“Four years after that incident my University life began. I’ll spare you the details of my first few weeks, but I might as well show you my first test.”

Once again, the image changed.

A lush jungle opened up. Large tree trunks that reached up to the sky. Vines wrapped around them like snakes. Those that did not coil themselves had tried to reach branch to branch.

The ground was unstable and muddy.

The jungle was held in an artificial box about the size of football pitch.

In the center was a flowing river that disappeared under the ground.

Jude was wearing a blue sports top and shorts.

To his left was a beautiful, tanned woman with silver hair.

Jude threw his arm to stop her, though he ended up hitting her large chest. Moving by pure instinct the woman grabbed his arm. Before she could do any damage, she noticed he was blushing and looking away.

“Nerissa, I’m sorry. But there’s the idol in the tree.”

They were in the middle of a test set up by their lecturers to assess their abilities.

Mere minutes ago they had been briefed by their lecturer of what the test was about.

Dirty blonde hair wafted in the ventilation’s breeze as Alex Mann turned around to address everyone with the details of the test.

“Right, you rabble. I hope you made your plans and what not. Each team as an entrance only they can use to each zone and as you all know you’ll be given a device to scan different objects in each zone. The device will update when you scan and everyone on the team can see what has been scanned.

You may use any method to stop the other teams from winning. Lethal force is allowed.” He paused to gauge the reactions of the crowd.

“Don’t worry though, thanks to River we have created a safe environment. If you were to receive a fatal wound, you’ll be teleported to a safe zone and unable to reenter the test for five minutes. Any injuries you sustain will be healed upon leaving River’s barrier.

Finally, we’re assigning colours to the teams. Floors One and Three you will be Team Red. Four and Five are Blue. Lastly Two and Six you will be Yellow Team.

The test begins in ten minutes. Go find your way to the starting points, your devices have a map of the complex and the coloured dots show where you respawn. Good luck”

Back in the present Jude and Nerissa had arrived at the bottom of a tree. Up above caught in the canopy was a small wooden monkey covering its eyes.

Jude stared at the trunk, unable to figure out a way to climb. The trunk was pretty straight and there were little to no footholds.

As he was pondering what to do, he suddenly realised Nerissa was halfway up. She had just grabbed the tree and began climbing.

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Within a minute she had gone to the top, scanned the monkey, dropped it down, and shimmied her way back to the floor. When she landed, she picked up the idol, inspected it for a second and then launched it at Jude’s head.

With a crack it bounced off of his forehead.

“What was that for?” He shouted.

“You know.”

“Not really.”

“You can touch my chest all you like but try not to get distracted during a test.”

Rubbing his head with one hand he picked up the idol with the other.

He ran to catch up to her, but just as he approached behind her a hand slapped into his mouth. Suddenly there was a quiet bang as Jude had his back slam into the ground.

Nerissa laid atop him.

“What the-“as he began to shout she covered his mouth and put a finger to her own lips to indicate to be silent.

Upon listening closer there was muffled talking as footsteps got louder and louder. Jude and Nerissa had fallen into the brush beside the trees. The two figures could not be made out as they walked through the jungle.

The two were concealed up until the idol Jude had held began to roll. Unfortunately, the brush was on a slightly raised bit of ground, thus causing the statue to roll.

The two figures snapped around and began to head towards the now revealed statue.

A blur was seen as Nerissa rolled out and grabbed the idol. Jude quickly followed her, but in more than one swift motion. He stumbled out of the brush and prepared to fight.

It was at that moment he realised who the figures were. He had met them the previous week. The first had such large bags under his eyes it almost looked like makeup. The other was somehow wearing a red jumper in this humid jungle.

“Jude I can-“

“Don’t worry Nerissa. I can take them. Just handle the idol.”

The red jumper’s wearer just laughed and pulled his arm back. Jude stood ready to fight. There was merely a meter between them.

Tired eyes just stood there, nearly falling asleep.

Jumper’s arm began to glow red.

Plates of stone started to form around Jude’s right forearm, which he had in front of him. He should have moved. There was enough time. But he just stood frozen, defending.

In an instant Jumper through his arm out. Whilst calling out “Wind Up Punch!”

As it collided with the stone plates there was the sound of an explosion, followed by the starting of bone. Jude’s forearm practically bent around the fist as it turned.

Flying backwards was a blue Streak that ended up colliding with the thick trunk of a tree. Bark flew everywhere as the air left his lungs. Adrenaline courses through his body but his vision began to blue as he slumped down.

Gently placing the idol down Nerissa breathed out.

Within a second she was in front of the jumper, who has barely gotten time to bring his arm back.

He thrust it out anyways.

Turning to the side Nerissa gracefully avoided the attack.

In the same motion her right leg raised, and her foot smashed into Jumper’s face. His head spun, sending his whole body into a spiral.

The right foot landed on the ground as the left one departed it.

As Jumper’s body fell to floor, Tired Eyes began to float. However, Nerissa was already spinning in the air and was able to get enough to meet him.

Slamming her foot straight down into his gut with a firm axe kick, Tired Eyes was sent hurtling into the mud.

He dented the ground, causing Nerissa to have a cushion.

It was then she heard voices shout for the two she had taken down and realised she probably could not take four.

She stood still and concentrated. Her eyes closed, breathing slow. Smoke began to bellow from every pore in her skin. The viscous grey air spilled into this enclosed space. She completely covered the path, anything on her left was brush and the outside wall. Whereas the left was a steep hill into a river.

She quickly turned around and grabbed Jude. Running away as fast as she could with a nine stone weight on her.

When Jude came around, he felt a numb pain in his right arm. His eyes flickered open to see he was above the canopy with Nerissa sat on the same branch as him. They had their backs pressed up against the wall.

The pain was dull but as soon as Jude was awake the pain exploded. It burned, it pulsed, every type of pain he’d ever felt was located in his arm. Tears began to stream down his face as he screamed out.

“It’s just broken, it’ll heal at the end of the test.”

Jude merely kept screaming.

“What’s that word in English where you call someone being a baby but it’s also the name of a vagina?”

“A pussy.” Jude said with gritted teeth.

“Yes. That’s what you are, a pussy.”

“Bitch!” Jude shouted at her.

“No pussy was right.” Nerissa smirked.