Futuristic Mass Deception

[thelovelyloser]

Penelope’s eyes moved from the arrow head with a small droplet of her blood to the brunette 19 standing a mere few feet away. Lukas, she recalled his name, a shy smile tugging onto her lips. Realizing that he had likely seen her test the weapon in such a careless way she flushed, embarrassed. “Thank you- that’s uh, not really my.. style.” She found herself admitting as she shifted her weight, nerves rising once more. She had been lost in her own world examining the weapons around the bazaar and now was shifting back to being cautious of surrounding eyes.

A majority of the other teammates that she spotted carried large melee weapons like he had said, only one other with a ranged weapon. It was the redhead, a simple bow already strapped to his back. Still, he had plenty of arrows on him while just the one she possessed left her on edge. Maybe one day she would be able to wield a sword without shaking hands, but that wasn’t today.

When he extended his hand for her weapon she was shocked, wondering if they were already confiscating everyone’s weapons. They had just gotten them though! Perhaps he was just being kind though, offering a helping hand. The small smile widened ever so slightly at the possibility, turning away to hide the red that lingered. She wasn’t use to so much interaction. “That’s very um, very kind of you. Thanks Lukas.” It felt weird to speak his name aloud, sounding too informal on her tongue when she was only an 18. She extended the weapon with another grateful nod and and did as told, following the shifting crowd.

A part of her was feeling brave after actually picking a weapon, something she never thought she would do. As a result she paused and glanced at him one more time over her shoulder. “The assessment... do you think we will do okay?” She asked, and though the comment felt courageous it came out shakey and unsure. She didn’t know her team yet but worried for them all, hoping for the best.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

“That’s very um, very kind of you. Thanks, Lukas.” The senior nodded in response as the trainee turned away. Thinking the interaction was over, Lukas turned his attention to the weapon he held in hand. It was definitely one of the finer models, possibly even the best one. How a model this good was still available for her to register, he had no idea. His admiration was put on pause as the trainee's voice cut through his thoughts.

“The assessment... do you think we will do okay?”

Lukas' gaze snapped back onto the stage eighteener, his usual poker face melting in a half-awkward, half-friendly smile. He had observed the trainees as they walked around, taking notice at the unusual confidence and untapped potential many of them had. If the test was the same as last year's, the passing rate would be exceedingly higher this year.

Lukas shook his head, forcing his attention back to the present. He looked back at the trainee, "Don't worry too much, you and the others will pass." He let his weapon-bearing hand fall to his side whilst tucking his free hand into his hoodie. He nodded his head in the direction of the other trainees, "Let's go. The assessment awaits."

thelovelyloser

 

[thelovelyloser]

The certainty in his answer was reassuring, even if it had been one that was just said out of decency. Still, Penelope had hope that he would be honest with her and something about the awkward smile made her believe it. Until then she hadn't seen such a welcoming expression on his face even if his offer was kind, wondering if he was more than what she believed. Originally she had read him as unenthused due to his original expression when stepping into the room only to be shocked by his reaction to Klaus. Now he was once again throwing her for a loop.

"Okay... but worrying is what I'm good at." Her weak smile faded as she turned forward, once again moving with the crowd toward the assessment. If it was written then she had a confidence that she would do well. Anything involving knowledge or book smarts had been her strong suit. However the use of weapons led her to believe otherwise, just hoping they had a moment to familiarize themselves with the new toys before being forced to use them. If it was combat based the only hope she had was that her speed would save her.

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

"It's not a problem. I only wish someone had given me as many tips as you all have been given when I was a fresh Collectee."

After a year of relentless training and conditioning, it felt like forever ago. She could only vaguely remember what it had been like to wake up under the influence of the gas, headache thumping at her temples and a sickly sweet taste in her mouth. In fact-

Wait a minute, he had asked her a question. What was it, again? Oh right, the assessment.

"Sorry, but I'm under strict orders not to reveal any details regarding the location of the assessment. As for the fighting... well, I think you'll be surprised to see how little actual fighting there will be. Keep in mind, the test doubles as an assessment of the way you operate, and will likely play a large part in what role you end up being assigned within the team."

As they walked, they came to the end of the Bazaar, and she spotted Rider standing there, stoic as ever, without a problem. With hair like his, the man stood out. "Are we ready?" She asked.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Jullian paced the grounds as he waited for the trainees to file in the orientation hall. Just as the last trainee entered the hall, he motioned for the teachers to shut the door behind them. Various weapons bristled amidst the crowd, sharp spears jutted out of the mass while axes and swords lay either by their side or nonchalantly on their shoulder. The minority that went for ranged weapons tended to lay it by their side or strap it across their backs or hips. A small smile tugged at Jullian’s lips, recalling the sword and ax frenzy that took place last year as a memory of what looked to be a metal hedgehog filled his mind.

He waited for a few seconds for the trainees to settle down before speaking up. “Assigned seniors, please seat yourselves in front of your team.” A few seconds went by of shuffling feet and name-calling before the crowd quieted down again. Jullian glanced at Rider, the alabaster-haired man seemingly nodding towards one of the nineteeners. Looks like I’m announcing again… Let’s hope this doesn’t become the norm. He eased his gaze back onto the trainees. “The assessment test has arrived. Do your absolute best in the practical half of the test, as your score will determine which role and what rank you will acquire.” He gestured towards the teachers. “The teachers will now collect your weapons. Don’t start whining, your weapons take a vital role in the test.”

Once all weapons were successfully procured, Jullian tapped his bracer. A holographic screen materialized itself on the wall behind the man, its GUI flickering with a blue fluorescent light. “The practical assessment test will have you running this simple training session. This session is divided into three different phases, each phase presenting a new obstacle that you must clear as fast as you can. Oh and, I should include that this year, the nineteeners will be joining the Collectees in the training session.”

A collective groan echoed throughout the hall, prompting a pissed off Rider to slam the wall behind him with his fist, demanding silence.

“Anyyyways... The first phase will be your standard obstacle course. The second phase is a suiting up simulation. And your final phase will be an evasive simulation. I honestly don’t feel like explaining any of this in detail, so let’s have a demonstration from one of your seniors, yes?”

Jullian turned away from the crowd, a devilish grin on his face as he tapped his bracer one last time. The holographic screen behind him flickered a bit before a video clip played. The teacher scanned the crowd, looking for a very particular student of his. He locked eyes with his target and waved a little cheeky hello. That’s right Lukas. All that pain you went through was for this.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

A WEEK BEFORE COLLECTION DAY​

Forty-eight hours. Thirty-three repetitions. And each goddamn time, I've successfully completed it. Streams of sweat poured off Lukas' forehead, the perspiration stinging his eyes. Drag marks from repetitive skidding and sliding were littered across his arms and legs, each mark tinged with a bright crimson red. The open ceiling overhead let in harsh sunlight, adding unpleasant temperatures to the already physically taxing training session.

Lukas collapsed onto the floor trying to catch his breath, a sweat-drenched face towel in hand. It had been a silent five minutes since he finished the course again. Slipping on the jacket he had taken off beforehand, he got to his feet and started toward the exit, envisioning the sweet embrace of a nice cold shower. Unfortunately, his hopes were shattered as a hollow, emotionless voice echoed through his ear-comms. "Again."

The senior's figure froze midstep. Calm down. It's just a test. Calm. Down. Lukas hung his head low as his fists tightened in anger before he released his grip. As his shoulders dropped in a heavy sigh, his jacket slipped off once more as he turned to face the obstacle course. Red lights cast merlot shadows across the sunlit course, before switching to a disgusting mustard yellow, then a sage green.

Lukas broke into a sprint, not even thinking to slow down as he neared the end of his wooden platform. The moment he reached the edge, he lept right over the gap, allowing his feet to plant on a metal bar that suspended itself over a fifty-foot drop. His forward momentum transferred into the metal swing, causing it to lurch forward and swing back. Three, two, one. Lukas kept a level head as he timed the next three jumps perfectly. His fatigue started catching up to him as he slightly mistimed the last jump, having to correct his mistake by pulling himself into a forward roll as his body met the next wooden platform.

After the metal swings came the monkey bars. Lukas transitioned from his forward roll into another sprint, preserving as much forward momentum as he possibly could. The stage nineteener soared over the edge, skipping the first monkey bar entirely as his arms snatched onto the second. Again, fatigue started to catch up as Lukas' sweaty right hand slipped. Thankfully a year's worth of upper body training helped his left arm bear his entire weight as he quickly wiped down his right before securing both hands onto the monkey bar. He forced his eyes to stay open as sweat poured from his forehead, keeping a steady gaze on the next bar. The senior swung his body and easily caught onto the next bar before carrying his momentum to the next eight bars.

Lukas' feet touched on another wooden platform, this time shadowed by an inverted wall. Heaving a slightly irritated sigh, Lukas placed both hands on top of the wall and swung his heel over the top. Executing a heel hook, the male lugged himself over the wall with ease. The next wall was just a bit taller, but a vertical jump helped him execute another heel hook. As he pulled himself over the second wall, he quickly stopped himself from lurching forward, completely forgetting that the forward roll part was directly after the wall.

Lukas peered down onto the next wooden platform, regarding the ten to fifteen-foot height differential between both platforms. He took a deep breath in before bounding off the inverted wall, tucking in his legs as he turned his body in a somersault. He landed on his toes before transitioning into a safety forward roll, dispersing all potentially harmful downward momentum.

This next part was the easiest. On a table in front of him lay his weapons and on a wire rack to the side lay variously sized military rucksacks. Sadly for Lukas, his trainer had designated the large size rucksack for him, one that was filled to the brim with rocks. In his trainer's words, the rocks were 'justification for your lightweight weapons'. I'm so going to kill him once this is over. He quickly shook the thought away, realizing he was wasting valuable time. He grabbed the rucksack with one hand as he undid the straps with the other. He hooked his weapons to his belt loops while strapping on the military bag onto his back, clicking and pulling all the straps tight. With equipment secured, Lukas made his way towards the last phase.

Thankfully, the humans that he was forced to practice with all quit after the fifteenth redo, so now only robot arms and arrow dispensers stood in his way. For the last time, fatigue caught up to him and affected his dodging capabilities, causing an arrow to graze his arm. It was just a graze, but it still left a deep gash that spewed fresh blood in his arm. You're joking. Of all the things to hit me, it was the arrow dispenser. Just the thought already filled him with incoherent rage, so much so that he dismissed Protocol 1 entirely and shoulder bashed the nearest robot arm, ripping it off its stand to send sparks flying everywhere. Unhooking his throwing weapon, he located the other two robot arms and locked onto them, perfectly calculating a trajectory that sliced cleanly through the arms' bases.

Crossing the finish line, a smirk grew on Lukas' face as he tapped into his earpiece. "How's that?" A minute went by. Then another. Then another. With each passing second, his hopes were slowly dashed as he expected his torturer to request another redo. Lukas was just about to reset the course when he heard it. "That's enough. Good work Alpha Three."

 

[Hugh Flynn]

THE ASSESSMENT TEST

The moment the video clip finished, you are blindfolded without warning and told not to panic. Just to follow directions, and you’ll be fine. You are led for what feels like miles, trudging up dozens upon dozens of steps, climbing god knows how many flights. Finally, you are stopped. A cool breeze rushes across your face, though the air has a distinct metal tang to it.

The blindfold is finally removed, and for a moment, you feel your stomach drop. You’re standing on a wooden slab amidst a collection of large steel beams. The beams crisscross and sway in the wind, and you can feel the wood beneath you shift under the weight of yourself and your team. Above you, the sun shines bright, though you find yourself thanking whatever God may be that the weather is fair, and not quite as hot and humid as it was earlier in the day. Still, the height is dizzying, and you feel a rush of panic run through you as the instructor accompanying you explains that you are to make your way across the beams, finding a path to the building that you can only just see through the maze of metal. But still, the ground far, far below you fades into the back of your mind as you spot something lining the building that is to be your destination.

The finish line.

PHASES

Spoiler: Obstacle Course

Navigate the obstacles as fast as you can. Don’t fall, as a 50 fifty foot drop is an unpleasant experience.

Spoiler: Suit Up

Your chosen weapons will be laid out on the ground in front of you. Pack up as fast as you can and run the rest of the course with the added weight.

Spoiler: Evade and Avoid

Enemy forces aim to stop you from making it to the end of the course. Avoid combat as much as possible, but it isn't off the table.

Spoiler: Surprise Seniors

Throughout the entire course, seniors line the course with bows and stickies in hand. Avoid getting pinned by an arrow and stuck by a sticky. If I were you, combat is most definitely my go-to option.

not everything is as it seems.

 

[Yakov011001]

The second the blindfold came off, Klaüs dropped to the floor; he assumed a rather alert stance, low to the ground. When he saw how high up they were and felt how unstable the platform was, he made an effort to get his centre of gravity low; it'd be much harder to fall off now, and he was poised to dash off in any direction. He'd zoned out at the start of the video their team was shown, so he'd missed this first bit. Of course, he'd forgotten he was on a team with other people now, so now it crossed his mind that his scoring would be highly dependent on his team's performance. Right, from here, I can get a read on what's ahead and aid my team accordingly. The steel I-beams ahead were all tethered by singular wires attatched to their centre, so any momentum affecting the weight of the structure would carry the beam around in a particular direction. The next platform was straight ahead, the steel beam between them and about a good seven foot gap from the platform to the I-beam. If he could managed to make that gap smaller for his teammates, that'd be good. To do that, though--

If I can get it to swing in a large arc, I can make it so that all they have to do is step onto the I-beam as it comes around and hop off on the other side. Like that, it'll be like an efficient assembly line.

"Alright, I think I have a plan guys," Klaüs addressed everyone. "I'm going to try and make the gap smaller, so hop on when you can!"

I want to get a thirty-degree approach from the side, so if it's seven feet straight on that would extend the jump to fourteen feet. Klaüs shuffled to the left as he ran the numbers in his head. I can't make that jump and land on my feet, but I don't need to. Right, it'd be much better if he didn't. Like that, he'd have plenty of room to grab on to the I-beam, and since the momentum will allow for some give on the beam he doesn't have to worry about falling off. If that's the case, I need to be leaving the platform just over twelve feet from the centre of the platform. He marched with carefully measured steps to mark that distance, a technique he picked up from his father. He needed a running start, though. Eight feet should be good. From the edge of the platform, he took four steps back, and seven steps to the left.

"Uh, November 0-0-1-3 X-ray," He contemplated the fact that he would in fact be jumping over a fifty foot pit. Something about falling nearly ten times his height bothered him, if only a little. "You are--uh--you are clear for take-off." He let out a one-liner, more to give himself comic-relief than anybody else.

Oh, fuck me dude.

He ran full sprint, and hurled himself off the platform, and while it was the thing he was most worried about; Klaüs managed to get a solid grip on the I-beam as he followed through its arc. His weight carried through it so well that at the peak of the pendulum the next plat form was directly under him, so he just let go. He got low again to make sure he was stable. This is perfect! It worked even better than I had hoped. If the beam keeps swinging like this, then the rest of my team won't even have to jump; they'd only need to walk on! I guess now I just wait until they're with me.

thelovelyloser -ferret- EmmaWings PinkChiffon

 

[-ferret-]

When the blindfold was taken off, Weasel immediately took in his surroundings. The obstacle course was rather dangerous if he was honest. It reminded him of the time he spent doing gymnastics and acrobatics though. His mother had thought it would be a beneficial sport to be involved in. She also thought it would help tire him out. He'd had leaps and bounds of uncontrollable energy when he was younger.

He wanted to start, wanted to go. It was a long jump, but he was sure he could make it. Before he even could though, Klaüs was taking charge. He'd made a plan. Weasel didn't like obeying. Didn't like following. He wanted to just get it over with. But Klaüs's plan was good. He knew what he was doing. Weasel would have time to do his own thing later. Right now he would listen to Klaüs.

As the metal bar came swinging back around, he stepped lightly onto it, using one foot to push off against the platform and hurtle through the air towards the platform his teammate was on. Once getting to the platform, he stepped off and shoved the metal bar back towards his team, hopefully none of them would be too nervous to cross the chasm.

 

[PinkChiffon]

It took Mena's eyes a moment to adjust to the light once the blindfold had been removed. The course set out before looked daunting, but doable if she let her adrenaline run its course. While she was sizing up the first obstacle, stepped up with a plan. It seemed perfectly reasonable to Mena so she gave no objections, just nodded in agreement. She was glad that someone else had taken the lead, as that was not her speed. She watched with anticipation as he lined up his jump. A sense of relief washed over her as he successfully made it across. It would now be easier for the rest of them to do so.

The next to go was the red-headed boy. He stepped forward without a word and committed to being the next person to cross. He made it seem so easy.

Mena stepped up next, right in the middle of the pack, where she loved to be. When the beam came back around, Mean stepped on. She kept her knees bent, trying to keep her center of gravity low as she rocked forward like when she was a little girl on the swing. Once the beam reached its peak height close the platform, she jumped off, pushing off hard to insure the bar would have enough momentum to carry it back.

 

[EmmaWings]

As soon as the blindfold was taken off Layla rubbed her eyes again, similarly to when they woke up after they had been thrown onto the ground when they arrived here. She was still on earth as far as she knew and everything seemed to be normal up until the point she looked down. Not showing fear, Layla looked straight down at her enemy, the height between where she was standing right now and the ground all the way down at the bottom. She turned her head and looked straight forward again, looking at what seemed like a parkour challenge. It reminded her of a game she and her brother used to play where they jumped from furniture to furniture and whoever touched the ground first would lose.

When Layla snapped back from her flashback, without realizing 3 people had arrived already on the other side. On top of that it seemed like they had a plan too, figured out by only the male human being who was not a redhead. On this side where she was standing, there were 2 people left, 2 blondes to be exact. She assumed she was up next as she stood a couple steps ahead of the other girl behind her.

As the beam came swinging back around, Layla waited a couple seconds before the beam started moving the opposite direction again. She waited just long enough so there was a distance to jump for her. It definitely wasn't a huge distance, maybe 3 or 4 feet, but just big enough she could barely reach it with her tiny legs. Because of her small center of gravity, she easily balanced herself on the beam and waited for it to continue swinging. As soon as it arrived on the other side, she jumped off it again whilst kicking it back a little so the beam would go back for the last member of her team.

 

[Yakov011001]

Klaüs was satisfied that his plan worked. Not only was his team progressing with minimal effort, but it was his ingenuity that got the job done! Still though, he couldn't be celebrating just yet. There was still one person left. Oh no, Penelope. Was she going to make it across? She looked mortified already, and she no doubt had looked like that since probably even before he leapt the gap.

"F." Klaüs silently paid his respects.

Still though, why are they here? Behind Penelope were both Aster and Lükas; they looked like they were impatiently waiting for everyone to cross so they can style on the rest of the team. They're nineteens, they shouldn't have to participate with us should they? Unless he'd have to fight one of them when this was all over. It was just unsettling; them just staring the whole of them down like they're prey animals. Guess we just have to style on them too.

thelovelyloser

 

[thelovelyloser]

As soon as the blindfold was ripped off Penelope was practically gripping the ground, eyes immediately landing on the edge. Heights had never particularly bothered her, this though? For someone not to feel queasy at the sight must truly hold no fear, her stomach already beginning to churn in discomfort. As she scanned the rest of the obstacle course the feeling was only worsening, wondering how they had any chance at getting through. Back in the bazaar Lukas has sounded so sure that they would be alright, now her belief was faltering when she had to bring her hand up to cover her mouth. The moment that she had seen him struggling in the video she began to doubt the words.

Apparently she was the odd one out though, a majority of her team mates following behind Klaüs with ease. They seemed to give no second thought to the action, almost as if falling off the swaying beam wouldn’t result in the ends of their lives. And Klaüs? How did he manage to jump that far? The man with the carrots was seeming more unreal with every new interaction. Soon she was the only one left, gulping as her body forced itself up and to the edge of the wooden platform.

Her only hope was that maybe if she focused on the others she would forget the dangers taunting her from below. With her eyes fixated on the team her foot shakily extended, sucking in a breath when she finally felt it slide onto the beam. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my...” Quietly she repeated the phrase over and over until she couldn’t keep her eyes open, instinctively squeezing them shut after a wave of nausea washed over her. That was a mistake, body falling off kilter and foot loosing grip on the smooth metal. A shocked squeak left her lips the moment her eyes flew open and she wasn’t sure how but her body reacted before her, hands wrapping around the beam. She hadn’t fallen to her death, but she almost had. With her legs dangling over the edge her breathing picked up significantly, wondering how she had ever tested into this when she could barley make it through the first part. Not wanting to disappoint her teammates so soon- and not wanting to die right then and there- she used her little arm strength to pull herself up and over the bar until she could shift onto her feet once more. The last few steps were practically ran, he rushing between the members of her team on the other side and grateful for mostly solid ground. She wanted to be as far away from that was possible. “I think I’m gonna be sick.” Penny groaned, hand once again flying to her mouth while the other clutched the fabric covering her stomach. Though it hadn’t settled in yet, she was proud that she had gotten to the other side even if it would be the most simple task.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Lukas locked eyes with the bearded man who stood in front of the crowd of trainees. Jullian had fired a mischievous look at Lukas that made his skin crawl. Immediately, Lukas knew exactly what he was talking about. The senior casually flipped off the older man, who laughed in response. Keep laughing old man, once this is over I'm going to shove that bracer of yours into your-" The holographic screen flickered, before cutting to an overhead view of Lukas doing the parkour course a week ago. Lukas rolled his eyes before promptly dissociating, tuning out the snickers of his fellow nineteeners. Of all the clips they recorded, they chose the one where I'm running the course exhausted. Just how much do they want the trainees to doubt themselves?

Lukas denied the blindfold that was offered to him, knowing very well where the group was headed. The teachers had just started escorting the trainees towards a flight of stairs when he crossed paths with Sir Jullian who was trying his hardest not to start cracking up. Lukas shot him one last warning glare before he stepped into the stairwell. He stared up the flight of stairs, one thought crossing his mind. Why are the nineteeners running the course as well...?

The trainees had just reached the wooden platform when the teachers started removing the blindfolds. As expected, a couple of yelps and shrieks were heard here and there as the Collectees came to realize what situation they were in. The starting lights had just flickered a sage green when a teacher grabbed Lukas by the shoulder, telling him to stick with his team. The senior tilted his head slightly, questioning why they thought Lukas of all people would ditch the team and run the course solo. He turned his attention back to his team members, surprised to see that almost all of them had already crossed the gap. He was impressed at the ingenuity of Klaus as well as the fearlessness of the rest of the team he was assigned, well, almost all of the team.

It was the gal who registered a crossbow who was now teetering over the edge of the metal beam. Lukas instinctively moved forward to rush to her aid, but his step faltered when the trainee had pulled herself onto the beam and lept across the chasm. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, an epiphany dawning on him at the untapped potential his team had. He motioned to his teammates to go ahead, realizing that they were already first place with Klaus' quick thinking. He keeps this up and he'll most likely land Alpha of this team.

He glanced back at Aster, the white-haired girl obviously disinterested in running the course. He paid no mind, knowing full well how fast Aster could clear the course. Lukas stepped onto the moving beam and swiftly maneuvered to the other side, watching as the majority of trainees they were leaving behind were still struggling with the task. A devilish thought came to him, one that involved him rocking the others' beams to slow down their progress. He dismissed the thought, opting to follow his team as they came across the next phase, the monkey bars.

Lukas already knew Klaus or one of the other girls would be the first across the bars, so he chose to be the last to cross again. That decision was quickly overridden when he spotted the glint of an arrowhead in the sunlight. His reflexes kicked in and perfectly executed the move he did a week ago as he jumped the gap, his hands clasping onto the second monkey bar. He speedily crossed the rest of the bars, luckily dodging an arrow as he dropped to the platform. He immediately took in his surroundings, locking onto four senior archers, each widely spaced from each other. He already knew he wouldn't be able to disarm them all in time.

He kept his eyes locked onto the nearest one as they started drawing their bowstrings, knockback arrows aimed right at him. Without taking his eyes off his target, he yelled to the five trainees behind him. "If any of you are fast enough to dodge arrows, I suggest you get over here and help me take them down!" Lukas rolled sideways as he finished his sentence, the explosions of the knockback arrows marking where he once stood. "Hurry! While we're still ahead!"

 

[-ferret-]

Monkey bars. Weasel remembered those. He'd loved anything that involves climbing or swinging his body around. Monkey bars were definitely apart of that. He couldn't jump as far as Lukas had, be he also would've rather saved up energy by making a shorter jump. He swung easily from bar to bar, only one hand per bar, never doing the silly grab the bar, grab it twice. That stopped your momentum and was overall generally inefficient. By the time he reached the end he was being shot at. The audacity.

In now way did Weasel exceed in hand to hand combat, and he generally didn't like being too close to people. It made him bristle and act snappy. But Lukas had said he needed help taking the archers down so Weasel got to work. As they reloaded, Weasel was quick to sneak, crouched low, but moving quick. His limbs were much shorter than average boys his age, so he had an easier time getting low to the ground. He almost got shot in the face by an arrow, but dodged at the last second. He then kicked his foot to the archer's knee. It didn't do much considering it didn't have too much force, but it distracted the Bowman long enough that Weasel could grab the bow from his hands.

The bow was a nice metal compound bow. Weasel never saw the appeal of compound bows, but he wasn't even going to use it at the moment. The archer lunged for Weasel and the redhead panicked. He's not proud, but it technically wasn't his fault. Weasel had a habit of using his legs and feet to defend himself as they were stronger than his arms. He said a mental oof for the archer holding his crotch. The boy shouldn't of startled him then if he'd wasn't ready for the outcome. He then took the heavy compound bow and swung it at the archer's head, knocking him out. He was out but hopefully not forever. Weasel didn't want to kill a nineteen on his first day. He was sure that would be considered rude or taboo or something.

He then waited for the last of his team to cross over, letting each of his teammates take out some archers of their own. He didn't want to steal the limelight. He wanted his team to be able to show off what they had to offer too.

 

[Yakov011001]

"Twelve, 're you alright?" He was at her side the second she touched down.

He'd have to check up on her from time to time, help her collect herself during the downtime of them waiting for their nineteens to cross.

"Good job, you think you'll be alright going forward?"

He wasn't able to catch her answer though, as Lükas stepped on and off the beam like it was nothing. It was how he envisioned his plan working out, but much smoother and without nearly as much effort. Klaüs was impressed, considering it was all only one year worth of training. Comparative to a full career, it just doesn't seem all that much. Until you see it in action of course.

Unfortunately for Klaüs, he'd been a bit caught up in his thoughts and it had distracted him from seeing that Lükas got the fuck out of there. Even worse so was the reason why. Klaüs noticed the arrow coming down on them just a bit too late. With a loud crack in the air, Klaüs felt a force crash against him. He stumbled forward, into Penelope and they teetered dangerously close to the edge. Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-- not great! Reacting to the best of his ability, he planted his left foot backwards from where he left the ground and his right stepped as far forward as it'd reach without slipping off the platform. Now that he had put himself into a position he was comfortable with catching himself in, he relaxed his body. That is until he remembered that by getting hit he pushed Penelope over, then he tensed up even harder than before. He leaned forward as far as he could and wrapped his arms around Penelope's torso before pulling back, hard.

"Fuck!" He fell backwards onto his ass, taking Penelope with him. "Those fuckin' assholes!" He got up immediately, being too pissed to pay mind to the fact that Penelope was kind of on top of him. "I've got you, lad!" He called to Lükas as he ran full sprint to the bars.

Fueled by the pure rage of being mildly inconvenienced, Klaüs flew through the monkey bars. He didn't even have time to used the horizontal bars, he just orangutan-ed his way down the lateral bar on the right side in a fuckin' flash. Hitting heavy on the ground, Klaüs sprinted to the bowman on the far left. He channeled all his energy into as forceful a jump as he could.

"How's this for a knockback arrow, you fuckin' asshole!?" He said, right before dropkicking the bowman square in the nose.

The bowman's skull slammed to the floor, his body flying up as the momentum lagged behind. Klaüs moved over him to give him a nice piston punch to the nose again, but he was so rudely interrupted by another fucking knockback arrow!

"Fucking--" Klaüs cried, as he flew to the side from the head on hit.

He crashed into the wall stopping him dead in his tracks. Great, now I'm gonna be sore on both sides. He was really starting to flare up now, and he was ready to close the distance. But first-- I'm gonna need this. He scooped up the bow off the ground from the one bowman he laid out. He might be 'no thoughts, head empty', but he wasn't dumb. There was no way he'd make it to this guy before he got another shot off. Now, right here! Klaüs tossed the bow like a boomerang at his assailant, having done so preemptively so that the bow would collide with the next oncoming arrow. The bow flew back at him nearly taking his head off, and the shockwave still slowed him down a little, but he was still full force ready to take this guy the fuck out. The good thing about bowmen? Comparative to frontliners, they were much smaller and easier to--let's say--handle. Klaüs hooked his arms under the bowmans legs, and heaved him up with all of the strength he had. Having his legs pulled from under him, the bowman fell back and slammed the back of his head on to the platform only to be raised up over Klaüs' head.

"Fuck you!" Klaüs cried, slamming the fool onto the platform again with his full weight dropping with him to add more force.

He didn't really know what all he was on about. It was just a training session, and these guys were just following orders, but--

He positioned himself over the guy he'd just slammed, and hammered away at his skull with a slew of blows one after the other. Fuck this guy, this guy needs to fucking die. I'll kill him my own fucking self. Why was he so mad? He couldn't figure it out, because he was too mad to! After a hot ten--twenty blows, he stopped himself. Not like--not like before. He somehow needed to calm down. Fucking Christ, I am so fucking hungry.

thelovelyloser

 

[thelovelyloser]

From the near death experience Penelope's head was still spinning, body swaying back and forth as if she were still balancing on the steel beam. The familiar voice at her side barley caught her attention, too focused on keeping down the meager bites of chocolate she had since waking up only a few hours ago. "I-I'll be fine." She stuttered, only for her fingertips to once again press back against her lips. Everyone else had gotten across without a single hiccup, there was no way that she would draw anymore unnecessary attention to hers. Her whole goal had been to blend in yet that already failed multiple times since arriving. Now her only hope was to make it to the end without being in the last five- she could manage that right?

Just as she gathered herself enough to stand up right once more a taller figure slammed right into her side after Lukas shouted, the air leaving her lungs upon impact. Her body lunged forward, staring right down into the abyss before being once again snatched backward by her waist. It had all happened to fast she hadn't registered what took place until her eyes cracked open, being met with Klaus only inches away. "W-Wha-" Her cheeks were immediately bright crimson from the proximity, pressing her palms against the man's chest and rolling off of him onto the wooden platform. Just as she was about to stutter out asking for an explanation he was up and gone, as if the interaction hadn't taken place. "Wait- what just..." Her voice trailed off but she shook it away, instead scanning the area in search of answers. Immediately she noticed the red head across the way, bringing down a compound bow against one of the seniors as if it were a melee weapon.

That was when she noticed the arrows flying their way, one coming straight for her. It was to be expected that she would stay frozen in place due to fear, but her body rolled to the side, arrow impacting the wood rather than her. "W-What the hell?" She mumbled to herself with wide eyes, focused on the imprint left behind. If it had hit it definitely looked like it would hurt. Had Klaus been knocked back with one, causing them to both go flying? On her feet she found herself leaping to reach for the bars, one of the last things she had expected to do without more hesitation. The bowmen seemed distracted by the men of her team, allowing her to swing nimbly across with her shaky hands being the only danger.

Just as she dropped on the other side Klaus brought a blow down onto one of the incapacitated men, then another, and another. Now she was frozen, watching as the blood transferred onto his knuckles. She wanted desperately to speak up and stop the man clearly filled with with blind rage but her body didn't move and lips didn't dare to open. Honestly a part of her was hesitating due to fear for her own safety. Their first meeting he had held a welcoming air but that was no where to be found now. The only thing that pulled her out of her trance was the movement of the remaining archer, bringing up his bow and aiming straight for Klaus who had finally slowed the hits. "Kla-Thirteen!" She called, quickly correcting herself, "Watch out!" Her feet finally moved with an unexpected bravery, swinging an arm down around his chest to pull her teammate backward. An arrow zipped by just in time, sure to have been hit once more if he had stayed ontop of the senior.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Lukas had expected either Klaus or one of the girls to make it across the bars first, but when the redhead of all people popped over, the senior admitted that he was a bit taken aback. He was even more shocked when the kid disarmed and knocked out a senior archer, on his first day even. Oh boy, we've got ourselves a handful this year- The thoughts of admiration flashed out of his mind as an arrow barely whizzed past his face. He cast a scornful look at the archer, "Really? Two years of training and you still can't headshot me? I expected m-" Interrupting Lukas' thoughts seemed to be somewhat of a trend today as an airborne bow slammed into Lukas' shoulder. The force was enough to make him stumble, but the pain wasn't as painful as the snicker of the archer he was just taunting.

Lukas hissed at the unexpected projectile and rotated his shoulder, testing if any real damage had been done. When nothing seemed out of the ordinary, his stare settled on the last remaining archer as said archer let his arrow loose. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the arrow sail towards the non-red-headed male who was pounding away at some poor unfortunate senior. The senior broke into a run, aiming to tackle the male out of the way. However, someone else already had that in mind as the trainee was yanked clear of the arrow's path. With bow in hand, his stare settled back on his opponent as the archer nocked another arrow.

Lukas paced back to where he stood earlier, not letting his stare leave his opponent for even a second. The senior was told on multiple occasions to lighten up his expression once in a while, as his usual countenance was... unsettling to say the least. He didn't care what the others thought, as he learned how to use that to his advantage. He kept a calm, slow walking pace as the archer nocked another arrow. The moment the bowman drew his string back, Lukas stopped in his tracks and turned with his back to the pit to face his senior.

Casting a mocking glare at the archer, Lukas heaved a sigh and crossed his arms. "Fine. Let's have target practice, shall we?" He closed his eyes and condensed all his condescending energy into his next few words. "Hell, your aim's so pathetic, I can stand right here with my eyes closed and you will STILL MISS." A smirk appeared on Lukas' face, knowing that the taunt had done its work as his ears picked up on the twang of the bowstring and the whoosh of an arrow.

At the last second, he tilted his head as the screech of the knockback arrowhead flew towards his face. He felt the graze of the arrow shaft as it barely missed his ear, praying a silent thank you prayer to whatever deity that existed. He calmly opened his eyes as the sound of multiple screams echoed from behind him. Apparently, the arrow had struck a few trainees that were traversing the monkey bars, the knockback arrow sending a handful of them into a fifty-foot freefall. Lukas turned around and assessed the damage before turning back to the archer. "Thanks! That makes things easier for us."

With inhumane speed, Lukas seemingly appeared in front of his opponent. "Don't mess with an Alpha team, much less MY Alpha team." With a strategically placed punch, the archer crumpled to the floor. Lukas turned to look at the rest of his team, all roughed up but more or less alive. "Get over here, the others are catching up." He wasn't lying, a majority of the trainees were already latching on to the first monkey bar. As his team members neared the wall, he climbed up, heel hook style, and extended a hand down. "Let's maintain the lead. The moment noone stands on the wooden platform, new archers will take their place."

 

[EmmaWings]

Layla stood back the whole time as she saw her team blast through the monkey bars and the bowmen attacking them. It almost looked like if she was the queen and her warriors were fighting for her. That being said, Aster and Mena hadn't jumped yet either. Layla watched relaxed how every bowmen got taken down by the boys and noticed at the same time too how other teams started jumping on the monkey bars too. One look to the right and one look to the left, not seeing any of her female teammates move Layla jumped on the first monkey bar as soon as she saw the last bowman got taken out by Lukas.

At roughly the same time when Layla jumped, another member of the closest team in terms of speed had jumped onto their first monkey bar as well. With slight hurry the blonde girl from team Alpha attempted her jump for the second bar. It definitely was not the most easy thing for her. Physical obstacles was never her thing due to her smaller figure, but with dedication and power she was able to catch the handle. Slowly but surely she finally got across and landed safely on the platform.

Without hesitation she picked up one of the bow from one of the taken down bowmen and picked up an arrow near it as well. Barely aiming, Layla shot the bow straight into the hand of the person who had started the monkey bars with her around the same time. "If you even try to cross over, every one of you will end up down at the bottom." the tiny blond girl shouted with ice in her veins to the closest team catching them. "And if you don't hurry up, you will as well!" She said just loud enough so the the only girl who knew her name could hear it.

 

[PinkChiffon]

Mena looked at the monkey bars with hesitation, 'Shit...' Monkey bars were not something she had any familiarity with. As a kid, she was not allowed to play on them. Kids fell off them all the time! Bloodied knees and broken arms, how would that have reflected on her family? No one looks pretty in a cast. Even still, she had her height advantage which would certainly help her. She could feel the slight breeze coming off the arrows that whizzed around. She stared at the monkey bars for a long time. Long enough for every other member of her team to make it across. Mena was feeling locked into place, psyching herself up. Over her shoulder, she could see the other teams finishing up the first obstacle. 'Don't let them see you struggle.' Mena thought as she unconsciously clenched and unclenched her hands. Without registering what Layla said, Mena assumed it was along the lines of 'Hurry it up'. With a running start, she leaped for the first bar. Using her momentum, she kept pressing forward. The movement felt awkward and unnatural, but she made it.

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

Aster stared at the course in front of her, undaunted by the sheer fifty foot drop or the swaying of the wooden platform under her feet. She had run this course a hundred times. She'd likely run it a hundred more before all was said and done. She watched with a vague sense of disinterest as the 18s had their blindfolds removed, the tall male she had walked with in the Bazaar immediately piquing her interest. Klaus seemed to have a plan the moment the cloth dropped onto the ground, and she watched as he traversed the first obstacle easily, the rest of the team quickly following suit. Lukas followed shortly after, though not before being reprimanded about staying with the team. Guess that means I should probably go too.

The girl waited a brief moment as Lukas pressed forward before running, executing a nimble leap onto the metal beam while it was still on its up-swing. Her foot was on the surface for less than a second as she landed knees bent and center of gravity low, before she bounded off again.

Right, monkey bars next.

She stopped just at the back of the group, recognizing easily the pattern in the volley of arrows. The bowman had all had the same teacher, all average at archery in comparison to their peers. Not to mention, they were likely thinking splash damage, not strategy. Reload times were nearly the same as well, and one only had to take those facts into account to know where to move.

She had made it to the beginning of the monkey bars and skidded to a stop, a peculiar rage igniting in her blood as she listened to the feisty female from her team shouting threats not only at the other team, but one of her own teammates as well.

Oh, hell no.

She traversed the monkey bars two at a time. This obstacle was like child's play to her after all this time, after all. Then, the moment she reached the next platform where the girl was standing, she delivered a swift chop to the girl's wrist, enough to hurt like hell but not enough to cause any permanent damage. And as the bow dropped from the blonde's hand, she caught it swiftly, hand swinging back in a blur to drop it over the platform's edge. She took a moment to nod at the team on the course across from them, indicating they could cross without worrying about the blonde in front of her.

"This may be Infiltration," she growled, "but we still have rules. Don't let me see anything like that again."

And with that, she continued forward, steeling herself for the next obstacle.

 

[Yakov011001]

"Christ," Klaüs whispered harshly, a knockback arrow having flown past his face. From where he sat, he felt a pair of arms around his stomach. Turning back, he saw Penelope behind him. Seemed that she pulled him out of the way of the arrow; though, she also fell on her ass from using her entire body weight to do so. "If you're gonna do something like that, at least warn me next time." He said, picking himself up before taking her to her feet as well.

"Let's maintain the lead. The moment no one stands on the wooden platform, new archers will take their place." Lükas called to them.

He still felt angry, but he wasn't angry at anything anymore. Arguably now he just felt worse for that reason, and his empty stomach wasn't helping him. Fucking--whatever, Klaüs shook his head. We need to be getting through the course. Next was a large and rather intimidating concave wall about fourteen feet tall. Now, unlike the other parts of the test towards the start, this test was more straightforward than anything. Just have the leg strength to make it to the top. He was sure he'd be able to make it no problem, but as for the others; he wasn't quite sure. So he had another, comparatively simple idea.

"Alright, everyone up the wall," He ordered, trying to get people back on track after the chaos induced by the bowmen. "If you can't get up on your own, I'll boost you!" He stood on the left half of the wall to leave room for the people who wouldn't need his help, and he assumed a low position and he cupped his hands as a foothold should the others need a boost to the top.

-ferret- thelovelyloser EmmaWings PinkChiffon

 

[PinkChiffon]

Mena sized up the wall. It certainly was tall, but this looked way more doable than the monkey bars. Upper arm strength is not her strong suit, but she ran all the time. Surely that must apply here. Mena took a few steps back to get a slight running start. Mena nodded at the boy who offered those who needed it a boost. "I will help grab from the top of the platform." On top of being a decent runner, Mena was among the taller members of the group which should help her out a bit.

Mena drew in the deepest breath and took off like a shot. One step, two steps. It was way harder than it looked, and she could fell her shoes slipping as she pushed off the wall with each step, reaching up as high as she could. After the second step, she was able to get a hand on the top of the wall. She swung up her other arm, and took another deep breath, dangling for a moment. A few more small quick steps, she was able to get to a comfortable position to pull herself up. She balanced herself on the wall's edge. She braced herself as best as she could, and leaned back over, arm outstretched.

 

[EmmaWings]

Before Layla could move herself to the walls section, the white haired girl had made it over already and had chopped her hand whilst warning her at the same time. She wanted to kill her right here right now, She hated being told to not do something, or be told to do something. But without any weapons and being smaller in size and as well fighting a 19, it was probably smarter for her not to try and fight her. Besides, there were more important things to do at the moment than winning this battle.

At the end she decided to give her a stare of doom, trying to warn her not to attempt that again. Not sure whether that message came across, she walked up slowly to her other teammates who were ready to help their team get over the inverted wall. She waited for Aster to catch up a bit and stood next to her as she waited for her other teammates to get over the wall. "You never told me the rules." Layla said in a monotone manner whilst staring straight forward at her team, not looking at the girl next to her.

Interactions: Shadow Cat

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

Aster could feel the girl's stare on her back as she made her way forward, stopping as Klaus and Mena, the two she perhaps least expected to work as a team, began to work on a strategy for getting everyone else over the first wall, rather than just themselves. Hell, if she didn't know any better, she'd almost think that feeling in her chest was that of pride.

Then she heard the voice of the blonde from moments ago.

"You never told me the rules."

She cast the blonde a quick, narrowed side eye, sizing her up for a moment and debating whether it would be worth it just this once to throw Protocol 1 out the window and start a fight on the course. She decided against it after a moment, telling herself it would make her no better than the girl beside her.

"I anticipated the members of an Alpha team would have enough of a sense of morality to make it to their first lesson without breaking any of them. Clearly I overestimated you. My fault really, I should have realized you had the moral backbone of a chocolate eclair." She paused a moment, debating whether to drive one final nail into the coffin. Finally, her temper won out.

" I'll explain something to you right now, though. You can plot against our enemies as much as you'd like. Whether it's for revenge, to feel smart, or hell just because you like to kill. Whatever. But the moment you start attacking members of your team- and yes, all of Infiltration is your team, whether you'd like them to be or not- you become no better than those savages out there." She nodded toward the sky, as if gesturing to the compound walls they couldn't see. "The real world's a hell of a lot different than this course. I can only hope you'll grow into a person that can handle it."