NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18: Standards
After a sneaky meeting, Frost, Panda, Tricky, and Candy left the shack and walked back to the start of the training course, right as the recruits were finishing their final lap. Some of them had already finished and took this time to rest near the plaza, though they couldn’t go too far as the soldiers kept an eye on them. Nitro and Kiwy encouraged the remaining recruits to keep going, including Scott, who already looked exhausted as he was covered in sweat and could barely keep running. His legs were too weak to support him any longer, but since he was one of the last who still hadn’t finished the exercise, he kept running as fast as he could, which was just a walking pace, but at least it was something.
He was at his last lap, right behind two guys who were about to finish and barely beating three other guys who had fallen behind, though they could easily catch up to him if he lost focus. To keep himself motivated, Frost looked at Zoey as she cheered for him in the distance, and even though he tried to smile, he could barely breathe and couldn’t afford to distract himself. Yet he did exactly that, albeit not because of Zoey. Scott noticed Frost and the rest of the squad were returning to the field and were heading toward the other recruits who had finished their laps. Frost was about to move on from the exercise when realized there were still recruits running. He was clearly disappointed, and even repulsed to see that people hadn’t finished their laps yet. And since Frost looked specifically in Scott’s direction, he caused him to get nervous and slow down.
As he tried to avoid eye contact, Scott was surpassed by one of the recruits from behind, with the other two right on his tail, one chubby and the other tall but thin as a leaf. He noticed them just in time to continue running as fast as he could, but so did they. It looked like the thought of upsetting Frost and receiving a brutal punishment drove them to push their limits, and while they gave it their all, they began getting desperate. Scott could barely keep up with his breathing, let alone focus on the two guys behind him, who were luckily fighting each other to not be the last one. While they played dirty, Scott kept looking forward and sprinted rapidly to the finish line. They were the only ones left, and with Frost running out of patience, he was about to turn his back on the three remaining runners and just start another lesson with the rest of the group.
But just as he turned around, Scott reached the starting point and finished his last lap, sprinting right past Frost without him noticing and almost crashing into the group of recruits. They didn’t pay attention to him, though some looked worried when he collapsed on the dirt floor from exhaustion. But since Frost was calling everyone’s attention to resume his teachings, only Zoey cared enough to help Scott. She ran over to him right away, and while concerned, she was ecstatic to see that he didn’t finish last like the unlucky recruits that actually tied in last place.
–You did it! You were so close, but you actually did it!– Zoey cheered as she hugged Scott on the ground, but he was too busy gasping for air to say anything but nod. He laughed nervously and smiled in relief as he stared at the two guys who could have taken his place if he hadn’t tried hard enough. He appeared to be dying, but at least he was saved from being chided. However, the last two students slowly walked back to their teacher in shame, trying not to look at their classmates, who seemed to pity them but stayed quiet in fear of getting in the way of Frost. He looked anything but impressed with any of the recruits, though specifically annoyed at those two, and he didn’t hesitate to call them out as soon as they rejoined the group.
–Gather around, the exercise is over! You should have had plenty of time to rest if you actually tried running anyway…– Frost called for his students and looked around the training grounds to see if everyone was there, not that he seemed to remember, but still making sure to check if anyone was hiding and slacking off. With seemingly everyone gathered at the start of the obstacle course, Frost waited for the faint murmuring in the crowd to naturally fade away. And just as the two last runners tried to sneak into the group without Frost noticing, he pulled them away to stand right next to him, in front of Crisis and the other soldiers, so they could be the center of attention.
–Now, I didn’t see who finished first, but this is exactly what you shouldn’t do. Look at them, they clearly didn’t try hard enough, and now… Well, now they are going to pay for it…– Frost announced with a malicious grin as everyone stared anxiously. They were both eager and scared of what he could do to the two unfortunate recruits, who were so embarrassed to be publicly humiliated that they kept staring down. No one said anything to object, not even Crisis, as it looked like they couldn’t do anything to get in the way of Frost’s strict, borderline abusive teachings, especially now that he returned to his loud and patronizing demeanor.
–I forgot to mention it, but there’s another very important rule that you should all be aware of. If you have talked to any of the official soldiers here at the base, you might have noticed that they all have nicknames, just like us. Nicknames are essential because they represent you as a person with a simple word. They define you. But in order to get a nickname, you must do something remarkable, and most importantly, that nickname has to relate to you in some way…– Frost began explaining in a more carefree manner, catching his students off guard as he deviated from the topic once again. However, they looked curious and even a little relieved to hear him start ranting again, as he was calm and composed when explaining the odd backstory of the New Saviors’ nicknames. The two recruits standing next to him relaxed for a moment, though they remained tense as Frost kept them close and didn’t take his eyes off them for even a second, producing constant nervousness that they struggled to contain.
–For example, Kiwy here is our team pet. We actually called her Kiwy, but she didn’t know how to pronounce it. In fact, she doesn’t know how to say most words… You might think she has that nickname solely because it’s cute and whatnot, but if you actually learned the meaning of it… Let’s just say that it won’t be as nice as it sounds…– Frost continued explaining, reaching for Kiwy’s arm to pull her closer to the crowd, placing his hand on her shoulder proudly, which was an unexpected gesture for his students, managing to increase their uneasiness.
While she was startled to be shown off by Frost, she actually looked happy to be used as an example, though she remained completely quiet and a bit nervous, weirding out the audience with her strangely naïve smile. She looked up at Frost, and in response, he petted her head briefly, making her cat ears twitch and giving the recruits something to smile about. However, he quickly dismissed Kiwy and gently shoved her away as he shifted his attention to Candy, who was standing a bit farther behind but gladly stepped forward when Frost called for her with a gesture.
–On the other hand, we have our official combat medic, Candy. You might recall her for being the one to aid all of your wounds after arriving here. There isn’t much to explain. If you managed to talk to her, then it isn’t needed to explain her nickname…– Frost added with an uncharacteristically charming, lighthearted, almost kind smile as he pulled Candy next to him. She looked more nervous to stand right next to him and get complimented than to be introduced to all the recruits at once. She couldn’t help but blush a little at the heartfelt and enthusiastic tone he used to describe her, although his words quickly began sounding fake coming from him. Regardless, she was flattered and just waved one hand at the students with a smile while covering part of her face with the other as they all stared at her.
A couple of students waved back, with Scott trying to get her attention when she glanced at him. He smiled in hopes of getting her to recognize him, but she didn’t even notice him standing in the middle of the group. He frowned with disappointment for a second, but he still kept looking at her with the same admiration he showed the day she saved him. Candy continued to act cute for the audience since they seemed to adore her, and while Frost let her enjoy the moment for a few more seconds, he abruptly stood in front of her to grab the students’ attention back again. Candy awkwardly stood behind him, and as he dismissed her before resuming his speech, she returned to the rest of the squad so they could all watch Frost’s antics from afar. But after taking the spotlight once again, the mood shifted as Frost's fake smile faded away and turned back into his usual cold expression.
–I like to assign nicknames based on each person’s qualities and skills, but I also feel like it is appropriate for them to start with the same letter as their original name. It’s just a preference, but I believe it’s easier to associate a person with their nickname that way. So, while you’ll never learn my real name, now you know it starts with the letter f, so you can guess mine or anyone else’s…– Frost continued monologuing, almost rambling mindlessly to himself, though showing less enthusiasm as he slowly turned his attention to the two students standing next to him. He glanced at his teammates to refer to them, and while they greeted the students from a distance, Frost used the opportunity to take advantage of the two recruits’ false sense of security. At this point, they looked much more relieved, as he had seemingly forgotten all about them. But to their misfortune, once the students got a good look at the rest of Crisis, he abruptly turned to the two and stared them directly in the eyes.
–So, if I may… What are your names?– Frost asked casually, in a sort of respectful and polite voice, which was nothing but deceiving, especially up close, as the two recruits turned nervous immediately after seeing that subtle spiteful look in Frost’s eyes. But as he pressured them with his stare to respond, they didn’t get a chance to think of how this situation could end for them and just gave their names.
–I’m… Jacob Morgan…– the chubby recruit stammered anxiously, sweating even more than when he ran the five laps around the field just from trying to look Frost in the eye. In response, he just stayed quiet and looked at the other guy, who didn’t notice the chief was staring directly at him as he focused his attention on the ground. Frost approached him slowly and menacingly to give him a closer look, and only then, after gulping nervously, did he try to stutter his name.
–T-Tucker Woods, s-sir…– the tall one mumbled, but he was met with silence and a death stare from Frost, who just turned around indifferently to the other students, taking a couple of steps forward as he thought. The others watched tensely as Frost nodded repeatedly, looking down at the floor as he kept reflecting silently, only to quickly turn back around to scare them, but mainly Tucker and Jacob.
–Alright, so you are not just physically slow. Literally the first rule I gave you, you call me Chief!– Frost sarcastically responded before shouting at Tucker in annoyance. The rest of the students watched in silence, although a few cracked a few laughs until they saw the chief approach Tucker once again, now getting really close, to the point that the recruit started cowering in fear, which only managed to further irritate Frost with his incompetence.
–From now on, Tucker… For achieving the last place in the simplest of exercises, your nickname will be Turtle. You will only be addressed as such during training and in my presence, and no, you cannot use your real name anymore unless you earn it…– Frost announced scornfully and out loud, making sure everyone could hear the nickname that he assigned Tucker, who just stood there in shame, staring back as tears started forming in his eyes. He began getting ridiculed by half of the other students, who couldn’t help but laugh and point fingers, not even being subtle about it. The worst part was that Frost didn’t mind; in fact, he seemed to encourage it, as he stayed silent and just gave Turtle a pat on the shoulder to let him watch as everyone mocked him. However, Frost moved on to Jacob right away, who found himself giggling with the other students, distracting himself for a second, only to then realize he was next now that Frost was right in front of him.
–And you, let me think… You know what, just… I don’t know… Jumbo, that sounds right. You will only be addressed as such during training and in my presence until you earn another nickname or get permission to use your real name, understand?– Frost said to Jacob, now named Jumbo, who actually seemed to find his nickname cool at first from the way he smiled. But as he saw that Frost didn’t pat him on the shoulder but on his stomach, making his belly jiggle to the amusement of his fellow recruits, the real meaning of his nickname began to sink in.
And while he tried processing his new name, quickly growing disheartened by it, Frost sent both him and Turtle back to the group. As they walked back, the other students began getting used to the nickname system, already calling them by their new derogatory names. Frost laughed mischievously at the sight of his students mocking them, then turned to his teammates to see their reactions, which were mixed once again. Panda and Nitro laughed like usual, and even Tricky smirked for a second, but Candy didn’t find the situation entertaining like the others. It only took one nagging stare from her for Frost to change the subject, though he did manage to catch her crack a smile right before he turned back to his students.
–That's enough. As you can see, nicknames can have a very powerful effect on the way you interact with others or how you are perceived. To make sure you receive a good nickname, you have to adhere to some standards... And to avoid getting a BAD nickname, you have to adhere to MY standards, so I don’t want to see any of you slacking off or skipping exercises…– Frost warned with a more serious tone, though it looked like his students weren’t paying much attention since they were still teasing Jumbo and Turtle, forcing them to stay at the very back of the group.
–I know you all find it funny, but I’m sure you wouldn’t like it if you were on the receiving end of them, so you better work hard to maintain these standards. If you somehow manage to raise them, we might get along… But if you aren’t capable of reaching them, I’ll make sure everyone knows how big of a failure you are, so keep that in mind moving forward…– Frost added nonchalantly, gradually becoming more hostile and bitter towards his students, who silently complied with everything he said without hesitation, even Scott, who actually seemed thrilled to get a good nickname, though his nervous smile showed truly how scared he was to get a bad one.
–Now that I made that clear, let’s begin training for real with an obstacle course!– Frost announced with more excitement, trying to encourage his students with an enthusiastic approach, but it looked like they were still stunned by what he said before. Seeing as no one was reacting, Frost stared at them with disdain, sighed, and then lowered his enthusiasm to become more commanding.
–The person with the best time will get a cool nickname…– Frost added in a halfhearted manner, and though he was almost mumbling, he instantly got a reaction from his students, who completely seemed to forget about their worries and have regained their energies and determination to do another exercise.
But among all the excited young recruits, including Turtle and Jumbo, Scott seemed to be the most committed, or at least the most eager to earn a cool nickname. He tried to remain calm and contain his keenness, though, as he would first have to see what the obstacle course in front of them was about. Luckily for the animated students, they wouldn’t have to wait for long, as with a quick pointing gesture back to Nitro and Panda, they revealed an elaborate circuit that would host their first real training lesson. It was time to test their skills and find out who had it in them to become a true soldier, though by the way Frost saw them, none of them had a future past today.