Chapter 13: Hell Training
978 Words
"Your school is closed due to the 'gas leak,' correct?" Scarlett asked, not looking up from the tablet she was reviewing.
Caleb stood at attention in the debriefing room, still wearing his sensor-covered training suit. "Suspended indefinitely, ma'am. They said at least two weeks while they 'investigate structural damage.'"
"Convenient," Scarlett muttered, making notes. "That gives us a window. Jinx, take him through full onboarding. Requisitions, armory access, combat certification."
Jinx, who had been leaning against the wall picking her teeth with a toothpick, perked up. "Ooh, does that mean I get to assign his training regimen?"
"Within reason," Scarlett said, finally looking up. Her eyes were sharp, warning. "We need him functional, not hospitalized."
"Define 'functional,'" Jinx grinned.
Aoki, standing in the corner, cleared his throat. "Scarlett, with all due respect, Jinx's last trainee spent three weeks in the medical bay. And the one before that requested a transfer to desk duty."
"They were soft," Jinx protested, throwing her hands up. "I did them a favor. If they couldn't handle my training, they'd have died in the field."
"She has a point," Scarlett conceded. She looked at Caleb. "You're young, you're inexperienced, and you have a target painted on your back the size of Bastion City. If you want to survive, you need to get stronger. Fast. Jinx is the best combat instructor we have."
Caleb swallowed. "I understand."
"Do you?" Jinx pushed off the wall and walked over, circling him like a shark. "Because here's what's going to happen, rookie. For the next two weeks, you belong to me. I will break you down to your base components and rebuild you into something that won't die the first time a real monster looks at you funny."
"I can handle it," Caleb said, though his voice wavered slightly.
"We'll see." Jinx patted his cheek mockingly. "We'll see."
Day 1 - Requisitions Department, Sublevel 2
The Requisitions Department looked like a cross between a military armory and a sci-fi movie set. Racks of weapons lined the walls: guns, blades, staves, and things Caleb couldn't even identify. Tactical gear hung on mannequins, each piece glowing faintly with enchantments.
"Standard issue for E-Rank field agents," said the quartermaster, a grizzled woman with an eyepatch and a cybernetic arm. She handed Caleb a duffel bag.
Inside:
A tactical vest (black, reinforced with Kevlar and something that shimmered)
A combat knife (silver-edged, the hilt inscribed with runes)
A communicator earpiece (barely visible, fits inside the ear canal)
An Agent ID badge (holographic, impossible to forge)
Two sets of black combat uniforms with the Special Group insignia—a silver wolf biting a crescent moon
"The vest is enchanted against piercing and slashing," the quartermaster explained. "It won't stop a bullet from a high-caliber rifle, but it'll save you from most claws and fangs. The knife is silver-laced. Burns like hell to anything supernatural. Use it wisely."
"Thank you," Caleb said, genuinely grateful.
"Don't thank me yet, kid," she said, lighting a cigarette. "Jinx requested special accommodations for your training. I added extra medical supplies to your locker."
"Why?"
"You'll see."
Day 3 - The Pain Chamber
The Pain Chamber was located on Sublevel 5, deep enough that screams wouldn't carry. It was a massive arena, easily the size of a football field, with a reinforced steel floor scarred by blast marks, claw gouges, and what looked suspiciously like bloodstains.
"Welcome to Hell," Jinx said cheerfully, tossing Caleb a water bottle. "Hope you hydrated."
"What am I fighting?" Caleb asked, scanning the empty arena.
"Everything."
She clapped her hands. The arena hummed to life. Holographic emitters flickered on, and suddenly the empty space was filled with enemies.
Shamblers. Dozens of them, their eyes glowing sickly green, their movements jerky and wrong.
"Scenario One: Horde Defense," Jinx announced through a speaker. "Survive for five minutes. Timer starts... now."
The Shamblers charged.
Caleb transformed, his Wolf Arm manifesting. He lunged, claws extended, and tore through the first wave. But they kept coming. For every one he killed, two more appeared.
"Too slow!" Jinx's voice echoed. "You're wasting energy! Economy of motion, Caleb! Every swing should be lethal!"
A Shambler grabbed his leg. Caleb kicked it off, but another latched onto his back.
"Use your environment!" Jinx barked. "You're in an arena, not a cage!"
Caleb slammed backward into a support pillar, crushing the Shambler. He grabbed another by the throat and hurled it into the approaching horde, bowling them over.
When the timer hit zero, Caleb collapsed, gasping.
"Time," Jinx said. She appeared beside him, holding a stopwatch. "Four minutes, thirty seconds. You died."
"What?"
"The Shambler on your back? It bit your neck. You bled out. You're dead."
Caleb touched his neck. There was no wound, but he understood.
"Again," he said, standing.
Jinx smiled. "Good. Again."
Day 7 - Endurance Training
"Hold the transformation," Jinx ordered. "Don't let it slip."
Caleb knelt on the floor, his entire body trembling. Both arms were fully transformed, covered in dark fur, claws digging into the steel. Sweat poured down his face.
"How long?" he gasped.
"Thirty minutes."
"I can't—"
"Yes, you can." Jinx crouched beside him. "In the field, you don't get to choose when to transform. You need to be able to hold it as long as necessary."
"It hurts," Caleb admitted, his voice breaking.
"Pain means you're alive," Jinx said. "Dead men don't feel anything."
He held it for thirty-five minutes before his body finally gave out, collapsing unconscious.
Day 14 - Final Evaluation
"You've improved," Jinx admitted, arms crossed. "You're not embarrassing anymore."
Caleb, bruised and battered but standing tall, allowed himself a small smile. "Thanks?"
"Don't let it go to your head," Jinx said. "You're ready for fieldwork. Barely. Tomorrow, you get your first real mission."
"What kind of mission?"
"Walker extermination. Simple job."
"Simple?"
Jinx's grin was predatory. "Probably."
- Writer
