The story was becoming old.
Another drill replaced it.
Another mistake became the thing people joked about.
That was fine with me.
I thought the lesson had ended.
Then Reed announced the final reaction exercise.
We stood in a semicircle.
"The objective is simple," he said. "You will be tired. You will be distracted. You will not know exactly when the engagement begins. Your job is not to look impressive."
His eyes moved toward Diaz.
Everyone laughed.
Diaz sighed.
"I understand, Staff Sergeant."
"Your job," Reed continued, "is to make sound decisions under pressure."
He began calling names.
Pairs.
When he reached mine, I already knew.
"Bennett."
I stepped forward.
"Mercer."
Cole stepped out beside me.
Of course.
We looked at each other.
Reed noticed.
"You two have a problem?"
"No, Staff Sergeant," we answered together.
"Good."
He pointed toward the mat.
"Then solve one."
The exercise began with fatigue drills.
Movement.
Push-ups.
Short sprints.
Controlled grappling transitions.
More movement.
By the time Cole and I faced each other, my legs felt heavy.
That was intentional.
Reaction changes when you're tired.
Discipline becomes expensive.
Reed walked between us.
"Yesterday, everyone cared about who won."
Nobody spoke.
"Today, I care about whether either of you remembers why you're here."
He stepped away.
No countdown.
No signal.
Cole and I stood facing each other.
Waiting.
Ten seconds.
Twenty.
Nothing.
My breathing sounded loud.
Thirty.
Cole shifted.
I almost reacted.
Didn't.
His eyes changed.
He'd seen it.
Forty seconds.
Someone coughed behind us.
My shoulder itched.
I ignored it.
Then Cole moved.
Fast.
I blocked.
We separated.
He attacked again.
I turned away.
Countered.
Missed.
He pressured.
I gave ground.
Not too much.
He feinted.
I didn't bite.
His eyes narrowed.
I stepped in.
He blocked.
We moved apart.
The exchange continued.
No cheers this time.
Reed had forbidden them.
The silence was harder.
Without the crowd, I could hear every breath.
Every shoe squeak.
Every impact.
Cole landed against my shoulder.
I answered against his padded vest.
He drove forward.
I circled.
He stopped my escape.
I changed direction.
For a moment, it felt exactly like the first day.
Then I realized something.
I wasn't waiting for him anymore.
I wasn't reacting to Cole's test.
I was creating problems of my own.
I feinted.
He moved.
I changed direction.
He blocked.
I stepped away.
He followed.
Good.
Now.
I shifted sharply.
He adjusted—
exactly as I'd hoped.
The opening appeared.
I moved toward it.
And stopped.
Because I saw his eyes.
He had expected me to see the opening.
It was bait.
I backed away.
Cole smiled.
"Almost."
"Not today."
He attacked.
We continued until Reed called time.
"Stop."
We froze.
Both breathing hard.
Reed walked between us.
"Better."
One word.
Coming from him, it felt like a medal.
Then he looked at Cole.
"Mercer. Why didn't you chase when Bennett broke contact?"
"Didn't need to."
"Yesterday you would've."