Nakoma sits on the edge of her bed lost in thought. She grabs her wrist and fiddles around with the bracelet she wore. She examines it with great detail as she spins the bracelet in place. Laughter can be heard in the background of the bay area where Hakan and Makya were sitting. The group they came to join unintentionally seemed to be really fond of them. When they had a chance to explained that they were there to actually live and rest instead of training, the group all burst out into laughter. They couldn't believe they joined the security forces for Jackson by accident. Hakan and Makya were very embarrassed but told them that they actually enjoyed the training so far these past two days. Even if it was a lie, they had to adhere to appearance.

Nakoma still fiddling with her ornament, as Hakan and Makya laugh with the others, she felt... distant. She felt the world around her become more and more stranger the deeper she tries to help. With the situation of the gas, the inevitable war coming to Los Angeles. Everything seems to be going way too fast for her.

"Hey, you look pretty glum, Is everything alright?"

Nakoma looks up from her trance as sees one of the group members standing in front of her. She was very tall and slim and had a deep black hair color. Her skin was tanned with a perfect toasted coloring. Her eyes were brown matching her skin tone.

"Mind if I sit down with you?"

"No, go ahead."

She smiles and sits next to her on the bed. She sits up properly and places her hands on her lap. Her presence gives off as someone who was from noble birth, but her smile said otherwise. Nakoma goes back to fiddling her bracelet.

"You really made a first impression when you first joined with us, huh?" The girl chuckled as she gives her a smile again.

Nakoma half smiles and embarrassingly agrees.

"Us coming here wasn't my intention, but hey, at least we get to learn how to handle this world a little better."

"Handle this world? What do you mean by that?" As she genuinely asks with eager curiosity.

"Well... um... how familiar are you about up north, way past California?"

"Hmmmmm, I know about San Fransisco, the old city ruins. I also know the capitol of California is out northeast of it, I think."

"Me and my friends are not from California; we are farther from it, way far up north."

"Wait for real? All in that wilderness? How the heck did you guys ended up way out here?"

"Someone tricked us into coming here. Though I think he had good intentions, just all for different reasons."

"Well... where are you originally from then?"

Nakoma was embarrassed but answers her question.

"I'm basically... a tribal person."

"A tribal person? As in, a cave man or native American?"

Nakoma shrugs, " I guess you could look at it like that. We were all so blown away at what we were all seeing, we just couldn't believe it. My people are isolationists, we believed our world was the whole world and nothing else."

"For real? Didn't anybody ever get curious and just walked away? There's no way someone didn't get curious and just leave your guys... village... town?"

Nakoma chuckled and answered her confusion. " A tribe, just a tribe."

"Ah, right, apologies hahah." The woman laughed and Nakoma chuckled back to her.

"By the way I never did get your name, my name is Nakoma, what about you?"

Her eyes blinked in realization and properly introduces herself.

"Oh! How crude of me! Haha, my name is Zuri, and it's wonderful to meet you."

She shook hands with Nakoma as she shook back with a firm grip. She hears the commotion going on in the background and sees Makya arm wrestling another person. Makya seems to look happy and enjoying himself, for the time being. Hakan just stood right behind him as he stood awkwardly as they huddle around him having playful banter and conversation. Nakoma sighed and gave a soft smile to them.

"You really love your friends don't you miss Nakoma."

Nakoma looks back as Zuri gave her a warm expression.

"I do, they wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me. They stood up for me and followed to protect me. By the way... what do you think about Jackson?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"I mean as in... what does he mean to you?"

"Honestly for me, not much. I just signed up for the extra food rations and pay they give us. Everyone is just trying to survive out here, times are tough sometimes. With everything going on and the terrorist attacks, I want to help support my family and protect the people I care about."

She looks at her with awe and is amazed how determined she is.

"Aaaaaaand it doesn't help that I'm very... gluttonous. I LOVE eating food."

"Who doesn't?"

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

They both giggled and Nakoma's spirits seemed to be lifted more.

"Think fast chucklenuts!"

As Zuri looked up to see who said that she was struck in the face with a football. She made a loud short yelp as she fell backwards falling off of Nakoma's bed. A unison of collective oooooohs filled the air. Nakoma went and kneeled beside her as she laid flat on her back,

"Oh my god are you alright!?"

Zuri was dazed but snapped back to reality. She wiped her face with her sleeve and blood was gushing out of her nose. It took a moment to register what had just happened, but she finally responded. Her face turned to anger as she got up and yelled at the attacker.

"Damn it, Eric! How many times have I told you not to throw that thing inside the bay!"

Eric, the perpetrator, was in a weird frozen pose as if he was just about to leave. He was a scrawny kid with short spiky blonde hair. He had a very mischievous look as he turned around slowly, laughing hesitantly.

"Oh, heeeeeeeeeeey... how's it going Zuri ahahaha..."

"Argh! You son of a bitch! I'm going to get you!"

She charges at him in full sprint. He screams a high pitch screech as he tries to dodge her the whole bay area of the dormitory. The group cheers on the chase as he dodges left and right. Barely missing her grasp. After several minutes of cat and mouse, he finally trips and his caught by her. She pins him down as she grabs his arm placing it behind his back and locking his leg so he can't move. He grunts as he is locked and in her control now.

"Say sorry right now!"

"Ow! Ow! Okay, okay I'm sorry! Uncle, uncle!!!

"Now say, ~I'm a little tea pot, short and stout."

"What?! Fuck no-ARH!"

"SAY IT!"

"ARH! I'm a little... tea pot... short and stout...!

"~Here is my handle, here is my spout."

"GRAH-! Here is... my handle... and here... IS MY SPOUT!"

Zuri begins to smirk but tries not to laugh uncontrollable. Everyone else in the bay was holding in their laughter on how ridiculous he looks saying all that. Until finally they all burst out laughing.

"Okay, I forgive you now, pfft- my little tea pot hahahaha!"

"Oh ha ha funny soooooo funny..."

said Eric as he dusts himself off. TEN-HUT, the whole room stands at attention as everyone fell silent. The drill instructor walks in calm and collected as he studies the room. His eyes squinting at each and every one of them. Nakoma and her friends had got the hang of standing at attention fairly quickly. He walks around the bay as everyone stands still. Not moving a single inch. Not even their eyes were darting around, only fixated forward. The drill instructor was like a hungry animal, scanning for his next meal to chew out.

"What in the god damn hell is going on in here!"

The room was silent, and no one has said a word. Fearing the wrath of the senior drill instructor.

"At ease!"

The room became relaxed as they went into parade rest and turned their heads towards the drill instructor.

"Today, we're heading to the range. Form up quickly let's go let's go!!!"

The instructor seemed more laxed today then his usual screaming, but Nakoma was not complaining at all. They quickly got into formation and marched towards the firing range. There were stalls and a long open field with targets spanning all across the field. A large black gravel mound stood high at the back of the range for the bullets to land. Tons of ammo casing shells littered the floor from .22lr to 7.62. Wherever they walked the clinging of the brass can be heard shuffling around. Other instructors were there waiting patiently for the group to come to a halt.

"Alright everyone, you'll have practice on your marksmanship with your rifles and pistols. I'll be back once the ammo here is all spent. Happy shooting."

"Thank you sir!"

As the group all yell in unison. They all picked up their weapons and headed to their posts. Nakoma and her friends all held the weapons how the others looked but had no idea what to do next.

"What's wrong? Why are you all just standing there?"

"Um sorry, we have never really used a weapon before, we are new." As Hakan spoke with a nervous tone in his voice.

"Are you serious?"

"We very much are serious sir." Nakoma spoke up politely.

The trainer took his hat off and rubbed the back of his head. He guided them to a stall and showed them the basics of firearms safety. Showed how to properly hold a weapon, and to never aim unless intended to kill. Told them to always have trigger discipline and to keep your finger away from it when not intending to shoot. He showed them the ways to stand on shooting from standing to crouch to finally prone. He also taught them how to safely reload and change magazines. He even showed them how to load the bullets into the magazine, though they won't have to load since all issue gear comes preloaded. They didn't care since they weren't going to actually join Jackson's army.

Nakoma was up first as she put her ear plug protection. She grabs the pistol off the counter and loads in the magazine. It was a Glock g17 gen 5 with a seventeen count mag. She readies herself as she aims the pistol down range. She can hear Hakan and Makya in awe how the weapon shoots. She aims and breathes steady, and fires. She feels the vibration of the pistol and it feels natural to her.

"Hit."

As the guard said watching the target though his binoculars. She fires again and again, all center of mass shots. They were all dead center on the target's bullseye. The targets were all medium and close range good for pistol distance. The next was the m4 rifle. She loads in the magazine and readies her weapon. She targets the farthest one for her shot and breathes slowly and squeezes the trigger.

"Hit...hit...miss...hit."

Three out of four shots were really impressive to her by her standards and was surprised to find her love of guns. The rush of shooting and the feel of holding it felt so natural to her. As if it was a bow and arrow but on drugs for her. She thought about asking if she can keep a weapon for herself but hold that thought off for now. Then a familiar voice greeted her from behind.

"Well damn... I didn't know you switched up quickly."

She turned around to see Maxson standing right behind her.

"You're here! What took you so long, where have you even been?"

The trainer saw his rank and saluted him. He saluted back and asked the trainer for some privacy with these certain recruits. He agreed and quickly went off to check the other trainees.

"Hey it's hard when you have a double life. Why are you even training with them?"

"They mistook us for being new trainees and threw us in the middle of their training. I mean, at least we're getting some practice for the near future I suspect, right?"

He stops and ponders for just a moment.

"That is actually not a bad idea. You and your friends getting proper weapons and physical training without us having to interfere. No one will suspect anything. Brilliant Nakoma! Hahah." He gives a mighty chuckle as the three of them all stand and watched him laugh.

"Although I am sad for these people... they are actually good folks. I just feel really bad if the day that... you know, comes."

"Liberation, you mean?"

"Yes..."

She looks to the side of the group that all shared and equal bond together. They truly did care when they joined and weren't as sinister as Jackson was. Zuri looks over and sees Nakoma and waves hello. She waves back giving a smile.

"I know in time they will choose the right path, I'm sure of it."

"So what happens now? Do we still continue this training or are we finding a different place to sleep now?"

"How much training did you get in anyways?"

"We did and exercise on crawling through a battlefield and some P.T. And now this gun range as well."

"Good god, listen, I went back to William to show my report on what we found. After that fiasco we witness, I think we can do some real change soon."

Hakan spoke up next, "Are we really doing this are we actually going to fight back these guys?"

Maxson looked down with his arms crossed.

"If it comes to that yes. But right now, we're still keeping a lid on the situation at hand-"

"My oh my, are my eyes deceiving me? Is that really who I think that is?"

Nakoma's face ran cold and Maxson's face was frozen stiff. She turned around and saw, standing before her, was the one person she was not ready to see yet.