Jaxon nodded. "Nice to et you, Jannah and Hiromi. You’re both strong girls to have survived this far." He said as he gave the twins a warm smile.
Suddenly, the girls stepped forward and bowed. "Sister Elena told us that we wouldn’t have survive if it weren’t for Big Brother and Sister’s help. Thank you, we are very grateful for saving us," Hiromi said softly.
"And the food too... it was delicious," Jannah added, a shy smile on her face.
"You’re welco, glad you like it," Natasha replied, smiling.
"We did it partly for ourselves too," Jaxon said, deliberately turning to Elena. "It’s good to help each other in tis like this, right?"
Elena’s eyes widened. "Wait, don’t tell you’re after my body!" She covered herself, feigning shock. "Really, young man these days, but if you really want..."
Before she could finish, Hiromi quickly covered Elena’s mouth, her cheeks flaming red. "I’m sorry! Sister Elena just... pranks a lot," she whispered, embarrassed.
Jaxon chuckled, shaking his head. "I don’t mind. She’s just a bit lively." He turned to Elena with a grin. "In fact... I’d like to learn from you."
"What?!" The four girls gasped in unison.
.....
In the living room, Jaxon and Elena stood facing each other. From another room, Natasha and the twins quietly watched with curiosity.
"So you were talking about my stealth skill. What a sha," Elena said, feigning a look of disappointnt.
"If you’re willing to teach more, I’ll gladly accept," Jaxon replied, going along with her pranks.
"Shaless. So you really are after my body after all."
"Yeah, yeah, just teach already."
"Tch, you’re no fun," Elena muttered, but a faint blush colored her cheeks, one he didn’t notice.
Jaxon straightened, his expression serious now. As a sniper, the one thing he truly lacked was knowledge and skill in stealth, sothing Elena clearly had in abundance. If he could learn from her, paired with his soundless sniper rifle, then he would truly beco a long-range assassin.
Elena’s eyes turned serious, and the playful look on her face vanished at once.
"Alright," she said calmly. "Pay close attention, or else I won’t teach you again."
She gestured to the living room, now cleared of furniture. "First, clothing. Dark colors, tight enough so nothing flaps or makes noise. Baggy clothes, shiny items... throw them away."
Jaxon nodded, listening without missing a word.
"Next, blending in," she continued. "Always keep yourself against shadows or corners. Walls, furniture, anything that hides your outline. Even small movents can catch attention. Your shadow alone can give you away."
She paused, her hand brushing her injured leg, a brief wince flashing across her face.
"I can’t move like I normally do," she said. "So you’ll do the moving, and I’ll watch."
Her gaze sharpened. "Hide from . You can’t leave this room. I’ll give you ten seconds. Start."
Jaxon was startled. There was no furniture he could use for cover. As the seconds ticked, he had no other choice. He crouched low and hugged the rifle close to his body, trying to make himself smaller.
"What are you doing? Are you trying to hide from a child?" Elena scolded.
’Where the hell am I supposed to hide?’ he complained in his mind, but he kept his mouth shut.
"If you have nothing to use cover, then use angle," she instructed. "Don’t just think about hiding. Think about your enemy’s line of sight and use it to your advantage.."
"See that corner? Now position yourself there."
Jaxon moved toward it slowly. His foot barely made a sound on the wooden floor.
"Good, slower," Elena said. "Watch your hands. Don’t brush anything. Noise cos from everywhere, floorboards, clothing, even your own breathing."
Jaxon froze mid-step. She leaned forward slightly, studying him closely.
"Your first instinct is always to move fast," she said sharply. "Forget it, fast draws attention, being slow is okay, as long as you stay quiet. Soundless movents aren’t natural, so you have to force your body to obey."
Jaxon breathed out slowly and followed her words.
"Better. Now practice turning while staying hidden. Keep your eyes forward, move your body in parts. Don’t let them see the change in your shape."
Jaxon nodded. Her serious, commanding presence left no room for teasing or jokes. For the first ti, he felt the full depth of the skills she had developed.
.....
An hour later, the lesson finally ended. Jaxon wiped the sweat from his face and took a long drink of water.
"Thank you for today," he said. "I learned a lot."
"Co back tomorrow," Elena replied. "We’ll continue where we left off."
"Can I join too?" Natasha asked. She had been watching the whole ti and wanted to try.
Elena turned to her, staring at her quietly. "Do what you want, but you have to keep up with him. I won’t slow down things for you."
"That’s good enough."
Jaxon looked at Elena. "What about you? Are you planning to keep moving?"
"With my leg like this, we’d be dead if we ran into more of those things. We’ll stay here for a while."
"We checked the area," Natasha added. "It should be safe for you and the kids. We’ll bring so food tomorrow."
"Thanks."
After a short pause, Jaxon asked, "Once your leg heals, where do you plan to go?"
Elena fell silent, then spoke. "Blackridge Facility."
"I’ve never heard of that place." Natasha said, thinking.
"It’s not public yet," Elena shrugged. "It used to be a military base. I heard they’re turning it into a safe zone."
Natasha’s eyes lit up at once. "Have they started evacuating people there? What about food and dical supplies? Do they have weapons? Soldiers?"
"Hey, slow down," Elena raised a hand. "I don’t know all that. I only heard about it from my old unit."
"Then why choose that place?" Natasha frowned. "There are other safe zones out there."
Elena closed her eyes for a mont, as if debating whether to say it. In the end, she spoke. "Because of its location. Most safe zones are in cities or near towns. Blackridge is hidden deep in the mountains."
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