bullets ↯ 5sauce a.u.

three

here it is you beautiful people ily all!! sorry this took waaaay to long i am lazy garbage. the chapter seems really strained and it doesn't flow very smoothly but i just wanted to post something for you guys. hopefully the next update won't be such a long wait xx
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we walked for awhile, calum leading the way with his torch light. he was able to dodge the upcoming branches and snarled roots with ease, which indicated he'd obviously been through here before. i don't quite know why i chose to follow him; the whole situation was odd. i could've easily chose to run off but for some reason i couldn't get myself to do it. there was this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach: trust.

as we walked, the dense forest thinned out a bit, then seemed to stop all at once.

"we're here," calum told me in a soft voice. i observed our surroundings as the feeling of confusion bubbled inside of me. it seemed as though we were simply in a wide clearing, a circle of trees surrounding us. an empty lot.

"is this some kind of satanic ritual?" i blurted. my hand was rested on my hip and my glare oozed with skepticism. "did you lead me through a forest in the middle of the night to take me to an empty clearing so you can sacrifice me to your morbid gods?"

calum had a small smile on his face and shook his head with a chuckle. he leaned backwards into what seems like nothing, but he remained elevated. i could make out the reflection of the back of his head behind him.

"mirrored walls?"

he smirked with a slight nod and pressed his hand against the pane of glass. a dim blue halo of light traced the outline of his hand, then slides open a door. "fancy, huh?"

"it's, like, science fiction level fancy," i said, my mouth agape. he stepped in through the doorway, and i followed behind him. "how the hell did you afford this?"

"rich parents. come on, i have people to introduce you to."

we walked down long hallways with bland walls. doorways were sleek and had a keypad to access each of them. the whole place was snatched straight out of a futuristic science fiction novel, and i absolutely adored it.

we reached the end of the corridor and calum nonchalantly clicked the keypad with his gloved fingers. the door slid open (upwards, vanishing into the wall), revealing a set of stairs. we descended into a vast room with matted floors. i saw targets plastered to white walls and racks lined with katanas and bows. i saw about six other people, two sparred with staffs and one tore apart bullseyes with throwing knives from the belt strapped around her waist. the atmosphere was intense, and i almost felt out of place.

"hey, guys," calum spoke up. the chattering continued, weapons kept clashing. he shifted his footing with a frown. agitated, he took a sharp breath and shouted "HEY!"

the entirety of the gym snapped to attention, their weapons pointed cautiously in the direction of the shout.

a boy with shockingly artificial red hair looked me up and down. "who the hell is she?"

calum gave a small grin and gestured to me with his arm. "this is charlotte." he explained. i gave a small wave.

the redhead jutted his staff to the ground and leaned against it like a can. "okay, but why is she here?"

"i met her in the forest and-"

"wait, she was the one that set off the sensor?" a girl with a bow slung over her shoulder blurted rather loudly.

calum sighed. "yes, she was, and-"

"so you found a girl wandering around in the forest and brought her to our headquarters?"

calum furrowed his brows, clearly agitated. "yes, i did. if you'd just let me explain-"

"calum," the red haired boy sighed. "that was a dumb move. and that's coming from me."

i swear i heard calum growl. he gripped my forearm and dragged me over to the great wall of weapons, where he grabbed a belt of throwing knives and thrust it into my arms.

"charlotte, just show them what you can do." he demanded, anxious to shut his friends up. i happily obliged, choosing the stoutest knife from the selection and unsheathing it from its pocket in the belt.

my fingers tightened around the grooves chiseled into the cool metal and i gripped the knife properly and steadily. i kept my wrist loose as i turned to the target, pinpointing where i would throw the knife. i turn and see calum's friends ogling me and i suddenly felt like a tribute in the hunger games being tested on my survival skills.

i bring my arm back, fingers gripped around the handle of the knife and my shoulders square. my arm flies forward and i released the knife. it darted through the air, the point of the blade facing forward like the nose of a jet. it tore through the canvas cover of the target. the entire blade was engulfed inside of the target so that only the handle poked out. i felt content with my work and with a triumphant grin, i turn to calum's friends and take a bow.

their looks of disinterest took me by surprise. "calum, she's gonna need to show us more than throwing some knives to impress us," said a girl who was cleaning her nails with the tip of a sleek black knife.

i glanced nervously at calum, who was clenching his fists. i could tell he was igitated.

"look, i know what she can do-"

"why don't i spar with somebody?" i suggested. at this point, i felt determined to prove myself to them.

the redheaded boy looked interested. "i'm down," he laughed, then smirked. "if you can handle all this." he flexed his muscles jokingly, and i laughed.

"i think i'll be fine," i twisted my hair into a ponytail and stretched my arms one at a time over my shoulders. i licked my bottom lip, turning to face the boy and giving him wink. he flashes a smile.

he favors his left hand and walks with the slightest limp in his right leg, and i assume that his weak spot is just below his knee. we have a stare down as he stands before me, presumably waiting for me to strike first. i did just that, nailing my heel into his sore spot then sparing no time to swing a punch to his face.

he staggered backwards but recovers quickly, a scowl present on his face. he aims a swing at my abdomen. i step back slightly and grab his forearm, twisting it behind him. i stand behind him and release his arm with a kick to his ass. he stumbles.

he's light on his feet as he spins back towards me. i take a swing that he blocks with his forearm. he fights with brute force, something i'd dealt with before. the key is to stay light on your fight, dodge, and search for weak spots.

he swings at my cheek and i let him, just to let his skin collide with my own to allow him to feel like he's in control. he throws another hit. i duck beneath his incoming fist and side step away from him. i send a fist flying at his jaw and a jab at his stomach, right below his ribcage. he lets out a groan and swings again. his fist collides with my ribcage, sending me to the ground.

the boy towers over me in satisfaction, almost ready to declare his own victory. determined to wipe that smug look of satisfaction off of his face, i somersault forward and deliver a kick right to his balls.

i hear the people around me erupt in laughter as the red haired boy crumpled to the ground in pain, and i can feel myself grinning. i stand up and brush myself off, glancing over at the boy i left in crucial condition. i flash him a smile. "you're not a bad fighter," i tell him, offering a hand to help him up. he looks at me from his fetal position on the ground. "you just need to be lighter on your feet."

he takes my hand and i heave him up. "i'm michael," he states with a grin. "thanks for kicking me in the nuts. i might not be able to reproduce."

i smirk. "i think i did the world a favor." calum clears his throat.

"so?"

the boy with the blonde up-do shrugs. "so what?" if looks could kill, the up-do boy would be dead.

"is she fucking grade-a material or what?" calum snaps. i beam at the group of teenagers wielding weapons.

they all look at each other, then nod. i feel my grin widen. calum hugs me briefly.

"welcome to the family, charlotte."