Engineering ( Story )

Ha, did you see what I did there? Anyway, let's do this!
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War had finally broken out. Ann always knew that it would happen, but she never thought that it would occur in her lifetime. After the first Czar of the Newly-Re-Established Imperial Russia died, his son, Vladimir, took control. Then, for whatever reason, he invaded Germany. That was only two years ago. She sighed and leaned forward onto the table. It was lunch-break, but she wasn't hungry, just lost in thought. Some point soon, the government anticipated, Russia would conquer all of Europe, then set its sights upon the U.S.
Finally, Locus Eruditio would be put to use. She would probably be sent to war, along with the older trainees. Her eyes closed for a moment, then opened quickly when she heard the distinct staccato of footsteps approach her table, then quickly fade away. She sat up. Before her lay a neat blood-red envelope with her full name, 'Annastasia Sobetskaia', neatly written upon it. Ann closed her eyes once again and frowned. An evaluation.
Evaluations took place between students (usually)of similar paradigms, although, sometimes, completely different paradigms would be matched up. They were usually just full-out duels between the two students, in order to determine competency among the trainees, although the type of evaluation could differ depending on the two students' paradigms, or on their specialties, such as whether or not they were training to become a spy, an assassin, or a warrior, and etcetera. Typically, the winner was awarded some special privilege, or something along those lines, and the loser could have a privilege cut back, or could possibly even be punished, depending on their performance. The terms of victory depended on the circumstances of the match itself, and were usually stated only minutes before the match itself.
Ann sighed and stood as her watch's alarm went off, telling her that her lunch break was over. Tearing the envelope open, she scanned the crisp, white paper from top to bottom. Her evaluation time was at 1300 hours, an hour and a half from the current time. A picture, the name of her opponent, and his paradigm were included on the reverse side, and nothing more. His hair was blond and wavy, and he sported a small chin beard. He appeared to about her age, and his name was Clamt. His Engine abilities fit into the shape-shifting paradigm. She sighed. This was a blatant out-matching, but she coudn't complain; she would probably win. She stuffed the paper back into the envelope and stuck it into a pocket on her pack, then walked into the hall.

Delaine sat at his table in the cafeteria. He always sat alone, and always somewhere in the back middle. He didn't really know what to do here. He was a man among children, and in some cases was older than his instructors. They had yet to figure out what his power was, but he certainly knew. He had experimented quite a few times, and had even gotten some pretty impressive results. He didn't know why he chose to keep his powers secret, he knew they would find out soon enough.

He broke his train of thought as he watched a man place one of the hated envelopes in front of a young woman. He had received two of those in the year since he came here. Both times he lost, both times he refrained from using his powers. He was pretty sure they were planning on transferring him somewhere else but it didn't matter to him. He hated being here with these children. He hated living so restricted. He almost longed to be on the front-lines of a battlefield firing some automatic gun like the games he played. Some thought him childish for doing that but even the ones who thought it immature had to agree it was better than his previous binge. He decided he would cut back on the games, maybe it was time to read. He heard a new novel had come out, apparently a throwback to some series from just before his birth; it was supposed to be "old-school" literature. Something about a vampire. He shrugged and then got up to leave the cafeteria. He decided to go for a stroll although the landscape was rather dull, but of course there wasn't much that was exciting. At least not to him, at least not anymore.

Mordakei ran into the suited man walking away from Ann's table, and glanced back only just long enough to grasp the situation. He'd just come back from an evaluation, and decided to get lunch before diving back into his studies. He'd won the evaluation. He was untouched, but always only just, and had any of the mammoth strikes his opponent, a man whose engine power basically gave him the strength, furiousity, and arguably demeanor of a twelve foot tall grizzly bear even glanced the frail boy he'd probably of fallen to pieces on the floor.

'I wonder who she's fighting' Mordakei gave a glance toward where ann had been, but she was gone. He scanned the room instead of bothering to find her, and picked the grim face out of the crowd. A rather average blonde boy. "A Morpher if I remember correctly. That should be an interesting fight. I almost wish they'd let us observe." Mordakei ran into the rack full of lunch trays with a terribly loud crash of plastic, drawing the attention of much of the lunch room. Only a few trays fell from the rack, and he caught them all before they hit the ground. He returned all but one, and the moved on to get his food, his face hot with blush all the while.

Mordakei scanned the room again and found Kasuach sitting at a sparsely populated table. He had no intention of conversing with the man, but he was an interesting fellow to observe, so he decided to sit at the same table. He took his seat under the intense scrutiny of the rather large man, who seemed to be peering into Moredakei to try and figure out what made him think he could sit there.

Since her Evaluation was less than two hours away, Ann was entitled to the next hour and a half to herself, to prepare, mentally and physically. Her instructors had already been instructed of her absence, so instead of taking a right and heading to Professor Boreas' lecture hall, she headed hooked a left, pushing the double doors open that led outside.
These doors opened up into the courtyard. The cafeteria that accommodated over one thousand trainees was connected to the comparitively small Science building, which Ann had just exited. The campus contained about thirteen buildings, including the Dorms. Ann cut through the courtyard, attempting to make her across-campus trip shorter, the Science building being located on the east side, and Dorm A on the west.
As she walked, Ann lost herself in thought. She wondered if Clamt had requested the Evaluation himself, or if the two students had been matched by the Head of Evaluations. However, that usually only occurred if the combatant in question had not signed up for matches for previously. So that definitly wasn't it. Unless Clamt had never fought anyone before and every other student who had never matched before had suddenly decided to sign up for one.
But why would he sign up to be evaluated against a Mental? Ann was unable to ponder this question any further as the sign placed upon the door of Dorm A loomed up before her.
She sighed and stepped inside.

With a sigh of relief, the electronic lock clicked open in front of Mark. He was sneaking into the observation room to observe the upcoming evaluation. It was forbidden for other students to watch, but that was only if you got caught, and he had never gotten caught.

Either way, it was time for Clamt to learn that he shouldn't mess with someone smarter than himself. The pig had taken to messing with Mark's books, hiding them and such, to entertain himself. Mark didn't find this very funny. So he might have accidentally changed a couple of records, pitting Clamt against an evaluation opponent that couldn't possibly win against. Annastasia had a solid record, and it would be fascinating to watch her duel. Everything was a learning experience for Mark, and he didn't intend to waste this one.

He whipped out one of his books and scribbled a few thoughts down before settling in to watch the match.

Delaine had watched as the man dropped then caught the plates, seeming to do a juggling act. He wondered for a second if the man had done it on purpose but then the smell of embarrassment drifted across the room. So it truly was unintentional, the blushes didn't lie then. He stood there for a moment and then proceeded to begin his daily stroll through the yard. One good thing about them not yet knowing his power was that he was allowed a certain amount of free time between combat training and other useful training. He was almost certain that they were ready to transfer him. He must only hide his power a short while longer.

As he walked outside he noticed the girl who had been handed the envelope and decided to trail after her, trying to catch her scent but the wind was blowing in the opposite direction. He was curious how others felt about their powers and about these examinations. He then caught the smell of someone coming behind him. Someone confidant, some one who felt themselves powerful and above others around him, yes, it was a male. It was interesting how simply learning the smell of certain hormones could allow him to tell the smell. He had smelt this man before, it was an examiner.

"Hello Mr. Healy. I see you are taking your walk this evening. It is not usually allowed, but I would wish you to accompany me to the examination this evening. The physicians and I have been discussing your... predicament, and we believe that attending an exam might be beneficial to you." The man stated precisely, "This would be a one time exception though, you understand?"

"Yes sir." Delaine stated almost stoically. It would be interesting to watch this fight, and it would allow him to gleam the feelings of two other students. He could not have asked for a better observation. He then continued with the examiner to the observatory.

Ann emerged from her dorm a few minutes later, garbed in her Uniform, required Evaluation. Although it was possible for a student to use their own battle uniform to work well with their power, each trainee was issued a standard uniform, which was usually a black uniform that fit well, and came with a black helmet, which Ann usually didn't wear. So, she didn't bring it with her, and left for the evaluation room, which was E-003.
She could feel the others staring at her as she walked down the hall, all of them wondering the same thing: who could she be fighting?
Due to her record, and violent past, she had somewhat of a reputation. For a while, the Headmaster had hesitated to let her fight again, as she had almost killed her opponent in her last fight. But now she was fighting someone who would most certainly lose. She sighed, coming upon the evaluation room. She walked inside.
It was a sort of resting room, with a few chairs, and doors on each side. It was white. The door on the right read,'Observation', which was where anyone who had permission to watch did so. The door on the left was labelled,'Mariner--Evaluation'. Dr.Mariner was the Engineer who supervised the evaluations in this room. She made sure that no one killed anyone, and called matches when they were over.
Ann walked through the door in front of her, which was a dark blue and read 'Evaluations' in white.
The Evaluation room itself was white, but would the lights would probably be dimmed during the fight; Ann didn't really understand why, but it didn't really matter. She could fight just as well in a dark room as she could a well-lit one. She walked off to the opposite side of the room, and waited.

Clamt ran a manicured hand through his silky blonde hair. The wind today was starting to pick up - he was walking to the evaluation building.

In less than an hour he was due for another evaluation, against an Anastasia three years his junior. He didn't know why. It was strange that he was fighting against somebody of a different paradigm, and there were too many questions to determine anything.

He didn't recognize her name from other evaluations, so he didn't know how well she fought, and he only knew she was a Mentalist - they tended to vary wildly in their competence. Some focused more on traditional combat than their powers while others were horrifyingly efficient fighters, turning their own limbs into close-combat weapons.

He hoped she was the former for his own sake. Of course, there wasn't much he could do in an evaluation: after becoming the bear, he can only fight like a bear.

Which means either it was supposed to be a fair fight or one of them was being punished. Unless he had unknowingly offended somebody with power, Clamt wasn't the one being punished. Still... he didn't know enough about this Anastasia.

And evaluations always bothered him. He had trouble starting. He could either become the bear immediately, but that would destroy his uniform. The other options were to take the time to remove most of it beforehand, but Mrs. Mariner was notoriously proper about rules, which means he would have to strip mid-fight, and that wouldn't end well for him... unless he stunned his opponent with his body.

Clamt reached the building, the doors sliding open to reveal the lobby. Sparse and mostly empty. There was a waiting room, however, and he peeked inside. Nobody he knew. Could one of these people be his opponent?

Shrugging, he sat down in an unoccupied seat and glanced at the clock. His evaluation wasn't for another half hour.

Spoiler:

Someone walked into the room that George was in. He recognized him from the Engine Program. The man sat down and began scribbling something down in his book. He was not aware of George lurking behind him and George wanted to keep it like that.

George had a coughing fit that gave away his location. The man turned around and was getting ready to explain himself, but George stopped him before he could.
"I know you are not suppose to be in here, but I do not care. As long as you do not disturb this show for me. If you do not follow these terms I shall fill this room with enough poison toxin to kill an army. Now please, sit down and enjoy the show."

The man squirmed a little but went back to scribbling in his book.

Everything had gone black for a little bit. When Ann opened her eyes, he was in the room with her. She had fallen asleep, apparently, slumped against the wall. She stood and stretched, letting out a yawn. She cracked her neck, then looked to the ballistic glass to her right, on the wall. Dr.Mariner sat behind it, typing away at her sleek computer. She looked up, then nodded. Ann turned to face Clamt.
"I'd suggest that you get ready."
The Engineer reached over and pulled a microphone down, holding it to her face.
"To both combatants: ready yourself, and do not activate any powers until I tell you to start."Ann rolled her eyes; she had been in enough Evaluations to know that.
A pause.
"You may begin."

The smell of caution radiated around the room, as did the smell of anticipation. It was almost sickening that people wished for these sorts of things to happen, that they actually looked forward to them instead of just using them as a tool. Worse was the slight smell of fear coming from the arena. He knew which was to be afraid, but he said nothing. He waiting as the contestants began dancing around the arena. There were a few faints and pushes but as for the first few moments of the fight, it was mildly unimpressive. All that had truly happened of consequence so far was that the male had begun stripping, and the female had begun turning her skin to some sort of armor-looking substance.

Spoiler:

Clamt danced around the arena for a bit, taking off his shirt when he had a chance. Anastasia didn't take the opportunity to attack or swoon, and he noticed her skin becoming less fair: she was hardening her skin.

This is bad, Clamt thought. She's competent. Taking off his pants would be too awkward and he'd wasted too much time already.

In a well-practiced manoeuver, Clamt took a step forward, shifting into his magnificent bear form and keeping his momentum, leaping with his paw outstretched.

She wasn't prepared for the Bear. His overpowered strike hit her arm, and his massive weight behind it staggered her. His claws failed to catch on her thickened skin.

If she could dodge his attacks, she would win. There's not much Clamt can do after shifting.

Ann was somewhat surprised by the form that her opponent took, or chose to take; she didn't yet know if he could take multiple forms, or just one...
Either way, she had to focus on the bear. She had begun to harden her skin, creating an abundance of calcium, and directing it into her dermis, until the outer layer ended up just as hard as bone. It would be harder to move, but at least if it chose to jump on her, or maul her, it wouldn't do nearly as much damage.
He struck at her, and the power of the hit threw her back, but his claws did little to no damage.

Clamt's paw was pushed off of her arm, by strength seemingly too powerful for a girl her size. But then, she could change her body anyway she wanted; more than Clamt could, at least. He took a few steps back.
There wasn't much for him to do, except try to defeat her with his sheer size. His claws would more than likely do nothing, and the same probably went for his teeth.

Ann began to circle around him. Even in her slower state, she was moving at about the same speed as the bear. If she could manage to somehow incapacitate him, she could win. However, getting close would mean risking a heavier attack. Her new bone-skin was only so hard.
But, if she did nothing, the fight would continue on forever. So she made a move.

She began to move closer. Clamt was surprised; it seemed like a dumb move, if he were able to get her in time. He intended to do so. She entered a space of about approximately a five-foot radius. There was his chance. He gathered power in his hind legs and sprung forward(as much as a bear could), stretching his front paws before him, aimed toward Ann. She didn't move back in time, and he pinned her legs underneath his body.

It was a dumb move, but now she was close enough to make a move, even if the outer bone layer of skin was probably shattered. And, the longer he sat, the more pain he caused. She tried to ignore it as he attempted once again to tear at her skin. It was still too hard, so she didn't have to focus on it.
She balled her hand up into a fist and struck at his head. She didn't really know where it hit, the pain kind of blinded her, but she felt the crunch of bone-against-bone, and the feeling of shattering against her fingers. Her hand was ejected from wherever he struck as he pushed himself up and let a bestial cry of pain.
She opened her eyes.

She had punched through his temple, directly above his right eye. She shattered the bone, and went right through. He was in so much pain... he was dying!
He ran around the room, his animal side taking over until he finally slammed into a wall, only furthering the damage. He slumped against it, and did not move again.

The pain in her legs was immense, but she could push herself up into a sort of sitting position if she leaned against her hands. She examined the damage she had taken: both her legs were broken, and the skin was shattered as well. She passed out just as four men in white rushed in.

Delaine grimaced as the bear made the first strike.. The smell of anticipation was ripe, and the smell of cruelty underlined it. It made for a most horrible smell. As the two combatants circled the smell of anticipation grew. He didn't know how people could be so cruel. He saw the bear-man leap at the girl, who smelt of no fear. She smelt satisfied, although a little worried. He then saw her smash in the bear's skull. It was then that he decided to act. He saw the bear was in intense pain as so he released the smell of a numbing solution he had smelt once, it had come from some plant in Egypt. He then released smells of lavender and vanilla, although not a strong as a sedative it was strong enough to induce a state of calm. He knew this would firmly rut him into this place, as now they knew he had powers they would never let him leave. It didn't matter though, as he hoped he had saved the bear-man's life.

Everything went black, but the sensations were still present. Ann felt herself being hoisted onto something soft, then lifted up and carried away. She wasn't really thinking, but she could only assume that the men in white were nurses from the Infirmary, and that was where she was being taken.
After a bit, Ann was placed down, and the sharp staccato of footsteps upon freshly cleaned tile was audible as the two men walked away.
She wanted to open her eyes, but couldn't. Even if she were 'un-'conscious, she could never be fully unaware. It was impossible, due to the incessant activity that she could always feel in the back of her head.
Whilst a normal person could still hear, feel, smell and taste while asleep or unconscious, they were unaware of these feelings due to the inactivity in their brain while they slept. Ann was technically unconscious, yet still aware of all these feelings.
Quite a strange existence, and Ann, in this state of limbo, her semi-unawareness, was left only to ponder it. She subconsciously sighed.

Lorien sat in the Infirmary, holding up his knee with both of his arms. He didn't want to look at it, but couldn't help to, considering its close proximity to his face.
He didn't really know how he had done it, but his knee was ripped open, exposing red, bloody flesh, and a bit of white bone. He awaited the return of the nurse attending him, when an unconscious, black-headed girl was brought in on a stretcher.
She was placed onto a bed, and the two men rushed away, further down the Infirmary, probably to get more help.
Lorien blinked. He wondered what could have happened to the girl.

Mark could only sit in shock as he watched Clemt fall. Sure, he had wanted revenge, but nothing of this magnitude, and certainly nothing potentially fatal. Technicians rushed onto the field a removed the two combatants as he made his way out of the observation chamber. She would be fine, he was sure of it, but Mark was unsure of how Clemt's powers operated. The damage sustained to his bear form could be . . . fatal.

It was all her fault. That girl, she didn't have to fight so violently, this wasn't supposed to be life and death, just ranking within the Eruditio. He stumbled past the strange man wearing the gas mask and out into the hallway.

Everything is a learning experience. He just had to remember that.

So what had he learned?

That Annastasia was for more dangerous than he had previously thought. The way she had dealt with Clamt so efficiently proved that she was for more mature then she had any right to be. He began to calm down as he exited the building. Everything is a learning experience.

She would be weak right now, after sustaining those injuries. She would be weak and potentially unconscious. Mark turned and a smile began to spread across his face as he began to walk towards the medical wing.

Perhaps it was time to see what made her tick.