About three days later, just outside the Squad Bastards' base in the forests of Bar Harbor, Axel and Leon were once again deep into training.
"Come on, kid! Get them gains!" Axel shouted enthusiastically.
Leon was on the ground doing push-ups, gritting his teeth in pain, while Axel sat comfortably on a boulder munching loudly on a bag of Dorito dynamites.
"Axel, I can't focus with all your damn munching! And I just finished a hundred sit-ups! Are push-ups really necessary?!" Leon snapped, struggling through his sixty-fourth rep.
"Don't act dumb, kid! You're the one crying about getting your ass beat on missions," Axel replied with a grin. "Now we're getting you useful. One Punch Man style. You still got thirty-six push-ups, a hundred squats, and a ten-kilometer run left. Keep going and you'll be knocking people out with one punch in a month—call you Less Interesting Saitama! Hahaha!"
Leon collapsed face-first onto the ground.
"I hope you choke on those damn chips," he muttered under his breath.
Axel didn't stop laughing. "If you don't finish today's workout, you gotta clean the entire base!"
"What?! You didn't say that before!" Leon barked, springing back up.
"I just told you. Pay attention."
Leon groaned. "Why don't any of the other members go through this?! Victor looks like he hasn't exercised a day in his life!"
Axel chuckled. "You really haven't figured it out yet? Alright, let me put you on game."
"Uh… sure. Whatever that means," Leon said, listening up.
"You gotta train because, let's be honest, you're useless. But you already knew that. As for the others, they didn't need this because they found their role the second they joined. That's probably why we're the only surviving members left. Everyone else died within months."
Leon's eyes widened slightly, but Axel kept going.
"Just look at the squad so far. Roxie? She's a lethal assassin and fighter—we use her for stealth and front-line combat. Victor's a surgeon and a biochemist. We've used him for torture, research, all kinds of scenarios. Raven? Damn near our most useful member. She hacks, runs mission briefings, and builds tech when she's bored. Then there's me—the explosion king and artillery expert. See the pattern?"
"So… I need to find my role in the squad," Leon said, scratching his head.
"Exactly. It's like a basketball team. If the starting five has one weak link, the star player can only do so much. That's why you're in the gym, getting your reps in. We start with combat ability."
"Okay… I guess that makes sense," Leon sighed, dropping back into push-up position.
"That's what I like to hear! Chest to the dirt, soldier! Let's move!"
"Just don't blow me up…"
***
Three hours later, Axel and a scratched-up Leon limped back toward the base.
"Ughhh, my everything! I can't believe I did all that just to still clean the house," Leon groaned.
"If you'd finished the ten-kilometer run, this wouldn't be happening," Axel replied casually.
"Damn it… I really need to figure out my role already," Leon muttered.
"Don't trip too much, kid. You've got one thing the rest of us don't."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? What's that?"
Axel glanced at him with a grin. "The will to live."
"Huh?! That's… dark."
Axel kept walking. "Look at it like this—since you want to live, when you're backed into a corner, it's easier for adrenaline to kick in. That'll give you the natural boost to get stronger for a short time. Being able to blindly kill your enemy when you've got no other option? That's a survival skill."
"Uhh… sounds kinda far-fetched, but okay," Leon replied.
They entered the base. Axel immediately rushed to the closet, then turned and tossed Leon a mop.
"Here—get to work, kid!"
Leon caught it with an unamused glare.
"You can find the bucket yourself!" Axel called as he darted up the stairs.
"I can't stand this son of a bitch," Leon thought to himself with a sigh.
***
Over the next thirty minutes, Leon cleaned the base, starting with the downstairs area.
"This place is so damn small, but it's filthy! When was the last time anyone cleaned it?!"
As he dipped the mop back into the bucket, he heard the front door creak open.
Is someone here...?
Suddenly, a tall figure in a hooded cloak rushed through the entrance, grabbing Leon by the throat before he could react.
"What the hell—?!"
The cloaked individual lifted Leon off the floor with one hand.
So strong! Leon thought in a panic, kicking his legs helplessly.
He looked down at the stranger—but the grip around his neck only tightened.
"Who are you?" the figure demanded coldly. "Why are you here? And state your business in my base."