Chapter 88: Intense Training (Part 2)

FIFTH WEEK — SHOOTING RANGE

More than a month had now passed since their arrival when the recruits began devoting a significant part of their training to handling their weapons. But before they were even allowed to fire their first shot, they had to spend time learning the different safety rules, the necessary handling procedures, as well as the proper way to hold and control their rifles.

Nearby, the instructors carefully monitored every movement and immediately stepped in whenever a bad habit appeared, leaving no room for improvisation in an area where even the slightest mistake could have serious consequences.

When they were finally allowed to fire at their first targets, the differences between the recruits quickly became apparent. Some found their footing almost immediately, while others needed several attempts before achieving satisfactory results.

Flash did reasonably well, but quickly discovered that his physique gave him almost no advantage this time against a target several meters in front of him. In particular, he tended to move too quickly, force some of his movements, and lose accuracy whenever he tried to rush through the different steps without taking enough time.

Amadeus, who paid much closer attention to the explanations given by their instructors, quickly noticed his mistakes. Between exercises, she reminded him of some of the advice they had been given and explained what he was doing wrong.

Flash listened without protesting and immediately tried to apply her advice. Little by little, his movements became more consistent and his shots more accurate, proving that he was perfectly capable of improving whenever he accepted slowing down enough to correct his weaknesses.

But as the exercises gradually became more difficult and began demanding greater concentration, speed, and control, some of his bad habits resurfaced.

Under pressure, Flash sometimes began rushing his movements again and made new mistakes that Amadeus, on the other hand, seemed to avoid much more easily thanks to her constant attention to detail.

Later, the recruits also learned how to properly maintain their equipment. Every step had to be memorized and carried out carefully to ensure that their gear remained fully functional.

Once again, Amadeus absorbed the different procedures with almost unsettling ease, while Flash needed to take more time, double-check what he was doing, and sometimes mentally go back over the explanations they had been given.

But he was learning quickly. And more importantly, he listened.

After working together for so long, Flash and Amadeus had eventually developed a way of functioning that felt almost natural to them. Amadeus quickly understood what they were being taught, spotted mistakes, and usually found the right words to explain them clearly.

Flash, for his part, absorbed her advice without letting his ego get in the way and then did his best to turn it into action. Without ever truly trying to create this dynamic, their complementary nature was becoming more and more obvious as the weeks went by.

SIXTH WEEK — FOREST TRAINING AREA

Six weeks after arriving at the camp, the recruits once again left the main facilities to spend an extended period directly in the field. This time, however, their instructors were interested neither in their physical strength nor in their ability to fight.

The objective was different: they had to learn how to navigate an unfamiliar environment and, above all, how to find their way when their usual points of reference disappeared.

Divided into several groups, the recruits were introduced to map reading, compass use, and the different methods used to properly navigate through the terrain.

They had to follow several assigned routes, locate specific points scattered throughout the forest, and learn to truly observe their surroundings instead of simply walking behind the person in front of them. Every recruit had to be capable of understanding where they were and which direction they needed to go.

The hours passed among the trees, and gradually, fatigue began making an exercise that required constant attention increasingly difficult.

A single wrong turn could cost the entire group valuable time, while a decision made too quickly could force several recruits to retrace their steps and unnecessarily cover even more distance. The more kilometers they accumulated, the more important every decision became.

Once again, Amadeus proved particularly effective. She easily remembered the information given by their instructors, compared the directions on the map with the different landmarks around her, and almost seemed to enjoy turning the entire exercise into one enormous logic problem she had to solve.

While some recruits began losing patience or allowing fatigue to affect their judgment, she continued methodically analyzing the different possibilities before suggesting a direction.

Flash was less precise when it came to navigation and needed to double-check his decisions more often. However, once the kilometers seriously began to add up and fatigue weighed more and more heavily on the group, his endurance became particularly useful.

He could keep moving when others began slowing down and still had enough energy left to help those who were struggling more than the others.

Because this time, it was no longer simply about determining who was the strongest, the smartest, or the fastest. The exercise wasn't an individual competition.

To make proper progress and reach their objective, the recruits had to learn to recognize each other's abilities, rely on one another, and above all understand a rule that was becoming increasingly important as their training continued: no matter their differences or individual weaknesses, no one was to be left behind.

SEVENTH WEEK — TRAINING GROUND — NIGHT

The following week brought an additional challenge for the recruits: they would now have to perform some of the tasks they had learned over the previous weeks in complete darkness. Exercises they were gradually beginning to master during the day took on an entirely different dimension once the light disappeared and their usual points of reference became much harder to distinguish.

Once night fell, the recruits were sent out onto the training ground in small groups. Their objective was no longer simply to find their way or reach a specific location. They also had to remain organized despite the poor visibility, accumulated fatigue, and constant pressure from their instructors, who continued monitoring their decisions and reactions throughout the exercise.

In the darkness, their surroundings seemed almost different. Every sound suddenly felt closer, every crack coming from the trees immediately caught their attention, and the slightest movement spotted out of the corner of their eye was sometimes enough to break their concentration.

After several weeks of training already accumulated in their bodies, fatigue was also weighing more and more heavily on them. Keeping their minds clear enough to think properly sometimes became more difficult than the exercise itself.

Some gradually began to lose patience. Others allowed nervousness to get the better of them and made mistakes they probably never would have made in broad daylight.

One wrong decision, one overly hasty reaction, or just a few seconds of inattention were enough to throw an entire group into disarray, forcing them to regain their composure before they could properly continue the exercise.

Amadeus, however, remained surprisingly calm in the middle of all that tension. The darkness didn't prevent her from thinking, and rather than trying to compensate for the lack of visibility by acting faster, she did exactly the opposite.

Whenever she felt the need, she slowed down, took the time to observe whatever she could make out around her, and thought before making a decision. Even when some of the recruits began growing restless or showing signs of nervousness, she refused to let their behavior influence her own reasoning.

Flash, for his part, still didn't possess his friend's tactical finesse. He could still miss certain details or need more time to understand the best way to approach a situation.

Yet he was now making up for it with a quality his instructors had begun to notice over the weeks: even when he was exhausted, under pressure, or thrown into an uncomfortable situation, he was becoming increasingly difficult to unsettle.

Of course, none of his old habits had disappeared overnight. From time to time, he still reacted too strongly, just as he might have done a few months earlier at school.

Certain remarks could still irritate him, certain situations could momentarily bring out his impulsiveness, and sometimes he had to make a genuine effort not to fall back into his old reflexes. But the more time he spent in this camp, the more something seemed to be gradually changing inside him.

The boy who once reacted immediately to the slightest provocation was now learning to take it without necessarily responding. He was learning to listen before acting, to remain calm when the pressure increased, and above all to keep moving forward even when his body or mind was screaming at him to stop. This change was still far from perfect, but it was very real.

And for Flash Thompson, that growth was perhaps far more important than any improvement in his strength, endurance, or physical performance.

SEVENTH WEEK — CLASSROOM

During that same week, the long periods of physical exertion also gave way to several classroom instruction sessions. After spending weeks running, fighting, navigating, handling their equipment, and gradually pushing their limits, the recruits now had to remain seated and absorb a much more theoretical part of their training.

There, they studied various military regulations, the responsibilities associated with their new status, as well as several procedures they needed to know, understand, and apply correctly whenever the situation required it. Even away from the training grounds, staying focused remained essential.

It wasn't enough to be capable of carrying out an order or enduring exhaustion: certain knowledge had to be remembered with enough precision to be used whenever it became necessary.

Part of this training was also dedicated to the different methods of communication used in the field. The recruits were introduced to radios, the proper transmission of information, and several communication procedures designed to allow them to exchange information effectively in different situations. This new knowledge complemented everything they had already begun developing over the previous weeks.

Their training was therefore no longer simply about running until exhaustion, learning how to shoot, or enduring fatigue. Theory had temporarily taken over, but it was still an essential part of their training. Because being capable of acting meant nothing if they couldn't also understand a situation, properly communicate information, and know the necessary rules to determine how to respond.

TO BE CONTINUED.