Back in action

20. Training pt. 4 - Advaced

Advanced tanning, that was what they were doing now. Since the other trainings were somewhat different from what the eight expected, they expected this one to be no different.

Boy, were they wrong. This one would have to be the normal one out of them all. For this one, Guildarts was the instructor. The first thing he told them when they arrived was, "you're all going to be training with the things you've already learned,  just improving them."

After he said that, someone hiding from the back laughed and said, "is that all old man? I was expecting more." Before taking another swing of her booze. "Cana, my daughter, is that you?" His expression changed from smug to one of a doting father, hugging Cana.

"Get off me you old man," she shoved him off. "Guildarts-sensei, is that you?" Levy sputtered. "ha ha, I knew I recognized some familiar faces." He chucked. "You still remember us?" Gray questioned. "Of course, I could I forget my best and worst students? Even after ten years, tou eight were the best/worst students ever."

The eight of them blushed slightly in embarrassment. "I'll never understand how those eight know everybody we've met." Kinana sighed. Throughout the months that they've known each other, they've known everybody that they've met, no matter how high of a standing thy have in the agency.

"Well, that's because we knew all these people while we were in our prime as spies, in high school." Jellal explained. "Theres one thing about you all that I don't get: why did you top and suddenly decide to come back and start from the beginning. If you really wanted to, I bet that you could've gotten close — if not exactly — where you were before."

They looked at each other, contemplating whether they should tell them the truth or not with their eyes. As if they were talking telepathy, they came to an agreement that they should tell them the truth; if they were their friends, the parents wanted them to know th truth about it.

"That's because . . ." Jellal ended up explaining everything to the other four.

"Alright," Guildarts started, going the attention of everyone around them. "Now that everyone's up-to-date on everything, I think it's about time training gets started." He clapped his hands together.

"For the first week, you're going to be doing everything you did as trainees, doubled. For the second week, everything that you've done as beginners, doubled. The third week is everything done as intermediates, doubled. And, finally the last week is for you to, basically, focus on whatever you need to work on."

"For the exam, its going to be the graduation. If you pass the exam, you immediately move on to the graduation. This exam, is special from the other ones you've taken. In this one, you get to pick anything you trained and demonstrate it. If its better than average and meets the standards, then you pass."

He continued to talk about a bunch of unimportant, trivial stuff regarding the training. No one really listened to what he said after explaining the training sessions. He barley listened to himself talk and at one point said, 'blah-blah-blah,' instead of talking properly.

-

In the first week, they trained as the would as trainees, except everything that they did four months ago was doubled. The work was very difficult to complete and everyone ran an exceptional amount of laps.

The weights got heavier and the amount they had to lift them also got a lot heavier. The distance they ran an the amount of bullets coming towards them also increased and their speed did too.

Throughout the entire week, that was all they did, daily. By the end of each day, the twelve would scarf down the food and when they got to bed, they would immediately collapse from over-excursion and they slept with no interruptions.

Gajeel, natsu an Gay were also too tired to pick fights with each other (somehow).

-

In the second week, the twelve started out with punching bags until one o'clock. The punching bags were considerably heavier and this time, everyone had to wear twenty pound weights against their legs and arms while using the punching bags.

After one, they moved out onto the wooden stands.

Instead of being how they were before, they had reaction times way faster than before, instead of four arms, it had six and they were harder to hit.

Just like te previous week, they were extremely tired after each and every day of the week.

-

In the third week, it was much easier than the other two.

In the third week, they only focused on the weapons they chose; not any of the other ones they trained with for two weeks. They trained individually, focusing on the strong and week points of their weapons.

If they lacked in aim, they focused on improving that for half the week. If they were good at technique, they worked on that for the other half of the week. The twelve couldn't work together with their training, for they each had different strengths and weaknesses.

Although, their goal was to rid themselves of all weakness. Not that it was physically possible to have no weaknesses. But they tried anyways.

-

In the fourth week, the week that they only had training for five days, an they also couldn't train together. Sure, a couple of them coud be in the same trining ground, but they all had different things to work on.

They barley went to thir rooms and all their free time was spent on training. The though that in only a few days, they would be able to see their children again, forced adrenaline to course through their veins and make all their exhaustion vanish instantly.

Even though the eight knew that they were over working themselves, and even though the other four tried to stop them as much as possible, it was futile.

Nothing would stop them from getting stronger.

With the memory of getting their asses kicked by Sabertooth made their blood pump even faster. And made them punch themselves even further than before.

-

By the day of the final exam, all of their past instructors — including Guildarts — were sitting waiting. Even Makarov was sitting there. "What's the master doing here?" Kinana questioned, confusion lacing her voice.

"I came to see how my old children flourished." He answered. "Are you kidding me? They even know the master?!" Evergreen yelled, outraged. Th eight could only sheepishly laugh in response.

"Enough chit-chat, let's get this exam underway."