The combat exams for everyone else was cool, but not worth reviewing. Everyone basically destroyed the bot within seconds with their powers, especially West and Tina. After this, we go to the gun range. And we all do decent, except for West and Curran. Who both excel so much, I'm worried they're as strong as Tina when they have guns in their hands.
After this, we get taken to the barracks where we're staying at. It's called the Roosevelt Barracks, and I like that. He's my favorite Republican president. I get settled in first, dropping off my new standard rifleblade, and grabbing my vehicle. I park it over here. And then well... my mind gets bored and starts considering life as a dating sim. Especially now that I have a map of this place.
Tina texts me.
"Hey bro, what you doing for the rest of the day? I want to grab dinner with you."
Should I pursue this? I don't know, we have so much to do. We were told that the Arena is open for daily training as long as there are rooms to spare. We have a library. The cafeteria is always open except at night. And then there's the town itself.
As I consider taking Tina up on their offer, they walk by. Utterly shocking me to my core. It's Hemlock's friend group from the concerts he would regularly go too. I went with him a few times, and these people were always around. I love them all a lot, but they're very controversial. Even Jacob Deatrix, even though he's a proud blind soldier for America. I already knew I might see him here, but Lucius and August concern me.
August and Lucius are basically better groomers than Hemlock is. They got money and good looks. They come from rich families. And August is weirdly criminal sometimes. I've seen her sell drugs at concerts while ranting about politics.
August is a tall black woman with golden blonde straightened hair, gold eyes that might be contacts, and golden lipstick on with a round jawline. She has green nail polish on. She wears a olive green leather jacket, a white sports bra, and green camo baggy pants with light brown boots.
Lucius is taller, wearing a red leather jacket with black sleeves. A white button up underneath with a red and gold tie underneath. Gold squiggles cover the tie stylishly. Half red, half black pants. And black sneakers.
And Jacob Deatrix wears casual clothes. A olive trenchcoat that trails down to his knees. A black t-shirt depicting a squad of soldiers armed with automatic rifles gunning down a few monsters from Final Fantasy. Like the Evil Eye, a Tonberry, and a Ice Flan. Beige pants. And black boots.
They notice me staring, and August waves. She beckons with her fingers for her friends to approach us, just like always. They've always been like a squad of soldiers to me. It's concerning they're here on base.
"Hey Ruben, you forgot we were soldiers like you, huh? How do you feel serving under a Republican soldier, eh? My fellow f@gget?" Jacob says warmly.
"Ugh, don't say that word. I hate it." I say, annoyed.
"Yeah, excuse Jacob. He hangs out too much on discord servers like Politics. How've you been? I heard Hemlock is in jail again. I'm bailing him out tomorrow if you miss him." August says warmly.
"For real!? I'd love too!" I say, shocked and happy.
Then I catch myself, grabbing at my dog tags and my necklace. A wooden peace sign gifted to me by Hemlock. I look down at my hand, looking between the dog tags and the peace sign.
"Aren't you cute? You're not blind like me, huh?" Jacob says warmly.
"Yeah... I'm a bit troubled when it comes to being a good soldier cause of Hemlock and my family." I say, awkward and sad.
Lucius pats me on the shoulder and smiles sympathetically.
"I can understand the stress, bro. You can cancel seeing Hemlock if you want, we know y'all already broke up." he says, warm and sympathetic. "He won't judge too harshly. Hemlock is smart, even if he is a emotional dumbass."
"Yeah, I know that. It's just... I already miss him sometimes. I want to make sure he's okay." I say, nervous and serious.
"I gotcha. Well, he's at a prison near your hometown. I'll text you the address. You've still got all our phone numbers?" August says calmly.
"Yeah, I still have that group chat we sometimes text in at concerts as well." I say seriously.
"Good, I'll text you there when we're ready to head out. We stopped messaging there when you and Hemlock broke up as ya know. But we'll start it up again if you'd like. Especially since we go to school here together. Me and Lucius started today as well." August says warmly.
"Ummm... no, please make a group chat without Hemlock. I'll be friends with you guys, but I'm not ready to talk regularly to Hemlock again." I say nervously.
They chuckle a bit at that.
"Of course, that makes sense. We appreciate you being our friend since we're all at school. We'll text the group chat. For now though, if you feel social, we're about to leave to go to a bar and get drunk and high. You down?" Lucius says warmly.
"Drunk yes, but high? Isn't failing a drug test gonna get us fired?" I ask nervously.
"Pfft. They barely drug test here. That, and Lucius is rad. He's got a healing spell that purges your system of drugs. He got the spell from his old co-worker at his last job at some factory." Jacob says happily.
I look at Lucius, impressed.
"For real?" I ask warmly.
"Yeah, it works. It's how I keep my job. You coming or what?" Lucius asks warmly.
"Yeah, sure. I'm down." I say warmly.
"Got any chicks to invite? August feels lonely." Lucius says warmly.
"No, Lucius wants a new girl to try fucking. But you can invite people if you want. We're trying to meet people anyway. My goal is networking. So if they're rich or influential like you, feel free to invite with wild abandon." August says warmly.
I cringe a bit at August's words. Jacob chuckles a bit.
"Damn August, you were too trusting. Should've lied, he's hesitating about this now." Jacob says, amused.
August shrugs.
"I'm sure it's fine. He knows how we are." August says calmly.
I hesitate for a few more seconds, then admit it.
"I have my friend Tina Winterwood I could invite. She was wanting to hang out with me anyway." I say nervously. "Just don't groom her guys. We're trying to be loyal to America."
August and Lucius laugh while Jacob stares at them skeptically.
"Don't worry, we'll be nice. No politics for tonight at least. Besides busting your balls about the Donald Trump thing. I think it's funny to poke at gay and trans kids about that." August says happily.
I glare for a second which makes August laugh. Then I text Tina, asking if she wants to come. She agrees, but has to get cleaned up first. She wants to know what bar we're going to. I ask them and they say it's the Lionheart Inn. I tell her.
"I'll be there within an hour. They're leaving now right?" Tina texts.
I confirm with them.
"Yeah, they are. We're all heading out now. Be warned, August is networking so there might be a lot of us there." I text.
"That's fine, that means we can make friends as well. :)" Tina texts back.
I put my phone up after saying bye. And we head out. I take my own jeep. August and her friends take a black sedan with black tinted windows to the bar.
It's a nice place. Looking through the bay windows it has a normal wood style with lots of tvs showing sports off, or the news. With plenty of tables and booths to sit at. We park in their surprisingly large parking lot which has four floors to it next door. We have to pay for the night though.
We sit at a booth near the front so that-
"I want an eye near the door so I can chat with anyone interesting as they come through." August says seriously.
As we chill, Take Me to the Beach by Imagine Dragons is the first song we hear. Which August and Jacob love. Especially when the japanese? Woman sings her part.
"I love the malice of that woman's rant." Jacob says happily.
"Same. She feels so sick during that part." August says warmly.
"I'm surprised that's your guys favorite part." I say nervously.
It actually concerns me when Hemlock's friends say stuff like this. It reminds me they're bad influences sometimes.
"What? You don't like the edge? You better get used to it, we're Warriors now." Jacob says, amused and happy.
A Waitress approaches our table, and smiles brightly when Jacob says 'We're Warriors now.' She is a pretty red head.
"You guys are soldiers from that school nearby? The Boss is giving free shots out to people who brought their ID since it's the first day of the new school year for them." she says happily.
We all show our IDs, and get free shots of vodka. We all drink them, and exhale through the pain of the burn. It's our first drink of the night.
"Bring two more shots for me, I only drink the hard stuff." August says through the pain.
"Yeah, same for me." Jacob says warmly.
"I'll take a rum and coke." Lucius says warmly. "By the way, you're a gorgeous woman." he flirts.
"Stop, I'm married." Waitress snaps sternly.
Lucius whistles awkwardly through that comment, which makes Jacob snort through his nose, amused. Then the Waitress forces a smile on her face for me.
"What would you like, sir?" she asks politely.
"I'd like a Bloody Mary." I say warmly.
I have a feeling this night is gonna have some bad memories because of the two Groomers alone. But she's Hemlock's best friend, so I'm gonna be friendly for her. For the reasons of a spy more than out of pure friendship. I like them all when they aren't grooming, but Hemlock changed a lot after meeting them. Lucius and August are radical liberals sometimes, while Jacob is a centrist. They're all controversial to me. And now we're all soldiers, which disturbs me. Tonight is a night to get a feel for them and how they currently stand.