Chapter One: A Delicate Task

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Pain. It flashed like lightning and shot up Aero's arm. She had punched the metal wall, due to the fact that Eren had ducked down. It was his only option because Aero had driven him back into a corner. In an instant, Eren swept at Aero's feet, she swayed in the air a bit before hitting the surface of the mat, He heard Aero cuss as he got up and regained his balance. The tables have turned. Eren raised his clean and recently polished combat boot to stomp on Aero and crush her ribs. As he brought his foot down with all his might, Aero had rolled out of the way and regained her balance in a snap. She waited for a second to plan her next move, but she had no time. Eren was closing in on her, she had to react quickly. And she did. Eren moved in, arms up, head tilted, knees bent, ready to block any punch or kick Aero would throw at him. He didn't expect Aero to run at him, hoist her slim hourglass figure over Eren, and grab his head. Aero exerted her weight down and they both came crashing down on the pad beneath them. Eren had taken the most damage. He was dazed. Aero shot up and was bouncing on the balls of her feet, still ready to fight. She knew it was over once she heard loud clapping.

The white-haired girl glanced over to where the sound came from. It was a tall man with a muscular figure in a white training suit. The graying on the sides of his dark brown hair indicated his age. This great man was Major Novak. Novak owned the place she was fighting in. He was the head director of Brax-Delta. An academy that performed in The Gauntlet. 50 years ago, a girl by the name of Codi James had made the true underdog story: She had come from bad beginnings and made it to 2nd place under the equipment of a poorly funded training facility. That story drove Major Novak to remake Brax-Delta but, keep the vision the same, take nothing for granted. They had more than good funding now, due to Kantha having a huge flow of income from The Capitol Republic of The Galaxy.

"Wonderful, Ms.Void!" His voice boomed. "May I borrow you for a second?" Aero went to Eren and extended a hand. Although his head was pounding, he reached up and grabbed her hand. She hoisted him up and waited for a second to let him stand on his own. Then went to Novak.

"You remind me so much of her," Novak said.

"Who? Codi James?" Aero questioned. "I'm nothing like her." Aero had a less explosive temper than Codi did and she was way more mischievous, as she believed.

"Why do you think that?" Novak cocked an eyebrow. Curiosity played on his usually smiley features.

"Because we're not the same people!" Aero snapped at him. She realized she yelled at the head instructor. People have been hounding on Aero over the months, comparing her to Codi. Every time she did something worthwhile, it was shadowed by the reputation of a Gauntlet player from 30 years ago. It was like she had to live up to her.

Major had read her mind because he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Alright, alright, there's no need to be defensive, I'm sorry." He said calmly. His mood shifted to a sudden nervousness. "But the thing I need to talk to you about... I need you to meet someone."

"And who would that be?" Curiosity had grown on her. Aero wasn't a people person, she liked to cause mischief and get them furious. She had a rough run-in with the reporters, they were on the bandwagon of comparing her to James. She tried to be nice, like when she picked up Eren, but that alone took a lot of effort.

"My son." Aero's eyes squinted. She had a feeling in her stomach. It knotted itself.

"Why do I have to meet your son?" She questioned. "...No offense but...I'm just not the greatest-"

"It's an Important matter." He quickly cut her off. They walked through the corridors of the new facility in silence. There it had the urban look of wood with glass panes, they walked into a lounge area. With light brown sofas and chairs, gorgeous wood coffee tables, with a holovisions on the wall.

"You're the worst at scheming, again, no offense. If there's a bigger picture just tell me, or I'll find out anyway." Aero saw through the man. They Cut to a small corridor with an empty closet. Major stopped and took a breath.

"Yes, there is something going on, Okay, but right now, I need you to be nice. Can you handle that?" He looked Aero in the eye.

"In the past six months you've known me, you know I can't promise that." She smirked. The closet door slid open and the two entered.

Trevor Novak glanced up from toying with a piece of machinery he always had carried along with him. His father's heavy figure loomed over him. The closet door slid open.

"Get up." Major Novak demanded in a stern voice. Trevor did what he was told. "I have one of my best student here to meet you." His father sidestepped to reveal a gorgeous white haired girl with a toned hourglass figure she was encased in a tight white combat suit that hugged her curves perfectly. Her dark eyes shined in the light, her lips a soft pink. She put her hand forward.

"Hello, my name is-"

"Aero Void!" Trevor cut her off. "My dad talks about you all the time!" Trevor shook her hand crazily. "What he never mentioned was that you were a model!"

Aero forced a normal smile. "Well, it's nice to meet the son of my instructor." She pulled her hand away. She didn't say 'thank you' about her looking like a model. She didn't take compliments very well.

"I'm Trevor Novak, I doubt my father even peeps my name here, but I'm quite important, I'm prestigious to the highest account when it comes to strategy and IQ" He had a smug snobby look on his face. Trevor was smiling, but Aero saw a deep pain and the cry to be accepted by his dad in his brown eyes. Aero turned to Major.

"Why are you making us meet?" She questioned, squinting her eyes in suspicion. Major was very quiet about his personal life, especially his family. So why would he bring his son to meet the worst person in the academy?

"Because Trevor is weak." Major sighed. "He's book smart -- a nerd -- if you like, but he wants to be strong like you, he wants to join the Brax Delta."

"Okay," Aero nodded to herself, Major knew she had already figured out his plan. "You want me to train him?" Major turned to Aero and frowned, it didn't fit his features. Creasing his face irregularly.

"Yes, a...delicate... task." His voice was low and dark, almost grave. The mood in the room has shifted, and Aero was having the feeling again. The color drained from Trevor's round face. "I want you to inspire him, show him the ways of the brawn and the brave."

"What?" Aero was confused. "What sense does that make?" Major took Aero aside and whispered.

"I told you, he's weak. He needs disciplined fighting." Major's face was serious. He this was a genuine request. "I just want you to teach him how a gauntlet fighter, goes through life."

"But I've never been to The Gauntlet." She tried to argue.

"Just go with it," Novak begged.

"Fine." She spat out the word like it was gum that had lost its flavor. "Your playing with fire here, Novak, and you're going to get burned if you're not careful."

Aero left the room, her mind racing about what she agreed to do, but she was going through with it and turning back was still an option, but where's the fun in that?

●●●

Trevor was sweating inside his combat helm. Every breath was a struggle inside the thing, but his father insisted he wore it, especially against Aero. He was in basic position: knees bent, arms tucked in, fists ready, face tilted. Major nodded with approval. On the other side of the mat, Aero stood. She wasn't in position.

"Fight!" Major yelled. Instantly Trevor lurched forward at Aero. His fist impacted with Aero's hand. She was using an ancient technique from earth, a Japanese style. She stood straight and relaxed, legs crossed, one hand clasped behind the arch of her back, the other put out as if she wanted something. Aero was calm, this was the first of her many fighting styles. She didn't consider herself the best of the academy but she wasn't a weakling either, she had learned all unordinary styles to have an edge over her opponents. But this was not for Trevor, she was going to make him not want to fight anymore. To break his will and make him quit.

Lotus. That's the word that came to Trevor's mind when he saw this graceful stance. He jumped at her with all power in his right fist but he had punched with his left. Aero blocked the incoming danger, then simply pushed his right hand away from her, exerting all the power he had in that punch.

Trevor was wide open, and Aero didn't hesitate to take the chance. She had her four fingers aline and she chopped at Trevor's neck, which had done more damage than a couple of hooks to his ribs would do. Trevor grasped his throat and started gasping. He dropped to his knees. He couldn't breathe, the helm made it worse, he was suffocating. He pressed the sensor on the side and the helm snapped off and slapped itself on the mat below.

He was able to gain breath again and he wiped the film of sweat from his brow. Aero had backed up.

"Sorry." she lied.

"It's... fine." Trevor was able to grasp the words in between breaths. Then he had heard words that he found unbelievable, coming from his own lips. "Let's...keep going."

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