"Most Unexpected Training"
Beatrice reached a perfect clearing in the forest and stood still, gazing at the group. A faint smirk danced on her lips as her hair shimmered slightly in the eerie light breaking through the dense canopy.
“Now,” she said, her voice dripping with playful malice. “Are you ready for the ultimate training?”
Omega Man responded first, his tone sincere, even reverent: “Of course, Princess.”
Skully tilted his head, intrigued. “Clearly. But…what kind of training?”
Frosty chimed in, crossing his arms. “Yeah, what will it be? Lifting stuff? Running? Push-ups, sit-ups, squats?”
Rookie, standing awkwardly at the back, added with uncertainty, “If it’s all that, I don’t think my gingerbread body can handle it…”
Beatrice’s response made them freeze in place, their minds struggling to comprehend her words.
“I do 100 murders, 100 tortures, 100 rapes, and eat 10 people. Every. Single. Day.”
The clearing fell silent.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
They blinked, once, twice, multiple times, as if trying to process what they’d just heard. Beatrice stood there, her face calm and amused, as if she had just shared an ordinary daily routine.
The silence dragged on until Omega Man broke it, his voice trembling slightly. “That…was a joke, right?”
Frosty and Skully exchanged nervous laughs, their unease obvious. Frosty stammered, “Ha…ha…ha… Of course! It’s a joke. Right? Like…the food earlier? Hahaha…”
“Right?!” Skully added, his laugh barely masking the rising panic in his tone.
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Rookie, on the other hand, simply stared at Beatrice, his candy face pale with absolute terror.
But then Beatrice spoke again, her words freezing them in place. “The food wasn’t an illusion, and neither is this. This training is real.”
The group immediately broke into action, instinctively trying to run. Omega Man leapt forward, while Frosty and Skully scrambled in different directions. Rookie attempted to vanish into the shadows.
Beatrice sighed, annoyed. With a faint movement of her hair, the group was yanked back by an unseen force and dropped back onto the clearing floor.
“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked, her voice sharp. “We came here to train, boys!”
They trembled under her gaze, their faces a mix of fear and confusion, waiting for their doom.
Beatrice crossed her arms, exasperated. “I’m not going to kill you…unless you refuse to train.”
To prove her point, she lazily pointed a finger at Omega Man. A bolt of golden lightning shot out, striking him dead on the spot. His charred body collapsed, lifeless.
The others gasped in horror, but before they could react, Beatrice snapped her fingers, and Omega Man’s body glowed with a golden aura. He stood up moments later, fully healed, blinking in shock.
“See?” Beatrice said with a wicked grin. “Now keep something in mind, boys: Evil always wins. No matter what. This applies to all your training…and to your personal training as well.” Her laugh grew louder and more manic until it filled the clearing, only for her to abruptly stop. “Okay, that’s enough evil laughter for a princess like me. Now, your first task…” She paused dramatically, letting her gaze sweep over them.
“Murder.”
Omega Man’s face turned steely, and he shook his head. “No. Absolutely not. This goes against everything I stand for.”
Rookie, emboldened by Omega Man, stood up as tall as his gingerbread frame allowed. “Me neither! This…this isn’t right!”
Beatrice’s cold gaze froze them in place. “Oh? High moral standards, is it? Funny, coming from you, Omega Man. Tell me…how was the lake? Nice for your friend, wasn’t it?”
Omega Man’s face went pale. How did she know?
Rookie looked at him, shocked. “What is she talking about?”
Beatrice’s grin widened. “I know many things about people. And Rookie…” She turned her sharp gaze on the gingerbread man. “You’re not as sweet and innocent as you like to pretend. You’ve taken advantage of your size far more than you care to admit, haven’t you?”
Rookie’s candy face went from pale to nearly translucent, his secrets laid bare.
Frosty and Skully exchanged glances, sighing deeply. Even in this absurd situation, it seemed no one was without their demons.
Beatrice turned to the group, her voice growing colder. “I’m going to find something for you to kill. When I get back, I’d better not hear about any attempts to run. Am I clear?”
The group nodded quickly, their heads bobbing like terrified children.
Without another word, Beatrice took off, soaring into the sky and disappearing into the thick jungle canopy, leaving the group alone with their thoughts…and their sins.
The clearing, once peaceful, now felt suffocating under the weight of Beatrice’s presence, even in her absence.