Over the course of track week, we got to drive some seriously cool, crazy modified cars, all of us got to be pretty good in handling the high powered stuff and the only accident was when a tire came apart on the Lotus for Mercury. He ended up losing control of it and turned it over. The doctor said that if the Lotus hadn't had a roll cage in it, Morningstar and Mercury both would have been crushed. Also, I know I'm gonna sound bitchy for this, but, track week ruined my sense of speed! Between the AWD Chevy and the Lotus's...my Civic was 2,400 pounds and 510 horsepower, it doesn't feel fast anymore! Nina kept telling me to shut up about it because her Corvette felt neutered too. I didn't see how because she had 750 rear wheel horsepower and was lighter than my Civic at 2150, I drove it and it felt like it was trying to kill me. Moving past my weakened sense of speed, After track week, I got to know the members of Sabre team other than Mercury.

Trace, a 8 year old female who was an expert in the AK-47, was bright orange with a gold underbelly and wing membranes. She had blue eyes and black horns and was very, very shy and quiet. I didn't think it was so much from fear as it was from just having a quiet nature. Even when she was being loud, which was rare, she wasn't that loud. She and Mercury obviously had a thing for each other, as I almost never saw the two of them apart.

Riley, who was like, 6, and surprisingly accurate with his SM-221 LMG, had an entirely red body and blue wing membranes. His eyes were pink and his horns were black. He was the complete opposite of Trace, as we could never get him to shut up. He was trace's younger brother and she had warned us in one of her more talkative moments that once Riley was set off, he never stopped. Calling him a stick of dynamite made sense because of his red body and black horns, provided of course you ignored his wings.

Rylar, who was Sabre Team's sniper, was 9, one of the older dragons in the Project. He had brown scales and a blue underbelly with black wing membranes and gold eyes. He was a desert rat for sure and when he wasn't at the range or in class with the others, he was laying on one of the big rocks close to the barracks, down to scales and soaking in the sunlight. I didn't understand how someone could go cold blooded, literally, so quickly. I seemed to be the only one that still rathered AC over the blistering heat of Death Valley. I liked it hot out, don't get me wrong, but I liked it cold just as much.

Leanna, who was quite a good shot with her M4, a very sweet 5 year old, had a pink body and white underbelly. Her eyes were crystal yellow and, as seemed to be the most popular choice, black horns. Her wings were white like her underbelly. She was quiet, but not as quiet as Trace and had this insane crush on Rylar, and, like Jayden and Arnett, Rylar did not like her back, because he was completely clueless that she was into him. Leanna was hurt by it to, though she tried not to show it. Mercury told me that sometimes, he'd hear her crying about it. He and I had talked with her about it, but she put up this stone wall we could never get through, even with a rocket launcher.

The day after track week, Morningstar said he needed time to get something set up, so we had free time until he had it ready, however long that might be. During the five days it turned out to be, I decided to advance my standing with Nina. I wanted to ask her out, but wasn't sure how to do it. I asked Morningstar and Carlos if they could do anything so I could, and Morningstar said he couldn't because he was busy, but Carlos was a different story. He told me he could get a Blu Ray player and set up a movie date if I cloud find out what Nina's favorite movie was. That night at dinner, I managed to start a conversation about what our favorite shows were and managed to bring it around to movies. I asked Mercury first, then Leanna, then Nina, who told me it was The Gallows, which was a movie I'd been wanting to see for a long time. That night in the barracks, it was about a half hour before call time, so I asked Nina if she wanted to go see a movie with me.

I almost couldn't believe that she smiled, and then said yes! Happy, she and I walked to the mess hall where Carlos had set up the player and a huge TV screen. He put the movie on and then left. Let me tell you, as much as I loved it and as good as it was, it scared the crap out of me! I found myself hiding my face in Nina's neck more than a few times. She laughed at it, but I didn't care, especially after she put her arms around me. When the movie was over, I went to take a shower while went she went back to the barracks. After that night, we were staying as close to each other as we could, breakfast, the range, the garage, where and whenever we could. Things weren't going as fast as I would have liked, but hey, she was my girlfriend now, that was good enough for me.

About six days after track week, we were sitting in the mess hall on Saturday morning. Riley and Trace were playing Xbox, Mercury, Leanna and Rylar were watching TV, while Nina and I were eating and Jayden, Arnett and Mako were playing a broad game when Morningstar walked in.

"General on deck", I said standing and saluting.

The others did the same.

"At ease kids", Morningstar said.

We gathered around the table as Morningstar sat down.

"I have your scores for BCT", Morningstar said, "Ace, 3900 out of 4000 possible. Mercury, 3800 out of 4000 possible. Arnett and Leanna, 3695 out of 4000 possible. Jayden, Rylar, Mako and Trace, 3450 out of 4000 possible and Riley 3400 out of 4000 possible."

There was about a minute of silence.

"I'm scared to ask what a passing grade is", Riley said.

Morningstar laughed, "we weren't sure what to expect, so we set the bar at 1500."

"Holy crap", I laughed, "even if the bar was 2550 we blew the requirements out of the water."

Morningstar smiled, "I'm proud of you kids. Other people were sure you'd fail miserably."

"I guess we showed them", Nina said.

"And you still have another opportunity", Morningstar said, "a few minutes ago, we finished testing a VR simulation that will place you in a combat situation as close to reality as it gets without being the real thing. We know your capable physically, now it's time to see if you are mentally."

"So this sim is like a big video game?", Mako asked, "how exactly does it work?"

"Like any other virtual reality game does", Morningstar said, "take too many hits and your out."

"What's the mission?", I asked.

"I won't tell you much because I want you to go in fresh", Morningstar said, "how ever, your mission is to clear a small Casino of terrorists and rescue hostages."

"Sounds like fun", I said, "when are we going?"

"Right now", Morningstar said, "follow me."

We put our things on hold and followed Morningstar to the main building past the transformation area down to a small room with five chairs running down the middle with VR glasses sitting in them. The room was nothing more than a black box with white tile floors and wires from the glasses disappearing into the walls.

"Looks like the Matrix", Nina said.

"It sort of is", Morningstar said. One team will go at a time Shadow, you guys are up first. Once everyone has their glasses on, the sim will start."

Morningstar took Sabre team and left. My team went to the chairs and sat down. Mako had his glasses on almost instantly. I looked mine over a minute before putting them on. For about a minute, everything was black. Then in a flash of light, I was on a Blackhawk in the middle of the night. Nina and Jayden were in front of me and Mako and Arnett were to my side. We were all dressed in our team uniform and armed with our chosen weapons. The Helo was flying over a city that at first, I thought was Vegas, then when I saw the ocean, figured had to be Dubai. There was a TV screen in the corner playing a news reel about the attack on a near by casino in downtown Dubai, which confirmed my hunch.

"Twenty seconds to drop", the AI pilot said as the Blackhawk began to slow down, "your mission is to infiltrate the casino, eliminate all hostiles and rescue the hostages. How you get into position is up to you."

The Blackhawk began to hover over the street. Ropes dropped down from the Fast Rope hooks and the doors slid open. Nina and I went down the rope on my side, while Arnett, Jayden and Mako went down the other. Jayden, Mako and Nina hid behind a near by taxi cab while Arnett and I hid behind an 18 wheeler. Not that far down the street, I could hear shouting in Arabic as the bullets started flying. They tore through the windows and body panels of the taxi that Nina and the others were hiding behind, causing them all to cover their heads in fear.

"What do we do Ace!!?", Jayden shouted.

"Whose got flash bangs!?", I asked as a bullet ricocheted off the ground and broke out the mirror above my head.

"I've got some", Arnett said tapping my shoulder.

I pulled one out of my vest and pulled the pin, "when I give the order, toss it out between the cabin of the truck and the trailer! Nina!, You, Mako and Jayden go prone behind the wheels of the taxi, their bullets won't go through. Mako, go down behind Jayden that way you won't get shot."

I waited for them to follow my directions and then gave the order to Arnett to toss the flash out. I chucked mine out in front of their barricade and went off, blinding them. I then pulled the pin off one of my own frags and threw it out before piking my SM-220 back up.

'Nina!", I said as I open fired on their barricade, "use your M203! Shoot the cars behind them in the gas tank!"

"Rodger!", Nina said standing up, "firing M203!"

There was a low thunk and a slight vapor trail as the grenade flew through the air and slammed into the rear end of a 4-door pick up, sending it up in a ball of smoke and fire and spraying everyone behind the barricade with burning diesel fuel. There was a lot of screaming and more gunfire as the other terrorists jumped back up. Two of them had AKMs, but one had a PKP Pencheg.

'Jayden!", I ordered, "tango with a Pencheg! Put him down!"

Jayden pulled his Ar patterned sniper rifle off his back and stuck it through the window of the taxi, pausing for only a second before he let the shot off, splitting the AI's head in half and sending blood and gore everywhere.

"Target down", I said, "cover me I'm feeling a little light."

I opened the dust cover of my SM and pulled the box off and threw it to the ground. I pulled another box from my vest and clicked it in place before closing the cover and racking the charging handle. Take an empty coke can, press it down hard onto the road and quickly drag it back and fourth, that's what it sounds like when you charge my 220.

"Area clear", Nina said.

"Move forward", I said slipping out from behind the rig, "you are weapons free for all Armed personnel."

My team and I quickly closed the distance between us and the enemy barricade. To the side of the blockade was a small set of concrete stairs with a heavy MMG emplacement. Before I ducked down, I counted about ten enemy combatants with AKMs and shotguns, plus the MMG gunner.

"Nina!", I said, "you got 40mm HE?"

"Never leave home without it!", Nina said loading it into her 203!"

"On my flash, hit that MMG!", I said pulling a flash bang from my vest. I waited for a few seconds after pulling the pin before tossing it. It went off about two seconds later and Nina and I stepped out. There were two blinded tangos with shotguns who were way too close for comfort. I shot the two of them down as Nina fragged the MMG nest, turning it into scrap metal and killing two of the remaining 9 men, leaving their number at seven.

"Move up!", I shouted over the fire of my LMG. Mako and the others broke from cover and advanced behind my lead storm. When I emptied, I pulled back behind them as they went over the twisted remains of the MMG and easily dispatched the other terrorists. The next bit of stone walkway took us to the front door of the casino, which was guarded by sandbags and two men with AKMs. Mako was able to deal with them both relatively quickly and we ended up at the front door. I could hear heavy boots running around inside, they were waiting with another MMG and every man they had for us behind that door.

"There waiting for us in there", Nina said putting another round in her 203.

"With another MMG and every man they have left no doubt", Jayden said switching to his S-30.

I pulled out the Eagle and put a round in the chamber.

"How are we entering the building Ace?", Nina asked.

"Whose' got a det charge?", I asked.

"I do", Mako said.

"Stick it on the middle", I said, "Flash bangs ready."

Mako stuck the charge to the door and pulled the pin.

"Knock knock", Mako said, "it's room service."

The charge blew the door down and the five of us tossed our flash grenades inside. We waited for the bangs before funneling in. In the middle of the room were two men on un-shielded MMG's and beside them each were six blinded guys with AKMs. Up top were three guys with Dragonov sniper rifles and there were two heavily armored soldiers on the stair cases with PKP Penchegs'.

I raised my Eagle. My first two shots found the heads of the MMG gunners, and the next four found the AKM guys next to the one closest to me. I dropped the magazine out of the handle grip and ramed a fresh one in, clicking the slide closed and taking out the two remaining AKM terrorists closest to me before the Eagle went back into it's holster and the 220 found it's way into my hands once again. I dove prone and put the sights on the heavy solider coming down the stairs. The 556 had trouble punching through the sheer amount of steel that he was wearing, but the impact of the 200 or so rounds I fed him forced him to his back and the heavy armor, plus all his ammunition, pinned him there. His PKP also rolled down the stairs when he fell, and if he had a sidearm he would have pulled it out, he was no longer a threat. After I was reloaded, I turned my attention to the snipers up top. I put my sights on them and let off a few bursts of about 6 rounds each. Some of the rounds missed while others hit and tore huge chunks out of their targets. With the snipers down, I turned my attention to the other Juggernaut. He had the other four members of my team pinned down behind a row of slot machines. He was in the middle of a reload when he saw me. I raised my 220, but realized a second too late that the box no longer had a belt in it. The Jug quickly closed the dust cover of his PKP and raised it. With no time to go for the Eagle or my S-30, I took a deep breath and let a jet of LN fly from my throat. The icy fluid hit the man dead in the chest and caused ice to creep un naturally up and down his armor. The man had frozen to death before he hit the ground.

"Clear", I said as I opened the dust cover of my 220.

"Clear", Nina said.

"Clear", Mako said, "Ace, I can see the hostages up stairs through my thermals. There's a door we can breach at the top of the second floor to rescue them"

"Let's go then", I said as I chambered the 220 and exchanged it for my Eagle. My team and I went up the stairs and stacked up by a small doorway in the back off the room

"Mako", I said, "confirm you see the civilians on the other side of this door."

"Confirmed", Mako said looking through his scope, "ten plus civilian contacts on the other side of the door."

"Rodger that", I said putting a charge on the door, "Shadow team we got civiy contact on the other side of that wall so check your fire."

"Knock Knock", Mako said, "room service."

The charge went off and we entered the room. There were only two hostiles, one about to set off a barrel laced with C4 and the other was charging me with a knife. I didn't look through the sights of my Eagle as I let the bullet fly, striking the man in the face and sending him backwards. It was either Mako or Jayden who took the other target. The next thing I knew, the Casino room was replaced with grey and a big green, "Mission Success"

"That is how it's done", Morningstar said over the radio as I flickered back to reality. Come on up here guys."

My team and I walked from the sim room to the control room from a door that was in the corner. When we got up there, Morningstar told us to go back to the mess hall and wait for Sabre team to run the sim, so that's what we did. Nina, Jayden, Mako and Arnett started playing Xbox, while I grabbed my PC from the barracks and started scribbling stuff in MS Paint. I'd been at this for maybe 20 minutes or so before General Morningstar came and got me. He took me to his office in the dome and sat down at his desk and I sat across from him.

Morningstar's office was a wooden room that looked like something out of a movie. There were three huge windows in the front and on the sides of the room. There was a small plant in each corner and his desk was in the middle of the room. To my right there were two couches with a coffee table and a counter behind them that held a microwave, mini fridge and a Espresso machine

"So what's this about?", I asked.

"Remember when I said that at the end of BCT the two highest scoring students would be named team leaders?", Morningstar asked.

"Yeah", I said.

"You placed first out of everyone Ace", he said, "Mercury was second, so you two get to pick team members."

I smiled, "I want Nina, Mako, Jayden and Arnett."

Morningstar smiled, "of course you do. Now, team name, what is it? Once you pick, you can't change, so think before you act."

"Task Force Shadow", I smiled.

Morningstar shook his head, "oh sure, you just went through 12 weeks of hell so now your gonna take it easy where you may."

"Of course", I smiled.

"I'll mark it down", Morningstar said, "that's all specialist."