I grabbed all the extra mags I needed before heading over to the starting position. I quickly looked over all my gear to make sure nothing was missing. Two Stellar pistols strapped to my sides and my Witner assault rifle on my back. I had my commando knife on me as well, never left the house without it, it's like a good luck charm. I gave a thumbs up to the camera and Sgt. Drall's voice poured over the PA. "Alright Itchi. Exercise beginning in 3… 2… 1… AND GO!" I darted off towards the first building and ducked behind a low cut wall. Three holographic men came out across from me and began to unload into the wall. I waited for a cease fire before lurching over the wall and quickly dispatched them all with my rifle before running into the next room. This time two men came out, one with a rifle the other with a pistol. I quickly spun into a corner blocking them with a wall. I pulled out my pistols, one in each hand before I dove head first out of cover and quickly shot off as many bullets as I could. I killed them both and pulled myself up and out of the building. Outside I fell in a similar situation as Zakuro. Multiple men came out from the different buildings and I dove behind a small piece of rocky debris. I reloaded my pistols before popping out of cover and dispatching as many as I could. I popped one on the third floor in the building to my right directly between the eyes. I then moved around in a circle shooting off bullet after bullet, every one hitting their mark. The entire area had been cleared and so I moved on to the last part. I ducked and crawled under some barbed wire before I was in the open area where the hand to hand combat would come into play. The sparring bot comes out from it's little metal box and readies it's fists, as do I. I quickly lurch in landing a few punches into it's stomach. It tries to swing at me, but I quickly jump away dodging it and jump right back in landing more jabs. It leads in to a hefty jab at me, but I duck below it and spin around so that I am crouched with my back to its legs. I grab his arm mid-punch and pull myself up while still holding his arm and pull the entire bot over my body, flipping it. I quickly spin around again to face it on the floor and I jump onto it landing as many hard blows to it's face as I can. After about three blows it shuts down and the timer stops. "Just as expected Itchi," Sgt. Drall's voice calls over the PA. "1 minute 12 seconds and no hits!" I did better than I even expected to do. I made my way over to the starting point where I put away all my gear. I then climbed the stairs to the viewing deck to meet with my friends. "For a couple of 16 year olds, you guys are flipping crazy good!" Sgt. Drall says to us as I join Zakuro on the couch. "Thanks man." I say to him as Samuel begins to walk over to the door. "My turn to shine!" Samuel calls to us as he rushes out the door closing it behind him. "That kids fucking nuts." I say to myself. "Damn straight." Zakuro agrees.

Four and a half minutes later Samuel is crawling up the stairs exhausted. "This is why, I stay in the fucking lab." Samuel pants as he flops onto the couch. "4 minutes and 37 seconds with 12 hits." Zakuro recites. "For your standards that's really good." Zakuro says trying to cheer him up, but Samuel is too exhausted to even care about his surroundings. "Well that concludes your testing exercises." Sgt. Drall begins. "You guys all did excellently, you should all be very proud. Now why don't you go home and rest, the report will be sent in the mail in about 2-3 weeks." The ride home was just as enjoyable as the ride there. Riding in the helicopter was always such a joy. Seeing the world I was just standing on drift away as we rise up and up. Seeing the cars and people the size of bugs knowing we are really the same size as them. It's just something I enjoy. A simple thing, but I enjoy it none the less. I've only really been alive for five years now, it's so odd to think about it. The weirdest part is, I can remember the day I was born. Not literally, but the day I was found by Zakuro, the first day I have any memory of. It's odd to think of a specific day where all memory just stops. It's just scary to me. Who am I really? Do I have parents? Where are they? Does everybody back home just think I'm dead? Did I even have a family? These are all things that may never be answered, but they don't need to be. I have my friends I have a home, well more of a room, but still. I sort of have a father. If only Jameson wasn't always so busy. Jameson Floyd was like the father figure to me, Samuel and Zakuro. He works at the base, but he's really busy all the time. He's a strategist and lately with the Killers becoming more active we barely ever see him.

I sometimes wonder what it's like to live a normal childhood. Me, Samuel and Zakuro all had that ripped away from us. Zakuro's parents were killed by the Killers and Samuel's parents were killed in a car crash. Both not having any relatives able or willing to take care of them they became orphans. Zakuro began work at the base since Jameson, a good friend of her family adopted her. Samuel's parents killed in a car crash that he miraculously survived dying words were one of the most important things Samuel ever heard. Just as her mother was dying in the hospital she said to Samuel "Your smart Samuel, you can have a good future. Don't waste what you have. Be good. Be brave for mommy. Don't let me down." Samuel, determined to do all good he could learned of the Killers in Japan and was able to use his family fortune to move here with his god father. He began working here after school, but only little jobs. After the Life saw his potential they got him out of school and he began work full time here. His god father passed away when he was 13, but Sgt. Drall has since taken legal custody of him. Sgt. Drall doesn't act like you would expect a father too, but he really cares about Samuel.

Somehow we all got mixed up together, and like it or not there was some sort of reason. Whether it be the planets aligning or the work of God, we were put here, together for a reason. I just wish I knew why.