Hero Wanted - 7. Chapter Seven

Josephine launched herself to the facility below, pointing her weapon at a simulation before firing a concentrated ball of energy that exploded and shattered its target. Ryan watched in amazement as Josephine landed on her feet gracefully before aiming her weapon at two simulations and firing another ball of energy, obliterating both into oblivion. Another simulation attempted to strike her with an oversized hammer, but she managed to block the attack with the base of her weapon.

Pushing the simulation back, Josephine aimed her weapon and started firing multiple, miniature balls of energy from her cannon at a group of simulations at a very high rate. They all created small explosions that shattered the simulations like glass before dematerializing whatever remained of their bodies.

Josephine looked like she could handle her own against the multiple simulated enemies, so Ryan redirected his attention to the two men who were still fighting with one another and completely ignoring their surroundings. One of the men possessed an oversized sword, while the other man had two smaller swords, one in each hand. Both appeared to have short handles and circular hilts that allowed the swords to fan out and create a shield while the man with the two swords did just that to block a heavy attack from his opponent.

Ryan looked back at Josephine who held her weapon with just one hand as she swung it in an upwards motion, attacking the last simulation that was launched into the air before dematerializing and causing the red flash to disappear. She deserved to be ranked third in the entire academy, wiping out a dozen simulation in under a minute without a single scratch was amazing feat on its own.

However, the red flash soon returned and more simulations, a couple dozen, materialized all around the facility. They held a range of weapons, some even carrying beam and bomb weapons. All of them started to converge towards Josephine and the two men who finally stopped fighting each other to register what was happening around them.

Ryan watched as Josephine launched herself upwards to prevent a group of simulations from surrounding her, while other simulations jumped towards her direction. She managed to fire a ball of energy at the jumping simulations that propelled her backwards before she landed back on the ground and at safe distance from the crowd of simulations.

“Ryan! I need your help!” Josephine called out.

Looking at the two men who were struggling to fight the simulations that were surrounding them, Ryan knew that they needed his help too. So, without hesitation, he quickly jumped over the railing and materialized the Chimaera before landing onto the ground, the leg extensions of his weapon system absorbing the impact of his landing. With plenty of targets to choose from, Ryan decided to run towards two simulations that were coming towards him.

Creating a fist with his left gauntlet, Ryan punched one of the simulations in the head, shattering it, before taking his gauntlet and swiping the bladed fingers at the other simulation. Another simulation came sprinting towards him, firing energy beams at him which he blocked with the back side of his right gauntlet. He then aimed the gauntlet at the simulations and, forming a fist, launched it from his arm at the simulation like a rocket. It collided with the simulation, shattering it before returning to his arm like a boomerang.

Turning around, Ryan grabbed another simulation by the head just as it was about to attack him and threw it up into the air. Before he could deliver the final blow, a ball of energy then exploded onto the simulation. He looked and saw Josephine, who winked at him, before running towards him and performing a dodge roll in the air above him. She then slammed the front end of her weapon on top of a simulation that was behind him. Another simulation ran towards Josephine, but she spun her body around it. She then aimed the back end of her weapon at the simulation before activating the boosters and sent it up into the air.

Making his move, Ryan used his leg extensions and launched himself into the air like a spring, grabbing the simulation around the waist and hurled it back into the ground. The simulation crashed into two other simulations, all them shattering upon impact. Ryan landed back onto the ground and saw only one simulation left standing, so he sprinted and was about to destroy the last simulation in the facility.

Then a figure landed right onto the simulation from above, causing Ryan to skid to a complete stop. He looked at the figure who was on one knee and had a fist on the ground, the weapon that caused the simulation to be obliterated with hundreds of pieces scattered everywhere before dematerializing. The figure then slowly stood up and Ryan watched him, surprised to witness someone who could defeat a simulation in such a manner with just their bare fist.

The figure was a man with brown hair and a stoic expression on his face when he turned his head, facing Ryan and raising an eyebrow at him. Ryan then blushed at the very handsome man looking at him with question as a bubbly sensation was felt inside him.

“I should’ve known it was you.”

Ryan turned his head to Josephine walking towards the mysterious man with a hand on her hip and the other hand still holding her weapon before it dematerialized and disappeared from her grasp. She did not look angry, but she definitely had a somewhat annoyed expression on her face as she stopped right in front of the man.

“It took you awhile,” the man quipped before facing the two men who were fighting with one another just a moment ago.

The two men walked towards them with one having his arm around the other man’s shoulders as he was being supported. They were breathing heavily, and their uniforms were tattered beyond repair as well. How long they were fighting Ryan did not know, but his attention was more towards the man who pulverized the simulation right in front of him.

“Well, you two have seen better days,” the mysterious man said casually.

“Yeah. We didn’t expect any simulations to materialize as we fought each other, let alone attack us,” one of the men said.

“Yes, well you two shouldn’t have come here since the facility was closed and under repair. The control center malfunctioned by just your presence and activated the simulations through your nodes. You two are lucky I was at the control center and stopped more simulations from materializing after a cadet informed me about what was happening,” the mysterious man said coolly with his arms around over his broad chest.

“We’re sorry about that. We both came here, not expecting the other to suddenly show up too and one thing led to another and…you know,” the other man said.

“Well, hopefully you two reconciled with one another and that this won’t happen again. I won’t be as lenient about not telling the higher-ups next time. Do you two understand?”

“Yes, sir,” both men said in unison.

“Good. Now kiss each other’s wounds and get out of here.”

The men turned around and slowly walked out of the facility with one still supporting the other.

“And I didn’t get a say in this,” Josephine said when the door closed.

“You didn’t need to. It’s resolved now,” the man said as he straightened the lapels of his coat.

“Let me guess. You heard about the feud between those two and decided to resolve it yourself, huh?”

The man smirked. “Yeah, I sent a note to both to go to this facility while I was already at the control center waiting for them to arrive.”

Josephine shook her head and said, “Goodness, Chris. Stop doing this.”

“Stop doing what? Reminding those two that they are both soldiers who must work together to survive a possible battle with the Colossus rather than feud over a woman they met at a strip club during their shore leave two weeks ago?”

Josephine sighed. “Your very unconventional and inconvenient ways of resolving issues between cadets in this academy is going to bite you in the ass one day.”

Chuckling, the man said, “I just want everyone at the top of their game is all? And hey, at least they got some practice by fighting simulations that were more thick-headed than those two combined.”

Josephine rolled her eyes and said, “Well, hopefully they’re friends again. Just tell me that you won’t get into other people’s business again, regardless of how ridiculous it is.”

“Someone has to remind these privileged assholes that it’s not always about them,” the man retorted.

“Look who’s talking?” Josephine said, chuckling.

“Come on, Josephine. You know I wasn’t always raised with a silver spoon in my mouth. Just like you…and you.” The man turned his head to look at Ryan who was standing a small distance away and watching them squabble. “You’re Ryan Johnson, aren’t you?”

“Oh, um, yes. Yes, I am,” Ryan responded.

“Nice weapon you have there,” the man said, walking towards Ryan and looking him up and down with his eyes. “Is that the Chimaera?”

“Oh, this? Yeah. I-It’s nothing really,” Ryan said before dematerializing his weapon and placing his feet back onto the ground.

“And you have impressive fighting skills too. You obviously belong with the third years,” the man complimented, stopping right in front of Ryan.

“Oh. Thanks,” Ryan said, suddenly feeling his cheeks get warm.

“So…what other weapons do you have at your disposal?”

Ryan’s eyes widened as he looked at the man who was a few inches taller than his five-foot and nine-inch frame, wondering what he meant by that question. “Uh…”

The man raised an eyebrow at Ryan’s sudden ability to be mute and not say one word as he looked at the devilishly handsome man that made his other weapon lift in attention by just how close he was to Ryan.

Josephine then stepped beside them and said, “Well, if you don’t mind Chris, I need to finish giving Ryan a tour of the campus.”

“Well, welcome to the academy then, Ryan. I hope we see each other again soon,” Chris said.

“Y-Yeah, me too,” Ryan stuttered.

Chris smirked before turning around and walking out of the facility, leaving Ryan to feel hot and bothered in his uniform.

“Are you okay, Ryan?” Josephine asked.

“Oh, yeah. I am… Who was he?”

“Oh, him? He’s First Lieutenant Christopher Shepherd, first-ranked in the entire academy and all around most stubborn person I ever met in my life,” Josephine said, shaking her head and smiling in the same time.

Ryan remembered that name. Christopher was always mentioned in the news for his recent breakups with the most beautiful female celebrities from around the world. This made him the envy of many man who wanted to date an Oscar-winning actress or a model from France, while many women dream about the idea of one day becoming the woman that Christopher Shepherd would stick with.

The only footage that could be obtained of his appearances in public did not do him justice at all as being right in front of him provided the most compelling evidence that a god existed. Only a god could create someone so handsome as Christopher and Ryan was still left dazed by his looks. He needed to get a grip, though since the man was obviously into women, and even if he was not, he was a man with major commitment issues that a hopeless romantic like Ryan could not be compatible with at all. But it didn’t hurt to fantasize though.

All Ryan could say was that he was looking forward to seeing him again and maybe he could talk to him without drooling like his teen fans on social media.