Shinra SOLDIER Chapter 6
Warm Up
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Chapter 6.) - in which shit actually gets done
***
*****
*
"Crap...that's the bell." Reno commented, rising to his feet.
Lian Hua: Commented? What is wrong with "said"? It's a good, useful word that doesn't give away the fact that you're desperately trying to sound eloquent.
"Lovely..." Korokou still had half his food on his tray, but he too stood, taking his tray up to be cleaned off for the lunch shifts to come.
Julia and Sephiroth also delivered their trays, in no rush because they still had ten minutes before they had to report to the Warm Up Court.
All six of the new recruits knew that this is where they would be issued their weapons, and where they would be taught how to use them. As such, the six were filled with anticipation as they made their way past training field after training field, heading for the Warm Up Court.
"Excited?" Sephiroth asked of Julia.
"Quite. This is the beginning of a life completely independent of my bloody family. This is a big step for me."
Lian Hua: I was under the impression that she began a new life when she moved in with Sephiroth. She had nothing to do with her family from then on, with the exception of an isolated incident with Lynne, her mother.
"I'm glad, Julia." He smiled.
"What about you? Are you excited at all? I mean, all that training in Hojo's labs must mean we're at least partially advanced, right?"
Lian Hua: Funny how she starts with you and ends with we.
"I am glad to be here. This is what I have been prepared for my whole life...it's good to finally be starting something."
They reached the Warm Up Court with a few minutes to spare, and the six stood around, rather close together as other Troopers assembled with their weapons. Julia noticed that they all were carrying the same sort of sword, and the same standard rifle. The sword she recognized as the Buster model, which to her vaguely resembled a large, blunt butcher knife. The rifle she was uninterested in, having developed an aversion to guns after living with her father.
Lian Hua: Now, this has come to be known only after Crisis Core was released, but the Buster Sword is unique. All the other standard SOLDIER swords are different and have no name.
Iscariot: Even in the original game it was pretty obvious that Cloud's sword was unique. We don't exactly see anyone except Cloud running around with the Buster Sword or blades like it. Even during the times you fight the ShinRa MPs they only seem to wield guns and grenades, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class SOLDIERs have an obviously standardized sword (even if it looks more like a jousting lance). Julia is stupid for cheapening the significance of the Buster Sword just to prove how badass her stupid Sue is.
On top of that, why is Sephiroth using a Buster Sword? Didn't she state somewhere that he was used to a katana? (Though realistically, the Masamune is so unique in proportions it doesn't even really fall into any traditional label of blade - then again if my memory serves me correctly he hasn't received the Masamune yet). Did ShinRa confiscate it like they did everything else? Why can't he get it back?
And why is he using guns? In the original game Cloud let us know that Sephiroth would never use guns. Of course, it's just one more thing for Sephirothslave to make Sephiroth amazing at, at the cost of his character...
Two SOLDIERS clad in red came striding through the gates to the Warm Up Court, carrying the standard weapons, Buster Sword and Rifle. They surveyed the groups of Troopers, than spotted the six standing near the gate. "You all...you're the new troopers, correct?"
"Yes, sir." Sephiroth answered for all of them. He paused to think for a moment. "Oh yes, and there's him too." He gestured over at Cloud, who was standing alone in the far corner of the enclosure.
Lian Hua: I get the feeling that in real life, she was the Cloud of her high school.
"Alright then." The first SOLDIER said. You'll go with Patrick here and he'll issue you your weapons. I'll hold off on the warm up procedures until you get back. You can't afford to be missing the beginning of the lesson."
"Yes, sir." Sephiroth nodded, and Korokou jogged off to collect Cloud.
The seven of them were led out of the enclosure and to a nearby stock house. SOLDIER Patrick Smith unlocked the double wooden doors and opened one of them. He clicked on the light in the middle of the shed, and walked over to the left side of it. This side was lined with row upon row of Buster Swords.
To Sephiroth, Zack Bob, Korokou and Rude he handed full sized Buster Swords. He paused, giving Julia a look. "I understand you've undergone Makou- Therapy Treatment to some extent, but would you like to try a half-size sword?"
Lian Hua: Cue to the obligatory "man underestimates Julia but she'll show him how tough she is and earn his respect" scene.
"Like hell I would. I'll take the full sized." She knew, having already handled Ian's Buster Sword that she could deal with the weight of a full sized one.
Lian Hua: I wonder if she could deal with the weight of my desk against her empty head.
"Okay, but I warn you: These get heavy after the first half-hour of practice."
"I think I can manage."
"As you wish." He handed her one of the full-sized Buster Swords off the rack, as she had requested. And, after Reno put up a similar argument, he too was issued a full-sized model.
"Now, you," Patrick said, looking over Cloud. "You definitely need a three- quarter...maybe even a half-size."
Cloud merely nodded. He knew that he was small, short for his age and not the strongest of the bunch. Hell, even Julia could whip him in a fight, so why shouldn't he take an easier-to-handle model of these gigantic weapons?
"So which is it? Three-quarter or half?"
"Half-size, please..." Cloud murmured.
"You got it." He walked down the rack and pulled down the smallest Buster Model there. It was, as its name projected, merely half the size of the six full-sized Buster Swords that had been handed out.
Cloud took it silently.
Lian Hua: Phew. I'm glad I got that out of my system. Ironically, Cloud was actually good with swords. Zack even notes that in Crisis Core.
"Now, Rifles." These are pretty standard...the only real difference is the power behind the shot. We have a range of three different recoils: Hard, Medium, and Light. You," He pointed to the chocobo-haired youth. "will definitely need a Light Recoil." He handed Cloud a Rifle that appeared to be the same size as all the other Rifles on the shelves. "Now, I'll take requests."
"Hard." Sephiroth said simply, having been taught to shoot from the time that he could lift a gun.
Lian Hua: Something we hear about only now, of course.
Iscariot: Sephiroth would never use a gun. Here's the direct quote from Final Fantasy VII, Disc 1:
"No... it's not him... They're all shot... Sephiroth would never use a gun..." - Cloud Strife
"Hard." Zack Bob seconded Sephiroth.
"Medium." Korokou said, turning faintly red. "I've never had to shoot before."
"Hard." Julia muttered, only because Zack Bob had also chosen to get the Rifle with a Hard Recoil.
Lian Hua: That is stupid, but I am not in the least surprised.
Patrick arched a thick black eyebrow, but didn't comment as he handed Julia the rifle-case that contained the gun itself.
"Medium." Reno said confidently, not caring what the others would think of him. He was small, and he knew that a full-on recoil would be a mistake.
"Hard." Rude finished the line of requests.
"Okay, you guys are set." Patrick smiled. "Now, the overview of what is expected of you: Firstly, these weapons are new. Take care of them, since they are likely to be the only ones you get in your career in SOLDIER. Second, you'll need to pick up a Sword-Servicing Kit from the Lobby of the Barracks. Those are also complimentary, courtesy of Shinra Inc. Do not neglect to get one...I suggest you do it at lunch. Third, you will need to bring both of these with you to any and all courses you have in the morning. All of those are physical classes, and you never know when you are going to need your weapons. The only exception to this is if your instructors - Andrew or myself - tell you otherwise. Lastly, I suggest you visit the blacksmiths while you get your Sword-Servicing Kit. There you may have your name engraved onto the sword and rifle. Living in a room with three other people, this is useful for telling whose weapon is whose. The cost to have your name engraved on both is 20gil, but it's a worthwhile buy." He turned his Buster Sword so the seven could clearly see the name "Patrick Smith" engraved on the base connecting the hilt to the blade.
"Yes, sir." The seven echoed each other, indicating that they understood. Then they were led back out to the Warm Up Court.
Once there, Andrew looked them over. "Good, you're all set. Now, if you would just set your Rifles down against the fence, we can begin."
Obeying without question, the seven set their Rifles down, taking note of where they left theirs and whose it was by. Julia quickly kicked a small rock under the trigger of the gun so she had marked hers, and they assembled in the ranks of Troopers, prepared to begin their lesson.
"We will be working with basic exercises today, to catch our new recruits up to speed. Tomorrow, we will begin the real work." Andrew said loudly, so all could hear. "You seven, to the front, where Patrick and I can watch you."
They moved from the back of the ranks up to the front, where all could clearly see them. Immediately the muttering began.
"A girl Mary Sue?"
"They're letting a girl into SOLDIER? Not another SOLDIER Mary Sue! Isn't canon Sephiroth enough?"
"She'll never make it..."
"Shut up, all of you!" Patrick shouted above the uproar. "We're ready to begin our warm up!"
Just as suddenly as it had started, the noise died away, and the practice was begun.
"There are three basic types of slashed that you can perform with almost any kind of sword," Andrew began. "There is the high-cut, mid-cut, and low- cut. The names are self explanatory. Who among you..." he gestured at the seven, "can show me these different slashes?"
Instantly Sephiroth volunteered. He knew this course was going to be boring. He had been learning this crap since he could walk upright.
Lian Hua: Yet we never see him practicing any of this during Shinra High.
"You? Very good. To the front."
Sephiroth walked calmly to the front, his Buster Sword over his shoulder. When he was standing squarely before the entire squadron of Troopers, he drew the sword up over his right shoulder, and slashed down across his chest, over to the left. Immediately swinging the sword to his midsection, he brought the sword straight across, over to the right. Then, going back to the left, he slashed down towards his feet. From there, he repeated the exercise, doing a mirror of every cut before hand.
"Very good!" Patrick exclaimed. "You've done this before, haven't you?"
"Yes." Sephiroth said, finally just explaining, "I'm Professor Hojo's...experiment, Alpha 1. He's been training me to do this very thing for years."
Andrew and Patrick both drew back in surprise. "You...you are Sephiroth?"
"Yes."
"Then you should be teaching this class, not us!" Patrick laughed.
Lian Hua: Congratulations, you just proved that you are a complete failure of a teacher. Teaching these kids is your job. Saying that a student should take over is the equivalent of saying you are not needed anymore.
"No. He still has things to learn...I'm sure of it." Andrew countered.
"I'd rather learn, not teach."
"Very good." Patrick applauded. "You're modest...that's a good quality in a Trooper...though you'll have to lose that as you move up the ranks."
Lian Hua: Julia doesn't have to worry about losing that, then. She never had that quality to begin with.
"I'll deal with that when I come to it."
"Alright." Andrew laughed. "Fall back into position."
Sephiroth obeyed, falling back in beside Julia.
Lian Hua: Yes, kneel down at your mistress' boots and lick them.
The rest of the warm up was spent practicing these three slashes and combinations that could be made out of them. Julia proved quite proficient in the use of the sword, as did Zack. Reno had some difficulty with it towards the end, but Cloud was undoubtedly the worst off. He could lift his sword, but that was about it. He swung in a clumsy manner, and with very little power behind each stroke. Shaking their heads, Patrick and Andrew knew that one was going to need extra help if he was going to try for promotion on the first.
"Hey, Cloud." Patrick addressed the boy as they made their way to the shooting grounds. "If you need any help, feel free to come to me during one of your meal breaks. My room number is 788. I take my meals there, but don't feel bad about interrupting me. I'd be happy to help."
"Um...thanks." Cloud said uncertainly, than then rushed ahead.
Lian Hua: Cloud has only recently started to get mako therapy, against canon of course, and is naturally weaker than the mako hardened bunch of morons we all know. He shouldn't be here in the first place, he wasn't even in Hojo's gym class back in high school. I can't think of a single reason that would justify his presence here, aside Sephirothslave's desire to mock and humiliate him.
The shooting fields proved to be a little more challenging then the practice with their Buster Swords. Rifles out, each took a target. They were lined up, walls on either side of them. At Patrick's command, firing commenced while he showed those who didn't know how to load their guns.
Finally set, the seven took the remaining targets, Sephiroth managing to get beside Julia again. As he went into his box, he told her, "Watch the kick on this gun. It'll surprise you the first time."
"Alright." Julia nodded.
Then she walked into the small enclosure, put in a pair of earplugs, and aimed.
She fired...
...and feel flat on her ass.
Lian Hua: Actually, this is what really happened:
As for the bullet, it flew way off its aim and landed around three inches left of the target's ear.
"Ow..." Julia muttered, standing quickly and hoping no one noticed her fall. Unfortunately, Patrick had been watching her, and he made his way over to her, smiling kindly.
Lian Hua: I am surprised she actually failed at something. The wheels of Juliaverse must have frozen for a few seconds as a result.
"You're shooting all wrong." He told her, watching her brush herself off. "If you want to stay standing after you fire, you need to brace yourself. You were standing with your feet together, straight as a board. You need to put a foot behind you, and dot buckle up. Stay loose, and you'll have much better success."
Blushing brilliant red, Julia nodded. This time, she allowed Patrick to position her, and then she took aim...and fired.
Her aim was still a little off, but she landed a solid shot to the target's head, slightly further left then she would have liked.
Lian Hua: *sigh* I'm just so tired of this...
"Very good." Patrick nodded, moving down the line to help someone else who was having trouble.
"Graceful." Zack Bob taunted.
"Oh, shut up."
After another half-hour of this, Julia was firing accurately, to many people's surprise. She was certainly holding her own.
Lian HUa: I have little experience with guns, so I don't know whether it is plausible to fire accurately only after half an hour of practice but I'm just gonna go out on a stretch and say she's Mary Sueing again. Especially since she claims she has an aversion to guns.
An anonymous poster has shed some light on things:
"I do have some experience with guns, so allow me to analyze it on your behalf:
Firing light arms with little recoil, you could theoretically become more accurate with after about a half hour. Aiming and shooting paper targets is an exercise in repetition, and like any other repetitive task you'd get better at it the more you did it. Weapons are designed with light recoil because the more recoil a weapon has, the more of a toll it takes on the shooter during extended use. Weapons with heavy recoil are designed to be fired from a pintle mount (a rotating mount on a vehicle) or from a tripod/bipod.
No weapons trainer with anything remotely resembling common sense would put a weapon with heavy recoil into the hands of a novice shooter, regardless of how sadistic they are or how intensive the training is. It can cause a physical injury (broken collar bone, tendon damage to the shoulder, and possibly other, more serious injuries), from which the soldier would have to recover. But even if that wasn't the case, imagine the effect of you being violently and repeatedly shaken for a half hour. Most likely, you wouldn't be able to stand at this point, never mind being capable of seeing straight enough to shoot accurately.
This is not to even mention physical exhaustion. A gun capable of putting out enough recoil to knock someone on their ass would be rather heavy. Ignoring the physics of recoil, just holding an object that heavy for a half hour straight would be a strain on the muscles themselves (which is why soldiers SLING their weapons when they're not in use). After a half hour, a person would barely be able to hold it up. This is the basics of isometric weight training.
TL;DR: Not only is she Mary Sueing here, she has rewritten the laws of physics for the benefit of her self-insert, is ignoring well established medical science, and disregarding the basics of biology...all at the same time. A 'hat-trick' of fail, if you will."
*
"Okay, people." Andrew shouted. "Now the real work begins."
A/N: I've been getting complaints about short chapters, so I tried to make this one a little
longer. I hope that this is long enough...on my computer is reads as six pages.
Well, don't forget to review. More to come,
Julia
Lian Hua: If the Cloud abuse can be overlooked, then the chapter is actually bearable. Something other than Mary Sue's whining is happening and for the first time, it feels like the characters are living somewhere other than Juliasueland.
**
Chapter 6.) - in which shit actually gets done
***
*****
*
"Crap...that's the bell." Reno commented, rising to his feet.
Lian Hua: Commented? What is wrong with "said"? It's a good, useful word that doesn't give away the fact that you're desperately trying to sound eloquent.
"Lovely..." Korokou still had half his food on his tray, but he too stood, taking his tray up to be cleaned off for the lunch shifts to come.
Julia and Sephiroth also delivered their trays, in no rush because they still had ten minutes before they had to report to the Warm Up Court.
All six of the new recruits knew that this is where they would be issued their weapons, and where they would be taught how to use them. As such, the six were filled with anticipation as they made their way past training field after training field, heading for the Warm Up Court.
"Excited?" Sephiroth asked of Julia.
"Quite. This is the beginning of a life completely independent of my bloody family. This is a big step for me."
Lian Hua: I was under the impression that she began a new life when she moved in with Sephiroth. She had nothing to do with her family from then on, with the exception of an isolated incident with Lynne, her mother.
"I'm glad, Julia." He smiled.
"What about you? Are you excited at all? I mean, all that training in Hojo's labs must mean we're at least partially advanced, right?"
Lian Hua: Funny how she starts with you and ends with we.
"I am glad to be here. This is what I have been prepared for my whole life...it's good to finally be starting something."
They reached the Warm Up Court with a few minutes to spare, and the six stood around, rather close together as other Troopers assembled with their weapons. Julia noticed that they all were carrying the same sort of sword, and the same standard rifle. The sword she recognized as the Buster model, which to her vaguely resembled a large, blunt butcher knife. The rifle she was uninterested in, having developed an aversion to guns after living with her father.
Lian Hua: Now, this has come to be known only after Crisis Core was released, but the Buster Sword is unique. All the other standard SOLDIER swords are different and have no name.
Iscariot: Even in the original game it was pretty obvious that Cloud's sword was unique. We don't exactly see anyone except Cloud running around with the Buster Sword or blades like it. Even during the times you fight the ShinRa MPs they only seem to wield guns and grenades, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class SOLDIERs have an obviously standardized sword (even if it looks more like a jousting lance). Julia is stupid for cheapening the significance of the Buster Sword just to prove how badass her stupid Sue is.
On top of that, why is Sephiroth using a Buster Sword? Didn't she state somewhere that he was used to a katana? (Though realistically, the Masamune is so unique in proportions it doesn't even really fall into any traditional label of blade - then again if my memory serves me correctly he hasn't received the Masamune yet). Did ShinRa confiscate it like they did everything else? Why can't he get it back?
And why is he using guns? In the original game Cloud let us know that Sephiroth would never use guns. Of course, it's just one more thing for Sephirothslave to make Sephiroth amazing at, at the cost of his character...
Two SOLDIERS clad in red came striding through the gates to the Warm Up Court, carrying the standard weapons, Buster Sword and Rifle. They surveyed the groups of Troopers, than spotted the six standing near the gate. "You all...you're the new troopers, correct?"
"Yes, sir." Sephiroth answered for all of them. He paused to think for a moment. "Oh yes, and there's him too." He gestured over at Cloud, who was standing alone in the far corner of the enclosure.
Lian Hua: I get the feeling that in real life, she was the Cloud of her high school.
"Alright then." The first SOLDIER said. You'll go with Patrick here and he'll issue you your weapons. I'll hold off on the warm up procedures until you get back. You can't afford to be missing the beginning of the lesson."
"Yes, sir." Sephiroth nodded, and Korokou jogged off to collect Cloud.
The seven of them were led out of the enclosure and to a nearby stock house. SOLDIER Patrick Smith unlocked the double wooden doors and opened one of them. He clicked on the light in the middle of the shed, and walked over to the left side of it. This side was lined with row upon row of Buster Swords.
To Sephiroth, Zack Bob, Korokou and Rude he handed full sized Buster Swords. He paused, giving Julia a look. "I understand you've undergone Makou- Therapy Treatment to some extent, but would you like to try a half-size sword?"
Lian Hua: Cue to the obligatory "man underestimates Julia but she'll show him how tough she is and earn his respect" scene.
"Like hell I would. I'll take the full sized." She knew, having already handled Ian's Buster Sword that she could deal with the weight of a full sized one.
Lian Hua: I wonder if she could deal with the weight of my desk against her empty head.
"Okay, but I warn you: These get heavy after the first half-hour of practice."
"I think I can manage."
"As you wish." He handed her one of the full-sized Buster Swords off the rack, as she had requested. And, after Reno put up a similar argument, he too was issued a full-sized model.
"Now, you," Patrick said, looking over Cloud. "You definitely need a three- quarter...maybe even a half-size."
Cloud merely nodded. He knew that he was small, short for his age and not the strongest of the bunch. Hell, even Julia could whip him in a fight, so why shouldn't he take an easier-to-handle model of these gigantic weapons?
"So which is it? Three-quarter or half?"
"Half-size, please..." Cloud murmured.
"You got it." He walked down the rack and pulled down the smallest Buster Model there. It was, as its name projected, merely half the size of the six full-sized Buster Swords that had been handed out.
Cloud took it silently.
Lian Hua: Phew. I'm glad I got that out of my system. Ironically, Cloud was actually good with swords. Zack even notes that in Crisis Core.
"Now, Rifles." These are pretty standard...the only real difference is the power behind the shot. We have a range of three different recoils: Hard, Medium, and Light. You," He pointed to the chocobo-haired youth. "will definitely need a Light Recoil." He handed Cloud a Rifle that appeared to be the same size as all the other Rifles on the shelves. "Now, I'll take requests."
"Hard." Sephiroth said simply, having been taught to shoot from the time that he could lift a gun.
Lian Hua: Something we hear about only now, of course.
Iscariot: Sephiroth would never use a gun. Here's the direct quote from Final Fantasy VII, Disc 1:
"No... it's not him... They're all shot... Sephiroth would never use a gun..." - Cloud Strife
"Hard." Zack Bob seconded Sephiroth.
"Medium." Korokou said, turning faintly red. "I've never had to shoot before."
"Hard." Julia muttered, only because Zack Bob had also chosen to get the Rifle with a Hard Recoil.
Lian Hua: That is stupid, but I am not in the least surprised.
Patrick arched a thick black eyebrow, but didn't comment as he handed Julia the rifle-case that contained the gun itself.
"Medium." Reno said confidently, not caring what the others would think of him. He was small, and he knew that a full-on recoil would be a mistake.
"Hard." Rude finished the line of requests.
"Okay, you guys are set." Patrick smiled. "Now, the overview of what is expected of you: Firstly, these weapons are new. Take care of them, since they are likely to be the only ones you get in your career in SOLDIER. Second, you'll need to pick up a Sword-Servicing Kit from the Lobby of the Barracks. Those are also complimentary, courtesy of Shinra Inc. Do not neglect to get one...I suggest you do it at lunch. Third, you will need to bring both of these with you to any and all courses you have in the morning. All of those are physical classes, and you never know when you are going to need your weapons. The only exception to this is if your instructors - Andrew or myself - tell you otherwise. Lastly, I suggest you visit the blacksmiths while you get your Sword-Servicing Kit. There you may have your name engraved onto the sword and rifle. Living in a room with three other people, this is useful for telling whose weapon is whose. The cost to have your name engraved on both is 20gil, but it's a worthwhile buy." He turned his Buster Sword so the seven could clearly see the name "Patrick Smith" engraved on the base connecting the hilt to the blade.
"Yes, sir." The seven echoed each other, indicating that they understood. Then they were led back out to the Warm Up Court.
Once there, Andrew looked them over. "Good, you're all set. Now, if you would just set your Rifles down against the fence, we can begin."
Obeying without question, the seven set their Rifles down, taking note of where they left theirs and whose it was by. Julia quickly kicked a small rock under the trigger of the gun so she had marked hers, and they assembled in the ranks of Troopers, prepared to begin their lesson.
"We will be working with basic exercises today, to catch our new recruits up to speed. Tomorrow, we will begin the real work." Andrew said loudly, so all could hear. "You seven, to the front, where Patrick and I can watch you."
They moved from the back of the ranks up to the front, where all could clearly see them. Immediately the muttering began.
"A girl Mary Sue?"
"They're letting a girl into SOLDIER? Not another SOLDIER Mary Sue! Isn't canon Sephiroth enough?"
"She'll never make it..."
"Shut up, all of you!" Patrick shouted above the uproar. "We're ready to begin our warm up!"
Just as suddenly as it had started, the noise died away, and the practice was begun.
"There are three basic types of slashed that you can perform with almost any kind of sword," Andrew began. "There is the high-cut, mid-cut, and low- cut. The names are self explanatory. Who among you..." he gestured at the seven, "can show me these different slashes?"
Instantly Sephiroth volunteered. He knew this course was going to be boring. He had been learning this crap since he could walk upright.
Lian Hua: Yet we never see him practicing any of this during Shinra High.
"You? Very good. To the front."
Sephiroth walked calmly to the front, his Buster Sword over his shoulder. When he was standing squarely before the entire squadron of Troopers, he drew the sword up over his right shoulder, and slashed down across his chest, over to the left. Immediately swinging the sword to his midsection, he brought the sword straight across, over to the right. Then, going back to the left, he slashed down towards his feet. From there, he repeated the exercise, doing a mirror of every cut before hand.
"Very good!" Patrick exclaimed. "You've done this before, haven't you?"
"Yes." Sephiroth said, finally just explaining, "I'm Professor Hojo's...experiment, Alpha 1. He's been training me to do this very thing for years."
Andrew and Patrick both drew back in surprise. "You...you are Sephiroth?"
"Yes."
"Then you should be teaching this class, not us!" Patrick laughed.
Lian Hua: Congratulations, you just proved that you are a complete failure of a teacher. Teaching these kids is your job. Saying that a student should take over is the equivalent of saying you are not needed anymore.
"No. He still has things to learn...I'm sure of it." Andrew countered.
"I'd rather learn, not teach."
"Very good." Patrick applauded. "You're modest...that's a good quality in a Trooper...though you'll have to lose that as you move up the ranks."
Lian Hua: Julia doesn't have to worry about losing that, then. She never had that quality to begin with.
"I'll deal with that when I come to it."
"Alright." Andrew laughed. "Fall back into position."
Sephiroth obeyed, falling back in beside Julia.
Lian Hua: Yes, kneel down at your mistress' boots and lick them.
The rest of the warm up was spent practicing these three slashes and combinations that could be made out of them. Julia proved quite proficient in the use of the sword, as did Zack. Reno had some difficulty with it towards the end, but Cloud was undoubtedly the worst off. He could lift his sword, but that was about it. He swung in a clumsy manner, and with very little power behind each stroke. Shaking their heads, Patrick and Andrew knew that one was going to need extra help if he was going to try for promotion on the first.
"Hey, Cloud." Patrick addressed the boy as they made their way to the shooting grounds. "If you need any help, feel free to come to me during one of your meal breaks. My room number is 788. I take my meals there, but don't feel bad about interrupting me. I'd be happy to help."
"Um...thanks." Cloud said uncertainly, than then rushed ahead.
Lian Hua: Cloud has only recently started to get mako therapy, against canon of course, and is naturally weaker than the mako hardened bunch of morons we all know. He shouldn't be here in the first place, he wasn't even in Hojo's gym class back in high school. I can't think of a single reason that would justify his presence here, aside Sephirothslave's desire to mock and humiliate him.
The shooting fields proved to be a little more challenging then the practice with their Buster Swords. Rifles out, each took a target. They were lined up, walls on either side of them. At Patrick's command, firing commenced while he showed those who didn't know how to load their guns.
Finally set, the seven took the remaining targets, Sephiroth managing to get beside Julia again. As he went into his box, he told her, "Watch the kick on this gun. It'll surprise you the first time."
"Alright." Julia nodded.
Then she walked into the small enclosure, put in a pair of earplugs, and aimed.
She fired...
...and feel flat on her ass.
Lian Hua: Actually, this is what really happened:
Click to viewAs for the bullet, it flew way off its aim and landed around three inches left of the target's ear.
"Ow..." Julia muttered, standing quickly and hoping no one noticed her fall. Unfortunately, Patrick had been watching her, and he made his way over to her, smiling kindly.
Lian Hua: I am surprised she actually failed at something. The wheels of Juliaverse must have frozen for a few seconds as a result.
"You're shooting all wrong." He told her, watching her brush herself off. "If you want to stay standing after you fire, you need to brace yourself. You were standing with your feet together, straight as a board. You need to put a foot behind you, and dot buckle up. Stay loose, and you'll have much better success."
Blushing brilliant red, Julia nodded. This time, she allowed Patrick to position her, and then she took aim...and fired.
Her aim was still a little off, but she landed a solid shot to the target's head, slightly further left then she would have liked.
Lian Hua: *sigh* I'm just so tired of this...
"Very good." Patrick nodded, moving down the line to help someone else who was having trouble.
"Graceful." Zack Bob taunted.
"Oh, shut up."
After another half-hour of this, Julia was firing accurately, to many people's surprise. She was certainly holding her own.
Lian HUa: I have little experience with guns, so I don't know whether it is plausible to fire accurately only after half an hour of practice but I'm just gonna go out on a stretch and say she's Mary Sueing again. Especially since she claims she has an aversion to guns.
An anonymous poster has shed some light on things:
"I do have some experience with guns, so allow me to analyze it on your behalf:
Firing light arms with little recoil, you could theoretically become more accurate with after about a half hour. Aiming and shooting paper targets is an exercise in repetition, and like any other repetitive task you'd get better at it the more you did it. Weapons are designed with light recoil because the more recoil a weapon has, the more of a toll it takes on the shooter during extended use. Weapons with heavy recoil are designed to be fired from a pintle mount (a rotating mount on a vehicle) or from a tripod/bipod.
No weapons trainer with anything remotely resembling common sense would put a weapon with heavy recoil into the hands of a novice shooter, regardless of how sadistic they are or how intensive the training is. It can cause a physical injury (broken collar bone, tendon damage to the shoulder, and possibly other, more serious injuries), from which the soldier would have to recover. But even if that wasn't the case, imagine the effect of you being violently and repeatedly shaken for a half hour. Most likely, you wouldn't be able to stand at this point, never mind being capable of seeing straight enough to shoot accurately.
This is not to even mention physical exhaustion. A gun capable of putting out enough recoil to knock someone on their ass would be rather heavy. Ignoring the physics of recoil, just holding an object that heavy for a half hour straight would be a strain on the muscles themselves (which is why soldiers SLING their weapons when they're not in use). After a half hour, a person would barely be able to hold it up. This is the basics of isometric weight training.
TL;DR: Not only is she Mary Sueing here, she has rewritten the laws of physics for the benefit of her self-insert, is ignoring well established medical science, and disregarding the basics of biology...all at the same time. A 'hat-trick' of fail, if you will."
*
"Okay, people." Andrew shouted. "Now the real work begins."
A/N: I've been getting complaints about short chapters, so I tried to make this one a little
longer. I hope that this is long enough...on my computer is reads as six pages.
Well, don't forget to review. More to come,
Julia
Lian Hua: If the Cloud abuse can be overlooked, then the chapter is actually bearable. Something other than Mary Sue's whining is happening and for the first time, it feels like the characters are living somewhere other than Juliasueland.