Chapter 86: A New Friend

The order had the effect of a whip crack. All the recruits immediately started moving again, and the run resumed right where it had been interrupted, while the Jeep slowly started up behind them to maintain the same pace.

Heavy breathing, footsteps pounding against the concrete, and the instructors' regular shouts once again filled the training ground. Everyone was now trying to focus on the final two laps, but several glances still discreetly turned toward Flash, who was running in the middle of the group with Amadeus on his back.

— "You think he's gonna make it?" Sergeant Mark asked.

— "We'll see. But either way… he's the only one who reached out to that kid while I was yelling at her and everyone else was laughing."

— "Yeah, that surprised me too. None of the kids I've trained ever acted like that. They usually spent their time laughing, complaining, or trying to prove who had the biggest dick."

While Sergeant Mark spoke, Morasson barely took his eyes off Flash. From the Jeep, he carefully observed the way the young man ran, how he tried to maintain his pace despite the extra weight on his back and, above all, the determination that had pushed him to intervene when absolutely nothing had required him to do so. Something about this recruit had clearly sparked his curiosity.

— "I wonder if he'll manage to make it through this training…" Sergeant Morasson thought.

Flash, of course, had no idea about the particular attention the two instructors were now giving him. All his energy was focused on one thing: keeping himself moving forward. Amadeus rested entirely on his back, her still-unresponsive legs swaying slightly with each of his strides.

The sun continued beating down relentlessly, the heat made his clothes cling to his skin, and sweat poured down his temples. On top of that came the instructors' shouts, regularly echoing in the recruits' ears with such force that it sometimes felt as though they were yelling right beside them.

Yet despite his muscles already beginning to burn from the effort, Flash kept running.

— "Hey… can I ask why you did that?"

Amadeus's voice reached him from over his shoulder. Flash didn't answer immediately. He was trying to focus as much as possible on his breathing, his footing, and the rhythm of his strides so he wouldn't lose his pace. After a few seconds, he quickly inhaled before managing to answer between breaths.

— "…Did what?"

— "Why did you help me? I mean, you've seen how long these laps are, right? Carrying me like this, you're just gonna collapse after a few minutes."

— "Maybe… but if we make it… nobody gets punished."

Every answer now required a genuine effort from Flash. He could no longer afford to waste his breath speaking normally and had to leave several pauses between his words and sentences, breathing deeply whenever he got the chance.

Despite that, he still tried to maintain a decent pace, refusing to slow down despite the new weight pressing heavily against his back. Amadeus silently watched him over his shoulder for a few moments, becoming increasingly intrigued by the boy who had decided to make things so much harder for himself just to help a complete stranger.

— "And you think you can make it?" Amadeus asked softly.

— "…I'll do my best. What about you? How are your legs?"

At that question, Amadeus let out a small laugh, as though the answer had become almost obvious.

— "Honestly, I can't feel them anymore."

Despite his exhaustion, Flash couldn't help but chuckle softly as well.

— "You're not much of an athlete, huh?"

— "And you seem to be the complete opposite. We could make a pretty good pair, don't you think? You've got the muscles, and I've got the brains!" Amadeus replied with an amused smile.

A small, embarrassed smile appeared on Flash's face. For a fraction of a second, he almost instinctively turned his head toward her to respond, before thinking better of it when he realized that taking his attention off the path while he was already struggling to stay on his feet probably wasn't the smartest idea. So he kept his eyes fixed straight ahead.

— "Just because I've got muscles doesn't mean I'm stupid, you know?"

— "And yet, you put me on your back even though you're probably gonna collapse from exhaustion before finishing the remaining laps. So in the end, we'll still get punished, and everyone will be mad at you too. To me… that's what I call being stupid."

Convinced that she had perfectly proven her point and playfully shut him up, Amadeus discreetly wore a satisfied smile. A hint of almost arrogant pride even crossed her face, clearly amused that she had found the flaw in her new carrier's logic.

But contrary to what she expected, Flash didn't seem offended or embarrassed by her remark. Instead, a much gentler smile appeared on his lips.

— "Maybe to you, but not to me. You were exhausted, and I could help you. And even if I screw up in the end, it doesn't matter. At least I'll have tried. Besides… I don't need any special reason to help someone. Just seeing someone struggling is already enough of a reason to try and help them, don't you think?"

This time, Amadeus had nothing to say. Flash's words had completely caught her off guard. Until now, she could easily have imagined him as one of those guys whose impressive build made up most of their personality, but what she had just heard didn't match that first impression at all.

Behind the muscles and athletic appearance was clearly someone very different from what she had assumed. His words were simple, but they revealed a maturity and sincerity she hadn't expected. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as she had just claimed.

For several long seconds, Amadeus remained silent, simply letting herself be carried while Flash kept moving despite the exhaustion building in every muscle of his body. Then, after watching him for another moment, she finally spoke again.

— "What's your name?"

— "Eugene Thompson. But the people close to me call me Flash. What about you?"

— "…Amadeus Cho."

A faint smile appeared on Flash's lips. In the middle of this hellish first day, between the yelling, the heat, and the exhaustion, maybe he had managed to make his first friend. But he didn't really have time to dwell on that thought. There was still far too much ground left to cover, and his body was seriously beginning to reach its limits.

With difficulty, Flash still managed to finish the first of the two remaining laps with Amadeus clinging to his back. But as he began the final one, his legs suddenly buckled. His body tipped slightly forward and, for a fraction of a second, he looked like he was about to collapse with her. Flash managed to regain his balance just in time. He gritted his teeth, tightened his grip around Amadeus's legs, and kept going.

The final lap was by far the hardest. Every stride seemed to require more effort than the one before it. His legs were becoming unbearably heavy, his lungs were burning, and his breathing was no longer even remotely steady. Even Amadeus, who had still been joking with him just a few minutes earlier, began to realize just how far Flash was actually pushing his body.

She was even shocked by it. Several times, she felt his legs trembling beneath her weight and genuinely wondered how he was still standing. At this point, she wouldn't even have blamed him if he had stopped. He had already carried her for an entire lap when he had been exhausted before he even started. No one could have blamed him for reaching his limit.

And yet, Flash kept going.

So Amadeus began encouraging him. Every time he seemed to slow down, every time his legs threatened to give out, her voice reminded him that there wasn't much farther to go. Flash barely answered anymore. He simply didn't have the strength. He kept moving, one stride after another, his face completely tensed from the effort and his eyes fixed straight ahead.

And finally… he made it.

Flash crossed the end of the final lap with Amadeus still on his back. But the moment the exercise was over, all the willpower that had kept him standing until then seemed to vanish at once. After letting Amadeus climb down, his legs gave out and he collapsed heavily onto the ground, completely drained. His chest rose and fell at a frantic pace, and he sucked in air so desperately that he was almost breathing like an animal after an endless run.

Around him, however, no one was laughing anymore. The recruits who had mocked him only a few minutes earlier were now silent. Some stared at him in surprise, others with a respect they probably never would have admitted out loud. Even the instructors seemed genuinely impressed. Flash had said he would finish those two laps carrying Amadeus on his back. Despite the heat, despite his own exhaustion, and despite everyone who thought he would fail… he had just kept his word.

TO BE CONTINUED.