Burning Phoenix - Saga 1

(Prominis 19, 56 / 6:00AM)

(Gwen on Megaphone) GOOOOOOOOD MOOOOOORRRRNIIIINNNNGGGG LAAAAAGEEEEFOOOORRRR!!!!!

(Luke’s thoughts) Huh what? What the heck is going on!

As Gwen giggled as she held up a government-crafted megaphone, using it to wake everyone up from their deep sleep.

A couple of minutes later, many residents opened their doors to the brutal wake-up call that shocked the second-story floor, their eyes barely opening and already dressed for the day.

The kids had gray lining beneath their eyes, followed by the way they walked as if they didn’t get enough sleep…

(Luke’s thoughts) We just barely slept for 4 hours. Why did Gwen decide to end a celebration party at 2 in the morning…

Same as Luke, the three other boys got out of their perspective rooms as well, followed by another boy who was with the group.

Gary decided to speak with the new member of the group.

(Gary) Did you get enough sleep, Diego?

(Diego) Barely …

Previously, Stan and Gary noticed a boy that looked similar to one of their friends from the robotics club. Diego, the same age as Gary, was considered to be the opposite of Gary; being skinny and tall. He had spiky black hair and glasses, followed by his skin being relatively brown. His nose and ears were nothing distinguishable, but he was dressed similar to a mechanic.

(Stan) Why did they have to wake us up at 6 in the freaking morning?

(Fred) I hope they have breakfast…

(Gary) I hope we just get our blessings over with.

(Luke) But we have to earn those blessings, we can’t just take things for granted.

(Gary) Does it look like I wanna train?

As Luke and Gary had their little dispute, Stan noticed that out of everyone that came out of their rooms, there was one teen that didn’t have gray lining on their eyes.

(Stan) Who’s that dude? He shakes off four hours of sleep like nothing!

(Fred) I think his name is Jack. He’s probably a year younger than you.

As Stan was fascinated that Jack was the most energized one up, Luke glanced to see the 15-year-old teen. Jack had brown eyes, followed by wavy hair. He looked to be pretty tall for his age, and he appeared relatively slim. He had long arms and legs, followed by a short nose and normal ears. The only thing that was weird about him was …

(Luke’s thoughts) Red hair…

(Stan) Red hair? Well, Fred, I think you have competition for the weirdest hair color.

(Fred) …

As Fred remained timidly silent, there was also another thing that Stan noticed in the crowd. They were missing one person, most likely a girl since there were originally four girls and now there are three.

Gwen also noticed this and checked the roster, her fingers tracing each name with ease.

(Gwen) Hmm … aah, I see. We’re missing Luna.

Gwen then walks towards the door where the girl, Luna, was assigned to. Opening the door, Gwen noticed the 16-year-old girl was still fast asleep, her face deep into her pillow.

(Gwen) She slept through the megaphone huh? Guess I have no other choice huh…

As Gwen approached the bed, Luke and the others were curious as they saw Luna, still fast asleep snoring in bed. Luna looked to be taller than the average girl, followed by her deep black hair that was relatively short. Her nose was normal, followed by her ears being a little larger than most people, but her skin was tan, but not too tan. But her face …

(Luke, Gary, Fred, Stan, Diegos’ thoughts) She’s pretty…

Taken aback by her beauty, the boys were all blushing nervously as it felt wrong to stare at her.

But Gwen didn’t care. Sitting on top of the bed, Gwen then rubbed both her hands, giggling a bit as she said—

(Gwen) Clear!

Luke then shuddered as he remembered that wake-up call three months ago…

Using both hands, she positioned her thumb and index, she then grabbed both … well …

As soon as Gwen twisted Luna’s … you know … Luna instantly woke up, her eyes clenched with pain. But in that incredibly short time, she turned her shock to pure undeniable rage.

(Luna) WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!!??

Luna immediately sucker-punched Gwen with all her strength, sending her flying to land where the five boys were located. At least breaking her fall, the boys were on the floor, with Gwen on top of them. Upon seeing Gwen’s face, her cheeks were purple, one of her teeth was missing, and her nose was broken. Even her eyes looked like she was seeing stars.

As Luke saw Gwen’s battered and bloodied face, he wasn’t angry at Gwen, but rather …

(Luke’s thoughts) She kind of had it coming…

But Luna wasn’t done.

Sono after her punch, Luna then stomped her way to where Gwen was, clearly still angry for the little prank that Gwen did. Luna had on gray sweatpants and an oversized baggy gray shirt, and on her wrist, she wore a charm bracelet…

(Luke’s thoughts) Should I not get … no … Gwen’s the reason why I’m here!

Luke then stood in front of Luna to protect Gwen from harm, putting himself in Luna’s path. As Luna saw this, she looked at Luke coldly and maliciously, looking at meek prey.

(Luna) Move…

Luke continued to block her path, but he was afraid the same thing that happened to Gwen might happen to him…

Luna then grabbed Luke by his shirt with her left hand, gripping his collar with her hands quivering with anger. The difference in weight and strength was noticeable, as Luna was towering over him with pure dominance.

(Luna) I said move…

Luke didn’t say anything, not letting a single voice or sound get out of his vocal cords. Angry, Luna then readied her stance, preparing to throw a right fist directly at Luke’s stomach.

(Luna) I said move!

Just as she was about to land a hard blow to Luke’s stomach, a man in his late 30s came by in the knick of time to hold back Luna. Using both his hands, he made sure that his arms were landlocked by Luna's arms as well. Despite Luna being strong for her age, the man had an aura of strength and composure, as the way he held back Luna caused everyone to hold their breath.

(???) Calm down.

(Luna) Let me go!

The man then put more strength into his armlock, and Luna felt her arms stretching horribly. She tried to fight back the pain and even the man, trying to use her head as a way of punching his chin, but no matter what, the man was unbreakable in strength.

(???) Luna, calm down …

The man then started petting Luna’s head with reassurance and comfort, as if petting a wild animal. The way he moved his hand back and forth, the way his fingertips pressed along her scalp, it was noticeable that this wasn’t the first time he had done this…

(???) Are you calm?

(Luna) … yes David…

The man named David then let go of Luna, hoping that she let all of her anger and frustration out of her system.

Luke saw the man, as he had medium messy black hair, followed by his stature being relatively tall. He wore a cowboy hat as well as black vest and blue cargo pants, with black boots and a bandanna he has around his neck. He had dark brown eyes, normal nose and ears, but also had little sideburns that made him look young for his age.

Luckily for him, Luna didn’t seem too interested in Gwen and Luke anymore, but she decided to head on in front of everyone, wanting to get the day over with…

(Gary, Fred, Stan, and Diego’s thoughts) She’s crazy…

(Luke’s thoughts) She’s scary…

______________________________________________________________________________

(Prominis 19, 56 / 8:00AM)

(Boris) Alright everyone, let’s start with the most basic of training!

After eating a hearty breakfast that Fred was looking forward to, the 14 candidates headed towards the gym room. With the room filled with dumbbells, weights, pull-up bars, and a big ring in the middle of the room, Luke smelled the cleanly bleached room.

Everyone did, as they took in the white and spotless room that they’ll be training in for the next four years.

(Boris) First things first, to be a soldier, a soldier has to learn the basics of fighting.

Standing in the middle of the ring were three adult figures. One was the man named David, who was the one that held Luna down, and the other two were unknown to the candidates. One was a girl barely in her 30s, and the other was a male who was in his late 20s.

With Boris leading the candidates, he wanted to make sure that everyone got a good view, so he ordered his sheep.

(Boris) Make sure three to four people are on each side of the bottom of the right.

Four sides of the ring, and 14 people, and since Luke's group is five people.

(Luke) I’ll go with those two.

Luke went to a side near his friends, on the right side of his side, right by the corner. Next to him was the red-haired teen named Jack, alongside an elf with ginger bed hair. He had green eyes, pale skin, blue pants, gray boots, and a gray shirt, and he looked to be Gary’s age. He looked a couple of inches taller than Jack, and he was less sturdy than Jack.

(Luke’s thoughts) I forgot what his name was…

Instead, Luke focused on the subject at hand, his eyes focusing mostly on David. David noticed Luke staring yet he completely ignored it, not caring.

Boris then got hold of a microphone, clinking on the switch to turn it on. As the vibrations sounded in the room, Boris stood up tall, trying to make his presence well known for his short body.

(Boris) So, as we all know, fighting is crucial, but how do you guys learn how to fight?

No one raised their hand, not confident or not bothering to care to answer. With Boris being left in the dust, he signaled either the three adults to do something…

David noticed this signal, and with a sigh, he turned towards Luke, with eyes stern and serious as the boy felt something cold picking him. In no time, David signaled Luke to climb up onto the ring, his eyes locking onto Luke’s.

But Luke doesn't want to, considering that Luke isn’t the strongest person in the room, and he doesn’t want to be labeled as the runt on the first day. Luke began to sweat as David kept on signaling him to get on.

Sighing, David then put his hand on Luke’s face, his fingertips digging deep into Luke’s skull. Dragging Luke, he pulled him up off the spectator side and into the ring, as people started giggling at the embarrassing display.

Now with Luke in the ring, Boris then signaled David again, but David shook his head no, as if he knew the outcome…

(Boris) David, you know what needs to be done…

(David) I’m fine with putting the boy in, but not with her…

(Boris) It’s to demonstrate the difference in fighting styles.

(David) sigh … I hope you planned a funeral.

David then signaled a girl to go inside the ring, and lord and behold …

(Luke’s thoughts) Oh no… not her…

The girl that David brought in, Luna, began eyeing Luke maliciously as if she was plotting down the entire fight in her mind. Scared, Luke began to take a couple of steps back, his face turning pale as he knew who won this fight.

Everybody knows who will win this fight…

(Stan) He got the crazy girl…

(Fred) Looks like I need a new best friend…

(Gary) After this … I’ll be nicer to him.

(Diego) It was nice knowing him…

As everyone started gossiping and praying. Luke started to breathe in and out rapidly, his heart going through an episode.

(Boris) Alright! David, Jenny, and Jerry get out of the ring. This is going to be a good one!

As the three adults looked at Luke with worry, all three of them watched up close, just in case the fight would be ugly.

(Boris) Candidates Luke Fenix; Age 12. Luna Guerra; Age 16. Fight!

As the bell rang, for Luke, it wasn’t a fight, but just a deadly game of tag…

The objective, try not to be punched, for if he ever gets punched—

Luna then charges forward with speed and precision, her movements flawless and coordination unmatched. As everyone saw the way she moved, it was as if she was honing this ballad for years.

Even the three adults at bay were in utter shock at how fast and precise Luna moved, so much that David had his hang on the ring’s rubber chords, his nervousness intruding on him—

Luke’s reaction time failed him.

As Luna got close, she jumped sideways to land a punch on Luke’s body. With her fist loaded, she sprang it forward, hitting the right side of his stomach region.

Instantly, Luke bent down in utmost agony and pain, as if someone stabbed him in that region twenty times over. Not wanting to get up, Luke remained in motion to the ground, coughing and wheezing with drool starting to drip down his mouth.

Bending down, Luna then grabbed a chunk of Luke’s hair. Her angry look was replaced with a sadistic smile, her predatory eyes eyeing her prey.

(Luna) Hah … I feel calm now …

Luna moved her hand left and right, the motion of Luke’s head going along with it. The more she moved his head, the more “ecstasy” and “fun” she was having, not wanting it to stop. Luke was so caught up in the pain, he didn’t care that he was being toyed with.

(Luna) Not putting up a fight? You look pretty submissive right now…

(Luke’s thoughts) Was I supposed to fight her no matter what?

Everyone had faces of disdain and disappointment as Luna sadistically played with Luke, especially his friends…

(Fred) He’s still alive…

(Gary) Yeah … definitely being nicer to him …

(Stan) That bitch…

(Diego) At least she’s pretty…

With everyone wanting the fight to stop, David jumped into the ring, about to hold Luna down for Luke’s safety, until he stopped in his tracks.

Even Luna stopped what she was doing, as both she and David heard an audible whisper coming from Luke.

(Luke whispering) … thank god …

(Luna) What?

(Luke whispering) thank god…

(Luna) Thank god for what?

Luna then pulled Luke’s face closer to hers, his face inches away from her ear.

(Luke) Thank god you didn’t punch the left side of my stomach…

With her guard down, Luke then pulled out a bottle of near-empty perfume from his left pocket, pointing and spraying it instantly in Luna’s eyes.

(Luna) AAH!

Temporarily blinded, Luke then used this opportunity to hold Luna down to the ground, placing his right arm around her neck, an immediate chokehold on her.

Stunned and outsmarted, Luna’s teeth clenching with anger while being held down, as her prey was about to be the predator.

(Luna choking) ack … You dirty cheat!

Luna, still temporarily blinded, started to claw her way out of the chokehold, which was not one of Luke’s strongest suits. Her hands prying his arm more and more, Luke’s little trick didn’t work out like he thought it would.

(Luke’s thoughts) Oh no…

Broken free, and both on the ground, Luna grabbed his arm and then caged Luke’s neck.

Choking, he quickly tapped Luna’s arm, his way of surrendering to her. Luna, her eyes bloodshot with rage and heavy breathing, continued to choke Luke, as Luke’s eyes were starting to roll in the back of his head.

(Luna) I’m not falling for any tricks this time!

Luke started to drool, the freshness of his saliva dripping down onto the ring floor. He tapped a couple more, but Luna wouldn’t budge.

Fortunately, David pulled Luna off of Luke, using all his strength so that Luna would stop choking the lights out of Luke. Gasping for breath, tinnitus rang in his ears.

As Luke looked up, he swore he could see veins starting to bulge out of Luna’s temple, making him flinch. The more David restrained her, the more she gritted her teeth and glared ferociously.

(Boris) I guess it shows us both their fighting styles huh… Jenny, take the boy to the infirmary.

(Jenny) Got it, sir.

The woman named Jenny went inside the ring, putting the boy on her back before leaving the ring. Jenny had dark brown hair wrapped in a ponytail, with brown monolid eyes. She wore glasses and was pale skinned, and she was to be a couple of inches shorter than Gwen. She had a mole on the left side of her chin, with her nose and ears being relatively small.

She also wore a long black dress and black heels. As Jenny looked at Luke, his face sleeping alongside her back, her face softened.

(Jenny’s thoughts) He reminds me of Kenichi…