Dakota Lewis glanced towards the watch on his wrist watching the clock strike midnight as he stood on the sidewalk of the sleeping city O'Hare.
"Coach!" Emily, one of Dakota's students wined again. "Why are we out here?" Her eyes were heavy, thick with sleep as she looked around the chilly night. There was no one near, why on earth had coach requested she and her two friends meet him at the gym only for him to bring all four of them out here.
"Because this is a skills test." Dakota replied offhandedly.
"Skills test?" Dino glanced around the empty street. "On what-?" He questioned, "-on how to stock your ex?"
"Since you three complain your training too is easy, when a friend called giving me the opportunity to test how three of my students improved, I decided to see for myself if you what say is true, have I been going too easy on you?"
"A friend?" Emily muttered more to herself. "What friend?"
"You have friends?" Micka raised an eyebrow truly believing his coach when not training lived above the gym, watching TV or killing time with his cats until the next class.
"I-" Dakota cut himself see as he turned around seeing a car appear from what seemed like thin air.
"What!?" Dino jumped back as the car parked, shutting itself off.
"Where did that come from!?" Emily gasped, staring at the dark blue car as its headlights glared at them.
"Wha-" Micka's mouth hung up as the driver's door opened, a boot stepped on the ground.
"M-Miss fields." Emily gasped as she watched Elea shut the car door, surveying the frosty night.
"Hello Fields." Dakota waved, "Seeing you two times in one day, it must be a blue moon."
"No." Elea turned to him. "I checked."
"What?" Dino blinked, who cared about the stupid moon!? "Where did you come from!?" Dino burst, his olive skin reflecting the moon light. "I would have seen you turn the corner-" Dino's voice froze as Elea held her keys, she pressed the bottom located on the side of the key remote. Elea turned, watching the car shrink almost vanishing from sight.
"What!?" The three students called out excitedly.
"What stage are they on?" Elea wondered as she picked up the car smaller than the average toy car.
"Three." Dakota answered,
"You picked them to come out because...?" Elea wondered why Dakota would pick incomplete students to come out on this little adventure and not someone who was close to finishing their application.
"What do you mean stage three?" Micka turned to his coach which caused Elea to gaze towards Dakota unpleased.
"I already explained all this to you on your first day of class."
"Explained what?" Emily turned from staring at Elea,
"The stages of your application." Dakota sighed rubbing his forehead feeling a familiar headache coming on.
"Oh yeah." Emily nodded, "We have four stages before we can complete our application to join the Camp or any Camp for that matter."
"At least one of your students can pay attention to your lectures." Elea smirked at Dakota's annoyed face.
"Thank you!" Dino cheered, "They are so boring-!"
"Even if they are boring-" Elea interrupted looking down at the teen, "-they are important. Your coach gives you important lessons that could one day save your life."
"Nothing fun ever happens!" Micka groaned throwing his arms up, "It's just training and homework and even more training after that."
"Hm." Elea nodded, "Looks like he is doing his job then."
"But-"
"So, Fields-" Dakota stepped in, "-what are we doing here?"
"You don't even know!?" Dino lectured his teacher.
"Patrol." Elea answered,
"Patrol?" Dakota blinked. "Why?"
"Everyone is short staffed." Elea shrugged, "Thought this would be an easy outing, easy for your kids to get out and stretch their legs."
"Thank you for thinking of us." Dakota smiled; Elea turned following the sidewalk in the opposite direction.
"So, we are just going to be walking all night?" Micah asked unimpressed.
"Yup." Elea answered turning to the teenagers, "This is an important job of Camps, to keep the safety and peace intact."
"Why can't we go into the cool car?" Emily wondered.
"How did you do that anyway!?" Micka desperately wanted to know, his curiosity dug at his brain.
"If tonight is supposed to be smooth sailing-" Dakota butted in, "-why only allow three kids?"
"If things go south-" Elea replied glancing over towards him, "-you and I can keep three safe."
"Ah." Dakota nodded understanding her logic.
----
"So-" Dino spoke after a mile of silent walking, he glanced at Elea's back. "-you said we were on stage three?"
"Yes." Dakota nodded, walking beside Elea as she led the group north lazily walking in the middle of the road.
"How many stages are there?"
"Four." Elea decided to answer, "If you paid attention in your class instead of messing around you would know you are in the membership program."
"Membership...program?"
"Mhm." Elea glanced behind her. "You are in the process of trying to join my Camp, correct?"
"Well...yeah."
"We don't let just anyone in." Elea cracked a smile, "You have to go through training, you need to be properly educated on the laws we have to-"
"There are laws?" Micka spun into the conversation.
"You thought we Camps just ran around doing whatever we wanted?"
"Well...kinda?"
"No." Elea left no room for amusement. "Camps actually have a lot more rules and laws we must abide by than the average police or even military branches."
"Why?" Emily wondered.
"To keep the peace-" Elea answered, "-it would be chaotic if we had a bunch of individuals who possessed different powers and skill sets running around doing whatever they wanted."
"I guess we got a taste of that..." Emily muttered pulling her eyes to the concrete.
"We did." Elea said, "I was just about your age-" She turned, "-when the great collapse happened."
"That's when the government fell apart and people went crazy?" Dino asked.
"At least you know something." Elea half joked, "Camp Northern Light offers two programs to people like you three. The first one is habilitation; it consists of three stages. Containing and controlling the powers is the first stage, we take in a kid or adult who has no control over their powers, and we train them. The next stage is a self-defense class and then an education course. Once they pass then they are sent on their way to do whatever they want with their life."
"And the second program?"
"It's the one your in." Elea answered, "Membership into our Camp or others. It was decided when Camps were made legal that every person who holds a membership to a Camp must be trained and educated. That is why the second program as four stages while the first only has three."
"What's the extra stage for ours?" Emily wondered,
"A fighting and weapons course is required."
"Hey-!" Micka jumped, quickly reaching Elea's side. "-since you're here and all...can I ask you something that I have been dying to know!?"
"Why not?" Elea shrugged, "Shoot."
"Does Northern Light really have a Knight of Hell in your Camp!?"
"A what?" Emily cluelessly asked,
Elea nodded, "He-"
"No way!" Dino joined Micah's side, their eyes sparkled in the moonlight, "No way would a goodie two shoes Camp like-"
"Carver Holden is a member of Northern Light." Elea's voice was stone as she gazed at the two kids.
"Seriously!?" Micka breathed, his round face grew wide with excitement.
"Yes."
"How did he get into any camp after what he did?" Micka pressed for more information.
"Well...Holden chose a path that wasn't the best and, on that path, he made some bad chooses. When the Great Collapse was over, he cut a deal with Terrin to avoid going to jail-"
"I heard he killed like a bunch of people." Dino bluntly interrupted.
"Uh-well-" Elea glanced over to Dakota who wanted no part of this touchy conversation.
To Be Continued...