The Golden Suits: Myth or Legend

Chapter 15: The Second Final Test

*Alarm blaring*

"Beep, beep, beep" ... I slowly opened my eyes and let out a long yawn, I looked across at the holographic clock and it was 7:01 am Saturday, March 24th 2100. I looked over at my watch and saw two missed calls and a few messages. I stretched and looked at them, it was the team, everyone confirmed our plans to skip classes and were heading over to Olympians Square.

I got out of bed feeling a little sluggish, yesterday had took a greater toll on my body and mind than I originally thought. Even my dream last night seemed to have a lingering affect on my mental. I wanted to delve into it further but who would I talk to, to figure all this out. Right now I had plans with my team and I was already running late. I had to shake this off for now.

I slowly made my way to the bathroom, stopping in front of the mirror still in awe of my transformation but accepting everything that has happened.

After brushing my teeth, it was time for my morning exercise routine which consisted of 3 sets of 50 push-ups, 3 sets of 100 crunches, 3 sets of 30 chin pull ups and 3 sets of 30 burpees, which now I was able to complete almost effortlessly. However, this morning I seemed to flop to the ground, and only half way through I found that I had to dig deeper than usual to complete them.

"Huff, puff" forty-eight, "huff, puff" forty-nine, "huff, puff" fifty.

I could not shake this sluggish feeling, I was not sore and my muscles felt fine, I figured I was probably still tired after yesterday's ordeal. I was on my last set. I sat up and went straight into my crunches. I tried to power through my crunches because I was no longer just a civilian, I was a soldier of New Earth and I had to make sure I gave my all to the suits.

Again, I was able to complete my crunches but even this took a little longer than usual. To complete my burpees now would be the real test. There was no one here to know whether or not I finished my morning routine but I would know I was slacking. This was something I could not allow myself to do.

From my earliest memories of my father coming home proud of the work he did on the suits, I dreamnt I could one day make him as proud. We would gather around the dinner table and he was so excited to share his stories with my mother and I. The break throughs he worked on and even new technology and improvements he made.

I learned so much about the soldiers he worked with, some of the legends that respected him, even Mr. Rembrant who acknowledged my father publicly for his great work. My father always encouraged me to make my own way and believed that someday I too could make a great contribution to New Earth. This is where my love and passion to be a member of the suits came from and now to be Champion and carry on my father's name would never make me quit.

I pushed myself off of the floor, looked myself in the mirror one last time and started to do the burpees. "Ten, eleven, twelve", I was becoming really tired and the power in my jumps as I pushed myself off the floor was decreasing. How could this be I thought, again I tried to psych myself up.

"I cannot take this for granted!"

I continued my jumping jack motion, leaping to the air and clapping my hands above my head, then as I land to the floor go straight into push up position, pulling my legs back and forth to my chest for five seconds, then leaping to the sky again.

"Eighteen... "I cannot take this for granted!" Nineteen... "I cannot take this for granted!" Twenty, it was starting to take a toll on me,

*Ring ring, ring ring Incoming call*

I stopped my exercise and caught my breath, it was Maleek.

Atticus: "Hey bro, what's up?"
Maleek: "Finally!!!"