NOVEL NEXT Chapter 32: Last Class
Like every morning in the past three weeks, the trainees woke up early as the sun was just coming out, gathered at the courtyard to eat breakfast and chat, and before the soldiers could join them at the tables, they headed to the training grounds. Scott stayed back to clean his group’s table, as none of his friends bothered to. Before he finished cleaning, he spotted Cookie walking over to the courtyard with his friends. They waved at each other, but since the other students were already leaving the base, Scott didn’t even get a chance to say hi before he ran to the back gate. He quickly caught up with his friends, but as the gate was congested, he had to wait for a second before joining them outside.
However, his classmates seemed to have frozen, they were standing still, blocking Scott’s way, prompting him to peek over the people in front of him to assess the situation. It looked like the students were deliberately not moving forward, and while Scott couldn’t see it, it was because they had walked into a large crowd waiting for them. It wasn’t just Panda, Tricky, Frost, and a few soldiers like usual; it was nearly half the soldiers that were supposed to be having breakfast currently, as well as the rest of Crisis, except Indie. As soon as the trainees walked out of the gate, they stopped in their tracks, hesitating to approach all the people on the training grounds. But in their moment of confusion, Scott pushed his way to the front to join his friends, only to be stunned just as they were.
–What is going on?– Scott asked with a bit of fright and worry, being ignored for a moment as his classmates tried to figure out the same thing. Having so many soldiers in front of them, literally surrounding the entire gate, was a daunting sight that intimidated the students, who were already trying to turn back, though they were now trapped as more soldiers were coming from behind to head outside.
–I think Frost finally chose to kill us. This is it boys…– Alex said jokingly to Charlie, now nicknamed Chappy, for something he did in one of the games last week. Alex had also been nicknamed Ace for having the fastest times in exercises and scoring the highest in tests. They were both amused to see so many people gathered in front, though they tried to laugh it off to avoid getting nervous like the rest.
–Quick, hide behind Jumbo, I bet he can take the bullets while we run!– Chappy responded with a hearty laugh, and while he got a chuckle out of Ace and even Jumbo himself, he quickly noticed that even they were growing genuinely concerned for their safety, which only made him worry as well.
The crowd in front just kept watching them from a distance in complete silence, prompting the students to do the same. They stayed in place and just looked around anxiously to try to make sense of the situation, but it wasn't until Frost stepped forward with the rest of Crisis and gestured for them to come over that some of their doubts were cleared. Still, no one wanted to go near that many people since they were being watched, but as no one did anything, Scott took the lead and started walking again.
Zoey hadn’t seen him yet as she was squeezed between two students taller than her, but as soon as she identified Scott, she followed him, leading the rest of their classmates to do the same. But as they approached Frost, they were apprehensive to get too close, only walking to where the rock path from the gate intersected with the one leading to the plaza, where they tried to ignore everyone around them to only focus on Frost. Luckily, as soon as he stepped forward, the other soldiers backed away to give him the forefront so he could garner all the attention. And while he looked awfully suspicious in the way he was looking at his students today, seeing him brought them some comfort, allowing them to pay attention without much concern as he began speaking.
–Good morning students, I hope you all got some rest and ate well because you are going to need it…– Frost began speaking, being more enthusiastic and cordial than usual, which increased the trainees’ anxiety as they always struggled to figure out his true intentions. While they had learned not to interrupt him, some students at the back were already raising their hands to ask questions. But before they got a chance to voice their doubts, Frost began explaining everything casually.
–You might be wondering why we are all gathered here. We are not going to kill you, although I thought about it… Instead, we are going to celebrate your last training lesson with a special game!– Frost added in a lighthearted manner, paired with a lively face that showed some genuine thrill, letting his students know that he was serious. They got excited as the crowd behind Crisis began to clap for them, though they didn’t get to cheer for long as Frost stepped back to stand next to his teammates and ordered the soldiers around to clear the way for his students.
–Alright, don’t celebrate yet. First, you already know what you have to do. Give me five laps of the course!– Frost ordered with a firm but encouraging voice, and surprisingly, he didn’t have to repeat himself. As soon as the soldiers stepped aside to open the path to the obstacle course, every student rushed to the circuit to traverse it as fast as possible.
The soldiers watched from the sides, continuing to cheer for the students as they breezed through the five laps. By this point, each of them had gotten used to the circuit, as they practiced it almost every day, making it part of their daily morning routine. They didn’t even take turns to see who would go first; they just formed a line and went one after the other, creating a continuous line of trainees running through the obstacle course, completing each section flawlessly.
The audience around was impressed and kept showering the students with praise, even the ones that weren’t exactly fit, as they were all capable of completing a full lap effortlessly. Of course, some, like Ace, Scott, and Zoey, could complete an entire lap with their eyes closed, so they made sure to show off to the grand audience, turning their last run of the circuit into a victory lap. But as it did take a while for each student to complete five laps, while they kept themselves busy, and the soldiers watched in awe and amusement Frost stepped aside with his teammates to talk.
–You really turned these kids into speed demons, aye Chief?– Panda asked jestingly with a tap on Frost’s shoulder to tease him. But even though he just laughed it off, Frost seemed slightly proud of the fruits of his harsh teaching, especially when he watched all of the other soldiers genuinely captivated by his students’ performance. Their successors seemed to be even faster than the current highly trained saviors could ever be, turning them a bit envious, though they couldn’t help but smile, laugh, and applaud in delight.
–Yea, I’m glad we didn’t have him as our teacher. Could you imagine that?– Nitro quipped sarcastically, getting a couple of laughs from the squad, except Frost, who instantly turned to him with a deadpan stare.
–Well, maybe if I did you would actually be useful…– Frost replied in a passive-aggressive manner, with his straight face immediately killing any trace of humor in Nitro’s face. However, Frost shortly after cracked up with his teammates, getting Nitro to laugh again, although he now seemed much more uncomfortable doing so. He stayed quiet and continued to watch as the students were halfway through the circuit already, but then noticed that the rest of the team had stepped back even further, almost hiding from the crowd and students. Once Nitro turned around, he curiously approached them as they were already whispering to each other, remembering the reason why they were so secretive when he joined the group.
–Alright, this will be our only opportunity. You already know what to do… Nitro, Candy, keep Indie distracted during the game. Kiwy, Panda, get in position and let me know once they arrive. And Tricky, you are going to be in charge of the game after I leave, okay?– Frost ordered prudently to each of his teammates, with all of them nodding without hesitation, though Candy and Nitro seemed to be doubting a little.
But as they didn’t receive any other orders, they now had to take care of their individual tasks. They waited until the last soldiers from the courtyard joined the rest at the training grounds before dispersing. The squad covered for Panda and Kiwy as they sneaked out of the field, heading to the woods through the back of the shack without anyone noticing, where they disappeared through the shadows of the trees as the sun kept rising. With them gone, Candy and Nitro walked over to the gate, where they stayed put to wait for Indie to arrive, leaving Tricky and Frost alone to deal with the class.
Most of the students were already finishing their five laps when Frost returned to the start of the circuit and waited for everyone to be done. Ace had just finished his last lap, beating Scott and Zoey by only a few seconds, which he made sure to tease them about. Chappy was about to finish, but he looked exhausted already, letting others advance before he took the last jump at the rope climb. His friends encouraged him from below to finish the circuit already, but he took advantage of his higher ground to look down on them tauntingly.
However, with everyone else finishing and Frost having returned to the starting point, Chappy hurried up to not be last, joining his friends as everyone gathered around Frost. They all took a moment to catch their breath while the soldiers grouped up behind them, almost blocking the way Ffor the last student to finish the circuit. Luckily, Frost didn’t seem to be paying attention to their runs, and instead of giving some sort of speech or explanation for their last lesson, he just began walking in circles to kill time.
He pretended to think so his students wouldn’t interrupt, though they quickly realized he had his mind on something else, especially because he kept glancing at the forest to see if Panda and Kiwy were visible. Since there were no clouds in the sky and the sun just kept rising, Frost was able to spot Panda and Kiwy from far away, watching them stop at a bush where Panda retrieved his machine gun. It was only when he confirmed Panda had gotten his weapon that Frost stopped staring so much, but the students began getting suspicious. As soon as he noticed he was receiving weird stares, he walked back towards Tricky, who stayed near the office to guard it, where they exchanged a few brief words before Frost finally decided to do something.
Without saying a word, he just looked at his students to check if they were all there, even though it seemed like he still couldn’t tell them apart. After looking back at the gate and seeing that Candy and Nitro were still waiting for Indie, he began walking towards the entrance of the forest at the plaza. With the students not knowing what else to do, they followed the soldiers and Frost through the rock path, growing more concerned as they were about to step into uncharted territory for them. Tricky stayed at the training grounds, right outside the office, waiting for everyone to leave to enter it and retrieve some things, and she was in the clear as no one checked back. All the trainees were too focused on the forest; they kept whispering to each other, some eager to see the forest for the first time, others nervous as the situation seemed sketchier, and a few quite frightened by the darkness of the woods.
The forest was filled with oak trees and lots of vegetation, with the entire ground covered in flowers and shrubs, which contrasted with the current lack of light found inside. While it looked ominous, the students were pleased to visit such a calm place and pretty much relaxed as soon as they stepped foot on the only unaltered area of the base. They followed one simple path of dirt that led them deeper into the woods, and even though the sky was blocked by the oak leaves, the trees were tall enough to give them a clear view from ground level.
Still, they seemed lost, as all they could see were trees, bushes, and rocks, but the scenery opened up once they reached an intersection. They stumbled upon a wide path that seemed to cut through the entire length of the forest in front of them and, just a few meters ahead, a small stream of water and small rocks. They were now exposed to the sky once again, but as they stepped closer to the stream, their attention shifted towards the long bleachers set up on the other side of the stream, right on the edge of the water.
The soldiers crossed the stream and immediately occupied the bleachers as they took their seats, and while the students were disappointed to see that they wouldn’t be sitting down and enjoying the view of the stream, they became curious to see Frost walk over to one of the larger rocks in the middle of the stream, where he stood still as he turned to his students. They remained on the side opposite the soldiers, some a little hesitant to step foot into the water, even though the soldiers had to get wet to get to the other side.
They stayed in place and kept looking around while trying to figure out what kind of game would take place in this area, as Frost didn’t reveal anything with his blank expression. They remained silent until Tricky joined them again, now with a seemingly full backpack. She casually walked past them, though she tried not to get her feet too wet, choosing to step over the rocks as she joined Frost in the middle of the stream. Scott, Ace, and Chappy looked back to see if the other Crisis members were joining, only now noticing Panda and the rest were missing. But as Tricky whispered something into Frost’s ear, getting a subtle smile out of him, the peace and quiet of the forest was broken as he resumed speaking.
–Welcome to your last game. I hope you like the woods because you are going to spend a long time here… especially if you get lost– Frost announced in the same enthusiastic and high-spirited manner as before, only a little sly in his tone after seeing his students’ anxious reactions.
The trainees looked around the playing field once again, which was significantly bigger than that first attack and defense game, with some being able to spot a couple of figures in the distance, which they didn’t pay much attention to. While the huge area overwhelmed them, the trainees couldn’t help but get excited, especially Scott, who turned back to see Shade and his friends already staring at him, with both rivals sharing the same bloodthirsty expression since they might get one last chance to fight each other, though they had to wait for Frost to explain the rules first.
–This game is all about coordination, patience, strategy, and a bit of speed. It is perfect to test all those abilities you’ve been improving over the past few weeks one last time, and your performance here will help determine your final score, so you will need to give it your all. Don’t get cocky if you think you are better than the rest, even if you are. It will be useless to work alone, so I recommend you stick together and play off each other’s strengths, that’s the only way you can win properly…– Frost announced wisely, and while his engaging words retained everyone’s attention, his students still seemed confused as to what they were going to do, becoming quite unsettled by how much advice he was giving them. But as he kept talking, Frost quickly noticed how stressed his students had become, and although he seemed to enjoy the fear that he induced in them, he assessed the general reaction and tried to ease their worries as he tried to remain optimistic.
–Well, I’m probably making it sound very difficult and more demanding than it is… It’s actually quite simple, so don’t worry, you’ll have fun…– Frost added in a carefree manner, though his students didn’t seem to fully trust his suspiciously easygoing tone. Regardless of how trustworthy he was, the trainees began to share their excitement quietly as Frost checked the backpack that Tricky gave him, looking inside for a second before pulling out the student list, as well as a whistle with a strap that he put on around his neck. And right when the murmuring of the students quieted down, he gestured for them to come closer as he began showing the playing field around them.
–You are going to be playing a game of capture the flag. On both sides of this forest, there is a flag placed in an open area where you are going to build your base with some of the materials that you can find there. After each team sets up their base, you will have to steal the enemy’s flag. You can either fight or sneak your way into the opposite base, but either way, you will bring it back to your base to score points by planting the enemy’s flag behind yours. You get one point for each flag you capture. Keep in mind that you can capture the flag at any time, but after scoring a point, you must wait at least one minute to steal another, giving the other team some time to regroup and such. The first team to score three points wins the final game and probably gets some nice rewards…– Frost explained smoothly, but he emphasized a few keywords to convey his idea clearly and motivate his students to play the game despite how different it was from anything they had done previously. But despite his long explanation, the trainees seemed to understand fairly quickly, mostly because they stepped into the stream to look around as Frost indicated the locations of the flags on both ends of the forest.
The flags weren’t visible because the stream curled around some trees, but they could tell the open areas with the flags were found right behind that wall of trees that blocked their view. It looked like a long distance to traverse from flag to flag, even if they went through the straight path of the stream. Despite this, it looked like the students had more energy than ever and wouldn’t have a problem running around the forest; they seemed eager to do so. But since Frost noticed how they were getting comfortable and confident enough to start the game, he made sure to give them some time to think and create a false sense of security before completely shattering.
–But of course, that would be too easy. That’s where the combat part comes into play. While defending or attacking each base, you will have a limited amount of lives, three to be exact, so every time you get hit, you must go back to your base to respawn and try again. You can win by just defeating everyone on the enemy team as well, but that wouldn’t be fun… I mean, it would still be entertaining, and I’m sure everyone here wants to see some blood, but I recommend you focus on capturing the flags or preventing the other team from capturing yours…– Frost followed up with a sudden shift in his demeanor, returning to his intimidating and belittling manners as he began creating doubt in his students, purposefully drawing their attention to the soldiers at the bleachers, who started cheering at the mention of blood. They were all particularly excited about this one game, which began to seem more suspicious after seeing that some soldiers were carrying guns. But as they were completely surrounded, the students couldn’t do much more than just listen to orders and wait to see if they would survive their last game.