CH24:TRAINING SEQUENCE

[Ark Ville Military Underground base.]

[Ace and his peers.]

After all the teens were assigned to their designated teachers/trainers, they headed to their sleeping quarters to freshen up while their meals were being prepared. The boys and girls were separated in different rooms with the teacher's quarters in the middle. That way, they wouldn't be able to sneak around to play around. (>_0)

Ace's room wasn't the biggest but its size made it warm and comfortable for his tastes. To his left and right were bunk beds for four people, two on each side. At the front side of the beds were small, box compartments where everyone could store their own personal things, that's if they could fit.

At the extreme end was a white office table that had only one seat and a lamp. The right side of the room had the toilet and the left had the shower. Right now, the only people in the room were Ace, Roy, and Steven.

Roy, who was a gifted Universal holder, was everything any girl would want in a teenage boy. He was tall, well built, beautifully chiseled with an angelic face accompanied with blue, crystal eyes, pink soft lips, and beautiful, light skin. He had spiky, chestnut brown hair that seemed to stand without any gel applied. His bracelet has eight on it, meaning he was currently the strongest in the room.

Steven, on the other hand, wasn't exactly as good looking as Roy was. He was shorter, thinner, had more messy hair and blemishes on his face. He wore round glasses to help with his vision and yet, his pupils were as white as moonlight. His hair was long and messy, which he didn't care about. He had a slight hunch back, long scrawny limbs and pale lips with an awkwardly shaped nose.

He may have not been the prettiest, or most average, but his bracelet, which had a six, said otherwise. The three boys got comfortable but neither one of them said anything to each other or dared to make eye contact. Ace was comfortable with this, mainly because he was an outcast for a very long time but the same could not be save for Steven.

His eyes darted across the room as he constantly fiddled with his bracelet and scratched his head repeatedly. This, of course, annoyed Roy slightly but instead of shouting at Steven, he gently walked over to him with a sly smile and said, "You seem to be tense, my friend. Tell me, what's bothering you on this evening?" His voice wasn't as deep as one would expect but it was certainly soothing with a calming effect that even made Ace feel slightly relaxed around him.

"Well I I I…"

"Easy. It's Steven, right?" He asked. "Take a deep breath and speak."

"Okay." Steven did as Roy advised. "It has been a really hard time for me, you know. My parents didn't get the serum and I don't know where they are or what happened to me. My older brother's in the adult base so I…I'm kind of on my own. It's making me nervous."

"I hear, friend." Roy said as he sat next to Steven. "My family disappeared too and sadly, I'm an only child so they were the only people I had close to me. What about you, orange head?" He referred to Ace.

Ace blinked twice monotonously and showed his back to both boys. Roy didn't like being ignored so he moved over to Ace bed and just as he was about to tap his shoulder, Ace caught his hand and said, "I did not disturb your peace. Please, do not disturb mine."

Roy, who was slightly taken back by this, insisted on making small talk with Ace. "Listen. I'd hate to intrude on your privacy but the Generals said we are in charge of you guys. I really want to know you. Not as someone I'm in charge of, but as my friend. Isn't that right, Steven?" He smiled gleefully at Steven who replied with a wide smile and a bland thumbs up.

Ace angrily got up from his bed and walked out of the room with his hands in his pockets. However, as soon as he stepped out from the doors, Sky was outside waiting for him and she jumped when her eyes met his.

"Augh damn it," Ace rolled his eyes. "What do you want now?"

"To warn you, Ace." She said as they both walked away. "I over heard Lilly over talking with Jason about some red creature that attacked him. Do you know anything about it?" She asked without looking away from Ace's eyes.

"Err…Why would you ask me that?" He replied. "You know my skill is controlling oil." He lied, clearly.

"I didn't ask what your skill was." She replied. "Are you…are you the red creature that attacked him?"

Not wanting anyone else to listen in on their conversation, Ace pulled Sky aside and held her shoulders tightly. "Look, I don't know anything about a red creature, alright? I haven't even seen Jason the whole day. Don't bug me, Sky. Stay away."

Ace pushed Sky away and headed on to wherever he was going. However, Sky followed him but made sure to keep her distance.

"What do you want from me?" Ace whined.

"WHAT!!" She playfully replied. "I'm just looking for something to do with you, friend." Ace wished for Sky to disappear but there was something striking about her that made him think of his sister.

[Ding]

[Quest Available]

'Really? At this time of the evening?]

[You're extremely weak.]

'Wow, thanks a lot system. That helps boost my already crippled self-esteem.'

[Increase your strength, skills and fighting styles for a handsome reward.]

"Increase my strength and fighting skills?"

"Increase your strength and fighting skills? What are you talking about, Ace?"

"Err, nothing. Please, mind your business."

[Training Tutorials and Sequences Available at your disposal.]

'Oh really?' Ace smiled for the second since he was in this base. The first time was after he tortured Jason. "Well, this is going to get interesting."

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[Grim's Space Pod.]

"It certainly is, Ace Underwood."