Barbed Lives ☑️

1. Goodbyes

Kravendale Military Academy

"You are my only hope, James Dwight. You'll open doors nobody could even dare to. You become the first Class-1 and cadets in future will bless you. You are my only shot. Whatever makes you fall, think about this institution, where you sweat and bled and were reborn. And then pick yourself up and come back harder. Do it for KMA."

Damn it Beta, you hit right where it's the weakest.

"Yes sir. I'll think of this place whenever I'm forced to give up."
I say more to myself.

"Make me proud, Lieutenant. Ah I'll miss your batch."
He said with his eyes gleaming.
I swear I would punch his pretty fucking face out of love.

"Thanks for all the lessons, sir. I'm sure each and every one of them will help me at some point of time."
I really respect Beta.
He's been an asshole instructor and a damn terror, but this attachment built over past three years when he practically owned my ass.

He says I'm ready to be a class-2 Agent already, if not 1, but HQ is hell bent on giving opportunity to one Cadet to directly turn into class-1 agent without any mission or work experience, only on one condition. The condition is - a tryout period of minimum 50 days to test the determination, resilience and tolerance level of the Cadet so chosen.

According to Beta it's stupid because he's sure that they'll make the Cadet go through so much that he'll sign out before the period is even half over, and they can prove their point of the idea being senseless.

Nevertheless, Beta fought hard to force them to atleast give this impossible chance. If by magic I am able to survive this, and also clear the entry exam and get selected for the training for class-1 and complete that too, I'll be the first one to save atleast ten years of my career before going to important missions.
It's a long long way to go but not impossible, according to him.

If everything works according to his plan, he'll become a hero. Not only that, Beta will have a strong hold over HQ's neck and will ask them to change their condition. He plans to get a few cadets trained extra hard during their training days at KMA itself so that even the tryout period can be skipped and one can directly proceed for Class-1 training entry exams.

Yes our brains are always thinking about training and working out and going on missions and killing enemies - because that's what we're best at.

And I'm the chosen one to show that it's possible. I now have once in a lifetime opportunity to prove that I deserve to be the agent going for Class-1 missions.

My batch, KMA-124, passed out from this prestigious academy three days ago, leaving us all in tears.
Three years of cussing, cursing, crying and laughing together had brought the 60 of us so close that we can identify each other by just shadows. Yes all of us are not very good friends, but luckily none of us are enemy to others.

According to the rules, passed out cadets are supposed to leave KMA within 48 hours. That's why everyone left, except me.
I'm a different case and the truth is slowly getting to me now.

I was busy doing documentation till this moment - when I'm officially 'The trial Lieutenant'.

While I zip my last bag, I'm called to Beta's office.
"It's time, James. Your vehicle is ready. You leave in fifteen. What all info I could gather is very limited. The commander there is strict, but appreciates efforts. One of your trainers is a class-I agent himself. He has been forced to stay back after his usual CT, to try you out for next fifty days. Don't expect any mercy from him. He wants to go back at the earliest. He is the one who'll be your in-charge. There are other agents doing their own CT. If you are lucky enough, and commander lets other officers to train you, you'll get good people to rely on. Remember, even the instructors there have gone through the entry exam and the Class-I training, and each of them have more than ten years of experience as an agent. Every single person is a diamond there. Even if someone meets you in civil clothes, regard him properly, which I know you'd do without me telling you to. Their only job is to find out faults in you, and every single mistake of yours, be it small or big, will be listed and put up to commander and thereby the HQ. I know it's impossible to not have anything in that list, I just hope you don't give them a huge one with serious reasons."

"I can frame the picture, Sir."
"You are my smartest lad. Don't let them succeed in making you feel worthless. Your motto should be - I can and I will."

"I will, sir."
"That's my boy. And, will you stop calling me Beta now? I've been the commander here for six months. I think I deserve an upgradation in my title."
He said laughing, leaving me at the peak of shock.

Only me and a few of my batchmates started calling Reese - Beta, behind his back of course. Everyone thought he'll be the commander from our second term onwards. Instead, another officer was made the commander and he stayed the second in charge. We started calling him Beta, knowing that he won't become a commander till we pass out. Luck has it, he was promoted during our last term.
Damn it. Now it strikes me why we were driven extra hard during our final term. He wanted us to stop calling him Beta and start calling Alpha!

"Old titles bring old memories, sir."
I say trying my best to hide my laugh.

"You've got tonnes of new memories waiting for you, Cadet. Er, officer."
We both laugh at his innocent correction. I myself can't believe I'm an officer now.

"I'll take your leave, sir."
"All the best Dwight. Make me proud. Give me a reason to tell HQ that you are my boy."

"I will, sir."
I salute him and turned around on my heels, finally saying bye bye to this motherland.

I'll miss you, KMA.

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It's here!
It's James and his past!
Did you see that coming?!
*Whispers - did you notice he swears?* 👀

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It's going to be an interesting read, ofcourse you know that. 😉

But warning - this story is more focused on characters and their lives than the training part (Even more than 50PM).

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There will be a few changes in 50PM due to Barbed Lives.
I'll keep highlighting them here and correcting them there.
The reason to highlight here is because changes are not visible in a published chapter if you've already read that chapter in the past. (I've tried this multiple times, never works.)

One of the changes are -
#1 Batches - James is from KMA124, Wills and Nick will be from KMA153 (and not KMA53 as written previously.)

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'When will be the next update?'

I'll try my best to publish weekly (max two weeks) and keep them regular. But there WILL BE occasions when I might just disappear (thanks to work). In that case, well ..... I'll compensate 😁.

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So what do you think about this new blackhole? 😂

Vote and COMMENT!