The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



"Thank you, sir,” I say, beaming up to him, proud and pleased myself.

"Don't thank me yet," he says, looking back towards the Castle. "I moved your target out to 1,800 meters. Good luck with that."

I gape at the Captain as he walks away, smirking, because...that is such crap! 1,800 meters is - it's going to be impossible!

"You can do it," Jackson murmurs, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me towards the ladder I use to climb up into my blind. "Just...going to take some practice."

“Great, more practice!" I snap, glaring down at him and shaking my head as I start to climb. "And when do you imagine I'm going to learn this sharp shooting too!? Are we going to start getting up at 3:00, instead of 4:00 in the morning!?"

“Just trust me, Clark," Jacks sighs, though I can feel and hear the pleasure that he's trying to hide. "I've got it all planned out.”

I take a deep breath, continuing to climb, kind of excited myself but not having any idea what to expect.

Both Rafe and Jesse wear twin expressions of shock when I come out of the Castle about an hour later with a fully-loaded paintball rifle in my hands.

"Ari, I was kidding on the banishment thing," Jesse says, holding out his hands towards me and looking at me like I'm a little crazy.

I laugh, shaking my head at him. "Look, I don't know what's going on either," I say with a shrug and nodding towards Jacks. "He sweet-talked the Captain into letting me do this."

"Do what?" Rafe asks, looking worriedly between me and the rifle. "Are we...not going for our run?"

"Oh, we're going for our run," Jacks says, grinning around at everyone. "Ariel's just going to do a little target practice at the same time.”

We all stare at him with our mouths open. And then, as Jackson explain his plan, each of our jaws slowly falls drops.

"Look, Ari's great in a blind," Jackson

says, looking down at me as he

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speaks. "But I have any say in it at I all, she's not going to be sitting in a blind in any battles - it's too dangerous. More experienced snipers are going to spy her and take her out. She's a kickass shot, but there's no reason why she can't shoot on the move with all of us," he gestures around at the whole group "to protect her as she does."

“Jacks, I don't like any plan that has Ariel on an active battlefield,” Rafe says, taking a step towards him with a plan.

"Yeah, well, then the alternative is all of us sitting up with her in a blind like sitting ducks. Like I told the Captain, I don't think any of us are going to consent to her going into battle without us by her side to protect her."

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"Shit, I didn't even think about that," Jesse says, scowling and running a hand through his hair. Rafe and Jackson just look at him like he's a little stupid for not thinking about it so far they, obviously, have been thinking about it for weeks.

"Okay, whatever," I say with a sigh, getting tired of everyone making decisions about where I'm going to be in a battle and with whom without asking my opinion on it

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heft the rifle a little higher. "What am

I doing with this?" Content belongs

"With that?" Jacks asks, giving me a devious little grin. "You're running. Let's go!"

My mouth falls open again as Jacks starts off at a run without explaining any further. Rafe, I think understanding more than I do, laughs and follows him while Jesse claps me on the back.

“Come on, baby trouble!" he laughs, urging me forward. "Let's see what you've got!"

“I hate this already," I growl, glancing down at the heavy gun in my hands, knowing that my muscles are going to kill me for this later.

But I take a deep breath and start out after them, not knowing what the hell is going on or what Jackson has planned.