7 - Live

"Aaron!"

"Wha-!? What happens?"

I snapped from my thoughts with the shout of 07. We were currently going to the training field. It had been two days since the hand-to-hand combat training.

"No, I should ask that. Yesterday you were also distracted. Is something worrying you? Maybe it is about the mission?"

07 looked at me with a concerned look. It was true that I had been distracted lately. It was very tough to keep my focus while doing yesterday's training, which was a "normal" one. It consisted of sit-ups, pull-ups, running, etc. It was almost like the test of the first day. Fortunately, yesterday I didn't faint.

"Well... I am a little nervous about the mission."

It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the only reason I was distracted. If I had to say it myself, the cause of most of my concern would be Rachel, after what she told me that day...

...

Two days ago:

"Aaron, we have to talk."

Rachel was standing in front of my door with a heavy aura around her. She had her arms crossed, and her eyes reflected a conviction of something. I approached her since it seemed serious.

"What happened?"

She looked down for a moment while biting her lower lip, and then she looked straight in the eyes.

"I will get straight to the point. The day before the mission, we will fight. If I win, you won't go to the mission."

"!!!"

"What are you saying?! The Boss sent both of us to the mission. If I don't go she-"

"She will kill you. I know. But if you aren't able to win the fight, you will die anyway during the mission, so I am just speeding up the process."

'What are you saying? You talk like you have been on lots of missions. There is something fishy here.'

"So that means I have to win the fight to live?"

"You don't have to win at all. You need to hit me once."

"Hit you... once?"

'Why are you talking as if you were a martial master?'

With every word she spoke, my suspicions grew. There was something wrong with the way she was talking. It could be seen as an empty threat, but something in her eyes told me that she was not joking, and if I lose that fight, she won't let me go on that mission, causing my death.

"Alright, I will win."

When she heard my answer, her eyes widened a bit, and then a grin appeared on her face.

"We will see about that."

Leaving those words, she started walking through the hallway until she disappeared around a corner.

'Seriously, is saying goodbye banned in this place?!'

With that thought in mind, I entered my room.

...

Present:

And that is how it was decided that my life depended on a fight. I was somewhat nervous, as even though I think both of us had started training at the same time, probably, it seemed like she was an expert. And that thought was making me anxious.

"We are here."

07's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. We were again at the training field. I looked at him, waiting to hear what we were going to do today. While I was waiting, I remembered that today was the day the Boss was going to give us the details of the mission.

"Since your mission is in two days, I think what you need right now is a basic knowledge of firearms, and that is what we will be doing today until lunchtime. Follow me."

After he said that, he started walking toward a side of the room, then opened a door I never saw. What was behind the door was a shooting camp. Things like this no longer surprise me since the Olympic pool. It was like the ones I have seen in movies. It was a big room, with several guns at the front, then a window, and behind the window, there were objectives.

While I was observing the room, 07 went to the stand where all the guns were. He took a pistol, approached me, and handed the pistol to me. This was the first time I saw a gun that wasn't on a screen so I was a little nervous.

"I am going to teach you the fundaments, that being how to reload and how to shoot without hurting you. Let's start."

"Alright."

"First, how to reload. Take the gun with your dominant hand, with the thumb finger you have to press a button that is behind the trigger on the left side of the gun."

I grabbed the gun with my hand and started searching for the button. When I found it, I pressed it as he said and nothing happened.

"You have to pull the charger free."

I did as he said, then he took the charger from me, and gave me another one.

"Now, grab the charger by the narrow front edge (A/N: the side the bullets face) and insert it in the gun firmly until you hear a click, then place the hand that is not holding the gun over the top of the gun, grasp it and pull back sharply until it stops, then release."

I was doing it as he was telling me the steps. It was easier than I thought, but this was in this situation. Who knows in what circumstances I may be during the mission? If I go to the mission, that is.

"Okay, now repeat it several times until you can do it with ease. Then, I will teach you how to shoot.

"Yes!"

...

Almost an hour later, I was able to do it much faster. I wouldn't say it is a professional level, but it didn't take as long as when I started.

"Okay, I think you are ready to shoot. Here, take these earplugs and these glasses, they will protect you. But don't depend on them, since in the mission you won't have them."

I wore the things 07 gave me, and we approached the window. There 07 started giving me the steps, starting with how to stand.

"It isn't too difficult, you have to put your two legs separated, and the foot opposite to your dominant hand should be a step past the other foot. Lean forward a little with your knees bent, maintaining balance. The elbow of your dominant arm should be almost straight and your non-dominant elbow should be a little flexed. Your dominant arm should be in line with the gun and the objective."

"Now, align your vision with the rear sight and focus on the objective. Control your breathing, before shooting hold your breath to prevent you from moving. And pull."

Bang!-

I was trying to keep up with the feeling of the freshly shot gun in my hands. This made me think again about my situation. Less than a week ago, I was a normal student. And now, I was practicing how to shoot with a gun because probably in two days I have to kill someone.

It is different when someone tells you you will have to kill in the future, than knowing when you will have to do it. The sudden realization made my hands shake and my head felt a little dizzy.

"Aaron!"

Flinch-

07's shout brought me back to the present.

"I know it is scary, but you have to do it. You don't have any other chance. It is the same with the fight with Rachel."

"How-?!"

"It doesn't matter! You have to win, not because of pride or anything like that! You have to win because you want to live, right?!"

Flinch-

07's words echoed in my head. What he said was right, everything I have to do here is for one reason. To continue living. To have the opportunity of seeing my family again.

"...yes. Yes. I want to live!"

"Then what do you have to do?"

"I have to win the fight and continue living."

"Good. Then continue training, after the meal you have to go see the Boss."

"Yes!"

With a big conviction, I pulled the trigger again.

I will do anything, if that means living.

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A/N: Hi! Author here. I have several things to say, so let's start. (I put it here since it's too long for the author s thoughts)

First, my schedule has more or less stablished, so I can say with certainty that is almost impossible I post on Tuesday and Thrusday probably neither. Also if someday I can't post any chapters please accept my apologies, since school keeps me very busy.

Another thing, remember when I told that the next chapter was the mission? Well, let's say I never told that. What I can say, is that in two chapters, it will really be the mission.

As always, thank you all for reading and I would like to thank specially [Unmasked63], [Triad_lust] and [WorthyAdversary] for all the advices they have given to me.

That's all. As always if you see some mistake, tell me in the comments.