Both Logan and Amira see the duo completing the test while they are watching it in their rooms. Seeing carefully in what they do gives them a bit more of confidence in what they're capable of and how they'll do it. Heroes always need the moment where they'll get recognized for something they're capable of.
Logan, particularly, can't feel any better, with his chin high, calm demeanor and a smile on his face. The others like Berat and Valentina look with interest, wondering if the team will be near their caliber in the war. Amira simply stands alone, watching while tilting her head to the side and gazing carefully. She's already seeing how much Humans can try their tests for a greater good, but now, it's now the turn of an Alien to turn a new chapter in evolving Human history.
Nearing the endgame of the second test, Logan still holds out his breath, waiting to see how successful the test is going to be for them.
"You guys are some peculiar fellows just now, right?" Berat asks while standing behind him.
"How peculiar?"
"Well, the way you've practiced your skills, something so great even if you're not part of any military in some way. Kinda sweet to think about it."
"Yeah, I mean, we've seen a few guys in armies trying to pass these sorts of tests, but not to the level we're seeing right now. Or maybe it's just a godly coincidence after all," Valentina says as she chuckles in amusement.
"Well, one can know the ways to pass on something regardless of the field, man..."
"But still not as fantastic like now. Hehe, you still play up quite well for a modern knight, don't ya?" Valentina asks with her eyebrows raised.
"Anyone can be fantastic in their own way."
Berat could only chuckle in response while patting him once more on his shoulders while carefully caressing the right side of Logan's head.
"I'm kinda liking you, dear boy."
Logan chuckles embarrassingly in response.
An alarm blares around the site, indicating the end of the second test from Seiner & Tany. Logan sighs in relief with a relaxed tone. His own wishes are starting to come true, just maybe.
"Success! Nice work people, you're the fourth ones to pass this great test after 69 failed attempts. I gotta say, you're giving off a nice vibe so far, which impresses me. Now, next one will be that Alien girl; Amira Dhorian she says and then your worth will be proven!" John says on the intercom.
"So, that Alien chick you guys have...is she...?" Valentina asks while sneakily approaching behind Logan.
"She's... a unique being...I guess?"
Valentina simply looks at him with her arms crossed with a smirk while Berat leans near his face, his eyes narrow and focused on Logan himself. Logan blushes in response backs away for a bit.
"Ohohoho! You actually like her, don't you? And hiding something like a little mouse?" Berat asks.
"Eh!? Well, maybe as a friend, that's all!"
"Then why looking red like an apple now?" Valentina asks.
"There's a simple explanation for that...!"
"And that is...?"
Logan can't help but to grimace and wince at the whole thing, like being teased for a high school date of some sort, probably not the prom queen, but perhaps a bit too close to it.
"OK, are you done teasing the little boy?" John asks on the intercom again, making both Berat and Valentina shift their focus on him from afar, simply nodding in agreement while Logan turns away while giggling nervously...before being pulled back to see the screen by Berat, spouting a large smirk on his face.
The other warriors notice and they start to chuckle in amusement to Logan's "secret". Even as an adult, he can't help but still feel like a kid once more.
"Are you done?" John asks while smiling in a restrained way, almost looking forced.
The warriors nod in agreement as well, maybe a bit nervously in doing so.
"We're still having fun, my John," Jackson says.
"Well, this one WILL be triple the fun...just watch and learn," John blinks to him before continuing to put his head near the microphone once more.
"Now...I think this is gonna be a tough one if you put that way...honestly, I shouldn't say it but just to make you safe anyway. There's a headset in that pole which when implanted on your head, it recreates the room into a close holographic projection of the place where the user feels peace the most. Once done, they'll get to experience a bit of peace until their emotions are challenged. How challenged you ask? Find out soon. Better not spoil it or else the fun is going to be ruined...and I don't really like ruined fun you know. Alright now, Amira Dhorian...you can begin."
Amira slowly walks towards the pole containing the mind-reading headset, which is hanging from a wire near the pole. Every step for her feels a bit cold, barefoot or not. Almost as cold from every icy place she has ever known in her life. But this is not the common cold...but almost something like a cold for her inner self. She doesn't change glance to anything else, all the focus is towards the electronic headset itself. It's almost like if her most inner secret will be revealed, to see what lies beyond the Alien face, the face they've tried to seek ever since they heard of them for the beginning of time.
She reaches to the pole, carefully grabbing the headset away from the wire. She carefully touches every part of it while turning it as well, like something wonderful she'd never expect in her life.
"Look, it's simple "Earthling" technology if you're interested to know, mind putting it on now?" John asks, which Amira coincides by putting it near her forehead, in which some of the cables around it are placed in some parts around her forehead as well.
"That device detects the brainwaves inside you, the cables will make use of what your brain's thinking when you're at your most peaceful state...Now, close your eyes."
She does so, all breathing slowly and gently, which is a way to keep a relaxed state for herself. She does it a handful of times to achieve it.
"Drift all the recent thoughts away...give in to your deepest dreams...enveloping you like a lovely bird nest...no divergence shall set your mind apart...because you are the one in control...filled with peace...and love..." those are the words John used as way to continue the relaxation state for the user, all the peaceful words he can find to set the user at peace.
Amira's heartbeat is felt in every second she can think, every second when she can move, even every second when she can speak, all to try her best to resonate the words inside her.
To be in tranquility.
To be reunited.
To be purified.
To be loved.
The answer will be near her.
"Now...rise up...to your wish."
Amira slowly opens her eyes, having been enveloped by darkness for a moment to cleanse her mind away from all memories. The first sight she sees makes her mind and soul allure in pure joy.
Large, green, thick trees spread across the place, an alluring, natural blue sky that is alive as all life on Earth, the sound of wet drops around the riverbank near her. The fields spread across like the most beautiful plant life of all life forms. A sunray spread to illuminate the beauty of everything that inhabits the place, to bring pure life and joy for the forest to enjoy. Various forms of birds flying across the sky to prosper their shared life among other living beings. All beauty that makes a forest is found now.
Amira slowly smiles at the sight she sees, turning around to see every bit of beauty in sight while taking off the mental headset. Pure awe dominates her as she walks for a bit to see every beauty of the forest she can see. Even though it's an Earthling's forest, she can't help but feel a sense of familiarity with it. Truly, Earth may not be alone in the beauty of nature after all.
"Feeling something...?" John asks calmly.
Amira turns towards John's direction, which she simply replied by putting her fingers near her forehead. John's confused at first in what she does until he starts to freeze for a moment when his eyes widen at something. He's like he's hearing something from her even though she's not supposed to see him. Yet, it all reached to a simple message
Our lives, even distant, can share a common beauty after all...John.
John simply nods his head in response even without a smile, maybe something to agree universally it seems.
"Let me wait until I see the rest of it...but yeah."
The rest of the team more or less respond with kindred joy as well, they too feel a well-deserved union between distant races and such.
Amira, for once, is somewhere like home, somewhere where she can see what she can remember, perhaps more so than Stanislaus Forest. All symbolize with her smile, which gets as bright as it can get while releasing extending her arms wide open to "touch" all the nature she sees. Happiness's inside her for once.
"Pretty place, eh?" a voice asks in the distance. A masculine one it seems.
"Well, as pretty as low-budget it can get," another voice replies. This time a feminine one.
"Uh? Who said that?"
Amira turns around to see who's in the room just now, she felt alone for a moment, but now people just came in?
"Right here, sweetheart," the male voice replies, making Amira change her gaze directly to the source of the voice. It comes from a tall man leaning near a tree with short, groomed black hair, dark green eyes, a cigar in his mouth and the standard soldier uniform of the UEF, only with a red maple leaf on the center. It looks like a special costume designed for him.
"Yeah, just your typical handsome guy on the flesh. Walter Carter is the name."
"Walter...Carter?"
"What are you, some idiotic parrot or something?" the female voice rudely asks, sounding like it comes behind Amira, prompting her to turn to her back. The girl is medium-sized, pink soaked hair with a ponytail, sea green eyes, a pair of goggles and a peculiar metal-chained armor with a smiley pin near the chest.
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"Before you ask, it's Ji Ae Gang or whatever shit you can call it."
"Who are you, dear Humans?"
"We? We'll be your best teachers in a lifetime, for an Alien anyway," Walter says.
"Yeah, just because of your shiny prettiness doesn't mean it's a set to go indicator to join the bloodbath, especially when it comes to your head inside of you."
Amira is puzzled, simply leaning her head back and forth side by side, her eyes narrow and her left-hand touching her cheek.
"My...my head?"
Walter simply stares back at her with his arms crossed and narrowed eyes, tapping his arms with his finger.
"Yeah, we want your pretty head for a collection of pretty much all prettiest heads in the world."
"Is my head that good?"
Ji-Ae smacks on her back in response.
"Idiotic bitch! He means it internally!"
"Sorry..."
"Don't be a hosser with that sorry in here...I'm not the one who takes that crap lightly, lady."
"B-but, shouldn't you try to teach me properly at least?"
"Haven't you listened? You. Are. On. Earth. We do whatever crap that we can."
"You really need to-"
"Really need to pull up that spine of yours, that's what we're going to do now in this field," Walter rebukes rapidly while tossing the cigar on his mouth away.
"AKA: Combat training for crappy cowards."
Amira slightly flinches at the sound of such words, while she faced harshness from the words of others, it wasn't to the level of what she's hearing now, her eyes widen as she to pull herself together.
"You're not serious, right?"
"Stop playing dumb already...or have you forgotten what dear John tried to tell you?"
Amira pauses for a moment, thinking about John said earlier before the test started. She tries to search for it, to see if what's John wants. She comes up with the answers, which prompts her to shake her head in disbelief.
Is that his own idea of training? Since when the did Humans favored this?!
"I don't know what John's been thinking...could Humans like you really pull off from such training?"
"Shut your shit. Humans are capable of mostly anything, honey, just as simple it can get for you...now I want to see if an Alien can pull off the same like the three out of forty recruits that passed through for now."
"Now, if you whine more about it, the beating's gonna pay double...now, do you understand what we mean?"
Amira slowly nods shakingly, never does she want to experience something like what's happening at the moment, less so when it comes to withstanding verbal aggression.
"OK, now we can start this shit just fine!" Ji-Ae then pulls two Chakrams near her back, the metal with a dark silver shine in it. Walter pulls a black stick out of his belt, looking a bit big enough to fit into his hand, until he starts pressing it hard, causing some black particles to form up around both edges of the stick, with the upper one starting to take a large curved shape with edges around it, similar to the blade of an axe. A peculiar type of axe.
Amira pulls her laser blade out of her belt, turning it on to reveal the red glow coming out with the elegant shape of a sword. Walter, however, could only chuckle condescendingly.
"You think this will be child's play? Well, these blades are packed with laser-resistant nano-machines that could make up a good day! Now..." Walter begins to rush forward Amira while holding his axe in his right hand, jumping to the air while swinging his axe vertically near Amira's direction. She dodges it by pulling back backward with the use of her wings. But before she could do anything, Ji-Ae tosses her chakrams in Amira's direction, flying in a zig-zag direction near her. She swings her blade to block it, but the strength of the Chakrams nearly push her away hard while the Chakrams return to Ji-Ae's hands.
"Come on, the first step already!? Just keep it up!" Ji-Ae then furiously charges towards Amira, quickly swinging them near her face until she blocks them with her sword once more. Ji-Ae, however, won't give up so easily as she soon starts drubbing her weapons on Amira's sword, slightly weakening her grip on it with each hit. Amira retaliates by parrying Ji-Ae's strike near the center of each Chakram. But before she could do something, Walter leaps on her side, prompting her to evade the attack but barely, as part of the blade hits on Amira's shoulder armor.
"Still a hosser! Try harder!"
He continues to strike again with his axe, trying to hit Amira as much as he can with Ji-Ae following suit. Amira still keeps up to block their attacks from them, but with each blow, she feels like every bit of strength is fading out.
Quickly striking vertically, she barely ducks the strike while rapidly back-tracking from Ji-Ae's sudden throw again. None involved in trying to hit them.
"Now tell me, pretty Alien...what's your origin and purpose in life?" Ji-Ae asks as she strikes Amira while she blocks back.
"Sorania...Tucana Quadrant..former princess of the grand kingdom from my family, supposed future queen until it was all destroyed by the Zlocu...my brother's missing..."
"Oh, a missing brother? How cute, just like all lovely brothers in the world."
"He's what left of the Soranian culture apart from me in the Universe..."
"And by that, you mean you don't love him? Very well," Walter replies as he continues to strike her down with his might.
"I do! I truly want him back! To be safe from all the suffering!"
"And will that happen by being a crying bitch?"
Amira winces in response to such response while still trying to block the attacks from them.
"I can work out...to be stronger...to be with those who understand me!" Ji-Ae slaps her in response to such words while trying to strike again. She's shaken up as she starts backing down little by little.
"Blah blah blah! Friendship! It's power! Shut up with that bullshit!"
"Not to mention...I bet he may be on his last breath...thinking about what he could have done better if the Zlocu didn't show up. But here's the twist, honey, he's angry, not at the Zlocu, but to you!" Walter says.
"You're wrong!" Amira responds with an almost broken tone as she desperately tries to hold on a bit more, but gets punched in the chest by him in response.
"Angry for the fact that his pathetic, piss-moaning, tone-deaf, useless, piece of shit sister that didn't gain the courage to come to rescue him! He wishes you were never his sister!"
They soon start intensifying their attacks, as they madly drub to her blade in every way while she tries to block them out but starts losing energy to keep on the defensive, almost not pulling back like she was trying to.
"Don't you want your brother!?! You want to come home that there's left with him to be with all sunshine and rainbows!?! Then swing that blade harder, you slow freak!"
"Now hold on Walty, I don't think she can even try, even a grandmother in a wheelchair can swing that blader better than her entire race!"
"E...no...ugh..." Amira quietly whispers while trying to fight back tears, all while a windy aura starts surrounding her.
"Oh! You want to quit now! Then fine! Quit and you'll be given a great job of a street bum! A street bitch bum to be exact, with not even her friends loving her anymore, all with that stupid ideal of hers of pacifism!"
"No wait, no Human will ever love a weak bitch like you! Not even your dear warriors truly love you at all, pathetic Amira!"
"Enough!" she says with her rising voice, the windy aura getting more intense around the room that causes all the things around her to shake up violently, but the duo doesn't even care, all they care for now is drubbing and attacking violently at her, with some slapping for extra measure of training.
"Enough? ENOUGH?!! Is that all you have to say for now!?! THEN IT'S OFFICIAL! YOU'RE THE WORST LIVING BEING IN ALL THE UNIVERSE! A BEING BENEATH EVEN CONTEMPT AND SHAME! WISHED TO HAVE NEVER BEEN BORN!!"
"YOU'RE SO DISGUSTINGLY WEAK FOR A LOW SHIT THAT EVEN YOUR OWN MOM REGRETS HAVING GIVEN BIRTH TO YOU!"
"ENOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!!!!"
The force of the scream is so powerful, so ear-piercing and so trembling that the aura surrounding her unleashes a large wave. It's powerful enough to push Walter and Ae Gang away from her, sending them flying rapidly to the nearest wall.
Powerful enough to shatter the headset and the pole into many pieces while being also thrown away, causing the room to revert back to its original state.
Powerful enough to break all the glass from the windows above the ceiling, and even managing to form a huge dent of the protective glass from John's room and caused everyone inside to take cover from the potential impact.
Powerful enough to even reach the other surrounding rooms and break the windows from the other rooms as well.
Walter and Ji-Ae are about to be accidentally killed until two inflatable giant cushions pop from the walls, hitting both of them in time with a softer surface.
Everyone's in shock, the Warriors, the other members and even John himself can't help but in look in shock and horror over what happened. Even though the force seen back in Beale Air Base was strong, it's no longer compared to what they're seeing now. Jackson and Malak, in particular, are in a stiff posture while trying to get up, still trying to know how powerful the wave was. Lucy can only grimace in response to what happened while setting her gaze on the group, her arms crossed as well.
"I told ya," she says with a very strict tone. Jackson couldn't do anything but to simply hang down his head in shame, maybe what she suggested is the right method after all even if they don't want to.
Logan is in huge disbelief, looking with a pained gaze, a stiff neck and wrinkling his brow as he starts to breathe in a slow yet rapid succession, as he tries to think well of the situation. Berat and Valentina can only simply watch in worry while Berat approaches Logan, tapping him on the shoulder softly to cheer him up, but to no avail.
"Amira..." Logan quietly whispers in a sad tone. "How could these...?" he asks in disbelief as well. Berat can only try his best for now.
"Don't sweat it too much, dear man...these two are the best for it, it's we have from any person in the world."
"Why not others as well?"
"I swear to you man, we didn't have much choice for it either...even so, these two aren't fully suited on the inside."
"The world is so big...so wide...yet there's so few of the best for this..."
"I'm sorry, Logan."
"Say that to Amira...perhaps she'll need to hear it more than anyone else."
Berat is taken aback by Logan's words. He at first saw a marvelous yet chivalrous knight of the modern ages, something for people like him and Valentina try to look up for. Yet, they should know better in what to expect from the internal heart of such knight. And maybe simple words may not mend it enough.
The force of the wave also causes Amira to collapse on her knees, almost losing consciousness as she tries to breathe properly again. Tears fall down from her face as she tries to get up but she's too weak to do so, still in shock over what happened as she looks on both trainers as they get up from the floor and start approaching a bit roughly. Amira can only continue shedding tears while trying to regain her composure as she's still on her knees.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." those are the only words coming out of Amira in her broken state as they approach. Walter and Ji-Ae, in spite of some injuries in some parts of their body, bleeding from their mouths and still messy from the impact still manage to reach her position. Eventually getting near to her, glaring massively while tightening their eyes in front of her. Amira could do nothing but simply hang down her head while continuing to cry, maybe expecting what she has it coming. It appears so until Walter simply taps her head, albeit only slightly.
"Well...that's one hell of an attack to be honest...but be thankful this is just training, because otherwise..."
"You'll be thankful that your pretty friends won't be there when it happens."
"And one last thing...the other people you've seen in the other tests? They're with us as well, call us GoD Squad if you like."
"Guts so scary that it can make the devil shit his pants you know."
Amira does not reply at either word, still in her fallen state of mind, still lost with herself. Both simply shrug in response while turning away from her.
"It happens, can you stop now? No? Then better not show your ugly face to us ever again."
Silence falls in both rooms, as John starts to think of what to do next. The others clearly succeeded but he's not sure about what to think of Amira for what happened. He's after the one assigned to supervise her after all, yet, he's aware of what needs to be done for the next situation. He turns to see what the others are thinking of it, but their saddened or indifferent state could not help well in what to do. He takes a special focus on Jack, one of the best he ever met. His eyes narrow down while focusing on his state, thinking carefully about what he may do next. Jackson raises his face to gaze at John as well, who soon mouths some words that couldn't be audibly heard as he returns to the machine as he presses a button. Jackson can only look in a confused yet saddened state of what he just said, maybe something horrible for the team yet it's the best it could be achieved. Even in friendships, one must make hard choices for the best outcome needed.
"John..."
John shakes for a bit in what he's about to say, shaking his head for a bit, until he does.
"Everyone...we all know that the people we've seen have shown some potential, the potential for a future hope and life needed to push on...but among them...there is the girl, Amira. Her status so mysterious, yet, what we've seen today from her will mean that some measures may have to be taken to ensure nothing like that happens to anyone else. But, as they say...Damned if you do, damned if you don't...I'm afraid for this decision...but for the safety of both ourselves, the community on Earth and even herself...she'll be contained in custody for further study, that means she won't be with you all for now."
Everyone couldn't believe what they just heard. Something some of the warriors dreaded to happen, something they didn't want to share the fate like every poor victim did...and yet, she will be even more alone than she could think of. Jackson, Malak, and Eddie are the ones who can't truly believe it. The mouths hanging open as they shake their head in disbelief, with their shoulders dropping.
"Why man...why...?"
Tany covered her mouth as she looks on with circles forming under her eyes that look watery for now, almost looking she's about to cry. Even Seiner can't help but stare down at the screen to the screen showing Amira still on her knees, his cheeks feeling hollow while holding his stomach, even removing his glasses while looking down, sighing in shame.
Logan, however, may have the worst of it. He's clenching down on both hands, which they've been that way since hearing John's statement. Berat looks down to see his hands, wondering why he's shaking them so hard. He finds out how, they're showing to start dropping some blood to the ground, the hands clenching tremendously while they shake almost agitatedly as they hold up the blood sustained in his hands. Sobbing can be heard from him, tears falling down from his face even with his eyes closed down.
I tried so hard...I tried everything to let you feel safe and loved...to trust Humans...your new friends...I tried everything...I failed you Amira...hope you can...