Dragon Ball: Enlisted

The strength test was over.

Unexpectedly, Jyn had the greatest score of all the recruits with his infuriatingly high eighty-three. Even weirder, he was even higher than Irelia.

She was fairly certain Irelia had done that on purpose, however, as she'd stepped up and landed herself a perfect fifty. Nothing more, nothing less. 

It was probably some super-secret part of the test to hit the threshold perfectly without a single point above—something that someone wouldn't have figured out in a million years, blah blah blah.

'Don't care.' Edith concluded.

As far as she was concerned, Irelia was a non-issue. Even if the woman decided to not train at all, Edith was sure Irelia would become a top patrol member through nepotism alone. That was simply how the world worked.

But the others…

She exhaled sharply through her nose, ignoring the fatigue that clung to her. After working harder than everyone, she wasn't surprised to get a high score, but getting second place to Jyn irritated her to her core.

The worst part was that he looked as tired as she felt as she watched him lean against a tree. He hadn't collapsed, obviously, but the way his chest rose and fell gave away how close he was to it.

She would not lose to him in her one advantage—her endurance.

He would eventually fall, while she would keep moving forward.

The low thud of Aprico's footsteps pulled her attention back to the front.

"The next stage is simple," Aprico grunted, bluntly cutting through the chatter. "We'll be doing the same thing we did the first day. A marathon."

A ripple of groans swept through the group. Edith barely held back a smirk.

'Perfect.'

"However," Aprico raised a hand, and a flick of his wrist summoned a small holomap that projected over his palm. The image of the surrounding landscape flickered to life—except this time, the glowing route stretched far past the facility grounds. "You'll be crossing through Sector Four."

Edith's stomach dipped.

That place wasn't part of the training grounds—it was the wild, untamed land bordering the facility. Jagged cliffs, dense forests, rivers, and every manner of terrain cut through the planet like scars.

"You'll run from here to the outer ridge," Aprico said, gesturing toward the distant horizon where the land was less treacherous. "After that, you'll swim across the Tarn Basin and back. Full length. No shortcuts."

Someone cursed under their breath.

Aprico's eyes narrowed. "You have approximately twenty minutes. And if you stop moving—" the map fizzled out as his hand dropped, "—you're done."

Edith shifted her stance, eyes narrowing on the hologram's afterimage.

It wasn't the distance that bothered her, nor was it the terrain once she thought about it. She'd already run and swam that distance before she joined the patrol, so it would be easy nowadays.

The real problem was the time.

While she'd definitely achieved those feats before, they were only possible because the goal wasn't speed. Under time restraint, she would have to use all of her efforts so as not to fail completely.

And right now? She was beyond tired.

"Line up," Aprico ordered.

The recruits shuffled into position, bodies tense, feet digging into the dirt. Edith ended up near Jyn and Wraak, just a few paces behind Irelia, whose calm expression hadn't shifted once since the evaluation began.

A sharp whistle cut through the air.

They shot forward.

The terrain stretched out before her in a winding path that snaked around the planet's surface, glittering under the sun.

The heat pressed down on her, but she barely felt it.

The pounding of footsteps filled her ears. Edith fell into a steady rhythm, pacing herself as the crowd spread out.

Ahead, Jyn, Wraak, and Irelia carved the way, their figures shrinking into the distance.

'Don't push too hard,' Edith reminded herself. 'I'm racing against the clock, not them.'

Or at least, that's what the logical part of her mind was telling her. But another part—the louder part—screamed at her to prove herself. To show them all that she'd truly earned her spot as the second rank.

Her teeth clenched.

She was convinced that all of them were inherently fortunate in some way. Wraak was clearly trained from a young age just for this. Irelia had a monstrous talent that allowed her to do the impossible. And Jyn?

…No, she couldn't even convince herself of that one. He might be the only one she could relate to in that regard.

As far as she could tell, his only advantage was his willpower.

They'd both trained far into the night, hoping that their effort would trounce all else. Perhaps she harshly criticized him in her mind, but that was because he seemed to be a better version of herself.

She could respect his growth, but she would never admit his superiority.

A spark flickered deep within her chest.

Her next step hit harder. The one after that felt lighter. She barely noticed the faint hum beneath her skin, the subtle way her muscles responded to the surge of energy.

'Never give up.'

'Never stop.'

Her father's words pounded through her mind, the same mantra she'd heard growing up.

A low growl rumbled in her throat as she surged forward, cutting the distance by sheer force of will.

Her feet struck the ground harder, faster, dust kicking up behind her. It wasn't precise, but raw energy flooded her muscles, driving her past limits she hadn't known she could break. She felt it—power thrumming beneath her skin, veins pulsing with an electric buzz. 

She wasn't just running; she was damn near flying over the earth.

"HRAAAGH!"

A guttural roar escaped her lips, tearing through the air.

Wraak glanced over his shoulder just as Edith shot past him.

He blinked. "What the—"

Edith didn't stop.

She passed Jyn, who didn't react to her sudden speed besides a small narrowing of his eyes. Irelia, on the other hand, didn't react at all—as if Edith didn't matter to her.

By the time she hit the water's edge, the fire in her muscles burned red-hot. Sweat plastered her hair to her forehead, and her breath came in shallow bursts.

The water loomed ahead, dark and endless, waves crashing against the shore in steady intervals. The sun glared overhead, rippling across the water's surface.

Edith hit the sand at full speed, footprints scattering behind her. After only a moment of hesitation, she threw herself forward, arms cutting clean through the water as she dove beneath the waves.

The cold swallowed her whole.

The world narrowed to the rhythmic push-and-pull of her body slicing through the waves. Her strokes were powerful and precise, propelling her farther out as the current tugged against her.

'Keep moving.' 

'Don't stop.'

'Don't you dare stop, body!'

The thought pulsed louder than the ocean around her. Edith's arms moved faster, muscles pulling taut with each stroke until she felt herself gaining speed.

Faster. Even faster.

The energy bubbling beneath her skin intensified, vibrating outward with each motion. She could feel it now—a faint shimmer spreading across her limbs, carrying her farther with every push.

But halfway through the first lap, something shifted.

Her energy sputtered—like a flame deprived of air. Her chest tightened, and a stabbing pain lanced through her shoulder with every stroke. The sudden strength she relied on vanished in an instant as if snuffed out by the weight of the ocean itself.

Her next stroke faltered, and suddenly, her limbs felt heavier than stone.

The fatigue she'd been holding at bay clawed its way up, doubling with each passing second. Her muscles screamed.

Edith's breath hitched, her vision blurring. The strain was too much—too fast. She knew exactly why.

Overtraining.

The long nights. The early mornings. She'd ignored the signs and pushed past every warning her body gave her. And now, the consequences were catching up with her.

She kicked, but her muscles screamed in protest, stiff and unresponsive.

Panic crept up her throat.

'No. Not now.' She begged. 'Just keep moving. Like always.' 

She forced her body to comply, but each motion felt weaker than the last. Through the fog in her mind, she caught a glimpse of Irelia, gliding effortlessly ahead. Not a single wasted movement. Not a hint of exhaustion.

Even now. Even when she was using every ounce of strength she had—even more than she should have—it wasn't enough.

Irelia's form grew smaller, slipping beyond her reach.

Edith felt tears sting at the corners of her eyes, though the saltwater masked them.

Even now…

Even giving everything she had—

She couldn't catch up.

Her strength gave out. Edith sank beneath the waves.

Darkness pressed in around her, water rushing into her lungs as panic flared in the last corners of her fading consciousness.

Something surged through that darkness, parting it like a blade.

Before Edith's mind could register it, an arm hooked around her torso, yanking her upward in one swift motion. She broke the surface with a violent gasp, coughing and sputtering as air flooded her lungs.

Edith barely registered that it was Jyn of all people holding her up, his face taut with quiet focus as he swam in place.

"I've got you," he said, voice steady despite the obvious exertion. "Don't panic."

'Panic? Why would I—'

The next thing she knew, the world lurched around her. Water rushed past, droplets slapping her face as she felt herself flying.

Jyn's grip tightened, and with a sudden burst of force beneath them, he angled his palm toward the ground. A sharp crack erupted as a blast of raw energy ignited, propelling them further forward, and launching them out of the water like a missile.

They hit the sand hard. Edith crumpled to her knees, coughing violently as Jyn landed beside her, shaking excess water from his arms like a stray dog.

"Damn it," he muttered, running a hand through his drenched hair as he stared into the open air. "Well, there goes second place."

Edith didn't say anything. She couldn't. Her body trembled with exhaustion, every muscle burning as if submerged in fire instead of seawater.

A shadow fell over them.

Aprico's boots ground into the sand beside Jyn, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the situation.

"Jyn," He said, direct and unflinching. "Continue the stage. She'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Jyn said, voice tight. "I mean, I've never—"

Aprico's hand shot out, gripping Jyn's shoulder. "She'll be fine. You, on the other hand, need to go back to swimming."

Jyn's brows furrowed, but he didn't pull away. "She—"

"—is done," Aprico said, his tone cutting through the air like steel. "You're not."

Jyn hesitated, his eyes lingering on Edith for a fraction longer than necessary. Even in her delirious state, she couldn't help but grimace internally at the look he gave her.

He was worried about… her? 

How humiliating.

"Go." Aprico's abruptly ordered.

A flicker of something unreadable crossed Jyn's face, but it passed quickly. Without another word, he pivoted on his heel, trudging back toward the shoreline.

Edith forced her head up, barely able to track his silhouette as he strode back to the shore.

The last thing Edith saw before the world tilted sideways was Jyn's figure diving back into the waves. A burst of energy rippled across the water, propelling him forward in a flash of white.

Her vision blurred.

'...Idiot.'

She wasn't sure if she was referring to Jyn or herself. 

- - - - -

A/N: Next chapter will be out on Monday. Also, I decided I want to post this story Mon-Fri 2x a day. Or 10 Chapters per week basically.

I'll probably lower that at some point, but that's what I want to do for the time being.