"Well, it looks like you guys are fired up today," says Daniel, as he comes up to us. The team he was just with had left the training room, which means it was just us left.
"That's good. I have something new scheduled for you."
We stop warming up, and I grab my towel from my bag to wipe off the sweat that is running down my brow. Daniel walks over to the weapon wall, stopping and turning to us with a serious look on his face.
"I think it's time for you to choose," He says, spreading his arms. Most of the other teams still haven't gotten their weapons yet, and I'm excited to think that we are one of the first ones to receive our own.
"Alright!" Says Cassie. "Now we're talking."
Daniel smiles before schooling his expression.
"Mara, Jayson, Kalen; you three have already chosen weapons during your previous years. If you want to change now is the time, otherwise, you can come up and take them from the rack."
They seem to weigh their options, and it looks like the three of them decide to stay with their current method of defense. Mara goes up first, picking up a small metal tube that seems to fit perfectly in her hand. I briefly wonder what it is before she presses a button on the inside of the rod, extending it to its full length. The six-foot-long pole seems to belong with her, as if it were an extension of her own body.
The rod itself is nothing too exciting, with light gray coloring and a couple designs decorating either end, it looks more like a walking stick than a weapon. It's definitely subtle, which is probably what Mara was looking for in a weapon. Nothing flashy, just something practical and efficient that gets the job done.
"The titanium-alloy staff, good for close-range fighting," says Daniel, probably for those of us who have never had the chance to pick up a real weapon before.
"This one is specifically designed to have a retractable hook on one end," he continues, as Mara demonstrates by pressing the second button on her staff, making a miniature hook pop out of one of the ends.
"So that the user can inflict the most amount of damage. It can also be used to escape when tied up. This can cut through our metal infused threads, which you must have seen when you interrogated Jade."
Ah, so he heard about that. I wonder how he felt about her betrayal. She had been one of his students for a brief time, after all.
"It's a nice fit for your style, as usual, well done Mara."
She nods, retracting her staff and coming back to stand with Cassie and me.
"Can I hold it?" Whispers Cassie and I try really hard not to laugh at her. She looks like a kid in a candy store, except this is very dangerous candy.
Next up, Jay. He knows what he's looking for straight away, as he picks up twin handguns from the different selection of firearms lining the wall.
"Your usual guns, modified to shoot THV bullets as well as your regular ones."
He shows us the guns, demonstrating how to load and fire. He handles them with the practiced ease of someone that has worked with firearms many times before. He twirls them around his fingers, dismantling and piecing them back together in mere seconds. He definitely knows what he is doing.
And next up, Kalen.
He hesitates before heading to the left side of the rack. He grabs a strap with five throwing knives, all the same size, all with the same jagged edges. They are not very big, fitting perfectly into the palm of his hand. The blades are well kept, you can tell by the way they shine in the light, and I can't find a single scratch decorating their surface. They look brand new. But the thing that stands out most about them are the fire red pommels, matching perfectly with Kalen's suit, the one he wore the day of our initiation.
"Now that you three are settled, Cassie, Bri; why don't you pick out your weapons?"
Alright, I feel excitement grow in my chest. I scan the rows and rows of gadgets and gear hanging on the wall. Crossbows, TVH tasers, and all sorts of firearms. I recognize the gun that Jordan had shown us on our tour, the one that could analyze a person's Gift, leaning against a rifle with a fancy looking wire hanging from it. This whole section reminds me of the armory in the Arch museum of Mins, where you can see weapons from both the old and the new world. Any weapon you could think of, even some you wouldn't even know existed, are hanging on the wall in front of me. Out of such an array of dangerous tools, which one would best suit me? Was I into close combat, or was I more of a distance kind of gal? offense, or defense? How could I decide?.
"You seem to be having a bit of trouble," says Daniel, watching as I pick up a small dagger for the fourth time. I hover over the weapons, trying to decide which one would fit me best, while Cassie plays around with some small EMPs that are fashioned to look like a bracelet.
"Why don't I help you choose."
He walks up to Cassie first, so I take it I'll be last to get my weapon. That's fine, it gives me more time to scan all the gadgets and try and narrow down my decisions. I'm pretty sure I don't want a gun, or any sort of firearm for that matter. The thought of killing someone... It just doesn't sit well with me. I would injure, but I'll try to not aim for the kill.
"Cassie, during these past few weeks we have seen much improvement in your technique, but you still lack the skills for close combat encounters. However, the weapon for you should be used for such occasions. As a reinforcement. Your Gift already allows you to attack and defend yourself from a distance, you need to be able to do the same when your opponent is right in your face."
He looks her up and down, humming as he thinks of what her best options would be. Daniel, while muscular, isn't very tall. That is something that both he and Cassie have in common, which means he might have an idea of what her weaknesses and strengths could be, since he probably has to deal with them as well. As he seizes her up Cassie puffs out her chest, making Daniel chuckle. I can tell that that's one of the things our mentor loves most about my friend, the way she can make a joke out of anything, but is serious when the situation calls for it.
"What about that thing over there?" She asks, pointing to a small black package. It's the most ordinary-looking of the whole group, which makes me think it might be the most interesting one.
"I guess we could work with this," says Daniel, going up to the small box and plucking it from the rack.
"This is a camo suit."
He opens the package and reveals a black skinsuit.
"This uses light filtration and holographic technology to mimic your surroundings, making its user completely invisible to the human eye."
Cassie's eyes light up in an instant.
"An invisibility suit?"
Daniel grimaces at the term.
"More crudely said, sure, an invisibility suit. You can wear your clothes over it, as it will extend the projection to every part of your body. It's because of the nanobots built into the suit, they act almost like mirrors, mimicking your environment."
I notice that the suit has honeycomb-shaped patches all over it, and I wonder if those are the little nanobots Daniel is talking about. Jayson and Cassie listen to his explanation while Mara and Kalen inspect their gear.
"We will have to get Jordan to make a few changes to fit your stature, but otherwise I think this is a good choice for you. It will certainly give you an advantage over any attacker."
He pockets the little package, probably to take to Jordan, and turns to me.
"Miss Acero, what will we do with you?"
Before he starts looking, I tell him about my hesitancy towards firearms, so he just nods understandingly, skipping the guns.
"You are good when it comes to sparring, I've seen the way you hold your own in a fight. Even against Kalen over here, who can be quite a tricky opponent."
Kalen stops looking at his daggers at the mention of his name, quirking his lips when Daniel points out his aptitude when it comes to fighting. I have never seen someone move as fast as Kalen. I had gone up against him twice now. I never managed to beat him, but I keep telling myself that one of these days, I will be the one standing over him. I just need an extra kick.
Something in the middle of the rack catches my eye. A black pair of what seem to be regular fingerless gloves, hanging among all technology. But there is something off about the knuckles.
"Are those brass-knuckled gloves?" I ask, pointing at the object in question. Daniel nods, going over and pulling them off the wall to hand them to me.
"The gloves are made of extra resistant fabric, so it's harder for them to get lost during a fight. They also have miniature EMP detonators built into the palms. Clap twice and you will shut down every electrical device within 20 feet."
I try on one of the gloves, and it fits like, well, like a glove. I had been expecting the brass in the knuckles to be uncomfortable or rigid, bulky even, but somehow it seems to blend into the material. It is hard, but it's also flexible. These are the strangest brass knuckles I've ever seen, but I'm definitely not complaining about them.
"I think I've found my partner," I say, smiling at my mentor. He chuckles at my comment but seems genuinely happy that all of us have found what we needed.
"Now all we need," he says, "is to teach you how to fight with them."