Training Day

The gymnasium sat three stories tall. Its white walls stood high, similar to Colt's personal gym except its width was about the length of a football field. And in the center sat a large mat, its perimeter stretching out into the square, like a boxing ring. Jack, Yaku, Emma, Vlad, Chil, and Toby all stood on the edge, they looked in on the empty space, wondering what they were doing there, and why they were waiting for so long?

"We're gonna be doing one v one's today." (Toby)

Emma stepped up, her face concerned.

"With magic?" (Emma)

"If you want to. But it's a one v one. Whoever wins gets..." (Toby)

He tried to come up with a good prize.

"If you win you get a free lunch date... With me." (Toby)

"And what happens if we lose?" (Jack)

"Then you have to clean out the entire New York HQ. All by yourself." (Toby)

The group of four all looked at eachother. They looked at Toby. Toby looked at them. His tired eyes falling back, he walked over to a door leading outside of the ring. He opened it up.

"Anyway. I didn't mention this, but you four are not the only ones participating. Squad 0 is split up into two groups. One group which is you guys, who are tasked with taking out the X-Class Monsters. While the other group is tasked with taking out the High Tueurs. Together you form Squad 0." (Toby)

"Are these other guys X-Class Sorcerers too?" (Emma)

"No. They're from another Squad, a specialized squad of Sorcerers, whose trained to take out Rogue Sorcerers. And I was their leader, but that stuff doesn't matter." (Toby)

He looked out the door as four Sorcerers in black uniforms stepped in. One wore a red flower pin while the other three wore blue ones.

They entered the gymnasium. The white walls reflecting off their multicolored hair dues, and odd faces. They glared at the opposing team.

One of them with spikey red hair smiled at Toby.

"Good morning Captain Toby." (Third-Class Sorcerer, Squad 0, Micheal Malls)

"Don't call em Captain anymore." (Toby)

"Sorry Captain." (Micheal)

He pointed to each of the four members.

"These four will be your new teammates from now on, in Squad 0. But but but... First were gonna play a quick game of... A fighting game." (Toby)

He stood up and walked over to Miceal. He placed his hands on his shoulders pushing him forward.

"Introduce yourself Micheal." (Toby)

"Umm... Yo I'm Micheal." (Micheal)

A long pause ensued as Toby pointed to Jack on the other end.

"You Jack. Introduce yourself." (Toby)

"Hi. I'm... Um... I'm Jack." (Jack)

He then pointed to the mat.

"Ok, now jump on the mat. You two are up first." (Toby)

---

Micheal and Jack stood opposite each other. Their teams on either side of the square mat, cheering the other person one.

Micheal had short black hair, kinda like Yaku's, except his grew curvy, with tipped waves that swung up instead of down. He also had a very uneven face, with brown eyes that sat off-kilter to his nose and mouth. He was a peculiar fellow. Unlike Jack, who stood chisled and tall, his hands pointed out. He stepped forward on the soft grey mat. He looked around him. The roped walls blocking his escape. He looked up at the shining lights blinding him.

"Is this a boxing ring?" (Jack)

"It was made to look like one, but it's made out of special magic-proof materials." (Toby)

Micheal stepped forward. He took off his gloves, tossing them to the mat below. He then pointed at Jack.

"Are you going to use magic-" (Jack)

"Speared Heart!" (Micheal)

Two short spikes protruded from his fingernails, piercing at super speeds, aimed right at Jack's head. Jack ducked down just in the nick of time as they swung around the open air, moving on their own.

"Whoah! Wait! Are we trying to kill eachother?!" (Jack)

Micheal stopped his advancements.

"Wait, Captain? Are we trying to kill each other?" (Micheal)

Toby leaned in, his tired face unable to comprehend what they were saying.

"Sure." (Toby)

Everyone in the surrounding area stood confused. Jack stood confused. Micheal stood confused.

"I don't think we should be trying to kill eachother. Wanna just have a fist to fistfight?" (Jack)

Micheal turned to a woman on his team, she wore a red flower pin, with long white hair and bright tangerine eyes. She looked back at Michael with a stone-cold face.

"Sin, what should I do?" (Micheal)

Sin looked at him. She looked at Jack. She looked at the three other Sorcerers on the other end. The fifteen-year-old girl staring at her. She looked at her eyes. Her purple eyes. She used her magic... She used her magic... She used her magic...

"Kill them." (Second-Class Sorcerer, Squad 0, Sin)

"Yes, Mam!" (Micheal)

"What?" (Jack)

"Wait, this match wasn't to the death!" (Emma)

A tall long-armed man held out his hands.

"Forced Feilds!" (Third-Class Sorcerer, Squad 0, Jillian Tail)

A clear barrier formed around the square ring. Emma, Vlad, Chil, and Yaku were all pushed back.

Micheal started attacking Jack. Spikes shooting around the barrier shield. Jack dodging. He called out his two Yin and Yang balls.

"Wait, you can't just do that! We're part of the same squad aren't we?!" (Emma)

Sin stared deeply into Emma's soul. Another third-Class Sorcerer stepped up.

"We do not trust you Special Magic Squad folk. No one in the Magic Force trusts you. Especially him. That Jack Pelli..." (Third-Class Sorcerer, Squad 0, Tom Lice)

Everyone turned to Jack. His two hands holding the two black and white orbs. Dodging up and down. Side to side. The spikes coming from Micheal's fingertips, curving and spinning.

"We've done our research on all of you. Not all of you are so strange."

He looked at Emma and Vlad.

"But him... That man in there... He came from nowhere. His background's fuzzy and unreliable. Multiple accounts of him having amnesia, multiple personalities. And... His relationship to Frankenstein." (Tom)

"Frankenstein?" (Emma)

She suddenly remembered six months prior. During the Auction Raid in Paris. She remembered when she saw Jack, his eyes black and white. His voice unrecognizable. His face and body, his looks, his tone, and his personality. Like he was a different person. She couldn't deny anything that they said, because everything they said was true. He was an enigma, an anomaly. But she still loved him. She was still his girlfriend...

"But... That all may be true, but... He's a good person!" (Emma)

Jack fell forward. The fingertip spikes piercing his legs and shoulders. He fell back. Blood spilling everywhere.

"Jack Pelli may still be protected by the Grand Sorcerer and First-Class Cpatian Diana, but he is still not protected by the Magic Force. And especially by us." (Tom)

Emma held out her hands. Her face determined with love and anger. She channeled her magic. Her power. Just a small amount. Just like what Jack had taught her. Control. Control. Control. Just a small amount. Right through the fingertips. Fingertips. Fingertips. Micheal shot out his last magical spike...

"Infinite Age-"

Snap!

Pink Flames.

Toby woke up. His face filled with tired confusion.

He stood inside the force field. His flames surrounding the full exterior. Blocking any escape. He held the final spike in his hand. Two inches away from Jack's forehead. He threw it to the ground. His hands covered in pink flames. He looked directly at Sin.

"Sin...? Why are you trying to kill Jack?" (Toby)

"His death is necessary for the Magic Force's survival." (Sin)

Tom stepped up. His face angry. Jillian released his magic, making the force field disappear.

"Toby. You left us! You do not have the right to-"

Snap!

Suddenly a wall of pink flames erupted. Tom was suddenly restrained. His arms and legs stuck in metal chains, with a gag over his mouth.

"That's enough out of you. Sin you're coming with me. I'm gonna tell you what the Grand Master told me." (Toby)

Sin and Toby walked away from the mat, as Emma and Vlad jumped over the roped fence, they started tending to Jack's wounds.

Yaku stood right next to Chil. Her arms snug tight to Yaku. They watched as Jillian walked over to them. So did Micheal.

"What do you two want?" (Yaku)

"We also wanna talk." (Jillian)