Tropical Deja Vu

Being inside a helicopter was loud. Very loud. The spinning rotor blades were all that she could hear. The woman was mouthing something to them, but Felicity shook her head to try and convey that she couldn't understand anything.

The physical vibration was jerky, and Felicity leaned back to try and get into a comfortable position. It was already awkward all in all since she was sitting with Melissa and Leo on one side of the bench with Medina sitting on the other side.

All they could do was silently and awkwardly stare at each other since they couldn't speak to one another to get more information due to the loud nature of the helicopter much to Felicity's displeasure.

It was just them and the woman sitting in the back with the pilot in the cockpit with a ton of glowing buttons within the already complicated-looking central control unit which Felicity observed lightly.

The flight took about five hours, and it was practically already dawn when the helicopter landed. Melissa fell back to sleep, and the woman gave them all small blankets that felt like sandpaper to cover them as well as salves for their burns that Felicity tended to herself and applied thickly to Melissa's before wrapping them tightly up.

Leo fixed himself up but his condition was much better than theirs. It didn't take away from all the things that he had suffered though which Felicity would have to ask him about more. He eventually got some shuteye as well, but Felicity continued to zone out instead of falling asleep.

She eventually clonked out after an hour or two onto Leo's shoulder and was shaken away when they had made it to their destination. Covering her yawn with the back of her hand, she wiped the corner of her eyes and watched as the woman slid open the helicopter doors.

Her legs were stiff when she got hopped out of the helicopter, and her feet felt like jelly on the solid ground that was all sandy beaches. Felicity peered above and was surprised by the fact she could already see the engyure above that seemed to swallowing up the night sky.

The woman turned on a bright lantern, and it illuminated her face and the surroundings well. "Yell out, Medina if you need help.

The other helicopters turned in different directions when they got to the ocean. Only two came to this island."

Felicity nodded and turned to look at the other helicopter that landed before they did, and five people in total were getting armored up strapping themselves with all sorts of weapons and clicking on helmets.

Medina walked back to the chopper and pulled out a large box that was inside the storage bench that they sat on earlier. "Do you remember what all of your weapons looked like during the physical test?"

"I had small daggers," Melissa offered. "There were two, and it was an orange color."

"Mine was a long sword," Felicity said.

Leo nodded. "Same here."

"I need more information than that, but we don't have enough time. The armor suits that I'm giving you all should be fine enough. Let me know immediately if something feels off about your suit though."

Melissa tossed Melissa a grey suit to her. Felicity lifted her hand to catch the black ones that matched Leo. Felicity slipped the suit on over her clothing quickly and pulled her hair out of the collar.

"We are going to have to split into units. Two per unit. There will be an odd number, but it will work. We need to scale the island quickly before closing up the engyure."

Felicity's eyes opened wide in shock. That was possible? She thought the engyures could only disappear on their own. "How do you close an engyure?"

"That is classified information," Medina replied. "Hurry on. You all are here for backup since you have already been through this rodeo before. Let's get you all home before daybreak."

Felicity looked at Leo, and he shrugged, letting her know that he was fine with it. Melissa on the other hand shook her head when they made eye contact with her. Melissa likely didn't even know what the raures looked like, it would be better for her to stick with trained people.

Felicity nodded to let her know that she understood, but there wasn't much that she could do for Melissa since she would be safer with people than without. Melissa ended up with a pair of soldiers while she and Leo on their own. Felicity waved at Melissa when they parted ways, and Felicity pointed at her ear piece making Melissa nod.

There was a quick departure from there, and she and Leo went down on stranded path on their own. Leo turned on the little light that was attached to the suit on her left arm before walking down the makeshift path of rocks. Felicity felt very official with all the gear that Medina gave them which honestly had to cost thousands of dollars on the smaller pieces alone.

The rock path from the beach into the woods led to nowhere and eventually fizzled out in the thickest part of the forest. They continued their walk straight and had to push their way through the dense plants of the forest that were somewhat unnatural.

Leo was cutting down the overgrown weeds with the small daggers that were with the suit, and Felicity was getting déjà vu from the last rodeo a couple of months back.

"I'm getting PTSD from the tropical landscape," Felicity muttered.

"Glad to hear it," he replied sarcastically.

Felicity trailed behind Leo, stepping over the greenery that he was cutting over. It has been a while since she last saw him. He must have broken his foot when they jumped off the cliff; he looked fine now. "What happened after the physical test? How was your leg for real?"

Leo jumped over a fallen log. "I was exempt from the psychological test since I was in hospital. I fractured my fibula, plus all the other major bruises on my body made the hospital visit unbearable. Did the Frezion program contact you?"

"I've never heard of the Frezion program."

"It is an academy deemed for students like you who wield affinity swords. It is training along with regular schooling."

"Is it run by the government?" Felicity enquired.

"Yes. Under the President's supervision."

Felicity moved to chop down the tall leaves beside him. The island was thick with vegetation, and she wondered why they didn't just stay by the beach and wait for the creature to go to them. She grasped his arm. "Hold on, Leo. This… doesn't feel right."

He turned back. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you feel it?" Felicity asked. The ground was starting to slant, the dark silhouettes of the trees tilting. But maybe the darkness was playing a trick on her eyes. The ground started crumbling then, and Felicity's footing started to slide. She instinctually reached her hand out to Leo, slapping his arm. "Do you see that? What the…"