[color=gray]Kana was laughing from the amount of fun she was having. She had turned the center of the storage room into a scorched, ash covered mess. In the center of that mess, was a pool of molten hot magma. She danced around with her flames, turning a practical skill into a work of art. Fire weaved around her in all of its colors, shifting from broad strokes of orange to sharp lines of white. Kana's eagerness over the months had paid off, and she wanted to show it all to Epsilon and Delta!

[color=slategray][i]"Oh, you..."[/i][/color] Kana heard the familiar voice and turned to Epsilon.

She had a wide smile on her face, [color=white][b]"Check it out!"[/b][/color] she pointed at the pool of lava.

[color=slategray][i]"You're dead."[/i][/color] she heard him say.

Kana bit her lip, realizing that he might not have been happy about the fact that she chose the supply room of all places to make lava. Then she remembered that Epsilon wasn't in much of a joking mood that day, and that death threat wasn't just a bluff. 'Shit...' is all she thought. [color=white][b]"Hey now, Epsilon, come on. This is all your training showing itself!"[/b][/color] her voice was nervous.

He staggered forward, his face a blank slate, twisted and deformed with shadow, a gaping maw of crooked fangs where his mouth normally was, his eyes indistinguishable from the rest of his face. Tendrils fell to the ground and wormed forward like pythons, intent on their prey.

'Well... No going back now...' Kana thought to herself and adopted a defensive stance, one that Delta had showed her. [color=white][b]"A spar then."[/b][/color] she nodded, trying to get him to -not- follow through with his death threat.

[color=slategray][i]"No spar,"[/i][/color] a strained voice spilled out from him, his mouth not moving to form the words, the sound seeming to come from the entirety of the darkness which was now spreading across the room. The walls were beginning to lose their shape and color and the only door out was only a recent memory, replaced by a wall of utter darkness. [color=slategray][i]"I don't intend to spar."[/i][/color]

As confident as Kana was, taking on Epsilon with fire was always difficult, no matter how enhancing a solar flare was. She knew she would stand more of a chance with ice so she could make physical barriers to protect herself. But that wasn't an option, and this moment was now or never if she was going to be taken more seriously by the two Alphas. Kana needed a plan, and she needed one fast. The instant Epsilon moved, Kana would be at a disadvantage.

What Kana didn't see coming was the lack of movement from Epsilon, rather the room turning into a pitch black hell and coming straight for her. She thought back to her initial plan -before- Epsilon had come around. Maintain light, his shadows can't exist in bright light. Kan stepped back to the edge of the pool of magma and took a deep breath. She closed her glowing orange eyes and focused on the area around her.

The air around Kana rippled in the form of a bubble. The space grew wider until her and the pool of magma was inside of it. When she opened her eyes, the rippling air ignited into a spectacular orange flame. The fire circled around as if it were a tornado. [color=white][b]"Hotter..."[/b][/color] she mumbled to herself and the flames changed quickly into blue fire. It became a bit more difficult to breathe as the fire took in more oxygen to maintain itself.

Kana looked around and saw the darkness looking closer, the fire wasn't bright enough. [color=white][b]"Hotter!"[/b][/color] she yelled and focused intensely. There was a howl as more oxygen was taken in to the flames. The twister of fire bursts again and became a blinding white tube of flames that reached to the roof. Kana's clothes were burning at hems. She could feel the soles of her shoes sticking to the concrete floor.

The shadow began to peel back like aged paint, the tendrils fighting to move forward against the surge of light flooding the room. They began to gain ground again, moving slowly against her torrents of flame and surged forth a moment later, bathing the ground and with it the rest of the room in shade. In that moment, like a faint pop in Kana's ears, she would feel something shift and then remain all the same. Epsilon had warped them through is shadows and spilled them into the washroom to minimize damage. And from that the shadows began to lose ground, revealing the ground beneath her. Linoleum tiles began to be scorched black by the flames, though two meters out from her the shadows ceased their withdraw.

[color=slategray][i]"Go ahead,"[/i][/color] Epsilon dragged out, making a step toward her, and then another, his body shifting constantly as if he were covered in thousands of living organisms. As if he were made of them. [color=slategray][i]"Burn as long as you might. Burn yourself out. Become nothing more than an empty husk,"[/i][/color] He went on, his words low and hardly audible over the roaring flames, though still seemingly present as if they were in her own head. He extended an arm into the light, it breaking apart as it drew closer to the sphere of burning blue, the arm quite literally disintegrating. [color=slategray][i]"This will be you soon enough. A flame needs kindling. This kindling just so happens to have a name."[/i][/color]

He stepped fully into the flames that surrounded her, his body ripping apart like ashes in the wind.

Shit! Kana had hoped the energy provided by the solar flare would work! She needed a new plan, and it didn't take long for her to come up with it! She'd just need to go hotter... Was that even possible?! She took in a struggled breath, the fire was taking in so much oxygen that she was heaving for the same amount of air a casual breath anywhere else would take. After this she'd have to buy some new red clothing.

Kana shrank the bubble a bit, allowing her to focus on a different space, the floor. The air just above the floor started rippling and it ignited as well. She gritted her teeth, thinking that she was either going to die by lack of oxygen or by Epsilon. She didn't talk, any breath would exhaust precious oxygen. She held what she could and took in another long heave only when she absolutely had to. The fire on the floor turned white, Kana's shoes were black and may as well have not existed. The floor began to glow save for a small circle around Kana where she was standing.

White flame wasn't enough to quickly melt concrete. But she knew that the solar flare unlocked powerful potential in her. With one last deep breath, she intensified the flame further. Beyond white, there was nothing, the fire burned so hot it practically became invisible, returning to wild ripples in the air. The air was distorting from the heat so much that looking into it would leave the image on the other side broken and indistinguishable. The light that the white flame had provided was gone, but the glowing floor was enough that the shadows couldn't extend across the ground. Then as it began to bubble, she knew she was close.

Her sweater had burned away, leaving her in her black tank top and shorts. She graced the thought of losing her MP3 player for just a moment and then went back to thinking about the disaster in front of her. The floor became liquid, and Kana was standing in the middle of a large pool of magma. It was large enough that one couldn't cross with a leap. It'd give her momentary protection. Kana dropped the bubble of invisible flames, the moment they dissipated, the air whooshed back in with such force that it made another howl and the gust nearly blew Kana backward into the lava.

Everywhere else was dark, she could only see the orange glow of the magma around. She was taking in deep breaths, gathering what she could so she was able to come to and deal with Epsilon. There had to be a way to deal with him.

In the pool of magma Kana floated, surrounded by her only lifeline in the battle of life or death between herself and one of the Alphas. And in the magma the intense heat and glow she should have been safe. Though from the depths of the pool formed a blackened mass that writhed and wretched as if pained by the intense heat of the pool. Despite its pain though, it reached out, writhing tentacles that split into further and further tentacles, spreading out like brambles.

Above the pool of lava a dome began to build, trapping in the air which was heavily being depleted of oxygen. And deep in the brambles a figure appeared, floating in the scorching liquid, watching, unmoving, waiting.

Kana saw the dark spot rising in the magma, then the dome beginning to build. [color=white][b]"What the fuck, Epsilon!"[/b][/color] she yelled, [color=white][b]"You're like a goddam cockroach!"[/b][/color]

She used the heat from the magma to create a spout of flames, engulfing the brambles as well as the figure in flames. She then sent three blue fireballs in rapid succession toward the continuous spout of fire just to be sure. 'Wow he really wants to kill me...' she thought.

The bramble and figure disappeared in the spout of flame, leaving the pool empty once more and following in suit the dome of shadows above disappeared in its entirety. What was left beyond the bubbling of magma and the hissing of steam, was a loud silence. The shadows seemed to be gone.

Now Epsilon sat across the room, beneath a dripping shower of ice cold water. His clothes were torn and burnt and where the holes showed his skin there were burns, some more severe than others. His mohawk was noticeably shorter and the areas around his piercings were bright red and raw from the heated metals in his face. The wound on his gut was seared shut, the threat of bleeding out now replaced with that of second degree burns across his body.

And he sat in silence. His eyes closed. His every breath slow and raspy. His legs folded beneath him and his hands resting on his knees. If he was still fighting, he was doing a poor job of it.

Kana kept her hands up in fists as if she were in a boxing match. Blue flames wrapped around her hands while she looked at Epsilon, [color=white][b]"Are we done?"[/b][/color] she called out.

[color=lightblue][i]"You tell me."[/i][/color] He said, once again moving his mouth. [color=lightblue][i]"Are we?"[/i][/color]

Kana lowered her hands and the fire sparked away. She nodded to him, [color=white][b]"I am."[/b][/color] she looked down at herself, clad in just scraps of her clothes. What had color was just black from ash. [color=white][b]"Any more fighting and this 'spar' would turn into a scene from Beowulf. Look at you."[/b][/color] she gestures at his burnt and messed up figure.

He motioned with his right hand for her to approach him. His eyes still shut tightly as the chilling water washed over him, soothing the burns across his body.

Kana looked at the lava surrounding her and smothered the heat out. It took only moments before it all solidified into a large space of dark stone. The once flat, tiled floor was now bumpy and lacked any pattern. The water from the shower made steam rise up around Epsilon. Kana took a step forward in bare foot. To anybody else, it would have been like walking on embers, but it was just like walking on a warm beach for her. She looked at the cauterized wound and crossed her arms, [color=white][b]"You're welcome, by the way."[/b][/color] a small grin gave was a reminder of her witty attitude.

He looked up at her, half raising an eyebrow at her stomach. [color=lightblue][i]"Oh, I am?"[/i][/color] He asked slowly, patiently even as he opened his eyes. His eyes appeared glassy, the pupils and irises barely visible from the whites of the eyes which were discolored. [color=lightblue][i]"I suppose it's what I deserve for trying to scare you a bit. Or for making a half hearted effort to kill you."[/i][/color] He said slowly, his voice rougher than it was once before, sounding nothing like the voice that spoke into her ear only minutes earlier.

Kana nodded at first, pointing at his cauterized wound, [color=white][b]"Now you don't have to worry about infection... Mostly."[/b][/color] she paused and couldn't help but smile wide at his words. [color=white][b]"Well you put half of your heart into killing me, and I won, then that should mean I'm better than half of you. And since most omegas don't measure up to you by any margin, then I'd say I'm ready."[/b][/color] she crosses her arms.

He place a hand on the ground and closed his eyes once more, letting out a long breath. [color=lightblue][i]"You're ready?"[/i][/color] He drummed his fingers onto the tiles and at the very same moment a pair of spines came out from her own shadow, piercing into her calves and cutting through until they were visible from the front of her. [color=lightblue][i]"Sit down."[/i][/color] He instructed, the spines ripping themselves out of her legs.

Kana had a triumphant smile on her face. She nodded again when Epsilon repeated her. Then, she felt that sharp pain in her legs that made her scream out. The sudden pain was blinding and it had her on her knees. He forehead was against the hot brimstone and she yelled curse words in many languages in a constant flow for minutes. [color=white][b]"Shit! What the fucking fuck! Gah this hurts!"[/b][/color] clamped her jaw shut and continued to swear through her teeth. Fire bloomed in her hands and she brought them to the new puncture wounds, hoping to seal the holes like Epsilon's wounds. But Kana wasn't affected but heat, so it did nothing. [color=white][b]"Fffffuuuuuck!"[/b][/color] she yells.

When she moved to grab her wounds, Epsilon leaned forward, his arm darting out and grabbing a fistful of hair, with which he jerked her toward him. He waited until his felt her against him and moved his lips to wear he felt was the side of her head. [color=lightblue][i]"What do you feel right now, Kana?"[/i][/color] He whispered into her ear, his breathing ragged and short. Another spine rose from his own shadow and shot toward the jugular notch of her neck, pausing only once the tip of the point felt her skin. [color=lightblue][i]"You could die right here. In the arms of your killer. Do you want that?"[/i][/color]

Kana spewed out another string of curses as she was pulled by the hair and up to Epsilon. She gritted her teeth again, [color=white][b]"What do I feel? Anger is probably the most prominent one of them all!"[/b][/color] her eyes shut and a tear streaked down her ash covered face. She then froze when she felt the other point at her throat. She could simply just ignite the man using his own body heat and get the hell out of there, but she wasn't an omega and she wasn't about to kill her mentor. [color=white][b]"Hell no! I don't I want that!"[/b][/color] she cursed some more, [color=white][b]"You happy now?"[/b][/color]

[color=lightblue][i]"No, Kana. I'm not."[/i][/color] He released her and dismissed all unnatural shadows from the room. [color=lightblue][i]"I'm as happy as you are."[/i][/color] He opened his eyes and blinked slowly, looking straight ahead with a dead stare. He had to rely on seeing the world through his shadows now, though it was still off-putting to not be able to simply see from his eyes. He could feel a hint of panic build within him and immediately squashed it down. He'd deal with his problems once he was in his room and out of sight from the recruits and Delta.

The hot headed girl rolled over onto the floor next to him, getting pelted by the freezing water that the shower was spewing out. She panted and groaned as her adrenaline subsided and her body became more aware of the sensations around her. Pain was one of those sensations, and the injuries her legs had endured flared up even more. [color=white][b]"God fucking-! Arrgh!"[/b][/color] she rolled over on the floor some more, her back facing Epsilon. She went silent. It was a long three or four minutes before she made another noise. This time it was laughter.

Epsilon looked toward her as she began to laugh and shook his head. She was too fresh for this. He had a seven year head start on her. By her age he had already broken ribs, arms, legs, flat-lined once, and a host of other beatings that he had lost count of. She didn't deserve what he was giving her, but if she was so eager to die, he was going to make sure she lasted as long as she could. He fell backwards into his own shadow and emerged a moment later, now standing against the wall and cranked the nozzle down, cutting the shower. She was still laughing. He threw a blanket on her, aiming as best he could. [color=lightblue][i]"Cover yourself up, you'll get sick."[/i][/color]

She rolled onto her back and stared at the roof of the shower room, laughing some more. [color=white][b]"We just tore apart the men's bathroom. Imagine the look Delta is going to have on his face when he goes to take a piss!"[/b][/color] she laughs some more, using the humor to forget about the pain in her legs. She feels the blanket land mostly on top of her, she doesn't adjust it. [color=white][b]"What a fuckin' day."[/b][/color]

[color=lightblue][i]"How do you think I feel, kiddo? These eyes are some kind of fucked."[/i][/color] He asked, looking in her direction, cocking an eyebrow. [color=lightblue][i]"I'm sorry if I hurt you too much. I wanted to make a point. And I got a little pissed after I got hurt for not paying attention."[/i][/color] He folded his arms, and leaned his head back, feeling the now cool tiles against the crown of his head.

Kana's laughter died down once Epsilon started talking more like a person and not some mindless demon. She kept her eyes on the roof and shrugged, [color=white][b]"I imagine you feel like shit. You walked through white fire like you were going to be fine."[/b][/color] she paused and took in a breath, [color=white][b]"Nothing some stitches and a lot of painkillers can't handle."[/b][/color]

[color=lightblue][i]"And I was. It was the last bit that mostly got me. If you can be as powerful as you were today, everyday then you might have a chance further down the road. Not yet, but you're getting there."[/i][/color] He shrugged and patted his torso, feeling a hole where he usually kept cigarettes. [color=lightblue][i]"You don't smoke, do you?"[/i][/color]

Kana shook her head, [color=white][b]"Not anymore. Stopped when I was half-way across Canada and needed the money to keep my car on the road."[/b][/color] she felt a jolt of pain pulse out from the injuries in her legs. She then went on to reply about his comment on her power, [color=white][b]"If you can cause a solar flare every day and a full moon every night, then I'll be unstoppable."[/b][/color] she grins a toothy grin and gasps from her injuries again.

Epsilon pushed off the wall and stumbled over to her, leaning down and sliding his arms under her shoulders and knees and lifted her up, shadows consuming them and spilling them out into a near pitch black room, the only source of light from a dully glowing green terminal across the room. He leaned down and dropped her onto the bare mattress that sat on the floor and disappeared for a moment, returning with another med-kit in hand which he cracked open and placed next to her.

[color=lightblue][i]"Find what you need and set it next to you,"[/i][/color] He said softly, gliding through the room once more, kicking a box out of his way before reaching a desk and grabbed a couple of derelict cigarettes before returning to the injured girl. He held the two out. [color=lightblue][i]"You destroyed my only lighter, so step up for a moment."[/i][/color]

Kana let out another sharp gasp as Epsilon approached her and picked her up. Before she knew it, she was in the dark room. She had never liked being teleported, then again she had only had been moved in such a way once before when two omegas had made their attempt at kidnapping her just after a race. Kana was able to see just silhouettes, and was able to make out the small container that was easily identifiable as a first aid kit. She rolled onto her side and propped herself up on an elbow. She used her fire to make some light, just a small ball hovering above the kit, while she picked through it all. Morphine, sutures, needles, disinfectant, gauze, and scissors.

When Epsilon told her to light his cigarette, she rolled her eyes and ignited the tip of the smoke with white fire, turning the tip to ash and left with nothing to smoke. [color=white][b]"You can ask me, thank you very much."[/b][/color] she then used a much gentler flame to light the new tip.

[color=lightblue][i]"I can."[/i][/color] He acknowledged, without bothering to do so or thank her. He pressed the tip to the other cigarette and spun in on his fingers, before offering it to the girl. His way of thanking her. He removed the blanket from her legs and reached over her to grab the sutures, a needle, disinfectant, and gauze. [color=lightblue][i]"Smoke. It'll take the edge off."[/i][/color] He poured the disinfectant over her leg, paying no mind to the now disinfectant and blood soaked mattress. It already had enough blood soaked into it anyway.

[color=lightblue][i]"If that hurt, then..."[/i][/color] He paused, looping the suture through the needle, [color=lightblue][i]"You're not going to like this much."[/i][/color] He held down her leg with one had and slid the needle into her skin, moving slowly and fluidly. It was easier to stitch up someone else than it was yourself.

She grinned, [color=white][b]"I don't much is going to hurt after having both of my legs impaled and standing in an oven."[/b][/color] When the needle pierced through her skin, she clenched her teeth and sucked in a breath. Moments later, she let the breath out and took the cigarette he offered her. She took a long drag from it and started to think about other things while he went on to suture the wounds.

[color=lightblue][i]"Smart girl,"[/i][/color] He muttered, moving onto the next leg. When that was done, he gave her little warning before grabbing her under the knee and flipping her. He grimaced, pausing before sinking the needle in, wondering if he should mention how much this side would hurt. [color=lightblue][i]"Go ahead and bite down on the mattress if you have to."[/i][/color] He instructed, moments before sliding the needle into the still oozing wound.

Kana shook her head, [color=white][b]"Like hell am I biting down on that bloody th- ah shit!"[/b][/color] she faceplants into the mattress and clenches her teeth hard. She only raises her head to take another drag from the cigarette, then goes to muffling her groans of pain in the mattress.

He wrapped up stitching up both of her legs and drew out the gauze, biting a strand off which he wrapped around one leg, and the repeated for the other. [color=lightblue][i]"There. It's not much, but it's better than the alternative."[/i][/color]He reached past her and grabbed the box, bringing it over to him to start shoving things into. [color=lightblue][i]"Not too bad for a blind man,"[/i][/color] he mumbled, pausing and grabbing the antiseptic, which he splashed liberally over his whole body before sealing the bottle up and closing the box. The box clattered against the concrete floor after he tossed it toward the nearest wall and went for the cigarette dangling from his lips, shaking off the ashes before returning it to his lips.

He said nothing then. He had already said enough and he was exhausted. Rightfully so, he thought.

Kana kept her face planted in the mattress, [color=white][b]"During that entire operation I thought you were going to pierce an artery..."[/b][/color] her voice was still muffled out, [color=white][b]"Not bad at all... Now, I don't mind staying here for a few hours. Deal with it."[/b][/color]

[color=lightblue][i]"Count your blessings you can't see what the mattress your laying on looks like,"[/i][/color] he muttered, sliding off of it until only his head was propped up by the mattress and folded his arms, closing his eyes for what he hoped would be the last time that day.[/color]