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▪ ALEXIA ▪

Guns & Sniper

"Improve your posture. You're not a grandma, Valdez." Preceptor Kade Eliott spoke directly at me with a strict tone.

Agad kong tinuwid ang mga tuhod ko at nanginginig na ipinasok ulit ang daliri ko sa trigger ng pistol. Napapalibutan ng pawis ko ang safety glasses kaya hindi ko makita nang maayos ang firing range na tatamaan ko.

"Stop shaking your hands and focus on aiming the target," He proceeds to say with a hint of impatience, enough to add up to my nervousness even more. "Hold the gun tightly or it will bounce back and kill you."

The amount of pressure is building up on my system and I don't know how to deal with it, lalo na't na sa gilid ko mismo si Preceptor Eliott.

Biglang kinuha ni Preceptor Eliott ang pistol sa kamay ko. "This is only a pistol, Valdez. Not a shotgun, or a rifle, or machine gun," He pointed the pistol many times. Looking at his expression, he's clearly done with me.

"This is only a small gun that will not give much impact unless you hold it like a feather. Now, shoot!" He strictly said. Binigay niya na ulit saakin ang pistol nang padabog.

I gazed back to the firing range with a bit of strength and motivation. At least that made me feel better, hindi nga naman ito isang malaking baril para katakutan ko ng sobra.

I returned my look to Preceptor Eliott. He was the very first Preceptor to teach us in the harshest way and didn't show any emotions besides a strong sense of authority while teaching us. He looked like the type of soldier to survive a war.

Tumingin ulit ako sa firing range at saka mas lalong hinigpitan ang hawak sa pistol. I've been standing in the same position for the last twenty minutes. The courage of firing a gun is like asking me to skydive without a parachute.

Ngayon ko lang naalala ang mga recruits na nakapila at nakatingin saakin ngayon in this gray-wall space, probably thinking I'm way too weak dahil sobrang tagal ko nang nakatayo dito. Bitch, we all have our fears! It's different for everybody.

Here's what we have to do under Preceptor Eliott's command. There are three firing ranges and as I fire a shot to the first one, I have to continuously rush through my right side on the following targets, two of the firing ranges being much further away. Hopefully, I could fire in the head as what Preceptor told us to.

I took a deep breath as I prepared myself...

Here go my first shots.

'BANG!'

I quickly rushed through the other firing range and I eventually lost focus on aiming at the target. The impact of the pistol when I fired distracted me all the way.

'BANG!'

Do you know the feeling of cliff jumping for the first time? When you can't think of anything besides not drowning but you forgot to close your eyes or nose to prevent the seawater? That's exactly what I'm feeling right now, I didn't see clearly but I was sure that didn't fire on the red target at all.

'BANG!'

That was my last shot.

I quickly removed the safety glasses and I breathed several times. I feel like the glasses suffocated my entire body.

"First shot is in 7 left collarbone area, second is tricep area medial bead, then third firing range which didn't have any holes in them." Preceptor Eliott announced. The little sigh in the middle of his sentence said it all that he was very much disappointed.

Boo-hoo. I don't care fella, at least I get to fire a fucking pistol successfully without bouncing it back as you said.

"You will extend in my subject tomorrow, Valdez. This is unacceptable." Preceptor shortly said to me. "Next, Recruit Patteros."

Kusang kinuha ng isang servant sa tabi ko ang pistol na ginamit ko. I didn't mind him until he spoke.

"Having asthma? Over a pistol?" He said in incredible disbelief.

Unti unti kong tinigil ang mabilis kong paghinga at saka ko siya nilingunan.

Over 6 feet tall, wears the same uniform but with a black leather jacket and leather beanie hat, then a black bandana mask wrapped around his chin until the bridge of his nose.

"Shut up, servant. You've no idea what you're saying." I gritted my teeth in annoyance.

Tatalikod na sana ako sa kaniya nang marahan niyang tinanggal ang kaniyang bandana mask. He was the first servant to remove that, or is he really a servant to begin with?

Nilagay niya ang mask sa bulsa sa loob ng leather jacket kaya nung inuwang niya ang jacket, nakita ko ang chest pocket nito.

I saw his name and a total of, wait, seven pins?! At ngayon ko lang nakita na may sleeves ang uniform nito. I gazed back at him as I realized it.

He seems to be confused about why I became tense. "Guess you really had asthma 'cuz you willingly gave me your pistol." He suddenly handed me the pistol I used earlier.

Dahan dahan kong kinuha ang pistol mula sa kaniya at saka ko ulit siya tiningnan.

"The more pins you have means your level is pretty high. On the other hand, if you see a member with a high amount of pins and wears a white shirt uniform instead of a sleeveless shirt, they are Superior II, then those members with black shirt uniforms are Superior I." Preceptor Curtis stated.

"I-I'm sorry, Superior II Jodan Mariano." I hesitated.

Mariano lowkey scoffed.

"Just Jodan. No need to say my level, you only say it with the Preceptors and Heads." Jodan said.

The fact that he looks completely intimidating with his cold black eyes and pointy brows, yet he treats me normal unlike everybody else who got their egos up their asses.

As if I'm not either, well that girl was long gone I guess.

"I'm really the one who showed you disrespect, Recruit Valdez. I get that was your first time firing a gun, I shouldn't have made fun of you." Jodan continued.

I slowly nodded my head. "I was nervous earlier and pressured, well, ever since I involuntarily got here over a week ago." I explained.

"If you really want to get out of here, you should aspire to be better until you can reach higher levels, then you'll gain your freedom outside once again. That's the only chance of getting out but not entirely," Jodan looked at me.

"Take that from your Superior. Now watch your friend's turn of firing a shot, I see a Sniper when I see one."

Agad akong naguluhan sa sinabi niya.

Tumingin ako sa harap at nakita kong si Molly na ang magbabaril sa mga firing ranges.

Lumingon ulit ako sa kanan ko at nakita ko si Jodan, naglalakad na paalis. He's holding a very big gun which I only realized just now. From Preceptor Eliott's discussion of guns earlier, the gun he's holding must be a Sniper Rifle.

Jodan Mariano is a Sniper.

'BANG! BANG! BANG!'

I flinched a little bit when Molly fired. Sunod sunod din iyon. I'm yet to idolize Molly again once I see if she fired all of it perfectly.

Preceptor Eliott's eyes widened when he leaned to see the firing ranges. Nakita ko din mula dito ang result ng mga shots niya.

All of it fired in the red target. We all gasped in amusement.

"Well done, Recruit Oquindo."

■ ■ ■ ■

Escrima

Kumuha ako ng dalawang arnis sa isang malaking timba na punong puno nito. Ganoon din ang ginawa ng mga recruits sa tabi ko.

"Are you dethroning sloth as the slowest animal in the world, huh? Faster everyone!"

Amzi Macer's shout covered the entire place while looking directly at us.

Naglakad ako agad pabalik sa linya kasama ni Molly sa tabi ko na may hawak na ring sarili niyang arnis. Nang makabalik sa puwesto namin sa likod, pinagmasdan ko ulit ang dalawa sa harap.

It is Amzi Macer and our preceptor for Escrima, Jericho Voss. Preceptor Voss will teach us how to use arnis as self-defense, hence, why we have these arnis. The two latter have their respective arnis positioned in a cross-style at their backs. And, well, they both looked totally fierce.

Jericho Voss would look like Putin's strongest hitman. Tattoos all over his arms and a black bandana wrapped around his head, bulky and tan body. Amzi is no different as she's also full of tan-skin muscles, many pins symbolizing she's a high Elite member between Elite I or Elite II, and a two-block haircut. Something tells me that she's a tomboy or even a lesbian, from the way she sounds and acts and her bunch of piercings.

Looks like we've another strict preceptor right beside Eliott, and another painful time for me 'cause I know nothing about this as well.

"You're not allowed to leave here not until you have already learned the basic steps of Escrima. This subject has connections to my other subjects as well which are Sword and Shuriken." Preceptor Jericho Voss spoke in a barako tone. We attentively listened to him in return.

"Be thankful Lowell is kind enough on your first day for an important subject, but talk about good luck, we're not gonna be soft to you. Not on a damn knife, recruits!" We immediately shifted our attention toward Amzi. "On the following days, you'll be trained by a real sword that could harm and slice you, so do your best today in this subject, understood?"

"Roger." For some reason, we shouted the phrase in synch as a whole.

Before this subject started, Amzi Macer ordered us to say that 'key word' every time she explains. She's the first to order us something inexplicably unexplainable.

Amzi looked satisfied. She clapped afterward. "Okay, okay, let's go! Warm up, everybody! After me!"

Amzi fixed her position as we all did the same. As we are about to press our heads on our left shoulders using our palm, Jericho Voss, whom I noticed became stunned in his position while holding his right ear, he spoke in shock...

"Macer, go to the Underground Lot now."

Jericho ordered without looking at her. He's still focused on listening to his in-ear.

Lumingon si Amzi sa kaniya. "Urgent, Preceptor? What batch and rate is the mission?" Amzi stopped in her tracks.

Jericho slowly shook his head. "They're not supposed to go yet until I join them," He answered. "They aborted. It means one thing."

Amzi's eyes widened. "Mission X-12? But it was Adorez and other Elite members in that mission, correct?" Amzi unbelievably asked.

Is it the missions they're talking about? They said that's what this group does. I might be right 'cause they mentioned a mission or whatever that is.

Napansin kong umiba din ang tono ng dalawa. Seriously, what's going on? All of the recruits are confused as well.

"X means the hardest rated mission here... and my b-brother is part of that mission..."

Someone stutteringly spoke beside me. Out of curiosity, I glanced at him.

I widened my eyes.

It was Akio Oliveros... it made sense now why he was very calm and seems to have a lot of knowledge of this place.

"Get there fast now."

Things moved at the speed of light and the next thing we know, Amzi Macer had her back facing us and Jericho's sudden change of emotion.

Before Amzi ran away, she turned around once again. "How many, Preceptor?"

Jericho sighed, as he slowly uttered some words I didn't get to hear.

"Four members only returned."

To be continued...

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