NEW LIFE : A SECOND CHANCE

Sam entered the weapons room and stared at all of the various weapons that were on display there, and gulped. It was already impressive enough from the outside.

Kyle came up behind him, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Have fun. See you in two hours."

Perhaps it is a male thing but Sam's eyes shone as he took in all the various weapons in front of him.

Lucka took a long look at Sam, sizing him up and taking note of his height, weight and body frame. He pressed a button on the panel at the table and the room underwent a change.

Walls flipped, tables flipped and some parts moved inwards then out. Now, only various types of throwing weapons and handguns were displayed.

"Show me your hand," Lucka commanded.

Sam obediently gave both his hands towards Lucka, palms up. Lucka gripped his palm, turned it around and then asked, "How is your throwing skill?"

"Zero?" Sam answered.

"No, I am Lucka," Lucka replied.

"No, I meant zero skills," Sam said, "I never took up any sort of sports. I believe I have absolutely no skills whatsoever."

Lucka stared at him, then reached down under the table and took out a basketball.

"Go back to the door," Lucka said.

Once Sam was there, Lucka threw the ball at him. Sam barely caught it, his fingers touching on the ball and he grabbed it quickly to his chest.

"Now, throw it back at me," Lucka instructed.

The ball flew widely to Lucka's left, hitting onto the display there and bounced back hard towards the other side of the room. Lucka ignored the bouncing ball while Sam chased after it.

Lucka pursed his lips then reached into the display case and took out a gun.

"Sam, take this and shoot the target there," he commanded, pointing at a bullseye on the other side of the room.

Sam came over, handed the basketball to Lucka as he stared at the gun.

"Is it loaded with live bullets?" he asked apprehensively, worried he might accidentally hit Lucka. After all, that ball he threw went in a completely different direction to what he had aimed for.

"No, it's just rubber bullets," assured Lucka, "Won't kill but it'll still hurt like hell. This is a special gun, just for testing purposes."

Sam nodded, taking the gun. It was heavier than he expected and smooth to the touch. For some reason, he found it to be quite thrilling, holding it in his hands.

He looked at the target and stood there, wondering what to do.

"Stand straight, legs slightly apart and make sure to bend the elbow of your shooting arm a bit," Lucka instructed, "Support your shooting hand with the other, to steady it and also to be prepared for the recoil. As this is your first time shooting, you may not know how much force the recoil is."

"To aim, set your shooting sight along the top barrel of the gun," Lucka continued, "Make the line of sight straight and try to aim it towards the target. There is no wind factor to take into account here, so this will give us a good idea of your ability."

Sam nodded and concentrated. He followed Lucka's instructions. He stood as was adviced by Lucka and closing one eye, focused on the target and pressed the trigger.

He jerked back a bit at the recoil but as he was prepared for it, it didn't affect him much. Lucka looked at the target, then at Sam and a slight smile formed on his lips.

"Looks like you have quite a hidden talent," Lucka said.

Sam couldn't believe his eyes.

A hole could be seen right at the bullseye.

"I did that? Really? Me? It must have been a fluke, right? What are the chances?" Sam said in disbelief.

"Knock yourself out then," Lucka said, changing the target. Now, there were four in front of him.

Ten minutes later, they walked out of the weapons room.

"We will get the development team to create a special gun for you," Lucka was telling Sam, "I have already submitted the video of your shots, and also your physique details."

"There are many types of concealed weapons but currently, what is best requires 9mm calibre. Popular choices would be Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, or the Glock 26," Lucka explained patiently as they sat at the conference table.

"However, for you, it won't be either of that or even anything in the market," Lucka continued, "Boss always gives us our own customized weapons, that is built to specifications."

Lucka reaches inside his jacket and took out two guns from each side holster, "My specialty is guns as well, but unlike you, I can use both hands."

He lovingly stroked the handle, showing a small kitten logo on one gun and a small puppy logo on the other.

"Is there anything you'd like engraved on your gun handles? You don't have to, of course," Lucka said.

"White rabbit," Sam said immediately, "Can I give you the design myself?"

"Of course," Lucka agreed immediately, "Within 2 weeks while the production and development team create your gun. It will be designed specifically to fit your hands, be lightweight, slim yet powerful enough to pack a punch. There will be enough bullets to enable you to shoot your way out of immediate danger."

Lucka put his guns back in the holster and then said, "Oh, and there will be a safety catch since it'll be your first gun. Mine doesn't have any, so it enables me to take it out and shoot immediately but we can't for you. We wouldn't want you to accidentally shoot yourself in the foot now, would we?"

Sam nodded.

?? ?? ??

After that, the months flew by. At least, it did for Sam.

In the morning, things were pretty normal. Go to school, have breakfast with Betty. Walk her to her class and steal a kiss or two if he could (when no one was looking).

Go to Sage Class, do his research on Smith Industries. As Kyle's PA, he would need to know its workings and everything about it, inside and out. His desk was already filling up with various files he created regarding the various businesses and organisations that it had. He also coordinated with Kyle regarding Kyle's future duties as CEO.

After class, he'd spend two hours either at the Student Council or at the library, tutoring Betty and giving slow kisses as rewards when she had the answers correct. If she had them wrong, he would give her sweet, consoling kisses to cheer her up.

Okay, so it's obvious he's just making excuses but it's not like Betty was complaining either.

At 4pm, he'd head over to Master Shifu's house and down the secret base.

He would do strength exercises coached by Alex, followed by gun shooting practice taught by Lucka and then, martial arts training under Zero.

The other members observed and prepared the programme that Sam followed, which would be updated weekly.

The results were noticeable, even though all the training was done in secret. Sam's posture and walk was different, as he gained confidence and was taught to always be on alert.

In the third month, Yume and Akira would often give sneak attacks to test Sam. If they managed to get a hit, then Sam's training increased.

Sam's physique also improved, and he was not as skinny as he used to be. It was not as toned as Kyle's, of course, and he didn't have a six-pack (yet) but it was certainly much more muscular than before.

It just wasn't noticeable as he still wore his long sleeve shirts that buttoned up to the neck.

He was much more fit and was more careful with his diet. He once wondered why Kyle didn't need a special diet, and when he asked - Lucka looked at him, shook his head and said, "He IS on a special diet."

"Kyle's metabolic rate is insane," Lucka explained, "He burns fats very fast and coupled with the sort of training he has, he needs lots of carbs and proteins. So what you see is him basically replenishing what his body needs."

"So that is why he eats like a pig yet doesn't gain any weight?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Lucka said, "Though he isn't allowed sweets. Empty calories, you see. When he does have that occasional dessert - like Auntie Rheia's brownies - he has to work it out."

Sam remembered those brownies. He didn't blame Kyle at all.

?? Five months later ??

It has been five months since Sam's training began.

He found, to his surprise, how much he enjoyed it. He was fitter than ever and the constant 'attacks' made his rather mundane life quite fun. Sam could understand how Kyle would find this thrilling. This 'double life', so to speak.

This was also the time that Sam's "volunteering" services ended, so he was in Master Shifu's living room and reading the report Kyle had done.

He needed to know its contents, so he studied it carefully. He would ask questions on things he didn't understand so that he would not be caught should the Principal ask him.

Kyle watched Sam, pleased with the results. Sam had performed far better than he had expected and that was truly good. Sam is fitter and has gained some skills but he's far from being an expert. It would take him years to reach Zero & gang's level, but he's definitely not a normal 13-year-old anymore.

"Do you regret it?" Kyle asked softly, looking at Sam.

Sam looked up at him, smiling widely, "Never."