Gotta catch up with everything >_>

so here's another chapter :D

Thanks to everyone sending me regards.

A small update though, I don't know when I'll be able to post the next one. I got two tests next week so I probably won't write that much to be honest.

Anyways, enjoy the chapter ^^

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After talking with Rose for a small amount of time she decided to show me the rest of the facility including their own cafeteria.

All in all the whole complex had been build as a training facility for different kinds of special forces. It looked a lot like a huge prison since the buildings surrounded a training ground in a square fashion. Each side of said square served a different purpose.

The entirety facing the south was our barracks where we as soldiers lived, slept and ate.

Located in the west was a building that acted as research and testing facility, though it seemed like nobody used that part much.

The north had a bunch of offices where some of the members made their paper work. The captain spend most of her time there supervising the different reports send to their superiors.

And the east... yeah, I didn't know much about that one. It looked identical to the first part, meaning our barracks and my guess was that it was meant to house multiple other squadrons.

Also there were multiple underground levels that could be used if more dangerous weapons would be used.

Currently barely 9 people lived in the whole facility. It had surprised me and when I asked Rose about it she simply laughed and told me that it was more than enough to manage the whole place.

Next to Karen, Liam, Ignar and Rose the last remaining member of squadron A3 that was not on a mission was a guy named Songe Parker. Everyone but Captain Ithild called him just by his last name and he seemed like a reliable person.

The other three people where one mechanic and two scientists that kept the equipment in check and helped us out in various aspects. Their loyalty lied not with the military but with Captain Ithild.

"So Alexis? After sleeping over it, what do you think of our small community?"

I turned towards the person talking to me, Rose. It was the next day and I had been eating breakfast which consisted of some kind of porridge. I had woken up at 5 am since my training would start today.

"It seems nice Rose. Though everything seems a bit empty with only 9 people around."

She smiles at me. She really does that a lot.

"Ah don't worry about it, if the other five get back from their mission it'll fill up. Karen told me that I should look after you which also includes your training. Just eat up we're not in much of a hurry at the moment. It seems like the others are mainly collecting information."

With that she places a plate on the table in front of me and starts eating.

"You'll get used to the cooking, it's mostly Barnett that cooks for us."

Barnett was the mechanic that lived here as well.

"Everyone is allowed to use the kitchen but Barnett just seems to love to torture us. Not sure if he loves us and is just trying his best or if he's actually doing that on purpose."

I laugher escapes my throat.

"Want me to cook you something? I've been told that my cooking is acceptable."

"Well Barnett mostly does breakfast anyways. We can pretty much freely choose the other meals as long as it's healthy to a certain degree. Karen doesn't want her subordinates to slack off in any way. Aside from that... Sure we can make some food after I've shown you the basics of what you need to know... and yes, that could take up the whole day."

Stuffing the rest of our food into our mouth we get up and put the plates away.

"Ok Alexis, we're not going to go outside since you might go overboard, so we're going to use one of the rooms in the basement."

She grabs my hand and pulls me towards one of the different stairs leading downwards. Apparently there was only one elevator and it should only be used to transport certain kinds of equipment. The lower levels are pretty much the same as the upper ones. Multiple hallways leading to different kinds of rooms, ranging from toilets to a huge areal in the middle.

Rose shoves me into one of the different shooting ranges that are located just below the north sector..

"Well first of all, you might want to change into something shorter, just so I can show you what exactly happens with your limbs. Trust me, it's easier to understand if you do. Just put those on."

She hands me a tank top and a pair of short trousers. Since I don't really care about what she sees I simply change in front of her. She doesn't seem to be fazed by it though.

"Now, the most basic function of the gear, next to enhancement of course is that those limbs can remember certain things. It's not really remembering, more like saving certain states. The newer series all have that function.

So what it allows you to do for example is pretty much use any kind of gun twice and after that your limbs will automatically neutralize any kind of recoil from it. So guess what we'll be doing now."

Well... I guess letting my limbs remember the different guns... haaa well this could get annoying.

"Judging from your face you guessed it already. We have a ton of different weapons. I want you to try to hit the target with each one. Trust me it'll all get easier once you get used to it, trust me."

With that she throws me a handgun.

"This is why I told you that we might need the whole day."

I've only shot a gun twice in my life. And that had only been on a trip with Zoe's parents. At that time the recoil had surprised me and had left a bruise on my shoulder.

I aimed towards the middle of the human shaped target a few meters away and pulled the trigger.

Since it was my first time using that type of gun I absolutely missed as the recoil shoved the barrel upwards. The round hit one feet over the targets head.

"It's ok, you don't need to hit anything right now. Like I said, I want you to realize what your limbs can do for you. The thing you need to do is focus entirely on the push the gun gives you. Just try again."

Again I aimed towards the target and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. No, it felt as if nothing had happened. Surprisingly my arm didn't budge a single inch and the bullet hit the shoulder of the human shaped paper.

It was still a feet of off were I had aimed but it was not the total whiff I had done before.

Behind me Rose was applauding me with a few claps.

"Good try. Thought since you're not used to this I want you to keep shooting until I tell you to stop. Luckily you also have the corresponding eyes to the gear. It lets you hit your mark much more easily as soon as you learn how to connect the two."

She handed me a pair of earmuffs.

And then I kept shooting....and shooting....and shooting.

After a multitude of handguns Rose handed me different rifles. And more...and more...

Even through the muffs the constant shots resounded through my ears.

Five hours later, with small breaks in between, Rose let me stop. She said I was a fast learner and that only my aim under certain circumstances needed improvement. But that was something I should do when I was alone. That's what I assumed at least.

I was exhausted, though I wasn't sure why. My limbs took over during shooting making the barrel sway almost nonexistent.

"It's convenient right? Even most of us as trained soldiers use it. Especially if we use high caliber rifles. It's fascinating, when you're in full gear you can even connect the different visors to the gun making it even easier to fire. That's it for now with the gun training.

The other stuff is mostly combat. Have you ever practiced any martial arts?"

Well, the raiders tried to have me do some but I never really wanted to.

"No, not really. It never seemed to interest me." I answered honestly.

"Well...that could become a problem. Your limbs have certain reflexes programmed into them but that won't do you any good against somebody that's well versed in hand to hand combat. At least not against somebody of the same level as pretty much every single member of the squadron. Well, I-"

Interrupting herself she suddenly punches towards my face with her enhanced arm.

I've seen faster moving objects, but that was certainly top tier concerning speed.

I dodged without much problems. My - from a biological standpoint - already enhanced reactions only get enhanced even further through the different mechanical changes.

I take a step sideways and avoid the punch as a whole.

Without stopping Rose takes a step forward in a weird stance. Her left hand grabs at my leg that I had positioned in front while her right arm grasped for my side.

I retreated a few steps but she quickly followed in and suddenly I feel something drag one of my feet away from under me.

I try to regain my balance but although everything around me seems so slow paced my body makes the wrong movement and I land on my back behind Rose.

She turns around and I leap backwards and get into a ready position. If she wants to fight then I'll show her what happens if you let me prepare.

Then she gives me that simple smile she uses so often.

"To be honest that was better than I expected. I didn't know that you could already go at that speed. You're even faster than me, although I wasn't really serious just then. But I hope you realize the difference between just speed and technique. As a member of one of the strongest military squadrons of the free world you should at least be able to use the basics of a couple of martial arts. Trust me, it's important.

By the way. To speed up the whole process it'll be easier to let your limbs remember certain parts again. It will become one of your new reflexes. The only drawback is has it that it makes you kind of predictable in certain situations. But with your speed that shouldn't be a problem."

... I have a bad feeling about the whole thing.

"How exactly would I remember everything?" I slowly ask.

Her smile turns a tad sadistic.

"I'm pretty sure you've already guessed that much. But don't worry, I won't go all out. I'm the strongest when it comes to hand to hand combat, just so you know. And now get ready. I won't let you out of here until we've done at least the basics."

Ah crap.

Without waiting she shows me a couple of basic stances that were good against one or multiple enemies. Then against guns which consisted of using the limbs to shield the most important parts of your body.

Then hell began. Rose definitely changes while fighting well, since I'm really new and they don't know when I'll need to be ready they just want me to have the basics as fast as possible.

While having me take several stances she told me to defend as long as possible as I should react in the way she wanted me to. Occasionally she would tell me to hit her in a certain way.

It felt weird, staged most of the time but like with the dozens of rifles I had shot a certain routine came up and I didn't even need to think about what I was doing. I was simply defending and attacking in patterns I personally did not even know.

While taking a short break from the fighting I asked Rose.

"Rose? How does this even work. I mean I get that the limbs can save some things. But how am I able to recreate those sequences in that manner?"

Again smiling she hands me a bottle of water.

"I personally don't know the mechanical stuff behind the whole thing but I can explain the principle to you. As example, when you type in a password on a pc or a phone. Do you even think about what your fingers are doing? At first of course. But after a while you simply let your hands move. It's the same thing only on a bigger scale. If you type your password on a different keyboard it gets harder but you still do it without really thinking about it. I personally call that the brains collection of heavy habits.

Your limbs are connected to your brain through your nerves. They pretty much set one of those conditions making your brain react in that way under certain circumstances."

That was surprising.

"So can I suppress it in any kind of way?"

"I told you, that's the problem. You're certainly able to alter the patterns through training but the basics will always stay the same."

"But isn't that dangerous if somebody anticipates exactly that?"

"That depends. Me for example, I know more martial arts than any of the others. As such it is really hard to actually predict what I could use in a special situation since I might have around 20 ways to react. You on the other hand only have two or three ways. That is what makes the whole thing dangerous. But like I said, only specialized humans will be able to beat you as you are now. That speed is extraordinary. And when I teach you how to unlock the limbs you'll be even faster. The rest can be overcome with training alone."

With that she stand up and pulls me with her.

"And concerning training."

A fist appears in front of my face and I parry it by hitting the side of her arm with my Hand, kocking the attack to the side.

This would probably be another exhausting five hours.