5

Sam felt the suit pressurizing, adjusting to fit his frame perfectly. Something was pressed against his ear, like a Bluetooth, and the helmet neatly folded against his back. He fingered the device in his ear. It was small, and when he pulled it out, he discovered that it was flesh-covered. It made buzzing noises, but when he put it back into place, he heard a robotic voice.

"KEEP IT IN PLACE, SAM. I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO YOU."

"You can hear me?"

"ACTUALLY, I'M READING YOUR EMOTIONS, MUSCLE PATERNS, MORE PROMINENT THOUGHTS, AND ACCESSING YOUR FIVE SENSES TO GATHER INFORMATION SO I MIGHT BETTER ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS."

"You're reading my mind?"

"YOU COULD SAY THAT."

"So what now, Ricky?"

Ricky was quiet for a moment, then said, "WE NEED TO WAIT FOR YOUR PARTNER LYIA TO COME BACK. SHE'LL LEAD US THROUGH PROTOCOL AND SHOW US WHAT TO DO."

Sam thought about his situation. "Ricky, am I… are we part of a military operation?"

"NOT REALLY. MORE ALONG THE LINES OF A SECRET AGENCY."

"I get to be a spy? Awesome!"

"IT'LL BE AWESOME UNTIL IT STARTS."

Lyia came into the room. "I see you've met your F.B.P.S."

"Or FuhBuhPuhEss," Sam replied.

"Yours must be slightly defective."

Ricky's voice emanated from the suit. "THAT'S QUITE RUDE, YOUNG LADY."

Lyia laughed. "Mine's much less talkative."

"Does it have a name?"

A different robotic voice came from Lyia's suit. "QP-74, AT YOUR SERVICE." This one had a higher pitch and tighter frequency.

A thought struck Sam. "Is yours a girl?"

She gave him a funny look. "They don't have genders."

"Oh. I knew that."

Ricky spoke to him from the earpiece. "NO YOU DIDN'T."

"Shut up."

"What?"

"Nothing!"

Lyia blinked, then said, "Alright, training starts in five minutes. Let's go."

:::::

It took Sam awhile to get his legs working normally; the weight of the suit was enough to throw him off balance in his weak state. However, he soon strode confidently after Lyia, looking with wide eyes at everything they passed.

There wasn't much to see.

The entire hallway was made of stainless steel. They walked along, their footsteps muffled, until they reached a door. Lyia placed a gloved hand on a bright green pad next to the door frame, and it slid up. They walked into a huge courtyard that made Sam stare.

At least twenty teens their age stood in pairs, sparring. They whipped about, only blurs of black suit as they fought back and forth. One girl with long purple hair swirled and placed a fist on her partner's jaw, sending him flying. Sam would've watched more, but something hit him in the stomach.

"Oof!"

Lyia swung a large metal bar around. "You missed."

"Missed what?" Sam gasped for breath.

"Your chance to tag me. Twice," she stepped around him lightly. "Now three times."

"I'm supposed to tag you? You aren't doing anything!"

"No, you're the one who's not doing anything!" she yelled back.

"SHE HAS A POINT."

"Ricky, shut up!"

Lyia swung her bar, and Sam jumped out of the way. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

"If I do, I'll get a better partner!" She landed a kick on his chest, and he sprawled. His hand rested on the other bar. As she got ready to cave his head in, Sam threw the bar up, blocking her attack, and pushed her back. He stood and gripped the bar tightly. Lyia broke into a grin, which was surprising since she was ready to kill him a minute ago. "Finally! You have to fight to survive here." She swung and he parried. "They only keep the best."

"Who is they?!" he yelled angrily.

"Shh!" She clapped a hand over his mouth. "If they hear you, you'll be a goner," she warned.

Sam studied her eyes. Lyia seemed to be sincere, watching him with determination. "Mmmfff."

"What?" She removed her hand.

"Okay, we'll do it your way. But if I die, you're going to be sorry."

She looked him in the eyes. "I'm sure I'll be heartbroken."

They began fighting again.