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Sabine had given it some thought. The contest showed that her abilities, while beneficial in certain contexts, were not offensive enough. She had done relatively well with her force field sword, though she was untrained in how to use the actual weapon part. It was clear she needed more training with her abilities and her skills.

But who could she ask for help? Ser Nemo was dead (or was he? Hard to say anymore), none of the other staff seemed willing to step up or they left, and she didn’t trust her father to offer any assistance. Vision was a possibility but he was juggling his duties for the school as well as screening any resistance the team was getting from their win. She-Hulk was also a contender having been there for Leah but Sabine felt awkward going to her for help. Plus, She-Hulk was brawn, did she understand mental abilities and psychic knowledge?

That left one avenue to pursue and Sabine hesitated even then. The Kingston-Grey family was…well things were still not good. They were better, especially after their win and she hoped Danni helped pave the road with her good intentions, but she didn’t want to rock the boat. So when she reached out to Max, again, for help, she fully expected to be shut down.

[i][color=A2797E]”It’s Sabine. I need help. It involves my psychic powers and learning how to use them in combat situations. I’d understand if you refuse to help, but if you know of anyone who could help me, I’d appreciate it.”[/color][/i]

Max had been sat at his desk, hunched over scrolls, papers, and holocrons that his students had sent in for grading. His forefinger and thumb massaging his temples as he wondered where these kids got the idea that any of these formations were appropriate, let alone a good idea. His phone went off and he glanced to see what emergency the kids had gotten into that he may need to fix, he was surprised to see it was Sabine. 

[Color=aba400][i]”I know many who [b]could[/b] help you, but I can aid you in whatever ways I can if you wish. Just say the word…and your location.”[/i][/color]

A text came back almost immediately.

[i][color=A2797E]”In my hotel room getting ready to pack up and leave. And word :P”[/color][/i] Sabine had a good talk with April before, but before she fully left New Orleans she wanted to see if she could get some help from Max. She knew he was busy and it bothered her to take up more of his time. He could have said no, she would have understood.

A portal opened in Sabine's room, though on the other end of it wasn't Max, his home, or his school office. It was a location wholly unfamiliar to Sabine, a run down mansion, tattered and old, yet still barely holding on. It was condemned, and nothing surrounded it as far as the eye could see. [Color=aba400][i]”I'll be with you shortly. Head on through and I'll meet you there, and yes, the location is right.”[/i][/color]

Sabine eyed the portal and, by extension, the location Max had picked out. She fought off the instinct to turn back, but Max surely knew what he was doing, right? So she stepped through.

She eyed her surroundings, unsure. Was this a training ground? That must be it. Could have picked a nice field or something, but rundown mansion was certainly a choice.

A few minutes passed, the portal having long since closed after Sabine stepped through it, before Max finally showed up. He donned his yellow wool coat that he wore back when he was a teen, a matching felt hat atop his head as he stepped through his own portal before motioning towards the location. [Color=aba400]”Quite the site isn't it?”[/color] Max looked towards the opening he'd used years ago, making his way towards it before looking back at Sabine. [Color=aba400]”Are you coming?”[/color]

Sabine followed slowly at first, but picked up the pace, following Max forward. [color=A2797E]”It is definitely a site. What, was a run-down funhouse with animatronics taken?”[/color] She joked, but she felt like even that place would be better than here. [color=A2797E]”Does this place hold some significance or are we here for the ambiance and the vibes?”[/color]

[Color=aba400]”Both.”[/color] Max jumped down and into the building. [Color=aba400]”This was one of the first places I called home. One of the places I attempted to make a difference, and a place in which I made many mistakes. Lost good people here.”[/color] 

Sabine looked crestfallen. [color=A2797E]”Sorry, I didn’t mean to make light of it. Thank you for sharing this space with me.”[/color] She waited a beat and followed Max down. [color=A2797E]”I kind of like the aesthetic, honestly.”[/color] Admittedly, she was chomping at the bit to see what Max was about to offer, but she didn’t want to be rude. She was taking up his time. She wanted to be respectful.

Max led her down a hallway, turning the corner into what should've seen like an empty room, but when he opened it inside was a state of the art Danger Room. [Color=aba400]”I made this when I was 18. Crazy right? I really thought back then that it could rival Xaviers. I think I did pretty good.”[/color] He stopped and turned to face Sabine, a nostalgic smile across his face. [Color=aba400]”If I could make this at that age, think of what you could do with your powers now.”[/color]

Sabine was impressed. She had heard of the Danger Room, of course. This set-up was impressive and if Max made it at 18 he was more powerful than she gave him credit for (which was a lot, to be fair).

[color=A2797E]”Please, I’m no Charles Xavier. This isn’t in my wheelhouse. For you though, impressive work. Does it run just like the one at the X-Mansion? Is that why we are here?”[/color]

[Color=aba400]”No idea. Soon after it was made a terrible virus swept across mutant kind killing us slowly. We got attacked by my wonderful neighbor because some selfish prick amongst us stole his daughter, and then I was frozen in space as time pressed forward. So…never even got a test run. As to why we are here, its to show you a very important lesson. Most who seek guidance and aid go to Kamar Taj, or the Halls of Strange Academy. They seek temples and locations of power in a hope to find some truth amongst it all. But you don't need any of that. Most don't. Most people simply need to see that they have to think beyond what they're given.”[/color]

[Color=aba400]”I have a feeling you're here, asking me for help, because you [i]feel[/i] you didn't do enough, didn't have enough, to help how you wanted to within the Contest. I know what that feels like, and sword training or combat training isn't something you just pick up, you understand that, that's why you asked for help with your abilities and the answer to that is to expand your mind. So, explain to me how they work, what you currently can do.”[/color] a cane materialized from Max's hand as he began to lean against it.

Sabine took in the information, slowly realizing there was a lot of history she was unaware of. She knew of some mutant history, but it wasn’t like it was taught at school. To be standing here in a spot that should have been a haven for them that ended up being a battleground was not lost on her. She could sympathize, even if she could never fully understand what they had gone through.

[color=A2797E]”Well, memory manipulation is the main thing. I am able to rewrite memories, manipulate them, control them, make a person forget something. It can be as light as just forgetting a recent conversation or, if I put full force behind it, I could make a person forget who they are entirely. Shave them down to nothing but a breathing husk of who they were. I can make people forget they have powers so they don’t use them, I’ve inputted memories of something to make them think they were a different person. With Arcade, I shone a light on some bad memories and made him think of good ones which altered his state. I am also able to recall memories from objects and I am able to bolster or weaken a person’s skills by altering their mental state.”

“And you’re right. I felt like I could have done more during the contest. Don’t get me wrong, I recognize the importance of having utility heroes in helping out in fights, providing support and weakening enemies, but there were so many moments where I could have done something and either failed or forgotten. Hell, for the first couple of fights I forgot I even had a sword. Chalk it up to a lot going on in the background, but I still feel my powers can be used more in those situations.”[/color]

Max’s eyes hardened as Sabine spoke. A simple tongue click showing a tinge of disapproval. She was young, but she needed to learn to grow. [Color=aba400]”There's your first problem. You've fallen into the telepaths trap. You focused so much on how you can manipulate others, take away from them and leave them nothing, that you didn't stop to think of how you could bolster yourself. You can see memories of objects, that's good. You can view memories of people or implant some, that's better. Now why haven't you tried that on yourself?”[/color] Max stopped leaning on the cane, hitting the bottom of it hard against the stone flooring as the sound echoed across the room.

 [Color=aba400]”Versatility is the key to any good fight, if you cannot have a versatile team, you cannot achieve anything. And if you yourself can't be versatile, then you can fall just as easily should you ever get caught alone. For me I took martial arts when I was younger. I learned to use a weapon with some reach and that could be readily found anywhere should my magic fail me.”[/color] He twirled the cane in one hand before catching it with both. [Color=aba400]”I have two ways I may be able to help you, and they both involve a lot of trust, and may involve a bit of pain. But know this Ms. Bassard, on the battlefield there is no ‘things going on in the Background’. There is only you, your team, and the enemy before you. If you're distracted even for a second, forgetful for just a moment, you could die…or worse, someone you love will. Take it from a person who's been distracted. So, do you think you can handle this?”[/color]

The words may have been harsh, but Sabine stepped into this knowing she wouldn’t be hand-held. She needed someone who cared enough to tell her when she was being stupid, but kind enough to know how to help. [color=A2797E]”I can do this.”[/color] She said this to Max, but she needed the reassurance to herself too. A reminder she was doing this for her team, her friends, her loved ones, but she needed to do this for herself. To show she could be more than everyone’s expectations on her shoulders.

[color=A2797E]”What do we do first?”[/color]

[Color=aba400]”There are two way I can think of helping you. It is up to you which we will do first, which you feel more comfortable doing. One method is using your powers to create an illusion within another's mind. Nothing  complex or elaborate. For now as it's just you and me,  you will try and supplant the memory of yourself in my mind. Make me believe that there are more than one of you do that my target is harder to hit. I, will attempt to attack you.[/color]

Sabine hadn’t considered this avenue before. She had implanted memories before, but usually for things in the past, never for what was going on. And memory was an ever-changing thing. We constantly learned new things, processed it, and then stored it. 

Sabine took a battle stance. She reached out her mind into Max’s. Once inside she shifted herself to the present rather than the past. It was a new feeling. Weird, but also good. Inviting. Like something unlocked. She formed an image of herself in her present state and put it on the field with her that Max could see. She tried to do so again, and again, but she noted that some illusions were shifting, some looked a little bit off. She shook it off and tried again. The more she did so, the better the illusions got. 

She broke off once she was somewhat satisfied, leaving five illusions surrounding herself. They began to move and so did she, hoping to confuse Max.

She opted to stay silent this time, but she would need to practice it in the future. If she spoke now it would be a dead giveaway. 

Max watched, waited, as Sabine began to create her mental tricks. Noting each time one failed in one way or another as he stood there. Finally she locked in, five illusions, each moving with her but none of them speaking. Good. But still it took her too long to conjure, too many tries to succeed. Of course she was new to it all, but he'd need to reel it in a bit. [Color=aba400]”Not bad, but it was slow and more importantly, overzealous. Try and limit yourself to three only. It may not offer as much chance for cover but it'll be more consistent, harder to spot the differences.”[/color] 

Max moved in an opposing fashion, shooting magic towards one of the illusions. He'd meant to send off a bolt of fire, but instead sent an array of streamers towards it. He didn't let on that wasn't his intention. Either way it pointed out one of the fakes to Sabine before he shot another stream of confetti towards a second illusion. [Color=aba400]”That's two.”[/color]

Even when she succeeded, she still failed. Par for the course really. With two of the illusions down now, she focused more on maintaining the two that were left. She moved around, allowing the illusions to get closer to her, almost touching her. Each one looped around, trying to confuse. [color=A2797E]”So, do I attack you or is it just practicing this?”[/color]

[Color=aba400]”That is up to you. Do you feel you have fine enough control over it to attack and keep them up already?”[/color] Fire began to build up in the palm of his hand, when he remembered she was just a kid, one he is meant to look out for. If she came back flame-grilled Max would never hear the end of it from James. So the flames quickly became currents of water, spiraling in his hand. [Color=aba400]”Pulling them in is smart, confuses the target on a different level. Good, you're already adapting, but remember this…the closer they are to you the easier it'll be to hit each one.”[/color] Max flicked his wrist towards Sabine, the marble of water colliding against her and exploding as water hit her and the other two illusions.

[Color=aba400]”Let's try that again. This time I won't stand still. Try and create the three illusions simultaneously. Attack me if you wish to, whether thats before, during, or after you create them is up to you. I will fight back, use whatever weapon you wish. I'll also be adding something to simulate a bit more of a challenge for you.”[/color] Max swiped his hand in the air, a digital panel appearing in its wake as he began to type something out before the pair of them were scanned in. A portion of the wall opened up, a mixture of short range and long range weaponry inside it for Sabine to choose from. [Color=aba400]”When you're ready.”[/color]

Sabine scanned the weaponry in front of her. It was equal parts thrilling and unnerving. She didn’t want to hurt Max, though she suspected it wouldn’t be so simple. She opted for a rapier-like weapon. A bit on the nose for her, but she had done some fencing in the past. Once selected she readied herself.

She entered Max’s mind again and created her illusions. Each one holding their own rapier. Three illusions surround her, close enough to cause confusion but not so close to allow for easy differentiation. She then strode forward, but the scene around her changed. Suddenly she was no longer in the run-down manor. Instead she was on some battleground and surrounding her was her team. Leah and April. Danni, Dorian, Percy, Andy, and Vicky. They all appeared in varying states of offense and defense. So this is what Max meant. It meant she needed to focus more too. 

She would need to be able to do multiple things at once. She noted that April was on the ground with Leah over her, checking to see if she was okay. One of the Sabine’s ran over to check while the other three went forward towards Max. One of them lashed out her rapier towards him while the other two flanked him on either side.

Interesting. Max hadn't expected for one of them to break off and head towards the injured. He'd merely wished to help steel her mind with things that could be so that she was prepared for the worst. Three of them broke towards Max, attacking him with rapiers. One (an illusion) had swung in an unnatural way, the elbow bending backwards inhumanely as Max went to block another's blow now that he knew the first was a fake. He'd meant to teleport away from the third shot, but she was quicker than anticipated. The blades edge lashed out against his side as the fabric of his coat tore moments before Max vanished and appeared between the Sabine running towards Leah, and Leah. [Color=aba400]”I really liked that coat.”[/color] He quipped before quickly taking it off and tossing it to the side, revealing a small ribbon of blood against his otherwise white shirt. 

Sabine didn’t mean to hurt him. She had thought that this system would have it where the participants were unable to get hurt. One of the Sabine’s was by Leah, tending to her while the other three stood in front of Max, rapiers at the ready. [color=A2797E]”Didn’t mean to hurt you, sorry,”[/color] the Sabines said, in unison. She was getting better at that.

Still, it was far from over. Two Sabines ran up towards Max, striking forward with their rapiers. The third remained back, hand to her head, looking like she was about to do some mental psychic attack.

[Color=aba400]”Don't apologize Ms. Bassard, we are in combat. One of us was bound to get injured. After all, I cannot train you properly if you become distracted by pain, by injuries.”[/color] The clones came rushing towards Max as he began to weave a complex spell. His movements fluid, not only in the way he had begun to cast, but also in the way he dodged each attack. [Color=aba400]”Now put all your effort into it. Everything you have, everything you are, you've got to give on the battlefield, when everything is chaos. And you have nothing but the way you feel, you're strategy and your mind. You just think about the life you'll have together after the war, and then you do it for her, thats how you know you can win.”[/color]

As Max spoke, the scenery began to shift, adding more atop the battle that was already happening. Scene's depicting Sabine giving it her all, her new skills fully realized, some he'd already began to show her, some he had not, hinting towards the next lesson as she fought her way to Leah. That scene vanished, replaced by a new one, showing moments of the Contest in which Sabine had forgotten something or been overwhelmed by the opposing team, all the while continuing to weave a spell.

[Color=aba400]”Deep down, you know, you weren't built for fighting. But that doesn't mean you're not prepared to try and what they dont know, is your real advantage, when you live for someone youre prepared to die.”[/color] Sabine had seen Dorian fight many times now, in training, in the Contest, practice. He was always calculated, scoping out the enemies and figuring out the best angle for each. But there were moments, times where he was brash, and did whatever it took to win the fight and help his friends. This was where that side of him came from, this was his ability to self sacrfice for the greater good. The spell began to click into place, a small mote of fire surrounded by rings of thin flames, bright blue that swirled around it. Max was about to wipe the field, if Sabine wanted to protect herself she'd need to put up her shield or take cover, or she could take the brunt of it.

Sabine saw the spell formulate. She didn’t have her sword with her here so she couldn’t create a force field around her. She scanned the area for cover. She spotted some debris from the battlefield and dove behind it. What had she seen? Images of her, from the Contest, from times not yet witnessed, what was this doing apart from confusing her? But she had to trust the process. As Max said, the battlefield would not wait for her to get ready. She needed to take action.

The rings came out first, encompassing the area as a dome shimmered around them, and then a blast centered on Max. Flames engulfed the arena, the heat licking at Sabine but never harming her as she hid behind the rubble. When it finally cleared, the simulation had ended. They stood in a white room once more, Max holding a hand over his wound as he began to heal it. [Color=aba400]”Good choice, I'm not as good a healer as James is. When overcome with options the ability to make a split second decision is important to both your life, and that of those you care about. You seem to be getting a handle on your mental illusions too, by the end it was hard to distinguish which was which for me without using my third eye.”[/color] He made his way over towards her and held out a hand to help her back up.

Sabine took the hand offered and stood up. [color=A2797E]”If I had my sword I would have used the force field, but I get it. I won’t have it all the time. So, what was all that back there? I saw images of the past as well as things that haven’t happened yet. Is that part of the simulation?”[/color] 

[Color=aba400]”Part of your training. You've seen your flaws. Understood them and are trying to grow. But I need you to open your mind to seeing your potential as well. You're already picking up on training tips without my need to say so, you're smart, clever, and decisive. Now I want to show you a possibility that goes beyond defense, how to use your powers to aid you in battle without harming another's mind. You pull memories from objects, you can also supplant memories. Combine the two, pull the muscle memory from my training in combat, duplicate it, and supplant it to yourself. It won't be a permanent change, but it'll be enough to help you in a pinch during a fight.”[/color]

That was something Sabine had never considered before. She knew she could boost others, possibly herself, but to take memories attached to skills and put them into her own psyche, it was honestly genius.

Sabine stood ready and sent her mind out into Max’s. She scoured his cerebellum for the memory he spoke of. Since he brought it up it would be easy to find. She saw some images of Max training, combat ready and focused, and latched on. She struggled a bit; this was something she never did before. But she grappled the memory and pulled it out, reeling back into her own mind where the memory attached itself to her memories.

It felt…odd. Like a warmth internally that started in her gut and worked its way throughout her body, through her nervous system. It felt both sticky and welcoming, like a new sweater. She tried it out a bit as she lowered herseff into a combat stance. It was finicky and weird, but her body moved on its own almost, though she stumbled a bit.

[color=A2797E]”Holy shit. Pardon my French, but wow. This feels….weird, but good weird. Right weird. I never knew I could do this.”[/color]

[Color=aba400]”It is hard for us to know what we do not know.”[/color] Max tossed his cane towards Sabine for her to catch as he produced a new one with his magic. [Color=aba400]”Let us see how reactive you are with it.”[/color] He knew she wouldn't be 100% reactive. It was like running a game through a streaming system. There would be latency issues and she would be a few seconds off, but better to react slightly slower than not have the skill to react at all. He rushed towards her, swinging at her with his staff.

Sabine grabbed the cane, though it bounced a bit off her palm, but she latched on. She surprised herself, so much so she didn’t catch Max’s movement until he was closer to her than she’d have liked. She lifted the cane up, but it didn’t deflect the blow all the way as she felt the cane smack into her upper arm. She bounced the cane back off of her and backed up, getting ready. [color=A2797E]”Okay, I felt my body react but my mind wasn’t as quick on the uptake.”[/color]

[Color=aba400]”That'll happen. This isn't natural for your mind or body, so there is a bit of a lag when reacting. But you managed to fend off a bulk of the attack that would've otherwise left a lot of damage. A better outcome wouldn't you say? Try attacking.”[/color] 

Sabine, as quickly as she ever did, swung the cane in her hands directly at Max’s midsection. It was like her body acted on its own, like it had trained night and day to learn how to move with the weapon she had in her hand. Again, her mind lagged, but she felt it catch up quicker.

Max took a step back, moving his body backwards as the cane quickly moved to block Sabine's attack. He swung for his own and her body reacted quicker than he expected, not quite blocking it fully but it was the closest that Sabine had gotten. Mere milliseconds of reaction that staved off most of the attack. [Color=aba400]”You're getting quicker.”[/color]

Sabine felt her body and mind connect in a way it hadn’t before, as if someone else was controlling it, but she still had autonomy. This skill, if she practiced it more, would be invaluable. She could easily switch from defense to offense and back. [color=A2797E]”Yeah well, I had a great teacher who I stole a memory from,”[/color] she joked.

Max actually laughed at Sabine's joke. It had layers, and was well enough to be a good quip in battle. If there was anything Max loved beyond his family, it was a good quip and conversation during battle. [Color=aba400]”Stealing my ability to quip as well? That's just downright diabolical.”[/color] He joked back.

Sabine chuckled, feeling more at ease than when she first started. [color=A2797E]”Two for the price of one, can’t beat a good deal.”[/color] She put her arm down, handing the cane back over to him. [color=A2797E]”Two new skills to help going forward. Thanks again. Vision’s words during the party were great, but I didn’t fully believe it then. I am starting to now.”[/color]

[Color=aba400]”I know the feeling. James always said such beautiful things about my powers, and all I could see was the destruction I wrought.  But we cannot see the forest for the trees, and we must trust in those around us to help guide us when we ourselves can't see the path. You'll do well Ms. Bassard, you've proven that.”[/color] Max took back the cane, having it vanish into cosmic dust once more. 

Sabine felt it now, deep down. It took her a bit, but she was starting to feel like she could be the hero she wanted, the one she hadn’t believed in before. She also felt that if her mom was here, she would be proud. [color=A2797E]”Thanks Max. Truly. You’re a great teacher.”[/color]