Running the Gauntlet

[Christopher J. D'Dario]

-=[Closed due to inactivity.]=-


The sun was just cracking over the top of the barracks when CJ strode into the Training-Yard. He had a training program all planed out. First up he would go through some stretches to warm up his cold muscles, Then do a few laps of the Training-Yard before running the Obstacle Course.
He surveyed the Course. It was Designed to test his agility and Speed, the obstacles would not be easy to get through where he of a larger build. Running the Tires to start off with, then the tunnel, climb the wall, swim the trench, crawl under the razor wire, climb the tower and engage a combat dummy in close combat. Swing from a rope from one platform to another then turn around and go back.
It looked easy, but then again, so do most things.
With a heavy sigh he removed his shirt and hung it on a low wall with a water bottle and began to stretch.
As far as he knew he was the only Italian in the camp. He had arrived two weeks ahead of his squad, his orders where to wait for them to arrive, if they didn't arrive soon he would be repositioned. Most likely with a German Squad.
He finished his stretches and started his laps of the Yard. He would get to the Course soon enough.

[Naga Warasaki]

The day seemed just about right for Naga. There’s the bright sun, the fresh air, and the ever challenging obstacle course. But as his martial arts teacher, Shogi WaWa, always said, “Nothing is what it seems,” so the corporal, playful in his mood, thought he might as well do a check list on those things just to be sure.

Bright sun. Ouch. Check.

Fresh air. *cough* *cough* Check.

Ever challenging obstacle course….Ha. What have we got here?

A smile spread across his face as he spotted a comrade up ahead, and in a gusty sprint Naga raced past the soldier shouting out a daring challenge in accented German, "Last one to finish the course...."

And he was off before he could finished his sentence.

[Christopher J. D'Dario]

CJ was about half way through his laps of the training-yard when someone ran up next to him, The man shouted out something in German then took off again. CJ had barley heard the man over the rush of wind passing his ears but he could guess that the man wanted a race. With a childish smile and the memory of the many races he'd had with his brothers CJ accepted the Challenge. Increasing his pace from a jog to a sprint and closing the Gap between the two men. It was obvious the man was of Japanese decent, and was most likely going to be very quick. This would be fun for a change.

As CJ got a little Closer he turned onto the the track that would take him and the Jap toward the obstacle course. He was almost level with him when they hit the first obstacle, the tires. With quick feet CJ started stepping through them, quickly glancing at the Jap to see how his opponent was doing.

[Naga Warasaki]

The spirited corporal only had winning forged inside his mind. True he did pull a cheat by giving himself a head start, but it was all the more challenging to find his fellow comrade caught up after him. The tires nearly placed him to an abrupt stop, but Naga gave his contender a foolish smile spanning ear to ear as he watched the other man went, for it was these very same tires he had assembled and placed on the course, for him to practice over and over until the memories of twelve tires and the quick jerk of up and down movement seared inside his muscular legs.

He sped through them, each step in a precision, before his body lunged forward, as if automatic without thought, to face the next challenge: the tunnel. Down and dirty as his friends liked to call it, but the tunnel was nothing compared to the test of the wall, ever so tall, daring those who approached it to battle the strength of the arms.

Naga thought his comrade was doing well, actually too well, for someone whom he just met and at that, probably new to the camp and the ever challenging obstacle course. He gave a deep mirthful laugh and spoke a word or two to the soldier, “Do you fear heights my friend?” before he gave a pound on the wall and started climbing.

[Christopher J. D'Dario]

CJ had expected the Japanese Soldier to be quick with his feet, but even though, he was still a little surprised at how quickly he got through it. He reached the tunnel and passed into darkness for a few seconds. When he reached the light again the Jap was already at the wall. CJ smiled at the mans comment. "Fear? You wish." CJ shouted in English as the Jap had. He took a running leap at the wall, gripping the rope with his rough hands and pulling himself up hand over hand, his legs dangling below him, not needed. As he reached the top he was blinded slightly by the glare of the water in the trench. But he quickly adjusted to the light again and dove from the wall into the water, as he fell he glanced to his side, checking on the Japs progress.

[Naga Warasaki]

It surprised him the comrade he had taken to challenge was fluent in the English tongue. Most soldiers here could not comprehend what he had said, let alone when he spoke in his native tongue Japan. It nearly brought him to a smile and a tear to find someone whom he could later confide gibberish nonsense with because with German Naga fumbled the syllables one after the other, and he was sure he could spurt out blood seeing how splendid his mouth butchered the language. The thought drove him to remember to the days back in California when his older brother enlisted for the US Army while Naga moved out with the rest of his family after the mistreatment they received in the brink of the war. It was a sad concept the young man had to accept: brother killing brother, but the decision had already been made and now all he had to do was to accept the truth.

The corporal lingered too long on the past recollection that he almost loose grip as he climbed on the wall. His mood had changed so drastically that Naga thought that it probably appeared too awkward if he maintained his now serious countenance. To change the subject, he quickly plastered a smile, not at all feeling the burn of the rope as his hands slid to the ground, before he spoke with mirth in his voice a dare to make the course interesting and to get him off these thoughts of his.

"How about we make it better? Loser do toilet duty...." his eyebrow quirked up questioning his fellow corporal to protest perhaps, but all in all ready to thread the murky waters ahead if the bet was on.

[Christopher J. D'Dario]

CJ hit the water with a splash, his diving form was less then perfect. His floated back to the top just in time to hear the Japs words. A long laugh escaped his lips, he had not seen the serious look on his opponents face a few minutes before and he shouted back in English "Your on!" With a grin he kicked off the side of the trench and started swimming to the other side. Freestyling it to the other side quickly, he was not the best swimmer and perhaps didn't swim as quickly as he could have, but regardless he made it to the other side. Pulling himself up and looking back into the water for the jap solder before dropping under the Razor wire.

[Naga Warasaki]

Pulling a strain was not what he had intended as his head slipped beneath the shallow water. He winced slightly, but since his mind was too preoccupied with the thoughts of the bet, not to mention of the steps he had to catch up, Naga swung his arms wildly cutting the time in the trench. Whatever memories he had earlier, the corporal had briefly pushed it aside, for if he lost to the new transfer again he would have to take on the ridiculous job he was unwillingly assigned because as luck would have it, mother nature built the young Jap with an alarm system that woke him up late in the afternoon and by then all the best duties would have already been taken.

No. Can't lose. He muttered under panting breath. Mud splattered across his face making him appeared as a mud slug crawling its way under the barb wire. He wiggled his way through and smirked to his newfound bud as their elbows paralleled each other and hurried out of the wire to the tower.

"Don't come crying to me when you lose though. I can't possibly be held responsible." He gave his trademark laugh.

[Christopher J. D'Dario]

As the Jap overtook him CJ picked up speed again, it was a bad move as his back arched slightly and the Razor wire scratched his back. Thats all it was, a Scratch, but it still Stung. I shiver ran down his spine at the pain, he got out of the wire and stood up, sprinting to the Tower and jumping onto the ladder, pulling himself up the rungs with his arms as well as his legs, he shouted out between gasps. "Me lose? HA! Not if I have anything to say about it!" As he reached the top a spring loaded dummy launched itself at him, he wasn't ready for it and was thrown back over the side, luckily he caught onto the ladder before he fell. He pulled himself back up and the dummy launched again, this time CJ countered with a dodge to its left and a massive closed fist backhand to the side of its head, the dummy fell back and CJ continued on to the Rope Swing.

[Naga Warasaki]

"Actions speak louder than words, my friend," Naga talked almost in a distant airy tone, the one where he rarely used apart from his usual amusement, as this case proved to be. He had taken a liking towards his comrade but not quiet enough to lose the course face down. The young corporal thrived on challenge and if it were possible he would eat challenge for breakfast, lunch, and dinner but then again he would be one skinny guy when that's his only source of nourishment.

The dummy proved to be too simple for the trained soldier, for as it popped its head possibly scaring newcomers Naga merely smashed his hand back as if he too was an automated machine. He gave a round swift kick for the second and doubled it with a low dive to avoid the third before his fist found its lodge on the fourth dummy that nearly crashed on his comrade's behind.

"You miss one," he smiled too sinister to be said and swung over his weights ready to turn around and go back to where they started.

[Christopher J. D'Dario]

A simple curse word passed through CJ's mind 'affanculo!' The jap had a head start again. With single minded Determination CJ Swung back to the Platform, Dodging the Dummies this time and Sliding down the ladder. He was dead set on winning the Bet, He had no intention of cleaning out the latrines. The pain from his back was all but ignored as he dove back under the Wire. His shirt was covered in mud and small amounts of blood, his face was dirty, his teeth clenched, and yet he was throughly enjoying himself. A memory passed though his mind, his brothers bullying him by playing piggy in the middle with his toy car. One of them threw it over the fence. CJ had been determined to get it back. Climbing the fence and dodging the automated sprinkler system, running under a trampoline and around a small tree. Grabbing the car and going back again quickly so the dog didn't get him. He suddenly burst out laughing at how similar the course was to his memory. Looking over his shoulder at the Jap soldier. Laughter still in his voice. "Better hurry up!"

[Naga Warasaki]

No way was he going to let the new underdog reign supreme on the ever challenging obstacle course. The terrain was his, and Naga was set to claim it. He had after all a vivid range of imagination and a bountiful energy unlike those of his age, and the corporal moved with double the power, double the speed…double the trouble.

He had passed the razor wire and the trench with ease but as he turned to give his fellow friend a sheepish grin of what-do-you-have-to-say-to-that the rope tugged loose and with eyes darting on the beam and then on the muddy track ground below Naga put on a scrunched up face along the lines of “oh oh…bummer.”

He rubbed his back laughing, and as he saw his buddy drawing near he gave a playful salute of “move on soldier, move on.” This was no biggie. The carefree soldier grinned.

[Christopher J. D'Dario]

CJ speed through the Muddy water of the trench like a torpedo. Even though swimming wasn't his strongest talent, he still made good enough time to see the jap fall from the wall. As CJ pulled himself up he saw the man salute with a grin. CJ sprinted up to the wall, but as he passed the Jap man he reached down and hooked his arm under the mans armpit. Dragging him to his feet before jumping onto the wall and grabbing the rope. "It's no competition if I beat you in the mud." He shouted to the Jap Soldier. His hands where muddy and gripping the rope was difficult, but he made it to the top, the sun beating down on his back as he grabbed the rope on the other side and quickly rushed down. As he neared the bottom his hands slipped again from the mud, and he fell the last few feet to the ground. He stumbled and landed on his knees, but continued moving as he crawled toward the tunnel, now on the home stretch.

[PuNk! ™]

Moderation Post:[/b]

Thanks for closing this thread Seejay (Chris), i'll issue some CP and move this to the Finished Area.

The following CP has been issued:

Christopher James D'Dario: 8CP
~ You have been granted 8 CP for a display for physical fitness and determination, as well as helping your friendly competition.

Naga Warasaki: 7CP
~ You have been granted 7 CP for displaying a competitive streak in taking part, but also failed to post (in a means of keeping the thread active).

~Danny