E.C.H.O.

Stage 6 "Surviving Practice"

Despites the numerous scars from his neck down, he was sure his back looked a lot worse. Were there no government operatives hiding in the school, he could have just brushed it off as something he had acquired from the accident. Yet no operative would be fooled. They all knew what scars from battle looked like.

I'll figure it out if the problem ever arises, he told himself as he pulled on the jersey and finished brushing his teeth. Coming out of the bathroom, he found Nathan waiting.

"Dude, you probably want to take your school stuff," he advised. "We won't be coming back here after practice."

Lucas nodded and grabbed the backpack ECHO had packed for him. Nathan had his own too. Nathan. The two guys left the room and began to head down the hallway. From the room beside theirs, Lucas caught sight of a pair of eyes watching him through a slightly ajar door. As soon as Lucas turned, the eyes disappeared and the door closed with a 'click'.

Threat? Lucas wondered as they continued. He had recognized those eyes from the day before. Jamie, the name flashed through his mind as he remembered what Auden had told him. He stored the possibility of a threat in his mind and turned his concentration to where he was going. Along the way, he reached a hand into the outer pocket of his backpack. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled out what looked like small see through patches with a tiny black dot in the middle.

As they walked Lucas places three of them along the walls in the hallway by simply brushing his hand against it. Nathan didn't notice a thing, and if anyone was watching through the cameras in the hallway, it wouldn't look like he was placing bugs at all.

Lucas felt satisfaction as they exited the hallway. He could check the images and conversations later on his laptop.

They headed to the cafeteria only to find it already pretty full. Guys dressed in various sport outfits were all around, inhaling their breakfast as though it was the last meal they would ever see.

"My advice," Nathan told Lucas, "don't eat too much. Coach tends to make you spit it all up again during warm up if you know what I mean."

Lucas decided it was better to listen. He placed a bug under the table the sat at while eating. Once done, they headed for the field. A whole group of guys were already there, all wearing the same colored jersey with different numbers on the back.

"S'up," Jordan nodded as he saw them. He and one other player were the only ones wearing a different jersey from the rest.

"You the new guy?" a player asked as Lucas and Nathan reached them.

"Lucas," Lucas told him.

"Darin," came the reply.

More guys came until Lucas counted twenty two altogether. A few gathered around him, curious, and introduced themselves.

"Alight, lads!" a voice, with a thick British accent, called.

The guys all turned their attention to the man who came towards them. He had a shaved head, a clipboard in one hand and a hat in the other. A whistle hung around his neck and he looked well built. His grey eyes scanned over the boys before him.

"Hope you all didn't pig out at breakfast, cause we're doing our bleep test today."

There were groans all around.

"You know the drill," the man, whom Lucas could only guess was the coach, told them. Another man, somewhat younger and lanky, was hurrying over to join them on the field. He too, had a whistle. "We already had tryouts; this is just the final check to see if you all really are fit. You don't pass level nine and you can take the test again tomorrow afternoon. Fail then and you're off the team."