Captain Agatha Cook, that was her name. Her resolve was palpable. She began her inspection, her hawk-sharp eyes scanned each recruit with an intensity that could unsettle even the boldest spirit.
“Welcome to Fort Vanguard,” She declared, “First thing, forget everything you’ve heard about the military. Here, it doesn’t matter if you’re the son of a minister or a cowboy from Texas; you will only survive if you follow my orders. You are now a unit. Individualism ends here. And as such, you will work as a team and push beyond your limits. Our mission, as you all know, is to gain the strength and knowledge to defend our planet from an alien invasion. So, failure is not an option!”
Her words ignited a spark in my determination. That was exactly what i was looking for; a team i could trust and the spirit to exceed my limits. After outlining our training schedule, she departed to her separate room. Growing up, I hadn’t thought much of the military. Living in a country without war where academics were the ultimate guarantee of success, I was unprepared for the life I found at Fort Vanguard. I had anticipated adventure in my quest to grow stronger, but the atmosphere in the room was awkward, with everyone defensively intense. I attributed the cold silence to the diverse professions of the recruits.
As I sat on my bed contemplating on my new life, a voice reached my ear across from my bed.
“How old are you? Aren’t you too young to be here?” William Cage asked. I recognized everyone in our squadron from the file, but his question caught me off guard.
“I’m old enough. Seventeen years old.”
Even I could hear the arrogance in my words. Having been alienated growing up, I had become socially awkward without realizing it. I was raised with the mindset that my abilities and results would speak for themselves.
I expected him to scold me, but William Cage suddenly laughed loudly.
“I like your bravery, young fighter! The body follows the soul. Those who stand unyieldingly strong at heart will never taste defeat, even in the face of death.”
His spirit was high, and everything about him exuded great might. At least one of us had a positive outlook.
Another recruit, Zack Vaughn, the billionaire, seemed overly excited about joining the defense force. It was clear he was seeking adventure in what could be a deadly situation.
The rest didn’t seem interested in getting to know one another. They were either scared and intimidated by the new military life or had already been through so much that they didn’t care about anything else. With a silent breeze, the day finally ended
As expected, I still couldn’t fall asleep, even after the coma. I asked Number One if this was a side effect of the serum. He told me to wait it out, assuring me it posed no threat to my body. However, he couldn’t explain my sudden loss of consciousness. Living without sleep felt like imprisonment, i was deprived of something essential to all living beings. I was constantly active, my senses heightened. The blackout glasses helped block some visual stimuli, but only to a small extent.
We were allotted only three hours for sleep. An incredibly annoying alarm woke us at 3 a.m. for jogging. However, this wasn’t enough for me. Since no one knew about my powers, I sneaked out afterward to continue my personal training. But I wasn’t progressing as quickly as I wanted with just running. Now that I had joined the army, I decided to intensify my regimen. I found 500kg weights to build my strength and did timed sprints to boost my speed. Since it was only my first day, I returned before anyone noticed my absence. Upon arriving, I went straight to the bathroom to wash up. The others were already there, except for one person.
“Where is Sane?” I asked the room.
I realized the others might not even know each other’s names yet. I knew I wasn’t good at making friends or caring for others. So, I decided to mind my own business and focus solely on getting stronger. I wasn’t particularly interested in anyone specific, but I was curious about everything around me, perhaps due to my hyper-cognition.
“Kid!” Drake Wilson, the detective, called me. “I don’t know why someone as young as you joined this suicide mission, but here’s some advice to prolong your life: stay away from that assassin! This isn’t a movie; unless you want to wake up dead, mind your own business!”
Perhaps he was just trying to help, but no one could blame me for being curious. Sane was a mysterious figure who always covered his face with a black hood and exuded a bloodthirsty aura. Despite the warning signs, my curiosity urged me to befriend him. Having been alienated at school, I understood the misery and self-destructiveness of loneliness. However, recklessness could be deadly, so I decided to suppress my curiosity.
As I was about to start bathing, I noticed everyone had their own soap and necessities. I hadn’t collected mine yet. Awkwardly, as I was about to step out of the shower, someone offered to share his soap.
“Ah, the Japanese warrior! Arigatō gozaimasu!” The words flowed from my mouth without pause.
“You’re welcome.”
I didn’t know what to say next, but I felt obliged to continue the conversation.
“You speak English?” I asked.
“I got my university degree in New York. Do you speak Japanese?”
“I picked up a few words while watching Japanese anime.”
“Oh! You’re a fan of anime! Which ones have you watched?”
From his speech and demeanor, he seemed like a pacifist. I had thought all warriors, especially swordsmen, were rigid and obstinate. This left me wondering what brought him here. But thanks to that encounter, I made my first friend in the squadron.
The days passed as we endured rigorous training designed for the average person. The standard military regimen included early morning jogging, hill runs, trench digging, and other exercises to build strength, endurance, and unity. The training was particularly challenging for two recruits: Loid Anderson and Diego Castro. But they persevered and excelled in the war tactics lessons.
During training, I also befriended Dmitry Petrov, the Russian soldier, partly because I was the only one who spoke Russian. I also became friends with Zack Vaughn since I was closest to his age.
During our training sessions, Captain Agatha always led by example, participating herself. One evening, after training, I was in the barracks cleaning my gear when Captain Agatha entered, her presence demanding immediate attention.
She called my name and ordered me to follow her.
I stood up and quietly followed her outside. As we walked in silence, my heart began to race. For a moment, I foolishly thought she might confess something personal. The night air was cool and refreshing. Finally, she stopped and turned to face me.
“Cipher,”
“Yes, Captain!”
“We are about to begin one-on-one combat training. Can I trust you to control yourself? I don’t want anyone getting injured,” she said urgently. This was no time for games.
I was surprised to realize what she meant. I had thought only the General and Number One knew about my Neogen status.
“I don’t know how strong you are, but you’ll need to harness it fully to be part of this exercise. This training is about making everyone here ready to fight the coming threat.”
“I understand! You can trust me. I won’t hurt anyone.”
“Good. I’ll hold you to your word.”
I made a promise i wasn't sure i could even keep. And just like many times before, I didn't have a choice, but to look for a way to conceal my strength before combat training began.