It`s pitch black under the dark sack over my head. I pretend the click of metal locking wakes me. Wide magnetic cuffs dig into my wrist as they bind my arms in front of me. My legs are shoved together, and another round of clicks have my ankles bound too. I`ve never been in cuffs before. Cole always used rope or my uniform. These are actually more comfortable. An icy hand lifts the edge of the sack and slaps a wide strip of tape over my mouth.

　　"It`s time, new meat." Fletcher`s chuckle sounds directly above me and I have to resist the urge to deliver a head butt to his nose.

　　"Relax, control your breathing." Iva`s voice takes on a deep, commanding tone.

　　Fletcher`s breath huffs across the sack on my head as his hands slide underneath my arms. He jerks me to the edge of the bed.

　　"Damn, who knew your skinny ass was so heavy." Fletcher grunts as Iva pulls my legs off the bed by my ankles.

　　I squirm, not wanting to make it too easy for them.

　　"No, no." I freeze hearing Addy`s voice.

　　I don`t know why I thought she wouldn`t be here.

　　"You don`t want them to drop you now do you?"

　　I grunt into the tape for my reply.

　　"One," Iva starts the countdown, "two, three."

　　I feel weightless coming off the bed before I slam hard into the floor. That would leave a mark if I didn`t heal fast. Fletcher`s loud bark of a laugh sounds above me as Iva swears and Addy gasps.

　　"The torture doesn`t start until we get there, you idiots." Luce sounds more bored than angry for once.

　　"What?" Fletcher asks. "He`s way heavier than he looks."

　　"Guess all that flexing you do is just for show after all." Luce tsks. "Need me to take him for you, big boy."

　　"I`ll show you a big boy." Fletcher hooks his arms under mine and lifts me up with a painful jolt.

　　At least my new bullies are more entertaining.

　　"Let`s go." Iva half laughs.

　　I try to keep track of the number of steps and turns we take but I get lost in the unfamiliar layout. I use my strength to break the magnetic bond of the cuffs. With my wrists apart, I break off the latch to keep them from reengaging.

　　Fletcher and Iva are breathing harder by the time we stop, and my enhanced senses are on full alert. There`s a whirling sound of electronic locks releasing, and then we`re on the move again. The smell of metal and oil invades the sack. We`re in the weapons room.

　　Weapons? This doesn`t look good. How far will they take this? I guess if something happens to me here, they can say it was a training accident. My pulse increases. I need to slow my breathing down to keep my powers contained. The tape around my mouth has come loose from my sweat. I poke my tongue along the bottom edge to pry it off and take deeper calming breaths.

　　They carry me further inside the room, to the target area, and prop me on a chair. Their footsteps go back and forth between the weapons room and where I`m seated. There`s a loud, deep thud in front of me before someone claps their hands together. I feel their presence standing before me. Here we go.

　　They rip the sack off my head, along with a few strands of hair. I squint into the bright lights aimed at me and blink rapidly to focus. My hair sticks to my forehead and covers one eye completely. The squad stands in a tight half circle before me, aiming flashlights in my face. I can only see dark shapes beyond the lights.

　　"Do you know why you`re here?" Someone fakes a deep, low voice.

　　"You think you`re worthy to be an Elite?" Asks a different fake voice before I can grunt a response to the first.

　　"We know all about you." One on my right adds.

　　I let my head hang and pull in a deep inhale through my nose. I know they`ve read my file. My years at the academy paint me as a disobedient, trouble maker.

　　"This is your last night as warrior Rain Oren from Hallow Point." Says a fourth, higher voice.

　　It has to be Addy`s attempt. One flashlight cuts off and the snap and rip of something opening has me sitting taller in my chair. My eyes are over saturated with the light, so I close them and rely on my other senses to tell me what`s coming. An icy palm hits my forehead to push my head up. Silky strands of long hair slide against my neck. Luce.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

　　"I`m really going to enjoy finding out what you`re made of, warrior." Her undisguised whispered threat sends a shiver through me.

　　She digs her fingers into my cheek, slides a fingernail under the corner of the tape, and rips it off. The sting makes my eyes water and I`m glad I shaved before bed.

　　"Let`s get started." Addy says, giving up her fake voice with a giggle.

　　Luce squeezes my cheeks together with one hand as Addy pulls the back of my hair so I face the ceiling. Luce holds a bottle over me and pours liquid into my mouth. I jerk my head forward out of her grasp, trying to cough it up but it`s too late. It burns and feels like fire down my throat. It takes everything in me not to fight back.

　　"Hey, go easy." Fletcher says, coming closer reaching out for the bottle.

　　Luce twists away and glares at him.

　　"We have an entire case, Fletcher." She tilts her head toward the square box in front of me.

　　I don`t think I can let them go through a whole case on me.

　　"Right." Fletcher rubs his hands together, walking to the case.

　　Just as he reaches inside, Addy walks up beside Luce and holds her hand out. I watch Iva drag some folding chairs closer and place them around the case to watch the show.

　　"My turn." Addy sings and shoves my chin up to tilt me back.

　　I turn my head away. I may sit here and endure it, but I`m not making it easy.

　　"Awe, there`s no use resisting, new meat." Luce purrs. "You don`t want us to get the funnel."

　　"Oh, no." Iva says sitting down shaking his head. "We agreed, no more funnel after the last time. The cleanup, no way I`m doing that again." Iva peers into the case, still shaking his head.

　　Luce squeezes my cheeks, and I turn my head to break free, but Addy is quick. I swallow the stream of liquid she pours out to keep from choking. The burn is less this time but my stomach is hot. I blink the tears away. My blinks feel slower and my head is getting blurry as it rolls forward. Then she passes it back to Luce and I`m drowning in it again.

　　Finally, they take a seat and my eyes pass slowly over the warriors before me. Each one smiles back, holding a bottle of their own. Fletcher peels the paper seal off the neck of his and with a snap, the top flies into the air. I stare at the label waiting for my vision to clear. The effects of the poison must be setting in. I`ve never been poisoned. Whipped, beaten, water boarded, hung up, drowned, but never poisoned. I`m surprised Cole never thought of it, actually.

　　"What?!" Addy`s shout echoes around the shooting range.

　　Her hand flies over her mouth and her wide eyes stare at me. I shift my gaze to the others. Fletcher looks pissed, Iva looks like he`s grinding his teeth, and Luce is shaking in her seat.

　　"Who`s Cole?" Luce asks staring a hole through me behind a curtain of red hair.

　　"Whaaa?" My mouth feels fat and my voice sounds weird. I gently bite my tongue. It feels thick and numb.

　　"Did that really happen?" Iva`s voice is even and cold at the same time. He looks tense and upset like he might attack me any second now, yet my powers are quiet inside.

　　"Who did that to you?" He asks.

　　I stare back and let out a chuckle. Everything seems funny now.

　　"Who didn`t? I thought you were the smart one, Iva." Did I say that out loud? Ooops. Deny, deflate...no demand...I can`t think straight. "I lie ya know." Shit, did they give me some kind of truth poison?

　　"Not cool man." Fletcher grumbles before putting the bottle in his hands to his lips.

　　I jump out of my seat, force apart my legs, and lunge forward, knocking the bottle away before he can tilt it back for a drink.

　　"Are you crazy? It`s poison." I shout and point to the bottle spilling at his feet.

　　He leans over and picks it up, examining it.

　　"It may not be the premium stuff the officers get, but it`s not that bad." Fletcher holds it up to the light with a pout on his lips before glaring at me. "We`re trading."

　　He pushes the half empty bottle into my chest and walks to the one by the chair I was in. Fletcher picks it up off the floor and takes several long pulls returning to his seat. I look to the others only to find them all drinking from bottles of their own. I turn the bottle in my hand and read, malt whiskey.

　　"Oh, it`s bad alright." Addy coughs and then takes another drink. "But it`s all worth the warmth and giggles."

　　"You brought me here to get drunk?" I ask.

　　"It`s your initiation man!" Fletcher raises his bottle in the air.

　　"Heeey!" Cheer the others, raising their bottles to join his.

　　"Luce said you were going to torture me." Words are just falling out of me. Being drunk is not a good idea.

　　"Oh, that comes in the morning, when you`re nursing your hangover." Iva grins.

　　"Wait, just a minute." Luce stands up and yanks on my wrist. "How long have you been free from the cuffs?"

　　"Oh yeah, and did you see the way he broke the ones around his ankles to save Fletcher?" Addy asks bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her eyes look a little glassy and her cheeks are rosy.

　　"Nothing`s strong enough to save Fletcher." Iva laughs.

　　"Heeeey!" They shout, bottles raised.

　　"Har, har, jackass." Fletcher walks over and slings his arm over my shoulder. "My new best friend here knows I`m the most valuable member of the squad. He`d throw his body over a grenade to save me, right, man?"

　　A roar of laughter breaks out, and everyone forgets about how I was able to break the cuffs. My vision is clearing and my head is not so fuzzy. I guess my healing is taking care of the liquor in my system. But healing also alerts my powers. The tightness in my chest is rising. I look down at the bottle and think of the reprieve I had from all that energy inside. The lightness I felt. It would be nice to breathe easy. To take a few more drinks and let it all go.

　　"Drink up, Oren." Luce commands with a hand on her hip. "We`ve got questions, and no one leaves here until you answer them."

　　"Or someone passes out." Iva adds.

　　"Heeey!"

　　"That`s right, after tonight," Addy says dancing over, leaning against Fletcher to look up at me, "you`ll no longer be Rain Oren from Hallow Point. You`ll be Warrior Rain Oren of the Elite Squad."

　　"Heeeey!" The cheers sound out as bottles raise high. Fletcher`s hand goes under the bottle in my grip, and he lifts it up for me with his big, dazzling smile.

　　I imagined coming to Centrum would be beyond anything I had to endure at the academy. But looking at the smiling faces around me, I never imagined this.