[Center][h2][color=teal]Amara 'Mara' Nguyen[/color][/h2] Location: Room six - Training room [/center] Everyday was the same. She'd wake up laying in some sort of twisted entanglement in her bed staring up at the same blank ceiling with a feeling of dread weighing heavily on her chest. Everything bled together. All the disappointments stacking up on one another as she failed to even grasp the small edge of her so called power. Mara curled up on her side with a sigh. Felix wanted her to come in early to get some one on one training done, though she couldn't imagine what was left to try. They had tried pairing her with the Russian boy. Hoping she could slow him down mid jump and get a better look but all it resulted in was a series of headaches and of course; failure. By this point she fairly skeptical if she even had powers anymore or if it was just a freak happenstance. Felix was kind to her though. Through each failed stimulus he assured her she was in the right place and they just had to find her 'trigger'. Even the usual sarcastic voice that seemed to delight in her failings had fallen quiet in the myriad of self pity she chose to wallow in. [Color=teal]"I wonder if they'd mind me skipping today?"[/color] She mumbled before dragging herself out of the warmth and into the cool air of her room. It's not like she had anything else to do plus, everyone else seemed to be getting some sort of grasp on their abilities and Mara could start to feel herself shrink away from the places they dwelled. There it was. That slight twinge of jealously that churned her stomach. They were amazing. All of them. Mara had no idea what their future was here but she was certain that her housemates were going to be able to do amazing things at the end. Padding outside, still dressed in her pajama shorts and tank, Mara wandered towards Felix's session room. She didn't even bother to knock as she swung open the door catching the older man by surprise. [B]"Good morn-"[/b] Felix had started to greet her before scowling at her appearance, [b]"Interesting choice in wardrobe."[/b] She could feel his annoyance but shrugged it off as she slid into her usual spot. [Color=teal]"So what's on the schedule today?"[/color] Felix's face brightened as he broke out into a grin, [b]"I'm glad you asked! We're going to a special room today."[/b] There was an eagerness in his voice that caught Mara's attention. She had never seen him so full of energy and naturally she felt herself stir in response. [Color=teal]"Oh? A new room? What's in there?"[/color] [B]"The boys in the lab have finally figured out how to trigger your abilities."[/b] Mara could feel her heart leap in excitement. Could it be true? Could she finally be taking a step forward? [B]"After analysing your results and your bodies responses to simple stimuli they've decided to up the anti, or so to say. I wasn't expecting to go this far right off the bat but it should yield good results."[/b] Felix rambled on, mainly to himself. Mara's brows arched together in puzzlement. [I]'Go so far?'[/i] She didn't understand but she wasn't sure if she cared at this point. Any type of progress was still progress. She simply smiled back at him as she pushed her fretting thoughts to the side. Felix gathered his clip board and a few other things before motioning her to follow. She did was instructed. Her fingers plucking mindlessly at the fabric around her waist as nerves crawled up and down her spine. Mara was excited, thrilled even, but his words settled heavily on her soul. Adding a poison to her joy as worry ate at the back of her skull. Felix took her to a new corridor with a whole new set of locked doors. How big was this facility? And how did he know where to go? None of the doors were labeled nor was the hallway and yet, Felix navigated them with ease. [B]"Prepare yourself Mara."[/b] He said with a tinge of mischief in his voice as he reached towards a door on their left. She took in a deep breath as he swung the door open. Inside the room was the same pale white as the rest of the facility. Cameras hung low and wide on each corner all aimed at the center where a little chain link fence stood. [I]'What?'[/i] Felix had started to lightly push her into the room as Mara looked on in complete confusion. Behind the caged area was a wall of dark tinted windows. If she squinted hard enough should could make out the faint outlines of shuffling bodies. [I]'I guess they're here to observe.'[/i] But observe what? She still couldn't figure out how any of this was going to help her. [B]"Go on."[/b] He urged her through the opening in the chain link cage. It was then she saw the little machine set up inside. Mara halted mid step as she tried to figure out where she had seen such a contraption before. [B]"It's a batting cage."[/b] Felix filled in the gap in her memory but it did nothing to help ease her confusion. Turning towards her mentor, [color=teal]"So playing baseball is going to help me?"[/color] This was bizarre even after everything else they had put her through this definitely ranked high on the weird level. A door slid open and a man clad in a lab coat carried something small out to Felix, the two whispered to each other feverishly before he took the object and sent the man on his way. Felix hurried over to Mara as he presented a small metal circlet. [B]"It may not be the height of fashion but they want you to wear this."[/b] Like usual he wasn't keen on giving away too many details about what they were hooking up to her but Mara trusted him. Tentatively she took the object and placed it like a crown on her head. They must've taken her measurements because it slipped perfectly around and sat snuggly upon her forehead. [Color=teal]"Uhh, okay."[/color] [B]"Now I need you to go stand over there"[/b] He pointed to the area in front of the machine and mindlessly Mara obeyed. Part of her wondered if she should ask more questions. Demand answers because none of it made sense but she didn't. She just went and stood exactly to where he had told her to. As soon as she had turned to face her mentor she could hear the machine begin to fire up. [I]'I don't even have a bat?!'[/I] She didn't have time to voice her concern before the first ball shot out. Mara squealed in surprise and leapt to the side. Suddenly pain shot through her skull as the device on her head began to press into her flesh [B]"Get back to your spot and it'll stop."[/b] Felix called out as Mara scrambled back. Like he had said the pain ceased but she could feel tiny beads of sweat or maybe even blood begin to well up underneath the circlet. Another ball hurdled towards her as and instinctively she dodged out of the way, only to be rewarded in pain once more. Moving back to her spot she realized she wasn't going to be allowed to move. [B]"Slow or stop the ball and we can call it a day."[/b] How was she going to do that? Mara was beginning to panic. She had no control over anything. She didn't know how to stop them. [I]'I can't do t-'[/i] her thoughts were cut short as another ball shot out. This time she didn't dodge as the ball struck her hard in the abdomen. Mara felt all the breath in her body whoosh out as she crumpled in pain. [B]"Get up."[/b] Through bleary tear stained eyes she looked up at her 'trusted' mentor who nearly stood there, eyes hard against her pleading ones. Mara had only gotten back up on her knees when the next ball came. She raised her arms defensively just in time for it to smack into her. Tears began to stream down her face. She couldn't do this. Why didn't he understand that? [Color=teal]"Felix...I ca."[/color] Her voice cut short as she cried out once again as pain swamped her body. The balls were coming faster and there was nothing she could do. Mara huddled on the floor trying to defend herself from the onslaught of fast balls flying towards her when her circlet began to dig into her skull once more. She tried to claw it off but the device tightened in response. [B]"Get up and stop the balls."[/b] he barked. She tried but her body protested. Everything in her screamed to lay down and curl up until it was over but the pain in her skull was becoming overwhelming. Mara moved to stand up with she heard a loud [i]crack[/i]. At first it didn't feel anything. Just some pressure before pain bloomed and burned across her skull. Mara screamed as blood began to gush from her nose and pour down her lips and chin. Mara clamped her hands around her certainly broken nose, trying to staunch the bleeding. Her eyes wide and frantic as they looked for Felix but he wasn't moving. Through her bleary eyes she could see his figure standing stoicly and the pain continued to increase from the circlet. They weren't going to stop. Not until she stopped the balls. Not until she unlocked her powers. [I]'I'm going to die here.'[/i] Somehow she managed her way back on her feet as her body continued to be abused by the ever increasing rate of balls. She didn't want to die. She wanted to wake up from this nightmare, home and safe but that wasn't going to happen. No matter how much she clung to that hope. Inside she felt eerily calm. The pain had began to dull as she stood there. Mara felt lost within herself. Like being set adrift in a vast ocean. [I]There. [\i] There was something there. It felt cool to the touch as it began to wrap itself around her. Her whole body hummed and without much thought she could feel her arms beginning to raise into the air before her. There was a need to do something more. Something extra but what? Considering the game the scientists had her playing a part of her drew on the small irony as her hands formed the classic 'T' shape that referee's would use to signal a time out. Slowly she opened her eyes. Everything felt sluggish around her as she looked curiously at the two balls that hung in the air just inches from her abdomen. Without a second thought she grabbed both of them in her hands and suddenly the world around her seemed to jolt forward. Smiling she looked up at Felix with a small sense of triumph before she crumpled to the ground. Her vision went dark and her body threatened to upheave the acid in her stomach. Mara couldn't move. Her entire body pulsed with pain and fatigue. She strained to listen as the thud of heavy footsteps approached her, [b]"You did good, girl."[/b] She could hear the pride echo in Felix's voice. Mara couldn't find the energy move and respond but somewhere in the back of her mind she could hear the sarcastic and angry voice mutter a faint, [i]'Fuck you.'[/i] before passing out.