Chapter 29: Training for the Last Stand
Location: The Island – Bunker Training Grounds
Tension clung to the air like smoke after a fire. The control room, once buzzing with electrical repairs and quiet calculations, now echoed with silence—except for the fading hum of intercepted transmissions.
The words from the enemy transmission looped endlessly in their minds:
"Twenty soldiers… kill survivors on sight…"
Akash slumped in a chair, sweat forming on his brow despite the cool room.
"I'm telling you, I'm going to die today," he muttered, his voice cracking.
Even Shiva, always calm, couldn't hide the flicker of fear in his eyes. The old man—Krishnan—just stood there, scratching his head in confusion, still piecing together what this truly meant.
Sid was quiet… but not defeated. His eyes were burning—not with fear, but with fire.
"No," Sid finally said, standing tall. "If we're going to die… then let's die like warriors."
Everyone looked up.
"We're teachers, not soldiers. But that doesn't mean we can't fight back. Let's show them… that even teachers can defend a nation. That we don't kneel to cowards."
Akash blinked. Shiva straightened a little. Even Krishnan looked intrigued.
"At least," Sid continued, "before we fall, let each of us take one of them down. Show them this island bites back."
"How much time do we have?" Sid asked Shiva.
Shiva tapped a few keys and calculated quickly.
"Minimum, 16 hours. Maximum, maybe 24. Humidity and water pressure might delay them."
"Then we have 24 hours to prepare. That's enough." Sid turned to Krishnan. "You and the one surviving soldier on this island—you'll teach us how to defend ourselves."
Krishnan looked unsure.
"Twenty-four hours? What can I even teach in that time?"
"Everything you can," Sid replied firmly. "Every trick. Every move. Let's go outside. Start now."
The old man sighed, then smirked.
"Well… the fastest way to learn anything is by getting beaten."
He cracked his knuckles.
"Who's first?"
Akash stepped forward. "Last time you kicked me because I messed up… not this time. Before I was a teacher, I was a street fighter, you know?"
He threw a punch—strong, but too slow.
WHAM!
One hit from Krishnan, and Akash was airborne.
Thud.
Akash groaned from the floor. "Okay... I wasn't that good."
Shiva hesitated. "I've never fought anyone in my life…"
Yet when he entered the circle, Shiva's reflexes surprised even Krishnan. He dodged—once, twice, even three times—but finally, a sweep knocked him to the ground.
Then Sid stepped up.
Krishnan studied him. Sid didn't look dangerous—no bulging muscles, no intense gaze—just… calm.
But the way he stood…
That stance…
Not military. Not street-style.
Martial arts.
They clashed.
Sid's movements were fluid, dodging and countering with measured precision. He didn't attack, only observed and defended. Krishnan grinned, excited. He upped his pace. Sid matched him… until a slip of the foot sent him stumbling near the bunker wall.
Krishnan, fired up, didn't hold back.
He launched a full-force punch straight at Sid.
Sid barely ducked in time.
BOOM!
The wall behind exploded slightly—revealing a hidden chamber.
They all froze.
Sid turned.
It wasn't just a room.
It was a secret weapon storage.
Rana's hidden gift.
Inside were crates of A+ grade weapons, precision rifles, combat gear, grenades—everything a small strike unit could dream of. (In boxes labeled: "For my brothers in arms.")
The old man stepped in, voice trembling with memory.
"This… this was Rana's present. He wanted to give this to the soldiers. From the fund he saved. After his transfer, he planned to present it to them… but before he could, they were all killed…"
He paused, eyes misting.
"They never got it."
Silence hung.
Then Sid picked up a rifle and held it with respect.
"Now… we will present it to the enemy."
Hope sparked again.
This time… with teeth.
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Narrator Voice:
"In just 24 hours, the tide will rise—and with it, war. But now, armed with the ghost of a fallen commander's gift, the teachers aren't just survivors… they're defenders. And the storm is coming."
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