Futuristic Mass Deception

[Yakov011001]

"Can you two argue about your shit later!?" Klaüs yelled from where he stood, arguably more angry than before. "I'm not about to lose because of y'all's bitching!"

I haven't had enough to eat, to be dealing with this.

Shadow Cat Chawieeee

 

[Chawieeee]

Layla kept her eyes focused on the wall whilst taking in every word Aster had to say, as well as the comment from Klaus. "I'm willing to do everything for my team, team Alpha, and whoever is going to try and stop that, I will not hesitate to kill them." The little girl said as she stood still on the ground, either waiting for Aster to reply, or her other teammates to hurry up. "And right now, Team Alpha is my team, we're trying to get the highest score. The other teams right now are our enemies." She continued cold bloodedly whilst continuing looking forward.

Interactions: Shadow Cat

 

[-ferret-]

Weasel rolled his eyes. Fighting to win a game was stupid. Aster had clearly explained the rules. Maybe not the first time, but she had now. It didn't matter though because Klaüs was right. If they wanted to win, shutting up and finishing the course by working together and listening was the best course of action. So he did just that. Years of acrobatics and gymnastics is what allowed him to get a running start and still be able to time his jump right, stepping the the cup of Klaüs's hands. He remembered when he was younger and had tried the same move. He'd mistimed his jump, meaning he was unbalanced in his partner's hands. He'd also misplaced his foot, meaning that his heel had ended up in their hands rather than his toes. He'd slipped and fallen straight on his butt. He'd laughed it off and tried again and again until now, quite a few years later, he was much more coordinated.

As Klaüs lifted him up, Weasel went sailing up trough the air. Sure he probably weighed a bit more than Layla or Penelope, but he was still pretty light. Weasel felt that if Klaüs had put any more effort into tossing him up, he might've gone straight over Mena's head and nosedived onto the platform. He didn't though, going just high enough to grip the edge with his much stronger left arm and gripping Mena's hand with his right. She pulled him up and over easily and he settled right next to her, ready to help drag the next person up.

 

[thelovelyloser]

Penelope watched Filomena and Klaus with wide eyes, amazed at their quick thinking when it came to group effort. It was such a simple and obvious solution, yet one that she wouldn't even think of due to the current events. She was still back at the monkey bars mentally, replaying the scenes of the arrows flying their way. Even if she were to go through years of rigorous training she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to move on from a dangerous situation with that much ease. Sure, the arrows weren't life threatening but the impact was just as terrifying when standing near a fifty foot drop.

Hoping to maintain the lead like Lukas said she approached the inverted wall after the redhead, seeing that he made it over with ease due to their help. Placing a hand on Klaus' shoulder for support she propped her foot on his intertwined fingers, adjusting until the grip felt stable. "Thank you." She mumbled, still unable to look him in the eyes. All she could think about was him bringing blows down on that senior. As a result she was quick to hoist herself up, extending both of her arms. One hooked around Mena's while her other fingers gripped onto Lukas' sleeve. Though she wasn't the shortest of the bunch, she had always been very lean, lending well to this situation. She was pulled up and onto the top of the wall, only letting go when her feet were firmly planted and she wasn't fearful of toppling over. Before hoping down she mumbled another thank you to her team mate and the 19.

Just when she was hoping it was almost over she as face to face with another wall, this time a bit taller than the last. Only making it over with the help of three others she hoped they would offer it once more, eyes trailing to the side while she waited. That was when she noticed the other teams slowly catching up, making their way across the monkey bars and facing the archers set in place for them. If they continued to lag behind helping every team mate across they were sure to be caught up with, the thought causing her stomach to churn. However, she was doubtful that she could make the jump on her own. Almost due to her skittish nature she had always had fast reflexes, but this was completely different."Well- trying never hurt." She tried to convince herself despite being to opposite of her motto her whole life. Up until then leaving something be never hurt. Yet here she was sucking in a breath in preparation.

Putting as much distance between her and the next wall as possible she sprinted forward then jumped. Instinctively she extended one hand as far as possible, the tips of her fingers barley grazing the top of the wall but giving her just enough surface area to get a decent hold. Due to her hands being slick with sweat she began to lose what little grip she had, squeezing her eyes shut when she briefly let go with one hand to readjust. A grunt escaped as she hung, swinging her body back and forth until she was able to build enough momentum that she pulled herself up surprising even her. The action had caused her arms to burn from holding her body weight, sucking in deep breaths to calm her rising nerves. Somehow though, she had done it! All on her own! Though she was the last across the metal beam she was the first up the second wall. She had just been about to turn back to her teammates with a wide grin when she noticed the fifteen foot drop below, gulping. It was one thing after another.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Lukas extended an arm out to help anyone scaling the wall while keeping an eye on the oncoming trainees. The arrow he dodged earlier had halted their progress, but not for long as the remaining Collectees started to cross the chasm as well. He turned his attention back to helping his teammates scale the wall, before snapping back to the monkey bars when the shockwave of a knockback arrow pierced through the air. What? Are one of the archers still conscious...? Lukas scanned the perimeter, noting the four unconscious bodies of their adversaries earlier. Then wh- A female voice resonated from below, apparently belonging to one of Lukas' teammates. He didn't hear what the girl had said, but judging by Aster's reaction, he knew it wasn't something good.

Lukas made a mental note to ask Aster or the trainee about it later, pushing the thought away as he felt his sleeve being pulled on. He helped the trainee up before returning his attention to the floor when the foodie from earlier yelled at the remaining members to hurry up. It was just Aster and one other person, so Lukas decided he'd start helping those behind him to get up the next wall. When he did turn to help, he realized that only two other people were on his level. He had expected to see three other people next to him, so when a head was missing he did a quick headcount.

A second later, he confirmed that one person was missing. Where the hell- The sound of feet scraping against a wall came from somewhere above him, prompting him to look up. Much to his surprise, the smaller of the females had made her way up the second, much taller wall without anyone's help. For a few seconds, the senior stood speechless at what had just transpired. Is she hiding her skill? I didn't peg her as one capable of climbing a 14-foot inverted wall. Without help. On her first day.

A memory flashed in Lukas' head, one of when he was one failure away from being subjected to a firing squad. The heights of inverted walls and the drop afterward scared the living daylights out of stage eighteen Lukas, that phobia severely affecting his performance and grades. He came back to the present as he heard mechanical whirring and clicking of a moving door. The next wave of archers. The other three must be making their way up.

The senior assessed the second wall, this one just a foot or two taller than the last. Even with less space to get a running start, the wall was no match for him. He pulled himself up onto the next level, regarding the trainee who was sizing up the fifteen-foot drop that came next. He crept up behind her and peered over her shoulder, wondering just what thoughts the drop sent crashing through her mind.

Lukas whispered, "Mind helping me pull them up? Then we can worry about the drop."

 

[Yakov011001]

Klaüs nodded to himself as the others made their way up the wall: One-Five first, Zero-Nine second. Then Penelope approached him, lightly stepping into his hand.

"Thank you." She whispered to him. His head snapped up to her in surprise, but she didn't meet his gaze.

Right, going up. He lightly pushed up with his hands in a rhythm. One, two, three! He hurled her up with his full body weight. When he saw that she had found herself some help at the top, he checked to see if the others were coming. Huh? When'd they get there? Klaüs looked out and saw another set of archers. Shit, Lükas said there'd be more, but I didn't think they'd show up so quickly! Having seen that one had an arrow nocked already, Klaüs anticipated its trajectory and sidestepped to his right. He just barely avoided the arrow as it sailed past him; though, unfortunately he'd forgotten two key facts about his situation: one, these were knockback arrows--they had a blast radius; two, there was a wall just behind him.

"Shit!" Klaüs was pushed to the ground by the blast behind him.

Looking up from the ground he saw that two of the others had seen his fall as an opportunity, their arrows locked-on to his skull. Fuck. He quickly tried to hop off the ground with some weird on-the-fly jumping push-up maneuver, and while this meant he wouldn't be taking the arrows to his face; it also meant that the arrows were detonating immediately under him.

Fucking--

The combination of two fucking knockback arrows going off point fucking blank tossed him into the air. It didn't help that one detonated under his chest and one under his face; he was doing backflips as he soared. He did managed to catch a lucky break, as this trajectory meant he was flying to the top of the first wall; however, it was very quickly cut short by the fact that while he was flying to the top of the wall he wasn't flying over. At the top of the wall, Klaüs had himself spun upright with his back facing it; the back-right side of his hip smashed against the ledge of the wall.

"Fuck!" Klaüs cried.

His legs stopped at the wall, but since his upper body was over the wall; it kept moving. He tumbled backwards and rolled across the platform until he was stopped by the second wall.

"Agh! Motherbitch!" Klaüs was boiling in his head, as he clutched his side while he lay on the floor.

Fuck this, I don't want to be an Infiltrator anymore.

 

[Chawieeee]

As the last member of Team Alpha Layla watched how her other team members got over the wall with nothing but success...except one. The male who was trying to help others basically got shot to the sky and fell back down later. This meant Layla needed to do the beginning stages of climbing the wall on her own. She left the girl behind whom she had an argument with and ran up to the wall without someone at the bottom to help her getting up.

She jumped as high as she could, which was not high at all, and tried to get some grip halfway on the wall with her fingers and arms. (She was never physically gifted in terms of jumping, but that being said, she was quite fast, but that did not help here). She brought her strength all together and pulled herself higher and grabbed onto the arm of Mena as she finally got up the first wall.

With the same momentum she continued and ran towards the second wall whilst passing the red haired boy, Mena and Klaus who was still on the floor. With the same technique and some help from Lukas and Penelope she managed to get herself on top of the second wall too whilst ending up with some scratches on her arm and fingers. Without eye contact she sat next to the blonde girl and decided to compliment her for her solo wall climbing as she murmured softly "Nicely done."

Interactions: thelovelyloser

 

[thelovelyloser]

The excitement from climbing the wall was slowly draining from Penelope’s body as she peered down at the drop. The distance was practically taunting her, reminding her that she had almost fallen fifty feet off of the metal beam. Until then heights has never been an issue yet suddenly they were giving her the most trouble. She was a o lost in thought she barley noticed Lukas launch himself up the wall, perched next to her.

After snapping from her thoughts she stuttered out a, “Y-Yes sir!” Gripping onto the edge of the platform left her knuckles white, slowly turning so that she faced the others with the drop to her back. She couldn’t help her eyes from flickering over her shoulder at it, praying that she didn’t loose balance.

She was forced to overcome her fear when her first teammate approached, the intimidating blonde who she hadn’t interacted with yet. Continuing to hold on with one hand she extended the other, pulling her up due to the help of Lukas. If he hadn’t been there she would have surely not been able to do it alone.

“Nicely done.” The girl surpringly complimented Penny, catching her off guard. Her eyes widened before an invouluntary smile spread paired with flushed cheeks. It was a simple statement, yet coming from the cold blonde it seemed to weigh much more.

“Thank you!” She chirped before turning away to hide the embarrassment. Once again feeling good about herself she extended another hand down to help her teammates.

 

[PinkChiffon]

Mena couldn’t help but to wince as she watched the spectacle of the guy who was giving everyone a boost go flying over the first wall. She jumped down, landing in between the two. And knelt next to him, “Listen, it sucks but you’ve got to keep moving.” Mena did a quick glance over his body. She didn’t think she heard the crack of any bones, but it was hard to say for sure. She had her fair share of training related injuries, but never took a spill quite like that. “Your ribs are probably bruised. You might even have a concussion. You’re going to want to keep holding your side, you can’t. You’re not going to able to finish the course doing that.” Mena glanced at the first wall, hearing the other teams on the other side of it. “But we have to get you over the wall.” Mena held out her hand go help him up, “Come on, I’ll give you a boost.”

 

[Yakov011001]

Klaüs clutched his side, that didn't feel good at all.

"Mothertrucker dude," He groaned to no one inparticular. "That hurt like a buttcheek on a stick."

Klaüs felt the wood shift under him, and he looked up to see that one of his teammates was standing over him. Oh, One-Five. She addressed him rather bluntly, she sized up his injuries to a small degree. Though, he was moderately certain that he didn't quite have a concussion; not 100% though. She offered a hand for him to get up.

"Ah, thank you, much," He took her hand and used her as an anchor to get himself on his feet. "I appreciate the offer, I think I'll take you up on that." He remarked on her giving him a boost up the next wall.

PinkChiffon

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

Wow, this year's trainees are amazing. I've never seen anyone fly that high.

The thought floated through her head untethered as she made her way forward, easily scaling the first wall with the momentum she built, grabbing the top of it as she sailed just over it's lip, using a single hand to boost herself over in such a way that she could easily land on her feet, knees bent to absorb the shock.

She stood up straight as she found Twelve standing unsteadily with help from another 18. "Hold up a second," she said as she approached, taking a quick glance at the way the boy clutched his right side. She stooped down, to help give him a boost, taking a moment to yell up at the two above them. "Penelope! Switch spots with Lukas! You'll want to put more pressure on his left!"
Penelope was just shorter than her fellow 19, but still having the girl on his right side lifting a little less would at least alleviate some of the pain.

"Forward role is really gonna suck for you," she mumbled as she and the other girl lifted Thirteen into the air.

 

[PinkChiffon]

Interactions: Yakov011001 ​

Mena helped pull him to his feet. She stood ready at the base of the wall and cupped her hands down at her thigh. "I don't think I could lift you much higher than my waist. You're going to have to go from my hands and then step up on my shoulders to make it easier for Penelope and Lukas to grab you from the top." As Mena readied herself to help him up the wall, she tried to strategize her own path up the wall. The height difference between this and the first wall meant it was unlikely that she'd be able to get up the sheer surfaced without help. Mena was relieved that this was a team exercise rather than a solo mission. She would have to hustle though, as the other teams were quick on their heels and Mena was worried about more archers showing up. Seeing what happened to thirteen made more than enough to motivate her to go faster.

 

[Chawieeee]

Layla looked at her team from the top of the second wall in an uncomfortable position. With quick thinking she jumped back down from the second wall she had climbed earlier on her own. She slid down on the ground and ducked under Klaüs with the aim of helping him get up Mena’s shoulders. She placed her hands under his feet and readied up to push him higher on top of Mena’s shoulders with the help of Aster as well. “UP!” The small blonde yelled as she tried to stand up, unbending her knees lifting him up to Mena’s shoulders. The boy was much heavier than she thought, but with the help of her 2 fellow female partners, it became much easier.

Confident in her blonde partner and Lukas pulling the injured Klaüs up, Layla readjusted her hair which had gotten messy because of the exercises so it was not covering her eyes anymore. “You’re next.” She told the girl whom she still did not know the name of, just like any teammate to be honest. Placing her hands in the shape of a platform and hoping for Aster to help on the other side, she bended her knees so the girl could stand on it.

Interactions: PinkChiffon Yakov011001 Shadow Cat

 

[thelovelyloser]

"Okay!" Penelope said with a firm nod, switching with Lukas as instructed by Aster. At first she had no clue as to why until she saw Klaus clutching his side, being assisted by a few of their teammates. Apparently she had been so focused on the drop behind her that she hadn't seen him practically fly through the air and over the first wall, once again proving how easily she could get hyper focused on one thing.

At first she struggled to reach for his arm, leaning over the edge of the wall and sucking in a breath in hopes that she wouldn't fall herself. Once she had a good grip she heaved him up with help, pulling him onto the top to join them. "O-Oh my gosh!" She gasped, seeing the shape that the brunette was in. The pain was clear on his features, peing pushed and pulled likely not helping. In reaction her brows knit together with concern, the corners of her lips tugging downward into a deep frown. "What happened? Are you okay?" Realizing that two was two too many questions, she snapped her lips shut. There was no need to pester him with such questions at the time, realizing that others were still waiting to get up. Shooting him one last sideways glance she leaned back over the edge in order to help any others up. Up until then he had been more than helpful, she just hoped that with the team aiding him he would make it to the end.

 

[Yakov011001]

That doesn't feel great. A pain shot up Klaüs' left side as he strained to get up the wall. His curling in to help get his weight up causing a strain on his ribs. Once he got to the top, he rested on all fours in an attempt to regain some kind of control.

"O-oh my gosh! What happened? Are you okay?" Penelope shouted.

It seemed she missed the memo; that memo being something along the lines of 'no, I am not okay'. As he rested on the ground a little, his gaze drifted to the other teams. They were pulling ahead!? Every team had at least two people already at the bottom of the drop. It seems that his injury had his team too preoccupied with babysitting him that they were falling behind. Penelope's shouting only further convinced him of that. Fuck! If this keeps up, we'll DNF! He picked himself up. Attempting to look unfazed by his injuries. If he makes it past this next obstacle before the rest of his team, they can stop worrying about getting him through so that they can do work for themselves. That, and it'd piss him off his he made it to the end without having actually done any work himself.

"I'm fine, Twelve, I'm alright," He dismissed Penelope. "Watch this."

He jumped down the fifteen foot drop without another thought. In hindsight, probably should've thought this through a bit more. He impacted the ground so hard that pins and needles shot up his legs from the impact, which hurt. Though, after a second or two of groaning silently in pain and self-reflection, the pain was mostly gone. Looking up from where he landed, he could see his weapon on the wire mesh in front of him. Finish now, hurt later. He picked himself up, limping more from the awkwardness he felt in his legs than the pain. It was like his legs forgot they were legs, but at least they were still working. I am uncomfort'. Getting his flammenschwert onto his belt, he moved back to the spot he landed.

"So--uh," He called up to the top. "I'll be catching any volunteers, I guess!"

thelovelyloser Hugh Flynn

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Lukas mentally uttered a curse as he resisted the urge to kick a few trainees off the top wall. In their efforts to lift an injured team member up the second wall. a majority of the other teams found their rhythm and sped through the inverted walls. It frustrated him a bit to see that they had lost their lead, the emotion not helping him suppress the need to launch a foot at them as they maneuvered down the drop.

Apparently the same injured teammate felt the same way, venting the frustration through tossing himself off the top wall into a fifteen-foot fall. Lukas' head whiplashed over the edge, his eyes locking onto a grimacing teen. A half-scoff, half-chuckle left his mouth before a loud explosion rang through the training hall.

The senior's eyes immediately scrambled to find the source of the noise, his eyes settling on a clamorous battle in the designated section for Phase Three. He noticed a few nineteen and eighteeners battling it out with a squad of five stage twenties. The seniors were easily holding them off, but numbers will eventually override skill.

His eyes snapped back to the only team member past the drop and shouted, "Hey collectee! Ruckpacks are laid out in front! You won't be allowed to exit Phase Two without stuffing that weapon of yours in a pack!"

With that out of the way, he turned back to the teammates who were on the first wall. His gaze settled on the small redhead who was now sizing up the second wall. He met eyes with his fellow nineteener, mouthing a word then cocking his head towards the trainee. Aster smirked before creeping up behind the younger boy. She picked up the kid and chucked him upwards, before scaling the wall herself.

Lukas mentally thanked Rider for Tactics class when Aster sent the boy flying. As the redhead reached the apex of Aster's throw, Lukas snatched his flailing arms and pulled him to the top. Setting the boy down, he whispered a quick "You're up next for the drop." before turning back to check on Aster and the rest.

He didn't have to though as Aster popped over the second wall, leaving the brunette and the taller blonde behind. He cast a sideways glance at Aster, the two simultaneously nodding as Lukas mouthed another word. The male nineteener promptly turned to the drop and lept off, extending his legs out to absorb the impact. He pulled himself into a safety roll, before turning around to give the okay to Aster.

Aster's stare followed Lukas as he pulled off a safety roll, noting at least three things wrong with his form. When the okay came out, she grabbed the redhead and lowered him as far as her arms allowed, before letting the trainee fall. Lukas dashed to the kid's landing zone and plucked him out of the air, setting him down on both feet. He pointed to the next wooden platform and instructed, "Go get your weapons and place them into a military rucksack. Pack up as fast as you can then bring me a small and a medium pack. We're losing time."

Shadow Cat Yakov011001 -ferret-

 

[-ferret-]

Weasel was not meant to be airborne. He was weasel-like. Not flying squirrel-like. He could appreciate the fact that Aster and Lukas and the rest of the team wanted to win, but he could've scaled the wall on his own...probably. It didn't matter though because as soon as his feet were lifted from underneath him and he was flying through the air, all rational thought left him. So this is how it ends. He thought, flailing through the air, awaiting death. He was definitely being overdramatic though as Lukas easily caught him and settled him down on the top of the second wall. He was about to give both his nighteener teammates a warning bite to know just how he felt about being manhandled like a pet, when he was lifted up again and manhandled like some domesticated cat. He hadn't even seen Aster scale the wall! How had she snuck up on him again?? He huffed as he was quickly lowered before Aster decided to just drop him. He was an adult! He might've been short. He might've broken a leg trying to fall from fifteen feet. But being lowered down to where Lukas could catch him felt quite undignified.

He didn't have time to huff and snarl though because he was quickly being given directions. He did as told and ran to grab his weapons. Stuffing his dagger, knives, and quiver full of arrows into the rucksack, he set aside his recurve bow before grabbing the small and medium sacks and dashing back to Lukas. He placed them on the ground before sprinting back and grabbing his stuff.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

PHASES TWO AND THREE

PHASE TWO: PACK UP
After completing the fifteen-foot drop, you come face to face with a wire mesh wall.

On it are all of the trainees' weapons, yours included. Find yours and proceed past the wall to the rucksack area.

On the floor of the wooden platform, military rucksacks are lined up according to size.

Grab one that appropriately fits your weapons and safely stow them away. Don your weapon-filled pack and properly connect both hip and shoulder straps.

If you have not properly worn your backpack, two teachers who man the exit side of Phase Two's platform will not allow you to move on to the next phase.


PHASE THREE: EVADE AND AVOID
A squad of five stage twenties block your way to the finish line.

Dodge and evade all their attacks with the added weight of your weapons and pack.

Combat in this phase is not necessarily off the table, but taking them out will ensure an easy pass for those that lag behind you.

Once you step off Phase Three's wooden platform, shed your pack and hand-carry your weapons over the last stretch of cement.

The finish line awaits.

THE FIVE-MAN SQUAD

Spoiler: One.

A well-built man who wields double-wielded claws. One and Two are in the frontlines.
Skill: Unknown.

Spoiler: Two.

A very bulky man who wields two double-handed double-sided axes. One and Two are in the frontlines.
Skill: Unknown.

Spoiler: Three.

A well-built man who wields a trident and a shield. Three stays back with Four and Five to protect them from being meleed.
Skill: Unknown.

Spoiler: Four and Five.

Twins. Both wield compound bows and a dagger. Skill: Explosive Arrows. Other arrows yet to be seen.

​

not everything is as it seems.

 

[PinkChiffon]

"Thanks." Mena stepped up onto Layla's hands. The boost was just enough height to help reach Penelope's hand and pull herself up over the top. Just as Mena summited the wall, she heard someone say "Watch this." It was the injured boy, and he dropped down the whole 15 feet. No safety roll, no nothing. Just a solid 15 ft drop. Her attention from that was immediately pulled away when the red-headed boy went sailing past her. 'This is an absolute circus.' Mena was very quickly losing faith in her team, but she had to shake it off. "Thank you for your help, Penelope." Mena jumped down the wall, rolling forward out her jump, feeling the force of the jump thought her body. She stood up and brushed herself off, glancing at thirteen from her periphery, "You need to play this smarter if you intend to live through training." Mena jogged forward towards phase two.

It didn't take her long to spot her weapon as the hilt was fairly distinctive. Her throwing knives took a bit longer to spot but she got a hold of them soon enough. Mena picked a pack that was long enough to contain her rapier, which proved a bit more of a task then she anticipated. After manipulating the way it sat in the pack for a minute or two, she was eventually able to get it in and the pack zipped shut. She clipped both sets of buckles shut and waited for her team before stepping onto the wooden platform that marked the start of phase three. She thought about what Jullian had said to her earlier, that people would be trying to prevent their completion of the course. This must have been what he meant.

 

[Chawieeee]

With a solid jump, Layla got over the second wall for the second time and slid down the drop and ended with a forward roll as she landed acrobatically and safely on the platform. Slightly jogging, she ran towards her two machete’s and three glaives and put them in a rucksack big enough to fit all of her 5 weapons. It was quite heavy, but not complaining like usual Layla continued pulling through. There was no time to complain either at this point.

After the courageous blonde clipped both buckles, she arrived at the beginning of phase 3 where Mena had gotten there first. She stared at the 5 members who were supposed to stop them and tried to figure out a way to stop them but failing to do so.

After some time she gave up thinking and decided just to go straight at the 5-man team instead, the reason behind that was losing their lead a couple minutes ago. She sprinted as fast as she could and slid inbetween the first two men. With her left foot she hooked the right foot of one of them and then pulled her leg back so he would trip over. Layla rapidly picked up his heavy weapon and tried to make a cut in his leg to stop him from doing his job any time soon.

 

[thelovelyloser]

"Oh my gosh!" The shock left Penelople's lips with no hesitation when she watched Klaus fly over the edge of the wall, taking the drop head on. Immediatly she was up and hanging over the edge in fear that he would be flat on the ground from the fall. Through some mystery was fine though, his preserverence saving hm despite the odds. A sigh of relief followed the realization, once again turning back to assist the others up and over the wall.

Suddenly everyone was up and then down once more, all jumping off with no second thoughts it seemed. If she didn't know any better she would have thought they had all done this before, expertly ducking into a roll to avoid any injuries. Slowly the numbers dwindled atop the wall, her being one of the few remaining. Despite the way her legs were shaking she knew she had to push forward, they were almost done after all. With the help of her team she had made it this far, something she never expected after seeing the video. Every fiber of her being wanted to turn back but she wouldn't allow it.

Instead she took a deep breath, maneuvering to hang on the side of the wall that the drop was on. Though she wasn't going to allow herself to stop after the progress they had made, she still wasn't courageous enough to throw her whole body off the edge like the others. Hanging in an attempt to lessen the distance her sweaty hands made the decision for her, grip loosening on the edge and plummeting downward. Hoping to minimize the impact she bent her knees upon impact but pain shot through her body, tumbling backward onto the platform with a strangled groan. Her goal had been to make it out of that with as little damage as possible yet she seemed the worst out of it. Even her injured teammate was more successful! If her plan had worked properly she would have likely been fine, but now her whole body ached as she pushed herself back onto her feet while clutching the back of her head. This whole course had been so back and forth for her so far and she was desperately ready for it to be over.

Trying to ignore the pain the pushed forward, eyes scanning the wire mesh wall for her weapon. Just as they landed on the familiar cross bow Lukas' voice grabbed her attention from the side, "That's yours, get your crossbow." Just as she was about to ask what he meant a pack was tossed into her arms, the action taking her by surprise and causing her to stumble backward.

"Oh, uh-" She scanned the military style pack before nodding to the brunette, "Thank you." With that she pulled it on, tugging the straps into place and adjusting them accordingly. Once they were mostly comfortable she did as told, sliding her bow onto the bag along with the arrows that hung next to it. Though she was still clueless on how to use it there was something comforting about the weight on her back, moving forward with a bit more confidence even if only a little.

With the others she approached the next phase, only halting near Lukas to gesture toward her pack. "Is this on right?" She turned her back to him, twirling once in hopes of approval. It felt right aside from one of the straps at her hip sitting a bit odd, waving it off as nothing. However she saw two teachers standing at the edge of the platform, eyes on them. She had a feeling that they wouldn't be allowed through if there were any mistakes. Besides that she could see the twenties a bit further down, waiting for them to approach. A part of her was hoping to buy a bit more time as well, gulping as she racked her brain for some sort of plan. They looked ready to kill but perhaps that was just in an attempt to intimidate the trainees- they wouldn't actually go all out, right?

 

[Hugh Flynn]

THE FIVE MAN SQUAD

ONE
The man heaves a maniacal laugh as he stood with one leg over an unconscious nineteener's body. He traces the younger man's body with the blade of his claws, causing the body to convulse violently. Neon blue eyes stare at Two before shifting onto a new challenger, a blonde he's never seen before. Seeing as the trainee dashed in between them and tripped up Two, he decided to step back and watch the fight unfold. Out of the corner of his eye, he keeps a keen watch over a brunette that stood near the entrance of the wooden platform. He notices a familiar face accompanied by another blonde slowly making their way towards Phase 3.

TWO
Two was just busy chatting with Three when he suddenly lost his balance, caused by a trainee who had snuck up on him. He nearly faceplanted, losing grip of both his axes as he put his hands out in front to catch himself from falling. Hearing the familiar scrape of his axe against wood, he instinctively rolled away from the attacker in an effort to dodge. When he got back up, he shot a deadly glare at the perpetrator and snatched his other axe. Through peripheral vision, he jumped backwards to put distance between him and the girl, hoping she was unaware of what was going to happen.

THREE
Three completely lost it as the man he was just talking to collapsed. He had seen the eighteener slip between the two frontliners, purposefully keeping quiet just to see what the gal would do. Thankfully, he was given great amusement as the trainee successfully tripped up a stage twenty. He looked back at the twins behind him, muttering a quick 'Woah.' before ducking out of the way.

FOUR AND FIVE
The twins were just salvaging arrows from earlier fights, finetuning their bows for the next round when a crisp laugh cut through the hallway. Both men exchanged glances before looking at Three, wondering what all the racket was about. When the reason became apparent, Four burst in laughter as well, while Five nocked an explosion arrow into his bow. Five pulled back and took aim, waiting for the perfect angle to present itself.
​

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Lukas' eyes followed suit as the redhead dashed to Phase 2, immediately snatching his weapons and the packs like Lukas instructed. The trainee had just set down the packs Lukas requested when two other trainees, the blonde and the brunette, dropped down from the wall. Both pulled off a safety roll, prompting Lukas to wonder what training backgrounds did they have to pull off such a technique. I guess we're skipping a few introductory classes this year, the senior thought to himself.

After doing a quick check of those still up top, Lukas dashed for the next wooden platform whilst grabbing the two packs the redhead laid on the floor for him. He had already spotted his weapons from his position near the wall, so procuring both his main and thrown weapons were a cinch. A year of practice didn't seem like much but the stage nineteener easily stored his weapons and strapped on the buckles, faltering a bit when he heard a thud followed by a pained groan.

Lukas' head swiveled around, a sideways glance resting on the crossbow wielder he reserved the medium pack for. His body pivoted to face her as she made her way to the wire mesh, light blue eyes scanning the wall for her weapon. He stifled a chuckle, still wondering how she landed in Infiltration. "That's yours, get your crossbow," the nineteener informed her while tossing the medium pack he held. After hearing a sheepish thank you, he turned his attention back to the straps of his rucksack, simultaneously moving towards the exit to get his work validated by the teachers.

Before he could get the attention of the teachers, the blonde caught his attention again, asking if her rucksack's straps were alright. He stared intently at her as she did a three-sixty, noting both a flimsy hip strap and her nervous glances at the Phase 2 monitors. "You missed this strap here," he said while redoing her work, "Don't worry, I've fixed it, so Phase 2's finished for you." He flashed a smile, hoping that was enough to reassure the gal. "Just follow me."

Lukas slowed his pace as he approached the teachers, offering them a high-five; one returned the gesture while the other scoffed. After a few seconds, his pace picked up again as he got the okay from the Phase 2 monitors, plateauing at a semi-hurried jog towards the next phase. His eyes locked onto the battle ahead, noticing quite a few unconscious and bleeding bodies that lay around their foes. He squinted even further, noticing no one had made it across the finish line at all. Even until now, not a single trainee made it across? Just how serious are the teachers this year?

An unsettling feeling manifested in Lukas' chest, the reason why he felt that way unbeknownst to the brunet. He jogged forward a few more feet before stopping in his tracks, his vision tunneling on a drawn bow. Nocked onto the bowstring was the unmistakable deep orange glow of a blunt explosion arrow. Before any thoughts even formed in Lukas' head, his body already launched into action. A whole year of torturous running exercises showed on Lukas as he closed the distance in a matter of seconds.

But even with Lukas' burst of speed, it didn't stop the other members of the five-man squad from intercepting. Two of the bigger men moved to block his way, menacing blades and axes shimmering as they swiftly repositioned. Unfortunately, no matter how much a cool dodging scene would be here, not even Lukas could evade two melee stage twenties focused on him. As two grown men stood in his way, Lukas resorted to Plan B. The moment the senior step foot on the wooden platform, his throwing weapon seemingly appeared out of nowhere. In his hand lay a glaive, deep admiral blue in color with a chromatic finish. After a second of calculating, Lukas flicked his wrist and sent it spinning through the air. It rotated itself horizontally after barely missing the axe-wielding man as it whizzed right past his face.

The brunet watched with a smug grin as the blue glaive flew through the air, the spinning blade seconds away from slicing the archer's bow in half. However, his smugness was wiped right off as the glaive completely lost all its motion. The weapon floated motionless in the air, almost magically, before the surface it struck revealed itself. The air around the glaive shimmered with blue sparks before the sparks slowly materialized into a cerulean rectangle. Lukas scowled, knowing exactly what had stopped his throw. A tactician's shield. He took care to glare at each of the members that stood in front of them, the unsettling feeling from earlier making itself known once again. He glanced back, noting that most of his teammates were slowly grouping up. Aster and I can take these blockheads. As long as Team Alpha gets across the finish line.

"TEAM ALPHA. PROCEED TO THE FINISH LINE, US NINETEENERS WILL COVER YOU."

Lukas reached into his pack and pulled out his main weapon, a buffalo whip. He unrolled its length and wrapped it around both hands, ready to answer whatever attack they'll throw at him. "Team Alpha always finishes first. It's practically tradition."

 

[Shadow Cat]

​

"US NINETEENERS WILL COVER YOU!"

Aster heard the shout from Lukas only barely over the shouting and commotion going on in the rest of the course. Alright, twenties. Lets go.

She dashed forward from her spot atop the wall, perfectly executing her own forward safety roll before popping up without a moment's hesitation. She spotted her weapons immediately- a pair of sleek black Tonfas, each sporting a small indention along one side, the mark of her last upgrade. And boy, was she excited to use it. She shoved her weapons into a pack, strapping up and starting forward faster than before, stopping only when she reached the area where Lukas was fending off the gang of Twenties.

"Let's kick some ass, Lukas!" She shouted, whipping out her Tonfas, one finger of of each hand finding an almost imperceptible indention in the handle ad pressing down. Without warning, a blade sprung from the crease in each weapon, sharp and jagged.

She picked out the burly man with the battle axes immediately, setting her sights on him. She'd have a definite advantage with him in an arena like this, wide open and spacious where she had plenty of room to maneuver. Both she and her weapons were built for speed, and in this kind of setting, she could make sure he couldn't catch her. Of course, if he did it was going to really suck.

She pushed the thought back down as she started forward, aiming for the first man with the claws before changing her direction suddenly and veering off toward the second, dodging his flurry of axes as she feinted a duck to the left, taking the right instead and swinging her left arm out for nothing more than stability and she spun, not chancing an attack until she was behind him. Once she was, however, she wasted no time in going in for a blow to the back of his knee.

 

[Hugh Flynn]

THE FIVE MAN SQUAD

ONE
Seeing as his axe-wielding comrade has gone head-to-head with the white-haired nineteener, he picked the male nineteener as his opponent. Maneuvering from behind Two, he pulled off a surprise attack on Lukas and slashed at him whilst stepping forward.

Skill: Unknown

TWO
The man did not like the brunet's confidence when he said that they'd still make it across, seeing as many of the nineteeners and trainees that came before his team had been wiped and knocked unconscious. He was about to take a swing at the male when he changed his target to a female nineteener that had come sprinting down the hallway. Having his first set of axe swings dodged, he tried to pivot to face the nimble girl, but with no such luck. He stumbled backwards, prompting him to use his skill. The blades of his double-sided axe shifted into a single-sided axe, before fusing then elongated into double scythes. The man spun both scythes in the air, hoping to create some space for him to regain his positioning.

Skill: Shift Weapon Form. He has only two weapon forms, axe mode and scythe mode.

THREE
Three did not appreciate the declaration of the brown-haired male, not at all. Instead of joining the fray of One and Two, he decided to look out for any of the Team Alpha members that thought to cross Phase Three. He has his eyes set on the female that darted between One and Two earlier, in case she decides to do anything. Trident in hand, if the female doesn't do anything soon, he'll have to move to combat her.

Skill: Unknown

FOUR AND FIVE
Four stopped laughing and started to back away from the ongoing fight, making sure that he was the last line of defense in case any sneaky trainee was to escape Three and the others. He drew an unknown arrowhead and nocked it in his bow, but he didn't move to draw his string. He'd wait until any eighteener would test their luck against his shot.

Five dropped his aim as Three's shield went up, his line of sight with the girl from earlier being cut off by the energy shield. He looked behind him and noticed that his twin had started to back off. He nodded at the plan and slowly paced sideways, looking for an angle to shoot his explosion arrow. His eyes were set on the brown-haired male, before switching targets to another female that idly stood near the entrance of the wooden platform. If she decided to move, he'd be ready to shoot.

Skill: Explosive Arrows. An unknown arrowhead has been drawn, its effect unknown to both the eighteeners and nineteeners.​