Chapter Text
< 2015 BATTLE SIMULATION >
“Captain, are you sure this route is safe?” Cole heard Jay ask behind him, footsteps plodding in the soggy terrain as they ran.
He turned to face him as his feet continued the motions, “It’s safe. The blue team wouldn’t possibly think of us coming around and hitting them back!”. He flashed a quick thumbs up with his free hand.
They managed around ten more steps before-
BANG!
It felt like the entire night sky had lit up with fireworks. All of a sudden, tanks and soldiers were advancing towards them from the shrubs, guns and grenades at the ready. They had been waiting for them!
Quickly, the red team ducked for cover behind the nearest rocks and attempted to counter the attack. Their bullets harmlessly pinged off the tanks’ thick-coated metal plating. Cole fell to his knees. There was frantic shouting and motion coming from all around him, though it was like his ears were filled with cotton. Everything he watched was in slow-motion.
H-How could this happen! He had thought everything through!
“Cole!”
He failed again. He led the team to despair, again!
“COLE!”
Not only have we lost this battle exercise, but we’ve also lost the chance to be selected for the Soldier King Contest.
“Pull back! Everyone, quickly pull back!” Soldiers rushed to retreat as more opponents approached. Gunfire filled the once peaceful night air.
“Cole! You're the commander, remember? Give us orders. Give us orders!”
Was that Kai? Everything sounded fuzzy in his ears. Was he breathing? In....Out...
“COLE! Cole, be careful!”
Someone collided harshly with him, knocking him out of the way of the blast aimed at him from a tank.
“Cole? Cole!”
The world started fading to black.
Sensei, I have failed you. I have failed everyone.