

Unit 7B: The Beginning

Published by Steve Gynx at Smashwords

Copyright 2018 Steve Gynx

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is dedicated to my family.

There is no greater joy in life,

There is no greater gift in life,

And I am thankful every single day,

For each of you.
Chapter 1

Beep. Beep. Beep. The sound seemed like it was coming from somewhere far in the distance. Beep. Beep. Beep.

That noise. What was it? Why was it getting louder? He realized it was the alarm on his NED that was trying to drag him into the world. His jaw was sore from grinding his teeth all night. With his jaw still clenched he reached out from under the covers and smacked the NED. There was always satisfaction in smacking that thing.

He woke filled with a dread for the day, and that always present unhappiness. It was more than unhappiness, it bordered on all out anger with a hint of rage. He had carried it with him for so long it had just become a part of him. It often boiled over and became that ugly anger, but not today. Today he would be able to manage it. He had to keep it bottled up today. It was important to his mother. Tomorrow was the day for anger to show itself. Tomorrow was the day he really hated.

He pulled himself out of bed and felt a little better the moment his feet hit the floor. Having something to do always helped those angry feelings to subside. It didn't matter what he was doing, just something that shifted his focus from inside his head to the outside world. He plodded to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

He looked into the mirror and did not like what he saw looking back at him. At five foot ten inches with an athletic build he did not mind his personal appearance. His mother constantly nagged him to comb his hair, so he kept his blonde hair short to avoid those hassles. He did not have the self-image issues that most fifteen year old kids had, because he kind of liked the way he looked. The problem he had with his reflection was those eyes. Those eyes belonged to an older person that had seen too much awful and lived a hard life, the kind of life that ages that person prematurely.

He made a half-hearted attempt at making his bed, just to please his mother, grabbed his school bag and walked down the hall to the stairs. At the top of the stairs he stopped. He could smell the pancakes that his mother was cooking and hear her softly singing along with the music that was playing on the home network. He smiled a little despite the way he felt inside, took a deep breath, put on a smile, and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

She was average height and build with shoulder length light brown hair. Her face always looked just a little tired, but it always had a smile. That smile was brighter whenever she saw her son. His mother was at the stove finishing the pancakes and singing with that smile when he walked into the room. She stopped and looked at her son.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she said with that loving smile.

"Good morning, mom." He grinned back at her. She could always make him smile.

"I made your favorite – chocolate chip pancakes."

"Thanks, mom."

He hadn't liked chocolate chips in his pancakes since he was ten, but he still pretended to love them. He was certain that it made her feel better, but plain pancakes would have been fine. He sat down at the table and put his backpack on the floor next to him. She brought the plate of pancakes over to him and kissed his cheek.

"Happy Birthday, Izzy." His mom started calling him "Izzy" when he was a baby and it just stuck. His given name was Istvan. It was a family name on his mother's side that came from a few generations back. It meant a lot to his mother to keep a family name going, but now the only people that used it were those who did not know him. Izzy is what all of his friends, friend's parents, and most of his teachers called him.

"Thanks, mom."

He ate the pancakes and smiled often, but she knew it wasn't sincere. She suspected he didn't even like chocolate chip pancakes anymore. A mother knows these things about her child. He carried heavy burdens with him. Burdens that were too heavy for a child of just fifteen, but it had been this way his whole life. Since the end of the war it was like this for many of the children. All a mother could do was just try to make his life a little better, a little brighter, and make sure he knew he was loved.

"Do you have any plans today?" she asked when she already knew the answer.

"Nothing special really," he replied with a mouthful of pancakes.

"Well, maybe you and Jinx should do something."

"Yeah, maybe we will."

She often wished that he would do something just for fun, even if that fun meant getting in some trouble. She didn't think he ever had fun. She wished with all her heart that he could have known life before the war. That all of the children could have seen what life was like when children could be carefree and just had fun. Her generation had days on the beach, hanging out at the mall, and cell phones with games and apps. It was all just for fun and they lived mostly without purpose and always without the concerns this generation carried. Those days were long gone.

He finished his pancakes and cleared his plate. After setting his dishes on the counter next to the sink he turned to look at his mother. She sat at the table eating her pancakes and smiling at him. But he could see that weary and troubled look on her face again. It made her look almost sad, but in a distant sort of way. He walked over to her and hugged her from behind. He always felt that anger, but she could make everything a little better.

"Thanks for the birthday breakfast. I love you," he said, as he held the hug.

"I love you, too. And I hope you have a great day. I will be a little late tonight. We have a late afternoon procedure at the hospital, but I should be home about 6:30 or so."

"Ok," he said, after letting her go.

"Will you be with Jinx after school?" she asked although she knew the answer.

"Probably"

"Do you still have enough on your account, you know, in case you might want to do something fun?" she asked hoping that he really would do something just for fun.

He checked his NED and nodded at her. He knew that he would not be spending any money. She worked hard and they were always okay, but he could not bear the thought of foolishly spending her hard earned money – even if it was his birthday.

"What do you want for dinner?"

It was a tradition in their house that you got whatever you wanted for your birthday dinner. It had been this way his whole life and his mother enjoyed it. It was something his father's family always did. A long standing family tradition of a sort, even if there was no family left. She always chose the same meal on her birthday, but he liked to switch it up. He had not thought about it at all this year, so he would have to decide later.

"I'm not sure yet. Can I just message you later when I decide?"

"Of course, honey. Just let me know. Now get going or you will be late for school."

"Yes, ma'am"

He picked up his bag and headed for the front door. Just before he walked out of the kitchen he turned to look at her. He gave her a smile and a wave. He knew that she tried hard to keep him happy and protect him. She probably tried too hard and spoiled him too much, but he knew that was because he had no father. He suspected that she felt guilty about that, but it was not her fault. He had no father because of those freaks and that war.

He walked out the door and stood on the front steps for a moment. He let the warm sunshine hit his face. No matter what was going on in his head or his life he always had the sunshine. The warmth of the Florida sun on his face always gave him a sense of calm and peace. He loved the sun, the warmth, and the bright blue Florida sky. He was certain it was genetic. His parents had grown up on the Emerald Coast of Florida and loved every second of it – he heard about it all the time. There was nothing as comforting as the Florida sunshine on his skin. The early September sun was as bright and warm as he could ask for on a school day.

He walked down the driveway and when he reached the sidewalk he turned to look back at the house. The house was not in bad shape, but it was a standard subdivision house built back in the early 2000's. His whole neighborhood was about the same. All of the houses were similar in size and shape, but his mother said that was the way things were before the war. A "middle class neighborhood" is what his mother had called it. Now it was just the part of the city that the NORMs lived in.

The races lived separately in different areas of the city. It was like that all over the United States, and in many parts of the world, since the war. Newsfeeds were always full of clashes between the races, but Izzy mostly ignored those stories. He had enough hatred for the GENs and MODs to fill a thousand newsfeeds with stories. He had to deal with those freaks at school and that was bad enough. He didn't care to read about them in the news cycle.

He was certain that he could live the rest of his life without seeing another GEN or MOD. Those freaks caused the war and he wished they would have all been wiped out in the war. No such luck. They were still alive and well today.

Izzy didn't care for the MODs at all. The only thing he liked less than the MODs were the GENs. And the only thing he hated more than the GENs were the politicians. It was the politicians and their greed that started it all. Their hunger for power is what finally tipped the scales and brought the war to the entire planet. That wasn't exactly what Mr. Mahoney had taught them in World History class, but that was all Izzy got from the class. Politicians declared war and war was the thing that he hated most of all. It was war that changed his city, his country, and his life. It was war that changed the world into the mess it was today. It was war that really made his blood boil.

He kept walking to Jinx's house, four blocks up and one block over. He did this every single school day because Jinx lived closest to the school and there was no way he was going to that place without Jinx.
Chapter 2

Michael was the name that his parents chose. Jinx was the name he was given by Izzy back in the second grade. The nickname was one that would become so commonly used that even their teachers used it occasionally. Once, he even heard Michael's father call him Jinx. Jinx didn't mind at all, in fact he treated it like a medal that he proudly wore around his neck for the world to see.

Jinx was always positive and optimistic about all things in life. He wore a smile on his face at all times and never failed to see the bright side of any situation. The problem was that if Jinx said that "everything was going to be ok", it was certainly not going to be ok. If he said that it was going to be a "great day", it was going to be a legendarily bad day. When he said "what's the worst that could happen?" it was a good time to brace for impact.

Everyone should have a friend as good as Jinx. He was always there when needed. He always made people feel better about themselves or their situation. Izzy sometimes wondered if Jinx even had a mean or angry bone in his body. It was a nice counterbalance to the way he felt inside all the time. He appreciated Jinx for all that he did and always tried to match him in their friendship. It was not often that Jinx needed his help, but Izzy would always be there for him.

He continued on the final block and made the turn onto Jinx's street. Jinx lived closer to the edge of the designated NORM area. Just a few blocks up was the school and on the other side of that was the MOD and GEN areas. Everything to the east of the old highway was NORM territory and the west side of it was MOD land all the way to Main Street. The west side of Main Street was designated as GEN territory. The GENs and MODs did not mind living next to each other, but the NORMs had to be kept at a further distance. It was better for everyone that way.

He could see the blue house that Jinx grew up in just a few houses ahead. As the house came fully into view the front door flew open and Jinx came running out. He met Izzy at the sidewalk. Jinx had skin the color of milk chocolate with short black hair. His eyes were large and bright and his smile was blindingly bright. The contrast of his skin and bright white smile made his whole face seem to glow when he wore that smile. His eyes were bright and clear and danced with joy whenever he displayed that classic smile.

"Happy Birthday, bro!"

"Thanks, Jinx."

"C'mon man, it's your birthday! You can show a little excitement. Be a little happy, crack a smile, do a little dance – I promise it won't kill you."

"And if it does?"

"Don't look at me, man. I'm not giving you mouth to mouth!"

Izzy laughed at that. Jinx had a way with people, no doubt. They exchanged their classic handshake, a forward slap, a back hand slap, followed by a double fist bump. Jinx came up with it in the second grade and they had done it at every meeting since. It was a symbol of their friendship and brotherhood as much as it symbolized their childhood. They headed off to the school.

The school was once the middle school for the area, but with fewer children being born since the war it was now big enough to house all of the area students. There was no public transportation like there was in his parent's time at school, so they walked every day.

The schools remained neutral ground for all residents. All of the children had to attend school together. It was the politician's belief that the races could grow up together and learn to get along and treat each other well. The fact was that most of the children did as their parents did and kept a safe distance when and if possible. There were a few of the kids that tried to have inter-race friendships. That usually ended badly. Inter-race friendships might work in a generation or two, but there was too much that needed to be forgotten first.

They approached the school walking side by side and Jinx had a little extra beat to every step today. He was happy to the point of being almost giddy this morning. That was enough to make Izzy curious. Leave it to Jinx to make a big deal out of the day and to try and lift the spirits of a friend. Jinx knew what tomorrow was and what that meant, but that would not stop him from making the most of today.

"What are you up to?" Izzy asked.

"What do you mean? I'm not up to anything," Jinx replied with an extra wide grin.

"Please don't make me beat it out of you – just tell me what you're up to."

"You don't stand a chance. You know I can whoop you. Besides, I'm just in a good mood and happy to be with my best bud on his birthday."

"It's just a birthday. It's not that big of a deal," Izzy said with a touch of gloom in his voice.

"All birthdays are a big deal. It is a day to celebrate you and your years on this planet. It is a day to celebrate the year ahead. Now stop being like this and pick up the pace."

And Jinx took off in a sprint up the street to the school. Izzy took off after him and the race was on. Jinx was always about one step faster than Izzy and this race would be no different. Jinx touched the side of the school just a fraction of a second before Izzy got there. They leaned against the brick of the school building grinning and gasping.

"I almost had you," Izzy said when he caught his breath.

"You never had a chance, punk," Jinx said with that smile on his face.

"I will beat you one of these days."

"Not in your wildest dreams!" Jinx said still smiling. He smacked Izzy on the back.

"C'mon, bro. It's gonna be a great day!" Jinx said and winked at Izzy.

"Oh crap. Why would you do that on my birthday?" Izzy asked.

"I'm just proving that you care. Don't worry, man, everything is going to be fine."

Izzy scowled at his friend who just smiled back. They walked into the school as the warning bell was sounding. It should have been an air raid siren because Jinx had certainly just jinxed the day. Izzy thought he should just go back home and take cover under his bed, but he followed Jinx into the school instead.

"Five minutes to get to our lockers and first class, but just seven hours until the end of the day!" Jinx said.

"Always something positive," Izzy muttered to himself.

Izzy and Jinx walked down the hall towards their lockers and looked around at the usual scene. Each race was huddled together in the usual places. The MODs preferred to remain near their lockers and talk quietly amongst themselves. They would have occasional interaction with people from other groups or races, but mostly kept to their own small groups. The GENs moved freely up and down the hall acting like they owned the place. Their arrogance and elitist attitudes were always proudly on display. They mostly kept to their own, but made sure to peacock up and down the halls for all to see. The NORMs remained in a large group at the end of the hall, where the NORM lockers lined the far end.

When they finally reached their group of friends the group became oddly quiet. Then everyone turned to Izzy and screamed "Happy Birthday!" It was so loud that it made him jump and almost fall backwards. They all started laughing and pointing and there were a few high fives.

The NORMs were a tight group. They knew that was what made them different and what made them stronger than the other races. Every NORM in the school knew that no matter what happened all of the other NORMs would have their back. You could never go into a bad situation alone. It was strength in numbers, but with a true concern for one another. Izzy knew that none of the MODs or GENs felt that way because each of them thought too highly of themselves to truly care for anyone else.

After the group had settled down they each came to Izzy and shook his hand or slapped him on the back. Every one of them made a gesture of kindness and it was that sense of belonging that made it all so special. Izzy was a key part of the group and was the only one who could fight a MOD or GEN alone and win. He was always there when a NORM needed him and that helped to keep most others from starting problems with his friends. They all knew that the other groups were staring and glaring, but it was all just a matter of jealousy. The unity was especially annoying to the GENs and one in particular, James Willis, gave Izzy a cold gaze. Izzy stared back with his best "bring it on" look and followed that with a smirk. There was no way one of those jerks was going to intimidate him.

The first few hours of the day passed quickly and easily. All classes were integrated, but each classroom was segregated. At first the school had tried to lump all groups together in an attempt to force the acceptance of one another. After a few dozen fights had occurred the school gave in and segregated each classroom. Now every classroom had designated areas for each group and it seemed to keep the peace. The teachers actually had a chance to do some teaching with this arrangement.

The last class before lunch was U.S. History with Mr. Mahoney. Izzy and Jinx walked into the class and took their seats and talked back and forth waiting for the class to begin. Izzy felt someone staring at him and turned to look around the room. He subtly looked over his right shoulder and three rows back he locked eyes with James. There was that cold stare again and Izzy delivered that same smirk. Bring it on, punk. Bring it on.

There was history between them and more than a few confrontations, but nothing that ever got too serious. Some people just didn't like each other and nothing could change that. Nothing can be said or done to make them get along. This was one of those situations. Izzy was starting to think it was time to settle this and put James in his place once and for all.

He turned back to the front to face Jinx, who was sitting backward in his chair to face Izzy. Jinx looked at him with that smile.

"Now you aren't thinking of doing anything stupid here are you?" Jinx asked.

"I don't plan to start anything if that's what you mean," Izzy replied.

"But if he starts something..."

"I will finish it," Izzy said coldly.

Mr. Mahoney stood up from his desk at the back of the classroom and began walking to the front of the class. He stopped next to Jinx and looked down at him and waited. Jinx looked up and offered that big smile. Mr. Mahoney smiled back and just waited. Jinx turned around and faced the front of the classroom and Mr. Mahoney continued his walk to the front.

Mr. Mahoney was six foot one inch tall and as solid as a rock. A former lieutenant in the military and he had the look of a man who had fought many battles, but was certainly ready for another. His dark hair was just starting to show some grey, but his hair was kept in a military type of cut that kept it from showing too prominently. His commanding presence was not to be questioned, but he had a caring style that showed a softer side.

Izzy and Jinx had Mr. Mahoney as a teacher in many classes over the years. The shortage of students meant that not as many teachers were needed, so many of them taught several different classes. Still, it seemed to Izzy that he had been assigned to Mr. Mahoney a few too many times. That guy seemed to show up everywhere in Izzy's life. He saw him all day at school and he seemed to be lurking in the background at all areas of the school. He was there in the lunchroom, the gym, and every single time Izzy had ever been in trouble (or so it seemed).

Izzy could feel the glare burning at the back of his head. He turned and glanced over his right shoulder and locked eyes with James again. This was going to be an issue that would not go away. That was just fine with Izzy. That GEN punk would get all he could handle if he wanted to go down that road. Izzy was trying to keep his cool today, but if anger was needed, he would have some to spare. Mr. Mahoney had begun speaking so Izzy turned to the front of the class again, but his mind was still locked on James and the gathering storm.

History class was a subject that Izzy enjoyed and hated at the same time. Throughout history mankind had followed a path of greed and violence. The violence was always in the form of sending innocent men and women to fight and die for some leader or politician. He hated them all for that. In his mind Izzy knew that wasn't entirely true, but in his heart he felt the hatred for that greed and war. Even with his bias Izzy was able to absorb all sorts of useful information about the way wars had developed, been fought, and ended. Sure there was a lot of other stuff that was taught in class, but Izzy only really cared about the battles fought and the ravages of war.

Today's lesson was about the settling of the American west. Izzy couldn't help but think of how that was similar to what life was like today. More than half of the population of the United States had been wiped out during the war. Many fought and died in battles around the globe, but there was also a lot of fighting on American soil. Men, women, and children fought to save their towns and homes. Many of them died. Not to follow orders, but to protect their own families and homes. The groups and militias that fought together all over the United States might have been the last time that Americans would ever stand together. At first the groups fought each other based on race, but in the end they fought common enemies. Izzy doubted there could ever be unity like that again in this world.

Now with so many areas of the country devastated by the destruction of war there were vast wastelands all over the United States. The remaining citizens had banded together in what cities and towns were left in habitable condition. Izzy thought that it must have been the same in the old west. Wide open spaces with cities and towns scattered all over with the settlers striving to build a community.

Each of the new towns that were formed after the war immediately fractured into three groups. The GENs moved into the areas first and claimed the best parts of towns for themselves. The NORMs had the worst of each town and worked hard as a team to repair and rebuild. The MODs were happy to fill the gap between the two groups and often acted as intermediaries between the hated rivals. It was the nature of most MODs to take a "go along to get along" approach to society.

The bell rang and the best class of the day was over. Jinx turned to look at Izzy and saw that look. Jinx had known Izzy his entire life and he knew when Izzy had gone someplace else in his mind. Jinx hated to interrupt because he felt certain that wherever Izzy was in his mind was a better place than this world. Jinx felt certain of that because the look on Izzy's face was calm and peaceful. Izzy was never at peace in this life.

"Hey, bud, you wanna stay here all day?" Jinx asked.

"Huh?" Izzy replied confused.

"Dude, class is over. I just thought you might want to have lunch," Jinx said smiling.

"Yeah, I guess that sounds ok. What's for lunch?"

"Don't ask questions if you don't want to hear the answer," Jinx said flatly.

"Fair enough," Izzy admitted.

The hallways were the same as ever. Each group traveled in tight packs that would not allow for trouble and would keep others at a safe distance. There were still a few people that attempted a bit of civility between the groups. Izzy often wondered why they even bothered. Maybe someday several generations from now there could be real peace between the races, but that wasn't going to happen during his lifetime. There was too much bad blood, too much damage done, and too many reasons to hate each other. Peace could only happen when there wasn't anyone left to remember. Izzy wasn't able to forget.

The lunchroom was the least exciting and most tense place in the whole school. The food was never anything to be happy about. Izzy was certain that had been true since the very first school lunchroom opened its doors. With all of the races in one location everyone felt they were holding a lit match in a room full of gun powder. The whole room was one small, wrong move away from an explosion.

Izzy and Jinx always sat in the same spots, at the same table, in the same area of the lunchroom. It was their small refuge in the lunchroom. It was on the way to that table in the back corner of the lunchroom that someone knocked the match out of Izzy's hand. James Willis had intentionally chipped him with a shoulder. Izzy's lunch tray hit the floor and in a split second the whole room had changed. Everyone knew what was about to happen and why it was happening.

Izzy did not hesitate for even a second. He spun around and grabbed James by the back of his shirt collar with both hands. Izzy pulled with everything he had and yanked James off his feet and spun him down face first into the tray of food on the floor. What was left of his lunch was now all over James' face and hair. Izzy pounced on him and slammed a knee into the middle of his back right between the shoulder blades. It was a solid hold that not even a GEN could get up from. Izzy knew that this would be over quickly.

Most NORMs were afraid to take on a GEN or even a MOD, but Izzy had no fear. He would not be intimidated by their enhancements. He knew in his heart that he could never back down from one of these freaks. The other NORMs knew that Izzy could win and it gave them strength and confidence when they stood together. The other NORMs began to form a circle around the pair on the ground to stop anyone who might think of interfering.

Izzy used his left hand to keep James' head held face down in the mashed potatoes and he pulled his right arm back. He was aiming for the right side of James' head and meant to crush him in one shot. He could feel that white hot anger boiling inside him and all of that hatred was balled up in his fist. He started the motion in his right arm that would put an immediate end to this confrontation. His arm was suddenly stopped and he was spun around and pulled to his feet in one swift move.

Izzy was furious and ready to attack. He looked up and saw that it was Mr. Mahoney who had a firm grip on him. He was staring at Izzy with a steely gaze that showed the strength and resolve of that battle hardened soldier. Izzy could feel the tension leaving his body. He knew it was over and that he should not object. Izzy had won the battle, but was about to lose the war.

James scrambled to get to his feet and recover to launch a new attack, but he was stopped by two teachers as soon as his feet hit the floor. The teachers turned him and escorted him out of the lunchroom. The crowd had already mostly disappeared leaving Mr. Mahoney and Izzy facing off in the middle of the mess. Jinx had lingered off to the side, but didn't dare get too close to this one.

"Why do you continue to do these things?" Mr. Mahoney asked through a stiff jaw. His anger and frustration were evident, but measured.

"I didn't start this. This is not my fault!" Izzy nearly yelled.

"It's never your fault, Izzy. Someone else is always to blame. Someone else always starts it. You can never walk away, never control your anger, never..." Mr. Mahoney let the rest of that sentence fade away. Izzy could see the tension leave his face.

"I will not lose to one of those freaks. I will never back down from any of them. I can beat every one of them," Izzy said almost under his breath, but with plenty of anger.

Mr. Mahoney had completed the transition from battle ready soldier to wise and caring teacher. "You must learn to control your emotions. You can't go through life like this. Your anger has not served you well and if you don't learn to control your anger, it will destroy you."

"I like my anger. It gives me strength," Izzy was still charged up, but he understood that he was being spoken to with a fatherly overtone. "Why do you care?" Izzy asked with a deeply curious look on his face.

"It's my responsibility because I made a promise and..." Mr. Mahoney looked into Izzy's face as if he was seeing it for the first time. Izzy could see his face softening even more and could feel all of the tension leave his own body. "... because I care about you and what happens to you."

Izzy could feel the shock on his face and knew that Mr. Mahoney could see it as well. The soft look was gone in a blink and the teacher was back just as quickly.

"If you have one more incident like this you will be kicked out of this school. Now let's go to the office and you can fill out the incident report to tell your side of the story," Mr. Mahoney said as he grabbed Izzy by the arm and guided him not so gently out of the lunchroom.

Izzy gave a sideways glance as they passed by Jinx. Jinx looked back with a knowing expression. They both wondered what this promise was all about. They would have to address it later as they would not be seeing each other again until after school.

Izzy spent the rest of the day in an isolation room, which was pretty much just a closet with a window in the door for observation. There was a central room with nothing more than a standard steel teacher's desk in the middle and the perimeter of the room was full of these closet type rooms. The attendant, Mrs. Johnson, sat at the desk and monitored all kids and passed out school work as needed. She was a tough old woman who had dealt with these kids her whole career. Nothing ever seemed to get by her and she tolerated no ill behavior from any of the kids. Izzy had spent many days in here with Mrs. Johnson and they knew each other well. She had a tiny sliver of a soft side and Izzy thought he was probably on that good side. Maybe.

Izzy stood at the window in the door to his closet and knocked just loud enough to be heard. Mrs. Johnson looked up and waived him out to the main room.

"I finished my English work," Izzy said softly as he approached the desk. He knew to speak kindly and softly to her and she would return conversation the same.

"I have your Algebra work from Mr. Ebert and an extra assignment for you from Mr. Mahoney," she said in her best stern, but kind voice.

Izzy sighed at that last part. Mrs. Johnson smiled broadly at his reaction. He didn't need any special assignment. Being stuck here all afternoon was punishment enough.

"Which would you like first?" she asked, still smiling.

"I don't care. You pick," Izzy said glumly.

"Very well, I'll just give you both," she was still smiling as she looked up at him.

"Thanks," Izzy gave her a half smile because he knew he'd been had and he honestly liked her style. He respected her no nonsense approach even if it meant that he got the hard edge occasionally. He took the papers from her and turned back toward his room. Two doors down from his room he saw James standing at the glass waiting for Mrs. Johnson to notice him. His face was angry, but there was a knot on his forehead. Izzy figured that was where he had hit the tray and smiled to himself, satisfied with his handy work.

"Istvan," Mrs. Johnson barked. Izzy was almost to his door and turned around to face her. She was motioning him back to her desk. Izzy complied immediately. "Why do you do this to yourself?" she stared through him as she asked the question. It was as if she were staring directly into his brain.

"I don't know," was all Izzy could manage in response.

"I believe you do. I can't help but wonder why a bright kid, who could excel, if he chose to, continues to put himself in my classroom," her stare continued.

Izzy stood there for what seemed like an eternity and just looked at her until he had some kind of response. "I guess I just can't take any crap from any of them. There is no way I'm going to let one of these arrogant jerks try to dominate me. They are not superior. They may have genetics, but I will not bow down to anyone. And because my father..."

"Your father would not have wanted this for you," Mrs. Johnson interrupted.

"You knew my father?" Izzy asked stunned.

"He may have visited my class from time to time back when he was a student," there was that smile again. "You are like your father in many ways. When your father was your age he was also smart, but he had more control over his temper and emotions. His visits were mostly caused by his acting out in class. He thought he was quite humorous. His teachers, however, did not find his antics or sarcasm entertaining at all. But he always embraced the lighter side of life. He didn't take things seriously enough, I would say, but your mother brought out the best in him. After they started dating he didn't visit my classroom very often. And I know for fact that he would have wanted you to have fun and embrace all of the good in life. There is no good excuse for your actions. You are better than this and I should think that he would be disappointed in your behavior. I know that I often am."

At that moment she broke off her stare, looked down at the papers in front of her, and began writing. Izzy stood there in shock. After a few moments he realized that his mouth was hanging open and that his body had gone limp. He continued to stare at her, but she was done with their conversation and would not look up again. He straightened himself to his full height and turned back to face his room. The walk back to the doorway seemed to take an eternity. He moved as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. His mind was in a freefall. He had never felt his head spin like it was at this moment. He walked into his isolation room and slowly closed the door behind him. He carefully sat down at his desk as if he might fall over. He set the papers down in front of him to begin his school work, but couldn't read the words on the page.

His father was hardly ever mentioned around him. He knew that many of the people in the area must have known his father, but no one had ever told him anything about his father before this. Many times in the past Izzy had asked around about his father, but people acted as if they had never known him.

He had found one of his mother's old yearbooks in the bottom of a closet once. He made notes of the names of their classmates and went in search of as many as he could find. Fourteen of them still lived in the area, but not one of them would say anything about his father. They all claimed that they did not know him very well and sent Izzy away as quickly and casually as they could. And now the one thing that he knew about his father was that he was a fun loving kid who acted out in class. That meant those people would have known his father for sure. Now Izzy wanted to know why those people lied to him so quickly and easily.

Izzy wasn't sure how much time had passed. He got up from his desk to look at the clock in the main room. He still had one hour of school left and some school work to finish. Mrs. Johnson would not let him leave at the end of the school day if his work was not completed. He knew from past experience that she had no problem staying after school to wait for the day's work to be finished. He walked back to his desk and sat down. He did the Algebra work first and got through it fairly quick. Most school work came easy to him and he rarely brought home any homework because he easily finished it in class.

After the Algebra was finished he turned his attention to the extra work that Mr. Mahoney had sent. There was only one question handwritten at the top of the page.

Who is your favorite U.S. military leader and why?

Izzy smiled at this because he knew this would be all too easy. The worst part of this isolation work was the lack of technology allowed. He was working with pencil and paper like it was the 1990's. The Stone Age punishment would make this assignment take longer, but it would still be easy enough to complete in the time he had left before the bell rang.

When the last bell of the day rang Izzy stood up and moved to his door. He stood at the window and waited for all of the other students to leave. After the last of the isolation kids left the main room Izzy slowly opened his door and walked to the desk at the center of the room. He stopped at the front of the desk and waited. Mrs. Johnson finished organizing the papers that were turned in to her and then slowly looked up at Izzy. She held his gaze, but did not say anything. Izzy extended his arm and handed her the papers.

"Thank you," he said quietly, but sincerely and then turned and walked away. As he reached the doorway he heard Mrs. Johnson's soft reply.

"Your welcome, Istvan."

Izzy walked to his locker and found most of his friends there waiting for him. There were cheers and high fives and congratulations for his lunchroom victory. Izzy didn't feel much like celebrating. He still felt the weight of Mrs. Johnson's words hanging on him and he couldn't shake it off. He could not feel angry about today or about tomorrow. He could not feel happy about his victory the way his friends could. He could only feel the weight of the information that had been given to him.

"You okay?" Jinx asked when he walked up to him.

"As okay as I can be. At least you lived up to your name today. I'll tell you about it on the way home," Izzy replied.

They closed their lockers and joined in conversation and waited as their friends relived the glory of the day. After about ten minutes the group began to dwindle. There were some more slaps on the back, congratulations, and happy birthday wishes given as the last of the group split off to head home for the day. Izzy and Jinx walked through the outer doors of the school and headed across the parking lot. They were not going home like they would on most days. They were headed out to the wall, where they always went to have deep conversations and contemplate all the difficulties of life.

In the last part of the war, after the internal fighting, the government and the citizens worked together to secure the borders and entry points into the country. Along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico there was an attempt to construct a wall. It was a make shift sort of wall that varied by area. There were sections of wall that were made of solid concrete that was eight feet high. There were sections made of chain link fence topped with coiled barbed wire. Many areas were just boulders and rubble from buildings destroyed during the earlier fighting and bombing raids. Those areas were the most dangerous due to the massive chunks of concrete that were dropped in place. These areas were unstable as the concrete had rusty rebar protruding from it in every direction. The bent and twisted metal rebar would give way and cause small avalanche conditions along those areas of the wall. There were times that it was dangerous just to walk near those sections of the wall.

Izzy and Jinx had explored many miles of the wall and knew which areas to avoid. Izzy figured that most of the coastlines of America looked just about the same. All of the beaches in the country were probably closed off now, after generations of families had enjoyed them. Long before they had been born this area was a massive tourist destination. The older locals often told stories about those days. Apparently there was a time when people and families would travel to other parts of the country just to visit and sample local life, food, and attractions. Izzy and Jinx had never known a world where that was possible. All of that stopped long before they had been born.

The world they grew up in was full of suspicion and danger so nobody traveled unless it was absolutely necessary. There were standard deliveries from various parts of the country, but only in the areas where the major roadways were still passable. There was some travel between cities and towns, but only if you had family in the area that would welcome you in and make it known that you were okay. If a family moved to a new area there was generally a good deal of suspicion for months until the locals would accept you. There was a bit of a tribal mentality in each community that made it challenging for any outsider. It was a hard life that was made even more difficult without community support. The NORMs were the most welcoming and accepting, but even their group had issues letting in new people.

Mr. Mahoney had told them of life after the war in his class. They all had questions and he was one of the few that would actually talk about that time. Most of the kids' parents only spoke of life before the war and how great things had been. It seemed to be universal that way. No matter if you were a NORM, MOD, or GEN. The adults all seemed to be trying to forget that horrible part of their life and all of the tragic mistakes they made.

Mr. Mahoney told them that after the war citizens and soldiers were in shock. They had fought for three years, nine months, and fifteen days in a global war that left no country and no person unaffected. Then one day the war was just over as leaders of all countries had declared a truce. There was no winner in this war, but rather the people of the world had all lost.

Then, slowly, the people of the world wandered home. What they found when they got to "home" was usually a half destroyed area that had very little left to be remembered. Homes had been lost, business were emptied of anything valuable, and there were precious few factories or community facilities left. If it didn't serve the war it was abandoned or cannibalized to serve the war efforts.

The GENs were usually the first to settle back into the area. They had mostly chosen to repopulate the areas they felt served a strategic purpose, but some had decided to move back to the area they knew before the war. They established a designated area for each of the races when they arrived to the area. The others generally felt that it was best to keep the peace and went along with the proposals laid out by the GENs. They were usually fair and generally acceptable to all parties, but often had certain advantages for their own kind.

The MODs and NORMs moved into each of their areas and settled in to work on the recovery of their parts of the city. MODs were generally accepted by NORMs, but that probably had more to do with the fact that they had lived together the longest. There was certainly not any kind of trust among the two factions, but more of a comfort level that made interacting possible. The interactions were minimal and there was always a danger to it, but the MODs understood their role as intermediary.

Once the territories were established the citizens began trying to piece together their new lives. Businesses and schools were opened, and then farming and manufacturing began in many places after that. Commerce was certainly different before the war, but all of these things were still needed and there were still people in each of the races that had the necessary skills. During these many months the soldiers and war personnel had begun arriving in their old hometowns. The vast majority of these people headed back to the only life they knew and that meant going back to where you were before the war. Some of these people came home to find that they had nothing left and no reason to remain and so they moved on to settle in new areas and do their best to forget about their old lives.

Others soldiers had made great friends and chose to settle down near each other upon returning to civilian life. It was not unusual for soldiers to bond deeply during war and build friendships more powerful and meaningful than most ordinary people could understand. Mr. Mahoney had said that friendships built during the darkest human moments could be the strongest bond known to humankind. He said that it didn't matter how many years had passed or what had happened in those years, if a war buddy needed his help he would be there.

Mr. Mahoney said there was often cooperation between the races during this time. A sharing of physical and human resources that allowed for the rebuilding process to happen rather quickly. It was during this time that small local governments had begun to develop and establish basic ground rules for interaction between the factions and what would be allowed or tolerated by each group. This happened with a healthy distrust that helped to keep the peace. He told them how no group wanted to appear as if they were attempting to control any situation and all of the negotiations were handled with extreme caution.

With each faction settled in and basic law and order established life began to function. It was clear that each race wanted life to return to the way it was before the war, but all knew that could never happen. At least not in their lifetimes, but maybe it could happen in a few more generations. Forgiving and forgetting were not really possible and the children they raised could not yet do that either. The adults and most of the children were incapable of moving past what had happened.

Mr. Mahoney had told them this was not just in their area, but in most areas of the country. He said that every area had this discomfort and unrest, but no one wanted it to build past that point. It was understood that it would take generations before all of the human damage would heal, but they had to at least start the process. The war and hatred had to be kept at bay in order for the next generations to have a chance.

This was the world Izzy and Jinx had grown up in and it was all that they knew. Hatred between races was still strong in most homes. There was still no true trust, but there were attempts at a civil approach to working together. This only happened in small doses and only with a few dozen people, but they all felt it was a start. It was up to their generation to continue to heal the people, but it was doubtful that they would ever know anything remotely like the world before the war.

Izzy thought it was a totally unbelievable concept that people would travel across the country on highways just to go and see another part of the country. They had never even seen a nearby city and they knew enough not to try unless there was good reason. The boys could fully understand why so many people came to visit this part of the country. They knew the fabulous weather, of course, but they also knew something that most of their generation did not know. They knew what was on the other side of the wall.

When the boys climbed to the top of the boulder wall they could see the reason people had come to visit their part of the country. The beautiful white sand beaches and emerald green water was a breath taking site, even after climbing the wall a hundred times. At the top of the wall they would always pause and take it all in. At their backs was an area full of hollowed out people in a shell of a town, but in front of them was a gorgeous ocean view that was full of peace and possibilities. The vast difference was striking even to the two young men who had never known their hometown before the war. They felt that the town needed to tear down these walls and open up their world again to this beautiful sight. No one dared to suggest taking down the wall because there was the very real thought of war starting again in most of their minds.

They carefully climbed down the wall to reach the white sands of the beach. This was the spot that was known as their thinking place. Izzy had always needed someplace to vent his anger and frustrations and somewhere to clear his head. When they were just eight years old Jinx had suggested that they go down to the wall. It was on this exploration trip that they discovered what would become Izzy's favorite place. On any rough day or during any difficult time Izzy could be found on the beach. His thinking place had sunshine on his face, the smell of salt air, and the cool white sand between his toes. He found his inner peace as the waves crashed to the beach over and over again. Sometimes he would just walk out into the water and stand there letting the waves hit him repeatedly. The push of the waves and his pushing back was much like his life. The world tried to shove him around, but he did his best to stand his ground.

Izzy was certain all he needed in this world was this place. In this place the troubles in life could not reach him. That warm Florida sun on his face always made him feel like everything would be okay. This was his place and it held all the mysteries he needed and all of the peace that he desired. And this was exactly where he needed to be after a day like today. He looked over at Jinx. Jinx knew to wait until Izzy had his moment of peace before talking.

Izzy started the conversation off by telling Jinx about the story that Mrs. Johnson had told him. He told every detail that he could recall and wanted to make sure that he didn't leave anything out. The key to that whole mystery could be locked in the tiniest of details.

"Man, that's crazy. No one has ever told you any stories about your father. Well, except your mother. Did she say anything else about him?" Jinx was just as shocked as Izzy was initially.

"No. She didn't say anything else about him at all," Izzy's voice was distant.

"Your dad got detentions for messing around in class? That kind of fun loving happy thing must skip a generation, huh?" Jinx asked jokingly. He was trying to break the tension.

"Yeah, you're a funny guy. Everyone should have their own personal comedian," Izzy said dryly, but with a grin.

"What do you think he meant about a promise?" Jinx asked.

"I have no idea," was all Izzy could manage, mostly under his breath. He had no clue as to what Mr. Mahoney could have meant.

"Do you think it has something to do with your father?" Jinx asked carefully. He knew this was a subject to be handled delicately.

"Maybe. They both fought in the war. Maybe they knew each other?"

"It does kinda make sense. He's not from around here," Jinx said almost suspiciously.

Mr. Mahoney was not from anywhere near here. In fact he had told them once that he grew up in Chicago. Why would he have moved down here after the war? Who could he have made that promise to? Izzy's head was spinning. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his NED to check in with his mother. It was messed up again.

"Hey, can you fix this?" he asked, handing it to Jinx.

"I'm sure I can," Jinx accepted it with that smile.

Jinx was a tech genius and it all came as naturally to him as breathing did to other people. Jinx had set up the NEDs for his family and Izzy's when he was just eleven years old. It was a little freaky to Izzy, but Jinx said it was just his natural born ability. He always carried a few tools with him and his old Leatherman in his backpack, just in case something needed to be fixed or they found something new for him to take apart.

The NED was a Networked Electronic Device and it allowed citizens to connect to the national network. His mother said that the national network was like a combination of TV news channels and something called the Internet. Both of these things were before the war, so Izzy wasn't exactly sure what they were but felt he had a good idea of the concept. His mother told him that the national network was strictly controlled by the government and that all data was monitored. Just about every citizen had a NED, but many did not carry them due to their healthy distrust of anything government related.

During the war communication systems were targeted and destroyed. Satellites were shot out of the sky and communications towers and networks were bombed by air and land. Izzy's mother had told him that when she was a kid everyone carried what they called a cell phone. Those cell phones were able to call anywhere in the world and were really just little hand held computers. The cell phones were also all connected to the Internet, which was apparently great entertainment in his parent's day. The whole thing seemed really strange to Izzy and Jinx, but they loved hearing the stories.

Those old cell phones were repurposed as Networked Electronic Devices now, but they just received broadcasts from the national network now. The people of the United States could receive national news and information broadcast over the network, but could not communicate with each other. The network was able to broadcast a signal and the NED was just a receiver. The NED also gave access to a searchable database of useful information that the government controlled. His mother often complained that the database was nothing like Google, whatever that meant.

Jinx had added the ability to link to a closed private network. He had opened an old cell phone he had found that hadn't been converted yet. He noticed a company name on the cell phone. Jinx and Izzy had set out to find another with the same name and when they did their personal network was started. Jinx had been able to match up devices that operated on the same network and figured out a way to get them to communicate. He had explained it all to Izzy once, but it may as well have been in Chinese because none of it made any sense to Izzy.

On the roof of each of their houses was an antenna that Jinx had built. They allowed the two families to communicate by typing messages into their phones and sending them over Jinx's network. Izzy's mom had said it was called "texting" and laughed herself to tears when the boys had told her of Jinx's creation. Now all members of the two families could stay in contact with each other at all times. They each had a government NED and the NED that Jinx built.

Jinx closed the case on the NED and handed it back to Izzy.

"That should do it. We may need to get you a new NED soon though. It looks like that one took a little damage today," Jinx looked at him disapprovingly. He was always upset when someone hurt a tech device.

"Sorry, bro. You still have a box of spares?" Izzy said feeling a bit guilty. It was the fourth NED he had broken in school fights in the last two years.

"Of course. But it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you stopped breaking my tech," Jinx said, and gave him a sideways glare.

Izzy smiled at that and looked down at the NED. He typed a message to his mother.

Can we do pizza tonight?

Sure. Anything you want. It's your day.

Can we have Jinx's family over too?

That sounds great. Tell them to be there at 7.

"Hey, you wanna come over for my birthday dinner tonight with your family?" Izzy asked a little excited.

"What are you having?" Jinx was a little suspicious.

Izzy's mom made sure that they usually ate healthy foods that weren't always popular with his best friend. Izzy was sure that it was a doctor thing, but maybe it was just a mom thing.

"Pizza!" Izzy said with a grin.

"Really? Oh man, we will be there!" Jinx was now excited too. He thought Izzy's mom made the best homemade pizza on the planet. Jinx had not had much pizza, but was certain that his father could not make a proper pizza. Izzy's mom had tried to teach him many times, but everyone agreed it was a lost cause.

"Mom said to be there at seven."

"Oh, don't worry we'll be there," Jinx said with that classic smile plastered all over his face.

"I've gotta get home and finish working on your present. You gonna be okay?" Jinx asked as he stood up. Jinx was not too concerned. They had been through many days like this in the past. The problem was in the statement made by Mr. Mahoney. His only concern was how it might make Izzy feel to be talking about his father – especially today.

"I'll be alright. I'm just gonna stay here for a bit longer. I need to clear my head. This whole day has been crazy," Izzy said, staring out at the water. He watched the waves roll in and waited for that peace to roll over him again.

"I'll see you tonight at seven," Jinx turned and began to climb the wall. At the top of the boulder wall he turned to look back. Izzy had gotten up from the rock he was sitting on and was making his way to the water's edge. Jinx sometimes wondered if Izzy was really ever going to be okay. He turned and began to make his way down the other side of the wall while thinking about his friend and what he could do to help him.
Chapter 3

Izzy made his way to the edge of the dry sand. He took off his shoes and socks and tucked his socks neatly into the shoes. He stepped forward into the cool wet sand and began to feel better all over. He only ventured out to mid-calf depth today because he didn't want to go home and change. He intended to stay here as long as possible today. It was his birthday present to himself.

He stood there in the water staring out into the Gulf waters and just got lost in his head. He knew that Mr. Mahoney had been a soldier in the war, but knew little else about him. He didn't know where his father fought during the war. His mother had served as a doctor for the military, but she never spoke of those times. Izzy had no clue where either of his parents had served during the war. It was possible that one or both of them had served with Mr. Mahoney at some point.

Many people had lost everything and very few had not lost at least one family member or relative during the war. The devastation was universal in all of the countries of the world. Cities had been destroyed or totally wiped out in some cases. Small towns and villages were not left untouched either as the war progressed and spread with each new invasion.

Almost every kid at Izzy's school had a family member or relative that was killed during the war. There were endless stories of loved ones that had just disappeared during the war and no one knew if they were alive or dead. All were assumed to be dead because in the years since the end of the war no missing person had ever come home to his town. Izzy's father was not one of these missing people.

His mother once told him how she had been notified by military personnel that her husband had died in service to his country. She was in the hospital holding her one day old son in her arms when they walked into the room. They apologized for the intrusion and politely gave her the horrible news. She thanked them through her tears and asked them to leave. She squeezed that baby tightly to her body and cried. She cried and rocked that baby for hours. She cried for her lost husband, for her lost future, and for the baby boy in her arms who would never know his father.

Izzy's father had been killed in action the day after he was born. It made him furious that he never knew his father because of that war and those GENs. Three days after his father died the war was declared to be over by way of a universal and worldwide truce. That made his anger burn even stronger. How had his father made it through all of those years fighting to die just before the war ended? If he had just stayed alive a few more days Izzy would have grown up with a father. Why couldn't he have done that? Didn't he know that he had more to live for? The whole thing was too much for one kid to handle. It was too big of a burden and it filled him with pain and an intense anger.

That anger was usually directed at the nearest MOD or GEN. If it hadn't been for those freaks Izzy would still have a father. He couldn't take it out on the MODs or GENs that started the war, but he could take it out on the ones at school. And he made certain to fight with a MOD or a GEN on the day after his birthday every year. He felt that tomorrow he would finish this business with James Willis once and for all.

He wasn't sure how long he had been standing there, but his feet had sunk deep into the sand and he was almost knee deep in the water now. He decided it was time for a walk down the beach. The thoughts had caused that anger to well up inside him and he felt it would be a good idea to walk off some of that energy. He could not carry that anger home with him today.

Someone somewhere knew the real reason why the war had ended so abruptly, but the public was just told that a truce had been declared amongst all parties. On the day the war ended nobody cared why, because all were relieved that it was over. The end of the bloodshed and wasted lives was all that mattered to people that day. In the years since that day many people have had questions and some have even searched for answers. But no one had ever found the answers. At least not that Izzy had ever heard about.

Everyone was aware of how it started and who was directly to blame for all of the lives lost, all of the families ruined, and all of the cities devastated. There was plenty of blame to go around and plenty who could shoulder it. As Izzy walked along the beach he thought about all that he had learned in History class over the years with Mr. Mahoney.

It had all started sometime during the cold war years. Apparently all those involved had secretly begun working on a super soldier program, and this was not the first time for many of the countries. The United States thought they had a lead on all other countries, but the truth was that most developed countries had been successful at the same pace. If they could have compared notes they would have seen that none had an advantage.

That was the start of what would become known as the MODs. They were genetically modified humans. Every country had their own variant of a MOD, but they were all basically the same. They were created in labs around the world with the sole objective of being better humans. Better at fighting, better at surviving, and most importantly they had to be smarter than the average human. These MODs were in fact better at things than the normal humans. The problem was that they were not significantly better than normal humans.

In general, the MODs developed one skill that was highly enhanced. A MOD might be an exceptional athlete, or a skilled fighter, or just highly intelligent. They specialized in one single skill or intellectual area. The program was a success in the sense that the scientists had created a better human. The failure was in the fact that each of these new humans would only excel in one specific area.

After the end of the cold war it seemed as if there would not be a global war. Most countries were able to solve differences diplomatically and then came the global economy. During the years of the global economy there was a definite need for all countries to get along. Each of the countries had specific resources that others were dependent upon and it made for a few decades of relative peace in the world. There was the usual fighting and regional battles and small wars were still fought, but there was no threat of the entire world falling in to war.

The MODs no longer had a purpose among the governments and military. It is not entirely known what happened to the MODs of other countries, but the history of those in the United States was fairly well known. Each of the MODs was given the option to continue to serve in the military or to leave and assume a quiet civilian life. It was a condition of that release into society that they keep their origins hidden. Those that chose to leave where given extensive background profiles and thorough training on how to integrate into society unnoticed. They were instructed not to interact beyond regular social behavior with normal humans unless absolutely necessary.

The government purchased a great deal of property around the country and entire subdivisions were filled with MODs. Scientist lived in these communities and maintained hidden labs where the MODs could receive medical care and continued observation. The MODs successfully and easily became part of society and no one had any clue what was happening.

MODs would turn out to live longer and healthier lives than normal humans. They continued to merge with society, but were careful to keep a safe distance from normal humans. They got married, had children, started businesses, and became one with the world. The children of these MODs often carried the enhanced skills of one of the parents, although some were born with entirely different skills than either parent.

Each child had to be told of what they were and how to keep it a secret. It was crucial to all that the modifications were kept well hidden from those normal humans in society that might ask questions. It was critical that they not do too well in school, not excel too much at sports, and in general keep a very low profile. Mr. Mahoney believed that their ability to keep that secret was the sole reason they stayed hidden for so long.

It was one of these children in 2025 that revealed the MODs to the world. He was not happy being held back when he was so much better than normal humans. He felt that the normal humans needed to be aware that there was a superior human race on the planet and that all should know their place. That did not go over well at first. Mr. Mahoney said that the world was in shock and that news stations at the time were covering the story twenty four hours a day for months. It was all anyone was talking about anywhere in the world.

There was no civil war, but there were a number of violent protests. Most of that violence was directed at the government, but a few MOD subdivisions were burned and destroyed during that time. Slowly over the next few months MODs from other countries began to speak out and make their presence known. What was done could not be undone and the world would never be the same.

Most historians agree that the long time integration into society contributed to better acceptance of these modified humans. The MODs had been amongst the people for so many decades that they were relatively easily accepted. The initial hysteria had died down in a year or two and for the most part the world had started to move on. The terms MOD and NORM had soon become part of the regular language.

Peace was kept by an increased military and police presence. Mr. Mahoney said that, with rational thinking, it was easy to accept the fact that a friend you had known or worked with for years was a MOD. At first many of the NORMs felt betrayed by those friends. As time passed and many MODs became victims of violent attacks it became easier to understand why they had been ordered to stay hidden. MODs and NORMs were careful not to cause any trouble for one another and by 2030 it seemed as if the world would be just fine.

Mr. Mahoney said there were plenty of MODs who held an elitist attitude and would attempt control in society as they truly believed themselves to be the superior human race. There was also a fair amount of crimes committed by darker groups of MODs as they felt it was easy to be evil when you could be the best.

The general progression and acceptance was all aided by the fact that the newly exposed MODs did not have to hold back any longer. They instead chose to shine in some of the best ways possible. The intellectuals had begun to cure diseases, solve societal problems, and develop amazing new technology. The gifts and abilities they offered the world helped to ease the transition.

In 2036 all of that would change. A new president had been elected in the United States. There was a massive turnover in elected officials throughout the federal government. Citizens of the United States were unhappy with government, taxes were rising again, inflation was considerable, and prior governments had let these financial problems go unsolved for more than a decade. There was also a healthy distrust of all government officials due to the hidden MOD issues. New leadership was called for with as much new blood as possible. The only candidates that were re-elected were those that ran unopposed and there were very few of them.

Sweeping change had come to the federal government as these politicians had campaigned on a smarter and more open government. It was difficult to find any citizen of either race that did not believe that a wholesale change in the government was necessary. The governments of the world had misled the citizens for far too long. In the United States it was easy for these new and unknown politicians to capture victory. These fresh people with a fresh point of view were exactly what Americans felt they needed and it was exactly what they voted into office. No one knew what that meant at the time.

The new government officials began making drastic changes in federal laws. The United States was reaching all-time highs in employment, wages, and financial health. Mr. Mahoney said that he was twenty three years old at the time and that the whole country was in a near euphoric state. It was easy to find a good paying job, a nice house, food was plentiful and cheap, and people were happier and healthier than anyone could remember.

Other large countries had experienced similar changes during those years. Sweeping changes to governments had occurred with unheard of prosperity in most major areas of the world. There was a time when larger countries battled with smaller ones to take control. Now those smaller countries were practically begging to be taken over by their larger and more well off neighbors. There was a consolidation in the world from 2036 until 2039. Soon the world would be changed and thrown into chaos.

Izzy stopped walking when something caught his eye and he stooped down to examine it. There was a complete sand dollar lying in the sand at his feet. It was rare that they were not broken into pieces before they washed up on shore. This one was intact and he squatted and stared at it for a moment and thought how amazing this place was and how much he loved being here. He picked up a large shell that was nearby and tossed it out into the water and just stared at the ocean for a few quiet moments.

He thought about history class on the day all of this was revealed to them. He would never forget the look on Mr. Mahoney's face as he told the students about the next part of the story. There was sadness on his face as he told the children how it had all gone wrong. He seemed to feel guilty about his part in the events. Izzy lingered for another moment and then began walking again.

Mr. Mahoney told them the truth was revealed all at once during a state of the union address in 2040. The newly re-elected president stood before the American people and revealed that she was in fact a genetically enhanced human. She went on to explain that most of the American government was being run by genetically enhanced humans or genetically modified humans. They had engineered a takeover of the government and the success of the country was due solely to their superiority. This was the proof that the people of the world would need to understand that they were being led by a superior race. They were genetically enhanced to be smarter, stronger, faster, and better in every way. And all of the evidence the citizens should need is the state of the world. When she walked away from the stage she expected that the whole world was going to bow to their supremacy. Instead the whole world exploded into riots and chaos.

No one has ever found out the truth behind the origin of the GENs, according to Mr. Mahoney. They were certainly superior to the average human and considerably better than MODs in every way. They were in fact the super soldiers that scientists had attempted to create in the past. Where the scientists had failed to create a completely better human with the MODs they appeared to have been successful with the GENs.

The long held belief was that the scientists continued their work and experiments in the hidden labs in MOD populated areas. This work may have been funded and supported by the government, although no evidence was ever found. It is believed that a GEN is just a further enhanced MOD. No labs were ever found intact, so no evidence was ever collected. Though many secret labs had been located with the help of the MODs, the labs were already gone. They had been destroyed by bombs or fires that erased all traces of the evidence.

Scientists were not on the list. Izzy made a mental note to add scientists to the list of things he hated. It was probably more their fault than anyone else's that he had no father with him today on his birthday. It was their fault that tomorrow was the anniversary of his father's death. He stopped to look around and take in the scenery once again. It was so beautiful here that he never wanted to leave. He pulled his NED from his pocket to check the time. He had just over an hour to get home for dinner. He turned and started walking back to his shoes that were somewhere back down on the beach.

Mr. Mahoney said that what followed these events were riots around the world. NORMs around the country banded together in an uprising against their newly discovered overlords. Some MODs had joined them in the fight. MODs had been targeted at this time as well so there was not much trust among the two factions, but there was a common enemy. There was a small amount of NORMs and MODs that joined the GENs and accepted their superior leadership. The world was now divided into three groups, but that was not enough.

The GEN leadership revealed in America was just the beginning. Leaders around the world had begun to reveal their true identities as well. Most of the world had been taken over by GENs and no one had known as they quietly took control. The GEN leaders of the world began to try to dominate their own country and then take over larger parts of their regions. Battles would be fought on every front. Each country of the world engaged in a three sided civil war. The NORMs, MODs, and GENs would fight for control in most every large city and small town in the United States. Mr. Mahoney said that it was the same in countries all over the world. Small groups and militias took up arms in an attempt to maintain control over the regions of their country. They fought to protect their towns, their homes, and their loved ones. It was once said that it was the worst part of humanity on display for the world to see and no one seemed to care.

With each country of the world decimated by endless civil wars, it did not take long before the GEN led factions began their attempts to take over other countries. Countries fought to keep enemies out as each of the GEN led factions attempted to take over more of the world. The GEN led groups consisted of all races, but were fully controlled by GEN leadership. The GENs led their countries into world war in an attempt to control everything. The resistance groups banded together in every country to attempt to stop the GEN agenda and to protect their homeland from invaders. It was war on every level and in every direction. A truly global war. It was the war to end all wars.

Mr. Mahoney did his best to keep the peace, but after this part of history was revealed there were fights several times a day in every part of the school. There were NORMs attacking MODs and GENs, there were GENs announcing their supremacy, and the MODs fought with both sides. The pride and faults of prior generations were still evident. The pain of the war was still too real. After several days of fighting the local police were called to wander the halls and keep the peace. That fixed the problem temporarily, but the damage had already been done. It was decided to no longer teach this portion of history to future students at his school. Izzy felt angered by that, but was glad that at least his generation knew the truth. He vowed to pass the truth along to future generations.

Izzy had reached his shoes and bent over to pick them up. He walked back through the sand to the wall. He sat down on the rocks, brushed the sand from his feet, and put his socks and shoes on. He stood up and looked out at the water one last time. His head a little more clear, but he still had more questions than answers. He decided he would talk to his mother about Mr. Mahoney after dinner tonight. He must have served with one of them during the war. Izzy knew he would have to push things pretty far, but he would do his best to get the answers from his mother.

He climbed the rock wall a bit distracted and not ready to leave yet. He slipped and started to fall as his foot fell into a crack between rocks, boulders and chunks of concrete buildings. He stuck out his hands to break his fall just before his back hit the rocks. He landed with a thud on his back and laid there for a minute looking up at the sky. Thankfully, no one was here to see him like this. He sat up and pulled his foot out of the crevice. As he got to his feet he noticed his NED lying on a rock with the screen cracked. Jinx was going to kill him. He smiled to himself as he picked up the device and stuffed it back in his pocket. He really was hard on these things, but he hoped Jinx knew that the destruction wasn't intentional.

At the top of the wall he turned to look back at the ocean. He truly loved the feel of the sun on his face and smell of the salt air. He hadn't travelled anywhere else, but he was certain that this was the most beautiful place on earth. It was also the only place that he felt whole and the only time he felt at peace. At least today he was leaving this place for a party with all of the peopled he cared about most. Maybe Jinx was right and it would be a good day after all.

He walked slowly home while thinking about his life. He often wondered what his life would have been like if his father had been around. What if the war had never happened? What if his father had stayed home and not gone off to fight? Would his life still be like this? Would he still have so much anger inside? These thoughts bounced around in his head the way they often did as he walked alone.

He got home just in time to get cleaned up before his mom arrived. She walked in the door and seemed especially happy to see him. Because of the events of the day, he had completely forgotten about how important his birthday was to her. He began to smile and play along. He was grateful for all of the things his mother did for him and he knew to play along when something was important to her. She began to make the pizza and called him over to help. They worked together in the kitchen preparing the food and talking about their days. Izzy felt it was wise to leave out any mention of another fight at school. It would just upset her and he did not want that today or tomorrow. Besides, that GEN freak never landed a punch, so there was no evidence on his face.

Jinx and his family arrived at exactly seven o' clock. Jinx's little sister was extremely excited to come over and have pizza. At seven years old she hadn't yet learned that it was polite not to be completely honest when your father made bad pizza. It had become a running joke in their house and she wasn't sure why it was so funny that her daddy made awful pizza. The adults hung out in the kitchen catching up and the kids sat around the kitchen table.

The evening went very well and everyone was having a great time. They ate too much food and talked and laughed. Everyone took turns telling stories about Izzy and something silly or embarrassing that he had done over the years. Jinx brought out his gift for Izzy and put it on the table in front of his best friend. Izzy opened the box and burst out in laughter. He reached into the box pulled out a new NED which had some sort of industrial looking metal case around it.

"Why is that so funny?" Jinx asked, puzzled.

Izzy reached into his pocket and pulled out his NED with its freshly cracked screen and placed it on the table in front of his lifelong friend.

"Are you freaking kidding me!" Jinx almost shouted. And then everyone started laughing.

Izzy thought to himself that this was the perfect way to spend a birthday. He had everything that was important to him right here in this room. It was perfect. Just a moment after that thought there was a knock on the front door. His mother got up from the table and went to answer the door. A few moments later she came back into the room followed by Mr. Mahoney.

She walked into the kitchen and sat down, but he stayed back and stood in the entryway to the kitchen. He was examining the room and seemed as though he wasn't sure if he should enter the room. Izzy had tensed and thought for sure that he was here to tell his mother about the fight. The whole room seemed to freeze for a moment and then Izzy looked over at Jinx who was staring back at him. Izzy was filled with a dread and felt certain that his great birthday had come to an end.

"Please, come in and join us," she said, motioning him into the room.

"Thank you," he paused for another moment and then walked into the dining area of the kitchen and stood next to the table. "I thought I should stop by and wish you a happy birthday in person," he spoke in a different voice than the boys were used to in class.

"Thanks, Mr. Mahoney," Izzy said, while watching him closely and wondering if he was about to be betrayed.

"Would you like some pizza?" his mother was busy being a gracious host. He nodded yes and she got up to put together a plate for their newest guest.

"It's the best pizza on the whooooole planet!" Jinx's sister exclaimed. "Waaay better than my dad makes!" The whole group laughed at that, but Izzy and Jinx just smiled. The boys were too concerned about the presence of a teacher in the house to feel like laughing. This was very unusual and certainly cause for concern, if not outright fear.

"I'm sure that it is, sweetheart," he said and smiled a large and sincere smile. The boys had never seen this before either. They shared a quick glance and both looked puzzled and suspicious. Mr. Mahoney accepted his plate of pizza and began to eat. The room remained silent as he ate and everyone stared at each other and at Mr. Mahoney.

"So what brings you by? Did the boys do something wrong?" Jinx's dad spoke first, partially to break the silence and partially out of curiosity. Mr. Mahoney smiled as he chewed the last bite of pizza and shook his head. He swallowed and cleared his throat.

"No, the boys haven't done anything wrong," Mr. Mahoney said, as he shot a sideways glance at Izzy who silently breathed a sigh of relief. "I actually just needed to stop by and bring a gift for Izzy, as I will be leaving the area soon. I have something for him that I have held on to for a long time and I thought this would be a good time to deliver it as a birthday gift." The whole room was staring at him as he spoke.

"If that's okay with you" he said as he looked directly at Izzy's mom. Izzy was stunned and looked over at his mother. She was sitting at the table next to him and when Izzy looked over at her she slowly closed her eyes. She sat there holding her eyes closed for what seemed like an eternity. When she opened her eyes Izzy could see that they were wet with tears that she was holding back. She didn't say a word, but simply nodded her head. Mr. Mahoney approached the table and set a small box on the table in front of Izzy.

"This was given to your father...posthumously," he said in a soft voice that could barely be heard in the nearly silent room.

Izzy looked down at the box and was unable to move. He was filled with dread and excitement and felt frozen to his chair. Slowly and carefully he reached his hands out and opened the box. Inside the box was a medal in the shape of a small gold star that looked to be held by an eagle.

"The Medal of Honor is awarded to a soldier by the President of the United States. Your father saved my life and the lives of many others in our squad. He was a hero like no other. Your mother asked that I accept the medal on your father's behalf, and so I did. It has been many years that I have carried that, but I felt that this was a good time to give it to its rightful owner."

"Thank you," Izzy said as he stared at the box. He slowly reached out a finger and ran it over the star. He continued to do this for several minutes, completely unaware of anyone else in the room. He was aware that other people in the room were speaking, but it all sounded muffled and out of focus to him. All he could see was this small box that held his father's medal.

Several moments later he looked up at his mother. Her eyes were welled up with tears, but she smiled at him. When she did a single tear fell down her right cheek, but she quickly wiped it away. The room was coming back into focus for him and he became aware that Mr. Mahoney and Jinx's parents were having a conversation about school. He looked at Jinx who had a stunned look on his face. Jinx held his gaze, but did not smile or even blink. He was clearly speechless. As the voices in the room came back to him he heard Mr. Mahoney say something about a promotion.

"Well, that's just great. Congratulations," Jinx's father said.

"Thank you," Mr. Mahoney was speaking to the whole room. "The education system has been a mess since the war. We're trying to get things put back in place. There are still a few colleges and universities functioning in the country, but not nearly enough. The basic education that we are providing at the local level is not enough to get the country moving in the right direction. We all felt that more needs to be done. The existing colleges and universities can only handle a limited number of students so it is vital that we send only the most prepared students."

"So what does that mean for our local students?" Jinx's mother asked.

"Well, the concept is pretty simple. If we take only the most gifted students and those with the most potential, we can put them into an accelerated program," Mr. Mahoney explained. "This should give them the best chance to get one of the limited spots at a nearby college. If we have them fully prepared, hopefully they will be the ones that change the future of the country."

"Very, very good," Jinx's father said.

"I'm glad you feel that way. Your son is an exceptional student and I have recommended him for placement at our advanced school. The young and talented must be pushed to accelerate the advancement and repair of our country. I think that Michael has tremendous potential and that he deserves a spot at this school." Mr. Mahoney delivered the words carefully and watched Jinx's parents carefully for their reaction.

"Well, we agree that he is very talented, but what does this mean?" Jinx's mother asked.

"He would need to move to the new school and live on site. There will be dormitories for the students and all of the costs will be covered. If you would like him to attend that is," Mr. Mahoney was firm but gentle in his delivery.

"I think it's an amazing opportunity, but this is certainly a very big decision," Jinx's father said in a measured way while looking over at his wife.

"There is no need to answer me tonight, but I will need an answer by 5 p.m. tomorrow. We will have a bus leaving the school the following morning at 8 a.m. sharp."

"This is not just our decision," Jinx's father said, as he looked to his son. Jinx was stunned and silent. He just stared ahead at the wall with a blank look on his face.

Mr. Mahoney had turned to look at Izzy. "This offer is being extended to you as well. I know that you are usually bored in class, but this is a place that will challenge you on every level. You have more raw potential than any other student in our school. I firmly believe that you will benefit greatly from this opportunity," he spoke to Izzy and then turned to look at Izzy's mother.

"So you want to steal both of our boys?" Izzy's mother asked.

"The decision is for you each to make. All I can say is that they will receive a top notch education and have a chance to change the world. And I give you my word that if the boys choose to attend I will watch over them carefully as if they were my own children," Mr. Mahoney said sincerely.

"I think that this is something we would need to discuss in great detail. And I feel that both of the boys should have a say in their own future," Izzy's mother said sternly.

"I understand completely. This is a lot to take in, but the spots are filling quickly and I want to make sure that these two have a chance." Mr. Mahoney surveyed the room as he spoke. They were all sitting in silence and looking at each other. It was clear that the adults in the room had much to say, but were holding their words until they were alone.

"Would it be possible for me to speak to the boys alone?" Mr. Mahoney asked the parents. They nodded and got up from the table. Jinx's mother took his sister by the hand and took her out of the room as she objected. The group moved slowly from the room and walked out to the living room. Izzy's mother spoke first as they began to talk amongst themselves. Mr. Mahoney reached into the front pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small device. He sat down at the table with the boys and looked back and forth at both of them. He held the device in his right hand and extended his arm to the middle of the table and set it down. The device was smaller than a NED and bright silver in color. He pushed a small button on the top of the device and a blue light glowed.

"What is that?" Jinx asked as he reached out to touch it.

"Please don't touch it," Mr. Mahoney said. "That is a noise isolation device. It blocks out all of the sound in a four foot radius. It will isolate our conversation so that no one else can hear and no device can record."

"Awesome. How does it work?" Jinx asked while focusing on the device.

"What do we need that for?" Izzy asked a little alarmed.

"We are about to have a conversation that no one needs to hear. I was not entirely truthful with your parents, but I have to be with the two of you," He paused and looked both of them in the eye, first at Izzy and then at Jinx. Both boys were stunned and speechless. "The school that you have been invited to is no ordinary school. It is not an advanced school for college prep. The Initiative Academy is where we will train the people who are going to save the human race. If you choose to join us, you will be educated and trained in a military style with a focus on strategy, tech, fighting, firearms, and academics as needed. There is a great threat to all mankind on the horizon. We do not have much time left, but we do know how to save humanity. Now it is merely a matter of training the right people to save us all. I believe that the two of you have the skills and natural talent to help our mission. It is entirely up to each of you to decide whether or not you wish to join us. I fully understand if you wish to stay here and continue life as if this conversation never happened."

"Holy crap!" Jinx said under his breath.

"This is crazy," was all Izzy could manage.

"That is all I can say at this point. If you choose to join us I will explain everything and answer all of your questions," Mr. Mahoney said, and reached his arm to the device in the middle of the table.

"Wait a second" Izzy stopped him just before he pushed the button. "Who is this 'us' that you keep talking about?"

"There is a very select group of people that know of this situation. The group's leadership and most of the rest of us are former military. Those of us that fought in the war, survived the war, and never want to see another war. These are people who understand the gravity of the situation and people who can be trusted with the information. It is an international group that will do what has to be done to save all of mankind. There really isn't much else that I can say at this point. You must not tell anyone about what I have just told the two of you."

Izzy was stunned at this information, but managed to nod his head to acknowledge that he understood. He looked over at Jinx to see how he was reacting to this information. Jinx had a blank stare on his face that made him look a million miles from the kitchen table where he was sitting. Mr. Mahoney pushed the button on the device and the light went out. At once they could hear the voices in the living room again. Izzy could hear his mother still speaking passionately and it sounded as if Jinx's father was now in total agreement. Jinx's mother seemed to be the only one hesitant to accept the offer. Mr. Mahoney stood up from the table and stuck his hand out towards Izzy.

"Happy Birthday and I hope you like your gift. Your father was a hero, a great man, and a great friend," he said while they shook hands.

"Thank you. This means a lot to me," Izzy responded, still stunned.

"I must be going now. I have a lot to do before I have to leave to open the new school. I hope you boys will consider the offer. I truly believe that you would both be considerable assets to the school," Mr. Mahoney locked eyes with both of them one last time and then turned and joined the parents in the living room.

"Thank you for dinner," Izzy heard him say, but after that he could not hear any more of the conversation. The adults had a few more questions for him before he left, but Izzy had enough on his mind that he couldn't be bothered with any other thoughts.

"What was that?" Jinx whispered as he leaned closer to the center of the table.

"I don't know. How would I know? This is crazy," Izzy whispered back.

"What are we supposed to do with this information?"

"Make a decision, I guess."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I don't know what to think. What do you think?"

"I think we have just been asked to join a super-secret international military organization that is on a top secret mission to save the entire human race!" Jinx whispered the words and he slumped back into the chair and let out a moan. "This doesn't seem real."

"Well, at least you lived up to your name today," Izzy said staring at his friend. Jinx did not smile this time, but just stared straight ahead at the wall.

The rest of the evening passed quickly. Both families sat in the living room and talked about the invitations. The boys mostly sat and listened as their minds raced with the additional information that was given only to them. At the end of the evening no one had much left to say. There were big decisions to make and everyone had their own thoughts to work through. Jinx's family left with the usual hugs and appreciation. Jinx and Izzy shared their standard handshake and shot each other a look that said they had a lot left to discuss.

After showering and getting ready for bed Izzy sat down on his bed with the box that Mr. Mahoney had given him earlier. It was a simple box, but inside it was an award given to his father for heroics that saved many lives. He stared down at the Medal of Honor and felt proud of his father. He was now being asked to be a part of a similar mission and to help save every life on the planet. He wished he had a father to talk to and ask for some advice in this situation. His mother came in and sat down on the bed next to him.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked.

"About what?"

"About the medal, the school, or anything else," she said gently.

"The medal means a lot to me. Was dad really a hero?"

"That is what I was told. The man I knew would certainly have given his life to protect others. It never surprised me when he wanted to go and fight in the war, but I always thought he would come back home. He gave his life so others could live. Does that make him a hero?"

"I think it does. I don't think many people could make that same choice. What do you think about this school, mom?"

"I think it sounds like a real opportunity. I think that it could lead to great things for you. Someone has to help fix the world that has been destroyed. Why not you? But in the end it is entirely up to you. I will support whatever decision you make. Mr. Mahoney did say that he would stop by tomorrow so that we could talk with one of your potential teachers. Maybe that will help you with the decision."

"Ok. Thanks, mom," Izzy looked at his mother and could see that she was conflicted.

"Happy Birthday, honey," she stood up and kissed the top of his head. She walked over to the door and stopped and turned back to look at her son.

"Thanks, mom. It was a good day," he looked at her and smiled. It had been a good day, but it was good in a very strange way.

"Goodnight, Izzy," she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

The darkness of his room was somehow comforting to him. After the insanity of the day the dark brought with it a quiet and calm that his mind needed. He had a lot to think about. He stared up at the black ceiling with his mind slightly numb and mostly blank. He was still in shock over the events of the day. A lot had happened today and he didn't think his life could ever be the same after what had happened. His NED began to buzz on his nightstand. He reached over and grabbed it.

You still awake?

Yeah

What are you thinking?

I think this is crazy.

Should we tell our parents the truth?

No

What are we supposed to do?

Sorry – Can't think anymore tonight.

Skip school and go to the wall?

Sounds like a plan. See you in the morning.

Izzy put the NED down on his nightstand and went back to staring at the ceiling. It would be a long time before sleep would come, he was certain of that. Nothing made sense to him. His head was spinning with the thoughts and possibilities. He had no idea what to do or what to say to Jinx. He knew that he couldn't tell his mother what was really going on. She would not be able to understand. He decided it would be best to just lay still and stare at the ceiling and try to empty his mind. Sleep was the only thing he really needed now.
Chapter 4

The alarm went off on his NED, but he was already awake and dressed. He grabbed the device from the nightstand and silenced it. He decided to check the national broadcast. Izzy would not normally do this, but if there was a threat to all humankind he thought there would be mention of it in the broadcast. He listened carefully to the entire twenty minute morning broadcast and heard no mention of any sort of threat to humanity. The national broadcast started over again and would play on a loop all day. There would be an evening broadcast after 5 p.m., and he decided that he would check in again after the evening update.

Izzy went down to the kitchen and made some eggs and toast for a quick breakfast. He was determined to get out of the house before his mother came down for breakfast. He needed to talk to Jinx now and his mother would only slow him down. He ate quickly, rinsed his dishes, and threw his backpack on his shoulder. Izzy was at the front door when his mother got to the bottom of the stairs. He turned around to see her standing there just looking at him. Their eyes met, but neither of them spoke a word. They both knew there was too much to say and not enough time. She nodded at him, he smiled at her, and then he quickly closed the door.

He had sent a message to Jinx as soon as he woke up. They planned to meet early before school so that they could discuss this without parents. Instead of taking his normal walk to Jinx's house he was walking briskly to get to the wall.

Izzy walked quickly, but was thinking even faster. It was on this day that fifteen years ago his father had died. He just found out last night that he had died while saving the lives of his fellow soldiers. Izzy was supposed to be filled with anger today, but instead he just felt conflicted about the loss of his father. He had lost his father, but now he knew more of the story. He carried the medal in his pocket and occasionally would reach down and tap his jeans to make sure it was still there. None of this seemed real.

Izzy reached the wall and scrambled to the top. He needed to see the ocean and look around to find Jinx. The elevation seemed to clear his head. He got to the top of the wall and took a deep breath. Izzy looked back and he could see Jinx about half a block from the wall. He stared out at the water and watched the waves roll in for several minutes. When Jinx got to the top of the wall they stood side by side and said nothing for several minutes.

"I know what I have to do," Izzy finally said.

"What's that?" Jinx asked, staring at the water.

"I have to join Mr. Mahoney."

"How do you know it's the right thing to do?" Jinx turned to look at his friend.

"My father was certain that he had to give his life to save a handful of people. Now I have to decide whether or not to do my part to save all humans. I have to do this. It's the only thing I can do," Izzy stood tall and spoke clearly. "It is the only thing we can do."

"I think you're right, bro. What else can we do? We have been chosen to do what others can't. I was too scared to say it, but I guess I'm in. How do we tell our parents?"

"Jinx, we can't tell them the truth. It's best that they believe that we are at school. They don't need to know any more than that. They should never know more than that. Besides, we will be at school. It's just not the school they think it is."

"What makes you so certain? Why trust Mr. Mahoney?" Jinx asked.

Izzy looked back out at the water and waited a few moments before responding.

"He served with my father. I believe that promise was made to my father. Mr. Mahoney has been hanging around our whole lives and there has to be a reason for that. I believe that he can be trusted," Izzy said with the same calm certainty.

"I guess we know what we have to do then," Jinx said and smiled that sly smile.

"Take the day off from school?" Izzy asked with a sideways look.

"Oh yeah, man!" Jinx shouted as he started bouncing down the rock wall.

They enjoyed a great day at the beach. The Florida sun was shining strong and the sky was clear and bright blue. They sat in the sand and talked about the possibilities. What kind of threat was facing humanity? What could a couple of kids be doing that would save the world? What kind of training would be involved? They stood in the waves and talked some more. What would they tell their parents? Could they convince them that this was going to be a good thing? Could they lie to their parents about what was really going on? They walked on the beach until they had dried off, come up with reasonable answers, and had negotiated a plan. They left the beach to head home and get ready to talk with their parents. Mr. Mahoney would be there at five o'clock and they knew what needed to be done.

The families had agreed to meet at Izzy's house at 4:30 and wait for Mr. Mahoney together. They sat in the living room as the boys told their parents of their intentions. The adults did not object, but simply sat there and listened. The boys had spent the day making plans for every possible objection, but did not need any of them. The adults had not spoken a single word.

At exactly five o'clock there was a knock on the front door. Izzy got up to answer it and saw that Mr. Mahoney was not alone. With him a woman who was dressed in a business suit with blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was well built and moved with a military precision, but did not look out of place in her suit. They followed Izzy into the living room.

"I brought along my colleague, Ms. Frye. I thought that it might be good for all of you to meet one of my fellow teachers at the new school," Mr. Mahoney said.

Ms. Frye smiled and greeted everyone with a firm handshake. She was well dressed and well spoken, but Izzy couldn't help but wonder who she really was. She was no ordinary English and French teacher as they were told, he was certain of that.

The boys told the "teachers" of their decision to join the new school. The parents had some questions for the teachers and there was some conversation about the school and the expectations for the students. The adults continued to ask questions and have discussions until all of their concerns had been addressed. The boys had spent hours plotting for every possible scenario, but all they had to do was sit back and let Mr. Mahoney handle the whole thing.

"You boys are aware that we are leaving the school at 8 a.m. sharp. If you have second thoughts all you need to do is stay home. The bus will leave at eight, with or without you. If you are not there, we will understand. It's a big move and a huge sacrifice and no one will blame you if you change your mind."

"We're sure. Both of us," Izzy said and looked over at Jinx.

"We want to contribute to the future of our country and to make the world a better place," Jinx said proudly.

"I'm very happy to hear that and I'm certain that you will both make your parents proud," Mr. Mahoney said and shook each of their hands.

"I have heard great things about both of you. I know that you will both be assets to our school and that we will bring out the best in each of you," Ms. Frye said as she shook each of their hands.

They said their goodbyes and left the house without any further discussion. The families worked together in the kitchen to prepare a final group dinner. They prepared the food and talked about all of the possibilities ahead for the boys. The conversation continued through the meal and the clean up after.

Later that night Izzy was in bed, but not sleeping. He was too excited, too nervous, and a little worried about his mother. He knew that this was the right thing to do. He just hoped that his mother would do well while he was gone. He felt guilty about leaving her alone. There was a gentle knock on the door and his mother stuck her head into the room.

"Are you still awake?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm a little too wound up for sleep," he replied.

"I understand. This is going to be a big change," she said softly.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, honey. Don't worry about me. Besides, the school year will be over and you'll be home before you know it," she said and smiled at him. "Of course, I am going to miss you. But I am proud of you and I know that you will do great at this new school. Get some rest and I'll see you in the morning," she kissed his forehead and walked quietly out of the room without looking back.
Chapter 5

Izzy and Jinx approached the school parking lot and saw the bus at the front of the building. It was an ordinary looking school bus from across the parking lot, like the old ones that sat behind the school. As they got closer they noticed that the windows were blacked out. They were nearly at the bus when Ms. Frye stepped out into the morning sun. She was wearing a different business suit today, but she still looked more like a soldier than a teacher.

"Good morning, gentlemen," she said.

"Good morning, Ms. Frye," they said together.

"Please board the bus quickly. We have a very tight schedule to keep and we have a long day of travelling ahead of us," she motioned them to climb aboard.

At the top of the bus steps they faced the driver who was an average looking man dressed in a military style black uniform. Izzy thought he did not look like a bus driver, but more like a soldier. He just nodded at them and gestured to the back of the bus. There was a black curtain behind the first row of seats. They walked through the curtain and stood there with the curtain at their back. The bus was dimly lit with just enough light to read by, but not enough light to see clearly. There were already several passengers on the bus and they were all looking at the new arrivals. No one said a word, but each one paused just long enough to assess the new arrivals. The curtain opened behind them and Ms. Frye stuck her head through.

"Please find a seat and get comfortable," she said.

They walked three rows back and took a seat on the right side of the bus together. They sat down in unison and began surveying their situation. The bus was less than half full, but there were already more people than they had expected. They had never asked how many people might be involved in this group. On closer and more careful inspection Izzy noticed that there were cameras at all four corners of the bus that would give someone a complete view of the passengers at all times.

"Do you see the cameras?" he asked.

"Yes. Who do you think is watching us?" Jinx replied.

"Mr. Mahoney is not here so it might be him."

"We have more questions than answers," Jinx said. "I suppose it doesn't matter now, we already signed up and are being shipped off. They definitely don't want us to know where we're going."

The bus drove on for a couple of hours. They made a few stops and picked up eleven more passengers. The first two were what appeared to be twins, one boy and one girl. The next two stops came quickly, each about twenty minutes apart. The first was to pick up a tall red haired boy that looked a few years older than Izzy and Jinx. He was muscular like he had done hard physical labor his entire life. The next stop was for three kids that had to be about fifteen years old. Each of these kids entered the bus without even pausing to look around. They just quickly took their seats and looked straight ahead.

The bus continued on for about another hour before the next stop. This time they picked up two passengers who could not have been less alike. The first was an Asian girl that looked very serious and cold. She was less than average height, but very muscular like the Olympic gymnastics athletes Izzy's mother had told him about. The other passenger was a tall and muscular kid about their age that had very pale skin with hair so blonde that it was nearly white. This kid was much taller than Izzy. He had no muscles showing, but Izzy thought he looked like a walking mountain.

The last stop happened about 30 minutes later and they added three more passengers to the growing list. There were two average looking kids and one short kid with jet black hair. The average kids surveyed the bus and then took their seats across from Izzy and Jinx. The short kid stood there for a few seconds longer and then slowly walked towards Izzy while staring at him the whole time. Izzy watched and found it difficult to look away. The kid stopped at their seat and looked directly at Izzy.

"Hello," he said and smiled.

"Hey," Izzy said with a curious stare.

The kid said nothing else, but took the seat directly behind Izzy and Jinx. Izzy looked over at Jinx and was met by that classic grin.

"Good for you. You made a friend. I knew you could do it," Jinx was almost laughing.

Izzy said nothing in return. He just looked at Jinx and smiled while shaking his head. Ms. Frye had just walked through the curtain and stood at the front of the bus. She didn't say a word, but just waited until all eyes were on her. She waited a few more seconds to make sure she had their full attention.

"We have picked up our last passengers and will now proceed to the designated meeting location. The trip is almost over, but your journey is just beginning."

She turned and went back through the curtain without another sound. The bus began moving again and they were on the last leg of the trip.

After another hour of driving they had arrived at their destination. Izzy checked his NED to see that it was about three in the afternoon. His stomach told him that it was well past lunch time. When the bus came to a stop no one got up or moved in any way. They were all waiting for Ms. Frye to come back through the curtain. After several minutes the driver of the bus appeared.

"Get your bags and exit the bus," he said and then pulled open the curtain. The sunlight came through the bus windshield and made it impossible to see anything. After several seconds their eyes adjusted and they picked up their bags and began heading to the exit at the front of the bus.

There was a semi-circle of busses surrounding a large group of people standing in front of an old factory. Izzy could not tell what kind of factory it was. The signs had long been removed. They appeared to be in an industrial park as all of the buildings around them looked about the same. Izzy stayed on the steps of the bus a few seconds and quickly scanned the crowd. He stepped off the bus and joined the growing group of children filing out of the buses.

The entire group of people seemed to be facing the front of the factory. Some were talking amongst themselves, but they spoke in hushed tones and looked to the glass doors at the front of the building.

"There's got to be a hundred people here!" Jinx exclaimed.

"Yeah, that would be my guess," Izzy responded.

"Were you expecting anything like this?"

"I hadn't really thought about it, but if we are going to save humanity it would make sense that the job would require a lot of people," Izzy said while scanning the crowd.

"Did you notice that everyone is about our age?"

Izzy had noticed that the entire crowd seemed to be about their age, and each of the bus groups seemed to be accompanied by the same military type driver and a military person that was probably impersonating a teacher.

"Yeah, I see it. Do you see the way some are grouping together?" Izzy asked.

"It seems a bit like... school," Jinx replied as he looked around.

"I think we have GENs and MODs here," Izzy growled.

"I think you're right. What happens now?" Jinx said.

Izzy did not respond. He was taking a closer look at the crowd and scanning their surroundings. He noticed several more cameras at the front of the factory. The cameras were doing slow sweeps back and forth across the crowd, but at least two were stationary and pointed directly into the crowd. There were several groups that he suspected were GENs and a few that were separate from others that he assumed would be MODs. Izzy did not like the idea of having any of these creatures around him. It was going to be a problem if these people expected him to work with any of those things. He'd rather see the world come to an end.

The glass door swung open at the front of the building and Mr. Mahoney dressed in a black military uniform walked through the door into the parking lot. He stood at the edge of the lot and surveyed the crowd. Ms. Frye and thirteen other people were standing behind him in the same black military uniforms the drivers were wearing. He took turns speaking to each of them individually and then appeared to speak to the group. He looked to be calling out orders, but Izzy could not hear what was being said from where he stood.

The fourteen soldiers all saluted him in perfect unison. Mr. Mahoney turned and faced the crowd. He walked to the burned out shell of a vehicle in the parking lot and climbed to the roof of the SUV. He stood and waited until the crowd realized he was there. Slowly the crowd noticed him and dropped into complete silence. All eyes were on him and he raised a megaphone to his mouth.

"Good afternoon. I would first like to welcome each of you and thank you for accepting the invitation to join us. I am Colonel Mahoney and I am the leader of this organization. As you all know, our organization exists for a very specific purpose. This will not be a small effort and as you can see it will require the knowledge, skills, and talents of many. Some of you may also have noticed that we have genetically enhanced, genetically modified, and normal humans here. Take a moment and look around at your new team."

Colonel Mahoney lowered the megaphone and waited. Izzy scanned the crowd and saw that everyone was looking around and examining the faces surrounding them. It was clear that this was the first time many of them took notice of the type of humans here. They had not noticed or had not cared about the other people around them until that moment. There was skepticism on many of their faces.

Izzy stopped on one girl that did not seem to be looking around at all. The girl was standing alone with no one else within three feet of her and did not seem to be aware of her isolation, or she just didn't care. She was continuing to look to the front of the crowd and waiting for Colonel Mahoney to begin speaking again. She stood there like a statue with her blonde hair glowing in the sunlight and Izzy was stunned by her beauty. Izzy continued to stare at the girl that was alone in the crowd. Suddenly she jerked her head and locked eyes with him. The intensity of her stare seemed to burn right through him. He could feel his face getting warm and knew that it must have been noticeable to her. He looked away as quickly as he could manage.

"You alright?" Jinx asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," Izzy said and turned to look at Jinx.

"Really? Cuz you look like you might be having some issues," Jinx smiled and pointed to his friend's very red face.

"I'm fine. Shut up."

"She's pretty and all, but we're here to save the world – not get dates," Jinx was grinning ear to ear again.

"Shut up, Jinx."

Jinx just kept smiling. Izzy turned to sneak another look at the girl, but she had returned to her statue pose waiting for Colonel Mahoney. He had raised the megaphone up to his mouth to speak, but was waiting for the crowd to focus on him again. That same silence flowed over the crowd again and all eyes went to the leader on the burned out shell of a vehicle.

"We do not care about your background, we do not care what your genetics are, we only care that you have chosen to be a part of this organization. No matter how you feel about each other, you have all chosen to be here. That means that each of you shares the common goal of wanting to save humanity. No matter what form it takes. We have only a matter of months to put our plans into action. If we are not successful the entire human race will be eliminated. No one will survive. It is up to each of you to do your part. You will put aside your differences and join together. You will live together, learn together, and train together. When this is all over, if we are successful, you will have all saved the entire human race. Together."

Colonel Mahoney paused for a moment. He surveyed the crowd slowly before he raised the megaphone again.

"From this moment on your lives will never be the same. In a few minutes you will walk through the doors behind me. Once you have entered this building there is no turning back. Once you enter this building you have made a commitment to this organization that will last the rest of your life. Once you enter this building you will have made a commitment to each other, to stand together no matter what. If you do not want to make that commitment, I will understand. If you cannot handle the burden, I will understand. Now is the moment that you must decide. Those of you who are prepared to move forward should line up to enter the building now. If you feel that you cannot make that commitment, please return to your bus and you will be taken back home."

There was a long pause and no one in the crowd spoke or moved at all. Then slowly the kids at the front of the group began lining up at the glass door of the factory. Izzy scanned the crowd and saw that no one had turned back to get on a bus. He quickly searched for the girl in the crowd. It took several seconds, but he located her toward the front of the line.

Colonel Mahoney had gotten down from the vehicle and could not be seen from where Izzy stood. Izzy and Jinx moved together to join the line and enter the building.

It took some time, but they finally reached the glass door of the building. When it was their turn to go inside Izzy looked around the office area at the entrance of the building. He still could not determine what kind of business this must have been. Past the reception area of the offices was a hallway. Halfway down the hall was Colonel Mahoney. He was greeting each of the recruits individually and directing them to doorways on his left and right. When Izzy and Jinx got to that point he smiled at them warmly.

"I'm very glad to see both of you," he said with a smile. "I'm sure that you have many questions and I promise that they will all be answered in time. For the moment please go in and have a seat at the table and get some food," he motioned them through the doorway on his left.

Izzy and Jinx walked into a large conference room and sat down at a long rectangular table with ten chairs on each side. The chairs were soft, comfortable leather and were very nice after riding in the bus all day. There were plates set out with food for each of them. Sandwiches and carrots was not a luxurious meal, but it was delicious after the long day. Twenty kids sat at the table and ate quickly, but did not say a word. One of the soldiers came in and cleared the plates for all of them. When he left he closed the door behind him. A few seconds later there was a soft hissing noise. Izzy looked around and determined that it was coming from the vents above their heads. A strong, sweet smell filled the room in seconds. Jinx looked at Izzy with a puzzled expression.

"Do you smell that? Is that...?" Jinx started.

"...cinnamon rolls." Izzy finished looking at his friend.

Jinx suddenly began to look fuzzy. Izzy tried to speak, but was unable to make any noise. He saw Jinx sink down into his chair and pass out. A fraction of a second later everything went black.
Chapter 6

Izzy woke up slowly with his head feeling heavy and his eyes difficult to open. He stayed still for a moment to gather his thoughts. When his head started to clear he opened his eyes and looked around. There was dim light glowing through cloudy skylights in the roof. It was a long and narrow room and he could see wood panels covering both walls.

There were rows of seats against the wall on both sides as far as he could see. Each chair had a person buckled into place. His memory started to come back to him. They had been locked in that room and gassed by something that had knocked them out. He checked every face he could see, but he didn't know where Jinx was.

He tried to get up out of his seat, but was stopped by the seat belt. "Ouch! That hurt!" he said quietly.

He was a little relieved that no one else was awake to see him do that. He unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up. He looked around and then began scanning the faces to find his friend. It was hard to see in the dimly lit room.

"Oh, what happened?" said a voice behind Izzy.

Izzy turned to see the Asian gymnastics looking girl. He leaned in closer to see her face better.

"We were drugged," he said softly.

"Why?" she asked.

"No idea. Take a few moments to clear your head. Trust me."

Izzy moved away from the gymnastics girl and began searching for Jinx. It was too hard to see in the poor lighting so he had to bend over as he walked to see each face. He had nearly reached the end of the room when he finally found Jinx. He was still out cold, but Izzy could see he was breathing. Izzy began to gently shake his friend while saying his name.

"Come on, bro. You gotta wake up," Izzy spoke louder while starting to shake him harder.

"I'm up, mom. You can stop that now," Jinx said hoarsely.

"Mom? Really?" Izzy said with a smile.

"Well, it seemed to fit the scenario. Whoa, my head..."

"It'll clear up in a few seconds. Just take it easy," Izzy said.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know. It's some kind of long, narrow room. I'll look around."

Izzy stood up and began to search the room. He walked about thirty feet and was directly under one of the skylights. He looked up at the ceiling and he could see that the ceiling was some sort of plastic. He continued walking and got to the end. This wall was not like the others. He looked closer in the dark area and saw hinges. It was not a wall, it was a door. He spun around and shouted to Jinx.

"It's not a room. We're in the back of a trailer, like the kind they pull behind the big trucks. Just like the truck and trailers that make the deliveries between cities."

Izzy walked back down the trailer towards Jinx. As he walked by other people he could hear many of them waking up and heard a few of them try talking. The gymnastics girl stopped him as he walked by.

"What's going on?" she asked him.

"I think they moved us," he replied.

Izzy turned to walk back to Jinx and the girl stood up to follow him. He noticed that she had removed her seatbelt before standing up and wished he had thought of that. He smiled to himself and decided immediately that he liked this girl. She had a strong personality and showed no fear in a situation that would scare most kids. She was his kind of people. They walked together the rest of the way down the trailer to Jinx.

"Where do you think we are?" Jinx asked them.

"No clue. There are no windows. No way to tell," Izzy replied.

"Well, we know it's day time because of the sunlight," the girl said.

"Who are you?" Jinx asked as he stood up.

"My name is Monica. Monica Lin," the girl spoke with a strong voice.

"Hey, I'm Izzy and this is Jinx," Izzy said.

"I remember you from the bus. You got on with that other kid," Jinx said.

"His name is Kirkland. We got on the bus in Georgia," she explained. "We were at a hotel near the airport after we flew in. Then we were driven to a small, abandoned town and waited for the bus with a military escort. Where are you two from?" Monica asked.

"We came from Destin, Florida," Izzy said.

"You flew here on a plane?" Jinx asked curious.

"Yes. I arrived a day before the bus. Why, is that strange?" Monica wondered.

"I just didn't know we would have people from other countries in this group. And I had no idea we still had planes travelling between countries," Jinx answered.

"Oh, it was no luxury flight. It was a military cargo plane."

"Um, maybe we could talk about air travel later. We need to find out how to get out of here and then figure out what's going on," Izzy said sharply.

Izzy began walking back toward the door and the other two followed. Most of the other passengers had woken up and several of them were already standing. They made their way through the groups of people and were almost to the door.

"What are you thinking, bro?" Jinx asked.

"I was the first one awake. We weren't moving when I woke up, so we must be wherever they were taking us. So now they're gonna open this door," Izzy said firmly.

Jinx knew that tone well. It was all business now and no one could stop Izzy when he was on a mission. He knew to just go along with whatever the plan was at this point. By the time they got to the door of the trailer they had a good sized crowd with them. Izzy began pounding on the door and shouting. Several of the other kids began to join in.

The latch on the door made a loud metallic clunk when it was unlocked. The group stopped pounding and shouting and stood back from the door. The door swung open and the light poured in and temporarily blinded them. After a few seconds their eyes began to adjust to the light and then they could see clearly what was in front of them. There were armed guards on the ground standing at each end of the door. In between them was Ms. Frye standing military erect and staring at them.

"Welcome to the Initiative Academy," she said with the projected voice of a military leader. "Climb down from there and assemble in four rows," she barked. The group was stunned for a moment. No one spoke or moved for several seconds.

"Ms. Frye, What the..." Izzy started.

"Captain Frye," she barked. "All of your questions will be answered later," Ms. Frye cut him off. "Now, get down and assemble as instructed."

A few more seconds passed as if the group were deciding if they would follow those orders. Izzy moved first and climbed down from the trailer. Others began to follow until the whole group was out of the trailer. They began to fall in line and form four rows as instructed. There was a bit of mumbling and grumbling, but no one else spoke up.

"This is the school that will train each of you in your task as part of the team. Follow me," Captain Frye turned and began walking into the school.

The group followed her in to the school as instructed. Izzy began scanning his surroundings. The front of the school grounds had not been maintained at all. He suspected that was on purpose as the whole school looked abandoned. There would be no reason for anyone passing by to think that this was an active school. The building was filthy and the windows were covered in dirt. As they got closer he could see that there were several armed guards on the roof of the building. He also noticed a large number of small cameras hidden around the front of the building. They would have been very hard to see if you weren't looking for them, but Izzy was looking for them. There seemed to be cameras everywhere.

They reached the stairs at the front of the building and Izzy noticed there was a handicap accessible ramp off to the right of the stairs. The front doors looked as filthy as the windows and he could barely see the inside the building. He thought this seemed very intentional as well.

They walked through the door and into a dark building. There were no lights and everything was covered in dust and dirt. The building had not been occupied in at least fifteen years, Izzy guessed. He could make out the shape of lockers and a few of them were hanging open. Classroom doors were left open and he could see desks tipped over, books on the floor, and a sliver of light that got through the filth on the windows.

Further in, he could see that there was light coming from around a corner at the end of the first hall. They reached the end of the hall and turned right toward the light. Around the corner it suddenly looked like a regular school. The halls were clean and all of the lights were fully functional. Classrooms were clean and appeared ready for students.

"Someone put a lot of work in to making this place look abandoned," Jinx whispered.

"It worked," Izzy whispered back as he looked up at more cameras in the halls and classrooms.

They continued further in the school and passed by a gymnasium on the left and a courtyard on the right. The sunlight shone brightly in the courtyard and the grass and bushes were green and lush and as unkempt as the rest of the exterior. The park benches and paths were as filthy as everything else on the outside of the building. At the end of the hall they passed the gymnasium and then they turned left and continued down another long hall. At the end of this hall there were locker rooms. They passed the girls' locker room and then turned into the boys' locker room.

The group assembled inside the locker room where two armed guards stood just inside the locker room door. When the last of the students entered the locker room one of the guards closed the door behind them. The other guard moved to the center row of lockers on the far wall and pushed it ninety degrees to his left. When the row of lockers moved it revealed a set of stairs hidden behind. It was a large doorway with wide stairs that led down in to a black hole.

As Izzy got closer to the stairs he could see a few lights on the walls to illuminate the stairs, but he could see a bright glow at the bottom of the stairs. Captain Frye stopped at the top of the stairs and turned back to the group.

"This is the only way into the lower level. You will not leave the lower level unless instructed to do so. Your classes will be held in the rooms that we just passed. The rest of the time you will remain in the lower level. This is for your safety and the safety of all involved in the Initiative. Am I clear?" she barked.

There were a few "yes", a couple of "okay", and a few "yeah" from the confused group. Mostly they just seemed dazed from all they were taking in at the moment.

"Am I Clear?" Captain Frye barked even louder.

"Yes," the group said almost in unison.

"Good. We will proceed downstairs and I'll give you the tour of the facility. Follow me," she turned and went down the stairs at a fast clip.

The group followed and when they got to the bottom of the stairs they could see a large open hallway. Everything was made of solid gray concrete blocks and lit by tube lighting that made the whole area seem even more like a dungeon. There were doors on each side of the large concrete hallway. Captain Frye led the way down the hall and stopped in the middle of the doorways.

"These will be your training centers," she pointed to the first door on the left. "This is the hand to hand combat training center. Next to it on the left is the weapons training center. On your right is the physical fitness training center. The last training center here is for VR training. Depending on what you will be training for, this center will be altered to meet those needs. You will be spending the majority of your time in these rooms. The classrooms upstairs will be used for all of your academic training and you will be introduced to those in time. For now, these rooms are all that matter."

She turned and continued down the long hallway until she arrived at the intersecting hallway. There were two large steel doors in front of them that had been painted red. She turned right and walked quickly down the hall. They passed large rooms with thick steel doors and thick glass windows. Each of the doors had a number painted on it and when they reached the end of the hall they were at door number seven. She opened the door and showed them the inside of the room. One wall had a large "7A" stenciled on it and the opposite wall had "7B".

"These are your dorms. You will sleep and study in these rooms. This is your new home. After we finish today you will each receive your unit assignments. There will be six people assigned to each unit. Now we will turn around and head back down the hallway," Captain Frye led the way back to the intersection of the hallways. The facility was shaped like a giant letter "T". They passed the red doors on the right and the group slowed a bit.

"Excuse me, Captain?" a girl with brown hair and a British accent had spoken.

"Yes?" Captain Frye had stopped and turned to find the person who had spoken.

"Where do these red doors lead to?" the British girl asked.

"That is of no concern to any of you at this time. Some of you may be selected to go through those doors, but not until you are ready. There will be no more questions about that area and anyone caught attempting to enter that area will be dealt with severely. Am I clear?" Captain Frye said with military authority.

"Yes," they responded, this time closer to being in unison.

Captain Frye turned and continued to march down the hallway. At the end of the hallway they arrived at a large open area.

"Hey, look it's the cafeteria, bro! I'm really hungry and I seriously want some cinnamon rolls!" Jinx said with an elbow and a smile.

"Shut up, Jinx" Izzy shot back with a sideways glare, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling. They both smiled and laughed a little. The noises they made were met with a stern look from Captain Frye. They immediately stopped chuckling and began paying attention.

The center of the room was filled with standard cafeteria tables with attached seating. Each of the tables had number and letter combinations on them. The tables closest to them had vinyl letters that read "7A" and "7B". The numbers continued all the way to the front row of tables which was not marked.

On the left of the room was a serving area and behind that they could see a kitchen. The serving area was lined with stainless steel with a stack of trays and silverware on one end. The other window area to the kitchen was clearly marked as the return window and had an area marked for trays and grey plastic tubs lined up for each different type of silverware. On the right side of the room were several doors each marked as storage and utilities. Farther down the room were the restrooms. The walls were painted gray concrete blocks throughout the facility with the steel doors also painted grey. The red lettering on each door was the only color in the whole facility, aside from the red doors in the main hallway. Izzy noticed that there was nothing but artificial light. He was going to miss the sun.

"Geez, every school cafeteria in the whole world must look exactly the same," Jinx said.

"I think you're right," Izzy whispered back to him.

At the front of the room was a small elevated area that looked like a rather low stage. On the platform stood all of the black uniformed people that were at the old factory. Captain Frye left them standing in the middle of the room and joined the others at the platform.

Colonel Mahoney had entered the room from behind them and walked quickly up the right side of the room. He never turned to look at any of the people huddled in the middle of the room. He got to the platform and saluted the group that waited there. They returned the salute in perfect unison and then formed a single line at the back of the platform. Colonel Mahoney turned and faced the group of students.

"Welcome to the Initiative Academy. I am pleased that you all decided to join us. The location of this facility is secret and must be kept that way. That is why we transported you here in the manner that we did. In front of you there are tables that are clearly marked with a number and a letter. When your name is called you will take a seat at the table that matches the unit you are assigned to."

He began calling out names and followed each name with a unit number. Each student proceeded to take a seat at the assigned table. Izzy and Jinx shared a concerned look. They did not want to be separated under any circumstances. He continued to quickly call out names.

"Michael Hansen, unit 7B," he called out.

Jinx turned and looked at Izzy. He walked past Izzy and continued on to the 7B table as instructed. Jinx took a seat at the end of the table next to the British girl that asked about the red doors. Izzy noticed that the large wall of a kid was also sitting at the 7B table.

Several more names were called and each kid took a seat at their assigned table. The next name called was Monica's and she was assigned to 7B. She turned and smiled at Izzy. Monica quickly walked over to the table and took a seat with the others. Izzy watched as the tables filled up around him and waited for his name to be called.

"Istvan Reynolds, unit 7B," Colonel Mahoney called out.

Izzy quickly turned and walked to the table. Izzy and Jinx shared a look of absolute relief. When Izzy reached the table Jinx stood up to meet him and they did their standard handshake. They took their seats quickly and waited for the rest of the names to be called.

Izzy began to look around the cafeteria and study the area. He noticed more cameras in the corners of the lunchroom and a large black main camera in a tinted dome at the center of the ceiling. Izzy had noticed cameras in the main halls as well. He couldn't help but wonder what all of the cameras were for. It had to be more than security. There were just too many of them.

He scanned the tables for faces he recognized from the bus. The muscular red-haired kid from the bus was at table 7A with the small kid with jet black hair that had spoken to Izzy. He began to scan the room for the girl that he had seen in the crowd. He did not see her sitting at any of the tables. He finally located her in the middle of the group of students that stood waiting for their assignments. He couldn't help but feel something inside every time he looked at her. There was just something about her that drew him in.

She snapped her head around and stared directly at Izzy. She stared almost right through him. Izzy could feel his face turning red again. What was it about this girl? It was as if she could read his mind. He turned and looked away from her as casually as he could manage. He turned his head until he was looking at Jinx. He was met by an unusually wide grin and Jinx was about to say something when Izzy jabbed him in the ribs with a well-placed elbow. Jinx let out a strangled noise and began to chuckle to himself despite the pain.

Izzy continued to scan his environment and watched as the other tables filled with students. He looked at the group that sat at his table. The British girl with the brown hair sat patiently as if none of this bothered her at all. The wall sized kid sat stone faced and stone still. Monica seemed a bit antsy and almost excited. Jinx was still trying not to laugh at his friend, but was still snickering every time that Izzy looked his direction. There were only five at their table, which meant that one of the remaining students would be joining their unit.

Izzy turned to look back at the group standing in the middle of the room and noticed that the girl was not there. He began to panic a little and scanned each of the tables for her. He turned all the way around to look at the table behind theirs. When he spun completely around he was startled to see that she was standing behind him. His heart skipped and he felt a lump forming in his throat. He looked up into her deep green eyes and he could feel his face warming up again. He was certain that his face was turning red and that everyone could see it. The girl did not say a word, but just stood there staring at him. To Izzy it felt more like she was staring through him. It made him feel very uncomfortable, but he was unable to look away, so he just continued to stare back at her.

"Hi, I'm Jinx and the red faced mute here is my friend, Izzy," Jinx stood up and stuck his hand out towards the girl.

"Hello, I'm Kira," the blonde girl said in an almost robotic voice.

She shook his hand, but only briefly. She did not say anything else to him. She slowly studied every face at the table. Her deep green eyes pierced through each person that was sitting at the 7B table. She would linger on a face for a minute and then move to the next with that same robotic precision. Then she noticeably relaxed her face and body and a warm smile came over her face. She spoke with a genuine and friendly tone.

"As you all know my name is Kira. It is a genuine pleasure to meet my team," she said nothing more and took her seat with a tight smile on her face.

"What do you mean by team?" The girl with the British accent asked.

"Well, we are being grouped into teams for our training. Each team will be trained as a unit and the success or failure of the unit will determine our future," Kira said.

"What does that mean? Determine our future how?" Monica asked with an angry tone.

"I don't know any more at this time, but we will find out soon enough," Kira said and turned away to look at the front of the room.

Everyone at the table followed her gaze and turned to look at the front of the room. The middle of the floor was now clear and all of the kids were sitting at a table. Colonel Mahoney had turned his back on the crowd and was now speaking with the others standing behind him. He turned back to the group and began speaking.

"As you know the human race is in grave danger, I cannot give you more detail on that for the time being. But humanity will cease to exist if we do not take action. We have a plan that will work and we intend to save the entire human race. The details of our plan will not be revealed until necessary. It is imperative to operational security that all things relevant to that plan stay top secret.

You have each been chosen for your specific abilities or natural talents. No one is here by accident. It will take the effort of each of you individually and as teams. You all have raw talent, but you are here to learn how to be first rate soldiers. We will shape and mold you into the weapons and tools that will be needed in our battle. Make no mistake, there will be many battles ahead and you must be prepared.

There are eighty-four of you that have been chosen. You have been divided into fourteen units. Your units will live together and train together. You will succeed together and fail together. Your unit will only be successful as a cohesive team."

Izzy flinched at the idea of being tied to this group. He tried to keep a straight face, but could feel himself recoil a bit at that last part. He wanted no part of a team that consisted of those freaks. He was certain that his table was full of NORMs, so he was good with that. The rest of these tables had MODs and GENs for sure. There were tons of them here and he wanted no part of those things. They were liars and murderers and they could not be trusted to save anyone except themselves.

Izzy shot a sideways look at Jinx. Jinx just looked back at him with his best "calm down everything is going to be okay" look. Izzy looked about the table quickly and decided that his group would be fine. Just NORMs here so they would function well as a team. As he was turning back around to face the front he caught a glimpse of Kira out of the corner of his eye and she was staring through him again. She was cute and all, but that staring was a little too unsettling. He turned to listen to Colonel Mahoney again.

"Behind me you see our fourteen captains. These are your unit commanders and the people in charge of training you. These are my most trusted leaders and they will turn you into exactly what this world needs. The training will be difficult and the hours will be long, but it is all absolutely necessary.

We have a monumental task ahead of us and we have very little time to train. Listen to your instructors, follow the lead of your unit commanders, and learn quickly. We have much to accomplish. Your unit commanders will come to your tables now and introduce themselves. Good luck to each of you."

Colonel Mahoney turned and saluted the unit commanders lined up behind him. After they returned the salute he left the platform and headed back down the right side of the room. He stopped briefly at the end of their table and gave a quick nod and a tiny smile to Izzy and Jinx.

The unit commanders had begun making their way from the platform. Each stopped at their unit's table and began speaking. Captain Frye was walking towards unit 7B. She arrived at the table with a very serious look on her face.

"I am Captain Zsuzana Frye. I am the commander of Unit 7B. You are Unit 7B and you will be the best team in the Initiative. You will be the smartest, strongest, and most prepared unit. I will not accept less than your best and you will not give me less than your best. Am I clear?"

"Yes," the unit sounded positive and energetic.

"Excellent," she lightened up just a little, "stand and introduce yourself to your team one at a time," she pointed to Izzy first.

"I am Istvan Reynolds," Izzy said and then sat down.

"Michael Hansen, but everyone calls me Jinx," Jinx said.

"Monica Lin," Monica took her turn and looked across the table at Kira.

"Kira Lynn," Kira said and then sat down.

"Brittney Marie," said the girl with the British accent with a wide smile on her face.

"Kirkland Kardos," said the boy who looked like a wall. He spoke in a heavy accent. He did not smile or blink, but sat down quickly and looked back at Captain Frye.

"Now look around at each other. You will be a team, a unit, and you will always watch out for each other. Your lives will depend on that and the whole world will depend on this unit. Unit 7B, stand up and let's get some dinner," she turned and led the way to the food line that was forming.

They got their food and returned to the table. Izzy sat down and looked at his plate. The smell of the food made him realize how hungry he felt. He took the first bite and looked around the table while chewing. This was his team, his unit, and it would be the best unit in the Initiative. He was filled with pride and he was certain they were to be the best.

The Unit 7 dorm was the same as all the others. There were six bunks, three across and two high, on each side wall of the dorm. The bunks were rounded on the bottom and looked like each bunk extended from a cut out area in the wall and seemed to be suspended in midair. The notched area in the wall contained a single shelf that ran the length of the bed.

In the center of the room there were four round stainless steel tables. Each table had four seats that were mounted to the table legs. The tables looked cold an uninviting, and were clearly there to serve a function with no concern for comfort.

At the back of the room there were six lockers on each wall. The lockers were wider than a school locker and were clearly meant to keep more than school books. Each of the lockers had the last name of a unit member. Just beyond the lockers were the men's and women's locker rooms at the far back of the dorm.

The right side of the room was clearly marked with a large 7B stenciled on the wall. Unit 7B assembled on their side of the room while Unit 7A did the same on their side. Izzy was scanning the room and again noticed that there were cameras in each corner of the room. He was starting to feel a little uneasy about all of these cameras. They had to serve a purpose, but he couldn't imagine what that could be.

"You want a top or bottom bunk?" Jinx asked him.

"Your bunks are assigned and labeled," Captain Frye interrupted. "You're personal belongings can be found in your lockers at the back of the dorm. Inside of the locker you will also find your uniforms and training gear."

"Um, thanks" Jinx said.

"You will wear your uniforms at all times unless doing physical training. But you will not need your uniforms until your classroom training begins. For the next 8 weeks you will be doing only physical training. It is vital to the success of our mission that each of you be in top physical condition and be able to withstand anything that you might encounter."

"What does physical training mean, exactly?" asked Brittney.

"It means that you will all be pushed to your limits in physical fitness. Then you will each be evaluated after four weeks. The second four weeks will involve specialized training as it relates to your weaknesses and continued physical training," Captain Frye replied in standard military fashion.

"Oh, well, that sounds lovely," Brittney said with a prominent accent, but no one thought she was sincere.

"Yeah, should be loads of fun," Jinx matched her tone, but gave her that classic smile.

"I assure you that it will not be fun. I intend to deliver intense pain and I will turn you into true soldiers," Captain Frye said flatly.

"Yup, sounds lovely," Jinx said under his breath.

"Training will begin at 6 a.m. sharp. I suggest you use the rest of the evening to acclimate yourselves to your new home and then turn in early. I will see you all at six," Captain Frye paused for a moment and studied each of their faces. Satisfied with the fear she put in each of them, she turned and left the dorm.

"She's going to be quite a lot of fun," Brittney offered to the group.

"I actually kinda like her," Monica said in an upbeat voice.

"Why? She might be psychotic, you know," Jinx asked.

"I like a challenge, especially physical challenges. There is nothing that cannot be accomplished with hard work. I intend to do very well at this," Monica replied firmly.

"Well, if we are going to be the best it will take a lot of hard work," Izzy said.

"I think this will be very interesting," Kira said lightly.

"Interesting. Sure, why not?" Brittney asked.

"What do you think, Kirkland?" Monica asked.

"Hmmph," was all he had to offer.

Kirkland turned and found his name on the bottom bunk and laid down on it and closed his eyes. Monica looked and found her bunk was just above his and found the ladder at the foot of the bunk. She studied it all for a second and then jumped up to her top bunk with ease and grace. She sat on her bunk and smiled at her team.

Izzy looked and found that his bunk was the top bunk closest to the door. The bottom bunk was clearly labeled with Jinx's name. It always made him feel better to have Jinx close. That trust and bond could not be duplicated and it gave him strength. Izzy walked back to the lockers and found his bag in his locker.

He had only brought a few things from home. The most important thing he had brought with him was his NED. Not his government issued NED, but the one that Jinx had made for their families. He would not be able to use it to send messages because they were well outside of the range of the antennas that Jinx had assembled, but he had photos on the device. He had pictures of his mother, his friends, and of his beach. These were things he cherished and were the reasons he had chosen to accept Mr. Mahoney's offer. He had to do his part to protect or save all that he cherished. He pulled his NED out of his backpack and closed the locker behind him. When he turned around he noticed that the muscular red-haired kid was watching him closely.

"You need something?" Izzy asked.

"You really think that unit will be the best?" the kid said.

"Is that a problem for you?" Izzy asked in return.

"Not for me, but it might be for you and that group. You guys don't stand a chance. I will be glad to show you what the best looks like whenever you look across the room," the kid taunted.

That made the kid at the locker next to his laugh loudly.

"C'mon, Johnny, there's no reason to start that kinda stuff," the kid said.

"Just gotta put them in their place from the beginning, man," Johnny said to his teammate.

Izzy did not respond, but just watched them coldly and disinterested. He knew what a GEN looked and sounded like and he would not let this one cause a problem on the first day. Izzy couldn't help but wonder how they were supposed to save the human race with jerks like this guy. He slowly turned and walked back to his bunk with his NED in hand. When he got to the first set of bunks Brittney stopped him.

"Don't let that tosser get to you," she said sternly.

"I never let those people get to me. I have dealt with many like that back home," Izzy said to her with a small smile on his face.

"It seems like he may be a bit of a problem in the future," Kira said from her bottom bunk. She had that look on her face again, but she was staring across the room at the red haired kid this time. "I don't think he likes you at all and he is clearly intimidated by you. That's why he is trying to show you up."

"I didn't do anything to him. I never even spoke to him," Izzy said to her.

"I think that where he is from he is used to being the one to intimidate others," she paused for a moment and then looked up at Izzy without the intensity on her face. "Where I am from we all get along very well. GENs, MODs, and NORMs all work together and have formed a very good community relationship. I have never seen anyone act like that before," she finished.

"It happens all the time where I'm from," Izzy said to both girls. "I don't let it bother me. I have never backed down from a fight and I never will."

"I do hope that he will not continue to create issues for you, or our team," Brittney said.

"Is everyone in England as polite and proper as you?" Izzy asked with a smile.

"We certainly try," she responded with a warm smile.

Izzy gave her a warm smile in return. He liked her already. She was decent and genuine and her goodness could not be denied. She reminded him of his mother with her warmth and kindness.

"This will be very interesting," Kira said again and lay back down on her bunk.

Izzy turned and left the girls and walked back to his bunk. He stopped to look down at Jinx on his bunk. Jinx was already asleep and looked peaceful. Izzy had no idea how he could sleep so easily with all that had happened to them today. Izzy wished that he could be so easy going and at peace with the world.

He climbed the ladder and got into his bunk, laid his head down on the pillow, and took out his NED. He used his thumb to flip through the pictures and enjoyed the emotions that each of the memories brought to his mind. He would do whatever it took to save his mother.

Izzy wondered if that was what happened to his father. Did he leave for the war to save the woman he loved? Did he sacrifice himself to save his wife and unborn child? His mind continued to contemplate all of these thoughts as he stared at the ceiling. He had no idea how long he laid there, but at some point the lights were shut off in the dorm. Sleep came quickly.
Chapter 7

Izzy was jerked from his sleep by the sound of a barking voice. Captain Frye stood next to their bunks and shouted at them. "You have ten minutes to get in your training gear and assemble in the hallway!"

Izzy looked over the edge of his bunk to see if Jinx was awake. Jinx looked up at him and gave him that glowing smile. Izzy rolled back over on to his back. He lay there for a moment and wondered if Jinx was just born that happy.

"C'mon, bro, let's do this," Jinx said in a cheery tone.

"Sometimes I worry about you," Izzy said groggily.

"Don't worry about me, man," Jinx continued in his chipper tone. "We are gonna have a huge day. You should be more excited."

"Oh, I'm excited. Can't you tell by the look on my face?" Izzy asked.

"Alright, enough drama little girl, let's go," Jinx challenged.

"Oh, it's on," Izzy said and jumped out of his bunk.

They made their way over to the lockers. Inside of the locker Izzy counted seven training uniforms and two standard uniforms. The standard uniform was gray just like the black ones that the unit commanders wore. It was just a plain military uniform with cargo type pants and a long sleeve shirt with pockets, but above the pocket on the right side was a patch with "Unit 7B" and above the left pocket was "Reynolds". The site of the uniform filled him with pride. He suddenly felt energy for the day.

Izzy grabbed his training gear for the day and headed to the men's locker room. He quickly dressed and got ready for the day. Before walking out the door he stood and looked in the mirror. The training uniform was plain gray sweat pants and a gray t-shirt. In large type on the front of the t-shirt was "U7B". Izzy decided he liked the way it looked. And he really liked the way it felt.

Unit 7B assembled in the hall as instructed. Captain Frye stood in the hallway waiting for her unit to arrive. As the last of the team fell in line, she paced back and forth in front of them. She studied each of them with a stern look on her face. She seemed satisfied and stopped pacing and stood five feet in front of the unit. Izzy was filled with pride. He was proud to be a part of this team and was certain of great things to come.

"Good morning Unit 7B," Captain Frye said in a commanding voice. "This is day one of your training. You are going to sweat, you are going to hurt, and you are going to succeed. Let's get started." She turned and led them down the hall and to the physical fitness training center. It was a very large room that was filled with all kinds of training equipment. There were six identical machines for every workout station. Around the outside of the equipment area was a track with six lanes.

Captain Frye stopped on the track and turned to look at her unit. Again she studied each of them, but this time she did not appear satisfied with what she saw. "You kids have a long way to go before you will be mission ready. We have only four weeks of intense training before evaluations. I intend to have you all prepared for evaluation and immediate advancement after that. We must alternate training time with each of the different units. I have booked us for the track this morning before breakfast. We will run five miles before breakfast," she turned and began to jog down the track.

Izzy looked at Jinx who just smiled and then left to jog with Captain Frye. Kira stood next to Izzy and gave him a smile. Monica had already left to join Jinx and Kirkland lumbered along right behind her.

"Well, this should be interesting," Kira said and left to join the others.

"Really? Interesting? I disagree entirely," Brittney said in her proper manner.

"Well, here we go," Izzy said.

They sprinted to catch up with the rest of the unit. They jogged along at a steady pace, each in their own lane, with Captain Frye ten feet in front of them and setting the pace. She occasionally glanced back to check on them and barked when they fell too far behind.

After their morning jog the unit went to the cafeteria and joined the other teams for breakfast. Most of the other teams were finishing up and clearing their tables. Izzy was tired, but also invigorated by what they had already accomplished, when the other teams had done nothing.

After breakfast the team sat and talked for a few minutes. They wondered what the rest of the day would be like. The collective feeling was enthusiastic and ready to take on the world. They were smiling and enjoying each other's company. Captain Frye returned to the table and stood at the end.

"Now that you have had a nice little warm up, we will actually begin your training." The smiles left the faces of Unit 7B all at once. This seemed to please Captain Frye as a crease of a smile showed on her face. Izzy suddenly felt a level of dread that he was not expecting.

After breakfast the unit returned to the physical training center and began a lifting routine. They lifted weights and used exercise machines until they could barely move. Izzy was unable to move his arms without them shaking. His legs were shaky and it felt like his shoes were filled with cement because each movement took great effort. He didn't think he could lift anything else.

The next stop was a lunch break and the team did not smile or joke. There was no more enthusiasm left in any of them. The hours of intense physical training had worn them down. Izzy looked around the table, but no one met his eyes. They were all looking down at their trays and focused solely on eating. Izzy understood how they must be feeling because his fork was very heavy.

After lunch Captain Frye led them to the combat training room. It was another large room, but was almost entirely covered with padded mats. There were mats on the floor from wall to wall and there were mats stuck to the wall eight feet high. They were divided into different colors. Captain Frye led the way to the orange mats near the middle of the room. These mats were marked with U7B.

"This will begin your hand to hand combat training. Each of you will need basic skills to be mission ready. It does not matter if you plan to use these skills," she looked at Brittney, "but it is vital that you have the skills if you should need them."

"Violence is never the answer," Brittney said under her breath.

"It has a purpose," Izzy whispered back to her with a knowing smile.

Izzy felt that this was an area he could excel. He was going to enjoy this part of the training. After several hours of practicing basic punches, kicks, and blocks the team was once again looking ragged. Izzy looked around at his team. He once again felt proud of Unit 7B, and he fully understood how exhausted they felt at this moment.

They headed to the gym again. This time it was for sprints up and down the track. They ran full speed back and forth until Captain Frye commanded them to stop. She let them have a five minute break and then the cycle repeated. They continued sprinting until dinner break.

In the cafeteria Unit 7B looked like they would pass out in their plates. Izzy looked at each member of the team and he could see the anguish on their faces. Izzy noticed that Kirkland seemed totally unaffected. Izzy watched him eat his food and he looked as peaceful as ever. He thought back through the day and realized that Kirkland had kept pace with everyone despite his size. He seemed to have been working as hard as everyone else, but currently looked as if he had been relaxing most of the day. Izzy decided to watch him closer in the coming days because that just didn't seem natural.

After dinner, Captain Frye jumped up from the table and seemed energized. No one else on the team seemed to feel the same. They cleared their trays and waited for Captain Frye to bring more suffering.

"It is now time for weapons training. This should be a little less physically demanding," she smiled and led the way to the training center.

The weapons training room was also massive. The room consisted of three target practice areas. The first area had six individual lanes and each had a black silhouette target at the far end. The second shooting area consisted of six very wide lanes and several silhouettes in each range. Izzy noticed mechanical arms on the lower silhouettes and cables above the higher ones. He assumed that this must be meant for moving targets. The final area was six very long lanes with silhouettes at the far end. Izzy knew this area was for some sort of long range weapon.

"Welcome to weapons training. This is a personal favorite of mine. I enjoy the training and the application," she said smiling wide. "Your training will be very unique."

"What do you mean by that, exactly?" Brittney asked. "I have no intention of firing a weapon at anyone for any reason. I joined this group to save humanity. Not to shoot and kill my fellow humans."

"I will remind you that the overall mission of the Initiative is to save all human life. You will not under any circumstances end a human life. The weapons you use on missions will be tranquilizer darts and rubber bullets only. Make no mistake that those who stand against us will be firing real bullets with the intent to kill you."

"Who is it that stands against us?" Brittney asked. "I have no desire to fire a weapon at anyone, and I have even less desire to be shot at."

"You may not want to fire a weapon, but there is a chance that weapons will be fired directly at you. In the event that you need to return fire you will need to be prepared. Our mission and objectives are unknown to the world at this point. The world may find out someday and we may meet resistance. If the day should come, you will need to protect yourself and your unit. I assure each of you these are non-lethal weapons, but if used correctly will have sufficient stopping power."

Training began despite Brittney's objections. Izzy thought she was strange for objecting, but respected her insistence and her boldness. The weapons training involved hand guns, but Captain Frye promised more weapons in the future. The initial training did not go well for any of them. Izzy noticed that no one had hit their targets much in the first round. Brittney had only fired off a few rounds and was clearly standing in defiance. She made him feel a bit better about his own targets because at least he was trying.

In the second round things didn't go much better. Brittney was in the first lane and only firing a little while not even trying to hit anything. Izzy was in the next lane and doing okay, he thought. Monica was in the lane to his right and doing extremely well compared to the rest of the team. Jinx was next to her and doing fairly well. Kirkland seemed to be doing worse than Izzy, but still not terrible. Kira, on the other hand, was in the final lane and doing awful. She had not hit a single target to this point.

"Lower your weapons," shouted Captain Frye. "In the next round you will shoot one at a time so that I can offer assistance to those who require it."

The third round began with Brittney being forced to shoot her entire clip of bullets, much to her objection. She continued to refuse to aim or really try. Her silent protest continued, but Captain Frye did not seem bothered by it.

Captain Frye continued to work with each of them and Izzy and Jinx made solid improvements to their skills during their sessions. With the help of Captain Frye, Monica was able to hit the first bullseye of the day. The group applauded her and cheered heartily. Kirkland was also able to make improvements in his round that brought him to the level of Izzy and Jinx.

Kira was going to need more help than any of them. She had not hit the target at all in her first two rounds. Captain Frye offered a few pointers and told her to fire off a few rounds. Her aim was far too high and the darts sparked as they ricocheted off the metal framework that held the silhouette targets in place. The sparks made every member of the unit duck, except Captain Frye.

"Whoa! Easy there, Sparky, we are only supposed to worry about enemy fire!" Jinx said from his crouched position.

Jinx's comment earned a nervous laugh from the group and an extremely stern stare from Captain Frye. Izzy could tell it would not be wise for Jinx to continue in his usual ways during this training, so he gave Jinx a quick look. Jinx nodded that he understood.

Izzy thought that everyone had done fairly well at each training today, but everyone seemed to have a strong area. Weapons and combat seemed to be Monica's strength. He felt that he might do better if he could only keep his focus and aim better, but that was not happening yet.

The next round began as Captain Frye paced back and forth behind them. She continued to bark at them and they continued to miss, but made small improvements.

"Squeeze the trigger gently and exhale," she repeated.

Shot after shot missed the silhouette of the figure, but more hit the target background in this round. Izzy looked over and noticed that Monica had hit the black figure on the paper every time in the round. She was standing next to Izzy and looked up at him and smiled.

"I think I like this," she said.

"Well, you are doing a whole lot better than the rest of us," he motioned to the other targets as they were being drawn in on cables towards the shooters.

"I feel like I have found my calling!" she exclaimed.

"You like shooting things do you?" Jinx asked from her other side. "I think this is kinda fun, too."

"There's a big difference between shooting at something and hitting something," Monica said as she examined his target paper.

Izzy began to howl and then the whole unit broke out in laughter. Izzy noticed that even Captain Frye cracked a smile at the comment. It seemed to ease the tension in the room considerably.

"I think that is a good place to end it for the day," Captain Frye said. "It's been a long first day and you should all get some rest. Clean it up and let's head back to the dorm for the night."

Unit 7B began to clean up their targets and put away the weapons they had been using. They were all worn down, but each seemed to be a little lighter after Monica's joke. Izzy looked around at his unit and knew that he was where he belonged. They had already begun to bond and it was clear that friendships were forming. They would make a good unit, maybe even a great one if they could master all of the skills they had learned today.

The team walked the hallway down to the dorms as Captain Frye led the way. The unit was moving slow, but stood tall with the pride of a long, hard day and all that was accomplished. Captain Frye stopped them at the door to the dorm and turned to face the unit.

"This concludes day one. Each of the days ahead will be exactly as you just experienced. We will train harder and longer than the other units and we will surpass all of them. Hit the showers and get some sleep. I will see you bright and early in the morning. Dismissed," she turned and left the unit at their door.

After showering Izzy returned to the central area of the dorm and found the majority of the unit was grouped together around a table near the center bunks. He walked over to them and took a seat at the table. Everyone was there except Brittney who was still in the shower. He arrived in time to hear Monica's part of the discussion.

"All I am saying is that we all have a strong area, but I don't know what hers is. And if she doesn't step up and start shooting she will bring us all down," Monica said to the group.

"I don't think there is anything to worry about. It's only the first day and she was just objecting to the idea of shooting. I think she will be fine," Kira said.

"Monica is right. Brittney could bring us all down. We all have to pass each of our tests," Jinx said to Kira.

"Don't worry about it. She'll be fine. I can give you all a personal guarantee. Let's not start this kind of talk on the first day. If we stick together we will not fail," Izzy said as he stood up from the table.

There was snickering coming from behind him. He almost turned to look at who was laughing, but he didn't have to look. Izzy knew who was making the noise.

"I think that the only thing you losers are going to do is fail together!" he said to howls of laughter from a few of the members of his unit.

"Thankfully, no one here cares what you think," Kira snapped.

"Lots of people care what I think," he shot back.

"I feel quite certain he couldn't name five," Brittney said to Kira as she walked up to the group.

"We'll see who cares when we crush your pathetic unit in testing," he started again.

"No one here is intimidated or bothered by you, so you should probably stop flapping your mouth now," Izzy said coldly and turned towards his unit. "You guys want to end up like those jerks? We stick together and we will be the best. Now, let's get some sleep."

Izzy turned and walked to his bunk and climbed up. He fell on to the bed and lay perfectly still for several minutes. He was a little upset about the comments made by his team, but it was the first day and everyone must be as tired as he felt. The exhaustion might have just brought out a little ugliness, but he felt they could get through it without any further trouble.

He had absolute faith in this unit. Unit 7B could be the best. He could just feel it in his bones. He realized it was strange to have these strong feelings about people he barely knew, but it was a certainty to him. There was no doubt in him. It was as if he could sense them in the future being recognized as the elite unit in the Initiative.

He wanted to say more about it to the unit, but felt it was best to keep silent for now. His eyes were heavy and every muscle was exhausted. He quickly dropped into a deep sleep.
Chapter 8

Beep. Beep. The alarm was sounding on his NED. Izzy reached over to shut it off and thought about how much he disliked the sound of that alarm. He struggled to open his eyes and he could feel every muscle in his body aching with each movement.

Every day of training in the first week was the same. They were rundown and ragged at the end of the first week. The whole unit looked beat and they needed rest. Izzy leaned over the bunk and looked down at Jinx who looked about the same as Izzy felt.

"How you doin?" Izzy asked.

"I feel like I got hit by a school bus. More than once. How about you?" Jinx replied.

"About the same, bro," Izzy groaned and rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

The team got ready and assembled in the hallway as instructed. Captain Frye was ready and waiting. Izzy thought she looked a little too happy about their misery.

"U7B, you do not look well today," Captain Frye said as she walked back and forth in front of the team. She smiled and had a gleam in her eye as she examined each of them. "You will be happy to know that we will not be doing the same thing today," she said with that smile. The group standing in the hallway suddenly looked very relieved. A few sighs of relief and a few smiles showed on their faces as they looked around at each other.

"Today is the seventh day of your physical training and I will be giving you all the afternoon to rest and recover," Captain Frye sounded almost kind. Unit 7B smiled and cheered while exchanging high fives. "The afternoon off will have to be earned! We have a lot to accomplish before lunch, so if this unit wants the afternoon off you will get moving. Now!" Captain Frye returned to her best drill sergeant tone.

Unit 7B fell into line and began making their way to the physical training center. The entire group was moving with purpose. The morning run and physical training session went by quickly. It was lunch time before any of them even realized it.

At the lunch table Captain Frye informed them they had earned the afternoon off and that they could hang out in the dorms and relax as they wished. They took their time eating lunch that day and talked and laughed as they finished their food. Izzy felt it was the best meal they had since their arrival. It was like a family dinner when Jinx's family and his combined for a group meal. It felt good to be a part of this group. Back at the dorms the talking and laughing continued. Unit 7A was out training so they had the whole dorm to themselves.

"Oh, wow, a whole afternoon off and those jerks are gone too!" Jinx exclaimed while pointing a thumb in the direction of the other side of the room.

"That sure sounds good to me," Izzy said. "It's not as good as a day on the beach, but I'll take it."

"Did you spend a lot of time on the beach where you're from?" Kira asked.

"As much as I could and whenever I could. It is without a doubt my favorite place on the planet," Izzy told her.

"Have you been to many places on the planet?" Kira asked in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"No. I was born and raised in the Destin area of Florida. I have never seen anyplace other than that, but nothing could compare to the beautiful beaches and the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. I guess it might not be the only incredible place on the planet, but it's everything to me. During the war years they put walls up around all of the beaches. The walls are mostly big piles of rocks and broken buildings. Nobody ever goes over the wall and I'm not sure how many kids even know what's there. I've been climbing the wall for years."

"What about you, Jinx? Where are you from?" Kira asked.

"Oh, I'm from the same place as the beach bum over there," he smiled and pointed to Izzy. "We lived in the same town and grew up together. Our mothers were close friends before the war and they stayed in the Destin area after the war to settle down. They each had sons born just a few months apart and I've been stuck with him ever since," Jinx told her with that broad, glowing smile on his face.

"Well, it's been a treat to be with you all these years, too," Izzy replied from his bunk. "Remind me to tell you all about how he earned his nickname sometime," Jinx laughed and slapped the table with his hand in response.

"Did you have any beaches where you grew up," Izzy asked Kira.

"I grew up in a village called Nobleford and not far from my town there is Keho Lake. Apparently, before the war it was a great place to spend the day fishing, windsurfing, or just hanging out with family and friends. We don't do that sort of recreation now, but I have been there and walked on the beach once when my parents were fishing," Kira told the group.

"You said that where you were from all of the races got along together and worked together. What was that like?" Brittney asked her.

"Oh, it was quite normal for us. It was a small community before the war. Like everywhere else it became even smaller after the war. Our teacher, Mrs. Frye, told us that our village was not so badly damaged during the wars. It seems that in a small community we all depend on each other for survival and we all naturally just help each other. It's a very close group of people and it's a nice way to live," Kira paused and looked around at the group before she continued with her story. All eyes were focused on her with great interest as none of them had ever heard stories from another part of the world.

"When the truth came out and the civil wars began, our village did not really participate. These were not just friends and neighbors, they were more like relatives. Life, apparently, went on mostly the same for the residents of our community. As the larger cities were self-destructing, our village tried to act as if nothing had changed. That would not last long as the civil war eventually made its way to our village. I was taught that the attempts to control more land and people came to us about fifteen months after the civil wars had begun. As factions gained control of larger cities they tried to grow their power. The people of Nobleford would not have that and they banded together to keep enemies at bay. It was with great pride that they battled and protected their community, but many people lost their lives. At some point the civil wars were replaced by efforts of outsiders to control all of Canada. Many of our people left to fight those battles as well. Very few of those people made it back to our village. The most famous of our fighters was the sister-in-law of my school teacher. We are all calling her Captain Frye now," Kira told the unit.

"Wait a second. Are you telling us that our Captain Frye is from the same village as you? Did you know her before you came here?" Monica asked.

"Yes, we were both born and raised in the same small village, but I knew very little of her before she came to invite me to this school. She mostly kept to herself after the war and she left the village for long periods of time. No one ever knew where she was going or what she was doing. She is a hero in our village so she is never questioned. She fought and saved countless lives during the civil wars and then went off to fight the larger war for all of Canada. She is a true hero and a skilled fighter. She is truly a legend in our village," Kira told the stunned group.

"Wow. That's crazy. I wonder how she ended up here?" was all that Jinx could manage.

"That, I cannot answer. All I can tell you is that Mrs. Frye, my teacher, came to my house and told me about the chance to join an international school. The Frye family has a very special connection to my family, so when she asked we agreed to this immediately. We would do whatever they asked of us. The next day at school Mrs. Frye asked me to stay after class to discuss a few things. That is when I was introduced to Zsuzana Frye, or Captain Frye, and she told me the truth of what this school truly was and that I was being asked to help save the world. And now I am here with all of you," Kira looked around the room as she finished her story and she could feel their understanding and compassion.

"That's not too far from how we ended up here," Izzy told her.

"How do you mean?" Kira asked.

"Well, Jinx and I had a teacher come to our house as well. Our former history teacher is the man we all call Colonel Mahoney now," Izzy told the group.

"Bloody hell! Are you being serious right now?" Brittney asked for the group.

"Totally serious," Jinx replied. "He was our history teacher one week ago. In fact, he has been a teacher at our school for our entire lives. I can't ever remember a time when he wasn't at our school," Jinx finished and looked to Izzy.

"That's true. He has always been around since our very first day of school. Then one day he shows up at my house and tells us that we are invited to some special school," Izzy told them.

"That is hard to believe. Our leader was teaching children last week!" Monica said with disbelief in her voice.

"There seems to be more than we think to all of our stories," Brittney said thoughtfully.

"What's your story, Brittney? Where are you from and how did you end up here with us?" Izzy asked.

"Well, I don't really know that there is that much to tell. My story is not nearly as interesting as yours seem to be," she replied.

"Go ahead and tell us anyway," Jinx coaxed.

"Very well, then. I am from a small town in the UK called Marlborough. There was once about 8,000 people in our lovely little town, but that was before the war. My parents told me that before the war we would have visitors from all around coming in for the market. It was quite impressive for a small town, but again, that was before the war. I was born just a few months before the wars ended and the truce was announced.

I grew up in a small farmhouse that was our family home for generations. We had a small farm with a few animals and we grew much of our own food. My mother was a veterinarian and my father is the town's only doctor. We spent much of our time helping the remaining citizens and father would help any injured person even passing through our town. I believe mother cared for every single animal that survived the war. It was a truly lovely way to grow up.

Our town was completely devastated by the early parts of the civil wars in the United Kingdom. My father blamed our relatively close proximity to London for the way the town was ravaged. In England, much like the rest of the world, the fighting began first in the largest of cities. Our town is close enough to London, so it did not take long before the violence was at the door, so to speak. Father said it was just a matter of weeks after the fighting began that Marlborough was under siege. He suspects that it was a strategic play and that the opposing forces thought it would be wise to control the areas around London. Either way, we endured nearly constant fighting from the very start of the war," Brittney paused and looked down at her hands.

"That sounds really awful. I'm so sorry, Brittney," Kira spoke softly to not interrupt the moment that Brittney was taking to gather herself.

"Yes, well, that was long before I was born. It does seem as though I was changed by it all, but I like to think it was for the better. Our town had a population of less than 1,000 after the wars ended and there were not too many buildings left standing. The people of our town were strong and solid types that set about to rebuilding shortly after the fighting stopped. I grew up in a town that was full of history and pride and the people did all they could to preserve what was left. I am proud of my birthplace and the people there. They taught me to be strong and resilient and never partake in violence and war," Brittney spoke these last parts with strength and resolve although her voice was shaking.

"So how on earth did you end up here?" Jinx asked her. "This is probably not the best place for someone who wants to avoid all of that. And it sounds like you really love your town, so why would you leave?"

"Oh, I do love that little town. There were not really enough children or teachers in the area left to have a proper school, so mother taught what she could as I worked alongside her on the farm and at the clinic," Brittney told the others.

At the moment that she finished speaking the door to the dorm opened behind them. Everyone turned to look at Captain Frye as she entered the room. Izzy thought for sure that their time off had come to an end and they were about to go for a five mile run.

"Excuse me. I didn't mean to interrupt," Captain Frye said to the group. "Kirkland, I will need you to come with me."

Kirkland got up from his bunk and walked over to where Captain Frye was standing by the door. They turned together and left the room without another word.

"What was that about?" asked Jinx.

"No idea, man. I hope he's not in any trouble," Izzy said to no one in particular.

"He's not in any trouble. I'm sure it's nothing," Kira spoke to the group, but was looking directly at Izzy.

"Ok, so if you didn't have any teacher that approached you like the others, how did you end up here?" Monica asked Brittney.

"That is a rather odd story. One day while working at my father's practice, which I did several days a week, a man in a wheel chair came into the office. I was as much a nurse as a receptionist, so I greeted him at the door. The man seemed to be in good health, but had clearly been badly injured some time ago. During the war would be my guess. Most of his face was badly scarred from burns, what was remaining of his left arm was quite crippled, and his right leg had been amputated just above the knee. He looked like many of the survivors of the bombing raids that swept many parts of England.

I asked if he was alright and he said that he was just fine. He spoke in a sweet and kind voice and he had a wide smile on his face as if he was happy to see me. He then asked to see my father, so I went to get him. I simply told my father that there was a gentleman in a wheelchair out in the lobby that asked to speak to him and then I returned to the lobby.

When my father entered the lobby he took one look at the man in the wheelchair and it was as if he had seen a ghost. The man seemed genuinely happy to see my father, but I don't think that was how my father felt. My father is a truly kind and soft spoken man and he would help any person that he could, but he did not look like he wanted to see this man at all. They went back into my father's office and closed the door. Twenty minutes later the man in the wheelchair came out into the lobby and said 'I haven't seen you since you were a baby, Brittney. You have grown to be a beautiful young woman and the spitting image of your mother. It was truly wonderful to see you again.' He then went out the front door without saying another word," Brittney stopped and looked at each member of the team. Their faces showed that they were hanging on every word.

"My father spent the next hour in his office with the door closed," she continued. "When he came out of his office he locked up and we went home early for the day. He refused to speak to me or answer any questions on the entire walk home. When we got home he told me to stay in the house and he went out to the garden to talk with my mother. I watched from the window as they had a bit of a heated conversation. They were very animated, but I could not make out a word they were saying. It was quite some time later when they finished talking and came into the house.

We sat at the kitchen table, on my father's orders, and my mother told me that in three days' time there would be a man and a woman coming to get me and take me to a special school in America. Mother said not to argue with her one bit on this and that I was going and that was final. She said it was what was best for me and that I had better do my best while at the school. My father never spoke a word, but looked as if he might start bawling at any moment.

The next three days passed quickly as if nothing at all had changed. The following morning my parents woke me early and we had a lovely breakfast. We spent the next hour sitting in the kitchen and talking until there was a knock on the door. A man and a woman dressed in black uniforms, like our unit commanders, walked into the kitchen and it was suddenly time for me to leave. We said our goodbyes and now I am here with all of you."

"Holy crap! That's the craziest story so far!" Jinx exclaimed. He looked around the room and saw that everyone was looking just as blown away.

"Who do you think the man in the wheelchair was?" Kira asked her.

"I don't have any idea at all. It was obvious that my father knew him, but I had never seen him before that day. He certainly knew who I was and had been around when I was very young. That's all I can tell you for sure," Brittney looked as curious as they all felt.

"Did your parents tell you anything else?" Monica asked.

"Nothing. Just that it was an opportunity that they could not allow me to pass up. I was not given any option at all, which is very unlike my parents. Just whisked away and sent here with you lot," Brittney replied while shrugging her shoulders.

"It seems that the man in the wheelchair must have had a lot to do with it, but we don't know the whole story," Kira spoke in a distant voice and was staring through Britney.

"So how did the lovely Monica come to be with this merry band of misfits?" Jinx asked from the tabletop that he was sitting on while staring at her.

All eyes were on Monica as she blushed and looked away. Then everyone in the room looked at Jinx and he just gave them that glowing smile.

"What? I'm not much for hiding my feelings. Just come right out and say what's on your mind. That's what I think," Jinx was grinning wider than ever, but he gave Izzy a quick sideways glance. Izzy shot him daggers in return and that just made Jinx smile even wider.

"Well, go ahead and tell us your story, Ms. Lovely," Brittney said while giggling. Her comment was met with roaring laughter from everyone in the group except Jinx. He just sat there with that smile on his face.

"There's really not much to tell," Monica began. "I left China aboard a cargo plane. We stopped somewhere along the way for fuel and picked up Kirkland. Then we landed in Georgia and took a van to an abandoned town near the Florida border and waited for the bus to come and get us."

"You told us that part already. What is the rest of the story?" Izzy asked her.

"There really is not much more than that to tell. I grew up in an orphanage in a small village in China. One day a man shows up at the orphanage and he takes me away and now here I am," Monica said to Izzy.

"That is not the whole story. Please, Monica, don't be afraid to open up to us. We are all telling uncomfortable stories here, but it brings us closer together. This helps us to be a better team and a stronger unit," Kira spoke to her in the most soothing voice she could.

"I really don't want to talk about this. I don't know much and I am still very confused about what I do know. I'm just not sure this is a good idea," Monica spoke softly and looked down at her feet dangling off the top bunk. She would not look up or make eye contact with anyone in the room.

Jinx slowly got up from the table and walked over to her. He stood next to her for several minutes without saying a word. Then he reached out and took her hand and held it in his. He still did not speak, but just stood there holding her hand. Finally, he spoke to her in a soft and serious voice.

"Please, don't be afraid to share with us. I would really like to know the story of how you came to be in my life. We can't help you unless you open up to us. Share your burden with us and we will help you carry it."

She raised her head and looked at him with glassy eyes. She did not say anything for a time, but she held his gaze. After several long moments she sat up straight and took a deep breath and that steely look was back on her face.

"Fine, but you go back over there and sit down," she said to Jinx. The weak little girl was gone and the hardened soldier had returned.

Jinx did as he was told and went and sat back on the tabletop without saying a word. Izzy was certain that must have been difficult for him. Shutting up or even knowing when to shut up was not something Jinx was very good at. Izzy and the others watched Jinx take a moment to get comfortable and then turned their attention back towards Monica.

"What would you like to know?" Monica asked the group.

"Who was the man that came to get you from the orphanage?" Kira asked.

"Mr. Nakamura. I guess we would call him Captain Nakamura now. He is the unit commander for Unit 5A. He came to the orphanage one day and walked right into the office and closed the door. He stood in there speaking for several minutes with the facility manager. Then he walked out and walked directly over to me, like he knew me, and told me it was time to go. The facility manager said that he had legal papers and that he was my guardian. I packed my things and we left a few minutes later," she spoke to the group, but was looking at Kira.

"That's it? Just like that you up and leave with a total stranger?" Brittney asked with her eyes as wide as possible.

"Where I am from we do not question our elders. We do as we are told and when we are told. And I was not unhappy to leave the orphanage," Monica replied in a serious tone.

"So if you grew up in China why do you speak such perfect English?" Izzy asked.

"I was not treated like the others in the orphanage. I had nice clothing, I had the finest tutors in the area, and I was made to study all school subjects as well as learn to speak English, French, and German. I also learned a great deal from my fitness trainer. He was once an athlete on the Chinese Olympic team, before the war, of course," Monica stared right at Izzy as she spoke. "That is why my English is so good and I am physically up for the challenges that this offers. I did not know why I was treated differently than the others at the facility, but I was not going to complain."

"So how, exactly, did Captain Nakamura come to be your guardian?" Brittney asked her with a very puzzled expression.

"That I do not understand myself. On the trip over here he explained to me that he has always been my guardian. Apparently it was him that funded my education and training and made sure that I had all that I needed while living in the orphanage. I asked him why he did all of those things for me and he said that he had made a promise to my father. I tried to ask about my father, but he refused to answer any of my questions. Then I asked him why he had waited so long to come get me from the orphanage. He simply said that 'It was not the right time' and would tell me nothing more," Monica seemed aggravated as she told this part of her story.

"How did you end up in an orphanage in the first place?" Jinx asked carefully.

"I do not know. I lived there my entire life and I have never known anything other than the orphanage, until now. I was told that my mother died in a bombing raid when I was just a baby. When the rescue workers came to what was left of the building they found me underneath my mother. Apparently, she used her body to shield me from the falling debris. I don't know anything else of my parents or any other family. That is all that was in my file at the orphanage. Captain Nakamura is the first person to ever mention my father," She paused and stared off at the wall for a moment. "I feel certain that there are answers for me here and that when the time is right I will find out. Until then I will be patient and wait for the answers."

"That is a very difficult story. You must have so many questions and so many mixed feelings about being here. I am sorry if you feel that we pressured you in any way to tell us your story. That was certainly not our intent," Brittney said apologetically.

"No. It was the right thing to do. It is important that we share our stories and get to know each other as we will surely come to a time when we have to trust each other fully. It is good to build that trust from the beginning," Monica said to the whole team.

"I am sorry for your loss," Kira spoke softly to Monica "I think we have all lost a lot for a bunch of kids who never fought in the war. It must have been a difficult time for the people who lived through all of that, but it seems none of us have gone unaffected," Kira paused to take a drink of water. She needed a moment to gather herself as this part of the story always made her want to cry. The group sat and waited patiently for her to continue.

"I was not born until nearly one year after the war ended, but I had two older brothers. By the time the war came to our town they were just three and four years old. When the fighting had made its way to our town the children and elderly were housed at the senior center in the village. It was deemed a safe place and there were several guards on patrol at all times. It was during one of the attacks that the senior center was hit. The attackers were firing on the buildings in the village and several shells hit the senior center.

My brothers were inside the center when it was destroyed. The story I am told is that they survived the first hits on the building. It was after the first shells hit that the guards ran into the building to try to rescue any survivors. My brothers died in the arms of the guard trying to rescue them. They were killed instantly when the next round of shells levelled the building. I..." Kira paused again to choke back the tears. She cleared her throat and took several deep breaths before she could continue. "I never knew my brothers, but I would have loved to have the chance to grow up with them in my life."

Izzy could feel her pain. He understood her pain as it was the same as his own, but this was different. He didn't mind carrying his pain if he had to, but he didn't like knowing that Kira had to bear the same pain. He wanted to protect her, to shelter her from this pain, but he knew that there was nothing he could do. And that just made him feel angry. The freaks that started this mess should be made to suffer. It was just one more reason to hate MODs and GENs.

"Did anyone make it out of the building alive?" Brittney asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"No. The building was destroyed in a matter of seconds. There is a plaque on the site of the former building that lists all of the names of the victims of the attack. I would sometimes go over there and run my finger over the names of my brothers and the guard that tried to save them," Kira closed her eyes and could see her hand tracing their names. "David Lynn, Joshua Lynn, and Nathan Frye." She spoke in a hollow voice as she said their names. She slowly opened her eyes and they were filled with tears. She did her best to hold them in and managed to keep her composure.

"Nathan Frye?" Jinx asked delicately.

"Yes. He was the brother of our Captain Zsuzana Frye and the husband to my former school teacher. It was that day that the legend of Zsuzana Frye was born. No one in our village knows the details, but we know the end result," Kira paused for a deep breath and her voice became stern and serious as she told them the rest of the story.

"She got the news that her brother had died and went to see him and say her goodbyes. After leaving the site she went home and gathered all of her weapons. She was seen walking out of town with several guns, her pockets stuffed with ammunition, and a combat knife on her belt. By the time the sun came up the next day our village was no longer under attack. Zsuzana Frye returned to town shortly after sunrise. She was covered in blood from head to toe. She stopped to speak with the militia leader and informed him that there were two tanks, guns, and ammunition about a mile outside of the village. She walked back to her house and did not come out for several days," Kira finished.

"Oh wow. That is seriously intense," Jinx said half under his breath.

"Yes. As I said, she is a legend. And her brother was certainly a hero. So, as you can imagine that when a Frye asked me to help...there is no way that I would say no."

"I am so sorry for your loss," Brittney spoke while choking back tears.

"Your story is very sad, but I hope you know that I understand your pain," Monica told Kira in a gentle tone.

Izzy looked on at the scene and it was like he had been punched in the gut. He understood the pain as well, but hearing their suffering made the old feelings of anger and rage rise up inside him. His burning desire for revenge on the people that caused his pain, and the pain of his new friends, was not going to go away anytime soon. He decided that he had a whole new respect for Captain Frye and he would listen to her more carefully from now on. He needed to be capable of the same things she was.

"You are not alone in the sharing of that pain," Jinx looked at them one at a time and then turned to look at Izzy.

"He's right," Izzy looked directly at the girls as he spoke. "My father was a soldier in the war. I don't know where he fought or who he fought with or against. I don't know where he died or where he was buried. I really don't know much about him at all. My mother only tells me stories of them before the war, just the good times. For some reason no one else will tell me anything about him. Colonel Mahoney told me that he died saving his team. The day after I was born he died and a few days after that the war was over," Izzy stopped and looked down at the floor.

"I am so sorry," Kira said at almost a whisper. She could feel his suffering.

"It seems we all have difficult stories," Brittney spoke to everyone and no one at the same time.

"It is very strange that no one will tell you of your father. There must be someone who knows the truth. Don't stop seeking your answers and the truth will reveal itself in time," Monica told him.

"I'm sure I don't have your kind of patience, Monica," Izzy said to her as he looked up from the floor smiling.

The door to the dorm flew open and the members of Unit 7A came into the room. Each of them looked exhausted from their day of training. Several of them glared at the group that was sitting in the dorm relaxing. Johnny, his red hair soaked with sweat, was the last to enter the dorm.

"Look at this! It must be nice to sit around and do nothing while the real teams are out training," he was snickering as he walked by the group. "At least we don't have to worry about this lazy group of misfits beating our unit."

Izzy began to tense immediately and was ready for whatever happened next. That ever present anger was there and ready to be unleashed. There was no way he would let that GEN jerk insult his team and get away with it. Izzy was glaring at Johnny and then slowly began to get up from the table. Jinx hopped off the tabletop and stood in front of his friend. Jinx spoke sternly to his friend.

"That dude is not worth it. You gotta let it go, man."

Izzy stood staring at his friend. He did not say a word, but slowly looked back and forth from Jinx to Johnny. He really wanted to teach this GEN freak what happens when you come after his group. It was just like at school when one of those freaks would insult his friends. NORMs had to stick together and he would be sure to protect them all. The others had made their way to Jinx's side and stood facing Izzy.

"Violence is never the answer," Brittney said.

"I don't really agree with that, but this time she's right." Monica stopped and looked over her shoulder at Johnny. "We are all supposed to be on the same team here. Even if that jerk can't remember that, you certainly can."

"Thank you. I think," Brittney said looking at Monica.

"C'mon, man. Let's go get some dinner and forget about that guy and all his crap," Jinx put his hands on Izzy's shoulder. Izzy released the tension in his body and let his friend turn him towards the door.

"Your anger is a very unpleasant side to you. It's dark and full of hatred. I don't think I care for it very much," Kira said as she walked by Izzy and out the door.

Her comments cooled Izzy the very second she spoke the words. He did not like the way that sounded coming from her. He did not like the sound of disappointment in her voice. For the first time in his life he felt ashamed of his anger. He didn't know why she twisted him up like this or why he even cared so much about what she thought.

"C'mon, bro. It's time to get some food," Jinx put his arm around his friend and together they walked towards the door.

Unit 7B went to the cafeteria and had dinner in the usual way. The entire team sat and ate quietly and barely looked at each other. Izzy felt like he should say something to ease the tension in the team, but he had no idea what to say. That was the sort of thing Jinx was good at. He looked across the table at Jinx for some kind of help. Jinx looked back with a knowing look on his face, but did not say a word. Izzy nodded at his friend. Maybe it was best that they all remained quiet.

After dinner they returned to their dorm and the silence continued. Everyone took to their bunks and kept to themselves. Occasionally Izzy looked around to check on his team. Kirkland had still not come back and he had no idea where he went. The rest seemed fine, but he could see that they were lost in their thoughts. It had been a difficult day for all of them. They had all been through some terrible times, and talking about it was emotionally draining for each of them. It was hard just hearing what each of them had been through and crazy how they had all ended up here in this place together. With all of that, Izzy still felt glad that this group of people had come together and that he was a part of it. He knew that he would do his part to keep them together and safe.

The rest of the evening passed slowly and it was nine o'clock when Kirkland finally returned. Izzy watched him enter the room. Kirkland did not say a word, but walked directly to his bunk. Izzy rolled over to see if Jinx was still awake. Jinx was lying on his back and looked up at Izzy and shrugged. Izzy jumped down from his bunk and walked over to Kirkland.

"You okay?" Izzy asked his teammate.

Kirkland just looked at him and nodded yes and then sat down on his bunk.

"What happened, man? Where did you go?" Izzy asked concerned.

Kirkland did not say a word. He just shook his head as if to indicate that he could not, or would not, talk about it. Then he lay back on his bunk, stretched out, and closed his eyes. Izzy stood up and looked at Monica who was watching them. They exchanged quizzical looks and Izzy walked slowly back to his bunk.

"What was that about?" Jinx asked as Izzy got back to their bunk.

"No idea. Whatever is going on he seems fine, but he doesn't want to talk about it," Izzy whispered back to his friend.

Izzy stared at the ceiling for many hours that night. He took out his NED and scrolled through the pictures a few different times. He alternated between trying to sleep and letting himself get lost in his thoughts. It was difficult and took some time, but eventually sleep came.
Chapter 9

The next morning started the same as every day since their arrival. Captain Frye came in barking at them and told them to assemble in the hallway. This time Izzy didn't feel a sense of dread, but rather got up and got ready in a more business like fashion. It would be easy to complain about the difficulties of the day, but he wanted to be as capable as she was, so from now on he would work harder than ever.

When the unit assembled in the hallway Captain Frye looked almost happy to see them. "I hope that you are all well rested after your day off," she paused and looked over the unit before continuing. "I have good news for you, Unit 7B. We will not be doing the same thing as we did last week," again, she paused for a moment.

The team looked relieved and curious as to what this could mean. Were they going to start a new phase of training? Did she think they were ready for the final tests? Captain Frye let their minds race as she paced slowly back and forth in front of her unit.

"We will never do the same thing today as we did yesterday or even what we did last week. You will never improve if we do. So, today we will push harder and train longer so that we are better today than we were yesterday," Captain Frye said in her best drill sergeant voice.

The team let out a collective groan. Captain Frye's face broke out in an enormous grin and there was a gleam in her eyes. She would shape these kids into the strongest and best unit in the building and she was going to enjoy doing it.

Training continued in their boot camp the same way every day. They woke early and trained hard all day, stopping only to eat. At the end of each day they had barely enough energy to shower and crawl into bed. The days passed quickly, but they were hard days. Physical and mental exhaustion were evident at the end of each day. Captain Frye pushed the unit to their absolute limit every moment of every day.

It was at the end of the fourth week that Izzy started to notice the changes. They had been pushed hard for four straight weeks, but it did not seem as difficult for them now. Unit 7B was able to easily keep pace with Captain Frye while running at the track. They had each made significant improvements in their endurance and all had made great strides in their strength training.

Izzy made great progress in his physical fitness and felt stronger than he ever thought possible. He really enjoyed the physical training and pushed himself to get better every day. He continued to improve his fighting skills as well. The training had made him realize that he had a lot to learn in this area. His victories in the fights at school had given him confidence, but he was now aware that there was much more to hand to hand combat. He was determined to make it a skill that he would master.

His marksmanship was an area he badly needed to improve. His targets were some of the worst on the team and Jinx had started to call him "Dizzy" at the firing range. It only seemed to be the stationary targets he had trouble with. He seemed to have no problems with the targets that were in motion and hit them easily. He worked hard with Captain Frye on this skill as she was an excellent marksman and he badly wanted to match her skills in every way possible.

Izzy watched all of the members of his unit closely. He badly wanted to be the best unit in the Initiative. They all had areas that needed work, but Izzy had seen them each make such great improvements. They had come so far, but he wanted each member of the unit to be their best and to feel like the best.

Brittney seemed to really enjoy the physical challenges of the weight lifting and enjoyed pushing a little harder each day. Izzy could see that she had made considerable progress with her training and was physically changing just like he could see in himself. They had become lifting buddies and were constantly pushing each other to do more. They had become known as the "gym rats" of the unit and both were proud of it. Brittney did just enough to be considered passing in combat, but they all knew she could do much better. At the firing range she still refused to actually try, but did just enough to keep Captain Frye from screaming at her.

Kira was doing very well in combat training sessions. Defensive moves were very natural to her and it was very difficult to land a clean hit on her. Izzy felt that she had a sense of what her opponent was about to do. Izzy watched carefully to see if he could identify the movements or expressions she was picking up on. There was clearly a secret to her success and he was determined to figure it out. She did well in the gym, but clearly did not seem to enjoy it the way he and Brittney did. Kira was not a very good marksman and had begun to accept the fact that she would never be very good at this skill.

Jinx made improvements in his weight training, but seemed to be more focused elsewhere. He really enjoyed the hand to hand combat and weapons training, but he was not as good as he wanted. He worked hard in his training sessions and he was the second best shot in the unit. Izzy thought that in combat training Jinx was probably the third best in the unit, behind Monica and himself. He wanted to be the best shot on the team but at this point he had to catch up to Monica. Izzy badly wanted to see his friend get to the level he was working towards. They discussed fighting techniques when they had time and Izzy felt like he had helped a little in this area, but he had no clue how to help Jinx at the firing range.

Kirkland continued to do well at all aspects of training. He was not the fastest runner, but Izzy knew that would be a challenge given his size. He was by far the strongest person on the team and he could easily lift more weight than Izzy thought was humanly possible. He did have lightning fast reflexes in hand to hand combat and he had caught each of them with a quick strike more than once in training sessions. Izzy was shocked that a person that large could move that quickly, but he did it time and time again. Kirkland was a solid shooter, but seemed disinterested in the firing range. Many times he had left the dorm with Captain Frye after training and no one on the team knew where he was going or what he was doing. He never said a word.

Monica had made the greatest improvements during the training to this point. Izzy was certain that she really loved fighting and shooting. She was an absolute natural at both, but also seemed to enjoy every aspect of the training. She worked just hard enough in the gym to be good, but at the firing range she was possessed. She fired almost twice as many rounds as anyone else in the unit and her aim was more than impressive. Izzy often watched her, but he had no idea how to replicate her amazing shooting ability. Izzy and Monica had sparred many times in training and it was often a draw. They would split rounds with each of them winning a share, but the sparring sessions lasted an unusually long time. They were equally matched in all aspects of fighting and both enjoyed it very much, but Izzy felt that if he was honest with himself that he would have to admit that she was better.

It had been four weeks since their arrival and Izzy knew that his unit was ready for the evaluations that were supposed to be coming up. The training had been intense, but it was clearly working. In the cafeteria during lunch that day he looked around the table and saw a very different group than the one that sat here on that first day. This was no longer just a group of kids, but a group of soldiers, and a close group that always had each other's back and supported each other. They had truly become a team. Unit 7B was ready for whatever came their way.

As he looked around the table he noticed that Captain Frye was watching him closely. They made eye contact and he held her gaze and wondered what she must be thinking. Izzy hoped that she was as proud of this unit as he was. Captain Frye nodded at him as if to say that she agreed with what he was thinking.

When the whole unit had finished their meals and cleared the table Captain Frye called them back to the table. When everyone was seated again she stood at the head of the table and addressed the group.

"I am happy to inform Unit 7B that you have passed your evaluations. You have all made considerable improvements since the day that you arrived, both as individuals and as a team. Congratulations," she spoke with obvious pride in her voice.

"When were we evaluated?" Monica asked.

"You are always being evaluated," Captain Frye said and motioned to the cameras around the cafeteria. "You are constantly monitored and every improvement, no matter how small, is noticed and recorded. It is through this monitoring that you have all received more than satisfactory marks."

"So what happens now?" Jinx asked.

"Now you will begin the next phase of your training. I will continue to push you with your physical training as you will need these skills for the rest of your life, but there is much more to our mission. The next four weeks will be mostly physical training, but we will slowly introduce you to the other skills that you will need. Two days a week you will be upstairs to begin your classroom training sessions."

"What are we going to learn in the classrooms?" Brittney asked.

"The first phase of your classroom training will include basic military tactical skills so that this unit will be mission ready. You will also learn basic medical skills as part of your mission readiness training," Captain Frye informed the group.

"Is there any part of this that does not involve military or combat training?" Brittney asked with clear contempt in her voice.

"Yes," Captain Frye said smiling at her. "You have only begun to scratch the surface of your training. The primary objective at this point is to get each unit mission ready. Nothing else is of any importance until that has been achieved."

"If mission readiness is so important, what is our mission? How will we contribute to saving humanity?" Monica asked.

"That will be revealed to you in time, but only if this unit manages to become mission ready," Captain Frye spoke in a challenging tone.

"Unit 7B will be mission ready," Izzy said sternly. His response was met with a sliver of a smile from Captain Frye.

"You bet we will," Jinx chimed in.

"I agree," Kira joined in and Kirkland nodded enthusiastically.

"We will be the best prepared unit in the Initiative," Monica added.

"Well, I suppose I must concur with my unit. Unit 7B will be ready," Brittney said proudly.

"I'm glad you all feel that way," Captain Frye stopped and looked at her unit. The pride she felt in these kids was evident on her face. She continued, "This will not be an easy task, the training will continue to get tougher, each of you must get better in your weakest areas, and the classroom work you will begin may be the most vital to your success or failure as a unit," she paused again and looked at them one at a time before continuing. "I am proud of what you have accomplished so far. I am proud of each of you as individuals and as a team. That being said, I will not be soft on any of you at any time. Getting you ready is my job. I will do that to the very best of my ability," she finished and looked around at the unit once again.

"We expect nothing less than your best," Kira said and her words were followed with nods of agreement from the others sitting at the table.

"Yeah, bring it on!" Jinx taunted.

"Very good. I will remember that you said those words. In celebration of your achievements I will give you the remainder of the day off to relax and enjoy some downtime. The next phase of training begins tomorrow and you will need your rest," she grinned widely and then turned and walked away from the table.

Unit 7B made its way back to the dorm and once again found it empty. Izzy had no idea where they stood in their evaluations, but felt it was a good sign that his team had the day off and the others were still out training. He thought his unit was doing excellent and whoever was watching them on the other side of those cameras clearly felt the same way. Izzy had always known that a team of NORMs could best any other group.

As they walked into the dorm the nervous excitement of the group was noticeable. Izzy thought it was a good indication of how his unit would take on the challenges that were ahead.

"What do you think 'mission' means, exactly," Jinx asked Izzy.

"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling it's serious because the Captain is making our mission readiness her priority," Izzy responded.

"Why do you suppose we are the only unit getting time off?" Brittney asked the group while motioning to the other side of the dorm.

"Cuz we're awesome and they suck!" Jinx said jokingly while extending a thumb in the direction of the U7A stencil on the opposite wall.

Monica reached over and smacked his arm for the comment. That just made Jinx smile a little wider. Izzy noticed that they had grown close over the last four weeks. He was glad that his friend had found someone he so obviously cared about. But he was equally glad that he now had someone else to help keep Jinx's behavior in check. Jinx continued to mockingly rub his arm as if he were injured.

"The Captain said that all teams must be mission ready. There is a good chance that we may be working with them and all of the teams, to complete our mission," Monica said while waving a threatening hand at Jinx.

"I don't think we will work with them. She had no concern if the other teams were mission ready. Her only concern was for our readiness," Kira added.

"No matter what, this team will be mission ready," Izzy said sternly to the group.

He looked around the room at his unit and saw the commitment in their faces. Izzy spoke to them from the first table. Jinx and Monica sat at the second table next to each other and their faces were serious and they nodded in agreement. Brittney and Kirkland sat on opposite ends of the third table and both nodded in agreement, but with less enthusiasm. Kira sat at the fourth table facing Izzy and from across the room he could see her smile and nod of approval.

"Oh, dude, if we are going on a mission we are totally gonna need call signs!" Jinx almost shouted.

"Call signs?" Brittney asked.

"Yeah. When you go on a top secret mission you don't have any identifying marks and you use only call signs so that nobody knows your real name," he responded to her.

"And you know this from your extensive military experience?" Monica chided.

"No. I read it in a book once. A call sign is like a nickname," Jinx replied.

"Really? When did you learn to read?" Izzy asked and was met with a few chuckles.

"Oooh, real funny. Everyone should have a personal comedian," Jinx shot back.

"Giving nicknames or call signs sounds like fun," Brittney said.

"Well, I would go with Izzy. It's what my mom stared calling me when I was a baby and it's what you all know me as anyway," Izzy started the round. "And that would be Jinx, which is how you all know him, and a well-earned nickname."

"You did tell us once that we should ask about the origin of that nickname. I, for one, am very interested in where that came from," Monica said.

"Well, that's easy. Our friend Jinx here is a complete and total jinx. No matter what is happening or what is going on he can turn it all upside down. This gift of being a jinx started when he was young. If he says that it's going to be a great day, it will be a terrible day. If he says that everything will be okay, it will be anything but okay. You get the idea. He has a fabulous talent for jinxing any situation," Izzy told the group, but was mostly looking at Monica. He felt that she should be the most aware, so that she could protect herself.

"Seems easy enough so far. Who's next?" Kira asked.

"How about Kirkland," Brittney offered.

"What do you call a kid who never says a word, but could throw you to the other side of the planet?" Izzy asked.

"Silent but deadly!" Jinx said laughing. The room burst out in laughter.

"Ok, that was funny, but it's too long for..." Izzy started, but was interrupted as Captain Frye entered the room. She stopped and looked around the room and then motioned for Izzy to continue.

"...for a call sign." Izzy finished.

"Call signs are silly child's play," Captain Frye said. She motioned to Kirkland. "Please come with me." Kirkland got up from the table and followed her out of the dorm.

"I seriously want to know what that is all about," Jinx said.

"I'll make sure we find out soon," Izzy promised.

"Ok. So what would Kirkland's real call sign be?" Monica asked.

"I think we should go with Tank," Brittney said. "That's what he reminds me of...a tank."

"I like it," Jinx said and the group seemed to be in agreement.

"Ok, do mine next," Brittney said.

"Brit!" the group said in perfect unison.

"Really? That's the best you can do?" she asked a little disappointed.

"What were you expecting?" Kira asked. "You are a British Brittney! It seems like an obvious choice to me."

"Totally," Jinx added.

"Agreed," Monica added.

"Well, that one is settled," Izzy said.

"Very well," Brittney acted bothered, but Izzy saw her crack a smile as she accepted the new call sign.

"I suppose that I should go next," Monica said. "Go ahead, do your worst."

"What do you call a beautiful woman that could whoop you easily if you get out of line?" Jinx asked the group.

"Ms. Lovely, apparently," Brittney offered. The group once again burst out laughing.

"Again, funny, but too long," Izzy said after the laughing had once again subsided.

"I think that we should go with Star," Jinx said and was met with a dangerous sideways glare from Monica who was sitting too close for him to mess up now. "She reminds me of one of those Chinese throwing stars. Beautiful and elegant, but absolutely lethal," Jinx finished carefully.

"Oh, that's good. No, seriously, that was smooth. Excellent recovery, bro," Izzy gushed.

"It was quite sweet. In a very strange American sort of way," Brittney added.

"That was well done, Jinx," Kira finished the unanimous decision.

"Not bad," Monica said and nudged Jinx with a shoulder.

"Well, I guess that only leaves me," Kira said with a slight note of dread in her voice.

"Easy, you're Sparky," Jinx said.

"Sparky? Really?" Monica asked.

"Yeah. That was funny... I thought so anyway," Jinx replied.

"It makes her sound like the family dog," Brittney said. "What's she supposed to do with a name like that, have an accident on the floor?" Once again the room was filled with laughter.

"I would prefer something a little more feminine," Kira said after the room quieted again. "How about something more like, Sparkle?" she offered.

"Sparkle? Um... No. It's Sparky," Izzy said firmly but with a soft tone.

"Well, you have come a long way since that day," Monica offered sympathetically while gesturing to Izzy and Jinx. "It's sort of like a reminder of the progress you've made since you can now shoot as well as these clowns."

"Ok. That's settled. Call signs Izzy, Sparky, Jinx, Star, Brit, and Tank," Izzy stood up and stretched as if he had just completed some long and difficult task. "So what do we do with the rest of our day?" he asked the group.

"I would like to hear more about the beach where the two of you grew up," Monica said.

"Yes, that sounds wonderful," Brittney added.

Izzy and Jinx agreed and spent the next hour telling the team about where they grew up. They told them about the school, their families, the town, and spent a lot of time telling them about the beach. Each member of the group then took a turn telling the unit about what it was like to grow up in their part of the world.

Brittney told them about the beautiful English countryside and growing up on a small farm. She told them all about her parents and their caring and compassionate ways and how they helped mend the people and animals of the town.

Kira shared stories of what it was like to grow up in a small close knit village. Everyone knew everyone and how they all watched out for each other. The boys were fascinated by her telling of the cold, harsh winters and all of the snow. They both decided that they did not want to visit her town during that time of the year.

Monica told them all what it was like to grow up in a Chinese orphanage. She had no idea why she was treated different at the time, but she did enjoy the special treatment that she received. It made her feel special that she had better clothes, tutors, and special athletic training. She told them as much as she could about her small village.

The day passed quickly and Izzy felt it was wonderful. They had laughed and joked and told stories together. This time the stories were happy tales that made everyone feel better. They each got to express their loves and interests and it was fascinating to hear about the different parts of the world. He had never once considered what it might be like anywhere else.

The conversations continued through dinner and well into the evening. It didn't bother any of them when Unit 7A was in the dorm. The group just huddled close together and continued talking quietly. They asked questions and continued telling stories of their childhoods. When it came time to go to sleep that night the group was full of smiles and happiness. Izzy thought it was definitely the best day that any of them had since their arrival.

Izzy was in his bunk that night staring at the ceiling imagining what it would be like to see all of the places he had heard about today. Every place sounded like somewhere he would want to visit. Just after nine o'clock Kirkland came back into the dorm. Izzy sat up and looked at Kirkland. Kirkland just smiled and nodded and proceeded to his bunk. With his unit now complete again, Izzy closed his eyes and fell asleep easily.
Chapter 10

The next two days were normal physical training days. It was on the third day that Unit 7B finally got their chance to go upstairs after breakfast. Izzy was excited at the thought of seeing natural light again. It had been more than a month since they entered that basement and he badly missed the sun warming his skin.

When they exited the locker room they were greeted by the sunlight shining through the filthy windows. Izzy wanted to climb out one of those windows to feel the sun on his skin, but he was at least feeling a little better just knowing it was still there. Captain Frye led them down the hallway and further into the school. They arrived at room 128 where she stopped, opened the door, and motioned them inside.

The inside of the classroom looked like any other classroom. There were desks with attached chairs, a teacher's desk in the corner of the room, and a large whiteboard that spanned the front of the classroom. The room was clean and the best part to Izzy was that the windows here were clean as well. The room overlooked the overgrown courtyard at the middle of the school, but he could plainly see and feel the sun shining through those windows.

"Everyone have a seat and get comfortable. I will come to collect you for your lunch break," Captain Frye told the unit. "Your instructor will be with you shortly," and she turned and left the room.

"Iz, you okay?" Jinx asked.

"I haven't felt this good in weeks," Izzy answered from his spot at the window.

"Why are you standing there like that?" Kira asked him.

"Come here," he motioned her over. She walked over to where he stood and watched him.

"Ok, stand right here," Izzy guided her into the spot where he had been standing. "Now, close your eyes and just let the sun warm your skin." She did exactly that and Izzy watched her closely. He could see her body start to relax and knew exactly what she was feeling. It was a sense of peace and a connection to the world that made him love that sun so much.

"Hmmm. This is nice," Kira said softly.

"It's one of my favorite things in life. If we could hear the waves crashing against the beach it would be perfect," Izzy said softly in her ear and then turned to face the sun and closed his eyes. He let the warmth wash over him.

"Thank you for sharing this with me," Kira said with her eyes still closed.

Izzy thought that if he could stand on his beach with Kira by his side that would be as close to perfect as the world could possibly be. What more could he possibly ask for?

The instructor entered the room briskly and ordered them to take their seats. Reluctantly they left their places by the window and sat down with the rest of the team. The instructor was dressed in a standard issue black uniform and carried with him some devices that he sat on the desk in front of him. He moved a few things around on the desk and cleared his throat.

"My name is Captain Burmeister, Unit 3B commander, and I will be training you in the art and science of military combat." He spoke with a mild German accent, "Military tactics and strategies have decided the outcome of every single battle since the dawn of time. It is vital that you are tactically aware and able to think your way through every battle you might encounter. Confrontation isn't always the answer and you will need to be capable of thinking your way through a situation before taking action. It could be the difference between the success of your mission or failure."

Izzy was immediately intrigued by this class. He always enjoyed Mr. Mahoney's classes that involved war and the deciding battles during those wars. He knew it was strange to be fascinated by something he truly hated, but he couldn't help himself. He sat up and payed close attention to everything his instructor had to say.

The hours passed quickly and the class was very enjoyable to Izzy. He occasionally looked around at his teammates and realized that he and Monica were the only ones even remotely interested in this topic. The others were paying attention as best they could, but it was clearly not something they were going to enjoy. When Captain Frye returned to get them for their lunch, the group looked relieved. Izzy thought that was strange because he could not wait to get back to class.

The rest of the day passed quickly for Izzy, but he suspected it was slow torture for the others in the unit. They would have probably preferred to run in the gym the entire time instead of sit in that classroom. Over dinner Izzy, Monica, and Captain Frye enjoyed in depth conversation about military tactics and battle strategies that had been successful over the first few centuries. The rest of the unit could not have cared any less.

The next day was again physical training which was just another day for Unit 7B at this point. Captain Frye began pulling them aside at the different training stations and working with them one on one to help them improve where needed. Izzy enjoyed this because he wanted to absorb as much knowledge as he could from Captain Frye.

The following day was their medical training day with the Unit 2A commander, Captain Durand. Izzy was excited to see the sun again, but not too excited for the class to begin. They entered classroom 129 and he was further saddened to see that this room had no view. Through the dingy glass he could make out what was once a parking lot that was now overrun by weeds and grass growing through the cracks in the asphalt. There was natural light, but it was nothing like the other classroom.

The room had two rows of three tables and on top of each table was a human looking object. They were some sort of medical training dummies, but Izzy thought they looked like trauma victims.

"If I'm injured on the battlefield and I look like that, just let me die," Jinx said to Izzy when they walked closer to the dummies.

"These were once state of the art training devices in the medical field. My father had one in the spare room at his office. He taught me quite a lot with Fred. That's what I called him, Fred. Fred, however, looked much better than this lot. I would venture a guess that these fellows have seen some action in their day," Brittney told the group.

Her excitement was obvious to the unit and they knew she would easily excel at this part of the training. Izzy was going to dread this class. It was enough to work on these gross and deformed dummies, but he hoped they wouldn't have to do anything more than that. The site of blood made him feel a bit queasy and he really didn't like needles. He always felt a little embarrassed about that, so he tried to keep it hidden as best he could. His mother was the chief surgeon at the hospital and he felt like he should at least be able to handle some blood. The truth was that when his mother talked about a procedure at the hospital he instantly lost his appetite for hours.

The first day of medical training went easily enough. The instructor, Captain Durand, was a pleasant woman with a very noticeable French accent. The Unit 2A commander was clearly a skilled medical professional and had done her fair share of battlefield medical work. Izzy was certain that it would get worse before it was over. It was certainly important that they be able to dress wounds and tend to the wounded should that time arrive, but he still hoped that it wouldn't. He couldn't eat much that day and he found it difficult to fall asleep that night. He was thankful that tomorrow was another physical training day.

Three weeks went by faster than Izzy thought possible. He felt that everything was going great. Captain Frye came to collect Kirkland most nights after dinner and he did not return until late. Izzy was still going to get to the bottom of that. Physical training was going great. The entire unit had gotten better at all aspects and each of them had improved a little on their weakest points. The classroom work had been enjoyable to this point, for the most part. Izzy still did not like the medical training, but he devoured all of the information that Captain Burmeister had to offer.

"We have one week of training left before our next evaluation. Does everyone feel ready? Does anyone need help with anything? Now is the time to get together and help each other," Izzy spoke to the group as soon as they got back to the dorm. Most nights he would just sit and read through any material he could get from Mr. Burmeister, but tonight it was important to make sure that the team would be prepared.

"I think we're good. Just don't bore me with any of your tactical crap. I can't take any more of that," Jinx told him, only half joking.

"I understand completely. Don't worry I have Monica to talk to about that boring stuff. Does anyone else have any concerns that we can work on together?" Izzy asked the group.

"I feel we are quite strong in all areas at this point," Brittney offered.

"I fully agree," Kira said. "We are doing very well and I am certain that we have made improvements in all areas."

"We are ready. Excuse me, we are mission ready," Monica said firmly.

"Alright, Unit 7B, let's finish strong," Izzy said to the group. He sat down at a table and returned to his reading. He knew he would be up late tonight because this was a very interesting book Captain Burmeister had given him.

The rest of Unit 7B began to relax for the evening. Kirkland sat at a table and waited for Captain Frye to come get him. It had become standard routine at this point. Every night after dinner for the last three weeks she would come get him. He would not return until late at night. Izzy had to find out more, but was not sure how to go about it. Kirkland had avoided every attempt they had made to get more information. Izzy started to feel it was creating a trust issue on the team. It was time to corner him and make him tell the unit what was going on.

Izzy got up from the table and walked over to where Kirkland was sitting. The other members of the unit watched carefully as Izzy approached. By the time Izzy had gotten over to where Kirkland was sitting the others had begun to join him. They knew it was time to get some answers.

"Kirkland, is everything okay?" Izzy started. Kirkland just nodded as usual.

"The entire unit here is starting to get concerned. The truth is that we have been concerned for a while now. We need to know what's going on here, buddy," Izzy was firm but gentle in his approach. "We are starting to really have some concerns. So, can you tell us what's going on?"

Kirkland looked back at him and studied Izzy's face and then he just shrugged as if to say that he didn't know if he could tell them or not. Izzy was only made more curious by this strange reaction.

"C'mon, man. You can tell us. We are all on the same team here. It's not like any one here is going to be mad at you. We just need to know," Jinx said.

"Absolutely. We do not wish to get you in any trouble so if you can't tell us, we will understand. But, please, do give us something to ease our concerns," Brittney pleaded.

Kirkland opened his mouth as if he were about to tell them what was going on. The group waited in anticipation of what he was going to say. Then he closed his mouth and just sat there shaking his head.

Izzy reached out and put a hand on Kirkland's shoulder. He bent down a little so that he was looking him directly in the eye and spoke softly, "Hey, you can trust us. We trust you. Just let us know what's happening here."

Captain Frye had quietly entered the dorm and was standing just a few feet behind the group that was gathered around Kirkland. She watched carefully as they tried to coax it out of him, but they were unsuccessful. She finally made her way through the middle of the group and stood in front of Kirkland.

"You have to at least try," she commanded. "What's the point of doing all that work if you won't even try?"

"I am..." he searched for his words, "...learn...speak...English," he finally said with a thick accent.

"Oh, man! Are you kidding me? That's why you're so quiet?" Jinx exclaimed.

"That's really great. You did just fine," Brittney told him.

"Yes, you should have told us sooner. We would have helped," Kira said.

"Totally," Jinx said. "I can teach you all seven of the words my mom said you should never use. They're super easy to learn. No, really, I mean they only have four letters," Jinx continued. "Hey, Iz, do you know why all the bad words only have four letters?" he turned and asked Izzy with that glowing smile on his face.

"My guess would be so that lower life forms, like you, can easily understand them," Izzy replied dryly with a grin of his own. The crowd began laughing and Jinx crowed.

"Ok, I think that's about enough," Captain Frye said. "Kirkland, let's get you to class."

"Ok," Kirkland replied with his heavy accent.

"How did you make it this far without knowing the language?" Monica asked him as he stood up.

"Understand...better than...speak," he responded.

"Alright, man. Enjoy your class and if you need any help you just let us know. Well, maybe not Jinx," Izzy said with a smile.

Kirkland and Captain Frye left the dorm. The rest of the unit returned to what they were doing and the evening passed quickly. Izzy continued to read on strategies until late that night. It had been a productive three weeks and he knew they were ready for the last week. The whole team felt they were ready for the evaluations.

Izzy didn't put away his books until after Kirkland had returned. It was getting late and he needed to be well rested for the week ahead, so he decided that he better shower and get some rest. He gathered his things and went off to the showers. After a long, hot shower he felt better, his head was clear, and he was ready to get some sleep.

Standing at the sink was the small kid with the jet black hair. To Izzy it seemed that the kid was waiting for him. Izzy walked over to the sink to brush his teeth and the boy just continued to watch him. When he finished brushing his teeth he couldn't take it anymore.

"What are you doing, kid?" Izzy asked the strange little kid.

"I am watching you," the boy said. He spoke in a disconnected, almost robotic voice. Izzy thought this was getting stranger by the second and he knew his temper was going to show quickly.

"I can see that, kid. Why the heck are you watching me?" Izzy asked.

"I find you a rather fascinating case study," the boy answered.

"A what?" Izzy asked.

"Case study, Mr. Reynolds. I have watched you since the day we arrived and I find you to be fascinating, from a psychological and sociological standpoint, of course," the boy continued to speak in that same strange tone. "Your development and progression during these last seven weeks has been very interesting," he concluded.

"Man, you're like ten years old and you're freaking me out a little here. Why do you talk like that and what are you even saying, kid?" Izzy asked feeling very frustrated.

"My apologies, Mr. Reynolds. Sometimes I forget that my small physical stature belies my advanced education and intelligence," the boy replied.

"Huh? Seriously, kid, what's your deal? Why are you bothering me?" Izzy asked confused.

"I assure you that my intentions are not to bother you. Allow me to start over. My name is Robert Foster. I am in fact fourteen years of age, so your rudimentary guess is quite far off. I have been watching you since our arrival and I am nearly ready to conclude my thoughts on the matter. I only need you to answer a few questions for me so that I may make my final conclusions on your development," the boy stood and stared at Izzy as he spoke. "Please understand, Mr. Reynolds, I cannot draw final conclusions on this matter until I have all of the data. I have determined that the only way to acquire the missing data is to engage you in conversation."

"Ok, Robert, now you are starting to annoy me. What do you want?" Izzy said tensely.

"Sir, I merely wish to ask you a few questions. That is all," Robert said.

"It took you that long to spit that out? I thought you said you were intelligent," Izzy snapped.

"Your rudeness aside, would you mind if I asked you a few questions?" Robert said as he studied Izzy's reaction.

"Aren't you doing that already?" Izzy asked him.

"Technically speaking, of course, you are correct. I am asking questions, but I would like to ask you some different questions. Would that be satisfactory with you?" Robert asked politely.

"This is getting old. Get on with it already. What do you want to know?" Izzy asked.

"Where does your anger come from? Clearly you choose to focus your hatred on modified and genetically enhanced humans, but why is that the case?" Robert asked.

"Cause I can't stand freaks. They are not natural, like you. There is nothing normal about what's going on here. That's how I know you must be one of them. I'll admit that you're not like any of them I've ever met. You're much stranger," Izzy answered.

"And yet you are here working with these alternate races. You live with them, eat with them, and train with them. You are in fact preparing for a mission to save them. Why is that?" Robert asked in that same strange tone.

"If I have to save all the freaks to save all the NORMs, that's what I'll do. It's not like I have much of a choice about the rest of it. The end result is all that matters right now," Izzy barked.

"I see. And you seem very close to the members of your team. Is that a reasonable assumption to make?" Robert asked.

"Yes, I'm close to the members of my unit. We're like a family. We watch out for each other and are always there for each other. That's how NORMs behave. See, when you have a team full of NORMs you're going to have that kind of success," Izzy nearly shouted. He was becoming less tolerant of this kid by the second.

Robert snickered for a moment and then looked at Izzy quizzically. "You don't actually think that those are all normal humans out there with you, do you? I fear my assumptions about your intelligence may have been grossly miscalculated."

"What are you talking about?" Izzy demanded.

"Mr. Reynolds, I assumed that you were aware that each unit consists of two normal humans, two modified humans, and two genetically enhanced humans. However, I can see that many of my assumptions were quite far off. I am glad we had this little talk. It has been very enlightening," Robert finished speaking and turned to leave the locker room.

Izzy stood in shock with one hand on the sink and watched the boy walk out of the locker room. He continued to stare at the door for several minutes after the boy left. His mind was racing, his heart was pounding, and his whole body was filled with anger. Izzy paced back and forth in the locker room for a long time. He wasn't sure how long he had been in there, time seemed to have stopped the moment that Robert had left the room. His mind was still racing trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

For a long time he thought that the little GEN freak was just messing with him. Robert was just trying to get in his head. If they knocked Izzy off his game then they would likely be a lock for the best unit. Unit 7A was nearly as good as his unit. If they were trying to get to the top they would try to destroy the team from the inside out. He had just read about this type of psychological tactic in one of the textbooks. If they could manipulate the minds and emotions of key members on the team then the team would self-destruct and Unit 7A would be the undisputed best team.

Then he considered the possibility that Robert was actually telling the truth. If that was the case then he would need to identify two MODs and two GENs. That would be difficult. He thought about what he knew about MODs and GENs and how he could identify them. MODs were supposed to have an enhanced ability, but only one. So they would seem fairly normal except that they would be very good at one small thing. This would show itself like a mastery of physics or an unexplained excellence in marksmanship. The GEN would be all around much better than any average human. They should be noticeably better in all aspects including intelligence and physical traits.

He knew that Jinx was the other NORM because he had known him since they were very young. Jinx lived on the NORM side of town and clearly didn't have any modifications or obvious enhancements. Sure he was gifted with an amazing ability with technology, but his father had been the head of a research and development team for a major technology company before the war. Jinx had been fed technology his entire childhood, so that was easily explained.

Kira didn't seem to have any natural abilities. She was average at everything she had done since she got here. Some of the things she was actually pretty bad at, and she had worked very hard to improve in all of those areas. The only strange thing she did was when she blanked out and stared through someone she was talking to. That was definitely odd, but that didn't mean she was a MOD or a GEN.

Monica would probably be a good candidate to be a MOD or a GEN. She was extremely good at everything they did here and highly intelligent, but that could be explained as well. Captain Nakamura had made sure she was well educated and highly trained since she was very young. He probably knew this day was coming and wanted her fully prepared for it. Sure, she was better than everyone on the team, but she had the best tutors and trainers working with her. The rest of them had just started training on this stuff a few weeks ago.

Brittney was obviously very talented with all aspects of the medical field. That could be a sign of higher intelligence or it could have occurred naturally. She had spent every day of her life working with one of her parents saving animals and humans. Izzy thought that if he had gone to the hospital with his mom every day that he might be a decent surgeon by now. That didn't sound like any unnatural gift. It was just a lifetime of over-training in one subject.

He knew the least about Kirkland, because of the language barrier. Izzy figured that anyone with genetic gifts would have learned the language by now. Sure he was unnaturally large for a kid his age, but people come in all shapes and sizes. There was no outstanding ability in any aspect that stood out to Izzy. Kirkland did have seriously good reflexes, so in that one way that might put him in the MOD category. But he knew nothing of Kirkland's background.

None of this made any sense to Izzy. He figured that even if one or two of them seemed a little too good at certain things it wasn't enough to consider them one of those freaks. And there was no chance he could point to anything that clearly marked one of them as a freak. Every talent they had could be explained with education and hard work. Even if it was possible that Kirkland was a MOD because of his improved reflexes that still did not make two NORMs, two MODs, and two GENs.

Every single thing about this smelled like a set up. He was feeling more confident about this with every passing thought. Those jerks were messing with his head. The more he thought about it the more he was convinced. The thoughts began to get him angry again, but then he figured it out. He was the easiest target. They were going to use him to take down the team.

The little freak even mentioned his anger in their conversation. He had already displayed his anger in front of all of them. That GEN, Johnny, had made him mad and got him going. He thought he remembered making a comment about GENs that day. He had given them all they needed to get in his head. He read about this exact tactic four chapters earlier tonight in that textbook. He was quick to anger and to show emotions. That meant he would be the easiest to manipulate on the team.

Izzy was convinced that was their tactical approach. Now he was going to have to come up with a counterattack. This could not go unanswered. He would not let them win. Although, a part of him had to admit that they already had. They had gotten in his head quickly and easily. They had played his emotions and gotten him all worked up. Even if he had control of things now, they had still messed with his head and cost him a lot of sleep. That alone might be enough to cost his unit.

This was going to have to be dealt with, but he couldn't stand here any longer. He needed to get some sleep. He would have to spend some time working out how to approach his counterattack. He had read that good tactical decisions are not made emotionally. He had to stay calm and think his way through this. Confrontation is not always the answer. He would need time to develop a plan, but he was certainly going to make them pay for this.

Izzy walked out of the locker room and made his way over to his bunk. On the way he stopped and looked at each of the teammates in his unit. He felt guilty for thinking of them like that. He felt ashamed of thinking they might be freaks. Then he turned to look at the other side of the dorm. He was going to make them pay for this. They almost made him turn on his team, but they were not going to win.

He climbed into his bunk and lay there thinking for a long time. He was lost in his thoughts of revenge. He didn't think it was possible, but now he felt certain that his hatred for GENs and MODs was stronger than ever. There was a darkness growing inside of him and he was going to embrace it.
Chapter 11

The next week started the same as the last three weeks. Physical training had become entirely routine to the members of Unit 7B. They had no problems with any aspects of the training and continued to grow and improve in each of the areas. Izzy thought that his unit could not possibly be more prepared than they were right now. Unit 7B was a unit worthy of being the best.

Izzy tried to control his thoughts, but couldn't help that his mind continued to be suspicious of his teammates. Monica did seem a little too good at this stuff, maybe she wasn't normal. Kirkland was unnaturally strong, even if he was oversized. Brittney was too smart for a girl from the country. Thankfully, his mind could not find anything to be suspicious of Kira about. It was bad enough that his mind was playing tricks on him, but he couldn't stomach the idea of doubting her.

Izzy struggled the next few days as his mind switched between suspicion, explanations, guilt, and then anger. The cycle repeated over and over throughout each day. He would find himself studying his teammates and looking for reasons to suspect them. He could easily explain away their gifted nature and then the guilt would set in. Then the anger would swell inside of him as he would start by being mad at himself and then he would become furious with the GEN freaks in Unit 7A. No matter how hard he tried to keep it all under control, they had accomplished their goal. They had gotten inside of his head. He hated that he was weak enough to be manipulated, but he hated them even more.

Izzy was withdrawn during the first part of the week and the rest of the unit had begun to notice. He tried to hide it from them, but he knew they could see something was bothering him. He stayed after class and discussed the tactics of psychological warfare with Captain Burmeister and he continued to search for a way to exact his revenge. At the end of the third day he was buried in his textbooks looking for ideas.

"Hey, bro?" Jinx approached him carefully. "Is everything ok?" he asked.

"Huh?" Izzy asked looking up from the books scattered on the table. "Oh, yeah. Everything is fine. I'm just studying," he replied half-heartedly.

"No, man, you're not. You were studying last week. This is something different," Jinx sat down at the table next to his friend. "This is something deeper. The whole team is starting to worry. You barely talk to us and you're hardly eating. Something is going on. You know you can talk to me, right?" he finished.

"Really, I'm okay. I'm just coming up with a plan," Izzy said distracted.

"What kind of plan?" Jinx inquired.

"I...I can't say yet. I promise that I will tell you as soon as I have a plan," Izzy stopped reading and looked at his friend. "Really, I'm gonna be fine. I just need a plan. I'll tell you everything once I have it all figured out," Izzy promised.

"Alright. I'm going to hold you to that, bro. But, whatever it is, you better get it all figured out soon because the team needs you," Jinx stood up and walked over to the others.

The rest of the unit had gathered in a huddle at the bunks furthest from the table where Izzy was working. He watched Jinx walk over to them. Izzy figured that Jinx was telling them what was said. He had to admit to himself that they did look concerned. Izzy gave them a smile and a nod.

"You're sure he's okay?" Monica asked Jinx.

"No. He's not okay, but I've known him my whole life. Izzy is never really okay, he's never really been at peace. He's not like other people, but he always gets through it. It just kinda takes him longer than normal people," Jinx assured them.

"I suppose that we need to trust you on this, but I must admit that I still have a great many concerns about all of this," Brittney said.

"I am also very concerned, but no one knows him better than you. It has to stop soon. He has become very suspicious of us. It's all very strange," Kira motioned to Izzy.

"Trust me. He will open up to me as soon as he figures it out," Jinx assured them. "This is just his process. He's working through it is all."

Izzy continued with the same struggles and spent his extra time pouring over the texts until he had exhausted every possibility. He devised elaborate plans in his head, but none of the plans were a good fit. He didn't have time for elaborate schemes to take effect. He needed a quick solution. His anger made him want to resort to violence, but he was not going to let that happen. Izzy was certain that was what they wanted him to do. They wanted his unit to fall apart and his anger would be the best way to make that happen. He knew that Brittney was right this time, violence was not the answer.

The last day of training concluded and Unit 7B was eating dinner. The others continued to talk amongst themselves, but Izzy was still lost in his head. The other units were in the cafeteria at the same time. During training sessions that did not always happen because of the alternating training schedules.

Captain Frye spoke to them from her seat at the table. "Your second phase of training is now complete. You have all, once again, easily passed your evaluations. Congratulations, Unit 7B."

"So, what happens now?" Brittney asked.

Colonel Mahoney entered the cafeteria and walked to the stage at the front of the room. He took his usual place and was preparing to address the group. Captain Frye looked at Brittney and nodded her head in the direction of the front of the room. Brittney followed the Captain's lead and turned to look at the front of the room. Colonel Mahoney waited until all eyes were on him before he began to speak.

"At this time the second phase of your training is complete," Colonel Mahoney looked at the first table on his right and addressed them directly. "Captain Matthes, what is your status?"

Captain Matthes stood and said, "Unit 1A is mission ready, sir".

Colonel Mahoney continued to make his way around the room and address each of the unit commanders. When he finally got to their table, Captain Frye nearly jumped from her seat.

"Unit 7B is mission ready, Sir!" she barked.

"Very well. First, I would like to offer my congratulations to each of you as individuals and as units. You have made a great deal of progress since your arrival here. Second, I must inform you that each of you has done your part, and our plans are on schedule.

Your mission readiness will be now be tested. Not here in this facility, but out in the real world. Each unit will receive mission assignments. You will complete your missions and advance our objectives. Failure of any individual mission may cost millions of people their lives. Understand that failure is not an option.

Every war consists of many smaller battles. During these battles the easiest thing to do is return fire when fired upon. You simply give back to the enemy what is given to you and..."

Izzy's eyes lit up. That was it! He just had to return fire. He would do to them what was done to him. It was so simple, why didn't he think of it before? He leaned over to Jinx and whispered, "I have a plan. I'll tell you later."

Jinx looked back at his friend and could see the light in his eyes. He nodded, mostly in relief, now everything could get back to normal.

"...encounter that situation. In our war there is not a direct enemy to fight. Make no mistake, you will encounter resistance. In our war you will encounter those that see you as a threat and will try to stop you," Colonel Mahoney paused and looked around the room before continuing. "Ladies and gentleman, the war has begun. These missions are the beginning of our battles. In order to win the greater war we will have to win every single battle.

You will now begin the next phase in your training. Thank you for your efforts to this point. And good luck to each of you," Colonel Mahoney turned and left the stage then quickly exited the cafeteria.

Jinx looked around the table at Unit 7B, "Guys, I think this just got serious."

"I believe you are correct in your assumption," Brittney said gravely.

"What does all of this mean for us?" Kira asked Captain Frye.

"You will now begin the next phase of evaluations and training. You will each be evaluated individually. Once those evaluations are complete you will have your specialist assignments. Each unit needs to have specialists to be complete," Captain Frye answered.

"No need to test me, cap. I already know I'm special," Jinx said with a smile, but the group ignored his attempt at humor.

"What do you mean by specialists?" Monica asked.

"A complete team will have a specialist that is capable of handling specific situations and assignments. Each unit needs to have a medical specialist, a weapons specialist, a technology specialist, a mechanical specialist, and a transportation specialist. It is critical to the success of the unit that you each have very basic skills in these areas, but advanced skills will be necessary as well. Each of you will be evaluated for the specialist positions and the best in each area will be assigned to that position. It will take much more than the basic skills you have acquired so far to complete our mission," Captain Frye explained.

"What is our mission?" Izzy asked.

"Missions assignments will be given in unit order. 1A will receive their mission first, so we will have the last mission assignment given," Captain Frye answered.

"So, what is their mission?" Brittney asked.

"Operational security dictates that no one else be aware of the mission. In the event of capture, you will not be able to give any additional information about the Initiative or our objectives. In the event of mission failure, it will fall to the next unit in line to accomplish the mission if possible. You are all mission ready and you will succeed," she commanded.

"How long do we have?" Izzy asked.

"Each unit will be given their assignment and they will have two weeks to prepare for and complete their mission. We have plenty of time."

Izzy thought that sounded perfect. He would have more than enough time to execute his plans for revenge on Unit 7A. He did not want to cause a problem for the Initiative, but he was going to hurt that unit of freaks. And if they failed at their assigned mission, that would be just fine. His unit would be able to correct that failure. His unit of NORMs would be successful where that unit of freaks would fail.

"You have the entire day off tomorrow, so enjoy the rest. Evaluations will start the day after that at 6 a.m. sharp. You are dismissed," Captain Frye stood and left the table.

"What are we going to do with a whole day free?" Brittney asked.

"Sleep in!" Kira replied excitedly.
Chapter 12

Izzy woke up late the next morning. He climbed down from his bunk and looked around the dorm. No one else was even awake yet. Unit 7A must have been given the day off as well because they were all still sleeping in their bunks. He studied each of them as they slept. He needed to determine which of them was going to be the easiest to manipulate. As his eyes came to Robert's bunk he saw that Robert was awake and watching him. Izzy gave him a smirk. He was almost ready to return fire.

Izzy sat down at one of the tables and decided that he was finally starting to feel more like himself. It had been a hard week and he felt relieved that he had finally won the mind game. The doubts and troubles he carried with him were now gone and he could focus his energy on his plot for revenge. He would undo their unit.

Izzy decided to wait to have breakfast until the other members of his unit were awake. He thought it would be great to enjoy a meal with his friends again. He was very aware that he hadn't actually been a part of anything lately and he missed the people he was with every day. Izzy sat at the table watching his friends sleep and wondering what they might do with a full day off. Kira was the first to wake up and she walked over and joined him at the table. She stared through him for a moment.

"It's good to have you back," she said.

"It's good to be back. I'm sorry I've been so distant. There's just been a lot on my mind," Izzy said apologetically.

"We know and we forgive you," Kira said as she reached across the table and put her hand on top of his.

The touch of her hand on his made his stomach flutter. What was it about her? He looked up into her eyes and he was instantly lost. Izzy realized that when he looked into her eyes it was like looking into the ocean. He was quickly overcome with a sense of peace just like when he stood at the top of the rock wall and stared into the Gulf of Mexico. He wished he could stare into her eyes for the rest of the day.

"Hey, what are you two up to over there?" Jinx asked from his bunk.

"What? Oh... nothing... just talking," Izzy stammered.

"Uh huh. How come you don't hold my hand when we talk?" Jinx asked with that smile on his face.

"What?" Izzy looked down at the table and noticed their hands were still together. He could feel his face warming up again. He pulled his hand away from hers as his face grew hotter. This made Jinx howl with laughter.

"Shut up, Jinx" Izzy muttered.

Jinx's laughter had made the others begin to stir. Soon the whole team was awake and they prepared themselves for breakfast. On the walk down to the cafeteria the team talked and joked just like they used to. Izzy finally felt whole again. Everything was right in his world again.

Unit 7B enjoyed a long, slow breakfast that could have lasted all day. They talked and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. They lingered at the table and continued to talk of the possibilities of all that was ahead. Each member was nervous and excited about the testing that was coming up. Their conversation continued when they got back to the dorm.

"I bet we're going to be tested in the VR room," Jinx told them.

"What is VR?" Monica asked him.

"Well, I only know what my father told me about it. It was called 'virtual reality' and it was absolutely cutting edge technology in its day. Dad said it was 2021 when it really started to become popular. You would wear a device like a pair of goggles over your eyes and it would put you into a computer generated alternate reality. He said it was like being inside of a computer program, but your mind didn't know it. I really hope we get in there. I've only dreamed about what that could be like," Jinx told them excitedly.

"U7B, I would like to introduce you all to our new technology specialist," Izzy said to the team. They all smiled at Jinx and nodded approval.

"I think you will make a fine technology specialist," Monica told him as she nudged him with a shoulder and smiled at him.

"Thanks. I would love that, but I still have to pass the testing," he replied.

"Oh, I think you have a lock on that one," Kira told him.

"Quite," Brittney added.

"And I think you will be a top notch medical specialist," Jinx offered.

"Yes," Kirkland told her with a nod.

"Agreed. You will be excellent in that role. We would all trust our lives to you," Izzy told her.

"Thank you," Brittney blushed a little at the positive attention.

"Who will be our weapons specialist?" Kira asked the team.

"Has to be Monica," Izzy responded, "She's the best shot on the team by far. And she knows the weapons better than anyone at this point."

"I would be honored," Monica said proudly.

"What exactly would the mechanical and transportation specialists do?" Brittney asked.

They debated the possibilities for a while and continued to discuss the upcoming testing. There were so many unanswered questions, but they agreed that the testing and the training after that were going to be very exciting. They continued to talk until it was time for lunch. It was at the lunch table that Izzy decided he needed to get away.

"Hey, I've got to tell you about everything that happened," Izzy whispered to Jinx.

"Great. I knew you would come around. Go ahead," Jinx replied.

Izzy looked around the table at his friends and knew that he couldn't tell them. They could never know what he had been thinking. It wasn't really his fault that he was thinking those things. He was tricked into it by those evil freaks, but he still didn't want them to know. He couldn't stand the thought of them finding out that he had been weak and so easily fooled.

"I can't tell you here," Izzy motioned towards the others. "We have to go somewhere where the others can't hear it."

"Where can we go to hide in this place?" Jinx asked.

"I have an idea."

After lunch they went back to the dorm with the rest of the team. They told the others that they were going to go for a walk around the facility and would be back in a while. Monica tried to go with them, but Jinx waved her off. They went upstairs and told the guard that they needed to get some books from the library. He let them through without any problems. Izzy led them right out to the courtyard in the center of the school.

As soon as they stepped outside Izzy could feel that wonderful sun on his skin. It was a feeling he had been missing for so long. He didn't tell the others how homesick he was, but he knew that Jinx would understand. Jinx knew better than anyone how much the sun and the beach meant to Izzy. There was no sand here and definitely no waves lapping on the shore, but there was sun. And that was enough for today. It had been a trying week and this was just what he needed.

The courtyard was overgrown in every way. Izzy could see that it was once a well-cared for place and he figured it must have been a great green space in the middle of the cement block school building. It was probably a nice place to take a break from the monotony of the building and classes. Now the shrubs looked untamed and wild, the grass was mostly overrun and choked down by weeds, and the two trees looked sickly and wilted. The concrete benches that lined the courtyard were filthy. The sidewalk was overgrown with weeds and littered with papers and other loose bits of trash.

Izzy stood there for several minutes breathing deeply of the fresh outside air. The sour taste of the rotting courtyard didn't even bother him. There was fresh air and warm sun on his face and that was good enough.

"We must be a bit north of Florida, Jinx."

"What makes you say that?" Jinx asked.

"The sun isn't as warm here as it is at home. It still feels great, but it's definitely not as hot on the skin," Izzy replied.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jinx said thoughtfully as he closed his eyes and tried to recall the warmth of the Florida sun. "So where do you think we are?"

"I'm not really sure. Not too far north would be my guess. The sun still feels pretty hot, just not as hot as it is at home," Izzy continued with his eyes still closed. "It's been a rough week and I really needed this."

"So, you finally gonna tell me what's been going on?" Jinx asked.

Izzy told Jinx about the night that Robert told him about the team. He told Jinx every detail that he could remember. He wanted Jinx to understand exactly what happened. He knew that Jinx was a true friend, but he still didn't like the thought of Jinx judging him. He knew that Jinx would never say it, but he didn't want his best friend to think he was an idiot.

Izzy went on to tell him about how it was psychological warfare. He explained the concepts to Jinx so that he could understand that there was nothing he could do. It was a perfectly placed attack and it was designed to make him have doubts and think bad thoughts. Izzy explained that much stronger and smarter people than him had been fooled by this type of attack.

Then Izzy told him about what he had been thinking. He told Jinx how he had been suspicious of each member of the team and that he couldn't help himself. He knew he was being manipulated, but it still worked. He even told Jinx how ashamed he felt for what he had been thinking and asked him not to mention any of this to the team. He told Jinx everything. Jinx just sat and listened and never said a word. Izzy knew Jinx was a true friend and he saw no judgement on his friend's face.

Izzy explained that he had a plan for revenge. He told Jinx of how he would have to get them back with the same tactic that they used on him. It was the sweetest possible revenge. He would show those freaks that he was smarter than them and use their own attack against them. Izzy explained that he didn't have all the details worked out yet, but he would have it all set up soon. He told Jinx that he could make Unit 7A self-destruct.

After Izzy finished telling the whole tale and his plans for revenge he sat down on the bench next to Jinx and waited for his friend to say something. Jinx sat quietly for a long time and stared into the center of the courtyard. He finally shook his head and looked at his lifelong friend.

"That is crazy," Jinx started. "This is the most insane thing I have ever heard. None of this makes any sense."

"What do you mean? I explained it all to you."

"This can't happen, Izzy. You have to stop thinking like this. I thought by now you would be over this crap," Jinx said sternly.

"What is that supposed to mean? Over what crap? I didn't start this," Izzy protested.

"Get over it, Izzy. Get over all of this crap. We are supposed to be a team. That means all fourteen units, the whole Initiative, not just the NORMs. Please, stop thinking like this."

"Thinking like what? Like I hate those freaks? I do, Jinx, I hate them. You know they caused all of this. You know that whatever problem we are facing now, it was probably caused by those things! Now we have to risk our lives to clean it up. It's just history repeating itself," Izzy said harshly.

"You're not listening to me, Izzy. You can't do this. Even if they did start this, even if they are evil, you can't get revenge. YOU are NOT evil. You're not like them," Jinx was almost shouting. "You can't take down their team now. This is life and death stuff here, man. You could cost us the whole Initiative!"

"You don't even know what we're doing here! Nobody in this place has told us anything. We just train and we don't even know what for! This could be nothing!" Izzy shot back as he jumped off the bench. "I'm not going to let them get away with this! No way I am gonna sit back and do nothing when they almost destroyed our team!"

"They didn't almost destroy our team. YOU did!" Jinx was shouting now. "I am not going to let you destroy anything! Everything we have done here is to save all humanity. That's what Mr. Mahoney told us and I trust him. We don't even know what threat we're facing. We have no idea what might end up killing us all. Are you saying that you don't trust Mr. Mahoney? Are you gonna tell me that you would rather we all die? Me, your mother, how about Kira? Do you want us all to die so that you can get your revenge?"

Izzy was knocked back by that last sentence and Jinx could see it. Jinx knew he had to shut this down now, before it got out of hand.

"You don't know what their mission is," Jinx said calmly. "They might have a critical mission that is the key to this whole mess. They could be the difference between life and death for all of us. Look, all I'm saying is that we have no idea what we're up against in this situation. We have no idea which missions are the most vital to our success. We can't risk everyone. You can't really tell me that you would want that." He finished and took a deep breath.

"No, I don't want that," Izzy admitted. "But I don't want them to get away with this either. They have to be dealt with."

"Training is over, Izzy. Everything from here is all life and death. And not just for us, but for every single human. That might involve humans that are not normal, but it certainly includes every single normal human. You can't risk every life for some head games. The cost is just too high, man," Jinx said firmly.

The truth began to sink in and Izzy sat down on the bench next to his friend. He slumped down and put his head in his hands. They sat in silence for a long time without looking at each other.

"Listen, you have to get over all this NORM, MOD, and GEN crap. This whole place is filled with all kinds of humans and we're all working together. We have come together for a common goal. Everyone here is trying hard to get over their issues and work together. Can't you see that?" Jinx asked.

"All I can see is a group of GENs that are messing with me. They aren't over it, why should I be? Why should I have to let it go when they aren't?" Izzy asked.

"Oh c'mon, man! What are you, five? This place is beyond that. I'm beyond that and I'm over all this alternate race crap. We have to work together. Everyone here seems to be capable of that, except you. Get with the program, Izzy. Our world is changing and you are going to have to change too."

Izzy looked at his friend, "I don't know if I can do that. I just don't know if I can let all of that go."

"You have to try. For the unit, for your mother, and for everything you care about. Just try," Jinx pleaded.

"Alright, bro. I'll try, but no promises. And those freaks had better not mess with me again."

They ended their conversation with their standard handshake. They continued to sit on the bench and enjoy the sunshine. After a long time the bench they were sitting on became covered in shade as the sun moved across the sky. The fresh air was still wonderful, but they decided it was time to return to the dorm.
Chapter 13

Izzy woke early the next morning to find that the entire unit was getting up early as well. Clearly, the whole unit was excited about evaluation day. He smiled to himself as he watched everyone getting ready for the day. He knew that this unit was ready for anything. Captain Frye entered the dorm at 6 a.m. sharp. She looked pleased that the whole unit was ready.

"I'm glad you're all so excited about evaluation day. You will be taken one at a time to testing. The rest of you will follow our normal physical training routine. Each test will take one hour and I will rotate you each through when it is your time. Reynolds, after breakfast you will go first."

Unit 7B ate breakfast quickly that morning. Izzy's mind kept wandering off to what this testing could be like. What would he qualify for? What sort of specialist assignment would he get? He was glad to be going first. He didn't want to have to spend the day wondering. Captain Frye stood up and addressed the unit.

"The evaluation order will be as follows: Reynolds, Lynn, Marie, Kardos, Hansen, Lin. Reynolds, let's go. The rest of you will wait here until I return and then we will begin our day."

The commander of each unit was escorting one member of their unit out of the dorms and down the main hallway. Captain Frye and Izzy were last in the group and walked side by side at the end of the line. He looked ahead and noticed that Johnny from Unit 7A was directly in front of him.

"Nothing to it, Reynolds. Just do your best and everything else will take care of itself," Captain Frye assured him.

"What are we doing, exactly?" Izzy asked.

"You will be evaluated in real world situations for each of the specialist positions. Simple as that. Just stay focused and do your best," she reassured him.

The line of people stopped at the VR training room. Izzy smiled broadly. Jinx was gonna love this. Izzy had no idea what to expect, but he was excited to try it. Jinx made it sound really amazing.

"Good luck, Reynolds. I'll be back when you're done," Captain Frye turned and left them.

The door to the VR training room opened and the line of unit members began filing inside. Izzy felt that he was ready for whatever was on the other side of this door. As they were about to enter the room Johnny stopped and turned around.

"You don't need to go in. I've already completed your evaluation. You're a NORM loser," he laughed to himself and passed through the doorway.

"Jinx, you better be right," Izzy muttered under his breath and walked through the doorway.

*******

Captain Frye returned to the cafeteria and collected Unit 7B. She walked with them to the physical training center and waited at the doorway until they passed her and entered the room. She stopped Jinx as he passed by.

"Hansen, one moment please," she said while she motioned the others to continue. "You will follow Lieutenant Smith upstairs. Colonel Mahoney would like to see you."

The soldier in the standard black uniform, Lieutenant Smith, had been their bus driver. Jinx nodded at Captain Frye and left with the soldier. Captain Frye turned and entered the room to begin training. He was escorted upstairs to what Jinx could see was once the principal's office. He smiled to himself because there was just something funny about being sent to the principal's office in a fake school. Lieutenant Smith knocked twice and was ordered to enter.

Colonel Mahoney's office was filled with tech and Jinx's eyes lit up as he tried to take it all in. There were monitors all over the room. One wall was covered with monitors that had the video feeds from the cameras on the compound. The wall opposite the desk had a large monitor mounted to the wall that was running the national news cycle. The desk had two monitors and a strange looking phone.

"Thank you, Smith. We won't be long. Please wait in the hallway to take this young man back to his unit," The Colonel ordered. Smith nodded and left the room closing the door behind him.

"Mr. Hansen, how are you today?"

"Good, Mr. Mahoney... I mean Colonel...I mean, sir," Jinx stuttered.

"So, tell me, what does he know?"

"He knows more than he realizes," Jinx began. "And more than he should. It's going to be a problem. He's definitely not ready and he can't control his anger. I think he's clear of it for now, but there is no way it'll last. That idiot Masterson is going to make him snap."

"Can you control him? Can you keep him from finding out the truth?"

"All I can do is try, sir."

"So be it. Do your best. You may return to your unit now," Colonel Mahoney ordered.

*******

Izzy looked around the room and saw that there were fourteen training stations. Each station was about ten feet wide and ten feet deep with partial walls dividing each one. There was a table with various devices and other strange items around the perimeter of the cubicles. Standing at the edge of each cubicle there was a soldier. Izzy was guided into one of the cubicles by a soldier and ordered to put a device on his head.

Izzy strapped the goggle type device to his head and instantly everything went black. The soldier handed him something. Izzy felt his way around the item and quickly realized it was a rifle like those he had trained with. The screen in his goggles began to flicker and the words 'Training Scenario #1' appeared before his eyes.

Suddenly, Izzy was in the middle of a battle in a desert village. There were half destroyed buildings all around him and gunfire coming from all directions. He ducked for cover and ran to the nearest wall. He looked down to see that the rifle had become real and he was wearing a black uniform like the soldiers in the Initiative. He raised his head above the broken wall he was hiding behind and assessed the situation. There were other soldiers in black. They appeared to be trying to take control of a building in the center of what was left of this town.

Izzy noticed they were attempting a frontal assault of the building. He knew that would not work as the majority of the enemy forces were gathered at the front. He watched for a few more minutes and located as many enemy fighters as he could. He knew what had to be done, he had to flank the building and get behind the enemy. He fired a few shots in the direction of the enemies, but was not trying to hit anything. He began making his way to the right side of the building and several soldiers followed him. They quickly made their way to the rear of the building and rushed the enemy. With guns pointed at their backs the opposing force surrendered quickly.

The goggles once again went black. The rifle was taken from his hands and his screen flickered again. 'Training Scenario #2' glowed in front of his eyes. He was standing at a table in the middle of what looked like an old abandoned warehouse. On the table in front of him was a device with a timer and scattered all around the device were tools. Izzy looked closer at the device and saw several wires coming out of the center of it and several more going to the countdown clock. It was a bomb. The timer showed 60 seconds.

Izzy looked closer at the device. There were three components to the device, a clock, a power source, and what he thought was the explosives. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He knew it wasn't happening, but it just seemed so real that he couldn't stop his heart from racing. The clock ticked down to 45 seconds. He had no clue how to disarm a bomb. He considered cutting the wires to the power source, but there were three wires. He picked up a pair of pliers to cut the wire, but couldn't decide which one. 30 seconds left on the timer. He scanned the warehouse for an idea, there had to be something he could use. 20 seconds left. In the far corner of the vast space he saw a dumpster, it was his best chance. His heart was pounding faster. 10 seconds left. He picked the device up off the table and ran as fast as he could to the dumpster and threw it in.

The goggles went black again. His heart was still pounding and he was breathing heavily. The soldier came up behind him and guided him to a seat of some kind. Izzy heard metallic clicking noises in front of him like something was being latched. The soldier took his hands and guided them to controls in front of him. 'Training Scenario #3' appeared in front of his eyes. Now he was in a plane looking out the windshield. He quickly looked around and realized that he was in the cockpit of a plane. No, it was a military type fighter jet and it was heading towards the ground!

Izzy grabbed the controls and pulled them back. The jet began to climb out of its dive and slowly began to rise. When he felt he was high enough he moved the controls and the jet began to level out. Izzy looked out the windshield at the scenery. It was so beautiful with a blue sky and mountains in the distance. He couldn't believe that this was a simulation. His breathing finally began to slow down and he suddenly felt great. He began to play with the controls and moved the jet up and down and made it go faster and slower. This was awesome and he decided he wanted to take a closer look at the mountain range so he turned his jet toward them.

His screen went black again. Izzy was not happy, he was not done flying. The soldier came and removed the controls in front of him with the same clicking noises and something else was put in its place. His hands were placed on a circular object, his feet moved to something on the floor, and his screen came to life again. 'Training Scenario #4' displayed and then he was being propelled down a long road. He was in a car and it was moving fast towards a sharp curve ahead of him.

Izzy stomped on both of the pedals at his feet and the car began to screech and slide. He lifted his feet from the pedals and used the steering wheel to guide the car through the curve. He barely made the curve, but once he got through it he began to play with the controls. The car responded quickly to changes made with the steering wheel, the pedal at his right foot made it go faster, and the pedal at his left foot slowed it down. There was another set of curves up ahead and he guided the car through this set of curves with ease. The scenery was flying past him as he pushed the car faster. This was not as much fun as flying, but it was still a lot of fun.

Again his screen went black. Again he was disappointed. That was a lot of fun and he really wanted to keep going. The assistant came over and guided him out of the seat and back to a standing position in the center of the cubicle. His screen came to life again with 'Training Scenario #5'. He was standing in front of a large piece of machinery. He looked around and noticed that he was in a room full of similar looking machines. The machine in front of him looked like a giant motor of some kind. There was a screen that displayed 'Restart in 8:00' and the clock began to countdown.

Izzy began to look at the machine so that he could figure out how to start it. There were several control panels attached to the machine. Each panel had buttons, knobs, and switches, but there was no writing to indicate what any of the controls did. Only two minutes left. He walked around the machine and saw that an access panel had been removed. There were moving parts inside, but something was not right. He couldn't figure out what to do, so he walked back to the front of the machine. One minute left. He began pushing buttons and flipping switches. He had no idea what might happen, but he had to try something. He looked at the timer just as it reached zero.

His screen went black again. This time the assistant did not approach him at all. He stood still and waited. The screen popped to life again. 'Training Scenario #6' displayed and then he was in the same battle situation that he had started in with the first scenario. The gunfire popped all around him, but he had no weapon to use so he ducked behind the same wall. Then he heard screaming. It was a horrible scream. Someone was in extreme pain.

Izzy got up from behind the wall and determined that the screams were coming from the other side of the wall to his right. He looked over the wall and waited for a lull in the gunfire. When he got his chance he took off for the wall. He rounded the corner of the wall and saw a wounded soldier on the ground. His torso was cut open from some kind of weapon and the lower portion of his left arm was missing leaving a torn and bloody stump. He was still screaming and there was blood and tissue all over the place. There was a medical bag on the ground next to the suffering soldier. Izzy turned to his left and vomited. His screen went black.

Izzy removed the mask and looked around. That was not virtual vomit on his shoes, it was his breakfast. The soldier approached him and told him that his evaluation was complete. Izzy took a minute to regain his composure. It was disorienting being back in the real world. In the virtual reality he had been through a lot. He apologized for the mess, but the soldier assured him that it happened often.

Captain Frye met him in the hallway. She was dropping off Kira and collecting him. Izzy still didn't feel quite right, but was happy to see them as they approached. Kira looked a little nervous, but the captain was reassuring her the same way she had Izzy.

"It's actually really cool," Izzy said. "You should have no problems at all. Go get 'em, Sparky!"

Kira smiled weakly in return and then they left her there to begin her evaluation. They made it back to the training center and Izzy was surrounded by the members of his unit.

"What was it like?" Jinx asked.

"What did they make you do?" Brittney asked.

"What was weapon testing like?" Monica asked.

"Reynolds! Tell them nothing!" Captain Frye barked.

Izzy nodded to the captain and then turned to Jinx and said, "You are going to love it!" Then Izzy turned and began running his five miles.

At the dinner table they took turns telling stories of their evaluations. Everyone had really enjoyed the training scenarios. Izzy was happy to tell them about how his VR experience had gone. He decided to leave out the part about losing his breakfast. Captain Frye just sat and listened to her unit recall their experiences. When the meal and the story telling had finished she stood to address the unit.

"Your evaluations are complete and your assignments have been handed down. Hansen, you are the tech specialist. Lynn, you will be our mechanical specialist. Marie, you will fill the role of medical specialist. Kardos, you are the transportation specialist. Lin, you will be the weapons specialist. Reynolds, you will train with the transportation specialists for the time being.

You will each be trained for general knowledge in all of these fields. Day one will be your medical training, day two mechanical, day three weapons, day four technology, and day five transportation. You will each be expected to reach a reasonable level of proficiency in each of these areas.

The sixth day you will break off into your specialist groups for advanced training. You will join the specialists from each of the units and you will train together. That day is for you each to master your assignments and I expect you to do exactly that. The final day will be for rest and studying.

Classes do not start until 8 a.m. daily so we will continue to do physical training each morning at 6 a.m. It's only an hour and a half, but we will make the most of it. Classes will finish at 2 p.m. each day and we will continue training until dinner. After dinner you are each to focus on your studies," she concluded.

Captain Frye turned and left them at the table to discuss their new assignments. Izzy was glad to see that his unit was excited about their new assignments and the training that would go with those assignments. Izzy was reasonably satisfied with his training assignment. He didn't get an actual specialist assignment, which made him feel a little jealous, but the transportation stuff was pretty cool. If it meant that he got to drive more cars and fly more planes, well, that would be just fine with him.

"Hey, you alright without having an assignment?" Jinx asked him after they got back to the dorms.

"Yeah, it's really not a problem," Izzy replied. "Besides, I get to do the transportation training. That was a really cool simulator, Jinx. Your NEDs are cool and all, but if you build one of those you would be my personal hero."

"I know, that tech is really amazing. My dad said that those were really big in the video game industry back before the war," Jinx explained.

"Well, I guess everybody got the assignment they wanted," Izzy said to the group.

"I'm good," Monica was smiling. "I feel right at home with a gun in my hand."

"Violence is not the answer," Brittney said with a smirk.

"It may not be the only answer, but it is my assignment," Monica said still smiling.

"Hey, how did you end up as the mechanical specialist?" Brittney asked Kira.

"Yeah, Sparky, what gives? Have you been holding out on us?" Jinx asked.

"I guess it is the same for me as it is for Brit. It just kinda comes natural. I can look at a machine and figure out how it's supposed to work. And I can usually fix it. My father was a mechanic, so I helped him in his shop a lot growing up. I'm sure that helped." Kira explained.

"Well, I pretty much just stood there and watched the timer tick down in that simulation!" Izzy told the group. "I was completely lost. But I'm pretty sure that I pushed every button on the control panels before the timer ran out."

"Me, as well," Kirkland added. His comment made the whole team laugh.

They talked for a little while longer and Izzy decided he was ready for sleep. Tomorrow would start the first day of training and he wanted to be well rested. He walked back to the locker room to get ready for bed. As he entered the locker room he saw that John Masterson was in there already. He decided to avoid him and walked to the farthest sink.

"Hey, Reynolds, I couldn't help but overhear that you didn't get a specialist position on your team. Does that bother you?" Johnny asked with a sly smile on his face.

"Not at all, Masterson. I have a job to do and I will do it," Izzy said tensely.

"It doesn't bother you that you are such a pathetic NORM that you couldn't even get an assignment? Man, I think something like that would really bother me," Johnny said, still smiling. "But then I'm not a NORM or a loser, so what do I know?" Johnny turned and walked out of the locker room.

"You obviously don't know much or you would stop running your mouth," Izzy said to the locker room door. He turned and looked at his reflection in the mirror. "Jinx is right. Jinx is right. Jinx is right... Jinx had better be right!"
Chapter 14

The next morning they began general training in the medical classroom. Izzy was not thrilled about this class at all, but knew that he had to get through it. In the basic training sessions they had learned how to do CPR, bandage wounds, and other simple medical procedures. This was going to be more involved. Captain Torres, the Unit 6B commander, entered the room and introduced herself.

She explained her background in the medical field and about her experience in the military during the war. She also told them that the main objective in general medical training would be to keep someone alive until the medical specialist arrived on scene. The secondary objective would be to learn to assist the medical specialist during procedures if needed. Izzy made a mental note to eat light on medical training days.

The second morning was the start of general mechanical training. When they arrived in the classroom they were greeted by Captain Janis, the Unit 2B commander. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy and was very pleasant in his introduction. He told them that during the course of a mission they may need to repair any number of broken machines. He explained to them that during missions things never go as planned and often times things break. His primary objective was to give them enough general knowledge to make necessary repairs.

Izzy didn't particularly care for this class. The operation of machines was intensely boring to him. It was definitely better than medical training. He preferred grease and oil over blood and guts. At least in this class he got to see Kira operate in her element. He enjoyed watching her during class. She was interested in everything Captain Janis had to say and she seemed to enjoy getting her hands dirty.

The third day the unit was brought to the weapons training classroom. Captain Frye followed them into the classroom this time and waited for all of them to take their seats. Then she introduced herself as the instructor for this class. She did not offer them any information about herself or her skill set. She simply got right to her main objectives. She explained that they would learn about most of the weapons available to the Initiative. Once they had mastered the general knowledge of the weapon including cleaning, assembly, and purpose they would then be taught how to fire each one. Izzy thought this might be a fun class.

The fourth day as they entered the technology classroom Jinx was very excited. He could not stop talking all morning, but he got very quiet the moment that he walked into the classroom. Their instructor was already sitting at the front of the class. Captain Nakamura, the Unit 5A commander and Monica's mysterious guardian was going to teach this class. They all gave a concerned look in Monica's direction, but she seemed completely unaffected by this development. Izzy couldn't tell if it really didn't bother her or if she was just extremely good at hiding her emotions. Either way, he decided he would have to keep a close eye on her.

Captain Nakamura explained to them that he was very involved in technology development before the war. He had worked in computer design, computer programming, and actually helped to develop and install some of the technology that went into many military vehicles. The objective for his class would be to teach them the basics of any computer or electrical device they might encounter. Then teach them how operate these devices. He said that every mission would involve tech that they had never seen, so it was vital that they have these basic skills. Izzy thought that the only skill he would learn in this class was how to stay awake when you are extremely bored.

The final general training class would be transportation. This time it was Izzy's turn to not stop talking. His excitement couldn't be contained and he really wanted to get back in that simulator. They walked into the class and found Captain Matthes, the Unit 1A commander, standing at the front of the class. He told the class that he had primarily been a fighter pilot during the war, but that he had flown just about everything in the war. Before the war he flew small commercial jets for rich and famous people.

The primary objective for this class was to teach them all the basic operation of every kind of military equipment they might encounter. He explained that they didn't need to have excellent skills with these machines, but just enough knowledge to get them out of trouble. He also informed them that a portion of their training would be on the simulators in the VR training center. Izzy could not wait to get started.

On the final training day they went their separate ways after breakfast. Izzy and Kirkland were heading to the advanced transportation class and everyone else was headed to their own assignments. It occurred to Izzy that today was the first day since they had arrived here that U7B was not together. Today they would train with members of different units. That could be interesting and everyone was looking forward to their advanced training, but it just felt weird to Izzy.

The first day of advanced training went by too quickly for Izzy. Captain Matthes explained that he was going to teach them to drive and fly everything they could imagine. They would learn about a vehicle one day and then learn to operate it in the VR center during the next class meeting. He promised to teach them to drive everything from a car to a tank and that they would learn to fly everything from a helicopter to a spacecraft. Izzy wished he could trade all of the other classes for just this one class. Coming here every day would never seem like school.

The first week went by quickly and they all spent the first day off studying for their advanced classes. The advanced classes were very demanding and they each wanted to excel in their given assignment. No one wanted to be the one that would let the team down.

By the end of the second week this new phase of schooling was becoming an ordinary routine. Physical training in the morning was followed by classroom work all day. No one seemed to mind at all as the days flew by.

At the end of the second week of training Izzy was looking forward to advanced transportation class. When he and Kirkland walked in he was surprised to see that Captain Matthes was not there. Captain Pierce, the Unit 4B commander, was standing at the front of the class. She was a tall woman with a commanding presence and a stern look on her face at all times. She explained that she would be leading the class today and escorted them to the VR center. Izzy was thrilled and knew he would enjoy the rest of the day. Unit 1A was not present at meals for the rest of the day. No one mentioned it but they all knew that it had begun.

The next day was spent studying and each member of the team was busy with books. The Unit 7A group was also busy studying and every table in the common area was full. At dinner time that night Unit 1A had returned to their table and everyone took notice. Most of the units had finished their meals when Colonel Mahoney appeared. He was walking briskly down the left side of the cafeteria towards the low rise stage at the front of the room. He stood and waited for all to notice.

"As you all know our first missions are underway," he began. "Unit 1A please stand. It is with great pleasure that I inform you all that Unit 1A has successfully completed their mission." The room erupted in noise as other units began to stand and cheer for the members of Unit 1A. Colonel Mahoney waited until the celebration died down before continuing. "This is a good start, but we have much more to accomplish. Continue your training with focus and purpose," he finished and then exited the cafeteria.

The weeks passed quickly and the routine remained the same. Izzy watched as each member of the team became more involved in their classes and their studying. He understood how they felt because he was thoroughly enjoying his transportation classes, especially the simulator work. Units 1B and 2A came back with success and were met with the same standing ovations. It seemed that everyone in the Initiative was satisfied with their progress and deeply involved in their studies.

Izzy and Jinx took breaks in the courtyard often. The weather had turned much cooler, but the sun would still shine warmly most days. That was good enough for them and they enjoyed the breaks from studying. At the end of the sixth week they were enjoying the crisp air and fairly warm sunshine.

"Captain Frye told me last night that I would be switching to mechanical specialist training next week," Izzy said.

"Did she say why?" Jinx asked.

"No. Just that I had to make the switch. It really sucks because I love that class. The simulator stuff is amazing and I'm learning so much," Izzy complained.

"Yeah, that does suck. I know how much you liked it."

"I don't want to switch classes. I have no mechanical skills at all. I just barely got that generator to run in the general knowledge class. I'm going to drown in advanced classes."

"Well, maybe Kira can give you some mouth to mouth, ya know, if you drown," Jinx chuckled.

Izzy's face began to turn red, "Shut up, Jinx. Why do you always have to do that?"

"Do what?" Jinx asked innocently.

"Why do you always have to mess with me about her? You know I'm not like you. I can't just come out and call someone lovely."

"You can, you just don't want to. We can all see that you're crazy about her. Just tell her how you feel, not that she doesn't already know."

"What? What do you mean she already knows?" Izzy panicked.

"Relax. Of course she knows. Girls are smart about that stuff. She hasn't chased you away so she must be okay with it."

"Oh, man. How can I go to class with her if she knows how much I like her? Ohhh, this is awful! What do I do?"

"Ok, first stop freaking out. It's no big deal. And second, use this as a chance to get closer to her. You may not want to take the class, but it's your assignment now. Just make sure she helps you study," Jinx said and then began making kissing noises.

"Sometimes I really hate you," Izzy groaned and shook his head. Izzy rolled his eyes for dramatic effect, but knew that he could never actually hate Jinx. He was a true friend, a brother, and he would be lost without their friendship.

Mechanical training classes weren't as bad as Izzy thought. Most of the time he had no clue what was going on, but he did his best to seem interested. It was obviously important to Kira so he wanted to give her a good impression. He studied hard and tried to keep up, but the truth was that he was drowning. The subject matter was tough, but the real problem was that he found it all very boring. He didn't care how things worked, he just wanted to push a button and have it work.

He was happy to have an excuse to talk to her, so they discussed class whenever they could. Izzy took some advice from Jinx, he wasn't sure why, and asked her for help with his studies. They had spent most of the six weeks studying together in their free time. Izzy didn't think he had learned much, but he got to spend a lot of time with Kira so he didn't mind.

Units 2B, 3A, and 3B had all come back successful from their missions. They all received standing ovations in the cafeteria and things seemed to be going very well. Colonel Mahoney explained that all aspects of the missions were going according to plan and he was very pleased. After the third unit came back Captain Frye informed Izzy that he would be switching specialist classes again.

Izzy and Jinx were in the courtyard the following morning. Izzy thought that the weather had become a little warmer now and he felt that spring must be near. He and Jinx had still met in the courtyard whenever possible, but not as much over the last six weeks. Izzy chose to spend more time studying with Kira so the courtyard time had become limited.

"She's making me switch again," Izzy said to Jinx.

"Who's making you switch what?" Jinx asked confused.

"Captain Frye. She's making me switch to technology specialist classes."

"That's awesome, man. We get to hang together more!" Jinx said excitedly.

"No, not awesome. I would rather hang out with Kira and your tech stuff is so boring!"

"Thanks, pal. Nice to know where I stand," Jinx said glumly, but with a smile.

"You know what I mean. I really don't like those classes. I don't know why she has to keep switching my classes," Izzy complained.

"It figures that you wouldn't see it," Jinx said, shaking his head.

"See what?"

"You are good at just about everything you do. If you're not good at something you will work harder than anyone here to get better at it. She wants you to be able to do every specialist job. She needs you to be good at every job," Jinx explained.

"Why? Why would she need me to do that?"

"Man, you really can't see it, can you?" Jinx asked, "You're the leader of the unit. She is training you for leadership."

"What? Me? No way. I'm no leader. I'm just a part of the unit. I'm not even a specialist."

"Exactly. You don't have a specialist position because the leader will need to be all positions. You will have to be able to understand and complete any aspect of the mission," Jinx explained.

"But, I'm no leader."

"Bro, you're a natural born leader. Ever since we were little the other kids followed you. It didn't matter what you were doing, everyone just followed your lead. It was the same in school and now it's happening here. You're a natural, people just follow you," Jinx said. "And you always put the people around you first. You always made sure to protect the other kids at school. And the entire time we have been here you have watched out for every member of the unit."

"Yeah, well, that's just because I feel like I'm responsible for them," Izzy explained.

"That's my point. You're not responsible for any of us. Captain Frye is the unit commander, but it's you that worries about everyone. It's you that makes sure everyone is okay. It's been you since the day we got here."

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me. Would I lie to you?" Jinx asked with that grin on his face.

"Only if you thought it was funny," Izzy admitted.

Jinx didn't want to lie to him. He wished that he could tell Izzy the truth. He hated the secrets and he really hated lying to Izzy. They had been friends their whole lives and Jinx felt like a fraud. He thought that if he was a real friend he would tell Izzy the truth. Izzy deserved to know the truth after all this time. He deserved to know why he was this way, and he deserved to know why he was being lied to. Jinx knew that his friend could not handle the truth, at least not yet. He was mostly just happy that he would not be the one to break the news to Izzy.
Chapter 15

The weeks passed slowly for Izzy. The technology specialist classes were so terribly boring that he could barely keep his eyes open during class. It was all very detailed and that somehow made it even worse. Jinx would talk endlessly about the subject after every class and Izzy didn't have the heart to tell him to stop. But in his head he was begging for his friend to just shut up. The weekly general education classes were all that Izzy could stomach, but he pushed himself to do his best.

Units 4A and 4B had come back with mission success and that pleased everyone. Colonel Mahoney informed the Initiative that things had been fully set in motion now and that there was no turning back. He went on to explain that things were still on course, but now things would start to happen quickly.

Another two weeks of tech classes had finally passed and Izzy decided that this was worse than mechanical classes. Captain Frye informed him that he would be switching to weapons specialist classes the following week. Izzy was so happy that he almost hugged her right there in the cafeteria in front of everyone. He was finally getting back to something he was actually good at.

He put a lot of thought into what Jinx had told him. Izzy had begun to consider that his friend might be right. Maybe, just maybe, he was being groomed for a leadership position with Unit 7B. He didn't like the idea of having to give orders to his friends, but he would do what he was told. He thought that was what a good soldier would do.

He saw the pattern and knew that he would be switched again in another six weeks and he was okay with that. He was really not happy knowing that he would be switched to the medical specialist classes. None of those experiences had gone very well, but he would have to find a way to get through it. For now, at least, he could look forward to weapons classes. Fighting came natural to him, so none of this would feel like work.

Izzy noticed that it was late for Colonel Mahoney to be taking the stage. He looked at the Unit 5A table and did not see the faces of happy soldiers. Colonel Mahoney informed them all that Unit 5A had failed their mission. He assured them that the mission was not critical to the overall success of the Initiative and that they would recover from this minor setback. He then turned and left the stage. The cafeteria filled with hushed conversations.

"Where is Amanda?" Monica said as she scanned the Unit 5A table. She turned and looked at Captain Frye and asked again, "Where is Amanda?"

"She's fine," Captain Frye assured her. "She sustained minor injuries during their mission, but she is going to be fine. She's in our medical wing for observation."

"Who is Amanda?" Jinx asked Monica.

"She's the U5A weapons specialist. I have been training with her and we've become friends," Monica explained.

"I'm sure she's fine. Our medical instructors are really quite good. She is in good hands," Brittney assured her.

"I didn't know we had a medical wing," Izzy said to Captain Frye.

"There are many things you don't know, Reynolds," she replied. "Did you really think that this was all there was to this facility? The Initiative is bigger than you can even imagine. You are just one small piece in a very large puzzle."

In the dorm the unit continued to discuss the mission failure of U5A and they each wondered about the possibility of their own failure. Izzy realized that for the first time the team was showing concern and they were each clearly nervous. Some were nervous of the possibility of failure, but his only concern was that one of them might be injured during their mission. He knew that he had to be ready for all possibilities.

The next morning they made their way to the courtyard. He knew he had to talk to Jinx about his concerns. He knew that Jinx would be helpful.

"I am worried about the team..." Izzy began.

"Why? We're ready," Jinx interrupted.

"Everyone seems nervous and I don't know how to handle that," Izzy finished.

"Why do you need to handle it? The unit is fine."

"If I am supposed to act like a leader, I should address the unit and say something."

"Yeah, I dunno, maybe. Maybe you should let this go. We should be a little nervous about our mission. Aren't you at least a little nervous?" Jinx asked.

"No. Jinx. I've thought about it a lot lately. I don't ever remember a time in my life when I was nervous. I have always felt prepared. I have always felt ready for whatever might happen."

"Really? You've never been nervous? How about scared? Do you get scared?" Jinx asked, half joking.

"Not really. At least I don't think so," Izzy said. "I guess I don't know what it feels like to be scared. I'm concerned that a member of the unit could get hurt. I don't know how I would handle that. It's my job to keep them safe."

"Well, at least you worry. See, now I know that you aren't some sort of cyborg because computers can't feel worry," Jinx joked.

"I'm not joking around here, Jinx. I have to keep them all safe," Izzy said sternly.

"Man, that explains a lot. It's kinda crazy that you don't feel nervous or scared. I always wondered why you never hesitated to go head to head with someone that you knew was genetically enhanced," Jinx said mostly to himself. "It's not your job to keep everyone safe. Every member of our unit knows what they have to do and they will do their jobs. We are a great team. And, who knows, maybe someday you will be a somewhat, kinda, an okay leader," Jinx tried joking again.

"Seriously, Jinx. If something happens to one of them...I don't know what I would do. If something happens to me, I want you to be the one to tell my mom what happened. Will you do that for me?"

"You know I have your back. Always have and always will. But you might be taking this leadership thing a little far."

"Maybe you just aren't used to being a good soldier, yet. But I'll whip you into shape," Izzy barked with his best Captain Frye impression.

"Sir, U7B tech specialist Hansen, reporting for duty," Jinx shot back.

"Yeah, maybe we could let you get shot, ya know, just a little," Izzy laughed.
Chapter 16

Izzy was enjoying weapons specialist training even more than he thought he would. The rest of his general education classes were all going well. After having so many specialist classes it made the general classes seem rather simple. Medical class was a little different. Izzy considered that class a success if he managed to keep his food in his stomach.

Izzy worked with Monica in weapons training whenever he could. She was clearly very skilled in this area. She taught him how to improve his aim and he was shooting almost as good as her. The study of the weapons was also easy for him and he was learning a lot. The weapons specialist was tasked with making sure every weapon the unit used was cleaned, maintained, and ready for use at all times.

Units 5B and 6A had returned successful. Unit 6B had begun mission preparations and the tension in dorm seven had become more noticeable. Izzy thought that Unit 7A seemed especially tense. Masterson had become more mouthy and continued to try to cause problems. Izzy managed to keep his control during these episodes, but was having increasing difficulty.

Unit 7B was doing their best to keep things normal and continued to enjoy classes and hanging out together. Izzy thought there might be a little nervousness in the team, but Brit was definitely having the hardest time. She was displaying stress and had begun to look tired. Izzy suspected that she wasn't sleeping well and decided he would have to stay up late and keep an eye on her.

Izzy and Jinx returned from their courtyard trip and settled in to enjoy the afternoon with their unit. Izzy could feel that something wasn't quite right. He knew that something bad was going to happen, like he always did. He could feel it in his bones. He began to make his way around the room checking on everyone.

"Everything going good here?" Izzy asked Kirkland.

"Yes. All is well," he replied with his heavy accent.

Izzy smiled at the heavy accent and said, "Good. Your English is improving."

"Thank you," Kirkland said and smiled.

Izzy checked on Jinx and Monica next. They both said that everything was fine and that he was worrying too much. Then Jinx made a crack about being a good mother, but Izzy was already moving on to the rest of the team.

"Everything okay with you, Sparky?" he asked Kira.

"Yes, I'm fine. But that idiot Masterson was messing with Brit and I don't think she's taking it too well," Kira told him.

"I really can't stand that guy. What a friggin' jerk he is," Izzy grumbled.

"You really shouldn't let him bother you," Kira said.

"I know, but I really want him to pay for all that he's done," Izzy said with his jaw clenched.

"Well, I think you might need to say something to him if he decides to bother us again. Brit seems to be under a great deal of stress and I don't think she will do well if he continues to cause problems," Kira said calmly.

"Yeah, I'll have to say something to him," Izzy grunted and he stood up and went to check on Brit.

"Hey, everything okay with you?" he asked gently, "I hear that a certain jerk is giving you some grief today."

"Nothing I can't handle, Izzy. He is a simple minded tosser," Brit told him with a half-hearted smile.

"I don't even know what a tosser is, but I'm gonna agree with you anyway," Izzy said, smiling. "If it becomes a problem again, I will stop it."

"You pathetic losers ready for your mission?" Masterson started. "I seriously hope that you morons can handle your job. Don't worry. I'm sure they won't assign anything too important to the most incompetent unit in the Initiative. You jokers should make U5A look real good."

"You can shut your face now, Masterson, nobody here cares what you have to say," Izzy shot back.

"Hey, I'll shut up, just as soon as you promise me that your team of misfits won't screw everything up for the rest of us."

"You should take care of yourself and your unit. But don't worry, after you fail we'll step in and fix your mess," Jinx stood up and joined in.

"Unit 7A is ready and we will get our job done," Masterson shot back.

Kira stood and stared through him. "You are filled with fear. It makes you surprisingly...weak," she said in that distant voice.

"Get away from me, you freak!" Masterson yelled and shoved Kira.

"Hey..." Jinx yelled, but he was too late. He stood frozen in place. There was nothing he could do now, but watch as his friend lost all control.

Izzy shot across the room faster than Jinx had ever seen anyone move. Izzy had never felt so angry in his life. He moved so quickly that Masterson didn't stand a chance. He grabbed Masterson by the front of his shirt and threw him on top of the table. He had landed three punches to Masterson's face before his opponent could even groan in pain from hitting the table.

"I hate every one of you freaks!" Izzy screamed as he continued to rapidly land punches. Masterson was unable to defend himself and as every punch landed he groaned in pain. Izzy was grabbed from behind and pulled off of Masterson. He tried to fight off his attacker, but he had one arm held behind his back and he was being held in a choke hold. His face was red from the screaming and rage and he struggled to break free of the hold.

"Enough, Reynolds," Captain Frye barked in his ear.

"I'm not done with that freak yet," Izzy fired back and continued to struggle.

"Enough!" Captain Frye barked again as she tightened the holds she had on him, "It's over."

"It's not over," he seethed. "That freak is still moving..." his words became strangled as she tightened her choke hold again.

"It's over," Captain Frye repeated and she calmly held her hold until Izzy began to relax.

Izzy began to breathe heavily as he tried to calm himself. The adrenaline in his body made him shudder. His breathing was heavy and ragged. He was desperately trying to regain his composure. Captain Frye released him after he began to calm.

"Someone help him up," Captain Frye commanded and pointed at Masterson who was still sprawled on the table. "Explain yourself, Reynolds."

Several members of Unit 7A helped Masterson off of the table and stood him up. His face was red and swollen, his nose was bleeding, and his teeth were covered in the blood that filled his mouth. He stood there glaring with one partially good eye at Captain Frye and Izzy, but did not say a word. The other members of Unit 7A stared at Izzy in shock.

"He was messing with Brittney earlier, he started running his mouth, and then that GEN freak pushed Kira and I... I...snapped," Izzy stuttered.

"He's lying. Typical NORM trying to lie his was out of everything," Masterson managed. His lips were already swelling and he spit blood with every word.

"Do you see? We can't work with them. They treat us like we're trash, they're evil, and they can't be trusted," Izzy turned and looked at Robert. "And they play head games. They think they are so much better than us," Izzy got louder. "We can't work with those things! Every single MOD and GEN is the same way. They should have all been eliminated during the war!"

"Lynn, are you okay?" Captain Frye asked. Kira nodded, but did not say a word. She looked as if she was in shock and she stared at Izzy in horror. Tears filled her eyes, but she didn't speak, and she continued to stare at Izzy as if he were a monster.

Izzy couldn't look at her any longer. He couldn't stand to see that look on her face. He looked down at the ground and then looked for Jinx. Jinx was frozen in place with a blank expression on his face. Izzy looked to the rest of the team, but there was no help to be found. Monica glared at him, Kirkland looked upon him with pity, and Brittney would not make eye contact with him at all.

"What did she do to you?" Captain Frye demanded.

"She said I was weak," Masterson mumbled. His mouth had begun to swell badly.

She stared at him for a long moment and then said, "Looks like she was right." She turned to the two unit 7A members holding him up and ordered, "Take him to Captain Slade, he's going to need medical attention before his tiny brain swells."

They took him out of the room and Izzy stood alone on the 7A side of the room. He looked again at his teammates and no one would return his eye contact. He couldn't bring himself to look at Kira. He hoped she was alright, but didn't dare ask. He put his head down and walked towards the door, he needed to get out of this room.

As soon as the door closed behind him Izzy took off running. He didn't stop until he got to the bathrooms in the cafeteria. He threw the door open, made his way to the sink, and began washing the blood off of his hands. He looked in the mirror and saw those same old eyes staring back at him. They looked even older now, and there was so much pain and anguish.

Izzy left the cafeteria and made his way upstairs and out to the courtyard. He had to get some fresh air and when he shoved the door open he breathed deeply for several minutes. The moonlight was bright tonight and the courtyard was illuminated with its glow. He continued to breathe deeply as he tried to gather his thoughts.

Kira didn't like it before when he had displayed anger and now he had shown her the rage of a psychopath. If he could explain to her about the head games they had played on him, or all of the comments Masterson had made. Maybe she would understand why he snapped. He was only trying to defend her. He thought of how she had looked at him and in his heart he knew that she would not understand. In her eyes he was a monster.

He knew he had let Jinx down. Jinx had asked him to control his anger, but he just couldn't this time. It all happened so fast, it was like a switch had been flipped, and he couldn't stop it. Jinx would be upset with him, but Masterson started it. Running your mouth is one thing, but he put his hands on Kira and that was too far. Something had to be done and Jinx was just going to have to deal with that.

Izzy sat down on one of the benches and stared down at the sidewalk. He could see the look on Monica's face, it looked almost like hatred. Why should she be that mad at him? He did what he had to do. Kirkland had looked at him with pity, as if he understood what Izzy had done to destroy all they had worked for. At least he knew why Brittney was mad at him. He had tried to make violence the answer. It felt like a solution at the time. Maybe she was right because it didn't feel like the answer anymore.

Izzy sat on a bench in the shadows for a long time. He didn't know how much time had passed and he didn't care. He didn't want to go back to the dorm and face his friends. He couldn't go back and face Kira. He decided he would just stay in the courtyard tonight. He wouldn't be able to sleep anyway so there was no point in going back. He lay down on the concrete bench and closed his eyes. The cool concrete felt good on his back and he finally started to feel calm.

"Izzy. Izzy. Reynolds, wake up!"

"Leave me alone, Jinx," Izzy said without opening his eyes.

"I can't," Jinx replied. "Captain Frye ordered me to come get you and bring you back to the dorms."

"No thanks," Izzy said opening one eye. "I'm good right here."

"I'm sure you are, but now you have to come clean up your mess."

"My mess? I didn't start this crap. This is on him," Izzy said as he sat up.

"Izzy, he pushed Kira and then you almost beat him to death. You were way out of line."

"I told you he needed to be taught a lesson. He got what he deserved," Izzy scoffed.

"What he deserved!" Jinx was getting louder, "He was wrong, no doubt. But he's just a scared kid! You might not get scared, Izzy, but the rest of us do! And this...all of this...it's scary, man. We are doing things that kids shouldn't have to do and that kid is scared!"

"He's just another GEN that causes problems. They're all the same, Jinx. I know you said you wanted me to work with them, but I can't. Every MOD and GEN is the same. We can't trust them. We never could. It's always the same thing, Jinx. It's been that way since we started school and it will be that way for the rest of our lives," Izzy was on his feet now.

"I thought you were over that crap! How can you not see that we are all the same? None of that matters anymore. GENs. MODs, NORMs! Who cares? Who really cares, Izzy? Does anyone here care? NO! This entire place is filled with humans and nobody but you cares about the genetics," Jinx shouted. "Get over it already! What's wrong with you? What happened in the war sucks, but none of the people here is responsible for that. I'm sorry you lost your dad, but no one here did that to you. These are not the same people that took him from you!"

"So now you're on their side? That's what's going on here? You would take the side of Masterson over me?" Izzy was almost screaming. "Some friend you are! You're gonna side with the freaks like Masterson over the guy you've known your whole life!"

"Masterson didn't do anything to you except run his mouth," Jinx was trying to calm his voice. "He's a jerk, but that's not because he's a GEN, it's because he was born that way. You can't go around this place screaming how you hate GENs and MODs. And you can't smash someone's face just because they happen to be a total jerk!"

"That GEN freak has been messing with me since we got here. Always running his mouth and causing trouble for our whole unit. This has been coming for a long time. How can you judge me like that? You know what he did. You know about the head games!" Izzy shouted.

"No one is playing head games with you, Izzy," Jinx shouted back.

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying it didn't happen? Are you calling me a liar now, too?" Izzy growled.

"No, I'm telling you that no one is playing head games with you! What Foster told you is the truth. He wasn't messing with you, Izzy," Jinx was shouting again, "He was telling you the TRUTH!"

"What are you saying?" Izzy yelled. "Are you saying we are surrounded by those things? That we're the only NORMs in our unit?"

"NO! I'm saying that YOU are surrounded by those things. You and Brittney are the only NORMs in our unit!" Jinx was screaming and he didn't care who heard him and he didn't care if his friend could handle this truth.

"What the..?" Izzy was stunned. "What are you...talking about?"

"Monica and Kirkland are GENs, and I'm a MOD, Izzy! I AM A MODIFIED HUMAN! And so is Kira!" Jinx screamed.

"No...you...you can't be..." Izzy stammered.

"I can't be what? One of those freaks? Something you hate? Something you wish would have been eliminated during the war?" Jinx was angry, but tried to control his voice, "Well, I am. And so is she."

Jinx turned his back on his friend and walked towards the door. He had lost control of his emotions and told Izzy the truth about who he was. He didn't think Izzy could handle the truth before, but now he would have to. He was still angry, so at the moment he didn't care. He threw the doors of the courtyard open and stormed down the hall. In his heart he knew that he would regret it later, when he calmed down. At least he hadn't told him the whole truth.
Chapter 17

Izzy paced the courtyard for a long time that night. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. How could Jinx be a MOD? How could he have lied to him all these years? How did he not know that his best friend was a MOD? Who else knew? Did his mother know? His head was swimming with so many questions. He was angry at Jinx for lying to him. And he was angry with himself for not figuring this out sooner. How could he have been so stupid? His emotions were always getting the better of him and this time they really got him. He decided that he wouldn't go back to the dorm tonight. He wasn't going to be able to sleep anyway.

He sat down on a bench and tried to gather his thoughts. Kira didn't just think he was a monster because of his angry outburst. She thought he was a monster because of what he said and because of what he did. He didn't want to face her, he couldn't face her. Not now, not after what he had done. He continued to alternate between pacing in the courtyard and sitting on the bench until daylight began to brighten the courtyard. He decided that it was time to go take a shower and get ready for the day. His plan, for now, was just to avoid all of them as much as possible. He couldn't think of anything else to do.

He left the courtyard and began the long, lonely walk back to the dorm. He had never felt as alone in his life as he did right now in this hallway. He was angry and alone and he knew that he had better get used to it. From this moment on he would be in this alone and he was certain of that. As he approached the dorm he passed Captain Frye in the hallway. She watched him as he walked by, but she did not stop him. Izzy was thankful for that. He knew that he would have to deal with what he had done, but he didn't want to deal with it right now.

Izzy showered, dressed, and went to the physical training center before anyone else in the unit had gotten out of bed. That was just fine with him. He didn't want to deal with any of them at this point. He ran for a long time, but he didn't know how long because he lost count somewhere after thirty five laps. He couldn't hold a clean thought in his head. His mind just continued to jump around so he ran as fast and as hard as he could. When his legs would no longer support him he sat down on the track and stared at the ceiling. He hadn't noticed before just how many cameras were in this massive room. He decided that he hated the cameras, too.

He checked the clock on the wall and saw that he had fifteen minutes left to get to the cafeteria and eat breakfast before the kitchen closed for the morning. That would be just enough time to get there and eat quickly so that he could avoid any unnecessary contact with the others. His strategy was to be gone before they woke up and stay out until after they were asleep. Avoidance was the only way to get through this.

Izzy got in line at the window and filled his tray with food. He never looked up from his tray so that he could avoid eye contact with everyone. He saw out of the corner of his eye that Masterson had not returned to his unit yet. At the U7B table he did not look up from his tray at all. He chose a seat at the far end of the table and quickly ate his food. No one tried to speak to him and he made sure that he never looked up.

It took two more days before Masterson returned to his unit. Masterson's face was badly swollen and bruised. He had a few stitches, but Izzy still felt the jerk got what he deserved. If he stopped to think about it he may have felt guilty, so he avoided those thoughts any time they came up. The next two weeks passed quickly as Izzy continued his pace of waking early and working out before classes or group training. After dinner he would return to training or spend his time in the courtyard studying.

During any group activities or classes he kept his distance from everyone in the unit. No one had approached him, but he thought Brittney was going to try a few times. He made sure to avoid any eye contact with her so she would know to stay away. Even Captain Frye only spoke to him when absolutely necessary and that was very little because Izzy was training harder than anyone in the Initiative. His speed and strength had greatly improved and his weapons mastery now rivaled Monica's. He would not make any more mistakes during his time here. He would be the best, no matter the cost, even if he was just a NORM.

Unit 6B had returned successful from their mission and it was time for Unit 7A to begin their mission preparations. Izzy knew that Captain Frye was going to switch him to medical training classes, so when she did he was not surprised. He took the opportunity to ask her for permission to spend extra time at the firing range and she approved it. He had already made arrangements with Captain Matthes for extra time at the VR simulator. Izzy knew that his training was going well, but he needed to do more. He had to be the best so he trained hard. It was the only place for him to put his anger now.

Unit 7B had only two weeks until they would be assigned their mission. Izzy wasn't sure that he even wanted to go on a mission with them. And he didn't think they would want him there anyway. He wasn't as angry with them anymore, but he could understand if they were. It might be best for everyone if he sat out the mission and just continued to train. Alone.

*******

Colonel Mahoney sat in his office watching the monitors on the wall. He knew that Izzy had isolated himself and he continued to monitor the situation throughout each day. Captain Frye continued to give him daily reports. It did not appear that Izzy was going to be able to solve this on his own.

The satellite phone on his desk was ringing. He was thankful that the Initiative had a secure satellite network for communications, but he hated when that phone rang. It seemed that every time that phone rang it was going to be bad news. This time would be no different he was sure. He picked up the device anyway.

"Mahoney," he answered.

"Status report, Colonel," said a curt female voice on the other end.

"U7A has been briefed on their mission and preparations are underway," he said.

"Very good. Will they be successful, Colonel?" she asked.

"Yes. I believe that Captain Slade has them well prepared. This mission is not a difficult one, so I don't foresee any issues."

He knew there was more so he waited in silence. He had been under her direct command for nearly two decades now so he knew what to expect. But he still got just a little pleasure in making her ask the questions that she wasn't comfortable with. It was petty, but that's the way it was with superior officers. Someone had to keep them on their toes. He smiled thinly to himself as he waited.

"What is the status of the Reynolds situation?" she asked after the long pause.

"No change in status at this time, Ma'am."

"That is unacceptable, Colonel" she said sternly. "Is there an alternate plan?"

"I believe I have a potential solution, Ma'am."

"Believe and potential are not going to cut it, Colonel," she barked. "He is the key component to everything we are doing, everything we have been working towards. He needs to be onboard, Colonel. I don't have to tell you that. If he is not onboard for the final mission then everything we have done is for nothing. I have not worked for the last fifteen years for nothing!"

"Yes, Ma'am"

"He needs to be a part of that unit and he had better be part of their mission!" she commanded.

"I understand that, Ma'am" he said calmly.

"Good, then understand this, if you don't fix this problem before the mission I will come over there and fix it myself!" she barked in his ear.

The line went dead. He had been thinking on this matter for several days, but he wasn't willing to share his plan with her. He knew what he had to do and he was certain that she wasn't going to like it. She would have nothing nice to say about his plan, but it was certainly better than the alternative. He decided that he would give it a few more days before he took such drastic action.

The boy might be the key to saving all of humanity, but he could only handle so much. He was just a kid and he had no idea what was ahead of him. It didn't matter to him how important Izzy was to the cause or to the missions. What mattered most to him was the child that he had watched over for fifteen years was hurting and alone in the dark. A little bit of truth would shine a light that the young man could use to find his way out.

*******

Izzy continued his pace of constant training during the next two weeks. It had been four weeks since his explosion and he had made great improvements. He would sneak a look at the others when they trained together and he noticed no significant changes in any of their work. He had now far surpassed each of them, but it gave him no satisfaction.

Medical specialist training was going as well as he could expect. He had managed to get through the first two weeks of class without an incident. During class he had to assist Brittney with a fictional procedure in the VR center and it was the first words they had spoken in four weeks. He had to admit that it was good to hear her voice. She was the best person of them all and she certainly hadn't done anything wrong. Izzy thought that her kindness and overall good nature probably made this an even more difficult situation for her.

They completed the procedure and class was finished for the day. They removed their head gear and placed them on the table. Izzy knew that she was about to try and speak to him. It was like so many other things, he could feel it in his bones. It was an absolute certainty and he needed to avoid it. He turned and quickly tried to exit the cubicle before she could get a word out, but she was ready for him and blocked his path.

"Why won't you speak to me?" she asked.

"I don't have anything to say," he replied without making eye contact.

"Well, I have a few things to say and you are going to listen," she said firmly.

Izzy looked her directly in the eyes, but did not say a word.

"This has to stop, Izzy. You need to talk to us about what happened."

"There's nothing to talk about, Brittney. It happened. It's over now," he said coldly.

"No, it is not over, There's a lot to talk about," she said sternly. "Jinx told us what happened. He told us that you didn't know about any of them. He told us of your childhood and what it was like at your school. He told us everything."

"Then I was right, there really is nothing to talk about," Izzy said in a cold tone.

"Don't you do that to me, Izzy. Our team is coming apart and we have a mission being assigned to us in less than forty-eight hours," she was stern, but her voice had a pleading tone. "We need you on the team, Izzy. We need you on the mission."

"U7B will do fine without me. You have the best unit in the Initiative. The mission will be a success."

"Not without you, it won't."

"Yes, it will. The unit is ready. And you will do fine, so don't worry so much. You're great at what you do, so just concentrate on that and you'll be fine," Izzy assured her.

"What about you?" she asked.

"Don't worry about me, Brit. I'll be fine," he looked at her and smiled weakly. "I'm going to ask Colonel Mahoney to send me home. I don't belong here anymore."

Izzy stepped to his left to walk around her and she didn't try to stop him this time. She stood and stared ahead at the cubicle wall. He hadn't been sure what to do about this situation until now. Leaving the Initiative was the right choice. It was probably the only option he had. He walked out of the cubicle and took a few steps before stopping and turning around to look at her. She still hadn't moved.

"Good luck, Brit." he called back to her, "to you and all of U7B." Then he turned and walked out of the VR center as quickly and quietly as he could.
Chapter 18

Izzy sat in the courtyard enjoying the late afternoon sun. The weather was much warmer now as summer was approaching. He was looking forward to being back in the warm Florida sunshine. More than anything he wanted to be back on the beach with the ocean breeze in his face and the sun baking his skin.

It wasn't a difficult decision to leave the Initiative. He knew it was the right choice. He wasn't even really sure what he was leaving. He had no idea what was going on here anyway. They were supposed to be saving humanity, but all they were doing was training. He admitted to himself that he was curious as to what the mission assignment would be, but that was not enough reason to stay.

He wished he would have never agreed to come here. He could have stayed in his old life and he would still have his best friend, his only friend. In the time he had spent here he managed to make some new friends, but he had lost them as well. He certainly couldn't go on a mission with them. He didn't know if he could trust them and they didn't know if he could be trusted. He could completely understand why they would no longer even like him as a person. They must see him as a monster filled with hate and rage.

At least he didn't feel that same old anger anymore. At least now he knew that not all MODs and GENs were bad. Some of them were really okay. All that happened here had taught him that much. He didn't care about NORMs, or MODs, or GENs anymore. He didn't care about anything anymore. He would just go back to Florida and wait for whatever was supposed to happen that would end the human race. He only knew one thing for sure, when whatever it was happened, he would be on the beach standing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Izzy heard the door to the courtyard open and looked up to see Colonel Mahoney walking towards him.

"Mind if I sit down, son?" he asked.

Izzy nodded and his former school teacher sat on the bench next to him. Izzy thought he looked more like that school teacher right now than the colonel of some super-secret military force that was tasked with saving humanity. Izzy knew that now was the perfect time to break the news.

"I was going to come see you in a little bit, but now I guess I don't have to," Izzy began. "I want to leave and I'm asking you to send me back home."

"Okay. Well, I can certainly understand that. You've had a rough go of it. You understand that I can't send you home until everyone else goes home. I have to put the greater mission first," Colonel Mahoney said calmly.

"I figured. When will that be happening?"

"One week after your unit completes its mission. We have to keep up the appearance that we are running a school here and that would be the start of the summer vacation."

"That's fine. I don't want to cause any problems for the Initiative, but I just don't think I fit in here anymore."

"I see. And why do you think that?"

"I've said some pretty awful things, Mr. Mahoney. And I've done some bad stuff, too. And, you know, I've done a lot of bad things so I know what I'm talking about," Izzy explained.

Colonel Mahoney smiled. "I know you've made mistakes, Izzy. You have probably made more mistakes than most. But, your dad used to say that making mistakes is how we learn. He believed that the more mistakes you made, the smarter you got. He said that the key was to learn from your mistakes."

"How well did you know my dad?"

"Oh, you could say that I knew him very well. He was actually...hang on a second. I had better turn on Captain Nakamura's little device." He pulled the noise isolation device from his pocket and pushed the button. He put the device back in his pocket and continued, "Your dad was actually the one that recruited me into the Initiative. He and I went on many missions together and became very close friends over the years."

"Hang on," Izzy interrupted. "Are you telling me that the Initiative has been around that long?" he asked.

"Absolutely. The Initiative was started during the war. It was much smaller back then, of course, but we got the job done."

"Got what job done?"

"We were the reason that the war came to an end. That was our ultimate mission. We were tasked with saving humanity from self-destructing. And that's what we did."

"What exactly is the Initiative?" Izzy asked.

"Well, back then it was something different. We were an elite international military task force," he paused and smiled. "Here's something no history class could ever teach you. The governments of the world were overrun with power hungry people. Most of them were genetically enhanced, but it was really more of a combination of all the races. Greed is not exclusive to any one race. There was more than enough bad to go around and everyone wanted a piece of the power.

Most people and all governments thought that there was going to be a major shift in money, power, and boundaries. There was a rush to be the first to take control, but first they had to stop the civil wars in their own countries. Then it became a matter of a global war to gain as much control, as much land, and as much power as each government could get. They assumed that it was all up for grabs.

But not all of the leaders in power, or positions of power, were greedy. In many of the governments of the world there were reasonable people that were still in positions of power. Not the kind of position that could stop the war, but high enough ranking that they could do something covertly. This group was made up of all three races and there was no struggle for control or power. There was just a deep desire to see the fighting stop before the whole planet was destroyed. So they got together and came up with a plan. The only plan they really could.

They decided to create a strike force that would systematically eliminate the people that had started the wars and all who opposed world peace. To ensure that everyone had an equal hand in it, they created an international military group. Many of the initial leaders were members of the military. So each of these hidden leaders sent a few soldiers that they knew could be trusted and we assembled in a secret facility in Germany. We were divided into teams and began our missions of eliminating certain people from power."

"Is that where you met my father?" Izzy asked.

"No. I had known your father before that. Your father and I were both soldiers in militias when the civil wars began. He was in Florida and I was up in Chicago. We were just kids trying to protect our families and our homes. I think that every city and town with enough people and enough weapons had formed a militia to prevent outsiders from attacking. The military finally got the civil wars under control, but now there was a greater threat.

The country was under attack from every side. We were being invaded and people were dying all over the country. So, like a lot of people did, we both joined the military. We were just kids and we didn't know any better, but we knew how to fight and we knew we had to do something. We didn't know that most of the countries of the world were being controlled by power hungry leaders. All global communications had been shut down, so all we knew was what the government told us. We had our suspicions, of course, but many of us felt like we didn't have a choice. We couldn't sit on the sidelines while our country was being attacked and innocent people were dying.

By some crazy stroke of luck we just happened to join on the same day. We had a lot in common and became fast friends. We fought many battles together in those days, Izzy. The fighting seemed to be nonstop. Every border and every inch of coastline had to be protected. We fought day and night, it was awful.

Your father was a natural fighter and we never lost a battle. And he was a born leader. He rose quickly through the ranks and he brought me with him. He said I was his most trusted friend and the best soldier he had ever had the honor of fighting alongside. I don't know if any of that was true or not, but I would have followed that man off a cliff. He had a way about him, Izzy. I know you would have really liked him. He was a fun loving guy, but on and off the battlefield he had a way of bringing out the best in everyone.

I don't know who approached him, but someone told him what was going on in the world and asked him to join this group. He told that person that he would need twenty four hours to think about it. Then he came and told me about the offer. We decided that it might be the best thing for the world. But we knew for sure that it would be the most dangerous thing any person could do. We agreed that we would join the group together and watch out for each other."

"So, what happened next?" Izzy asked.

"Well, we joined the Initiative and met our new team. It was a truly international team and we had every race represented. It was men and women, normal, modified, and enhanced, and they came from all different countries. There was never a question of loyalty and after just a few battles we were a solid team with a lot of trust. Your father was our team leader and I'm sure that helped. It took a lot of time and cost a lot of lives, but we managed to end the war."

"How did my father die?" Izzy asked carefully.

Colonel Mahoney lowered his head and took several long breaths. "I shouldn't be telling you this stuff, Izzy."

"Please. No one has ever told me anything about my father. I have to know," Izzy begged.

Colonel Mahoney took a long pause and then finally looked up. "There were several teams doing the same thing we were all over the world. Leadership decided that we needed to make one final coordinated attack and eliminate the remaining leaders at the same time. The United States, Russia, China, and the United Kingdom had to be handled simultaneously. We were assigned London and it was going to be a bad one. They were all bad assignments.

We had a solid plan, but in war nothing ever goes according to plan. There are just too many variables. It was a bad situation and it just kept getting worse. The plan had completely fallen apart and we had taken a lot of losses, but we had to complete the mission. In the end, your father sacrificed himself for the rest of us and for the mission. We were a twelve person team at the start of the mission, but Frye, Nakamura, and I were the only ones to walk out of that building when it was over.

We completed the mission and, thankfully, so did every other team. There were a lot of casualties in the Initiative that day, Izzy. It wasn't just your father, lots of kids lost parents that day. We did our jobs and we stopped the war, but it came at a great cost."

Colonel Mahoney hung his head as if the weight of the memory was just too much for him. He stayed there looking at the ground for several minutes. Izzy remained quiet and just watched and waited. Colonel Mahoney cleared his throat, lifted his head, and looked at Izzy.

"You should know that the leadership wants me..."

"What? The leadership? I thought you were..." Izzy interrupted.

"You thought I was what? In charge? No, kid, I'm just a soldier. This whole thing is much bigger than you could imagine. Just like you, I have missions and orders. And my orders now are to make sure that you're a part of the next mission. I'm not going to make you do anything, Izzy. I've seen too much bad to order you to risk your life. This mission is going to be tough and no one should go into a situation like that unless they are ready and willing. You sit this out and go home if that's what you want to do. I'll take the heat for you, kid. I promised your dad I would look after you and I'm not about to stop now."

Colonel Mahoney stood up and looked down at Izzy. He reached into his pocket and turned off the isolation device. "If you'll excuse me I have to attend to some things." He turned and walked towards the doors.

"Thank you, Colonel," Izzy called after him.

"You're welcome, Reynolds. You're a good kid, don't worry about the rest," he answered as a smile spread across his face.

Izzy sat in the courtyard until late at night. He didn't feel like doing anything else. He was lying on a bench and looking up at the clear summer sky. Izzy thought about all he had learned tonight. He had plenty of time to kill before he could go back to his bunk anyway.
Chapter 19

Izzy woke up early as he did every day now, but this time he did not go to the physical training center. There was no point in training anymore. Soon he would be going home. He knew that today would be the mission briefing for U7B, but he didn't care. Izzy thought about it and admitted that he did care a little. He wanted the unit to be successful and he did hope that the mission went well for them. He sat in the sunlight and thought a lot about what Colonel Mahoney had told him last night. He was thankful that he finally knew more about what was going on here and about what had happened to his father.

Izzy decided it was time to have breakfast and walked down to the cafeteria. He wasn't going to wait until the last minute to have breakfast today. He had officially left the Initiative now, so all of that stress was gone. He didn't care if he sat with the unit today. He was still angry at his friend for lying to him and for not telling him what was really going on here. He was still angry at himself for losing control and then saying what he did.

He didn't feel as angry as he used to and he didn't have the energy to hate anymore. He was tired from a lifetime of it and he didn't want to hold on to it anymore. He didn't hate people like he did before. He was tired of hate. He was tired of anger. He was tired of feeling awful inside. And he was tired of carrying it around with him all the time. He had a difficult time admitting it, but he knew now that it was just him blaming someone else for what happened. And he was not alone in his loss.

Colonel Mahoney had made it clear that there were good and bad people from all of the races. GENs and MODs had been a large part of the Initiative and they had helped end the war. It was true that other GENs and MODs had started the wars, but they were not acting alone and they were eventually stopped. And they were stopped by an international group of soldiers that came from all races. In the end, good had defeated evil and it took good from all three races to accomplish that task.

Izzy sat and had breakfast with his unit. He still chose to sit at the end of the table, but he looked around the table and watched them as they ate. He could see the stress on their faces and he could see the fear in their eyes. It was going to be a difficult day for them, but they would be fine. They were well trained and they were more ready for this mission than they realized.

"Mission briefing is in one hour," Captain Frye informed them. "Finish your breakfast and we will assemble in the hallway in forty-five minutes." She stood and left them to eat.

Izzy got up and took his tray back to the window. He turned and looked back at the U7B table and he could see that several of them looked worse now. Monica still looked ready to fight a war. Brittney looked like she might get sick. The others looked very worried. He started walking out of the cafeteria, but he felt like he should do something or at least say something. Izzy turned around and walked back over to the table. He stood and watched them for several seconds.

"You guys are going to be fine. You are prepared, you are well trained, and you can do this. I have watched each of you make great improvements since we got here. I know that this unit will come back with a success," Izzy tried to give them a smile, but it was weak.

"It would be good to have you along. We could use you," Jinx said without looking up.

Izzy shook his head, "You don't need me. This unit has all of the skills, modifications, and enhancements needed to complete any mission," and he walked out of the cafeteria.

He wished he wouldn't have said that. It felt right at the moment, but he shouldn't have thrown a shot at Jinx like that. It was unnecessary and it didn't make him feel any better. They were heading into a bad situation and they didn't need him making anything worse. He was halfway down the hall to the dorm and he stopped. He knew they were headed into a bad situation. He decided he better go out to the courtyard and stay out of their way.

Izzy chose a bench that was in full sun and sat down to think things through. It was good, but still not as good as the Florida sun on the beach. He was still processing the information that Colonel Mahoney had given him last night and now he was thinking about his former unit as well. It was difficult to imagine what they had been through during the war. It was even harder to imagine what that final fight had been like for their team. And now his former unit was heading into a difficult and dangerous mission.

He would have to learn to accept the sacrifice his father made. That would take time. His father had chosen to put a mission before him and his mother. He had chosen to sacrifice his own life in order to save the lives of his team. He sacrificed himself so that the mission could be completed. He couldn't imagine how difficult that must have been. He knew that he would have to find a way to forgive his father for what he did. He fully understood why his father did it, but he was still mad at him for making the choice he did.

He understood it because now he was a part of a team that he worried about. He was part of a team in the same Initiative that his father had been a member of. His team was an international team of all races that was tasked with saving humanity, just like his father. Well, he was a part of a team. Now, he sat alone on a bench and had given up on the Initiative and had chosen to leave his team.

Maybe he wasn't part of the team anymore. Maybe he had made some serious mistakes. Maybe he should have apologized to the team. Maybe Jinx should have told him the truth. Maybe he was worried about them because he knew in his bones that they were headed into a really bad situation. Maybe they did need him.

Captain Frye stuck her head through the doors of the courtyard and called to Izzy, "Mission briefing begins in five."

Maybe the Florida sun would have to wait.
Chapter 20

No one said a word as Izzy followed Captain Frye into the mission room. They all looked up and acknowledged him, but they did not say a word. Captain Frye motioned him to an empty chair at the front of the room. Colonel Mahoney stopped him on the way to the chair. He smiled and stuck out his hand. Izzy gladly shook his hand and smiled back.

"Does this mean you're back?" Colonel Mahoney asked quietly.

"I don't know, but I'm here for this," Izzy replied softly.

"Fair enough," Colonel Mahoney gave Izzy a pat on the back and smiled again. "Let's get started shall we?" he said to the group.

"Your mission," Captain Frye began, "has two components. We are the best trained and most prepared unit in this facility, so it falls to us to handle both parts. There are a few minor complications that the Colonel will go over with you."

"We have had excellent results with our missions to this point," Colonel Mahoney said. "All of our missions have been leading up to this point. Unit 5A suffered a setback during their mission and they were unable to complete the assignment given to them. That will create a minor complication in the execution of your mission, but we'll get to that later.

Your unit will infiltrate a secure government facility and retrieve one piece of technology and one data file. The tech is small enough to fit into a backpack and the file will be copied onto a flash drive. The objectives are simple. The execution, however, will be slightly more complicated.

It is imperative to operational security, as well as your safety, that you make it into and out of the building completely undetected. If they become aware of an intrusion, the facility will execute a full inventory and data sweep. It is unlikely that anyone will miss the tech itself as it is stored in a long term storage area of the facility. The intrusion into the computer, however, will be easily detectable and that could be a serious problem.

To that end, Captain Nakamura has written a program onto this drive that will execute as soon as it is plugged into the port. It will automatically copy the file and do a little cleaning up after it is done. It will not make the copy untraceable, but it will greatly reduce the chance that it will be noticed," Colonel Mahoney paused.

"Any questions to this point?" he asked. He looked around the room and then continued. "All of the prior missions have been dedicated to gathering intelligence and materials for this operation. Unit 1A acquired the blueprints for this mission. Several of the units have secured the passwords and entry codes needed to complete this mission. Unit 5A was unable to secure the code for the final door. This door will be your best possible exit during the mission. Mr. Hansen, you will work with Captain Nakamura on the solution for this problem.

Unit 7A has just returned from their mission with the latest reconnaissance from the facility. We believe, based on this new information, that next Saturday night will be the ideal time to enter the facility. Security is at a minimum and there is not likely to be anyone working in the facility. You have until then to prepare for the successful execution of your mission. Captain Frye, I leave this matter in your capable hands," Colonel Mahoney finished and then exited the room.

Captain Frye took over and began explaining the plan in great detail. They would leave the Initiative facility at 7 p.m. and would be onsite by 8:30 p.m. They would be travelling in an operational command center that would be disguised to look like a delivery van. Once at the facility she would run the operation from the command center.

The building they needed to infiltrate was inside of a highly secure government complex. There were armed guards patrolling every entrance and exit to the compound as well as the buildings. Captain Frye made it clear that these guards had orders to shoot on site. She stressed that these guards were simply doing their jobs and the Initiative only needed the tech, so no guard or facility worker should be harmed. Their plan was to enter at the south gate using stolen credentials.

After the delivery van was inside of the facility they would gain entry to a less secure wing of the building. Access to the secure side of the building would be gained through a shared ventilation system. The ventilation system would lead them to the long term storage area. This area was deemed less important and would have minimal, if any, security. They would secure the tech first and then use the access codes to make their way to the main computer lab.

The lab was located at the center of the building and, according to the blueprints, had one entry at the front of the room and one door on each side of the rear of the room. Once inside of the room Jinx would insert the flash drive and copy the files. Then they would exit the right rear door and that hallway would lead them to the exterior exit door that was closest to where the delivery van would be parked.

The only complication to the plan was that they had no access code for that final door. The Unit 5A mission had not gone well, so they would need to find an alternate solution. Izzy thought that the plan was pretty straightforward and should go very well. But he knew things were going to go very wrong. He didn't know how, but he could feel it in his bones.

Captain Frye gave orders regarding the preparation for the mission. Each team member had several assignments to take care of over the next twelve days. Monica and Izzy were ordered to prepare the weapons for the mission, Brittney would work with Captain Torres to prepare the field medical equipment, Kira and Kirkland would prepare the command center van and disguise it, and Jinx was instructed to work with Captain Nakamura on the access panel for the last door.

Captain Frye concluded the meeting. "This is going to be the most important mission to the overall objectives of the Initiative. This entire year has been devoted to this one mission. Everything that every single person in this building has done for the last year has been to serve this mission. You will come back with the foundation to all future plans. I cannot express to you how important this mission is to our success. We cannot fail and we will not fail."

Mission preparation went smoothly for each team. There was a lot of work that needed to be done and the team went about their work in a very professional manner. They continued their physical training to stay sharp and to ease the stress and all standard class work was continued. They handled mission prep during their off time. Captain Frye continued to check in with each team daily throughout the process.

It took several days, but Izzy and Monica had inventoried every weapon that was on Captain Frye's checklist. They worked together well, but only spoke to each other when absolutely necessary. They had collected each weapon and inspected it thoroughly and then cleaned it. Then they test fired it, and then cleaned it again. Each weapon was treated to the same process and then packed into containers and bags for loading on the van. They had packed enough ammunition to take on any army, but it was only tranquilizer darts. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to take on an army with that.

Kira and Kirkland had made good progress on the van. Kira worked with Captain Janis to make sure the vehicle was in good condition for the drive ahead. Kirkland worked on applying the disguise to the van and then he helped Captain Frye set up the equipment inside of the van. The van would be ready on time.

Jinx worked as much as possible with Captain Nakamura at preparing a solution for the last door. They built an access panel identical to the one that they would encounter on the mission. Then they developed a piece of tech that would allow them to override the security system in the door. Jinx was drilled repeatedly on taking the cover off of the access panel and wiring in this new device. He could complete the entire process in less than one minute.

Brittney worked closely with Captain Torres on getting the medical equipment ready. Once everything that a field medic would need was packed they worked on treating a number of different injuries. Brittney was ready to treat cuts of every size and shape, gunshot wounds, broken bones, head injuries, and everything else that Captain Torres could drill her on.

As a group they studied the blueprints and rehearsed the plan over and over again. Captain Frye was satisfied that Unit 7B was fully prepared for the mission. There was nothing left to do now, but wait for the mission to begin. To keep them from having too much anxiety she kept them active with intense physical training. Izzy thought that was a good idea. The team seemed much more at ease after they had worked off some of that nervous energy.

He didn't feel like he had any friends here anymore. The person he was closest to had been lying to him and keeping secrets. He was a MOD and that made him somehow different than the person Izzy grew up with. And the person he wanted to be close with would not even look him in the eye. Kira made him feel the most conflicted. He didn't know how to have a relationship with her before. Now he knew she was a MOD and that made him more confused about how she made him feel.

He watched the team closely, but still had not spoken to any of them more than he had to. He wasn't sure that they could accept him back into the unit after what he had done or what he had said. He still wasn't sure he even wanted to be part of the unit beyond this mission. He had a feeling they would need him at some point during this mission, so he knew he had to be there to help them. But he didn't feel like part of the unit anymore.

Mission day had finally arrived and the day went slowly for Unit 7B. Dinner was a long, slow meal that night. Izzy watched as the whole unit barely ate anything. They picked at their food, but ate very little. Anyone could see how nervous they were, but Izzy didn't know how to help. He figured the best thing for them was to get into action as soon as possible.

Captain Frye took them back to the mission room to go over the plan one more time. The strategy was sound, the plan was well thought out, and the team was prepared. Izzy felt overly prepared at this point and just wanted to get going. The clock seemed to tick slower than he thought possible.

Finally, it was time to go. They headed downstairs and down the hallway. Captain Frye stopped in front of the red double doors and used the biometric scanner to gain access. She ushered them through the doors and into a square entryway. There were double doors on the right that were painted blue and the sign indicated it lead to the medical center. The doors directly in front of them were painted red and were otherwise unmarked, but Izzy noticed another set of biometric scanners. The door on their left was painted grey and was labeled as the transportation center.

They walked through the grey doors and into a long, dimly lit hallway. The hallway turned to the right and this hallway was longer than the first. They exited the hallway and entered a large underground parking area. In this area Izzy could see the school buses that brought them from their homes, several tractor trailers like the one they woke up in, and a large number of military and civilian vehicles. Closest to the single overhead door was the delivery van.

Kira and Kirkland had already loaded the van with all of the gear. Lieutenant Smith was already in the driver's seat when they climbed into the van. They took their seats on the floor of the delivery vehicle and began final mission preparations. After a final check of all systems they departed the underground parking structure and began the journey to their final destination.
Chapter 21

They were nearly at the complex so Monica and Izzy passed out the weapons and ammunition. Each member of the team had to carry two weapons and enough ammunition to reload each weapon four times. Brittney did a final inventory of her medical gear. She would only be able to bring a small backpack with her into the complex, but she had a large amount of equipment here in the van in case it was needed. They put on the delivery company uniforms that Unit 4A acquired during their mission. As the van turned onto the access road to the complex they were doing a final communications system check. All earpieces were functioning correctly and all members of the team were ready.

The van approached the guards at the gate and came to a stop. The guards seemed more interested in the conversation they were having than they did in the delivery van in front of them. Lieutenant Smith handed over the credentials that Unit 1B had secured. One guard called in for confirmation of the delivery while the other guard maintained visual contact with Lieutenant Smith. They were quickly waved through the gates and the guards returned to their conversation.

They parked near the delivery doors of the less secure side of the target building. Captain Frye hopped out of the passenger seat and walked to the back of the truck. She helped them unload the shipping boxes onto carts. Once the team had loaded the carts she climbed into the back of the van and closed the door. The team approached the building looking as serious as they could.

Kira reached the door first and used the key card that Unit 3B had acquired and waited for the light to turn green. Then she held the door open as the team brought their shipment through the door. She scanned the parking lot for any suspicious activity but didn't notice anything unusual. The lot looked exactly like it did in the surveillance photos that Unit 7A had provided.

The inside of the building was painted white and was brightly lit. They had to shield their eyes and squint after being in the back of the dark van for so long. Two armed guards approached them when they were adjusting to the light.

"You guys alright?" the first guard asked.

"Yeah," Jinx replied, "it's just really bright in here."

"You get used to it after a few minutes," the second guard offered.

"Thanks, I'm sure we'll be fine," Jinx said as the guards got closer.

"You guys look pretty young to be doing deliveries," the first guard said.

"My mother is a manager with the company and she got us our jobs," Kira was quickest to respond. "She's out in the van right now. I can go get her if you want."

"What did you say?" the second guard asked suspiciously.

Izzy slipped his hand into the right side pocket of the delivery uniform. Kira's Canadian accent came through when she said the word 'out'. He stared at her as intensely as he could and hoped she knew what had happened. Foreign accents would not be welcome in a U.S. government facility. The inside of his pocket had been removed and he put his hand on his tranquilizer gun. He moved as little as possible and readied the weapon for action.

"I said my mom is in the van. I can go get her if you want," Kira said calmly.

"Ha! No, that's alright kid," the guard answered as they passed.

"Hey..." the second guard had stopped.

Izzy's hand tightened on the grip of the weapon. He was slowly removing the gun from its holster.

"...how come there are so many of you tonight?" the second guard asked.

"We, uh, are training the new hires," Monica answered.

"I see. Do you guys know what you're delivering or where you're going?" the second guard asked.

"Office supplies," Izzy responded quickly. He knew they had the exact order because Unit 2B had intercepted the order and Unit 5B had acquired the items to fill the order from a distant warehouse. "We think we know where we're going."

"Well, it's easy enough to get lost in here," the first guard said. "You're going to the office supply room. At the end of this hall take a left, and then you're gonna take the second right, and it will be the fourth door on your left."

"Okay. Thanks," Kira said.

"No problem, kid," he said and they continued on their rounds.

Izzy relaxed the hand that held the gun and took a deep breath. Brittney closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

"Relax, Brit, everything is going to be fine," Jinx assured her.

Izzy shot him a sideways glare for the jinx, but Jinx didn't notice.

"Let's get moving," Monica said.

They followed the directions that the guard had just given them. His directions and the blueprints were accurate. They entered the room and closed the door behind them. They scanned the ceiling and quickly located the duct that would take them to the secure side of the facility.

"In the supply room. Vent located," Jinx said.

"All clear. Proceed," Captain Frye answered in their ears.

They moved the carts directly under the air duct and worked quickly. They removed the delivery company uniforms and stashed them in a box on the second cart. They arranged the boxes on the first cart to form a makeshift set of stairs. Kira climbed to the top and began removing the screws from the vent cover. She removed the vent cover, letting it hang from its hinges and then she climbed up into the duct.

"Cover removed. Entering duct now," Kira said.

"Good work. Proceed," Captain Frye replied.

Each member of the unit climbed the stairs and made their way into the duct. Izzy was the last one up and he grabbed ahold of the edge of the vent and used his feet to push the cart away from the vent. He swung back and forth a few times and then pulled himself up. Once he was in the duct he reached down and pulled the vent back into place and then secured it with a piece of wire from his pocket.

"All in. Vent secured," Izzy said.

"Copy that. Proceed," Captain Frye said.

Kira led the way through the ductwork. She paused at every ceiling vent to makes sure that each room was unoccupied. According to the plan it would take eight minutes to make it to the secure side of the facility and the long term storage room. The crawlspace was tight, but manageable and everything was going according to plan. Izzy paused and checked at each vent to make sure that they were still unnoticed.

They reached the ceiling vent in the long term storage room. Kira passed over the vent and scanned the room below from one side as Monica did the same from the other side. They watched silently for several minutes. When they were sure the room was unoccupied Kira began removing the screws from the vent cover. She carefully lowered the cover on it hinges. She removed a rope from her backpack and hung upside down out of the vent to anchor it.

"Entering storage now," Kira said.

"It gets serious now, U7B. Stay sharp," Captain Frye said to her unit.

Monica was the first one down the rope. As soon as her feet hit the floor she drew her weapon and began sweeping the area. The rest of the team climbed down the rope one at a time as Monica stood watch. Kira was the last to exit the duct and closed the vent behind her. When she got to the floor she pulled the rope off of its anchor.

According to the intelligence from Unit 6A the item they were looking for would be in location 52457. That was supposed to be row 52, shelf 4, and space 57. They walked along the center aisle reading tags and quickly located row 52. They located the box in space 57 and Kirkland brought it down with a cloud of dust.

"Okay, that's been there a long time," Brittney said while coughing.

"We are deep into this storage room. I'd bet no one has been back here in years," Jinx said.

Kirkland removed the lid from the box and there was a piece of tech inside.

"Kira, how's it look?" Monica asked.

Kira picked up the device and inspected it carefully and then handed it to Kirkland.

"It matches the sketches that Unit 2A provided. I think we're good," she replied.

"Number one objective complete," Kirkland said with his thick accent.

"Good work, U7B. Proceed to second objective," Captain Frye ordered.

Kirkland took the device and placed it in his backpack and then slung the backpack over his shoulder. Jinx put the empty box back on the shelf while Izzy and Monica stood watch at either end of the aisle. They followed standard formation and made their way to the door while keeping careful watch. They reached the exit and Izzy used the access code that Unit 4B had provided them.

"Exiting storage now," Izzy reported.

"Proceed with extreme caution," Captain Frye warned them. She watched the dots on the monitor in the van. The locators they wore were her only way to know what was going on in the facility. She would have rather been in there herself instead of putting these kids in danger. She knew it was vital they have these skills and complete this mission, so she just kept watching the monitor.

They made their way down the hallway. According to the blueprints they needed to make one right, one left, and then another right and they could follow the last hallway all the way to the computer room near the center of the facility. They passed no guards on the way to the computer room. Izzy thought that it almost seemed too easy.

The code Unit 3A provided worked perfectly and they entered the computer room. The main door was thick steel and the top portion was glass that was reinforced with a wire mesh. The room was thirty feet wide and twenty feet deep. The back wall was covered in storage cabinets and the exit doors were on each side of the cabinet wall. The center of the room was occupied by six desks with three on each side of the main entry door. The upper portions of the walls were made of a thick glass, but the lower portions were steel panel.

"Why is that door so heavy?" Monica asked when they got inside.

"The same reason the glass is so thick," Jinx answered. "To keep the room secure, but also to maintain the room's temperature. It's best to keep computer equipment cool. There should also be dehumidifiers and an excellent filtration system..."

"Cut the chatter," Captain Frye ordered.

"Sorry," Jinx replied.

Izzy didn't like this room at all. Strategically it would be a very difficult position to defend. They had little cover and glass walls on three sides. The sooner they got out of this room the happier he would be.

"I've got the front door," Monica said.

"I've got the right rear," Izzy said.

"I've got the left rear," Kira said.

Brittney and Kirkland took positions on opposite ends of the room so they could see down each side of the hallway.

"Well, I guess I better get to work," Jinx said.

"Make it quick, Hansen," Captain Frye ordered.

Jinx began checking computer terminals at each desk. None of them would get him the access he needed. He moved over to the cabinets and started opening each of the doors. The center cabinet housed a monitor and large computer tower. This was the one he needed to use to access the files.

"Two coming," Monica whispered.

Every member of the team got as low as possible. With no lights on in the room they were safely hidden in the shadows. They waited quietly for the guards to pass.

"Clear," Monica whispered.

"It would be positively delightful if you would hurry up," Brittney said to Jinx.

"On it," Jinx replied.

Jinx moved back to the cabinet and turned on the monitor. The glow of light from the screen would give them away if he wasn't quick. He inserted the flash drive into the tower and watched the screen as the program executed.

"Four," Kirkland said.

Again they all ducked as low as possible. Jinx closed the cabinet doors and got low on the ground. From his spot on the floor he could see the glow of the monitor through the crack in the cabinet doors. He cursed himself for not turning off the monitor before closing the cabinet doors. They waited in silence for what seemed like an eternity. The guards passed the front door, turned, and continued down the main hallway.

"Clear," Monica said when they were no longer visible.

Jinx opened the cabinet doors and checked the monitor.

"How much longer, Jinx?" Brittney asked in a panicked voice.

"We're at 80%," Jinx reported.

"We gotta move," Monica said.

"Stay calm," Captain Frye cut in. "Protocol for intruders would be to block all communications and we are..."

Her voice disappeared from their ear pieces. It was instant radio silence.

"I think someone knows we're here," Izzy said.

"Is not good," Kirkland said.

"No, I don't believe so," Brittney said, looking very concerned.

"Is that thing done yet?" Monica asked.

"Just about," Jinx said. "But what do we do now if our cover is blown?"

"Stay calm," Izzy replied. "They don't know where we're at, so we have the advantage. Get the file and we'll get out of here. Stick to the plan."

"More guards," Monica reported.

"Almost done..." Jinx called back over his shoulder "there. Got it! Let's get out of here."

Jinx shut off the monitor and closed the cabinet doors just as the guards approached the door. The first guard looked in through the window in the front door and the others looked through the glass. They swept the room with flashlights. The members of U7B waited several seconds after the lights disappeared before crawling out from under the desks.

They lined up behind Izzy at the right rear exit. One more door after this one and they would be back outside. He could hear the anxious breathing behind him as he punched the access code that Unit 6B had delivered into the panel. Nothing happened. He entered the code again and the panel began to make a rapid beeping noise. Red lights began flashing in the hallways around them and alarms sounded throughout the building.

"Someone definitely knows we're here," Izzy said. "The access code isn't working and I'm pretty sure we just told them exactly where to find us."

"So what do we do now?" Brittney asked.

"Jinx, can you use your device to open this door?" Kira asked.

"Yeah, it should work," Jinx replied "Ok, everybody move out of the way."

The unit took to lookout positions again as Jinx worked on the door. Monica and Kira were watching the front, Kirkland and Brittney were watching each side hallway, and Izzy watched the other rear exit. Jinx popped off the cover to the panel and began wiring in the device.

"Ready in fifteen seconds," Jinx called out.

"Get ready to move," Monica ordered everyone.

"Ten seconds," Jinx called.

They were ready to make a break for the door. The glass around them suddenly erupted. They had become surrounded and the guards had opened fire on the entire computer room. Every member of the unit hit the ground as bullets and glass were flying through the air. The cabinets at the back of the room were being splintered by the bullets that were impacting them.

"Cease fire!" a guard yelled.

The room suddenly seemed very quiet now that the gunfire had stopped. They could hear as a set of boots shuffled through the broken glass on the other side of the half wall. The sound was getting closer. Izzy popped up and fired a tranquilizer dart into the guard's right shoulder. Izzy dropped back down to his crouched position and the guard fell backwards. The gunfire began again instantly.

As more bullets were peppering the walls around them each member had secured a safe place to hide. Kirkland had shoved a desk over near the wall on his side of the room and was using that as additional shielding. Kira and Monica had their backs to the front door. The metal door was far too thick to be penetrated by a bullet. Izzy was pinned down in the corner by the left rear door. He popped up every chance he got and fired off a few more darts. Jinx slid over to the spot where Brittney was hiding behind a desk. He put the flash drive in her hands.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I don't know how he feels about the rest of us," Jinx said and motioned to Izzy who was still firing every chance he got. "But I know he'll make it out of here and I'm certain that he won't let anything happen to you."

"Why would you say that?" Brittney asked.

"Because, you're a NORM," he told her.

"I'm going for the door," Jinx called to the group over the gunfire.

Jinx crawled back over to the door and checked the device. The green light was lit, so the device had unlocked the door. He was still on his knees and opened the door slowly. He stuck his head out the door for a quick look. The hallway was clear. He kept one hand on the door and called back to Brittney. She turned and saw the door open and signaled. She turned back to signal to the rest of the unit that the door was open. Kira acknowledged while reloading, but the others didn't notice as they were returning fire.

The gunfire had stopped again. Brittney turned back towards the exit and crawled over as quickly as she could. Jinx had already exited the room and she knew he would be heading to the final door to unlock it. She slowly snuck her head out of the door and saw Jinx being dragged around the corner at the end of the long hallway. She stuck her head out further to get a better look and bullets ricocheted all around her. She quickly ducked back inside the door and closed it behind her. When it clicked she realized that it had relocked and now they were trapped.

She crawled on her stomach towards the desks in the middle of the room. She had to let the others know what was happening. She carefully moved forward through the broken glass and splinters of wood. She didn't want to make any sounds that might give away her location. She looked up and saw a guard staring directly at her. He aimed his weapon directly at her and then stopped moving. She saw two darts in the guard's neck before he fell to the ground. She looked back and saw Kira and Izzy pointing their weapons where the guard had been a second ago. The room erupted in gunfire once again.

"They got Jinx," she yelled.

"What?" Izzy asked. He dove onto the floor and crawled his way closer to Brittney. "What did you say?"

"They got Jinx," she yelled to the team. "They were dragging him down the hall. I don't know if he's alive. He was being dragged around the corner. And I just closed the door and I think I trapped us in here."
Chapter 22

Izzy quickly scanned the room to assess the situation. The bullets had blown out the window in the left rear door, but not the right rear door. They were surrounded on three sides and their only exit was locked. He quickly recalled the exact layout of the building from the blueprints. Thankfully, they had gone over the plan so many times. The gunfire had stopped much quicker this time. He searched the room again and he saw Monica holding a finger to her lips to signal them all to be quiet. Nobody moved a muscle as they waited for her.

Monica closed her eyes and listened carefully. She opened her eyes and quickly pointed behind her and then in the direction of both side walls. They all nodded in acknowledgement. Monica and Kira positioned themselves on opposite sides of the door. Kirkland squatted down next to the wall with his weapon aimed at the area where there used to be a window. In the center of the room Izzy motioned to Brittney to get under the nearest desk. He rolled over onto his back and aimed his weapon at the opposite wall between his knees. All three guards approached at the same time and they were quickly neutralized. When the last one hit the ground gunfire erupted again.

Izzy sprang into action. He flipped over and crawled to the left rear door. He was squatting down waiting for a pause in the gunfire. When it finally came he jumped up and stuck his head out through the window opening. He didn't see any guards in the fraction of a second that he had to look. That would have to be good enough.

He crawled back over to the middle of the room as bullets flew through the air above him in every direction. He motioned for everyone to lean in closer so they could hear. "I'm going out through that hole in the door," Izzy explained. "I'm going to have to get a running start so you guys will have to buy me some time."

"What are you going to do?" Kira asked.

"I'm going to get Jinx back," Izzy replied quickly.

"What's your plan for that?" Brittney asked in a panicked voice.

"Brit, I'm not gonna lie, it'll probably involve some violence," he said with a smile.

"Izzy, he gave me the flash drive," Brittney said and held it up for him to see.

"I don't care about that flash drive right now, Brit. I'll get Jinx back and then we are getting out of this place," Izzy said, and then turned to look at Kira.

"Sparky, you good?" She simply nodded back at him.

"Brit, you're gonna have to fire that thing," he motioned to her weapon. She nodded back at him.

"Tank, you ready?" he asked Kirkland. Kirkland nodded with a very serious expression on his face.

"Star, you hold this position until I get back," Izzy barked at Monica. She stared back at him. "Do you hear me? Hold this position!" he barked again. She nodded back to him.

"Everyone ready?" he asked. They all nodded and each took a position at an opposite wall. "Let's do this! In 3...2...1!"

At the same time they each stuck their weapon up over the half wall and began firing wildly. Izzy jumped up and started to run for the door. Kirkland saw a small red dot on the back of Izzy's head and using his quick reflexes he jumped up and tackled Izzy to the ground. They landed with a thud and Kirkland let out a groan. The team stopped firing and turned to look.

Izzy could feel something warm and wet on the back of his head, but Kirkland was on top of him and he couldn't lift himself up. Kirkland rolled onto his side and Izzy rolled over to check on him. Kirkland's right shoulder was bleeding badly.

"Are you okay?" Izzy asked. Kirkland winced and nodded.

"Brit, we need you," Izzy called out.

Brittney scrambled across the floor and immediately began inspecting the wound. She pulled on the hole in his shirt to open it up. She quickly assessed the wound and began treating it.

"A relatively minor bullet wound," she said mostly to herself.

"I didn't know there was such a thing," Izzy said dryly.

"I'll need you to assist me with this," Brittney instructed. "Apply pressure here while I prepare a dressing."

"He's going to be fine, Izzy," she assured him. "It's a direct hit, but didn't hit anything vital. It's just bleeding badly is all."

"Thank you," Izzy said to Kirkland while applying pressure to the wound.

"Unit. Family," Kirkland said and grimaced with the increased pressure.

Izzy nodded that he understood. Brittney quickly prepared the dressing and had the wound treated. Her medical training had her well prepared. Izzy realized that his medical training also had him well prepared. With the wound dressed they moved him closer to the middle of the room by the others.

"Now what?" Monica asked.

"Now, I try again," Izzy responded sharply.

"You must be joking! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Kira exclaimed.

"Not at all. It's our best way out of here," Izzy said as the gunfire stopped. "Unless you want to politely ask them to let us leave."

"Tank, you okay?" Izzy asked.

"I be fine," Kirkland replied. He reached for his weapon with his left hand and raised it up as far as he could. "Now go," he said and he began to fire.

The remaining members of U7B fired in all directions again. Izzy knew he had to be faster this time. He bounced to his feet and charged towards the door and dove through the opening. He landed in a heap on the other side of the door, rolled into a firing position and aimed his weapon. He could see no one in the hallway.

Izzy jumped to his feet and staying as low as he could ran down the back hallway. He stopped at the corner and pressed his back to the wall. He allowed himself a quick peak around the corner. It looked clear, but he couldn't be certain. They had to be moving guards into this position by now. He took another quick look around the corner. Still clear.

He darted around the corner and charged down the hallway. He knew from the blueprints that if he went to the end of this hall and turned left about halfway down on the right was a room of some kind. That room had an exit that led into a different hallway. He could then use that hallway to intersect with the hallway that led to the right rear door. And Jinx.

He got to the end of the hallway and again pressed his back to the wall. He peaked around the corner and noticed two guards running in his direction. Izzy assumed that the guards back by the computer room had seen him escape and these two were sent to investigate. There would be more on the way. Izzy took another quick look around the corner. He shot out from around the corner and fired twice as fast as he could. The first guard dropped, but the second kept running and was lifting his weapon to fire. Izzy aimed and fired two more shots at the second guard. The guard fell to the ground in stride with his gun aimed at Izzy.

Izzy sprinted down the hallway to the room. He stopped at the door and peaked through the window. It appeared to be some sort of lunch room. He quickly entered the room without checking for any guards. No one in the building would be on break right now. He was sure of that. He walked across the lunch room and stopped at the other door. He watched for several seconds and didn't see anyone else in the hallway.

Izzy figured every available guard must be gathering at the computer room right now. He didn't have much time to save his friends. He pulled the door open and checked up and down the hall. He sprinted down the hall as fast as he could. He quickly reached the next corner and once again pressed his back to the wall. Again, he took a quick look around the corner and it looked clear. It was possible all of the guards were already there. He had to be quick.

He sprinted down the last hallway and stopped as quickly and quietly as he could at the end of the hall. Around this next corner should be the group of guards who had taken Jinx. These guards were also blocking the path of their only exit. He checked his ammunition and took a very slow and careful look around the corner.

He counted six guards in total. There were three on each side of the hallway that led to the rear exit of the computer room. The three closest to him all had their backs turned to him and were aiming their weapons down the hall to the computer room. Two of the guards on the opposite side of the hall were also aiming down the hall. The third guard was pointing his rifle at Jinx who was sitting on the floor with his back to the wall. He knew he could get two of the guards as soon as he stepped around the corner, but he would have to do something about the other four.

He checked around the corner again. Jinx looked like he was okay. Izzy thought he even looked a little defiant sitting there on the floor. It was just like when they were kids and Jinx would get a time out. He would look up at his mother with that same stubborn look of defiance. They had been friends so long that they knew everything about each other. At least Izzy used to think that way before he found out his friend had been lying to him.

He didn't care if Jinx was a MOD, he was his friend above all else. His best friend, from the day they were born. The best friend anyone could possibly have. He had to come up with a plan fast in order to save his friend and then to save his unit. Seeing his friend sitting on the floor with a gun pointed at his chest brought up Izzy's familiar old companion. This time his anger would serve him well.
Chapter 23

Captain Frye sat in the delivery van watching her monitors. The communication system was blocked before the alarms were sounded. She had no way to communicate with her unit, but she could watch the situation play out on the monitors. When Jinx had left the computer room she thought he might be going to open the final door. When his locator dot hadn't moved for several minutes she knew something was wrong.

"How do you want to handle this, Captain?" Lt. Smith asked her.

"We wait a few more minutes, Smith," she replied calmly.

"Should I prepare to breach the building?" he asked.

"Yes. The guards have not scrambled from other buildings. They must believe this is an isolated incident and they have the situation under control. As far as we know, our cover is still intact," she said to Smith without taking her eyes off the monitors.

She watched closely as the members of her unit moved around the computer room. They were obviously surrounded from every direction. They were scattered around the room and protecting their position. If they were surrounded they wouldn't last long. They should have left the room by now, but they hadn't moved from their position. It didn't take her long to conclude that her unit must be trapped.

"They have four minutes to get out of that room. Prepare to breach, lieutenant, we are going in there to get my kids back," she continued to intensely study the locator dots on the screen. They were huddling in a close group in the center of the room. Her heart was racing and she didn't want to sit there any longer. She knew she wasn't cut out for this leadership stuff. Why would anyone want to sit and watch helplessly when they could be in the fight instead?

"Lieutenant Smith, wait a second, look at this," she said under her breath.

She watched as the dot labeled "Reynolds" left the computer room. He was going out the wrong exit, but no one had followed him. She didn't know what he was up to, but she was willing to give him a few more minutes. The dot made its way down the first two hallways and had entered a room. She studied the map on her screen and it didn't take her long to figure out what Izzy was about to attempt.

"The kid is doubling back and working his way to the exit," Captain Frye told him.

"Why would he do that alone?" he asked leaning in to see the monitor.

"He's going to get Hansen. Hansen hasn't moved in several minutes. He might have been captured. That's where I would position troops in this situation. If he sneaks up from behind them he has half a chance," she said.

"What about the other half?" Lt. Smith asked.

She pointed at the screen, "If those two dots aren't moving in the right direction in four minutes we breach that doorway and we get our kids out of there."

*******

Izzy knew he only had seconds to come up with a plan and he would have even less time to execute his plan. Captain Burmeister had once told the class that the element of surprise was a major tactical advantage and Izzy knew it was his best chance. They didn't know he was here and they would not be expecting him. He couldn't take out all six guards so he was going to need some help and a little bit of luck. Captain Burmeister would not approve of this plan, but a quick surprise attack was his only option. He had to get a weapon to Jinx on the other side of the hallway. Every second that he waited his team was in greater danger. He had to move now.

Izzy quietly moved around the corner and entered the hallway on the right side. He stayed as close to the wall and as low as possible to avoid being seen by the guards facing him on Jinx's side of the hallway. He would use the guards on his side of the hallway for cover as long as possible. The guards closest to the wall were kneeling and the guard on the left was standing. All of them had their guns pointed down the hallway at the computer room door.

He had a tranquilizer gun in each hand, even though he had never tried to shoot with his left hand before. He was going to try to take all three guards on his side at the same time. He promised himself, if he survived this, he would start practicing shooting with his left hand. He was thirty feet behind the guards and he couldn't risk getting any closer.

Izzy stayed low and extended both arms to a firing position. He would have just a few extra seconds to react if the guards fell at the same time. He squeezed the triggers and let the darts fly. Two of his targets were hit several times, but the third guard was only hit in his bulletproof vest. The first two guards had already started to fall. The third guard spun around as soon as he felt the impact on his vest. Izzy jumped up and charged while he fired with his right hand several times and caught the guard with all three darts.

He took the gun in his left hand and tossed it onto the floor on the left side of the hallway. He had to slide the weapon around the guards in order to get the weapon to Jinx. The remaining guards had reacted quicker than he anticipated. He fired wildly with his right hand, but couldn't aim as he was concentrating on the gun on the ground. The guards opened fire as Izzy reached the weapon on the opposite side of the hallway and kicked it towards Jinx.

He was out in the open with no way to protect himself from the hail of bullets. He felt something slam into his left forearm and his arm was knocked back as if it had been hit by a hammer. He knew he had been hit, but he felt no pain. He continued to run and fire towards the guards, but he had no chance to properly aim. He felt several bullets impact his chest and he was knocked backwards. He hit the ground hard.

*******

Brittney had moved to the front door so she could be closer to Kirkland. Monica had moved to the back left door that Izzy had used so she could maintain a better overall view and watch all sides. Kirkland was sitting up now with his back against a desk. He was only able to use his left hand, but every shot helped. Brittney was satisfied that Kirkland's wound had been treated to the best of her ability in this situation. She had convinced herself that it was okay to fire tranquilizer darts at people who were trying to kill her.

Monica estimated that they had neutralized at least seven guards in the four minutes that Izzy had been gone. She still had no idea how many were out there, but she hoped they would run out soon. The pauses in the gunfire were coming much faster now. They would fire a burst of bullets as cover for the next attempt to breach the room. The guards would try a new angle of approach each time, but they were stopped each time. She didn't know how much longer they could hold off the guards. They were returning fire often and she knew her unit would soon be low on ammunition. She promised herself, if there was a next time, she would pack more ammunition.

Kira was positioned closest to the right rear door and she could see that the glass was now missing from that door. She continued to check the door for the possibility of guards showing up, but she was really hoping to see Izzy's face in that opening very soon. The bullets had stopped once again, and she could hear gunfire in the distance. She knew that only meant that they had found Izzy and he was in trouble. She spun around and fired on the guard that had approached from her side. He fell out of sight and more gunfire erupted. She ducked back under a desk and hoped that Izzy was okay.

Monica fired at a guard approaching on her right. It was another direct hit. She had her back pressed against the door and both of her arms extended and ready to fire. She knew the guards were changing the pattern every time they approached. At first they sent only one guard at a time, and then it was three at time, now they were sending them quicker and from every possible approach. They were using the guards to get a better idea of how many people were in the room and where they were located. It would only be a matter of minutes before they sent a large group of guards to overtake the room. They would send enough guards to solidly outnumber the group pinned down in the computer room. She knew that was what she would do if she were running things on the other side of this battle. There was no way they could fire fast enough to survive that.

She began considering alternatives to waiting for Izzy to make it back. If he made it back.

*******

Jinx saw everything happen from his spot on the floor. Izzy had taken out the three guards on the other side of the hallway. He started firing wildly in the direction of the other three guards. Jinx saw him drop the tranquilizer gun on the ground and run towards it. He instantly knew what his friend was going to try to do. The guards in front of him turned and opened fire on Izzy. The guard that held him at gunpoint was the last one to react. He turned and started shooting at Izzy as the gun was sliding across the floor.

Jinx pulled his right leg back quickly and took aim at the guard standing in front of him. He looked to see Izzy's left arm get thrown backwards and erupt in blood. Then he watched as his friend was hit multiple times and was knocked backwards to the ground. He smashed the guard's left knee with everything he had. The guard let out a yelp as his leg buckled and he fell to the ground. Jinx dove forward and grabbed the tranquilizer gun that was sliding to him and aimed it point blank at the guard on the ground in front of him. He squeezed the trigger and put a dart right in his neck.

The yelp that the falling guard let out had alerted the other two guards. With Izzy down they turned around to see what was going on. Jinx rolled and fired two darts at the first one to turn around, but the darts had gone wide. He fired two more darts and both landed in the guard's left leg. The last guard was ready and Jinx knew he wouldn't have time to get off another shot before the guard would end his life. The guard held his position staring down at Jinx, but never fired a shot. The guard fell forward and Jinx rolled out of the way just before the guard smacked the ground.

*******

Izzy stared up at the ceiling, he was stunned and his head was pounding. His head had hit the ground hard when he landed. His left arm was on fire and he felt like he had been kicked in the chest. He started to become aware of what had happened. He raised his head just enough to see Jinx sprawled on the ground and firing.

Izzy rolled onto his side and saw his weapon just a few inches from his right hand. He reached out and grabbed the weapon and stretched out on his side. His vision was still a little hazy, but he aimed in the direction of one of the guards and squeezed the trigger three times. The guard stopped moving and then slowly fell to the ground face first. Izzy rolled onto his back and let his head swim.

Jinx was standing over him and saying something to him. "What?" Izzy asked.

"What we're you thinking? That was crazy!"

"I was thinking I had to get your butt out of trouble...Just like always," Izzy replied groggily.

"Nice," Jinx stuck his hand out to help Izzy off the floor. Izzy gave him their handshake instead.

"Man, my head is pounding," Izzy said as Jinx helped him up.

"Good, that'll keep your mind off your arm," Jinx said.

Izzy looked down at his arm and saw that the skin was badly mangled and there was loose tissue hanging and bone fragments exposed. He tried to move the fingers on his left hand, but they were not moving. He was bleeding badly, but still felt no pain. He tried to recall his medical training, but his mind was too hazy. Brittney would know what to do. He suddenly remembered the team.

"We have to go, now," Izzy shouted and he grabbed his weapon off of the floor.

Izzy took off at full speed with his left arm hanging limp. He rounded the corner without slowing down. Jinx was right behind him and reloading his weapon while trying to keep up. They reached the door to the computer room and stopped just short of it. Izzy stuck his head through the opening to see what was happening. There was no gunfire, but Izzy could see a large number of guards approaching the room. They would be overrun in seconds.

Izzy signaled to Jinx to take the other side of the door and they both waited in silence for the guards to get closer. Izzy could see Kira on the ground in front of him hiding behind a desk. She was preparing for the next wave of guards. Izzy picked up a few pieces of glass from his side of the door and dropped them into the computer room. Kira spun around with her weapon aimed. She saw them both peeking through the window opening of the door and looked instantly relieved.

Izzy gave her hand signals to indicate that he and Jinx would take the guards on this side of the room and she should take the ones approaching from the other side. Kira nodded and turned to signal the others. Eight guards came to the window openings at the same time and they were instantly stopped.

Izzy tried the door and it opened easily. When he crawled through the doorway he turned back and saw that the control panel had been shredded with bullets. He made his way to Kira's side and gave her his best smile. Even in this situation he thought she was beautiful. He was starting to feel light headed. He was leaving a trail of blood from the pouring wound in his left arm.

Izzy sat down and put his back against the desk next to Kira. He really wasn't feeling well and the room was starting to spin a little. He shook it off as best he could.

"Brit, we need you!" Kira yelled.

Brittney crawled over to where they were. She reached for her medical bag and tore it open as fast as she could. She pulled back the sleeve on Izzy's left arm.

"Oh my! What happened?" she asked.

"Shot," Izzy said. "a lot actually...and con...conc...uhhh...sss" he muttered and pointed to his head.

"Concussion?" she asked.

"Yeah...that too," he said with a sleepy smile.

"It appears you are going into shock as well," Brittney told him. She gave Kira a serious look and got right to work.

The rest of the team had gathered in the center of the room by Izzy. Jinx checked on everybody and made sure they were alright.

"It's time to go," Monica said urgently.

"I need two minutes before we can move him," Brittney barked.

"They will breach this room any second. We aren't going to last two minutes," Monica replied.

"If we move him now, he'll be dead in three," Brittney snapped back.

"Jinx, they will know we were here," Izzy said weakly and he pointed to the computer on the rear wall. "Can you destroy it?"

"No, that won't help. This is just an access point, the files are stored on a server that's located somewhere else in the building," Jinx replied. He thought for a moment, "but I can delete the file itself. They will know something was accessed and deleted, but not exactly what if I have enough time to hide it."

"How long?" Izzy asked.

"Ninety seconds or less," Jinx answered and he was already crawling to the computer.

Izzy rolled his head to the left to look at Monica. "Stun grenades in fifteen seconds," he said as he stared at her.

Monica took her pack off of her back and reached in for the grenades. She handed one to Kirkland. Monica took two for herself. Izzy continued to stare at Monica. He was having trouble focusing again. He shook his head.

"What?" Monica asked.

"Save two," Izzy moved his eyes to Jinx, "he needs time to open the last door."

Monica nodded and gave one of the grenades to Kira. Kira let go of Izzy's right hand to take hers. She hadn't even realized that she was holding his hand until that moment.

"Whoa." Jinx said from the computer terminal. "No one has even accessed this file since..."

Monica, Kira and Kirkland each crawled to a wall at the edge of the computer room. They pulled the pins on the grenades and waited. Izzy nodded and they each tossed a stun grenade over the wall.

"What the..." Jinx said, but the rest of his sentence was drowned out by the noise from the grenades.

"That's it," Jinx said crawling back towards Izzy. "They could still find out what we did, but they would have to dig pretty deep. Let's get out of here."

Brittney crammed her supplies back in her bag. She gave Izzy a nudge and got him moving towards the door. Izzy half crawled and half drug himself towards the door. The rest of the team followed him out the door. Monica waited as long as possible and tossed the last two stun grenades out into the hallway and then followed the others.

Once they had cleared the doorway they stood up. Jinx took off running as fast as he could to the exterior door. He had to have that door open before the rest of the unit got there. Izzy used the wall to try and help himself stand. Kira came to his side and helped him up. He looked into her eyes and once again gave her a smile. She smiled back this time and then shook her head at him.

They took off running down the hallway. Kirkland was using his left arm to help Izzy, but he was mostly dragging him down the hall. Monica led them to the intersection of the hallway and cleared it. As she waived the rest of the team to pass she could see the aftermath of what had happened there. Halfway down the hall there was blood sprayed on the wall and a puddle on the ground. The guards were sprawled out on the ground on both sides of the hallway.

Jinx was working frantically to open the door, but he wasn't fast enough. The team had caught up to him and they waited with their backs pressed to the wall and watched Jinx work. Izzy left Kirkland's side and made his way back down the hall using the wall to help him walk. He reached the intersection and stumbled over to one of the guards. He picked up a rifle and started making his way back down the hall. He was still leaving a trail of blood everywhere he went.

"It's not working!" Jinx yelled. "I can't open the door."

Izzy made his way to the center of the group and lifted the rifle and aimed it at the control panel. He was starting to sway and could not keep the weapon aimed at the panel. "Here," he said to Monica and extended the weapon, "you better do this."

Monica aimed the weapon and fired a burst into the control panel. Jinx pulled the door handle and it opened. Izzy's legs were starting to give out and he was swaying badly. Just as his legs buckled Kirkland and Kira grabbed him. Izzy got his feet under him again and they began to run.

U7B burst through the exterior door and scanned the lot for the delivery van. Jinx switched places with Kira and took his friends side. They saw the van and began to run for it as fast as they could. Jinx and Kirkland half carried and half dragged Izzy with them. Lieutenant Smith was in the driver's seat with the van running. Captain Frye was out of the van and scanning the area with her weapon drawn. The unit ran by her and she saw how bad Izzy was injured.

They piled into the back of the van. Izzy did his best to climb into the van, but he was having trouble. He was pulled into the van by Britney and Kira. Kirkland and Jinx dove into the van as Monica stood guard with her weapon aimed out of the back of the van. Captain Frye slammed the rear door and ran for the cab of the truck.

"Let's go. Fast!" she barked at Lt. Smith.

They approached the gate going a little too fast. The guards at the gate waved to the van to slow down. Lieutenant Smith slowed the van to 10 mph as they approached the guard shack. Captain Frye jumped out of the van while it was still moving. She hit the ground running and fired her weapon rapidly. Each guard took two darts to the neck and fell to the ground. Captain Frye ran past them and into the guard shack. She smashed the button to open the gate and then took off running to catch up to the van. She jumped back into the passenger seat and slammed the door.

Izzy was sprawled out on the floor in the back of the van. He stared at the ceiling and tried to hold his focus. The van was spinning and he felt like he might be sick. He lifted his head to see most of his unit bent over him. Brittney was working furiously on his left arm. He had no idea why. She had done a great job of patching him up because he couldn't feel any pain.

He looked from face to face and he thought they looked very concerned. What were they worried about? They made it. They were in the back of the van and on their way back to the Initiative facility. The mission was a success. If they ran into trouble on the way back they would have Captain Frye and Lieutenant Smith to help them.

He reached to the right front pocket of his uniform and felt his father's medal there. Izzy lifted his right arm. "Hey, great job, U7B. Mission success."

Then everything went black.
Chapter 24

Izzy tried to open his eyes. His head was hazy, but he continued to try and managed to slowly get them to obey. The brightness of the lights and the white ceiling let him know he was no longer in the back of the van. He tried to lift his head, but it was too heavy. He rolled his head to the right and saw that he was in a hospital room. He rolled his head to the left and saw Jinx sitting in a chair by his bed.

"Oh, man," Izzy tried to speak but his mouth was too dry.

"Hey, bro, good to see you awake again," Jinx said as he came to the bedside.

"How... long..." Izzy struggled to say.

"Three days, bro," Jinx said as he poured a cup of water and handed it to Izzy.

Izzy struggled to lift his head and took the cup of water. He sipped at it repeatedly until he could move his mouth well enough to swallow a mouthful. He continued to take small drinks until the cup was nearly empty. He handed it back to Jinx who began to refill it.

"How did we do?" Izzy asked.

"Well, I wouldn't call it a complete success, but we managed to get the job done," Jinx said as he handed the cup back to Izzy.

Izzy drank some more water. He was starting to feel better and managed to sit up. He was starting to remember what had happened. He remembered being in the back of the van, but that was where his memory ended.

"How is everyone?" Izzy asked.

"Everyone else is fine. Kirkland had to have a bullet extracted from his shoulder. He got some stitches and all that, but he's good. That guy really is a tank. Monica is about where you would expect. She didn't like the way the mission went down and she swears she is going to train harder than ever. Brittney was really rattled after that whole mess. She did her job well, but I don't think she realized what it was going to be like. She saved your arm and your life. She's coming back around now, but you better believe she's gonna have even more to say about violence now."

"So, uh, how are you?" Izzy asked.

"I'm good. It was a little tense out there, but I made it through. But you don't really care about that. Why don't you ask about her?" Jinx teased.

"Well, I, uh, figured you'd get to that...eventually."

"Well, you're in luck. I'm not gonna tell you anything. You can ask her yourself. I just sent her out to get some lunch. She's been here with you almost nonstop," Jinx said with a sly smile.

"Well, I guess I woke up too soon."

"What do you mean?" Jinx asked.

"If I would have waited a little longer I could have woke up and seen her, instead of your ugly mug."

"Nice. I've always wanted my own personal comedian," Jinx said sarcastically and laughed.

Jinx told him more about what he had missed over the last few days. All of the units had been made aware of the overall mission success. Colonel Mahoney informed them all that the Initiative plans were going to be executed on time.

Kira walked into the room and saw that Izzy was awake. She gave him a warm smile and walked over to the side of the bed. She took his hand and held it in hers. She didn't say anything, but she looked at him and stared through him for a few moments. Then she smiled at him again.

"I'm very happy to see that you're awake."

"Yeah, I just woke up a few minutes ago."

"Well, I had better go get some lunch," Jinx said and gave Izzy a wink on his way out the door.

"How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I guess I'm pretty good," Izzy said as he lifted his arm up and showed her his cast.

"It could have been much worse. Brit was amazing and saved you in the back of that van on the way home," Kira told him.

"Yeah, Jinx told me. I don't know how I can thank her for what she did."

"I'm sure she'll be very happy to see you awake and doing well. She's been very worried about you and she has stopped in to check on you every few hours," Kira explained.

"You guys have all been watching over me, huh?"

"I have kept a close eye on you," Kira admitted.

"I, uh...I'm really sorry...for what I said..." Izzy stammered.

"Don't worry about that. I know that you didn't really mean it. I know that you just said it out of anger and in the heat of the moment," Kira assured him.

"Yeah, but I still shouldn't have said it. And I didn't know you were a MOD. Not like that's a good excuse, but...Look, I just shouldn't have said it," Izzy said and looked into her eyes.

"I appreciate that, but you don't need to apologize. I understand that what you went through changed your views. We grew up in very different places. Maybe I would have felt just like you if I had grown up the way you did. Besides, I know that your view has changed on that subject."

"We definitely grew up differently, that's for sure. How could you know my views have changed?" Izzy asked.

"Like any modified human, I have a single aspect of my humanity that is highly developed. For me it's a heightened sense of emotional awareness. If I focus hard enough I can tell how someone is feeling. You might say that I can feel what they feel. So I know that you don't feel that way about modified or enhanced humans anymore," she explained.

"Wow. You can tell how people are feeling? That's pretty cool."

"Yeah, it lets me know if people are being honest. I can tell what people are really feeling on the inside, no matter what they try to show on the outside. It can be a bit of a burden sometimes, but it's my gift."

"So, you can tell how I'm feeling at any time?" he asked.

"No" she said with a smile, "only if I concentrate on the person."

"Oh, so that's why you stare at people and blank out like that?"

"Yes. That's when I'm concentrating."

"Wait, so, that day in the parking lot, you knew how I was feeling?" he asked nervously.

"Yes," she said. "In a crowd full of people who felt nervous and fearful you were feeling..." this time it was her face that was turning red.

"...stunned and amazed by your beauty," he finished her sentence. "And then later in the cafeteria?" he asked.

Kira's face was fully red. She just smiled at him and nodded.

"How about now?" he asked. "Can you tell how I'm feeling now?"

"I'd rather you just told me," Kira said.

"Still stunned and amazed," Izzy said with a smile and he squeezed her hand.

They continued talking for several hours that afternoon. Izzy had a lot of questions about what it was like to grow up with her gift. He enjoyed just hearing her voice and spending time with her. He had missed her and her voice very much during the weeks of his isolation.

Brittney came in to check on him later that afternoon. She was pleased to see that her patient was doing so well. Before she left she told Kira that the patient should be getting some rest, but she gave them a warm smile with the warning. Kira left him to get his rest at dinner and promised to be back first thing in the morning.

The next morning the entire unit came into his room to visit with him after breakfast. Izzy thought it felt like old times again. They talked seriously about the mission, but they joked and laughed at the same time. It was good to be a part of this again. He knew that U7B was what had always been missing from his life.

Captain Torres came in and told everyone they had to leave. She completed her examination of him. She told him that he was recovering nicely and would be out of her medical wing soon enough. She left him and returned several minutes later with Captain Frye.

"You look terrible, Reynolds," she said with a smile.

"Sorry, Captain. I was born this way."

"I'm glad to see you doing so well," she said sincerely. "How would you like to get out of here?"

"I would really like that."

"Good. Get dressed and meet me in the hall. Colonel Mahoney would like to speak to you."

Izzy got dressed slowly. He hadn't been on his feet much and he still felt very weak. He put on his uniform and looked in the mirror. His reflection looked weak and very pale. He thought that his eyes didn't look quite so old now, or maybe it was that his face had aged to match his eyes. Either way, he felt better about the reflection staring back at him.

He stepped out into the hallway to join Captain Frye. Captain Torres told him that he needed to continue to take it easy for the next few weeks. He could have the cast removed in ten weeks or so, depending on how his bones healed. She had prepared a letter from the "school" explaining his injury to his mother. She was certain that his mother would take good care of him. He could just see his mother freaking out over this. He knew he would spend a good amount of time going to the hospital back home this summer. Izzy thanked her and left the medical wing with Captain Frye.

They came to the square room with all of the doors and he watched the door to the medical wing close behind him. Izzy now knew what was behind two of the doors. He looked closely at the biometric locks on the other red doors. He was very curious as to what was behind that door. They left the lower level and continued to Colonel Mahoney's office. Jinx and Lieutenant Smith were already there waiting for him.

"Just like old times, buddy," Jinx said.

"Yeah, we always end up at the principal's office," Izzy said.

"Well, no sense in changing now. We've gotten so good at getting in trouble together," Jinx said with a weak chuckle.

"Yeah," Izzy said and extended his hand for their handshake. They paused a second for that handshake and then entered the Colonel's office.

"Gentlemen, please come in and have a seat," Colonel Mahoney motioned to two chairs in front of his desk. "I have a few questions for you both."

The boys took their seats and waited as Colonel Mahoney stood up and walked around to their side of the desk. He sat on the edge of the desk and folded his arms across his chest.

"I never seem to know what to do with you two. You two always find a way to give me stress," he said with half a smile. "But I've never been more proud of the people under my command. Your unit managed to complete the mission even when things went completely sideways. That's not a simple task to accomplish. Job well done, gentleman."

He turned to look down at Izzy, "Do you know what your thoughts are moving forward?" he asked.

"I believe I am right where I belong, sir," Izzy said firmly.

"Excellent. Glad to hear it. You are an asset to your unit and you will be a fine leader."

"What do you mean?" Izzy asked.

"I had the two of you brought up here to give you both your next assignments. From this point forward you will be leaders of your unit. Izzy you are the unit leader and Jinx you will be his second in command. Any questions?"

"Sir, I don't think I should be the one..." Izzy started.

"Are you questioning my orders? Or my intelligence?" Colonel Mahoney interrupted.

"No, sir. Neither...I mean...it's just that I..." Izzy stammered.

"Made some mistakes?" Colonel Mahoney finished. Izzy just nodded. "A friend of mine once said that we get smarter when we make mistakes, but only if we learn from them. Did you learn from your mistakes?"

"Yes, sir," Izzy responded quickly.

"Well, then my old friend would have said you are now smarter than you were before. I believed you had the makings of a good leader before, and it seems that you have only gotten smarter since that time. You are being watched," he said and motioned to the monitors. "I am not alone in my assessment. You have a few fans in the leadership, Reynolds. Embrace your mistakes, Unit Leader, and make sure you learn from them."

"Yes, sir," Izzy said.

Colonel Mahoney turned to Jinx, "Any objections?" he asked.

"No, sir," Jinx replied.

"Good. Then next year when you report to our little school here you will be prepared to lead your unit. You are dismissed," Colonel Mahoney excused them and watched them leave as he smiled to himself.

The boys left Colonel Mahoney's office and walked straight to the courtyard. Izzy threw open the door and took a long, slow breath of the fresh air. He stood there breathing slowly and letting the sun bake his face.

"This feels great," he said. "But I can't wait to get back home to the Florida sun."

"And our families," Jinx added.

"I'm sorry for what I said and for the way I acted," Izzy told his friend.

"Hey, I get it. No one knows you better than I do. And I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am that I lied to you," Jinx said sincerely.

"What's the deal with that, bro? Why didn't you tell me?" Izzy asked.

"It was our moms, Iz. They made me keep it a secret. When I started showing ability with the tech they came up with that story about my dad being a big tech whiz and all. The truth is that he was just a computer and cell phone repair guy before the war, he has a different gift. Sure, he knows some stuff, but I knew more than he did by the time I was eight."

"So why keep it from me? And why not live on the MOD side of town?" Izzy asked.

"When we were eight you were already showing serious signs of anger towards the other races. Man, you were fighting with a GEN or a MOD every single day in school. They didn't think it would be good for you to find out and they didn't want it to ruin our friendship.

Most of what they told us was true. Our moms were best friends all through school. All that stuff about our parents going out together and all the stuff they did together, that was totally true. And then the wars started. They kept each other safe and helped each other and everyone in town. Then one day my mom tells your mom the truth. She tells your mom all about how she and my dad are MODs. She tells her all about how they kept it all a secret even after the whole world knew.

Your mom said she didn't care about any of that. They had been friends since the first grade and nothing would change that. My parents didn't think it would be safe if they exposed themselves during the war. Staying hidden and acting like NORMs was the safest thing they could think to do. After the war our moms didn't want to be separated and hide their friendship. Your mom vowed to keep the secret. Then the two of us came along and the rest is history."

"Well, I guess I understand. They did it all for friendship. I can understand and appreciate that, but I still wish someone had told me," Izzy said and then gave his friend a sideways glare.

"Yeah, I know I should have. I thought I could trust you with the secret. Your mom said that I was not to tell you, no matter what," Jinx explained.

"Well, at least I know the truth now," Izzy said. "I'm not mad at you anymore, but I need to know that I can trust you."

"You can trust me, bro. I would never want to lie to you or hurt our friendship. I swear. I've always had your back, Iz. Always."

"I know. And I've always had yours. Let's keep it that way. That's an order," Izzy said to his second in command.

"Yes, sir," Jinx barked.

They sat and talked for a few hours. It was good to have everything the way it was. Jinx gave him all the details of what he had missed after he passed out in the delivery van. And then he told him about the hours he was in surgery and how the whole unit had waited to hear from Captain Torres. He told Izzy about how Captain Frye didn't leave the medical wing at all, until Captain Torres had come out and said he would be okay.

They talked about every aspect of the mission and how things had gone wrong. They discussed all of the mistakes that they both made and how things could be better next time. They talked about the objectives of the mission and what they had acquired for the Initiative. Jinx told him everything he could remember about the tech and what he read in the file. Izzy thought it was a great conversation shared by two friends and two unit leaders. They continued talking until dinner.

After dinner that night Colonel Mahoney took to the stage and addressed the entire group. He warned them of how important it was to keep the secrets of their school. He lectured them on keeping up all appearances when they were home for summer break. He explained how every class they had studied could be viewed as a college or career prep class from a certain perspective. Finally, he closed his speech by thanking them for their dedication, hard work, and sacrifice.
Chapter 25

Izzy woke early the next morning. He wanted to walk the track alone before breakfast. He still had some thoughts that he wanted to work through. He still had a lot of questions. He had learned a lot this school year. He had learned a lot about himself and he had learned a lot about his new friends. It had certainly been an interesting experience, to say the least.

He was definitely worried about what his mother would say about his arm in a cast. The story would be that he took a nasty fall down some stairs. He wasn't entirely sure she would believe that story. She was a great surgeon and she would probably have some questions after she looked at the x-rays that she would surely take. He figured that would be a great time to press her about the lies he was told about Jinx's family. He thought that would throw her off enough, so he was going to save that until he needed it.

He still didn't understand enough about what was going on here at the Initiative. He had a lot of questions for Colonel Mahoney. Maybe now that he was in a leadership position he would be told more about what was going on. If they were here to save the human race, why were they being sent home? He thought about what Jinx said about the computer file they copied and the tech. What was a gravity generator? One dusty old piece of tech couldn't be enough to save the entire human race, could it? Izzy wanted to know what was really going on here and just how much time they had to save humankind. He wanted to know who was in charge of the Initiative.

He rolled all of these questions and thoughts around in his head as he walked the track. He had so many ideas in his head and so many questions that he just continued to walk and had lost track of time. He checked the clock and realized that he had almost missed breakfast.

He walked into the cafeteria, got his food, and joined his friends. They enjoyed a final breakfast together. After they finished eating Izzy and Jinx took the whole unit to the courtyard. Unit 7B spent their final day in the sunshine talking and laughing. They talked about their summer vacation and how they would spend it. Izzy promised to think of them all as he and Jinx hung out at the beach.

Izzy and Kira spent some time sitting together on one of the benches. They talked about so many things, but mostly just enjoyed being together. They talked about how much they would miss each other. Izzy knew that he would think of her every day while they were apart.

That night Izzy lay back in his bunk and thought how great it was to have everything seem right in the world again. He had his best friend back and he had his unit back. He had the girl he was crazy about back in his life. He vowed to be the best unit leader he could possibly be. Tomorrow he would be on his way back to Florida. He would spend part of the day with his mother and then head to the beach. That would make for another great day.

He rolled over, grabbed his NED, and set the alarm.

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Thank you for taking the time to read my book. I hope that you enjoyed the characters and the story. If you did, please take the time to leave a review wherever you purchased this book.

I am currently working on the second book in this series and I look forward to sharing it with all of you.

