(David Pov)
March 30, 2525
Medical Facility ENDURANCE
In Orbit Above Reach
It had been about a week since the others had woken up from their augmentations. I had been sure to watch over the rest of the Spartans, and thankfully, no others perished from the process.
When they woke up, everyone was informed of the passing of team members and our classmates. Most teams managed to get by with one or two losses, but others weren't so fortunate. Omega team, our sibling team, lost three, leaving just August (S-099) and Leon (S-011) as the only remaining members. There were even some teams completely wiped out, Bronze team, White team, Red team, and one or two more were now lying in caskets in front of an airlock.
The morale overall was at an all-time low, and my team was no exception.
Putting my thoughts aside, the team was in the worst place I'd ever seen it. I figured it's best to give everyone space; I'll help where I can, but otherwise, it's best they categorize their thoughts themselves. As of now, our meals were quiet, and that was the only time we had when all four of us were together, right now at least.
Time had marched on for the program, while everyone seemed to be reeling. The next portion of training had been implemented. We were light on most typical types of training, instead opting mostly for various stretches because of the sheer amount of additional muscle we were putting on. We also ate a lot. We had five meals a day and loads of other vitamins and mineral injections each and every day.
We'd also been divided into groups based on our own acclimation to the augmentations; it was one of the few times that the instructors had broken apart units/teams for anything besides inter-unit training. I had acclimated the best so far, and was designated with the quick learning group. I had asked and was reassured that the changes were not permanent and we would be reintegrated with our respective teams once everyone was at a minimum standard for their augmentations.
I overheard that some of our classmates would be rolling in to cover the 'empty positions' as one instructor put it. I must admit I got a bitter taste in my mouth when I heard that, but that was the reality of the program. Adapt or die. If we linger, then our enemies just get extra time to plan and prepare.
I just wonder who it will end up being…
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(Daisy Pov)
*CRACK*
"Cadet 023, I thought I said LIGHT strikes. Did those augmentations make you deaf, or do you suddenly think you can ignore orders?" My fist had just destroyed another link in the chain that held the heavy bag. Hearing the voice, my hand clenched tightly.
'What does this old fucker want?'
An older instructor in green fatigues marched through the training room. His face was red, and I was hoping he would get a stroke before he reached me. I turned to face him, standing at ease, ready to hear him chew me out again.
"Well?" he asked, making an expression, as if he was talking to a dumb ass, "That's the third one this week. Did you 'forget' for a fourth time this week-"
The man reminded me of my grandfather.
Well, all of the bad things I remember about him. The long, drawn-out stories and explanations. The bitterness and anger that my grandfather had when he was woken up from his daily nap. And unfortunately for him, unlike my grandfather, I do not respect him.
I didn't before the augmentations and especially not now. Before, he had a habit of hitting cadets when everything wasn't perfectly as he wanted it to be. He'd look for the smallest thing that was out of place or 'not up to standard' according to him.
Strangely enough, though he seemed to stop doing that after Carris accidentally broke the neck of another instructor, killing him instantly. Since then, he'd only been doing it when other instructors were around, and by the looks they gave, they didn't like him either.
"... I wonder about your squad leader's capabilities if his so-called subordinate can't follow a simple direction. Maybe I should have a little chat with S-003?" I gritted my teeth, but I relaxed quickly. He was bluffing since our augmentations, I hadn't even seen him raise a hand, probably knowing that any one of us could rip him apart with our bare hands.
But then he just had to say something else that made me want to disconnect his head from his body.
"Maybe if your team's discipline matched your temper, S-127 might've lived through his augmentations," he said, looking me in the eye, knowing he had just crossed the line.
Time seemed to slow down for a moment as I began to think, 'If I kill him here, I won't have to hear that mouth again. I'd also get to see the look he'd give me as I did it,' I glanced around the room. Every other Spartan, as well as I, remained expressionless, but I could see the anger in their eyes. I expected it, seeing as the idiot in front of me indirectly said that their teammates who had died also died for a similar reason.
'...But that would give David trouble,' he's always working, handling… things… it was the least I could do…
'Besides, they may or may not let me get away with it.' It was strange, but our team was different compared to the other team. I couldn't really put it into words, but they all seemed more… loyal to the point of fanaticism when it came to anyone in the UNSC. I even heard some of my classmates calling Dr. Halsey mom on more than a few occasions, but none in our team did that. Not even David, who was the closer with her than anyone else in the program, was.
And so I kept my emotions in check like David had asked me to, and did not kill the man, but I wasn't going to take what he said lying down, "Understood, instructor. However, because Alpha team is currently tied for first with Blue team in the rankings, I doubt that it has anything to do with David's leadership skills. Maybe it has something to do with the training regimen?" I said, doing my best impression of a smart ass.
Despite the tone I said it in, it would pass as an innocent question on most reports. All of the Spartans were also currently ordered to take it easy on any physical activity, so there wasn't a punishment he could give me.
So while I remained as expressionless as before, I got the satisfaction of watching his face turn even redder than before. He took a lot of deep breaths, one after another, and just when he was about to say something, he dropped it and stormed off.
"CARRY ON," he shouted as he went to the other side of the room.
I snorted as I turned back to the heavy bag with a broken link in its chain. And I couldn't help but frown as I remembered why I was so angry.
'Benjamin,' he was like a little brother, the one I'd always seen myself having back on Sargasso with my parents. I remember watching movies before all of this and thinking that I would like to have a goofy, annoying, and many other things, brother. One I could boss around and force to brush my hair, but also one who I would make sure would never get picked on.
'And now he's gone,' I reached down, grabbing the chain, and yanked it up with one arm, hooking it around a different link.
I was mad.
*BAM*
I don't know if I was mad at Dr. Halsey.
*BAM*
I don't know if it was Chief Mendez or the other instructors.
*BAM*
Or even if I was mad at life.
*BAM-CRACK*
I paused as the chain link broke again, and I still hadn't broken a sweat. I looked around, seeing that I was the only one left in the room, "I guess it's time to get ready for the funeral," I whispered to myself, turning around to leave, ignoring the heavy bag now on the ground.
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(Sheila Pov)
"It's awful today," I looked up from my tray, seeing David pick at his food. No one had said anything from the line to when we sat down, and I was dying to talk to someone-anyone.
"Who'd have thought they'd give us the same protein slop even on the day of a funeral?" I asked with a fake smirk, looking at the team to see if anyone else seemed to find it funny.
All I got was a bunch of sighs, and my smirk crumbled.
I slumped over, suddenly not feeling like talking much either, but David's next words changed that.
"I overheard the instructors talking," he said in between bites in an even, low voice, "Apparently, we'll be getting a new member soon."
"They're already talking about replacing Ben?" I asked, gritting my teeth with both anger and exasperation.
"Seems like it," David said, his voice unchanging.
"This is bullshit," Daisy said, throwing her fork onto her empty tray finished eating.
"I guess time just marches on, then huh?" I asked, sarcastically looking at my plate. I didn't feel like eating anymore.
Cal was silent before she spoke up, maintaining her level-headedness, which I envied, "Is there anything we can do?"
"I don't know, can you raise the dead?" I couldn't help myself but jab at her. Cal turned to face me calmly and I couldn't help but wince seeing the lack of anger toward me. "Sorry," I mumbled just loud enough for her to hear.
A soft silence fell over us as we finished eating until I spoke up again.
"I miss Ben." Ben was my partner in crime. He'd always been willing to go along with my jokes or pranks. He was always there beside me; we were a dynamic duo, and now I am just all that's left.
Me and him kept things light when everything seemed to be going wrong, and now that he's gone, it feels like a part of me is missing. Even now, I wake up every morning to glance at his bed and congratulate him on pulling off the most elaborate prank in making us believe he was dead. Yet every night his still-made bunk remains untouched, even his clothing and gear sit where he left them, like he was coming back.
A sigh from across the table pulled me out of my depressive thoughts. David had finished and looked at me. His expression told me he knew what I was thinking, "I do too, but as much as I don't want to say it and you don't want to hear it, it's time. We have to move on."
"Dave, I know you're trying to help, but please don't give me the 'he'd want us to move on' spiel. I am not really in the mood for it," I said tiredly.
But David shook his head, "No, that was not what I was going to say. We need to move on because that's the only thing we can do. We can't bring him back, no one can," he paused as he seemed to consider his words, "And though I am sure he wouldn't want us to dwell, we cannot forget what's around us,"
He motioned to Daisy and Cal before turning back to me, "At the end of the day… even if Ben has left you still got us," and then he gave a ghost of a smirk, "While we may not exactly 'equal' a single Benjamin, something is better than nothing, right?"
I couldn't help but crack a small smirk, 'Dave, you really know just what to say, huh?' I thought to myself before exaggeratedly speaking, "I don't know, maybe God will let me trade the three of you in," and both Daisy and Cal couldn't help but crack a faint smile.
David let out a small chuckle before glancing down at a watch on his wrist, "Well, I guess it's time to go get ready for the funeral."
My smile that had bloomed dimmed, but I still maintained my patented smirk, "Then lets go get ready, maybe if we get there early we can snatch some good seats."
=====================================================================
(Cal Pov)
"Is everyone ready?" I finished putting on the naval dress uniform for the first time as David spoke.
I nodded whilst Daisy and Sheila responded with a "Yeah," "Uh-huh," respectively. They also finished getting dressed.
David picked up the white naval dress cap, hitting it against his thigh before putting it on, "Then, Petty Officer, lead the way," he motioned to me.
We began walking out the door through the halls, saying nothing. I watched the doors and anything that looked like an entrance, a habit picked up from training. We eventually got to the funeral location before the rest of the teams. We were directed on where to stand and went ahead and took our positions.
Slowly, the rest of our classmates seemed to pour in as time went on. Meanwhile, I stood glancing around at each face while adjusting my clothing. Ironing out minor wrinkles, shifted my own cap so that it was perfectly symmetrical. I wanted everything to be perfect.
'It's the least I can do.' Benjamin didn't deserve this. And I couldn't help but want to blame myself, 'Maybe I missed something,' though he wasn't at the physical level as the rest of the team, he was still in the top half of the class.
Benjamin was many things, but above all, he was humble. He shouldn't be the one dead; no one should. We'd done what they said and gotten through training, but now they were asking us to leave someone behind.
It was cruel.
As the last Spartan entered and took their place, the ceremony started. A chaplain gave a prayer before Mendez walked up to a podium and began speaking. While he was talking, I looked over at my teammates, my family.
Sheila stood in front of me me paying attention only to Chief Mendez. Periodically, she would glance over in the direction of Benjamin's casket. Her breathing was steady. She didn't seem to be as depressed as before. David's words at lunch appeared to have helped her, and she was doing better because of it.
Turning my eyes to Daisy beside her, I could tell she was still working through the loss. Her fists were clenched to the point they shook beside her. She seemed to glare at the casket, but I knew she wasn't angry at the person in it. I expected her to be angry, but I did not think she would have this level of rage.
'I should talk to her afterward, maybe I can help,'
Lastly, I turned my attention to the one beside me, David. Unlike the others, he seemed to be looking at the ground, a hardened expression marring his face. He looked like he was thinking, and he probably was. Maybe blaming himself, thinking that he had failed Benjamin when it certainly was not his fault. But that was just how he is, the type willing to sacrifice everything in order to win it all with me by his side…
Seemingly noticing my gaze, he looked up and, after realizing I was staring at him, raised a single eyebrow before mouthing what?
I quickly turned away, averting my gaze as I felt my face heat up. David, upon seeing my reaction, fortunately shrugged it off before refocusing on Mendez's speech as it was closing.
I waited a few moments before bringing my gaze back to Chief Mendez as well. I gave each one of my family, my teammates a hard look and swore to myself, 'I won't let them fall apart. I won't abandon them. Not ever,'
======================================================================
(David Pov)
After the funeral, we returned to the cafeteria for a final meal before retreating to our barracks.
We talked a bit more then. But as we trudged back to the barracks, none of us said anything. It was most likely due to the mental fatigue. I, for one, was ready for the day to be over and looked forward to a night's rest. Then we can put this… calamity behind us all and move forward.
The automatic door opened as Sheila inputted the code to the barracks, and the rest of us shuffled into the room. The light came on, sensing our motion as we entered. Like usual, everyone began moving to the bathroom in turns to change.
But while I waited for mine, I looked over at my nightstand and found something new lying on top of it. I made my way over and reached down, grabbing what seemed to be a white envelope. I tore open the flap, and a piece of metal hanging by a chain fell out into my hand. I recognized them in an instant, 'Dog tags?'
I narrowed my eyes, inspecting carefully, and was surprised to see a familiar name on them:
Benjamin S-127
I swallowed some spit before turning back to the envelope. There was a small note in familiar handwriting. I paused for a moment, but ultimately decided to read what it said.
When I had finished, I heard a voice behind me, "Whatcha looking at, Dave?" I looked over my shoulder, seeing Sheila looking at my hand.
I folded the note, putting it in the top drawer of my nightstand, and put the dog tags in with them.
"Nothing," I said, not as a way to lie, but simply because I felt too tired to explain. It was my turn to change, but before I walked into the bathroom, I turned, addressing the team as a whole.
"Get some rest. I have a feeling we won't be in training much longer."
==================================================================
That's all she wrote, or rather he wrote.
Hope this one is good, I don't think I am the best at writing emotional chapters but playing Clair de Lune seems to help I think. Share your thoughts.
Did I do well with the different Povs? I think this is the first time I have given his team Povs so far, well besides that one with Sheila back a couple chapters ago. I would like to think I made them each distinct and did well writing their personality as I have presented them so far. Comment your thoughts.
Anyway this is for training ladies and gentlemen. Next chapter is Chi Ceti, so look forward to that.
By the way I crushed my thermo test so that was pretty great.
Anyway drop a stone comment or such and I'll catch you in the next one.