The Devil Within

Some People Shouldn't be Given Weapons

"Now," you shouted, jumping out of the way of Matt's bullets.

Raphael huffed as he held an arm up to block Matt's attack. The bullets wouldn't actually hurt Raphael but it was a training exercise so you opted to use actual bullets that would hurt anything that wasn't an angel. It did, however, annoy Raphael because you did the exact same move earlier and it had no effect. He's been training you for half a year yet you were still making these mistakes. Raphael was hoping that these group training sessions would help you become a great leader, but the way you were going along things could get your companions hurt or killed. The other times Raphael had all of you doing these exercises, you only had a group of two or three to work with. But now you had almost the entire House of the Blessed under your command, only missing Don because he had some things to do at Sucre Corps. Perhaps that was why you were making this odd mistake? You weren't used to everyone fighting together.

Raphael slowly advanced to Matt, planning on knocking him out since he's been your scapegoat. Diogenes was trying to make do with his broken bow while Alexander was loading his musket. You made a mental note to help those two train in long-ranged weapons with a faster reload speed. They can't rely on the weapons of their separate times in battle, especially against demons. Yes, they could easily use them if it was comfortable but you didn't want Diogenes and Alexander to only use those weapons. That was practically suicide in the war Raphael wanted you to participate in. With that in mind, you nodded to the spot Aleksei was hidden behind and jumped at Raphael with your weapon in hand. Raphael spun around and caught you by the front of your shirt, giving Aleksei the perfect opening to strike.

"You need to stop thinking like those Winchesters," Raphael scolded you as he knocked your weapon from your hand. "Self-sacrificing yourself can only go so far-" Raphael stopped talking when he felt the point of Aleksei's knife drive into his spine. You smiled at Raphael as he slowly set you down, making sure that he didn't hurt your already exhausted body. "Well done, that was a thought-out plan. But my earlier statement still stands."

"Stop thinking like a Winchester," you repeated, playfully wincing at the insult. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Now, you two," Raphael said, turning his attention to Diogenes and Alexander, switching between languages so everyone could understand his notes to the fullest extent. "Learn to use modern-day weaponry. You can not rely on those weapons against certain monsters. Something less breakable and faster to load would be preferable if you wish to stay with long-ranged weapons."

"Yes, Raphael," Diogenes and Alexander said at once. 

Raphael nodded and waved his hand to mend Diogenes' bow before turning to Matt. "The military has trained you well in combat," Raphael told him, commending Matt's abilities. "I'm afraid that they have also dampened your survival instinct in the process. Don't just focus on killing your enemy. At the end of the day, your life matters more than the monster's death." Matt just nodded and thanked Raphael who turned to face Aleksei next. "Congratulations, you're the first human to have successfully snuck up on an Archangel, that is no easy feat, Aleksei." Aleksei beamed as sweat dripped down his face. Raphael chuckled as he summoned Aleksei's knife to leave his back and made it appear in his hand. Raphael handed it to Aleksei hilt first as he continued his suggestion for improvement. "Your stealth could use some fine-tuning but I believe you should start focusing some more attention on hand-to-hand combat. Should your location is compromised, you should be prepared for a fight without the element of surprise."

"Got it," Aleksei said, nodding. 

"Good," Raphael said, healing the wounds your group was able to make. "I believe that concludes today's training. Towel down, drink some water, and stretch, you deserve it."