Dead Weight and Dark Humor

The halls of HQ buzzed with a low hum of activity, soldiers and staff moving through their routines, when a rather unusual sight stopped everyone in their tracks.

Val, the infamous ARM user of Clareo, had just turned the corner, dragging what appeared to be a limp, lifeless body.

The body in question was Corporal Reyes, his limbs flopping at odd angles as Val maintained his usual impassive expression, barely noticing the glances he drew from passing soldiers and HQ staff. Reyes, in fact, wasn't dead—though to onlookers, he might as well have been. His eyes were squeezed shut, his mouth agape, and every so often he let out a pitiful groan, barely conscious from a training session that had clearly exceeded his capacity.

Several nearby staff members—familiar with Team Unknown since their quarters were on the same floor—watched with a mix of bewilderment and amusement as Val continued to drag Reyes down the hall toward the exclusive Team Unknown cafeteria.

One young recruit elbowed his companion, whispering, "Is that… is he dragging Corporal Reyes?"

The other recruit squinted, stifling a laugh. "Sure looks like it. Poor guy looks like he just survived an earthquake."

They both chuckled as Val passed by, unbothered, focused on reaching his destination.

"Nothing to see here," Val muttered dryly, almost to himself, though a faint hint of amusement touched his tone.

As they neared the entrance to Team Unknown's private cafeteria, Val noticed movement in his peripheral vision. Bo, Riggs, and Fon were just returning from their solo missions, looking a mix of relieved and worn out. They'd barely managed to remove their masks before catching sight of Val hauling a very disheveled Corporal Reyes like a sack of potatoes.

Riggs stopped in his tracks, a grin spreading across his face as he nudged Bo, who raised an eyebrow. "Well… seems like Reyes got the Val training special."

Fon bit back a snicker, trying to keep a straight face. "Dare I ask… what happened this time?"

Val paused, glancing over his shoulder at the three of them with a faint smirk. "Corporal Reyes here wanted to join the training, so I thought I'd give him a real taste of Team Unknown's workouts."

Bo's mouth twitched in amusement as he looked down at Reyes, who was now muttering something barely coherent, his eyes half-lidded as he mumbled, "...no… more… lunges… please…"

Fon burst out laughing, shaking his head. "Looks like he'll be feeling that workout for a week."

Riggs crossed his arms, chuckling. "Did you have to drag him through the entire base? He looks like he's been through a war zone."

Val shrugged, unbothered. "He insisted on tagging along for training, and he made it… halfway." He nudged Reyes with his boot lightly, and Reyes groaned in response.

Bo glanced at Reyes with a mix of pity and amusement. "Maybe next time give him a, you know, beginner's warm-up?"

Val raised an eyebrow. "Beginner's warm-up? This was the beginner's warm-up."

Riggs let out a bark of laughter. "Well, that explains everything."

As the four of them entered Team Unknown's cafeteria with Reyes in tow, they drew even more attention. A few HQ staff members passing by did double-takes, staring as Val hauled the "dead" corporal across the room, each of his movements smooth, as though dragging Reyes was no more taxing than carrying a gym bag.

At one table, two officers who had served alongside Team Unknown in past missions exchanged bemused looks. One officer stifled a chuckle and leaned toward his companion. "That poor corporal. Thought he could keep up with them?"

The other officer shrugged, grinning. "Looks like he learned the hard way."

Val finally settled Reyes into a seat at one of the tables, letting him slump forward as he waved a hand in front of the corporal's face.

"Still alive, Corporal?" Val asked, though his tone didn't indicate much concern.

Reyes opened one eye, just barely, and managed a weak thumbs-up. "Barely, sir… but… still kicking."

Fon snorted, taking a seat across from Reyes. "That's the spirit, Corporal. Don't let a little muscle failure stop you."

Reyes tried to sit up, but his arms gave out halfway, dropping him back into his seat. "Is… Is it normal to… see stars after a workout?"

Val raised an eyebrow, casually sipping from his water bottle. "Only if you're out of practice."

Dr. Lewis, who happened to be passing by, stopped at the door, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. He shook his head, crossing his arms as he took in Reyes's state, looking thoroughly exhausted and dazed.

"Val," Dr. Lewis said in a half-exasperated tone, "did you really have to push him this hard?"

Val glanced over, raising a brow. "He wanted to experience Team Unknown's training. I gave him a very… modified version."

Reyes let out a weak chuckle, his voice barely a rasp. "Just… a slight modification, Doc."

Dr. Lewis sighed, muttering under his breath. "The poor man's going to have nightmares for weeks."

Bo, barely containing his laughter, added, "Oh, he's tougher than he looks, Doc. Just needs a little, uh, conditioning."

Riggs leaned back, grinning. "Or maybe just a little less of the 'Val' training special."

Deleo's voice chuckled in Val's mind, amused by the entire spectacle. "I must say, Val, watching him suffer through training might be more entertaining than I expected. He's the definition of persistence… even if it's mostly fear."

Val allowed a faint smile to tug at his lips. "Maybe he'll get used to it," he thought back to Deleo. 

"Or maybe," Deleo replied, his tone almost gleeful, "you'll drive him into an early grave."

Reyes, catching a bit of his breath, glanced around at Team Unknown, visibly realizing just how out of his league he was.

"I'll… I'll be back on my feet… soon," Reyes stammered, though he clearly didn't believe it.

Fon clapped him on the back, nearly knocking him forward. "Sure thing, Corporal. We'll keep a spot open for you in the next round."

Reyes groaned, rubbing his head as if the thought alone had drained him. "I think… I'll pass on that… for a while, sir."

Val simply leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he watched Reyes attempt to regain his composure.

"Just take it one step at a time, Corporal," Val said, the barest hint of humor in his tone. "You might even survive."

With that, the team shared a laugh, and though Reyes looked absolutely drained, a small, reluctant smile found its way to his face as he realized he had, somehow, managed to survive another day with Clareo's most elite—and unforgiving—team.