Chapter 9: A Very Dangerous Game
Richie
After what felt like eternity, I finally reached the end of the corridor. There's nothing like solving the largest game of Sudoku and then having to crawl through a corridor the size of the Chuckie- Cheese playground area. As the hole grew closer, I began to squint my eyes, the difference in light blinding me. I peered outside of the hole, taking in the new surroundings; huge computers spanning the sides of ten foot walls, multiple gathered around one computer in the far corner clearly immersed in what lay on the screen. I quietly exited the hole, careful to not make a sound. Tiptoeing slowly across the wooden floor, I noticed who was in front of the screen just before she turned to face me. in unison, the scientists surrounding her swiveled on their heels to face me.
"Well done Richie! The test was such an incredible success! It's incredible how quickly you solved it; half of an hour, absolutely remarkable!" she remarked, her arms outstretched, whether she was hoping for a hug or maybe showing how well I did; which one, I'll never be sure.
"I was only in there for 30 minutes?! It felt like eternity!" I screamed, shocked that it only took me 30 minutes to solve that puzzle.
"You bet! The other quickest was Astrid, and that was only because she read up on the entire layout of this building." Headmistress said admirably. "She probably knows the school better than I do." she said with a smirk. For some odd reason, fear rose in the back of my mind but I quickly shook it off. There was nothing to be cautious about.
"So, it’s still Monday morning?" I asked.
"Yes! And luckily for you, you ended just as class is about to start! Go meet Coach Harley in the Dojo, she said she has some "special" training for you guys." she said with that odd smile again.
I quickly exited the room, walking as fast as I could without sprinting to the Dojo. Hopefully Coach Harley wouldn't make me do 100 push-ups or even worse, make me listen to her stupid puns while we jog.
Just as I was about to reach the doors, a voice called down the hallway, " Slow down honey!". Ms. Tick slowly made her way towards me, aggravatingly taking her leisurely time. "Time is always on your side, honey," she called.
"I just need to get to class ma'am." I called back.
"Oh," she said, her face quickly contorting from a friendly smile to an angry frown." Punctuality is everything my dear. Punctuality is a very big part of first impressions, and it appears that ours is not going well so far."
"I'm sorry ma'am" I said, in a hurry to get out of this conversation as quickly as possible, " I'll get to class right away."
I began to slowly back away, putting my hand on the steel door handle. Just as I was about to push the handle and run through, she yelled "I don't think so mister. You're coming with me." She made her calm stride towards me, covering a few feet within a matter of seconds. There was no way I was going with her. First of all, I was already late to class and being even more late doesn't fix the problem. Second, she would most likely take me to Internal Suspension, which is basically detention. For any other high school student, detention was a room where you'd sit and do nothing for half the day. I.S. is ten times worse; we don't do nothing, in fact it’s the direct opposite. See, I know you’re thinking "Oh well that sounds wonderful Richie!", believe me it’s really not. Zach and I once got in trouble when he said we could sneak out and grab pizza (long story). Long story-short, Headmistress saw the damage we caused when Zach gun accidentally went off, blowing up the restaurant and probably almost started The Great Fire of Miami. Anyways, A spy's idea of "doing nothing" is fighting training simulators. And to make it even better, their set on Avengers mode, which is basically the best operatives in history. Being in there is way worse than Coach Harley's puns and workout games.
She moved to grab my hand but I stepped back. "Excuse you?! You will follow orders Agent!"
"I'm afraid your order has been declined!" I yelled as I reared back launching a swift roundhouse kick into the fire extinguisher next to us. With a sad and anticlimactic clank, the tin dented but did not explode.
"Nice try, but time's up. Your coming with me to I.S." she said gripped my arm like iron.
Depressed, I took a step forward when a loud pang exploded next to me. Ms. Tick lost her grip, a large red object blasting into her stomach, pinning her to the wall adjacent to us. Shocked as the extinguisher gas fogged my vision, I lost sight of Ms. Tick and the broken fire extinguisher. It looks like my plan succeed; the room was fogged so Ms. Tick couldn't see me and I could escape, but I'd don't my job a little too well, I couldn't see the door either. I ran opposite to Ms. Tick, straight into the solid wall. I grunted, my head spinning from the small concussion I probably just gave myself. That left forward and backwards, one which would lead me down the hall, most likely into more trouble, the other into the Dojo. Footsteps sounded from in front of me, letting me know the door was behind me. "Thank you fellow agents" I said to myself as I threw myself into the metal door, determined to not get caught again. The doors flew open, white smoke billowing behind me while the doors slowly closed back. Zach, Astrid, Jenna, and Mitchell all stared at me from the training areas. Zach trying to hack into a set up database, Astrid flipping through 2 books at once, a stack more next to her, Jenna standing in a pile of broken parts and her gloves buzzing with electricity, and Mitchell yards away from targets, most of which were blown up from his grenades, one in his hand, most likely about to unlatch it (thank goodness, he didn't or else he would most likely be dead by now).
"Hey everyone." I said nonchalantly.
Coach Harley marched up to me eating her usual chocolate bar, this time a Milky Way. " 50 minutes late, thank you Richie for putting the late in my chocolate bar. For that, you can be defender in today's games!"
My fake smile quickly fell, being defender is never fun in games unless your Jenna. She typically keeps her staff (not the sharp one, thank god), so she can defend from a further distance. Even Mitchell, just lobs stun grenades at anyone who comes close enough. I'm stuck with a measly knife and strategy. Normally I could get a gun or a poisonous paint ball gun (my personal favorite) but no all because I'm late from Headmistress's experiment. Even better, Monday was Capture the Flag day, but not the capture the flag you play as a kid with a football and freeze tag. This involved lasers, explosions, and pretty much anything as long as we didn't get seriously hurt. Next time you say you hate Mondays, think us.
"Jenna and Mitchell take the North side, Astrid, Zach, and Richie take the South side." Coach called as we ran to the able filled with guns, grenades, and other very dangerous items that should never be given to teenagers. Jenna strapped on her gloves while Mitchell stretched over, filling his belt with grenades of different varieties. Jenna stormed away, discussing attack plans with Mitchell while he practice swung his bat. Coach stopped them just as them were about to walk into the arena." Where do you think, you’re going with those?" she asked.
"To the arena" Jenna fired back. You never stop Jenna when she is getting prepared for a game. I learned the hard way when she had a sticky bomb stuck on her back the first week I came. I tried to get it off her but she whipped around and I got a chest full of shock gloves.
"I said today's games would be a special. You won't be using your usual equipment. Today's game is all about using the field to your advantage. You will find a few hidden weapons in the arena but you will have to adapt, survive and win all at the same time. All your weapons will be stun-based, use this to your advantage. You have 1 minute to prepare. Go!"
We quickly dropped our weapons and ran onto the field. Every week the field changes different climates, desert, plains, we even had underwater one time. This time we were surrounded by thick trees, a small river snaking next to the exit, and the heat of the synthetic sun burning my skin. Jenna and Mitchell disappeared with a crash through the dense foliage, every now and then more branches breaking or Jenna barking an order rang out from the opposite expanse of the forest.
"Okay, first things first, examine surroundings. Astrid, survey the area, see if your ca find any hidden weapons or supplies for defense. Zach, use vines from the trees to make snares. If they try to sneak up on us, hopefully they'll get caught. I'll guard the flag while you’re gone. Come and meet me once you’re done."
Astrid and Zach sprinted off into the trees, splitting up into different directions and hopefully not running into Jenna or Mitchell. I stuck the flag in the ground, a small patch of grass and rocks surrounded by a river. Now I can definitely hear them coming. I walked around the flag trying to see if Jenna or Mitchell was perhaps spying on me through the thick foliage. Loud crashing through the foliage on my left was faint, sounding like someone was running in my direction but they were far away. I stared deep into the woods, hoping to spy them before they spotted me. The noise grew louder and louder. I grabbed the nearest weapon, a large stick, a ducked behind a tree. The crashing continued growing louder and louder until it was right behind me. I took and deep breath and swung the stick as hard as I could.
"Whoa!" a male voice said surprised behind me.
Mitchell? I thought. But that wasn't Mitchell, this voice was too high pitched. Zach, most likely in defense slashed his sword across my shirt, cutting it open and leaving a gash along my chest. Still in shock, he thrust his new taser at my stomach, but stopped himself inches away from me. I stood back up against a tree, the cool breeze blowing up my shirt from the newly made hole with cold blood slowly running down my chest. The electricity arced between the two metal prongs on the taser, almost touching my billowing shirt in the wind. I looked dead into Zach's eyes, confused and surprised.
"Richie! I'm so sorry! I thought Jenna and Mitchell made it over here already! I didn't see you or Astrid anywhere! Let's get you fixed up and then I'll show you what I found." Zach said, clearly shaken from hurting his teammate.
I laughed as he gave me his hand and pulled me away from the tree.
"Dude, you scared the crap out of me!" I said still laughing from the shock.
Zach ripped down some vines off the tree we just came from and tried to rap them around my chest.
"I got it. Go get your stuff so we can organize it." I said.
I silently walked over to where a small pile of leaves and branches, returning with a little bag made out of vines, leaves, and branches, blending in perfectly with the environment. I finished wrapping the vines across my chest, making it look like a jungle sash. Now that I looked like Tarzan had given Rambo fashion tips, Zach began to go through everything he found.
"Two tasers, vines, a handful of leaves, and makeshift baskets made of leaves with water. Oh, and my sword, but you figured that out I guess" he said, looking at my band aid/Tarzan-Rambo vine sash.
Looking at his haul, it seemed pretty good, we just needed to wait for Astrid to come back. Zach handed me a taser and put one aside for Astrid.
"I'm really sorry about the sword and all" he said glumly, looking down at the sword strapped to his side with a vine.
"Its fine dude." I said laughing glancing between my cut and Zach.
"What are you laughing at? I'm trying to apologize for cutting across the chest and nearly zapping you with a taser, but you decide to laugh at me?!" he said, confused and angry.
"I'm laughing because you don't need to apologize. You got me good! As spies, it our job and you did really well! I'm laughing because you're being so humble for no reason."
He stared at the ground, clearly ashamed of himself. I scooted over to him, moving in front of him, forcing him to look at me.
"There is nothing to be ashamed of, Zach. You fought incredibly. It's our job to fight people, and if we get hurt in the process, oh well, I don't care that you cut me with a sword, I care that you can cut me with a sword."
"Thanks" Zach said, still staring at his sword, the tip reflecting sunlight and a red tinge, my blood.
The leaves across from our miniature campsite rustled. Zach and I jumped up fumbling for his sword and throwing me a taser from his makeshift bag. Dark blue jeans stepped through the tall grass as Astrid made her way into the clearing.
She looked at Zach and I confused. "Are you guys supposed to be defending the camp?"
"That's kind of the point of having weapons, Astrid" Zach said, lowering his sword.
I looked over at Zach, partly laughing, but also disappointed." Dude, that was a terrible pun. You've been near Coach Harley for way too long."
Astrid laughed," So this is lovely and I love how much we found but I saw Jenna and Mitchell. They're not too far from here, maybe half a mile north. Also, why do you guys have only electrified weapons?"
She looked down at the taser Zach just gave her. Just then a crackle rang out form above us. A loud beep sounded as Coach Harley's voice filled the area.
"Hello trainees! As you may have noticed, this battle is electric themed! It'll make for quite a shocking experience!" Coach Harley burst into a laughing fit, taking a minute to regain her composure. Through little giggles she said, " 15 minutes have passed! Hurry up or else I'm going to have to make this area really electric!" she burst into another laughing fit, however this one was quickly cut off with the buzz and crackle of the speaker.
Zach, Astrid, and I stared at each other, silently devising plan.
Astrid may be smart, but sometimes she can be blind as hell. She looked me up and down, my shredded shirt and blood covered vine band aid. Her face quickly turning from confusion to shock.
"Richie, what happened?!" she asked surging towards me, careful to notice touch my wounded chest.
"I'm fine. Just a little accident but everything is okay." I said, glancing at Zach, still looking guilty but at least he wasn't beating himself up over it.
"Okay, now that we are all back, Astrid, take the left flank and make a distraction. Maybe your dancing skills will come in handy a you can climb a tree to evade Jenna and Mitchell. Zach, take the right flank with your sword. You have the extra reach, use it. I'll stay here and guard the flag. Let's move out team!"
Zach and Astrid smiled, signaled a thumbs up for understanding, and sprinted off into the woods. I made my way back to the flag, standing in the small island in the center of the stream. This isn't a good place to be. You don't wait for a fight Richie, you get the advantage, the surprise.
"Let's find a better vantage point."
I turned in a circle, scanning my surrounding to monitor the area for Jenna or Mitchell, but also searching for a good vantage point. My eyes came to rest on a familiar figure in the distance. A place where I ran into to trouble would possible save me. I made my way as quietly and as carefully as possible towards the tree and began to climb as fast as I could.