Eric sat and fished out his own water bottle. Uncapping it and taking a drink, as he did he watched the big jug that Natalie lifts and drinks from. He chuckles a little. he nods. And takes a moment to collect his mind and thoughts, looking out the window as Victor came back around, driving the soldiers ahead of him. He hummed, watching them he could see Victor shouting, his armor, not fully on as he was missing the outer layer of armoring, as it was being retooled and updated. But he still looked like a walking tank in it. and he remembered seeing picture of Natalie in her armor. He hummed softly and nodded slowly. He steepled his fingers. And listened as he heard Victor shout, "I'm just pushing you physically! You need to move past everything you think is your limit. We're going to ask you to do shit you wouldn't believe! Popping Osama was easy, gunning down an ISIS insurgent is simple. We're going to be asking you to go places that will make you tired. But I'm just doing physical! You wait until the Major gets her hands on you!" He laughs, and suddenly hollers, "RUN!" He then lowers the M2 to and starts to unload, scattering the soldiers to the winds.

Eric smiles, and nods, as if this galvanizes his nerve, "Physio, upgrading my skills, whatever it takes madam. You need a third set of hands, then I will do it. Absolutely. You need a long rifle. Or a close range clean up. Then I will do it. I've got the training madam. And will go to the next level to keep up with you and the Master Sarge." The resolve is clear. He's hurt, but the man isn't going to give up that's for damn sure.

--------------

The next several days were a riot. With the help of the base medics he worked at getting back to 100%. they squashed several months of physiotherapy work into a 2 and a half day hell course. Helping him to be able to get back to fit and full mobility. It also set him on the course to learning how to use just one eye and the rest of his senses to regain some semblance of depth perception. It starts awkwardly and was him groping at items, until he found them. But by the time he was ready to begin upgrading he was able to move nearly like he could before. He no longer guessed at distance and got a hold of his target everytime, if not completely the place he wanted to grab. By the time the VR training began he was at the point he was back in JTF2, steady and able. But not at the point he was when he worked beside Markus and his with Bluesword. The nearly solid 2 days of VR training had him almost to where he was before the operations. 

It only got better and better after that. He began to run sims and kill houses. Starting small, interspersed with VR sessions to update his skill set. He used to be a front line medium infantry rifleman. Accurate, durable and deadly with a rifle in his hands. But with each run of the kill houses and the VR sessions he developed a new skill set. He learned how to be faster, quieter, not exactly a shadow. But he could sneak with the best of them now. His rifle skills expanded. From battle rifles and assault rifles to big bore, and carbines. He learned how to be alot more lethal in close range or at mid-range. Alot of his VR became operating in mis matched crews, training him how to move and support a heavy operator, or a team of heavy operators. In between VR training he retaught himself how to use weapons. It’s true what Natalie had said, usually someone like him who loses an eye, becomes dead weight. He is bound and determined not to let that happen. He trained his hands, arms, his whole body to make up for a missing eye. High reflex times got better. His speed, he bulked up abit in the process too. He still wore that patch over the stitched close and sealed eye socket. The tech boys were saying they were trying to put together a monocle system that would give him a sense of two eyes. But it wouldn’t be perfect.

It was learning how to shoot with one eye that was the hard part. His body he could prepare and retool all he liked, but it was retraining his eye to do it all again that created a problem. He worked hard to make it so he could do everything he could before. Standing with his back to a firing cubicle with rifles, or pistols or shotguns and go through a firing drill returned to being second nature. 

And then there is the fire course was added into his daily routine. Usually in the evening or late afternoon. He’d make as many runs of it as he could. The kit would change day to day as well. Sometimes a rifle and pistol, or a SMG and a Shotgun, or a carbine and a marksman rifle. Or any combination there of. He ran it with a pair of pistols once, and another time with a pair of SMGs, he felt very Call of Duty that time and told the course master that which got a chuckle out of a people.

His times started long. five minutes, maybe a little longer, he quickly started to speed up, four minutes, three minutes forty, three minutes ten seconds, two minutes fifty seconds, on and on. He broke the regular soldiers record of one minute and fifty seconds only two days before the present day. And had been working to break the record sixty seconds flat. He had seen who had set the first one minute five seconds as Victor, then saw who took it away. And worked hard to try and get up there.

Now he made his way through the course. Alternating running, sliding, jumping and shouldering his way. He’d learned that anything goes in this situation. The bottom line is that you kill all the targets, in the time. His last run was sixty-four seconds. He knew he could do better. He powered through, the carbine he’d been given finally clicking empty. He ditched it, letting it swing on his shoulder, cinching the strap tight to his shoulder with one hand, while speed drawing, hitting the safety and wracking the bolt on the Browning Hi Power with his other hand. If this had been a video game or a movie, the lead stunt coordinator would be getting mad at him for pulling that stunt. But he just could not care at the moment. He put rounds into the next two targets quickly, head chest, tap tap, again and again. He leapt over a table, decking another target with a boot to the skull. His pace slowed only briefly, but he was keeping a a running count in his head, he still had time. The next section is the harder part. He had only a few moments to reload both his weapons and land single rounds on the plates. He had to do this clean.
As he came around the corner out of the course he dropped the mag of the Hi Power, flicking it aside, and slotting a new mag into place. Then quickly doing the same for the Colt style carbine. Shaking the magazine loose, and slotting another one in. He stepped up to the line, and began to take his shots, switching targets clean and true. The last carbine plate pinged and he put it on safe and let it hang as he drew the pistol again stepping up to the line. He was close he could taste it. So close. Pak pak pak, the targets rang as rounds bit into them. And then the klaxon. And the final plate heaved as the .357 round hit it just before he could draw a bead on it. He let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. The course lit up as the course master and his team quickly came out to reset the course. Eric popped a round free of the chamber, and put the Browning on safe. He looked up at Natalie and Victor on the rise above him, and grinned, “You did that one on purpose madam! I would have had that record if not for that slowing of my pace! I could have had you!” He shook his fist dramatically then made his way back to the start.

Victor hummed from where he stands beside Natalie. He’d been keeping his eyes on Eric, the man showed a great deal of skill and determination, despite the set back of his eye. He smiles, “He’s good. And if he’s running with us, he’s got the ability and the skills to do so.” He leaned back as Natalie pulled him close, and grinned, “oh that’s mean!” He chuckled out, “Oh so close.” He laughed, a booming laugh. Getting a searing look from Eric below. He canted his head and kisses Natalie’s neck, “You’re evil my dear. A Focused and pinpoint evil, but evil, and I love that about you.” He chuckled. And looked down as the starting alarm went off.

Eric bounced in place, jumping from foot to foot, he’d been handed a Deagle and the Hi Power. The Deagle tucked up to his chest. The alarm went off and he charged onto the course. Running for the kill house first as usual to clear out that section. He’d get it this time. The last run of the day. He’d do it he swears he would! The Deagle rose up in his hands as the first shot of this run sounded.

Victor nodded, “I think he’ll do. He needs a little polishing. But I think he’ll do.” Victor nodded then turned to grab a palmful of Natalie’s rear, squeezing firmly as he kissed her powerfully, “I need to go check on my newbies, they’re out on a night march. I’ll be back.” He peeled away from Natalie, giving her a wink, then disappeared into the night. Whistling a tune as he goes.