The Training Session (Rebirth)

Just a short fight story in Rebirth, created by me, Cypher. Takes place two weeks after York's death. Pretty much my first attempt at a fight scene.

Plot

---

The Observation Room overlooking the Training Room was oddly populated today, with a majority of the Freelancers milling about inside, looking down at the room below. A few exceptions were South Dakota, Arkansas, Maine and Connecticut. The four were in the training room, a three on one match against South.

---

“I didn’t know there was a training session today.” Nevada noted, watching as the three man team spread out around South, who stood calmly in the center of the room.

“Impromptu,” North explained, “The Director wanted to see South in action again, for whatever reason.”

The venom was evident in his voice as he stared down at the other man. Everyone glanced at each other and took a couple steps away from North. Even if he was arrogant, he was also deadly when angry. And no one made him more angry than South.

“Well, let’s just watch,” Wyoming offered, grinning beneath his helmet, “it should be entertaining.”

Beside him, Carolina nodded before inwardly wincing. Ark just got knocked backward on his back with a hard blow from the electrical sticks they used for practice.

---

Ark slowly stumbled to his feet and shook his head, grabbing it momentarily to get his bearings. He looked over to the sound of the fighting and saw Maine hit the ground hard. CT was engaged with South, trying to get a hit in. He failed and landed right next to his friend.

Gritting his teeth, Ark ran on toward South and slammed the stick against his opponents. South effortlessly parried each blow before kneeing Ark in the gut, causing the sniper to fall to his knees in pain. The silent man then wrapped the stick around Ark’s neck and lifted him onto his back, holding him as if he was a trophy.

Maine and CT hesitantly got back to their feet, watching intensely, trying to figure out how to free their teammate. In a flash, South let Ark go, spun and slammed the stick against the two, sending them back down. Ark tried to get to his knees, but another hit caused him to join his comrades on the ground.

CT jumped back up, trying to move in while South was distracted with the sharpshooter. Their sticks collided once, twice, a third time before the currently un-hit man jabbed one end of his weapon into CT’s face and then slammed the other end against his side, sending CT spinning before collapsing.

Maine tried to use a brute force approach, sending powerful energy into each blow, trying to overpower South. He manage to maintain his footing before sending the stick into Maine’s gun and up, sending him landing onto CT.

---

“Eesh,” Utah said with amusement, “the guys are getting their asses kicked.”

Utah found himself on the ground, holding his face as Nevada wiped her hands. Washington shook his head and looked back down.

“End of the melee round, looks like hand to hand now,” He noted. Carolina sighed and drew everyone’s attention to him.

“CT likes to cut things, the only way he can fight in close quarters. He doesn’t have his knives on him, so he’ll definitely lose. Maine is too brute force, while South is much more agile. He won’t know what hit him.”

Carolina paused and focused his sights on Ark, who hesitantly raised his fists while standing beside Maine and CT.

“Truth be told, Ark might be the only one who can hit CT this time around. They have similar builds, essentially fight the same. ‘Tick bites’ is what Ark uses. Who knows? Maybe he might win this one.”

Everyone slowly looked back down to the arena floor as the next round began.

---

“Alright guys, last round didn’t go so well,” CT began, “we need to coordinate our movements. Maine, you go right-”. He couldn’t finish, as Maine rushed on ahead. Ark and CT watched as their brute of a teammate skid right by them, struggling to get back up.

“Well, you could do that too…Ark, try and flank his left side.” CT ordered, slowly advancing. Ark nodded in agreement, slowly moving to the left.

Maine was the signal to begin the attack. He managed to get back up, despite how disorienting the last hit was, and rushed on again, engaging in a fierce fist fight with South. Ark and CT used this as a way to get close and join the fray.

South was for more agile than previously believed, easily dodging most of the hits flung at him or deflecting them back into their owners. It was seldom that Ark would hit him, make him stumble slightly, but he quickly recovered.

Annoyed, the lone man leapt up and did a spin kick, colliding with CT and Maine’s helmets. Ark manage to duck, and the two started another one-on-one fist fight.

Ark and South's fists collided together, forcing them back and trying to make openings. The two seemed to be doing a deadly dance, blocking, waiting, punching all with perfect timing.

Ark eventually went on the defensive, dodging most swings and kicks aimed for him. He lowered his arms to his sides and simply shifted his body out of the way. He could see CT and Maine getting back to their feet. It was all apart of the plan for them to gang up on South while he was distracted with a more agile opponent.

South grit his teeth, growing more agitated by the second, and charged straight into Ark. South kept running before he slammed Ark roughly against the wall. He brought a fist back and sent it forward, right at Ark's head. Except, with a simple twitch of his neck muscles, Ark's head wasn't there, and South drove his fist into the wall. Ark then kneed South in the gut, sending him stumbling back.

CT and Maine arrived, with the larger man jumping and slamming his foot into South's back. He hit the ground, rolling to the right as Maine tried to stomp on him.

The three quickly joined formation again as South got to his feet. They glanced at one another, waiting to see who'd go in first to start the attack. Again, it was Maine to rush in, quickly followed by Ark and CT.

---

"Holy shit that was cool." Utah said, admiring the trio who quickly swarmed South again. The other freelancers had gathered closer to the windows to see the fight that seemed to be growing less one sided. North nodded with approval. Caro grinned as Ark seemed to take the lead.

"Guess you were right in your assumption, Caro." Nev said, eyes glued to the fight.

"'Course I was, you doubted?"

"A little."

"No faith in a friend?"

Nev remained silent and Caro let the issue drop. As he turned back to the fight, he saw South hit the ground again and not get up. Maine, CT and Ark exchanged hive fives before heading over to the side of the room. The Weapon Training was about to begin.

"Oooh, this will definitely be interesting." North spoke up, leaning in a bit closer. Seeing as the teams were tied, this would be the deciding match.

"Agreed." Washington said calmly, crossing his arms as he paced.

"Let's see how this goes." Wyoming yawned.

---

"Alright guys, last round. Stick together, keep in formation, and we'll be able to take South down." CT announced as the team slapped in their weapon clips. Filled with the immobilization paint, it almost made the match seem one-sided.

Maine, Ark and CT moved to stand beside each other side by side, ready for the start of the match. Maine idly fiddled with the pistol.

"Wish they let me use my Brute Shot..." He muttered. Ark rolled his eyes and prepared to move in, waiting for the announcement for start."

"Round Begin."

"Ark, right. Maine, left!" CT ordered immediately, moving up the middle as his teammates flanked around. They moved quickly and quietly, keeping their eyes open for any type of movement.

Inwardly, Ark's heart clenched. This was the part he was worried about. The Director's words rang in his head over and over as he remembered being handed a loaded clip with live rounds, and a grenade, as the same were also given to Maine and CT.

"Win, no matter what, Agents."

Ark shook the doubt away and kept moving, linking up with CT and Maine in the center. They scanned the pillars for any movement, and the shot of pink appeared out of the corner of his eye. He quickly leapt to the side, the paint splattering against one of the pillars.

South came in, moving with confidence as he fired. Maine got pegged in his left leg, him landing roughly on the ground, unable to stand but still able to provide cover support. Ark and CT quickly joined arms and began to engage South again as Maine clawed away at the paint.

Things went down hill following this. South kept using Guerilla tactics, attacking here and there, making Ark and CT second guess their moves. Maine eventually managed to get the paint off and rejoined his teammates, scanning the pillars for any sort of movement.

Suddenly, South skid between Maine's legs and jumped, kicking Ark in the back and shooting CT in the back of the head. Maine quickly spun, attempting to club the other man with his pistol. South caught the hit and proceeded to engage Maine in a brief hand to hand battle.

Ark pushed himself to his feet and aimed at South, pulling the trigger three times. South managed to dodge the shots, Maine getting immediately frozen by the bolts.

Cursing, Ark rushed forward and did a jump kick. South blocked it and, sensing an upcoming punch from Maine in an attempt to assist Ark, ducked. Maine's fist connected with Ark's helmet, knocking him back to the ground. South casually walked up to Ark and shot him in the head.

The board lit up and another point was added to South's score.

---

"Huh..." Utah muttered as he watched the combatants moving to their respective sides. His eyes narrowed when he saw the trio pull out their own clips from their ammo pouches and insert them into their guns. The three seemed to nod at each other stiffly and turn back to the rest of the arena, ready for the start of the round.

"What the hell are they doing?" Utah muttered, loud enough for Nevada to hear. She narrowed her eyes in turn at him before he pointed down at Ark, CT and Maine. "They just pulled out clips from their pouches. That's against the rules!"

Nev looked down and saw Ark fiddling idly with his gun. She spent enough time around him to know that he only did that when his gun was loaded with live rounds, not the paint rounds given during training. Her eyes widened with shock.

"We need to stop this now!"

Round Begin

---

Things disintegrated rather quickly following the beginning of the round and the trio's use of live rounds. The entire arena was in ruins, pillars crumpled on the ground in practical dust, two large craters from where grenades had gone off, bullet holes littering the field.

Ark growled and grit his teeth as he hid behind one of the few standing pillars. Beside him, Maine also hid, peering out at the one on one fight between South and CT, the latter being dominated rather easily.

"Ark."

The sniper looked up at the heavy man.

"Grenade."

The pineapple shaped explosive flew across the gap and landed in Maine's open hand. They stared at each other and nodded as CT thudded against a pillar, frozen for good. The pair burst out of cover, weapons raised as South looked up at them like a deer in the headlights. They fired calmly, stepping forward in a normal pace. The target crouched and leapt off to the side.

Ark nodded at Maine, who proceeded to pursue. Ark himself climbed up onto one of the few standing pillars, peering over South's cover. The sounds of a beat down rang out, and the sniper cursed before climbing down. Spinning around the pillar Maine and South were at, Ark aimed but stopped.

Maine had his fist stuck against a pillar, tugging at it. And he was lacking his pistol. The sound of the gun cocking beside his head rang out.

"Drop the gun." South said smoothly. Ark shook his head and lowered his arms.

"Can't do that South...following orders."

The sniper immediately jerked his head to the side, ducked and sent his leg upward, kicking the gun in South's hand into the air. Tucking his own weapon away, Ark brought his fists to bear and swung upward, connecting with the other agent's jaw. Stumbling back, South growled and proceeded to engage Ark on even footing.

Maine grunted as he pressed his foot against the pillar, grabbing his wrist with his own hand and pulled hard. Instead of freeing his appendage, a chunk of rock broke off along with it, still covered in the pink paint. Growling and looking over at the fight between Ark and South, he broke into a sprint. Slamming his shoulder against the pillar which entrapped CT, it freed his friend and sent it flying at the fighting pair.

South heard it coming and leapt away, but Ark didn't have time. The pillar slammed hard against him, sending him onto his back in a daze.

South quickly spun on his heel, connecting his fist against Maine's jaw, who vainly tried to fight back. South, still having his paint gun from before, ducked under Maine's final swing and shot him twice in the throat, and once in the chest before his gun clicked empty and kicking him away.

Maine collided with the last standing pillar and fell to his knees. Brandishing Ark's grenade, he pulled the pin with his thumb and threw it weakly.

1....

Up in the observation booth, the watchers watched with shock.

2....

South stepped out of the way calmly, not bothering to see where the explosive landed.

3....

Maine collapsed and his armor hardened.

4....

Ark weakly pushed himself up on all fours, holding his head.

5....

The grenade landed softly in front of the sniper, drawing his attention.

It exploded.

---

The medical team was the first to arrive, rushing in and over to the freelancers who were scattered across the battlefield. Two medics ran over to CT and Maine to check on them, while the rest ran to Ark and pulled him onto one of their carts. The sniper lay limp as they pulled off the helmet, or what was left of it. The helmet itself was wrecked, chipping and falling apart. The visor was broken, with the glass having shot in instead of out.

Ark's face was bloody, covered in cuts. A large piece of shrapnel and numerous bits of glass stuck out of his face, cutting into his left eye and cheeks.

Nevada and Carolina were the next to appear on the floor, rushing over to the medics who milled about Ark. They were, however, pushed back by a single medic.

"Stay back. His conditions critical." The medic ordered, looking over his shoulder as the sniper was carted off. Carolina's eyes softened when he saw Ark's condition, then narrowed as he looked over at the other three freelancers who were apart of the training. Nevada looked out at her unconscious friend, heart clenched with worry, before she turned to Carolina and noticed him gone.

Carolina angrily stalked over to the trio, fists clenched with anger. CT sat on the ground, holding his head as it pulsed from the headache caused by being in the paint for a while. South idly conversed with the Director, who stood with his hands behind his back as he was debriefed fully on the situation. Maine managed to wrench the stuck pillar from his left hand and flexed it, turning to look at Carolina.

Maine spun from the force of the fist connecting with his helmet and fell to one knee, disoriented. South and the Director raised an eyebrow, but didn't interfere.

"What the hell were you thinking Maine?! Did you care so much to win that you disregarded Ark's safety?!" Carolina raged, glaring down at Maine.

Maine stood up and stared blankly back at him. The pair looked at each other before Carolina growled and stepped back over to Nev, who stared blankly at the door Ark was taken out of. Their eyes shifted to the board as new names were placed and moved about.

1. North Dakota

2. Maine

3. South Carolina

4. South Dakota

5. Connecticut

6. Arkansas

---

Arkansas groaned as he awoke from unconsciousness, sitting forward and holding his head. It hurt like no tomorrow, like a grenade had exploded in his face. He paused and the memories came back. He groaned again and opened his eyes. Except only one eye opened.

He slowly brought his left hand to his left eye socket and felt in. Nothing. It was completely empty, gone. His hand then scanned over his face. It was littered with cuts and bandages. Depression hit immediately afterward, and his head hung low. The doctors and nurses watched on sadly as the spunky freelancer drew his knees to his chest. They quickly shuffled out of the room, wanting to give him time alone.

---

Two days passed since the incident, with Ark still stuck in the medical ward. Nev and Caro waited patiently outside the door, waiting to hear on the condition of their friend from the doctor looking over him. The man paced back and forth, arms behind his back with a furrowed brow. Nev sat in one of the chairs, hands curled over and tucked beneath her chin. Her eyes were focused on the ground near her feet.

The door opened, drawing the freelancers attention. The doctor stood calmly in the doorway, hands folded over in front of his body.

"Your friend is fine, completely stablized. He made quite the quick recovery," the doctor informed, letting the two feel relief, "however....there was significant damage to his face and, more specifically, his left eye. While the other parts have been bandaged and are healing, we had to remove his eye..."

"What?" Carolina replied bluntly, staring at the doctor with surprise. He simply nodded his head.

"A piece of shrapnel imbedded itself in the eyelid, piercing into the eye itself. We were lucky it didn't go any deeper, or it would've went deeper and pierced his brain..."

The Doctor coughed and regained his composure as the other two individuals stared at him with disbelief.

"He's awake if you wish to visit him."

As soon as he said that, he was shoved roughly to the side as the two friends darted into the room.