"Your core is practically zero, sir." Instructor Charles tells me as Neil joins in.

"I'm sorry?" To say that I was offended was an understatement. I spent hours and hours working on my core. He can't call it zero at any cost.

"What?" Neil asked a little surprised.

"You don't think so?" Charles asked me with a pinch of challenge.

"No. Very much not." I replied defensively.

"Why do you say so, Instructor?" Neil asked him curiously.

"His plank timings are good for a cadet, not a class-I. One strong punch, and he's done for. He can't hold himself long, won't survive a clutching-to-a-tree camouflage for more than a few minutes." Charles explained in detail while I gulped down dryly.

How can he underestimate me that casually? I'm the best passing out cadet of my batch. I have to be something to earn that right?

Or may be he is right. There's no point being an asshole keeping pride above truth. He has seen hundred thousand men and his assessment about my stamina can't be wrong.

"You heard him?" Neil asked me.

"Yes sir." That I'm going to get fucked hard and fucked long.

He had a cold look on his face by now. "My team is very small, James. You saw how one gets entry in the form of Kelly. You're lucky you didn't have to prove your worth to get in. But since I've decided to take you in, you have to clear some standards I've laid out for everyone in my team - including myself. And first requirement is to be fit enough not to be a danger to other team members. If you are in a state that Instructor says, you have a lot to work on. You don't have an option, I'll make you do that." "Yes sir." I say taking another gulp.

"Instructor Charles, special focus on his core. One hour extra everyday till he reaches your standards. I want him fit for my people." Damnit!

"Trial officer, 5kg dumbbells." And my fucking starts right now.

The hundred different types of crunches, plank sets and pull ups in that one hour had me weeping at the end of the day, everyday. I've never felt this fragile, even in Academy.

I thought I was physically fit enough to blend in. Apparently not.

My German viva happened with me hanging upside down and pulling up crunches for every question asked. For every mistake, I was supposed to hold up till Neil was sure my abs have engraved the correction. After a gruesome session with Charles, this is something I pray nobody has to go through.

With a promise of similar vivas coming up without any notice, my next two random tasks were first - Learn French and second - mug up all important history events with dates both ways.

I was given ten days time and I swear I wanted to back out then and there. A whole fucking new language in fucking ten days with Neil on my ass and Charles on my abs! With another viva of World map lingering over any day any hour! I was better off with Norman!

"Your book for Politics and French has been issued in your name. Collect it from the library." Neil said untying my pale feet while I had the hardest time holding my weight with my hands keeping my cramped abs contracted.

"Yes, Neil." I gritted my teeth but agreed to it nonetheless.

************************

"Up. Up. We're not done." Charles, kindly go Fuck yourself.

I was glad I didn't have to wish that out loud. Because it wasn't me who wasn't getting up quick. This time it was Neil.

He has been doing 20 Pushup+20 high knees+ 20 quick crunches for past ten minutes at godspeed. I wonder if his core is made of copper because he didn't stop even once.

He was breathless, panting and was going slower with each set.

"Any slower than that and we run 3 miles before we get back." I looked at Charles as if he didn't just say that. Same look Neil gave him.

"You're here also for your own CT, sir. If you slack any further, it's my responsibility to pull you back up. Now if you may please..." Charles reminded him with all the respect and sass mixed together. Fuck this man knows no fear!

"Yes, Instructor!" Neil clenched his jaw and got back to the speed he started his sets with.

Charles looked at him for a few sets and I'm sure Neil's ass was lit. Then he turned to me with an expressionless face. My turn next.

"Hands behind your head, feet shoulder length apart, spine slightly bent forwards." I got into the stance as he wrapped bandage on his hands.

My eyes did a quick recce over his arms and forearms - hidden under the sleeve that covered till his wrist. And there was so much muscle I can't imagine one can have on just one limb. His Knuckles were three shades darker than his normal skin and I wonder how many walls has he broken by a single punch. There's no doubt that there's nothing between the skin and the bone. One contact of those Knuckles and the thing will crack till other end.

I shivered at the thought of that 'thing' being my abs.

Fuck my life! Neil looked at my horrified face and passed a snicker.

"You'll be next, sir." Charles said without looking back and Neil looked horrified too, now. All smiles vanished.

Neil got back on the job at hand while Charles approached me. I didn't want to look into his eyes because man I'd shit with so much of buildup already.

"Sir" he said before he said anything. And I understood that he laid out the respect on a platter before he starts treating me as a cadet. "Your feet shouldn't move, don't bend any further and try to keep your abs taught throughout. These three and it should be easy for both of us." He stood in front of me with bandage covering his hands from fingers to wrist.

I planted my feet firm, locked my spine and sealed my lips. My abs? Well they'll have to work on their own because I can't focus on too many things at one time.

And then it started. It felt like hailstorms of the size of tennis balls entering my guts, touching my back and leaving, creating a loose tunnel behind which would be taken by another tennis ball to take the tunnel further. I had no idea how many such tunnels were there through my abs, all I knew was that if I don't cry out, those tunnels will tear me through.

I gutted a long groan, it felt great to show that I'm in pain. Wait. It felt better because I tightened my abs. I continued to groan loudly and Charles didn't stop even for a single millisecond.

My body was thumping with a frequency of 700 per second, or may be more if that was possible. I had to move one feet behind to balance my weight otherwise I'd fall behind just by the sheer strength of his punches.

I starting bending forward and his loud and clear 'No!' stopped me. God I wanted this to stop! Right now! I kept distracting my mind to other things to keep going but the pain didn't let me.

My breaking point reached. I squeaked loudly and I stepped back and bent forward, covering my tummy with both hands. Charles knew I couldn't take anymore so he moved back.

I made an O with my lips and breathed through it carefully, not letting my abs move at all. The jolts were still there and I could feel the thumping going on. The skin color had changed to red, thanks to Charles leaving not even an inch of my skin untouched by his Knuckles. Fuck I'll be blue bellied tomorrow.

"Get into the cobra pose, sir. Stretch your abs as much as possible. It will help you." Kelly said and I was about to pass a glare when my abs stopped me.

I nodded and did as he said and I felt I'm being ripped into three parts. Chest, tummy and legs. I'd rather tear the middle part apart myself and stitch the rest two back because Fuck it was unbearable.

The only words that kept ringing in my ears were 'Without a single beep.' Is Kelly a robot? Or was Charles lying. Definitely either of the two because I won't believe those words even if I see it for myself. It's impossible to stay mute with that rigorous washing of your stomach! How could Kelly do that?

"Fifty sets completed, Instructor." Neil said falling on the ground in a broken voice I've never heard.

"In a speed I'll feel ashamed to even count them." Charles added pitilessly.

Neil cringed with his eyes closed and his hands soothing his abs because damn he just finished an ab destroying workout. And he damn well knew what awaits him.

Charles had untied and retied the bandage tighter. This time I felt crocodiles in my stomach.

"How long am I supposed to wait, sir?" God such humiliation.

Neil growled, got up and walked to him. He took the same stance as I did and took a deep breath.

"Both counts and time." Charles said and Neil's eyes widened.

"But- christttt!" Charles started his massacre before Neil could talk it out.

Neil was definitely better than me because his lips were sealed tight and not even once his back changed the position. His eyes were so tightly shut I thought he was blind. Though even with a sealed mouth his groan was audible. I was happy to see that he had to move a step back too.

I was unknowingly doing a mental count of the number of seconds that shit went on for. Hold on, I didn't do that for my own! My brain was too overfed to even think of it.

Neil cried "Out Out Out" but Charles kept going. Trying hard to stay still for a few more seconds but failing, Neil repeated the words but with much more pain this time. Charles stopped only after giving him a few extras.

It lasted 184 seconds. One hundred and eighty four. That's barely three minutes but if you're being hit at that speed, even a microsecond counts.

Charles moved back and Neil curled into a ball. He took short breaths with eyes shut tight. "Tha..nk ..u, Ins.. truc.. tor.... Cha.. ls...!" I know he was talking between those jolts, being sarcastic even in pain. He is mad.

"I'd prefer hearing your counts, sir." Charles stood over him, bandage off his hands now.

"One... Eighty.. Four.." Neil's voice was still pressed tight.

"That's it?" Charles was shocked for the first time I saw.

"Seconds." Neil completed.

"Oh. That's an improvement. It was 152 the last time. And...?" His hands were on his waist now.

"Three twenty eight." Neil said sounding a little better and getting into Cobra pose to stretch his compressed abs.

Charles looked unhappy. "That's poor. I need to work on myself." He turned around and went to put on the bandage again.

I looked at Neil, scared that it's my turn again. "That's his count." He said pointing at his own abs.

328! 328 punches in 184 seconds? Those punches? And that's poor? Is he fucking kidding me?

Or is Neil fucking kidding me to keep two counts going on in his mind? I was trying to get my brain off my abs the whole time, while he was counting the number of impacts at the most agonising spot of his body!

Are these guys for real?!! If I doubted till now, I'm sure today. They are crazy.

Meanwhile I heard Charles starting to punch a bag with a digital board over it.

Neil walked funnily to me and whispered. "Time to leave." I hid my laugh and nodded seriously.

I've realised one thing - no matter how badass you are, there WILL always be someone to put you in place. The term topmost is an illusion. There will always be someone. Glad I learnt it way too early.

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There will always be someone. Why does it sound familiar? 😉

Neil screwing James and Charles screwing both Neil and James. What a sight for you all.

I've reached one conclusion. Instructors don't have a heart. Not even for the people who can destroy their future. They'll treat them like shit before the 'I'm not your junior' could creep in their heads. And that's the most important part of learning. Charles is no exception. 😄

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