After Sgt. Damascus closed the door he sat on his office chair on the table was an old picture of his family, they were happy and smiling from the picture quality. It was before the outbreak of the cannibals.
Lt. Ashley Grey stood next to him with her arms behind her back.
The five were feeling a little fidgy because they didn't know why out of three hundred students, they were the only ones who were called up here.
"You know, you five shouldn't feel all fidgy. I promise I won't bite, so why don't you guys take a seat maybe you might feel better and more comfortable." Sgt. Damascus saw how they were and chose to offer them sits.
They all looked at each other and thought that maybe this one of those times a scary adult tries to make a joke, so that he would not appear as scary as he seems.
Five chairs appeared next to each of them being printed in 3D.
"Well." Sgt. Damascus offered them seats.
Though they were still new to this academy things like chairs being printed out of nowhere wasn't something that they would loose sleep over, so they just all sat down and kept quiet.
"Now I'm sure you wonder why I have called you here, it's because you five are the first years in my time as a sergeant in this military to ever see first years all get graded to level five." Sgt. Damascus explained.
This was something that they couldn't believe after all they did see some students graded level five and some six, so they had no idea what the fuss is about.
"Judging by the way you are looking at me right now, I think it's safe to assume that you find that hard to believe." Sgt. Damascus realized.
"Well you better believe it because it's all true, you are the first ever first years to ever receive a higher grade than normal ones starting from; ones to four which are common, but level fives that's something we don't see every day." Lt. Ashley Grey explained.
"But how is any of that possible I'm pretty sure that on our way here I saw level fives and sixes." Griffin claimed.
"Yeah I second that me too." Alexia supporting.
"Well that's true there are other level fives and higher levels out here other than you five, but do not be fooled those higher levels are second and third years and other than that it's not like they would level up or anything they are done leveling." Sgt. Damascus assured them.
As much as that made them feel kinda special it still made not even a single sense, sure both Lt. Ashley Grey and Sgt. Damascus did make their case though it wasn't something much to work on, but they still didn't get the satisfying answer that they really needed.
"We hear you, believe me we do but you still haven't really told us why we are really here." Mikeal raised the question that was bothering everyone.
Sgt. Damascus chuckled, "I like you kid, you're bold and quite a mystery. But to answer your question at first we thought that maybe our grading machine made a mistake in grading each and single one of you level five, we thought it was bogus but after careful examination we found out that you earned that grade."
"What are you guys trying to mean when you say, maybe there was a mistake? Why was the a glitch in your technology?" Alexia now interested.
"Uh, no per say but one of you guys wasn't supposed to be graded level five, in fact one of you wasn't supposed to survive that test but something impossible happened." Lt. Ashley Grey tried to make them understand.
Each of them were now even more confused than before, they didn't understand what Lt. Ashley Grey meant by one of them wasn't supposed to be a grade five let alone be alive at this instant.
Not sure who she meant they all looked at each other trying to figure it out amongst themselves.
"You guys don't have to look at each other like that I could just tell you who was not supposed to be here." Sgt. Damascus wanting to make things easier for them.
"Don't bother I know who you are talking about?" Mikeal stopped him before he could say anything else.
"Mikeal, what are you doing let him speak." Hector trying to stop him.
"There's no need because the person he is referring to is me, I'm the one who shouldn't be a grade five and I shouldn't be alive as we speak." Mikeal's face expression froze.
Sgt. Damascus faced Mikeal, "so I guess you can finally then try to explain to us how on Christ's earth you managed to survive and attack on over a hundred cannibals who were clear having their way with you."
Mikeal's hangs clawed deeper into the chair, "I wish I could but I don't even remember how I made it out alive."
Obviously Mikeal was lying through his teeth, he knew exactly how he survived and made it out alive but how was he going to explain to them that right before enrolling in the academy he was suddenly gifted with a game like system that helps him do the impossible, just thinking about it made him feel like he was sounding crazy.
"Wait, what are you guys talking about? Didn't he kill them just like the rest of us?" Alexia now not sure if she understands.
"Yeah, didn't Mikeal kill the required amount before he was graded?" Hector fighting for Mikeal.
Sgt. Damascus the remembered something, "oh right I forgot that you guys haven't seen Mikeal's test clip, you've only seen yours."
"Yes, and whenever we tried to watch his everyone acted all funny and claimed their cards malfunctioned." Celine explained.
"Yeah, what's with that I mean we've seen almost every clip except his, what makes him so special?" Griffin finally said something.
"The reason behind you guys not seeing Mikeal's video is because we asked the other students not to show it to you." Lt. Ashley Grey confessing.
"But why?" Hector not sure if he understands.
Everyone else was getting worked up except of course the man of the hour himself who was now starting to get nervous he remembered everything to every last detail and from what happened in the test. Now Mikeal had his own assumptions on what was really happening to him, he just hoped that his secret wasn't exposed just yet.
Lt. Ashley Grey not so sure how she is going to explain any better so that maybe they could understand.
Sgt. Damascus stopped her, "No wait, instead of trying to explain to them how about we just show them."
"But sir, are you sure about that?" Lt. Ashley Grey not so certain that is it a good idea.
Sgt. Damascus sighed, "Just show them they all need to know."
"Okay sir, as per your request." Lt. Ashley Grey seriously against this whole idea.
Against her better judgement she started to tab on her tablet and then Mikeal's clip appeared as a holographic video.
Everyone watched as Mikeal's clip showed why the real reason he was graded a level five instead of a level one or if he was lucky a level two.
It replayed everything that happened from his fighting to survive, to him hiding out but none of that was the reason why he passed. It got to the last part where after he was cut by a cannibal in his chest many came running and lunged to him, indicating that they were having their way with him.
And every single one of them just looked at him with shock, but that wasn't even close to what was coming up next.
After a few minutes under the cannibals being eaten, Mikeal suddenly rose out from a horde that was all over him and he pushed them off him and sent them flying, even killing most of them with his bare hands; ripping their throats, slicing their faces with just his hand even leading to other cannibals to run away far from him.
Not that made any difference he chased after them, usually the cannibals had multiple times the speed of a normal ordinary human being, depending on their grade. But for Mikeal he managed to keep up with them hence killing every last one of them.
And to top it all, after he was done killing them he stacked them in a pile then climbed and sat down licking the blood off his face.
"What the freak show was that?" Griffin traumatized.
All of them were actually traumatized and Mikeal has never been so embarrassed in his life.
"And he was the only one between the five of you to kill them all under five minutes, that's why we placed him as the last name on the list." Sgt. Damascus elaborated.
Alexia couldn't believe what she just saw her best friend do to those creatures to her eyes for a split second it seemed like he was a monster too.
Someone knocked at the door and entered.
"You called for me sir."