-And You're Tellin' Me I'm Where?-

Chapter 4 -Training

"Come on kiddo, rise and shine!" a voice rudely intruded Fox's sleep. He cracked open his eyelids and repressed a groan. Oh yeah, he was training to become a SOLDIER, how had he forgotten. He forced himself up and out of bed and set about carefully dressing as he had the night before, so that his bunkmates wouldn't notice anything...strange. Once dressed he yawned and stretched.

"What time is it anyway?"

"4:30."

Fox sighed, he had gotten himself into this after all.

"Don't worry kid, you'll get used to it after a couple weeks." Fox groaned and Driton laughed.

"Come on, first we have to line up for inspection by our squad leader. We're all in squad 12, they room squad members together. Squad 12's leader is Tane Kanzen, he's...fair, but don't do anything to get on his bad side...that's how we lost our last bunkmate. Just keep your head down and do what he says," Lewis suggested.

Fox swallowed dryly, "I'll do that."

Charlie slapped him on the back, "Aww, don't let Lewis worry ya so much, you'll be fine, you don't seem like a trouble maker. Just make sure your uniform's strait and clean and you don't forget your shoes." Fox glanced down and smoothed a wrinkle in his shirt.

"Come on kiddo, time to go," Driton pushed Fox in the direction of the door and then walked out. Fox followed Driton, Charlie, and Lewis down a hallway. Other doors along the hall were also opening and cadets poured into the hall, some more dishelved than others. A couple of the cadets hailed Fox's bunkmates who nodded in return or gave a brief greeting. Finally Fox entered a larger room that contained numerous long tables, and the forming ranks of squads as they poured into the room.

"This is also where we eat. Breakfast is after inspections," Driton leaned over to tell Fox. Fox nodded as he observed his surroundings. Following Lewis, Fox walked across the room to the ranks of Squad 12.

"You stand here," Charlie pushed Fox into place at the end of the line. "You're new so you go at the end, we don't know where you rank yet." Charlie went to find his own place then. Lewis was all the way on the other end of the line and Charlie and Driton were more toward the middle.

Fox's eyes swept the room curiously as he waited; there were some female cadets, but their numbers were small. His eyes continued to survey the other cadets, feeling a sudden pang when he noticed a spiky blonde-haired cadet standing nervously at attention in another squad. It's him, Fox thought in amazement, staring until the blonde's head began to turn in his direction. Fox promptly turned back to stare strait ahead. Afer a moment he glanced back to see the blonde was merely looking about the room himself. After all the time he had spent here, Fox still could not believe who was standing in the same room as him, only a couple squads over. The blonde was scrawny, small in stature--much like Fox himself--and Fox could hardly believe he could lift any sword let alone the one he would one day heft around.

A voice snapped Fox out of his musings, "Squad 12 at attention!" Fox stood as if his spine were a rail and stared strait ahead, chin up. Across the room Fox observed what he assumed was happening at his own squad. A squad leader stalked down the ranks, from the highest ranked to lowest, tearing a new one for anyone who didn't seem to cut their standards. As he heard the crisp footsteps of his squad leader approach Fox felt nervous sweat trickle down between his shoulder blades. What if they kicked him out before he even had a chance?

The footsteps stopped and Fox suddenly realized a man in uniform was standing before him. The man was taller then Fox, about 178 centimeters, and though he was skinny he didn't look frail. The man's hair was dark green in colour and spiked wildly about his head.

"A new cadet?" the man's voice intoned only the slightest bit of curiosity. "Name?"

"Fox Vespa," Fox answered promptly, hoping his voice didn't shake and give away how nervous he was.

"You're too short and too thin to be a SOLDIER." Fox didn't say anything, he just continued to stare strait ahead. It wasn't like he hadn't already known that.

"Hmm, at least you're quiet. We'll see how you do in training. I expect you to keep up with the rest of the squad, if I hear anything about you complaining or lagging behind you will be dismissed. Do you understand me Cadet Vespa?"

"Yes Sir."

"Good. Squad dismissed." Squad leader Kanzen walked away and Fox breathed a sigh of relief and a hand clapped down on his shoulder.

"So how'd it go?" Driton asked as Charlie and Lewis filtered over to them.

"Alright I think, at least he hasn't kicked me out yet."

"That's the spirit kid! Come on, let's get some breakfast. You're so small, looks like you never eat, that won't do if you want to be a SOLDIER!" Driton steered Fox toward the scent of food, Charlie laughing as he followed. Lewis was silent as always.

Before long Fox found himself seated at a table, Charlie and Driton to either side of him, staring at the 'food' sitting before him on his plate.

"'S'wrong kiddo?" Driton asked the uneating Fox.

"Yeah, it'll get cold if you don't eat it now," Charlie added while Lewis grinned behind his fork.

"This is...edible?" Fox asked in disbelief.

Charlie broke out in laughter, "Well we're eating it, aren't we?"

"I somehow don't find that convincing enough..."

"Aww come on, kiddo, eat up. I know it looks like vomit, but it only tastes half as bad. 'Sides, you'll need the energy for training."

"If you close your eyes it's not so bad," Charlie added in attempt to be helpful.

Well here goes nothing... Fox thought and took a bite, almost gagging on the taste, but he managed to chew and get it down.

"First bite of many," Lewis threw in with a faint smile and returned to his breakfast. Fox blanched and looked back at his still almost full plate. This is really gonna suck. Fox sighed deeply then continued to spoon the concoction silently into his mouth until it was all gone. Fox just hoped it would stay in his stomach.

"Alright kiddo, time to really start working. Sword training is up first for squads 3, 7, 8, and 12." Fox raised one eyebrow and Charlie laughed.

"I don't understand it either, I just do what I'm told," the blonde told Fox.

Fox grinned faintly then followed his bunkmates out of the room and down the hall, to whatever room it was they practiced sword fighting in. Fox had a faint hope that he wouldn't be completely hopeless with a sword as he had been on a fencing team at his school before he passed over into this world. How different could it be?

Fox quickly learned that sword fighting and fencing may be similar, but they were not the same. Fencing was all about discipline, careful and well-formed parries and attacks–sword fighting was like chaos. Fox was thrilled to learn he was not the worst in his training group, but he was far from the best. After about 30 seconds of having the sword training master move him up to the third skill level, Fox rather wished he would have pretended to be very bad at it. There were nine levels of skill, one being the lowest and nine the highest. Zero meant hopeless. Fox's skill level partners were not the most pleasant of people to get to know. If Fox didn't know any better he would think they were out for blood–maybe they though if they managed to maim someone they'd be moved up to level four.

Metal rang as Fox rapidly blocked a blow aimed for his left side, his right arm buzzed from the impact. Fox's current sparring partner was a second year cadet from squad 7, taller than him by about half a meter, and quite a bit bulkier. Fox felt lucky that he still had both his arms. He ducked a sudden sweep toward his head and lunged for the padding target on his opponent's chest. Technically their weapons were not 'lethal'. They were dulled and the attackers should only be hitting their opponents in padded areas. Of course the padding didn't prevent the bruises that Fox knew would begin to form before he crawled into bed that night. He was not looking forward to the next morning.

Sweat dripped down his face and between his shoulders as he danced away from his partners blade, the point aimed once again for an unpadded area of Fox's body. Fox feinted to the right then disengaged the opposing blade, thrusting up beneath his opponent's guard and once again rapped his on his chest padding before quickly moving away once more to avoid a returning down stroke of the other man's blade.

A little ways away Lewis leaned on his sword and watched Fox's fight in interest. Lewis was a level 8 skill in swordsmanship, and as such was often partnerless because few cadets reached that level, or the sword training master would simply have him observe the other cadets, correcting bad grips on weapons, or giving advice on attack or defense methods. Lewis almost jumped in surprise when a voice suddenly addressed him.

"The kid's pretty good, I'll give him that."

Lewis turned to see the sword training master standing there, watching Fox spar.

"I'll admit, when he first walked in I doubted he could lift a sword, let along fight with one. He's fast–it allows him to get under his opponents guard and back out without getting hit–and he has excellent reflexes, but his form is too...rigid, too regulated. He fights like there is a set of rules unless it's purely out of reflex–"

Fox blocked a sudden up sweep of his opponents blade then shifted in, using his opponents momentum to get him close enough to get a hit before swiftly disentangling and preparing for a new attack.

"Like that one. He'll need to get out of that habit, fight like that all the time. If he can manage that then we'll have a real swordsman on our hands." Lewis nodded in silent agreement.

"For now though I think the kid better take a break, it appears Cadet Darsley has forgotten that the only target areas are those with padding." The sword training master strode toward the sparring opponents and called in a booming voice, "Cadet Darsley, Cadet Vespa. Your match is over." Fox immediately stepped back and saluted Darsley with his sword. Cadet Darsley on the other hand saw this as his chance, and struck the unprepared Fox hard across the padding on his chest. Fox gasped, putting a hand to his chest, then coughed, already able to feel the resulting bruise begin to form.

"Cadet Darsley!" the sword trainer roared, anger dripping from his voice, "When I say a match is over, I mean a match is over. No more sparring or last hits. You do not hit an unprepared opponent who is following orders! Is that clear Cadet?"

Cadet Darsley's eyes were wide and he looked rather panicked, seeming to regret having attacked Fox, if only because he was now getting in trouble.

"You will see me after all your training is complete today, Cadet Darsley. We'll see if we can't get proper fighting etiquette through your thick skull yet. Cadet Vespa I want you to sit the next bout out for now."

"Yes Sir," Fox was glad that his voice had more or less returned from the blow he had just been dealt. He walked over to the wall and slid down it until he was sitting on the ground , sword lying beside him. The sword trainer turned and walked away and Darsley threw Fox a dirty look before turning to face his next opponent.

Great, I've only been here a day and I've already managed to make an enemy... Fox sighed and leaned back against the wall and watched the other cadets train.

By the time lunch rolled around Fox no longer cared what the meal looked or tasted like, he was so hungry that he hardly noticed taste or appearance anyway.

"Hey kid, good job in sword training this morning, I saw some of your bout with Darsley during one of my breaks," Driton commented between bites.

"I heard the sword master yelling at him too during one of my matches, what was that all about?" Charlie asked curiously.

Fox rubbed his bruised chest unconsciously, "He didn't stop when the sword master told him too."

Charlie and Driton winced. "That ass, I hope the sword master makes him clean all the practice blades," Charlie said, shaking his head.

"You okay kid? He didn't break anything did he?" Driton asked.

"No, just bruising."

"Maybe we should have a little talk with Cadet Darsley," Charlie suggested, cracking his knuckles.

Fox shook his head, "Don't bother–he already doesn't like me because of today. 'Sides, I can't let you fight my battles, that'll just make it worse."

"Huh, first day and already you sound cynical enough to have been here months. What do they teach kids these days?" Driton asked.

Fox gave a half smile, "I've had to put up with people misjudging me all my life, I've learned how to take care of myself." Charlie and Driton nodded, assuming Fox was referring to his stature.

"Alright kiddo, but just remember that there's a difference between fighting your own battles and asking for a friend's help."

Fox grinned, "Don't worry, I'm not stupid or suicidal."

Driton laughed then, "No? Then what are you doing training to be a SOLDIER?"

"I suppose you have a point there," Fox admitted.

"Oh well. It's time to head out again, more training."

Charlie groaned, "My least favourite of the day too. Problem solving and strategies, it makes my brain hurt."

Problem solving? Fox though, he'd never expected that.

For the first and only time in his life Fox felt grateful for his calculus class as he listened to the strategy and problem solving trainer speak. Compared to some of the questions he'd seen in class, 'problem solving' was easy. Add calculus to being a mechanic and problem solving was a piece of cake.

Fox had breathed a sigh of relief when he learned that he had problem solving and strategies with squads 2, 5, and 9, so he didn't have to worry about Cadet Darsley. Unfortunately Darsley wasn't the only person who disliked new recruits being better then them. When leaving the room when training had finished Fox was pushed back, the wall he hit knocked the air out of him. He didn't see who had done it but he assumed it was one of the three cadets who had continued to shoot him dirty looks throughout the lesson whenever Fox figured out a correct answer.

"Hmm, you sure seem good at making enemies kiddo," Driton said as he walked over, Charlie trailing behind him.

"Lucky me," Fox responded as stood strait again, no longer needing to lean against the wall.

"Who was it?"Charlie asked.

"I don't know, didn't see them."

"Cowards," Driton growled.

"It was Cadet Pauntly," Fox jumped at Lewis's voice, he hadn't noticed when he'd come over.

"Figures. He always acts likes he's got something shoved so far up there every time he's got competition."

"I don't think I can afford to keep pissing people of like this..." Fox grumbled, rubbing his back as they left the room for their next training area.

"What's next anyway?" Fox asked.

Charlie gave a sympathetic smile, "Hand to hand combat." Fox groaned.

Hand to hand combat was set up much like sword-fighting, with nine skill levels. Everyone started on level one but no one stayed there, they were quickly either upped to level two (promising), or level zero (absolutely hopeless). Anyone who made zero skill level in any training was pretty much guaranteed to be kicked out by the end of the day.

Fox was transferred to level two soon enough, though he felt so battered he wondered how he couldn't be completely covered in bruises. He was also distressed to find that squad 12 trained in hand to hand combat with squads 3, 7, and 10. Which meant Cadet Darsley. Fox gulped as he saw Darsley smile and crack his knuckles, headed in Fox's direction. Unlike Fox, Darsley was not a skill level two. In fact he wasn't even a skill level 3. Cadet Darsley was in skill level 5 for hand to hand combat. With the exception of fighting a skill level one above or below your own, cadets were not to face off with opponents out of their skill level. Cadet Darsley didn't seem to care.

Crap... was the only thought in Fox's head as Darsley approached menacingly. Charlie noticed his friend's predicament and quickly went to find the hand to hand trainer, after all, Charlie was only a level three fighter and Darsley would tear him apart. Unfortunately at that moment two other cadets broke into a loud fight–the two men falling to the ground and fighting in such a manner that seemed to suggest they were out for blood. The training master strode over to break up the fight, completely unaware of what the distraction–for that was what it was–was keeping him from seeing before it was too late.

"Kid, you're gonna be sorry for embarrassing me today."

Fox stood up strait and defiantly despite his shaking knees, "Me embarrass you? You did that all on your own."

"I don't know who you think you are punk but you're about to find out not to mess with me." Cadet Darsley swung out and Fox just managed to duck the fist at the last moment, the fist passing harmlessly through his hair. Fox's heart began to pound, if the other cadet had managed to hit his target, Fox was pretty sure he would no longer be conscious.

Shit! Fox thought wide-eyed, once more ducking to the side as another fist came at him. Sword fighting was one thing, but hand to hand with someone almost twice your size was another entirely. Fox just kept ducking, hoping his speed would get him through, as he had no time to retaliate himself, just continue to back away and duck. Fox didn't realize his mistake until he felt the grain of the wall dig into his back. His eyes widened as he realized there was no where else to go and Darsley's fist flew at him once more. Fox did the only thing he could think of, he ducked down and Darsley's fist connected with concrete with a loud thud. Then Fox did the only thing he could think of, he sprung back up, headbutting Darsley in the stomach, causing the other man to loose his breath. Fox ducked under the surprised and breathless cadet's arm and circled back around to face him warily. Darsley looked pissed. The cadet swung in anger and Fox dropped again, then kicked out at the other man's knees, sick of defense. Darsley grunted in pain but then kicked the unbalanced Fox. Fox ground his teeth together as he rolled then leapt up to his feet, whipping around to face Darsley more. His chest was on fire, Darsley had kicked Fox in the same relative area as he had hit earlier with the sword.

Charlie, across the room, was desperately trying to gain the attention of the training master, who was yelling at the two cadets he had finally managed to pull apart. Despite the fight they had just been in neither looked particularly worse for wear nor did they look particularly angry with each other, as one may expect from two men who a moment before were threatening to rip each others throats out. The fact that they both belonged to squad seven, like Cadet Darsley, did not escape Charlie's attention.

"Sir...Sir...SIR!" Charlie demanded, trying desperately to gain the training master's attention.

The man rounded on Charlie, "What is it Cadet Haddix?" The blonde cadet winced at the training master's tone but promptly answered.

"Cadet Darsley is fighting a level two cadet."

The training master sighed impatiently, and grumbled to himself, "Again? Where is he?"

"Over there Sir," Charlie pointed to where Fox and Darsley fought and the training master stalked across the room, Charlie trailing worriedly.

By the time they reached the pair, a light bruise was beginning to show up on Fox's cheek but the boy continued to dodge Darsley's punches. Fox sidestepped then dropped down and kicked out as he had earlier, only this time maintained his balance. By the time Darsley tried to kick him back Fox was no longer there. Darsley turned and sent a right hook flying at Fox but Fox stepped back and ducked down and then lunched himself under the other cadet's guard to send an elbow flying into his nose. Cadet Darsley gave a brief cry and fell back, grasping his now sluggishly bleeding nose.

"Why you little--"Darsley swung at Fox again and he stepped back, almost slipping on the blood that had dripped to the floor. When Darsley swung again Fox stepped forward instead of back, stepping to the side to avoid the fist then kneed Darsley in the gut. Nose bleeding and his breath knocked out of his, Darsley fell to the floor. Fox breathed hard as he stood on shaking legs, staring at the other cadet on the ground before him. A slow clapping brought Fox to sudden attention and her whipped around to see the hand to hand combat training master standing there, Charlie just behind him. Fox felt so grateful to the boy he could have hugged him. Good thing he didn't have the energy left to do so.

"Good job Cadet Vespa, though I prefer that cadet do not cause such a mess when they fight," the training master indicated the blood.

"S-sorry Sir," Fox managed to say, still shaking slightly.

"I think I'll be moving you up to skill level five as of tomorrow." Fox had just enough energy to feel panicked at that. The same skill level as Darsley? Then the other cadet would have a reason to beat the shit out of him every day at training!

Cadet Darsley was pulling himself into a sitting position as the trainer spoke, and then he stood, glaring at Fox.

"We ain't done yet kid." Darsley made to swing at Fox while blood continued to drip from his nose. "You're gonna pay for what you did to my nose–"

"I think that's quite enough," the trainer's threatening voice said and Darsley's mouth clamped shut. "As for you Cadet Darsley, I am very disappointed. You'll be demoted to level three, and you'll spend your free time after training today cleaning up your mess," the training master indicated the blood on the floor.

"Actually, Sir, Cadet Darsley is already reporting to the sword training master after training..." Charlie put in.

The training master turned cold eyes on Darsley, "What did you do in sword training?"

"He hit Fox after the trainer called end match."

"Thank you Cadet Haddix, but I was not addressing you," the trainer barked and Charlie winced. The trainer turned back to Darsley, "We do not tolerate the singling out of other cadets to fight, whether you are the same squad or not. You are a unit, and you fight as a unit. If you can not do such, then you can not be a SOLDIER. Now take your sorry ass to the healing wing so you stop bleeding on my floor. Your time after training tomorrow belongs to me." Darsley promptly turned on his heel and left the room, leaving a trail of blood. After that the training master walked away to continue to yell at the other two cadets from squad seven.

"Great, if he didn't hate me before, now he definitely does," Fox sighed in annoyance.

"What does it matter? You just proved you can kick his ass," Charlie responded light-heartedly.

Fox snorted, "Yeah, and I was scared shitless the whole time. If he had been fighting with a clear head instead of with anger I would have been a smudge on the floor."

"Well at least we don't have any more lessons with squad seven for the day," Charlie offered and Fox nodded numbly in response. Driton headed over then, almost at a run.

"That complete and total–"

"Language," Charlie warned with a smile before Driton could finish his phrase.

Driton shook it off as he looked Fox over, "You alright kiddo? I can not believe that fool would come after you again. Have his thug friends stage a fight to distract the trainer...and I couldn't do anything 'cause I was stuck in a match!"

"S'alright Driton, Charlie went to get the trainer," Fox reassured the cadet.

"And you were left to fend off someone three levels higher than you by yourself!"

"Not anymore," Fox answered.

"Wha-"

"Fox was bumped up to level five," Charlie supplied.

"And Darsley was demoted to three. Sorry about that Charlie," Fox apologized, suddenly realizing that meant that he was in Charlie's group.

"S'alright. The trainer will probably be watching him for the next couple weeks anyway to be sure he minds."

Driton grinned, "Wow kiddo, you're just taking this in leaps and bounds. Maybe we should never have been worried that you would need to use the fact that you're a mechanic as an excuse to stay."

"Yeah, well, I still have to make it through the rest of the day. That reminds me, what's left. Please don't tell me that there's anything left that involves fighting another cadet."

Driton and Charlie grinned. "No worries kid. Next is archery, you're shooting at a target, not each other. Then it's supper followed by free time and extra lessons. First it's literacy lessons, for the cadets that can't read, it can be important out on the battle field when you receive letters from other squads or-"

"I can read," Fox interrupted before Driton could continue, he got the picture.

"That's also when cadets, like Darsley, have to report to whatever training master caught them at doing something wrong. Or simply for extra training in one area or another–like Lewis does. That's why he's so good."

Lewis strode up to the group then. "What are you waiting for? We should be headed to the archery courts," Lewis commented calmly before leading the way. Nothing ever seemed to get to Lewis and he was always so calm, even when he was seething inside. He personally could not believe Darsley had attacked Fox even after he had specifically warned him against it when he found him lurking in the hall after strategy training.

At supper Fox ate his 'food' disheartedly. He sucked at archery, we was lucky that the training master hadn't demoted him to level zero rather then move him up to level two. Level one was reserved for those who still needed to learn for to string a bow and notch an arrow. If it hadn't been for learning the basics in gym back in high school, he wasn't sure he would have been even able to do that much. As it was he almost always managed to hit the area around the target, or sometimes hit just the edge of the target.

"Chin up kid! After this it's free time!" Charlie said.

"Yep, Charlie and I will probably be just heading back to the room. Lewis will go train, right Lewis?" Lewis looked from his food to nod.

"What're you gonna do Fox?" Charlie asked.

"I think I'll go back to the room and unpack. I was too tired to do it last night."

"Good deal." Driton stood up and stretched, "Well I'm headed back now, ready?" Fox nodded and said good bye to Lewis as he, Charlie, and Driton headed back to the room.

"At least you won't have to worry about Darsley, the trainers will be keeping him busy for the next couple days I'll bet."

Fox nodded tiredly, everything hurt and bruises were blooming everywhere. When they reached the room Fox set about unpacking his bag and putting his things on a small dresser-like piece of furniture near his bunk.

"That a chocobo feather?" Charlie asked curiously as Fox placed it on the dresser.

"Yeah. The daughter of a friend I repeatively fixed a gun for gave it to me. The gun liked to jam."

"Nice set of knives," Driton said as he glanced over Charlie's shoulder.

"Thanks, they were a gift for my last birthday."

"What are those?" Charlie asked and pointed at Fox's ipod and headphones.

Fox laughed, "They're for listening to music. The music is in hear and these play the music."

"How strange," Charlie said, looking at the headphones curiously. Fox covered up a yawn.

"Alright Charlie, time to leave the kid alone, he's had a long day." Driton turned to Fox. "If I were you I'd take one of those potions you brought before turning in, those bruises will make it difficult to sleep, the potion will help." Fox nodded and picked up the weakest potion he had–after all, he was sore but it was nothing like the time he had first arrived in this world with the tree branch landing pads. Then he carefully changed for bed and laid out on his covers with his headphones on, staring at the bottom of the bunk hanging above him. Within moments he was fast asleep.

loooooong chapter.

i hope you liked it! Please review with comments or any other ideas for training, i feel like i'm missing something...

...poor Fox, i let him get the crap beaten out him.