Agents Universe

====September 4th, 2016 08:30====

12:26 Jack_Young: I can’t believe it’s finally here.. The day I take my first step towards being a CSIS agent. This has been so many years in the making, and with it come so many voices in my head telling me I’m driving towards pain and humiliation. The Young family have served in, or with, the CSIS for many generations. My grandad, Magnus Young, was one of the best agents the organisation had ever seen. His legacy was honoured by my father, who served with the Canadian military and worked closely with the CSIS. Now, I am following in the footsteps of my older brothers, Michael and Philip, both of whom have established themselves as highly successful and important CSIS agents. After an early-morning flight to the Canadian wilderness, I find myself almost throwing up in the back of this black Honda that picked me up in my anxious state. As we drive through the fir trees, miles away from civilization, I think about where I’m going and where I’ve been.

12:26 Jack_Young: For so long I have been treading water in the ocean of my life, forever staying still and barely keeping the water out of my lungs. The years haven’t been kind since I lost my dad.. And after an equally traumatic incident in the months following his death, I was torn apart from the rest of my family. As soon as I turned 18, I was made to feel like the family home was no longer welcome to me. I was able to secure an apartment in downtown Toronto with the money dad left me, and have been alone ever since. Communication with my family has been limited, and this whole idea of being a secret agent is purely to honour the men that came before me. The truth is, I’m not strong enough to do this. I’m not tough enough to see this through, I feel it in my bones and I know it in my heart.. But I have to push through it all and not allow myself to be even more of the disappointment in the family.

12:26 Jack_Young: As we reach Opeongo Lake, a few hundred miles north of Toronto, the driver turns down a dirt path that seemingly leads nowhere. A few miles down the road, however, and I am greeted with a beautiful ranch-style cabin complex made up of multiple buildings set perfectly against the lakeside and amongst the trees. The driver pulls up outside the main building and I open the door, removing my earphones and collecting my bags. I step out of the car and throw them over my shoulder, suddenly overcome with dread and.. The shakes.. Fuck, but to be expected. I have to control them, I thank the driver and look around at the buildings. The induction doesn’t start until 10am, but I have been instructed to go into the dormitories first and claim a bed. I have no idea where they are, but I can guarantee it will be its own building.. Is this a test? Or am I just overthinking it like I do everything else? Fuck.. they’re going to eat me alive here.

12:26 Jack_Young: I’m saved by the sudden and slightly distant raucous laughter coming from my right, towards the lakeside. There’s a building there with the door open, I have no idea what I’m doing but I walk across the dirt and walk in. Inside, I find 10-or-so men leaning against beds and talking to each other. So, this is it. This is where I’ll be living for a few months at a time. It’s a large, open plan with many single beds scattered around. Each one is well-built, made from locally-sourced wooden beds with matching bedside tables and chests. There are couches and coffee tables set up in the centre of the room. I have no idea what to say to the other guys, I have no idea where to put myself.. I feel like a fucking 11-year-old on his first day at a new school. I find a bed that is seemingly unclaimed and rest my bag down onto the thick, patterned duvet. I look across at a guy sitting on the bed next to mine. “Hey, is this taken?”

12:26 Myles_Willow: Jesus, these are a loud bunch. A sharp pain has been seeping into my temples for the last hour or so, fucking ridiculous. Just shut up, it isn’t that exciting. I was one of the first here, and it has just grown louder and louder with each new arrival. The men boast about their previous experience, what family they are from, who their dad served for.. Like I give a shit. I’ve learned a lot about each of these guys, and I don’t care about any of it. 10am can’t come fast enough, and now the last few are drip-feeding in every few minutes. One guy walks in and looks like a fucking sheep got out of it’s field, holy hell.. At least the other guys had some confidence and swagger in their walk. He tentatively places his bags on the bed and, oh fuck.. More talking. I just nod and mutter to him. “Yeah, well.. Not anymore, I guess..” All I can think about is how many of these fucking guys are going to snore.

12:26 Zane_Reynolds: Being the first one here only made sense. I actually arrived mid-afternoon yesterday and got to enjoy my new crib to myself for a few hours. This morning is where the fun really started though.. Meeting all my new brothers, and deciding which ones would be staying and which ones will end up flat on their arses begging for mercy in endurance class. So far, not bad.. But I have my eyes peeled for one in particular. I scan every poor fucker that comes through the door, and finally I see him waltz in like a child wandering into the wrong class. Jack Young. I lick my lips as he awkwardly searches for a bed, then even more awkwardly asks if one is free. He’s probably disappointed that we’ll all be sharing a room, but it’s all about bonding. We aren’t just classmates to each other.. We’ll be brothers in arms. We’ll be responsible for each other’s lives, and that relationship starts now.. But not for him. “Hey,” I turn to my new pal Zach. “We’ll give this one a week, eh?” We laugh quietly. Best go introduce myself. I walk across the room to him, placing my hand on his shoulder in a ‘friendly’ grip. “Hey, I’m Zane. And you are?”

12:26 Jack_Young: Well, looks like my neighbour is going to be fun. Although, he seems to be the quietest in the room right now so that instantly makes me like him the most. I start unpacking some stuff when there’s a sudden, firm smack on my shoulder. I turn to see the biggest guy in the room greeting me with a cocky smirk on his face. Before coming here I had convinced myself of one thing: the first guy to introduce himself to you will be one of two things. He’ll either be the friendliest in the group, or the cockiest shit you’ll ever meet.. I hate myself for pre-judging, but everything about this guy screams the latter. I’m not here to make enemies though, I’m going to embarrass myself on a daily basis and could do with some support behind me, so I might as well make the effort. I smile and hold out my hand. “I’m Jack, good to meet you..”

12:26 Zane_Reynolds: I take Jack’s hand and shake it firmly, I’m not completely disrespectful.. But being a friend of his brothers so long has apparently led me on a mission. I’m under strict instruction to make his life a living hell whilst he’s here, just to mess with him. They don’t want him here, and by extension neither do I. His brothers have told me how to get into his head, and I might as well start now. I look at him with concern. “Hey, are.. Are you alright? When you walked in you sort of had a look in your eye like..” I pull a face and shrug my shoulders. “Like you had better things to do almost?” Nice. Jack is apparently the nice guy, and deeply insecure.. Mike and Phil could have made a career out of torturing Jack, they’ve told me all the things they’ve done to him over the years. Every success he’s had gets shot down immediately, any talent he displays is completely disregarded.. Jack has demons, and I need to act like every single voice in his head is 100% true. It’s going to be fun.

12:26 Jack_Young: We shake hands, but then he asks me something strange. Really fucking strange.. What the fuck? Is.. is that how I’m coming across to people? Like I’m better than this place? My heart picks up a little bit and my eyes widen. “Uh, no! No, not at all..” I half-laugh but inside I feel like I’m disintegrating. What did I do? How the fuck did I come across like that? I just walked into the place.. This happens all the time, I get in my head about things and then people just confirm it to me. I knew I felt out of place, and I knew I was in way over my head here.. But apparently that fear comes across as arrogance? How the hell am I going to survive this place and be a somewhat decent agent if I constantly live in this pathetic anxious state.. His words have sent me spiralling, and now I don’t know what to do or say. I feel myself getting flustered.. I fucking hate this. “I’m excited to be here,” I smile, hopefully seeming okay on the outside but my pits are sweating.

12:26 Zane_Reynolds: I catch the widening of his eyes and slight panic to his voice. I hold it all inside but I just want to burst out laughing.. This kid is every bit as pathetic as his brothers say. Who the fuck cares what other people think of you? Especially in a job like this. Jack doesn’t belong here, and that is incredibly evident. He doesn’t fit the role. He’s a scared, insecure child who wants to be a highly trained assassin and spy.. It just doesn’t make sense. But I know how to keep this game going, so I just shrug and smile back at him. “Oh, my bad. I’ll see you at 10 then, eh?” I take a step away, but then notice this pathetic little Spanish-or-something twink walk into the room. My eyes widen and I have to turn back to Jack. “Hey.. looks like we found our jobber..” I smirk and walk back to Zach, who is already laughing at the kid.

12:26 Jack_Young: My first real interaction with somebody here has already made me feel like shit. What the fuck am I doing here? Why am I doing this? Why do I care what he thinks? It’s my biggest weakness, it always has been.. And in a job like this that’s a pretty big weakness to have. My decision to be here is solely due to the fear of being the reject of the family, moreso than I already am. At least if I can prove myself to be a good agent, I have something to be proud of.. But that goal seems to be getting harder and harder to achieve. Zane starts to walk away, but then mentions a new ‘jobber’ walking into the room. I turn and see a young Hispanic kid walking in. Sure, he’s small but clearly in great shape.. I look back at Zane as he walks away and frown. The last thing I expected to find here was a bully, at least not one so obvious.. I thought that was a fucking high school thing and I don’t have time for it.

12:26 Elías_Santiago: Arriving at the CSIS academy is every bit as adrenaline-fuelling and equally terrifying as I imagined it to be. I may only be 20-years-old, but damn have I worked hard to be here. My dad is a police sergeant in Vancouver and put my name forward for this program.. I worked to the bone to get here and they actually accepted me. I have every intention of being one of the best agents the CSIS has ever seen. I walk into the room and immediately notice I am one of the smallest there, which doesn’t look good for me. I’m bound to be underestimated, but I sure know how to fight. I dump my bags on an empty bed, opposite some guy that seems to be lacking… something. Surviving this place is going to be like Game of Thrones, I need to form an alliance with somebody high up in the class and feed off their reputation. From what I’ve heard, this place can get intense and as much as we’re meant to be “brothers”, we’ll end up competing with each other to be the best of the best. It’s too early to tell how useful this guy will be to me, but it doesn’t hurt to have someone in my pocket straight off the bat. I go over to him and shake his hand. “Hi, I’m Elías. Good to meet you..”

12:26 Jack_Young: I try and shake off the conversation with Zane. Everything about it made me feel like shit and I need to stay focused. The induction is approaching and I just know it’s going to be rough as hell. I carry on putting things away, only to be interrupted by the so-called ‘jobber’. He shakes my hand and greets me, and I smile back and introduce myself. “Hi, I’m Jack. Good to meet you, too.” I believe that first impressions are a good basis for judging someone’s character, and Zane left a bitter taste in my mouth. Elías, on the other hand, is somebody worth talking to. Sure, he’s small.. But so am I. He looks a hell of a lot stronger than I am and could no doubt kick my ass.. Fuck, everybody here probably could. Elías and I talk briefly, but time is running out and we have to get ready for induction. As the time approaches, I feel my throat getting drier and drier.. This is going to suck.

=====09:56AM=====

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: I stand in the training room with my hands behind my back. I watch intently as the boys come strolling in, each carrying themselves in a different way. This is one of my favourite parts of the whole program.. I can learn so much about my new recruits in these few moments. Who is the cocky asshole, who is the worthless fighter and who is going to embarrass themselves for the rest of their sorry life. I recognise them all instantly, and some of my suspicions are confirmed as they stand opposite me in a long line. I see Zane Reynolds, the biggest in the class by far.. He walks with confidence, with purpose.. And it’s completely effortless. He’s not trying, it’s just who he is. A fine agent he could be. Zach Rawlings, much the same.. Elías Santiago, small but determined. I drink them all in like water on a hot day, I will be proud of these boys. I will scream at these boys, and I will cry for these boys. I will watch some of them blossom, and some of them fall. My eyes rest on Jack Young, one of the most intriguing new recruits because of his background. I fucking hated his brothers, they were the cockiest, most arrogant shits I’ve ever taught. Jack will be the same, I’m sure of it.. But I have to admit he carries himself differently.. He looks a little tired, a little unsure, and he’s a little twitchy. He’s difficult to read, but one thing is for sure.. He looks most like his father out of all of the Young boys, and what a man his father was.

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: “Alright, boys.. In we come..” I say as they take their place. There’s some fine specimens this year, but I can already tell which ones won’t make it. “Welcome to the CSIS training academy..” my voice echoes around the large gymnasium, I know exactly how to project it so that it keeps these fuckers awake and alert. “First thing first, you will each sign a waiver. This waiver is to say that you WILL get hurt whilst you are here. In some cases, pretty badly. We have medics on site and will even be trained how to patch yourselves up. But, more importantly.. You can die here. No point in beating around the bush. If you fail to follow instructions, if you fail to perform adequately, death is a possibility and has happened once before.. You’ve been warned..”

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: I watch as the admin guys hand each recruit their individual waiver. Some read it, some don’t.. But what matters is that they all sign. And, just like that.. I have 16 new little boys to turn into agents. “Fantastic, now.. A little bit about what you will be doing over the next 3 years. You will live here for a few months at a time, shacking it up with these fine young men around you. You will be brothers, and you will fight.. But if anybody comes crying to me about getting picked on then you can get fucked. On average, only 5 of you are expected to graduate from this class. The rest of you will fail to meet our expectations, be forced to drop out due to injury, or drop out of your own accord like the fucking cowards you are. Now what exactly is a CSIS agent, eh? You will be fighters. You will be nurses. You will be assassins and warriors. You will be spies. You will be leaders. If the job calls for it, you will be whores. You will do whatever is necessary to succeed in a mission. The protection of our country will fall into your hands. You will fight, kill and fuck your way to success or you will die trying. One day you’ll be businessmen, the next a fucking Irish immigrant. You take whatever role is necessary to get close to a target, and you act your ass off to not blow your cover. You will meet senior CSIS agents whilst you are here and learn from them, and if they have any doubts over your abilities to stay in this class, I will be taking it on board and you can kiss your sorry ass goodbye..”

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: “So, with that being said.. Let’s see what those abilities are. We’re going to play a little game. It’s sort of like king of the hill, but it’s the loser who stays on. Two of you will fight, and the one who gets the other guy to the floor will rejoin the line, victorious. The loser will fight the next guy, and so on. You do not want to be up here for too long, because that will be humiliating and your reputation will plummet. You all have fighting experience, and you’re all in good shape. I see no reason for anybody to beat the current record of 8 losses in a row, and I don’t even want to see anybody come close to that. This is not a high-school wrestling match, it is a fight. You will bleed, you will hurt.. But none of you will fear pain, and for fuck’s sake don’t knock each other out with too many hits to the face..” My eyes scan the line.. “Hampton! Ashmore! You’re up first..”

12:26 Wyatt_Hampton: I look up as the instructor calls my name. My only reaction is a slight surge of pre-fight adrenaline. Getting excited just isn’t in my nature. My friends have always called me a “cool cucumber”. Whatever. I just don’t get why everyone has to get so excited about shit. Stuff happens. Deal with it. I step forward, dropping into a professional fighting stance as I carefully slice my way over onto the workout mats. I’m not the biggest candidate here, that honor goes to Zane, but I’m pretty sure that I’d get more stares than he would once I take my shirt off. I’m an athlete, and a damn fine one. My body reflects that, lean, hard muscle, toned and fighting fit. I nod at Jesse. He seemed like an okay dude, and this wasn’t personal. But I had every intention of making sure I was the one walking off these mats at the end of our little scuffle.

12:26 Jesse_Ashmore: Talk about first impressions, now I have to be the first guy to fight in front of everyone? I’ve had enough time to formulate my own idea of each of these guys, and I have to admit Wyatt is certainly one of the tougher competitors in the class. If I’d have started against Santiago, I’d have set a new record for quickest win. I step onto the mat opposite Wyatt and nod to him, glancing over his body.. Certainly impressive, this guy knows what he’s doing. I take off my own to show I’m not intimidated by his thick muscle. I have my own muscles to show off, and this kid clearly wants to see them. These guys want a show, let’s give them a show. With the pleasantries out of the way, I raise my fists and take an offensive stance, throwing a fist out at his bearded face with impressive speed.

12:26 Wyatt_Hampton: Jesse takes off his shirt after I take off mine, and moves in ready to fight. Good. Let’s do this. My fists are up, and my guard is tight. He pops off a jab to my face, and I swat it aside with a twitch of my arm, then duck low, surging forward, sliding and looking to drive my shoulder into his abs as my arms seek to lock around his thighs. I wrestled in secondary school, and my double leg takedown was feared by everyone. I don’t mess around. The goal is to get your opponent down on the floor, so why waste time throwing fists?

12:26 Jesse_Ashmore: My fist is swatted aside like a fucking fly, then he ducks and charges into my abs. I grunt as his thick shoulder rams into me.. There’s more than meets the eye with this guy, that’s for sure. Maybe I came in too aggressive, but either way I’ll get him down. He’s got a real good grip on my thighs though, and he’s damn strong. I hammer elbows down into his back as I wrestle against him, almost tripping a couple times. Alistair said it’s a fight. Alistair said to be brutal.. So that’s what I’ll do. I elbow his back and attack his ribs with my fists, alternating between the two. The quicker I win, the more respect points I’ll get from the rest of the class. Jesse Ashmore is winning the first fucking fight, that’s for sure.

12:26 Wyatt_Hampton: Damn, this smaller man has a solid base, and my attempt to take him down doesn’t go completely according to plan. He keeps his balance, and leans forward to hammer my back and ribs with elbows and fists. SHIT. Those hurt. I’m going to be covered in bruises at the end of this. I start to falter, then refocus, shoving aside the distraction of those heavy blows, and suddenly swing my right leg forward, pushing with my left, planting my right behind his ankle, and driving forward, looking to make him trip over my foot and finally slam him down to the mat where he belongs. I’m not losing this. Not going to happen.

12:26 Jesse_Ashmore: That’s it, I feel his grip loosen every so slightly as I pummel his body. All I needed was a flash of weakness, then I could take him down. Suddenly, his foot plants itself behind mine and he charges me again. I hold onto him with all my strength, desperately trying to keep us both up.. But before I know it, I trip over his foot and fall backwards onto the mat. I didn’t have a good enough grip on him to bring him down with me, and the coldness of the mat cooling my back feels like the ultimate taunt. I can’t fucking believe I lost.. FUCK! How fucking humilitating.

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: I watch the fight with hungry eyes. These kids don’t know it.. But I actually have very little interest in who wins and loses. I just want to see how they apply themselves.. How hard they go and what training they have. Jesse came on a little strong, whereas Wyatt applied his wrestling skill and came out on top. “Good job, Hampton!” I clap my hands. “Ashmore, off your ass. Willow you’re up!” I beckon Willow onto the mat, and I can see a fire in Jesse’s eyes. The whole point of this exercise is to get these boys to fight through their losses, to push harder and achieve their goals. Losing is the last thing any of them want.. So when it happens, they force themselves to fight harder. It’s beautiful, and I’m always so proud. Jesse has got this, I’m so damn sure of it.

12:26 Jesse_Ashmore: I bring myself back to my feet with a new steely determination. That was not how it was meant to go, and although it wasn’t personal.. I feel myself hating Wyatt’s guts right now. Nobody embarrasses me like that. Myles makes his way onto the mat and I almost feel sorry for the slender fucker. He’s going down in a matter of seconds, it’s time to pass this humiliation onto somebody else. Out of respect, I nod at him.. I won’t throw a tantrum.. But that’s where the respect ends. From now on, he’s my enemy. Time to change it up.. I grab my hands around the back of his neck and bring my knee up to his gut, instantly trying to wrestle him down with a foot hooked behind his ankle.

12:26 Myles_Willow: Seriously? We are supposed to fight each other as though we were some kind of modern day gladiators? This is fucking ridiculous. But, I don’t have any choice. At least I don’t have to face Wyatt. That bastard looked ice cold. Well anyways, let’s get this over with. This is just stupid, I want it done. But I’m not taking my fucking shirt off. I step out, and he nods at me, then suddenly his hands are latched around my neck, and his knee is buried in my gut. AWWWFFUCKK… I had time to tense my abs though, I might be slender, but I’m not some weakling. He trips me up while I’m dealing with having my guts bashed in, but I hop on one foot, repositioning and twisting in a wild effort to keep my balance. He really managed to piss me off, and so as soon as I get my feet under me, I drill my fucking knee into his gonads. Alistair said this was a “real” fight, and I sure as hell know that’s what I’d do in a “real” fight.

12:26 Jesse_Ashmore: I can feel this guy getting more and more tense as I try and wrestle him to the ground grunting as he strains. I’m not going down a second time, absolutely fucking not. I start preparing my next move when suddenly the little shit drives his knee into my fucking balls. “AAOORRGGHH!” I almost double over, quickly placing my palms on his chest and shoving him back to get some space. “YOU FUCKING LOWLIFE!” I hiss through clenched teeth as my balls feel like they’ll never work again. Fucking asshole, little shit! I force myself to recover quickly and push the pain aside. Now I’m angry, so I dip into my boxing abilities and start jabbing at his body and fucking face. A few blows to the face just to get him disorientated, then drop him to the floor where he fucking belongs. My crotch is on fire, but that can wait. I jab away at this guy with everything I have, dodging, ducking and uppercutting. “Not too many to the head” Alistair said, eh? Then this guy better go down quickly.. Little shit.

12:26 Myles_Willow: Jesse screams as I nail his nads, but he shoves me back before I can finish this ridiculous fight. I step back towards him, my fists raised. I know how to fight, of course, but it’s such a waste of time, these fake fights with all these other loudmouths. He comes at me hard though, throwing fists. Shit, who taught this bastard how to box? A lot of his shots are getting through, and my nose has started bleeding. I keep backing off, fuck me if I’m going to hang around and let him use my head as a speedbag. My shoulder hits the wall, and suddenly I spin to the side, my nose bleeding and head ringing, and the arrogant fuck wad ends up hitting the wall. Oh yeah, fuckface, I bet that hurt. I grab his punching fist, step behind him, twist his arm up behind his back, kick out the back of his knee, and bash his fucking face into the wall.

12:26 Jesse_Ashmore: I feel complete satisfaction as my fists bust this fucker open. I fight him to the wall and start unleashing on his body, getting him weak and hurting. The fucker manages to spin away from me and my knuckles slam into the hard wall. “FUCK!” I yell, shaking my hand as he grabs and twists it. I cry out as he twists my arm, but my face smashes into the wall and I briefly see stars. I didn’t think it would be this brutal, but Alistair isn’t stopping it. I rest my free hand against the wall to hold myself up after he drives into the back of my knee. I’m not going down… I’m not losing twice. I dig deep and think fast, pushing all of my weight down into my bent knee, I jump up and smash the back of my head against his face, I bring my foot down onto his with as much strength as I can and push against his body with my back. He needs to lose his balance, this fuckwit is going down..

12:26 Myles_Willow: I’m so pissed off right now, being forced to fight is bullshit. So I’m taking it out on this loudmouthed bastard. Alistair is looking over at us as I bash Jesse’s stupid face into the wall, but his expression doesn’t change. I take that as permission to keep playing his stupid game with my rules. I’m reaching down to wrap my arm around his skinny throat, when Jesse’s face smashes hard into my nose again.. AWWW FUCKKK… YOU FUCKER… YOU FUCKING FUCKER… I scream, “I think you FUCKING BROKE MY NOSE YOU IDIOT!” I stagger, then suddenly my foot feels like some dropped a goddamn piledriver on it. I scream again, bouncing on my other foot, my head spinning, and then the next thing I know I’m flat on my ass, staring up at Jesse with murder in my eyes and blood pouring down my face. I hate this fucking shit, so much.

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: That was a damn good fight, things are really heating up now. Jesse pushed through and rectified his failure, and has passed that fire onto Myles. Who, by the way, is fucking seething right now.. Rage can sometimes be misguided, it’ll be interesting to see how he uses it. “Good job, Ashmore. You’re probably wondering why I’m letting you go so hard, eh? Are your enemies going to go easy on you? No. I’m not interested in seeing how you cope in friendly fights. You will have your bones broken in this job, and you will lose a lot of blood. It’s part and parcel. So why not start now? Willow.. Take a breath, and get up. Use that fire..” I look back at the line and my eyes fall on Jack Young. Oh shit.. This is cruel, but I’m so intrigued to see what he can bring to the table. “Young, you’re up..”

12:26 Jack_Young: I’m pretty surprised by the brutality of this.. But then Alistair explains and it makes sense. If I’m ever up against a trained mercenary, it’s not going to be a high school wrestling match. It’s going to be brutal and bloody.. I watch Myles get dropped to his ass and he’s really pissed.. When Alistair calls my name I raise my eyebrows. Seriously? This guy is like a bull right now, and I’m going to be the matador. I take a breath and step up to the mat. Myles is still on his ass, and looks like he’s going to kill someone. I try and show a little respect by offering him my hand to pull him to his feet. There’s no need to be dicks to each other, we’re going to fight regardless.

12:26 Myles_Willow: The rage is boiling inside me, this is stupid, so fucking stupid, and my nose is killing me, dripping blood everywhere, that twat broke it. I can’t fucking believe that I’m sitting here in the middle of god-forsaken nowhere surrounded by loudmouth idiots bleeding on some grungy workout mats with a fucking broken nose. And then that pathetic wet blanket, Jack Young reaches out his hand to me as though we were all best mates having a friendly workout. I’m seeing red. I reach up and grab his stupid wrist with a grip like iron, I roll back, to pull him down towards me, driving my foot up into his lean torso, and heave, going to simply throw this pathetic, condescending piece of shit across the room.

12:26 Jack_Young: As soon as I saw the look in his eyes I knew I was going to regret, for the thousandth time in my life, being the nice guy. He grips my wrist and pulls me towards him, planting his feet in my gut and against my chest as he heaves me over. I think fast and grip his wrist with my other hand, and as I somersault over his body I land with my feet flat on the floor, my ass inches from the floor. My body is arched backwards but my grip on his wrist is keeping me off the ground, despite my arm being twisted. I use Myles as an anchor to lift myself up with him so that we’re back on our feet, twisting myself back round so we’re face-to-face again. “Fuck you, too!” I yank my wrist free of his grasp and shoulder charge him against the wall, hammering his ribs as I try and wrestle him to the side, onto his ass again.

12:26 Myles_Willow: What the actual fuck? Is Jack a circus acrobat or some shit? He lands on his feet, contorting his body, and twisting around to face me, yanking free. I scramble up to my feet, seeing red, enraged. I’m so tired of this bullshit fighting game. He charges me up against the wall, throwing fists into my ribs as I drop my elbows to block his blows. I’m ready to scream. I want this over, so I go for what worked with Jesse. I smash my knee up into his bollocks, and bring my fist up in a savage uppercut, aimed at the underside of his chin.

12:26 Jack_Young: As I’m pounding his ribs, I feel a knee rise into my balls and “FUUUCKK!” that came sharp and vibrated into my gut. An uppercut to my chin sends me back, and the crack echoes around my skull. I stumble back but stay on my feet. “Ooooooofffff--” I breathe through the pain down below.. Fucking asshole.. I barely have time to recover before he’s on me again. I wrap my hands around the back of his neck, pushing our foreheads together as I twist and toss him around, trying to throw him off balance. Our bodies are angled away from each other so knees can’t smash me in the crotch anymore.

12:26 Myles_Willow: Just GO FUCKING DOWN ALREADY. I want this fight over, I’m tired of being a plaything for everyone’s amusement. My nose is killing me. I rush him, and now we are grappling back and forth, our heads smashed together, twisting, grunting, tossing. I’m fighting hard to keep my balance, refusing the humiliating experience of being thrown down again. He’s got his body angled so I can’t go for his balls, but his ribs are wide open. With a grunt of power, I drop my fist low, and pound a brutal fist into his short ribs, followed by another crunching fist on the opposite side.

12:26 Jack_Young: “ARGHH!” I clench my teeth as I wrestle, trying to ignore the brutal pain pounding my ribs right now. I hold on for as long as I can, but soon I have to let go and push him away, holding a hand to my ribs. Oh fuck they hurt, they’re going to be bruised to shit. I stand opposite Myles again, breathing through the pain throbbing around my ribcage. I throw a jab at his face and aim to follow up with a blow to his gut. If he doubles over, I’ll sweep at his ankles and push him to the side to send him flying down to the mat. Fuck, I’m going to be feeling this for days.

12:26 Myles_Willow: We break off, but that stupid Jack is still standing. So furious… so fucking furious. He’s holding his ribs though… My eyes narrow. He comes at me with a jab, and panicked, I block my face, I can’t afford to take another smash to my already broken nose. I am so finished with this entire fight. I need to be done. Now. He smashes a fist to my gut, and my lungs empty, as I gasp. But that was… the LAST FUCKING STRAW. NO MORE OF THIS SHIT. I double up and charge forward, I feel his ankle try to do something fancy, but I’m obviously not where he thought I was going to be. I drive my shoulder into his abs and feel him smash hard against the wall behind us, as I’m screaming in rage. I stand up, and unload heavy fist after fist into his tender gut, going batshit crazy on this freak.

12:26 Jack_Young: I thought Myles was a bull before, but now it’s even worse. My attack fails and he charges me into the wall. He fucking unloads into my gut before I even have a chance to block him. Every hit winds me as I splutter and grunt, there’s nowhere to escape to and no way of blocking his hits because of how fast they’re coming. I close my forearms around his head, resting them on his shoulders as I scrunch my face in pain. I tense my abs as hard as I can, hoping he exhausts himself before long but fuck.. It hurts. I apply pressure to his jaw and neck, squeezing as I wince in pain. Every pound into my guy takes more and more breath away, and soon I’m struggling to catch my breath. This guy is taking all of his rage out on my abs.. And after a while I release my hold on him and place my palms on his shoulders, just trying to push him off as I groan and gasp for air.

12:26 Myles_Willow: My fists do a number on his gut, smashing in heavy blow after heavy blow, I can tell they are wearing him down. He drapes himself on my shoulders, trying to squeeze my jaw and neck, but I’ve got him too hurt for that to have much of an effect on me. He puts his hands on my shoulders and shoves me back. My surge of rage is starting to die off, and I’m fucking exhausted, but I’m grimly determined to take him down. I’m so done. So. Fucking. Done. I grab his wrist as he touches my shoulder, holding it as tight as a vise, then spin around suddenly, drive my butt into his abs, and pull his arm down over my shoulder, screaming in rage, as I try to judo flip him over my shoulder to send his ass to the mats where he belongs.

12:26 Jack_Young: Eventually, he stops slamming into my gut but the pain is intense. I can’t even breathe properly as I desperately search for air, I could collapse to my knees right now and let it be game over. Instead, he grabs my wrist and sends me flying over his shoulder. I flip over him and my ass smashes into the mat. I roll onto my back and hold my abs.. Fuck they hurt. I splutter some more and moan in pain.. It’s okay. I lost one, it was to be expected. But fuck these abs.. I don’t know if I can fight again. I roll over onto my knees and shakily bring myself to my feet, still clutching my body. I take deep breaths and try and prepare myself for the next fight. I don’t feel the blind rage Myles obviously felt, but I still have a real determination. One loss is not embarrassing.. but I certainly won’t be losing twice to see if that is.

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: That was a fight and a half, and the longest so far. Jack’s offering before it began struck a chord with me. I had him all wrong.. It would appear that Jack is a ‘nice guy’, and that could cause a few issues. I appreciate it, and I enjoy it.. But Jack needs to tap into his dark side if he wants to be a top agent. He fights well, and his first move is impressive. Unfortunately for Jack, Myles’ rage is too much. The poor kid takes a torrent of abuse to his abs and ends up on the mat. Jack gets back to his feet though, and I nod in approval. “Willow, go see Max, our medic. On the left where came in, he’ll check you over. Gallagher, you’re up next..” It’ll be interesting to see how Jack applies himself now.

12:26 Leon_Gallagher: Oh fucking finally… my chance, my turn!!! DAMN… I can’t wait to fight… get me out there!! I’m full of nervous energy, hopping up to my feet, bouncing back and forth, barely able to contain my excitement. This is IT… THIS IS ACTUALLY FUCKING IT. I get to prove to everyone that I’m Agent material. Oh man. My stomach is all tied in knots. I jump out to the mats, moving like greased lighting. I so want to impress Allistair, he is like our God during training, everything must be done with the goal of pleasing him!!! I want to impress the hell out of him. We are meant to treat this like a real fight, aren’t we? Well, no being nice or friendly, or anything, just right to it. I wait until Jack turns to catch Alistair’s gaze, then I surge up, my fists flying, one fist targeting his red-bearded jaw, the other aiming low for his ribs. See, I took notes. I saw how Myles targeted those ribs!! I’m gonna be an Agent, and Allistair is going to be impressed as hell with me!

12:26 Jack_Young: I’m not being the first to go down twice. Absolutely fucking not. I turn to face this ‘Gallagher’ person I’m yet to meet but will soon be well acquainted with, and this kid practically hops over like a fucking kangaroo. His eyes are alight at the thought of taking me down.. I’m going to have to douse out that flame, though. Holy fuck, my body is killing me though. He bounds over to me and I see his fists clench, so I know he’s going right on the attack. I hold my arms up in a defensive position over my face. His fist went for the jaw but bounces off my arm, and the other one swoops just outside my elbow and catches me on my rib. Argh, FUCK, they’re so tender! I need to break through this before it even begins, so I slam my foot down onto his, drawing his attention down there as I grab him in a front-facing grapple. I wrestle him to the side and sweep at his ankles. I wouldn’t lose this fight to anybody, but especially not to fucking Spongebob Squarepants here.

12:26 Leon_Gallagher: He blocks my blow to his jaw, he is good, but I’m relentless. His ribs take my fist good, and that hurt him. I bounce around, and suddenly he slams his foot down on mine, ARGHHHHHHHh. That hurt. He comes at me, his arms wrapping up my shoulders, and goes for an ankle sweep, but there is no way I’m going down. I backpedal, dragging him with me, making him scramble to keep his footing. I drop my fist, and slam it into his abs, and my other fist snakes its way up the front of his body, looking for a cheeky uppercut.

12:26 Jack_Young: OOOOFFFF fuck! That blow to the abs felt like one too many, Myles fucking obliterated them and this cartoon character is only making them worse. His uppercut catches me sharp, slamming my bottom jaw up with a brutal crunch. Unnnfff, I feel blood start to fill my mouth, dribbling down my chin. I shove him back to create space. No, no, no.. I’m not losing this. No way in hell. The blood fuels me on, like a sign of how this could be the beginning of the end. Too much blood loss and I’ll be sent off the mat. Not happening. I spit some of it out and can feel my entire demeanor change. This bouncing fucktard goes into slow motion and everything goes quiet.. This is the focus I needed. I wipe some blood with the back of my hand and raise my fists for the last time against this man-child. I leap forward and fein a jab to his face, ducking low and side-stepping around his left so that I am behind him, then bring my right arm around his throat and apply the pressure. I’ll choke him out and put him to sleep.

12:26 Leon_Gallagher: That’s right, that’s right… I got him on the run now. I hope Alistair is watching close… I’m going to be his star pupil, head of the class. I’m real agent material, that I am. I bounce in as blood dribbles out of Jack’s mouth, but he pushes me back. Suddenly, I see his eyes go hard, and I feel a slight quiver of apprehension. I move, but he’s a blur of motion as I block his jab, where did he go?? OHHHHH DAMN…. He’s behind me, his tight little bicep wrapped around my throat. The pressure is intense, spots are dancing in front of my eyes. Have to move, fast. I move backward, feeling a sickening crunch as I smash his body against the wall, then I reach up behind me, grab his head, and heave my body forward, looking to flip him right over my head to smash on the floor.

12:26 Jack_Young: I keep my grip on him tight, but he's wrestling with me and soon my back crashes against the wall, making my ribs flare up again. Aarrgghh FUCK! I wasn't prepared for this brutality today, and now he's got his hand on the back of my head. I know exactly what's happening, and I'm prepared.. this guy might be a bit of an eager child, but he also has impressive strength. I get thrown over his shoulder as he pulls me and ducks down, but I'm prepared and I manage to pull off my earlier move again. My feet land flat on the floor and--- "FUUUUUCKK!!" My ankle flares up in agony and my ass hits the floor. I twisted it.. I fucking twisted it as I landed, and now I'm on the floor. I'm officially the first person in this group to lose twice. I don't know what hurts more - the humiliation, my ankle or my ribs. I sit up and hold my ankle, groaning and wincing in pain. That was a really bad landing.. fuck.. why?? Why did that have to happen!!?? I can hear the thoughts of every fucker in the line. "Thank fuck it wasn't me", "I could have put money on that", "guess he's the first one out", "pathetic"-- it goes on and on and on until Alistair's voice cuts through and breaks the chain.

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: Another great fight, but it ended too quickly. Jack's attitude changed midway through, and I felt myself tensing up with anticipation.. he had this, he so nearly had this. Now he's sitting on his ass at Leon's feet and, I have to admit.. my heart goes out to the kid. Being the first to lose more than once is rough, and some guys here won't let him forget it. I'm not here to tear him down though.. I'm here to build him up. "Tough luck, Young.. that's all it was. Can you fight?" I look at the line and my eyes meet with Santiago. I gesture for him to come forward.

12:26 Jack_Young: ‘Tough luck”, eh? Yeah.. sure.. My ankle is fucked. I feel an overwhelming desire to push on. Yeah, I’m the first guy to fight three times in a row.. But I’ll win that third fight with a fucking twisted ankle. I heave myself to my feet and groan through the pain. Fuck.. I can’t put all of my weight on my left foot.. This is going to be shit. I look at Alistair and nod, suddenly aware of how I must look. Blood dripping, sweat pouring, ankle raised.. But the show must go on, apparently. "Yes, Sir.."

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: Jack gets to his feet and stands with no pressure on his left ankle. A slight disadvantage, but his determination to keep going is admirable. I'm worried though that he can't come back from this.. "Good man, Jack. Fight through and fight on.. take notes, gentlemen.. Okay, Elias, you’re up." I admire Jack’s determination, but it’s going to really be put to the test this time. I want to see how wild Jack’s fire is..

12:26 Elías_Santiago: I really wish I didn’t have to fight Jack. Out of all the guys here, I feel that he’s the one I can trust the most. I mean, I know that in some ways, we are competing with each other, but Agents have to watch each other’s backs as well. But, I don’t have a choice. So, I’ll fight to win, but I won’t be a dick about it. I’m a good fighter, despite my size, or because of it, no one expects someone as small as me to kick their ass. I catch Jack’s eyes, and I give him a brief nod, trying to convey to him in that one glance how much I respect him, and how sorry I am to have to fight him. But I’m not going to hold back. I think Jack will understand. I move in, and fire off a rapid, precise, expert combo, a left jab, followed by a right cross, followed by a left hook aimed directly at his body.

12:26 Jack_Young: I notice Elías approaching me and feel my gut twist a bit. The last time I was standing with him like this, it was friendly and warm. Now I’m battered and bruised and he’s about to add to all of it. The whole situation is a little fucked up.. But this feeling in my gut, bruising aside, is telling me why we’re doing it. This determination is like fuel and it’s spurring me on. I don’t want to hurt Elías.. So for the next few minutes he will remain a faceless man to me. I refuse to go down again.. And if that means beating this person before me senseless, much as I like him, then so be it. His gaze catches mine and I see something there.. I somehow sense that he’s thinking the same as me. I nod in return, accepting our fate.. Then make him faceless in my mind again and fight. I bring my arms up again in a defensive position, blocking some of his combo. Leon managed to land a body shot.. Elías won’t. I catch his body blow with my elbows and fire out a jab to his face, then bring my left knee up to his gut.

12:26 Elías_Santiago: Jack is good, determined, I can feel it and see it in action as he moves his arms to block my jab and cross, and most importantly, my body shot to his ribs. That could have wrecked him. He fires a jab at my face, followed by a knee, but as the smallest around, I learned quickly that the best way to deal with a blow is not to let it land. I block the jab, and backpedal with a surge of fancy footwork and fast speed as that knee strikes up, then as Jack plants his leg again, I move in, counting on my speed, lifting my leg, seeking to push kick him right in his abs. I know his abs are sore, and a part of me feels like a heel for targeting his weak point, but … this fight isn’t personal. I’m sure he knows that.

12:26 Jack_Young: He blocks and dodges everything I throw at him... I don't have the energy or pain threshold to deal with this now. How the fuck am I meant to take this guy down when I can't even stand in my own two feet and my entire body is throbbing!? Elías hasn't been in a fight yet, so he's fresh like raw meat.. and with that comes unhindered, lightning speed. He charges at me and catches me unaware with a boot to the gut and it practically finishes me off.. my abs are so fucking tender, they can't take any more punishment. I cry out and double over, forcing weight onto my ankle that nearly makes me topple.. I didn't even realise that my left hand grabbed Elías' shirt by his chest. He's literally holding me up right now.. I don't know how to fight through this pain.. it's debilitating. I throw a punch to his abs, still gripping his shirt with my right hand as I use his weight to pull myself back upright. This is a disaster, I'm not used to this level of pain.. fuck.. I try for another jab to his face in the hopes of catching off guard and dazing him slightly.. but I'm pretty sure I'm heading for a third loss.. then a fourth.. and fifth.. and new record.. my mind is drifting from the fight, this isn't going to help me. I can't do this much longer.. where's my fight gone?

12:26 Elías_Santiago: My foot really digs into his abs, I nearly wince in sympathy as Jack doubles up, grabbing my shirt in a desperate effort to hold on. He sends in a fist to my own abs, and this time it’s not so easy to squirm away. My smaller body shakes under the blow, and I groan. Fuck, I hate this. We should be watching each other’s back, building our alliance to stand against the real assholes, not beating the shit out of each other. He throws a jab at my face, and I instinctively twist backwards, hearing the shirt rip from the speed of my twist, exposing part of my lean chest. But I’m free now, and I sprint back in, fists flying, throwing an uppercut towards Jack’s jaw, and sending my left fist in to tag his ribs.

12:26 Jack_Young: I'm not even sure what's happening now, I'm just holding out for as long as I can before getting dropped to my ass again. The only thing I can show now is endurance, not victory.. but I can't even endure it any longer. My body shot lands but he twists away from my jab. As he does, it throws me off balance and I instinctively put my left foot down. It gives away instantly in a painful twist, making me topple forward and down, just as Elías' uppercut swings up. My falling face against his rising fist means it lands with a sickening crunch and brings me back to my feet, falling backwards but the wall catches me. I'm seriously dazed and more blood spurts from my mouth, but a sharp pain in my ribs brings me back instantly. Something comes over me.. a fire reignites in my gut. Anger. Anger for being treated like this. Anger for being weak and pathetic. Anger that I let my demons take me out of the fight.. and anger that I'm on a losing streak. I embrace the pain in my ribs, and somehow I ended up grabbing Elías' ripped shirt. I have an opening.. and I hate that I'm going to take it. "S-sorry--" I mutter before I pull him towards me and headbutt him, smashing my forehead into his. Elías doesn't deserve that brutality, but it's the only thing I can off to give me some breathing room. I shove him off me and use my right foot to launch off the wall, looking to spear him around the waist.

12:26 Elías_Santiago: I feel a twinge of guilt as I hammer him hard, blood spraying out of his mouth, and my fist crunches deep into Jack’s ribs. Shit, I hurt him. But then I see his eyes light up with some kind of inner fire. I realize I’ve flipped some kind of switch in him. He reaches out, apologizing, grabbing my ripped shirt, then suddenly as I’m stunned by the sudden change in his attitude, he headbutts me. I stagger backwards, seeing double, but the blow knocks me out of my dazed amazement. I catch sight of him suddenly barrelling towards me, and using my speed, I dig down, fighting past the pounding pain, to twist to the side at the last moment, like a Spanish matador avoiding a charging bull. Then, continuing to twist, I turn the tables, launching myself at Jack from behind, my shoulder aimed at the small of his back, looking to spear him in his kidneys.

12:26 Jack_Young: I don't know where this fire came from, but I'm coming out on top this time. I fight through the pain in my ankle as I charge at him, still not putting my full weight in it, but he sidesteps it. How the fuck did that miss? I cannot catch a break.. I'm trying everything, I'm fighting with every ounce of energy I have left.. I'm so fucking determined but I'm still falling short, what the hell else can I do? I overshoot Elías and he tackles me from behind, ramming his shoulder into my kidneys. Fuck.. my body can't take any more of this. I cry out in pain and have no choice but to plant both my feet in front of me to save myself from falling forward.. full fucking weight. The pain is intense and my left leg buckles under the strain.. but I have to fight on.. I have to stay up.. I have to get him down.. I grab him in a headlock as he spears me and apply as much pressure as I can, but I'm pushing his head into my ribs and it's fucking agony! The fire on the inside is fuelling me on, but my body on the outside is also on fire and that's not as helpful. I'm going to be feeling this for weeks.. I loosen my left foot to relieve the pain and hold Elías close, twisting as much as I can to wrestle him down.

12:26 Elías_Santiago: Suddenly, I feel Jack shudder, and he grabs my head, fighting through the pain of my assault on his kidneys. He’s got on a tight headlock, but I can tell the pressure is hurting his own ribs. He starts to twist desperately trying to force me down, but I refuse, determined to fight with every ounce of skill I have, even if Jack is my friend. My feet shuffle, then suddenly, with a burst of inspiration, I wrap my arms around Jack’s waist… tighten all my muscles… and LIFT him off his feet, looking to simply throw him behind me, all most like something from a pro wrestling match.

12:26 Jack_Young: I have to win this.. I have to win this.. I twist and squeeze as much as I can, trying desperately to throw him off balance. His arms wrap around my waist and he lifts me off the mat.. this kid is much stronger than meets the eye, and I know instantly this is the end. Not only is it the end.. it's a fucking painful one, as my body misses the mat and crashes against the hard, wooden floor instead. It's instant agony as my severely battered body takes even more of a beating, and I uncontrollably let out a roar of pain. My body travels with the force of the throw and I roll onto my front, my arms and legs squirming in the floor as I groan and wince through the pain.. fucking brutal, that's all this is. Sheer bruatlity. I'm not just losing.. I'm losing hard.. 3 losses. At what point do I just pack my bags, go home and kill myself? I can't dip into that dark state of mind now.. once I go there, there's no coming back. I just need to breathe through the pain.. keep pushing.. aaggghhh fuck..

12:26 Elías_Santiago: Damn. That was hard. I wish I didn’t have to do this. But, hey, I wasn’t going down. Wasn’t going to let that happen. Still, I reached out to give Jack a hand, and help him up to his feet. I muttered a quick, “Sorry man… no hard feelings.” Then stepped back into the line.

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: And here we are again, once more Jack has lost, and this time in spectacular fashion. I looked at Elias with a new appreciation. It’s true, I thought, never judge the size of the fight by the size of the dog. And yet, I saw the exact moment when Jack took things to another level, showing incredible fortitude and resilience, fighting against the mounting odds, determined to pull out a victory. He had heart, and yet… it hadn’t gotten him out of this losing streak. I saw so much of his dead father in him, he was so completely unlike those other two shits, Michael and Philip. Bootlickers, the both of them, but not Jack. Jack had heart. I knew he wouldn’t quit, and I hoped he would pull out of this tailspin. “C’mon Jack get up… in the field, there is no one coaching you from the sidelines, you have to keep fighting, no matter what. You got this. While you can still breathe, you can fight.” I look over at Zane, “Zane, you are up.”

12:26 Jack_Young: Elías, being the good man I knew he was, offers me his hand. I don’t feel ready to stand, not by a long shot. But I take it firmly with my right hand and get to my knees weakly, trembling and groaning. I pull on his hand to bring myself up and it hurt just as much as I was expecting it to. I’m fucking broken all over, what’s supposed to happen now? Elías apologises, and I hold absolutely nothing against him. I pat the back of his hand twice with my left palm and nod at him. I can’t muster words just yet, but I want him to know it’s okay. He shouldn’t feel sorry for doing what is asked of him.. Even if it means adding to my pain. I hear Alistair’s words, and suddenly I feel a twinge in my gut. Did he just fucking call Zane up to the mat? There’s more than 10 guys he could have chosen from, and he chooses now to pit me against the biggest guy in the class? I can’t describe the feeling.. But I think it’s like betrayal. Is he setting me up to lose? Has someone paid him off to humiliate and destroy me or something? Surely my brothers don’t have him in their pocket.. But this doesn’t make any sense. My ankle is fucked, my ribs are fucked, my abs are throbbing, my face is busted and bleeding.. And here comes Zane fucking Reynolds, ready for a fight. Call it paranoia, but something is going on here.. And it’s making me mad. Was I only brought here to be a chew toy for these rottweilers?

12:26 Zane_Reynolds: Oh man, Michael and Philip were dead right about this child. He doesn’t belong here, he’s completely embarrassing himself. You have to be able to trust that your fellow Agents will have your back in the field, and he is so pathetic and insecure he couldn’t even be trusted not to trip over his own feet, let alone watch your back on a mission. I’ll be doing him a favor when I beat him senseless. I grin as he tries to stay on his feet, “Would you like to ask Alistair to be excused on medical grounds, Jack? I’m sure he’d agree. You are finished, I’d advise you quit before you really get hurt.” Then, I give him some time to consider my generous offer, but Alistair says, “Fight.” I nod, that’s fine with me, and I step into Jack, looking to drive my fist with every ounce of power I could muster into his abs.

12:26 Jack_Young: Zane approaches me and delivers his cocky speech. I don’t like this guy.. He reminds me too much of home. Quit on medical grounds, eh? I speak through pained grunts as I lock eyes with him, allowing the rage to take over me. “Not on your fucking life..” The giant guy launches at me, opening with an abs shot. No you fucking don’t. I jump back, making sure to only land on my right foot, then quickly bring up my left to pelt him in the crotch. It’s cheap and dirty.. But the only ground rule Alistair set was ‘not too many head blows’. I’m sure he didn’t mean the other type of head, so I commit. If I get this arrogant fucker doubled over, I can quickly follow up with a knee to his jaw.. Get him dazed, get him down.

12:26 Zane_Reynolds: Jack retreats, which makes sense, it’s the only sensible move for a man like him, someone who is in way over their head. Then, suddenly, his left foot smashes up into my crotch before I can reposition. I stagger backwards, shock and outrage filling my brain as my balls throb with sickening agony. It was only because I was staggering backwards that I missed his follow up knee to my jaw. I want to turn aside and empty my guts, but I’m so full of white hot rage that I push through the nausea twisting my guts, and surge forward, as that pathetic little shit is still struggling to get his balance back after missing that knee strike. I drive my fist deep into his abs, my eyes flashing, not going to miss this time, and return the favor, driving my left foot up into his own crotch.

12:26 Jack_Young: My foot connects and feel driven, I can follow up on this.. I can do this.. but then my knee misses and I see the rage in his eyes. This is to hurt so fucking much.. I stumble backwards as I try and get my feet right. He lunges at me and sinks his giant, hulk-like fist right into my abs with all his strength. I make an awful noise in response, folding over his punch. "AAOORRRGGGHHH!" the gasp comes from deep in my body, my abs can't take anymore.. I can fucki-- FUUUCKKK! A new wave of pain takes hold of me as he smashes into my balls. I guess I asked for that, but holy fuck.. oh fuck oh fuck... I could sink to my knees right now, how the fuck am I mean to stay standing? I then realise that when my left had went to my balls, the other went to his shoulder.. that's what's keeping me up. It's like I found myself in the gorilla's enclosure at the city zoo, and I'm touching it. He's going to rip me to shreds.. fuck.. I clench my left fist and throw it into his abs, and sure enough they're damn rock solid. I push the pain away as much as I can, and launch my right fist into them too.. If I'm going down, I'm going down fighting..

12:26 Zane_Reynolds: Does this pathetic child think I’m going to let him get away with thinking he is in any way a match for me? Not even for a moment. He doubles up, his body trembling as though he’s about to collapse, as he fires off a right and a left to my own abs, but mine are flexed, and they take both his blows with ease. A snarl warping my features, I shove Jack backwards, pinning him to the wall. I wedge my left fist under his chin, then with my right fist, I hammer it with all my force into his exposed abs, once, then twice, then a third time, going to pound this pathetic, insecure piece of crap into dog meat between my fist and the wall.

12:26 Jack_Young: The punches do nothing, this is the most unfair fight I've ever witnessed. Even if I was in full health, it would have just been a case of how long I could last. I see a glint in his eyes I realise he's fucking enjoying this. My back lands against the wall and I'm in big trouble. His fist planted under my chin renders me completely useless, choking slightly.. then he does the worst thing he could do right now. He absolutely batters my already destroyed abs with all of his strength. It's hell.. I can't even contain the pain, I just cry out so hard it hurts my throat. My hands grab at his incoming fist, but it's useless.. I'm too weak, and each time he pounds me only winds me even more. I'm so scrunched up in agony I feel a tear form in my left eye.. this is a brutal, agonising nightmare.. but somehow, I still have a fire. I've never been in so much pain, but I'm not completely broken just yet.. when his flurry of fists ends, I spit in his eye. I'm not proud of it, but it's a distraction. A temporary blind. I'm breathing so fast and sweating like I'm in a sauna in response to the pain, bht I throw my right fist up in an uppercut to his jaw. I don't know what I'm doing, why I'm asking for more punishment.. I don't even have a point left to prove.. I guess I'm just refusing to be the jobber. I'll fight for as long as I can, until I'm unconscious or dead. That's all I can offer now.. fuck me, this hurts..

12:26 Zane_Reynolds: See, there he goes, screaming like a beaten child, and about to cry. It just underscores my point, Michael and Philip were absolutely correct, Jack doesn’t belong with us. He’s just a liability. Then, he spits in my eye. That shocks me, doesn’t he know that he is as much as begging me to beat him to a pulp? Spitting in my fucking eye, seriously, you pathetic brat? Then, his fist follows up while I’m wiping the spittle out of my eyes, smashing into my jaw, making me see stars as I stagger backwards. I’m seeing red, shaking my head out, tasting some blood. He hit me far harder than he should have been able to… It really pisses me off. I spin suddenly, on one foot, and my right leg describes an arc, driving my foot full force into his pathetic guts with a spinning back kick.

12:26 Jack_Young: I might have him.. That dazed him, I might just have this. I peel myself off the wall with a grunt and limp forward, fists raised for a follow up blow. As I swing at him, he does crazy-fast spin kick right into my gut, sending my flying back against the wall as he pins me against it. A thud echoes around the gym as my body goes crashing into the hard wall.. My ribs scream at me for continuing the fight, but my abs.. Oh fuck my abs.. I can’t help but cry out in absolute agony as his heavy boot pummels them again. My hands seize his ankle as his boot continues to crush my gut, grinding them into paste. It’s awful.. It’s fucking awful, the pain, the nausea, the humiliation.. “Eeeeuuurrrrggghhh!!” I grimace and squirm as I try pathetically to throw his foot down.. Oh fuck.. This is.. This is torture. I try an elbow to his thigh, but my mind is blinded by pain I have no idea how much strength I put into it.. I need this to stop.

12:26 Zane_Reynolds: My foot spears the pathetic little whiner right in his abs, pinning him hard against the wall, grinding my boot deeper and deeper into him. I’d show this waste of space exactly why he didn’t belong here. Spitting in my eye? Seriously? Such a pathetic, useless gesture of defiance. He weakly tries to elbow my thigh and push my foot away, but my face tightens in concentration, and I screw my foot in even tighter. Then, finally I pull my foot back, step forward, and hook my hand under his armpit, gathering myself, as I heave, and twist, looking to throw this stupid child down to the floor.

00:00 Jack_Young: The torture doesn't stop, his boot twists and pushes into my gut and I'm so fucking done. The pain is off the charts, I feel like I could throw everything up.. I'm so fucking angry that I couldn't apply myself harder, that I've allowed myself to be humiliated like this. I continue to cry out until he eventually releases his hold, grabs me under the arm and sadistically slams me down. 4 losses. Halfway there to the all-time record of 8.. although it feels like I've already been in 8 fights. Or, more accurately, it feels like I've been pounded on by 8 guys at the same time. The slam completely finishes me off.. I can't even describe the pain it brings. Fucking awful.. it shatters my body, and it shatters my mind. I cry out in agony, and from deep in my body I let out a loud roar of pure fucking anger and frustration. I'm done, I'm so fucking done.. the pain, the humiliation.. I'm over this shit. What's next, somebody else is going to beat me up more? When does it end? I'm fucking DONE.

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: That was yet another whirlwind, Jack is throwing out some interesting fights. My own abs are twitching in sympathy for his, I don't know where he's getting his fight from. The real challenge here is to see how hard he pushes.. the kid must be absolutely wrecked, but here he is spitting in eyes and lashing out. It's no surprise, but still somewhat heartbreaking, that he falls again. That's 4. I'm not watching anymore of this. It's time to step in and do what I do best. "Reynolds, go." I step over to Jack, who I can see is now totally losing it. The rage is simmering at the surface, and that's good. I reach down to him and take his hand, guiding him up to his feet. I gently place him against the wall and cup his face gently in my hand. "Jack, listen to me.." I stare into his eyes and study his face. He's strikingly handsome, that much is obvious.. and I admire that even through this pain and embarrassment, he still has fight. "You're not losing because you're a bad fighter. You're losing because you're not guiding that fire in your veins. Look at me.. you have talent, Jack. And you have spirit.. you're better than you think you are. Now I'm going to call one more guy up, and he's not going to go easy on you because I won't let him. But, Jack.. you're winning this one. The pain you're in right now will still be there after the fight, don't let it consume you, don't let it stand in your way. I want you to look at this next guy and I want you to think of Derek Steel. Think of what he did to your dad, how he hurt him, how he dragged it out, and how he killed him. Guide the rage, Jack.. not the other way around. You wouldn't let Derek Steel walk away from a right when you're broken on the floor.. you'd snap his fucking next wouldn't you?" I grab his face with both my hands, not blinking as I stare into his. "You've got this, Jack. You've got this.." I step away from him and call back to the group. "Rawlings! You're up.."

12:26 Jack_Young: Alistair painfully guides me to my feet and gives me his pep talk. It hurts so fucking much, but I can't hide my rage anymore. I'm over this, I'm over being kicked when I'm down by everyone in my fucking life. I'm not losing anymore.. the anger gives me strength, gives me purpose.. but then he mentions Derek Steel everything takes on a whole new meaning. Derek.. my dad.. no, I wouldn't be like this against Derek Steel.. I'd fight with everything I had and I'd make him pay. Fuck this pain.. as Alistair said, it'll be there after the fight regardless, so I might as well push through. He's given me my fight back, he's given me my direction. I nod at him, still grunting because that can't be fucking helped with these abs.. I step back over to the mat, barely limping as I refuse to let this ankle slow me down any more.

12:26 Zach_Rawlings: This is too perfect, I get to finish what Zane started. Ever since Zane had pointed out this pathetic half-grown runt, I’d been waiting to get my hands on him. He didn’t belong with us. He was a sniveling little fuck wad. Him? A CSIS agent? Only reason he made it into the class is cause of who his father was. Though why they should make such a big deal out of a man who fell prey to Derek Steel beats me. Well, this ends here. I’ll beat him down so badly he’ll have to forfeit all the other fights. Alistair can pep talk him till the cows come home, but this little whiner has nothing left in his tank. I grin, and step out. Just a fist or two to those abs, and he’ll collapse like a house of cards. I step into Jack, and throw a combo at his head, a left jab, and a right cross, then, follow it up with a knee strike aimed right into the pit of his already busted gut.

12:26 Jack_Young: Derek Steel.. it's Derek Steel. The man who has caused me so much pain in my life.. oh, the things I would do to him. I clench my fists tight, accepting the rage and letting it fill my body. The pain is everywhere, but I welcome it now.. Derek did this to me, and now he's standing in front of me, ready to bring more pain. Not today.. Zach throws a combo out at my face, but I'm hyper-aware right now and duck low. I can't dodge the knee into my gut that hurts like fucking hell and I grunt loudly, but I don't dwell on the pain. I place my right hand in the nook of Zach's neck, holding him in place and quickly throwing my left fist straight at his face. I don't care if I break his fucking nose, Lord knows my body has been through enough hell today.. it's time to give back to the world. I need to stay focused on the fight, but I also need to keep this rage burning. I think of my dad, the kind and good man he was.. how he was killed so brutally by a British pig. I follow up quickly with a knee to Zach's balls. I push the pain aside as my left foot lowers to the floor again, turning into energy to keep on fighting. I grab his shoulders and launch my forehead into his, briefly dazing myself but I feel like I'm only just getting started.. holy fuck.. this feels.. insane..

12:26 Zach_Rawlings: Astonishingly, Jack ducks under my combo. How did he move so fast? He eats my knee, and I can feel it sink into his battered guts, but he somehow shakes it off, and hangs off me like a bad habit, holding the back of my neck and smashing his fist into my face. I see stars, and feel a sharp, agonizing pain ripple out from the point of impact, followed by a flow of blood. I stagger backwards, in a daze… This… fucking pathetic loser’s sudden transformation into a demon has me totally off balance. My own rage spikes, pushing through the pain fogging my mind, and I cock my fist surging forward to bash this brat’s face in when suddenly my balls explode in searing, gut twisting agony. My mouth opens and closes, and I feel like hurling… I stagger back, realizing then that this piece of crap just kneed me in my gonads. I roar savagely, fury bursting in my veins, when suddenly, I stagger backwards, seeing stars… The fucker… that fucking child… just headbutted me…. I feel the wall behind me, and suddenly feel a small cold spike of fear join the fury. This isn’t a fight… this is like an encounter with a maniac.

12:26 Jack_Young: I have no idea what's come over me. The pain in my body is so intense, throbbing with every move.. but I'm pushing it aside and pushing through. I have momentum now, and I'm not letting it slide. Zach falls against the wall, dazed.. I surge forward with my right foot planted, hammering a fist into his abs then following up with an uppercut to his jaw. FUCK, I feel like I'm on fire.. the blinding pain is no longer holding me back but I'm still so fucking fragile, I can't let him breakthrough, I could so easily lose the upper hand again.. I drive my right knee into his balls and cringe internally.. I feel his pain, and I know that was cruel on my part. There's no room for guilt now though, only sheer fucking determination, fueled by my hatred for one Derek fucking Steel.

12:26 Zach_Rawlings: I grunt, even through the pain of his initial assault, I have time to tense my abs as his fist pounds deep into my core. My core is solid though, and the brat’s fist bounces off the hard armour of my abs. Now, my fists are finally up, and I realize that I have to take this basket case seriously. I pull my guard in tight, blocking his uppercut, But then, my eyes go wide again, and…. I feel a sickening, gut wrenching agony knife through balls, sending waves and waves of agony sloshing through my stomach… Oh fuck… I stagger, somehow not dropping to my knees, but then, as I sway, I hurl, spewing a bit of bile and vomit on that fucking bastard. I’m nearly crying with shame and rage, screaming at the humiliation this man child is inflicting on me, I surge forward, driving my fist towards his jaw.

12:26 Jack_Young: The blow to his balls makes him spew up over my chest.. gross, but I feel bad for the guy now. No.. don't let the guilt in, he wouldn't feel guilty over your pain, Jack. He suddenly finds his fight and lunges at me, crunching a heavy fist into my jaw. It connects with brutal force, forcing me to stagger backwards and spit up some blood. I barely keep my balance as the stars fly around me and I retreat slightly, realising this guy is now ready to fight for real.. I knew it was too good to be true. I feign a left jab to his face, instead ducking low and blasting into his abs with a right hook. I keep the momentum going with my right, lifting it up and aiming to bring my elbow down into the back of his head.

12:26 Zach_Rawlings: I smash Jack backwards, and am rewarded with some blood spraying out. He staggers backwards, and I surge forward, fighting not only against the agony radiating from my busted balls, but the rage that threatens to rob me of control. There is no way this little waster is going to get the better of me. He comes at me with a jab, which I move to block, but it never lands, instead I eat a fist to my abs. That actually hurt a bit, and I gasp. I wasn’t ready for that. I stagger backwards, in time to catch the prick’s elbow crunching into the back of my head. I double up, seeing stars, feeling woozy. But suddenly that rage fires up in me, and I drive forward smashing my shoulder into Jack’s guts and slamming him back into the wall, driving left and right hooks into his obliques with crazy strength, savagely determined to beat the crap out of him. I’ve had enough of this maniac.

12:26 Jack_Young: I actually feel like I'm getting somewhere, like I've just learned how to fight for the first time. I've got this, I've fucking got this.. I smash my elbow into his head, prepared to knock him down as he's dazed.. but then I get a brutal reality check as I'm speared into the wall, his shoulder savagely destroying my abs yet again. I cry out in agony as my back slams against the wall and his full weight digs deeper into my abs, then he unleashes a furious stream of fists into my sides. Oh holy FUCK!! I grunt and gasp with each brutal blow, drool forming at my lips as he pounds into me. No.. no.. fuck.. oh fuck, this can't be it.. but I can't fucking breathe, I can't fucking take this pain anymore. I need to fight.. break through.. somehow, fuck!! I grab either side of his face and go for another headbutt, I can't do many more of these or else I'll end up passing out, but fuck.. I just need him off me. I realise instantly it was a big mistake, the smashing of my forehead to his makes me feel queasy.. That was one too many head blows, holy fuck.. The room seems to spin and I feel like I’m going to throw up.. I can’t.. Let him.. Win.. I throw out a misguided and aggressive punch in his general direction, I don’t give a shit where it lands, I just need to keep fighting, keep standing.. Oh fuck..

12:26 Zach_Rawlings: One moment my fists are smashing crazily into his obliques, looking to beat the fuck out of this pathetic half-crazed child, when suddenly he headbutts me again, on my nose.. I give a grunt of agony, and stagger backwards, holding my bleeding nose, then, as I drop my hand to stare in disbelief at the blood, his fist flies wildly out of nowhere to slam into the side of my chin. A wad of bloody spit flies out of my mouth, spattering Alistair and some of the other students. My legs suddenly turn to jelly, and the next thing I know, I’m staring up at the lights in the ceiling, wondering why they are all spinning.

12:26 Jack_Young: I throw my fist so hard that I almost lose balance, especially since I’m dizzy as fuck anyway. The whole room spins with me but I find manage to find the wall and rest my hands against it to prop me up. I turn so that my back is pressed against the wall, making my body throb but I need to fight.. Keep fighting.. Keep trying.. But I see the result of my attack. Zach slumps to the floor, landing on his back. I.. I won. I fucking won.. As soon as I come to this realisation, the pain floods my body and takes control once more. My legs give way underneath me and I fall to my knees with a painful scream.. It hurts fucking everywhere, my body feels like I’ve been hit by an 18-wheeler. I fall forward and ball up my fists as I lower my head onto them, resting against the floor. So much pain.. So much fucking pain.. I’m wincing with every breath, gasping for relief.. Holy fuck.. Winning should have felt a million times better than this.

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: I believe in him. I’m 80% sure that Jack will come through.. 70%, maybe.. Fuck, I don’t know. This kid has so much spirit in him, I don’t think he even realises.. And he’s off to a fantastic start. He throws himself at Zach with a newfound confidence and purpose, and absolutely has at him. Blood flies, bile spews.. Holy shit they’re going at it. Zach doesn’t know what hit him, that much is clear.. But he’s still giving it back when he can. He targets Jack’s abs, predictable but understandable. Once an enemy has a weak spot you focus all your attention on that, and Jack does exceptionally well for not letting the pain bring him down. I’m greeted with a nice, wet glob of bloody spit as Jack launches a fist at Zach’s chin, and.. “YES JACK!!!” I can’t contain my excitement, Rawlings goes fucking down! I wipe my wet, bloody cheek with the back of my hand as I race over to Jack, who instantly falls to the floor with a pained shriek. “That’s my boy, Jack! I knew you could do it!” I kneel before him and rest my hands on his shoulders, gently bringing him back up to his knees so that I can look him in the eye, placing a hand under his chin again. Oh, fuck.. He’s seriously wasted, I can see how much pain he’s in. I’m so proud of him, so fucking proud.. “Jack, well done. Well fucking done, you did it. You pushed and you pushed, and you came out on top. You deserve to be here, Jack.. you’ve more than proven that just now..”

12:26 Alistair_Coleman: “Santiago!” I definitely picked up on a bond forming between these two. “Come and help Jack, take him to see Max. He’ll get him sorted out..” I watch as Elías comes over to help Jack before turning my attention to the rest of the class. “Now what you boys just witnessed was an excellent example of how to apply yourself when the odds are stacked. How to fight past the pain of having a bullet in your leg, or a knife slash across your back.. It hurts.. It really fucking hurts, but you fight. Win. Today, you don’t learn about how to beat up a wounded enemy, that’s bullshit. Today, you learn about how to overcome pain itself, and Jack was your teacher in that. Not me.” In response to that, I hear the most annoying sound in the world. A laugh. No, not a laugh. A snigger. Like a fucking teenager laughing during a boring assembly at school.

12:126 Alistair_Coleman: Within seconds, I’m up in Zane’s face, staring into his eyes like a fucking viper ready to strike. “Something you want to add, Reynolds!?” I wait a few moments as his demeanour changes, like a child that got caught by fucking mommy. He gives his polite “no sir”, and I’m about ready to blow. I pace up and down the line as I speak. “You boys will learn to respect each other. What Jack just did was pretty fucking impressive, and anybody who can’t see that might as well get the fuck out of my campus. This is not high school. There are no fucking mean girls and bitchy prom queens in my recruits. You build each other up. If someone needs pointers in fighting, then fucking give them those pointers. Don’t stand with your fucking arms behind your back and laugh like a fucking child. Get over yourselves. Help each other. Guide each other. Celebrate each other..” There comes a point where these guys can only do so much of that. At the end of the day, they all see it as a competition. They all want to be the best. But that doesn’t mean they can throw each other down and trample all over each other in the process. “O’Reilly, you’re up..”

12:26 Elías_Santiago: Watching Jack take a pounding from that arrogant asswipe, Zane, hurt my soul, I wanted Jack to beat him so badly. But after Alistair put some fire into Jack, that was more than made up for by the astonishing scene as he knocked Zach out. But the icing on the cake was watching Alistair humiliate that fucker Zane in front of us all. That was so worth it. I listened to Alistair in awe as he spoke, my respect and admiration for him growing by the second. His words were not only wise, but inspirational. Damn. I was proud to have him as our instructor. I surge forward then, helping Jack up, “Jack… my man, I wish you could have seen the look on Zach’s face when your fist smashed him. That was incredible, everything Alistair said and more… you are an inspiration, Jack. Now, let’s get you to the medic.”

12:26 Jack_Young: Alistair really tries to make me feel good about what just happened. Apparently I’ve been a good example of how to push yourself on or whatever, but I don’t feel any victory. I don’t feel like I’ve achieved anything.. I lost four times in a row, and that’s the only emotion I’m clinging to right now. Elías comes to help me to my feet as I hook my arms around his shoulders and use his solid weight to get me standing. I can't bear the weight on my left foot again, I ignored it so much and must have kept putting pressure on it.. Now all the adrenaline has burned off, I’m just left with the painful reminder that I should have been more careful. I keep one arm draped over Elías’ shoulder as he guides me out of the room, calling me an ‘inspiration’ or whatever. I appreciate his words, but I certainly don’t believe them. The only thing I’ve inspired is a sense of what NOT to do in this program.. Be a pathetic, useless loser. I can’t spill all of that to Elías, though.. So through pained groans and harsh gasps I just utter “Th-thanks..” oh fuck, talking hurts too. I just want to collapse.. This medic best have something strong.

Published: 2021-07-14, viewed 65 times.