked, interrupting the young man.

“You mean their power rating?” Kay inquired, observing Marcus’s slow nod. He flipped through the folder, his finger tracing a line across the paper until he found the relevant information. “The big fella is around 18, just one point lower than I am. So the gap would be too big. Plus, the guy doesn’t usually hold back. The woman is 15. Sebastian recommends going for Blue, who’s only a 12, and far less—”

“Do you want to help, Kay?” Marcus spoke up again as he tore his gaze away from the group and held out his hand. “Punch my hand three times as hard and fast as you could. Don’t hold back.”

Joline just finished eating her banana as she observed the exchange between the two men. Kay appeared confused, and Marcus fixed him with a calm stare, repeating the request until the confused man reluctantly rose. ‘Why is Marcus being so weird today?’ Joline wondered before seeing Kay shoot forward, slamming his fist against Marcus’s open left hand, producing a decent impact sound. Two more punches followed after that, each hitting their target. Marcus wincing slightly, shaking his hand before making a fist. “So, what’s your plan?” Joline asked as Marcus got up, retrieving something from his pocket before turning to face her.

“Make a splash.” Marcus said as he stared at the mouthpiece in his hand before popping it in his mouth, revealing the white wolf fangs painted on them as he grinned. A second later he calmly made his way down the bleachers.

‘What’s that idiot planning now?’ she thought as she watched her brother approach one of the tables and grab two protective fingerless gloves before putting them on, afterwards testing them by slamming his fists together. Marcus then grabbed another pair and strolled over towards the green training mat and walked up to the large Breacher. “Shit,” Joline hissed, rushing down the bleachers alongside Kay, who was noticeably freaking out as well.

Joline hurried to the edge of the green mat, her steps quickening as she reached Marcus just in time to witness his casual throw of the spare gloves onto the mat in front of the large Breacher. “Pick it up,” Marcus said, his voice cutting through the air with an unusual coldness that his sister had never heard him use before. The tension on the mat seemed to intensify as the Breacher chuckled, a brief moment of amusement flashing in his eyes as he noticed Marcus’s ID tag, revealing the stark contrast of their Power Ratings. “Pick it up,” Marcus repeated, voice calm. A faint ‘tsk’ escaped the Breacher as the man noted an official signaling that the timer would start soon. The Breacher calmly snatched up the gloves, sliding his hands into them before cracking his neck in an intimidating way. Then, without warning, he suddenly shot forward, launching a barrage of jabs at Marcus who just tanked the hits while maintaining a solid defensive stance, occasionally yielding ground when the Breacher switched from jabs to actual heavy punches.

“This is bad! He’s done for. Why’d he have to go and piss him off?” Kay exclaimed,  seeing Marcus get pressured into the corner, as jab after jab slammed into his guard, with Marcus barely able to dodge a low kick from the Breacher in time.

Joline had the urge to jump onto the mat and drag Marcus off it, but she didn’t. Despite the relentless pummeling her brother was enduring, she felt like something was off about him. She observed Marcus’s focused gaze as he shrugged off a few more punches, almost provoking the opponent to throw more blows through sheer perseverance. ‘Is he planning to ride out the full two minutes like this? Is he doing this to make a point?’ Joline thought, noting that thirty seconds had already slipped away. The big Breacher’s eyes snapped to the timer, narrowing as he noticed the lost seconds. His gaze, now fueled with anger, fixed back on the arrogant applicant. Without warning, he lunged forward, putting all his weight and momentum into a murderous right punch. The punch hurtled toward Marcus at great speed, but the young man surprised his opponent by suddenly dashing forward faster than he had moved before. In a nasty straight punch, Marcus’s fist collided with the Breacher’s chin as he stepped in hard and fast, stealing the larger man’s momentum and redirecting it against him in a devastating counter. The impact echoed through the arena, a dull thud that accompanied the nasty collision. The blow knocked the Breacher back a few paces, and his mouthpiece clattered away on the ground, before the man suddenly plopped down on his rear, legs twitching, eyes wide in shock and disbelief. ‘That was a perfect counter, right on the chin!’ Joline thought, her expression transforming from surprise to realization. The muscular Breacher struggled to get back on his feet, but his efforts ended with him collapsing to the ground again like a wet rag. His eyes widened as he stared at his unresponsive legs, who refused to cooperate, even hitting his own legs in frustration. ‘Marcus led that brute straight into it. He made him eat his own strength in one violent exchange.’

Marcus slowly closed the distance, casually kicking the mouthpiece back toward the Breacher. He stopped in front of the man, towering over his prone figure. Slowly, the Breacher’s confusion and shock gave way to anger as the man noticed the growing crowd. Dozens of onlookers whispered amongst themselves, and someone was even recording the scene on their phone. The Breacher snarled, slowly picking up the mouth guard and shoving it back into his mouth. Pushing himself up to his unstable knees, he glanced at the timer, realizing a minute had already passed. Suddenly, the Breacher threw himself forward, attempting to catch Marcus off guard by tackling him. Seeing the threat, Marcus leaped forward while snatching the man’s headgear. Their clash saw Marcus driving his right knee into the Breacher’s face with nauseating ferocity as the blow sent the larger man tumbling to the floor.

Marcus, nursing a hurt knee, staggered backward after the exchange. “What...?” Kay muttered, eyeing the unconscious Breacher on the mat, with Marcus just standing next to him, assessing the threat before turning his gaze to the official that was in charge of the countdown. A hush fell over the hall as people just stared at the men on the mat, an uneasy quiet settling in. Finally, the countdown stopped as officials hurried onto the mat to aid the unconscious Breacher. With the fight over, Marcus started limping off the mat while pulling off his gloves and headgear. The distinct sound of Velcro slowly being peeled dominated the hall at that moment. “Marcus, that was awesome—” Kay said before he got the gloves and headgear suddenly thrust into his hands as Marcus hobbled past him, making his way to the bleachers, passing his sister before taking a seat.

Joline watched the officials carefully tend to the unconscious Breacher, while the rest just stared at Marcus from afar with a mixture of shock and intrigue. ‘Was he always that fast?’ Joline thought as she made her way over toward her brother, recalling how different his brutal counter had been compared to the first part of the fight. ‘Did he set this whole thing up? Was that why he acted so arrogant at the start? To provoke the strong but slow brute he knew would take the bait?’ She thought as she stared at him, shaking her head as she passed the water bottle to her brother, who responded with a smile, revealing wolf fangs tinged red from his blood. In that moment, her perspective on her brother shifted. For a split second, she even thought she could see wisps of transparent Mana venting from his frame, but realized her mind was just playing tricks on her. ‘It’s just sweat and body heat. The idiot’s only Power rank 1 after all.’ She placed her hands on her hips in a disapproving manner before giving him a soft kick against his shin. “Don’t you think that was reckless?” she asked, noticing how he opened the water bottle with his left hand instead of his right. ‘He’s hurt. No doubt punching that Breacher must have felt like punching a rock.’

Marcus withdrew the bloodied mouthpiece, setting it on the bench beside him before looking into her green eyes. “You told me that a Breacher can’t be reckless. I just tried to control what I could and did as I was asked: Survive.”

As one of the officials approached, she recognized him from back in hospital when her brother had gotten his measurement. The official, Ali, joined them, standing a bit awkwardly next to her. “So... today has become rather eventful. How are you doing, Marcus?”

Marcus took a sip of water, rinsing his mouth before swallowing the mixture. “The knee and fist stings a bit, but I’m fine. So, what’s next? Do I need to fight two more times, or am I done?”

Ali let out a nervous chuckle at his comment. “Well, technically, each applicant gets three chances to survive for two whole minutes. So, you do have two more attempts if you want. But,” Ali muttered as he glanced over his shoulder, spotting the big Breacher sitting on the green mat. Two officials supported the large man, who was still clearly dazed and bleeding from his nose. “Yeah... I don’t think that’s necessary. Hell, last time I saw someone take out an examiner was when a rare Ability was used, not just a good old-fashioned punch to the face. You’ve got a set on you, Marcus, I can tell you that.”

“Thanks,” Marcus remarked, leaning back a bit and closing his eyes. “And that’s good to hear, because I was lying about my hand and knee just stinging a bit. I think I broke something.”

As Marcus leaned back, resting his head against the bench behind him and letting out a soft hiss he had been holding back, Joline just stared at him, a soft smile tugging at her lips. ‘Dad would’ve been proud, Marcus.’ In that moment she realized just how much Marcus resembled their father, both in temperament and build. She heard Ali unofficially congratulate her brother for getting his basic Breacher license. Meanwhile, Kay frantically typed away on his cellphone in the background, no doubt reporting to Benedict and the rest of the Salamanders. ‘My brother’s an actual Breacher now... like me.’ Joline’s gaze shifted towards the mouthpiece next to him, narrowing on the white wolf fangs on the black material, blood still staining the fangs. Seeing the red on white gave it an almost lifelike quality.

‘My brother, the Breacher. God help us all!’

 

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Copyright: OsiriumWrites