Rebel

Chapter Thirty Eight

Whether or not you focus during training could be the difference between success and defeat."

I blinked at her, "Well then I guess we're gonna have to settle for defeat."

"Who do you think you are?" the instructor snapped, "Do you even know how important this training is? Can your tiny, hormonal teenage brain even register the fact that the rest of the world depends on you? Morsie's already got all of Braneve under her stupid mind controlling brain microbes, now she's aiming for the rest of the world! If you can't--"

"Wait." I said, cutting her off, "What do you mean by mind controlling brain microbes?"

"I... Uh, did I say that? I meant uh..."

"So Morsie is mind controlling everyone! I guess that makes sense. I mean, all those buffoons back at Waterfall Academy seem to worship her. And it's not like she's done any good for us. All she's done is put in place curfews and wrote some cheesy anthem."

"I really have no idea what you're talking about." The instructor said, trying to cover up her slip, but I saw through her lies like a freshly polished window.

"Mind controlling brain microbes..." I muttered, my heart starting to race with the excitement of the new knowledge. "I wonder how she managed to install them. At birth, it has to be. I think even the normal morons would be smart enough to get suspicious if everyone got brain surgery and then suddenly started worshiping Morsie."

The instructor sighed, "Alright, Cordell, you got me. But you can't tell anyone that you know, you hear me? Not only will I be fired, but you'll lose all hope of ever getting out of here."

That last sentence cut me short. "Never getting outta here? But... why?"

The instructor crossed her arms, "Because, with that knowledge you could do a lot of harm. Do you know what Morsie would do to us if she found out we were a secret association against her that knows what she's been doing? We can't risk it. You're gonna have to keep quiet."

"Well who do you people think you are?" I muttered angrily under my breath.

"What was that?" The instructor asked, tipping her chin up at me.

"It's none of your business, um... Instructor Lady." I spat, doing my best to cross my arms despite the pain it caused me.

She sighed. "My name is Bristol Jya. You should know this, I've been your instructor for four days."

I shrugged, "Your name has no importance to me."

Bristol crossed her arms, "My point still remains. You need to take this seriously! Your score in training determines whether or not you get out there and make a difference!"

"Well maybe I don't wanna make a difference!" I shouted, finally snapping. I didn't wait to see how Bristol would react to my words. I just spun on my heel and marched out of the room.

I knew where I wanted to go. I definitely didn't want to go to the crowded lunchroom, nor did I want to disappear to my room where they'll know to come for me. I marched down the hall, through a crazy maze of hallways, and ended up in front of a ladder guarded by a certain boy in the typical green jumpsuit. His purple hair competed with the green making him look quite goofy.

"You are not authorized to go any further." He said, staring stiffly at the wall over my shoulder.

"Oh cut the act you stiff butt." I said.

A shadow of a smile passed his lips, but then he swallowed and it passed, "Sage, what are you doing? You're not supposed to know I have guard duty, let alone where and when I work."

"Well, Harvey," I said, "I know quite a few things that I'm not supposed to know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harvey said, making eye contact with me for the first time.

"It means that I'm fine to be here." I said, pressing my back to the wall and sitting down.

Harvey sighed and propped his fancy Sancuarian spear over his shoulder, "Alright fine, you can stay. But you have to explain to me why the heck you haven't passed hunter training yet. It's been a week and a half."

"Well that's because the stupid training instructors aren't actually teaching me hunting. They just keep yapping on and on about trust and honesty and blah, blah, blah. Useless!"

Harvey chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, these people are really serious about trust. Lucky me, I'm so handsome that they just decided to trust me right away, and now I get the job of being a guard!"

"Oh sure, you're so special." I said sarcastically, "And anyway, guard duty sounds so boring. All you do is stand by a door and stare at the wall all day."

"Well yeah, it's pretty boring. But just one more week of this and I can start training to be a soldier in the Santuarian military. Once I pass training, I can go out into the world and slay all of Morsie's filthy soldiers!"

I sighed, "Yeah, that sounds nice. The biggest problem for you is that we figured out Morsie's plan before you went through your metamorphosis. Now you're a powerless loser who has to use metal tools."

"Hardy har." Harvey said, swinging his spear forward and whacking my arm with the blunt end of it. "You don't have to rub it in. I am perfectly capable of using normal human abilities anyway. I don't need powers in order to be awesome."

"You keep telling yourself that." I said, leaning my head back on the wall, "Man, my shoulder hurts. And I'm hungry."

"Aww, you poor baby." Harvey said, shooting me a mock pouty face.

"Yeah, yeah, I should wear diapers and what not." I said, waving a hand to dismiss his words. "But seriously though, when do you finish your shift? I wanna go eat."

"I finish at 18:30."

"18:30!? That's in like, 20 minutes!"

"I know, it's awful." Harvey said, rolling his eyes, "I don't think you can make it. You better go talk to my boss; see if you can make it fifteen minutes shorter."

"I might have to. I haven't eaten since 12 o' clock. I might pass out due to low blood sugar."

"Why don't you just turn your hand into a doughnut and then eat it?"

"It doesn't work like that. I can't just eat my hand, because it would just turn back into a hand in my stomach and I won't have a hand. I'd be handless."

"Well then I guess you're screwed."

"I guess so." I said, leaning my head against the wall and grabbing my rumbling stomach, "The world is always working against me. I can never win, can I?"

"Nope, everyone hates you, even karma. But don't take it too personally, karma hates everyone."

"You have no idea." I said, "Well, I guess I'm just gonna head over to the lunchroom. You better hurry and catch up, or I'm gonna start eating without you." I stood up and started walking back down the hall.

"You better not!" Harvey called behind me.

"No promises!" I yelled behind my shoulder, "Don't be late, you hear me?" And with that, I turned the corner and walked to the lunchroom.