Part One. Chapter Three.

Chapter Three - The Grand Test

Lorc looked longingly at Orai to begin his speech but she walked straight to her bag. The buzzing became more urgent and Orai took out a small,rectangular white device with a black button on it. The word,'Relay',was written in black letters.

The whole class and the teachers watched as she held the device in front of her face. A white light burst out and covered her whole face. ''Hello...okay...in the next few minutes?...okay,start now and I will watch it on the Relay...okay,yes,that's fine,they will be able to hear me,okay,bye bye...'' The light disappeared and she whirled round to speak to the students.

''Okay,where was I? Ah,yes,we were about to finish for the day. But before we do,I want to share something really special with you. I want to tell you about the Grand Test, an event that I feel will benefit you all! Or,actually...why don't I show you?'' The class erupted as she tapped the Relay and it expanded to reveal a colossal screen. She pushed it in front of the children and it flickered slightly then an image appeared.

It said,''Loading....Please Wait....'' The screen flickered again as a sign appeared that said,''Grand Test...Initiating...''.The teachers in Lorc's class hushed the class as an image flickered on the screen. There was a large crowd of teenagers standing in a large,square room with confused expressions on their faces.

The walls shuffled and the room was quiet.

Then a door opened and a slim, young man walked in. He was average height and his arms dangled by his sides. The teenagers looked at him with disdain as he approached the group and his knees poked out.

A great voice sounded,'Alright,guys,listen up. You know what you are here for. You want to become a GUARD? Then the man in front of you is the key. You all think you are fast..or strong...well,you have one goal.Eveider is supposedly the fastest man alive. He has won over a thousand races and has never known the meaning of ''losing''. So,the objective is simple. Catch the man in front of you.''

The voice simply disappeared,then the crowd looked at the young man,and he started smiling. Back in Lorc's classroom,everyone watched with baited breath as the Grand Test began.

Immediately,a young woman burst from the crowd and leaped at the man.Then Eveider darted away as she crumpled to the floor.The group stared then another person did the same,until the whole crowd began running after the man.

Eveider smiled smugly as the room filled with the sound of quick footsteps. Half an hour later, the crowd began to spread out.People fell to their knees or to the ground,completely exhausted. ''What is this guy,Reige? He's too fast...it's like he's an athlete...'',one teenager said tiredly. He wiped his forehead and rustled his straight blonde hair. ''I know,Deap...we have been chasing him for a good 25 minutes now...but no-one's getting closer to him...'',replied Reige.

''Guys,let's thnk of something...maybe we should tell the others to spread around the room and corner him off...?'',a girl with braided black hair suggested. But Deap replied in his slow voice,''Orna,they won't listen to us...it's no use...we have to think of something fast...otherwise we will pass out...can't you feel that heat..?''

The three teenagers looked around as the room was a blur,and a heat wave began rising. They saw so many others lying on the ground,passed out from exhaustion.

''Seriously..what's the point of this...he's too fast for us to catch...and it's super hot...and the smiling...he's taunting us...'',Orna said frustratingly.

''I know we can catch him...we just need to----'' But their attention was taken as Eveider stumbled then ran faster;two teenagers had almost cornered him. A strange medal fell out of his pocket but the man didn't notice. ''Guys...what is that...?'' The trio staggered over to where the medal lay, and Deap picked it up. It was light,and a large,''W'',stood out on the front. But something was engraved on the back. He turned it over and it said,''From a HERO...'' A dent was underneath,and the medal's chain was marked with dashes. ''Did a HEROweapon give this to him...?'',Deap said to his friends. ''It sure seems that way,and it looks important...''replied Orna.

Then something clicked in her head. ''Guys,I think I know how we can catch him. We make him come to us,''she said. Suddenly a loud bang sounded and the stone walls of the room began getting closer. ''What the...?! This test is REALLY getting out of hand...!'',Reige shouted. They watched as another trio,not too far from them, collapsed in a heap. The room was less noisy now,as the majority of the teenagers were unconscious. ''So,what are we going to do?? The WALLS are getting closer..!'',Reige continued.

'Orna thought,then she spoke. ''It's simple,we taunt Eveider with the medal. I will be the bait. Once he tackles me for the medal,you two stay behind him and grab his arms and his legs.'' The other two blinked then grinned at each other. ''You know, that might actually work...'',Reige said with hope in his voice.

But Orna was not listening,as she grabbed the medal from Deap and quickly ran towards a corner of the collapsing room. The other two followed.

Orna examined the medal out then said loudly,''So did you really get this from the HEROweapon? Why would he give it to YOU...?'' Eveider looked at the teenage girl and his smile turned to a grimace. He pushed harshly against the floor; a second later, he burst towards Orna.

Reige and Deap ran towards them;Eveider pushed the girl as she grabbed his wrist;her two friends ran up behind Eveider;Deap locked his arms around those of the quick man;Reige threw himself against Eveider's legs. In an instant, they all tumbled to the ground, and Eveider struggled helplessly.

Suddenly the walls moved back to their place.The conscious teenagers watched in awe and a familiar voice sounded,as Orai spoke to them.

''My,my...congratulations. That was very impressive how you caught Eveider. You showed great teamwork and insight. I'm quite shocked...because I thought the walls would have crushed you all,had you not caught him...Anyway,please go through the doors straight ahead. You are amazing!''

A set of doors appeared up ahead just as Orna,Reige and Deap stood up. Clapping filled the ears of the trio and they walked,beaten and worn, to the doors. They smiled,and raised their hands in triumph. Then there was a blip and the camera cut out.

Lorc's classroom erupted with excitement.

The students jumped up and down after what they saw. ''That...was so..EPIC..I want to be a GUARD now!'',said one. ''Yeah...Orna is so cool...I really want to be a GUARD...,'' replied another. But Lorc was completely still. 'I know what I have to do now...I have to...become a GUARD...I can't explain it...I don't understand why...but there's a part of me...something that's telling me...I can do this...!Ten years from now...I will become a GUARD...!'',he thought determinedly. Then he saw Elva,sitting up straight.

His eyes glinted as he watched the now blank screen of the Relay. 'They...they completed the Grand Test...what makes them better than me...?...no,wait...there's nothing...there's nothing that makes them better than me...so...the road to...becoming a GUARD...I won't struggle on it...',he thought,not taking his eyes off the Relay.

Orai walked over to her device and tapped it. It clicked then folded back to the small device it was before. ''So what did you think,guys? Is it interesting? Do you want to become GUARDs?'',she asked the room. A yell of agreement filled the air. But one child shook his head. Conor put his hand up.

Then Orai addressed him. ''What's a GUARD? I don't understand...'',he asked,completely overwhelmed by what he heard. Orai looked kindly at him,then said,''Oh,it's OK,don't worry. I will tell all of you before I go.Are we ready,guys...?'' The chidren immediately sat down and gathered round the newcomer,which shocked their teachers.

''Okay,well,our city is really peaceful. But there are always times when people want more than they should. So when crime happens,someone has to deal with it. That's why we have the GUARDs.The GUARDs are a group of three people who have proven themselves by passing the Grand Test. Then they are split into three types. The main type,the A-Guard,or Alpha Guard,is the leader and the one who is the most capable. They make all the decisions and have the ability to act how they want. Next up is the B-GUARD, or the Beta Guard. This person has a good balance of attacking and defending but they can only subdue criminals,NOTHING more.''

Her eyes suddenly lit up,and the children were taken aback. Then she continued. ''They are the second-in-command in the GUARDs and must assist the A-GUARD with everything they do. Which brings me to the O-GUARD,or the Omega Guard. This person has a lot to do,and CANNOT attack,otherwise this is instant dismissal. The O-GUARD must protect the A-GUARD and the B-GUARD in all situations.''

The classroom was completely silent when she finished. Orai stood up and the children watched,ther eyes hoping for more. ''Well,children,I really must go. I really wanted you to learn about the world and now,I can see your eyes glow with such interest.I hope you had a great and informative day. Your school is fantastic! Bye-bye!'',she said enthusiastically. She left the classroom with her assistant and chatter broke out.

Then Lorc looked at the girl with the muddy-brown hair.She looked back then she walked away to the rest of her friends. 'I never really spoke to her...isn't her name Robin...or something like that...',he thought. Suddenly,Mr Bronse called out to the class.

''Okay,guys,get,your bags. It's the end of the day,and your parents are coming'',he said sharply. The class shuffled to their coatpegs but Lorc stood,still thinking about who he had just seen.