Test Subject 17

5. Stranger..?

(THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN REVISED. REREAD TO SEE WHAT CHANGED AND WHAT HAPPENS!!)

There are times when the strangers we meet become like family. They talk to us all the time, you send things, laugh and cry together, amongst many other things. Then there are times when the strangers are family, only we just don't know it yet and become close anyway.

I wonder what you are.

"AGAIN!" I shout. Two kids, a boy and a girl again breathe erratically, trying to catch their breath. I know I'm being watched by the Sups. They want me to push these kids to their limits and then break them. The girl kneels and looks at me, sweat glistening on her skin.

"I...I can't. I'm...tired," she says. "Please, let me rest." Miranda looks at me, signaling me to do something about this. They're supposed to keep going until they drop, no matter how tired they are. I sigh and something ripples through me as I walk over to the mat. Not sure if it was guilt or excitement.

My hand lands on the girl's shoulder and she starts shrieking in pain, trying to get away from me. This is part of the ability mutation. I can inflict feelings with a single touch. But it doesn't have to be emotional anymore. Now it can be physical or mental. I can mess with people's heads.

"Again," I sneer at the child. She couldn't be no more than 7. The boy quickly straightens, getting ready to fight, like he doesn't want to experience the same thing.

When she stands up, there's a new light in her eyes of fear and determination. The girl runs at her partner, attempting to kick his ribs. He goes to catch her leg, but she pulls back with amazing speed, punching him instead, right in his stomach. The air in his lungs leave with him wheezing. Holding his stomach, his normally gray eyes go black. He holds up his other hand, and small, sharp blades shoot out in the shape of diamonds.

The girl uses her sense of speed to dodge and delivers a blow to his ribs so hard, that I hear the bones break before I hear his scream. He falls to the floor, tears streaming down his face, holding his sides in pain. Miranda smiles at her, as do I, but it almost feels forced.

"Winner: 609. You are safe for today. Go take a seat," she says. 609 nods and sits next to some other Safes.

A Safe is someone who won their match and doesn't fight until the next day. This way we can weed out those who need more practice in certain areas.

We've moved on from Ability Testing, the first part of our Training, to Strengthening, the second part. It's almost like Sparring, except in Sparring, you go until either you or your partner passes out or collapses from exhaustion. In this, they go until they are physically unable or they tap out. Sparring, 609 would have kept fighting until either she couldn't or she immobilized her partner and they lost consciousness and he would be disqualified for the next round unless he can defeat his trainer, which could take hours, or days, depending on the strength of the kid and who their supervisor is. I always sucked at both.

My head starts to throb and my sight goes in and out. Eventually, it all fades away.

(・o・)

"17. If you don't get up," the man snarled at me. My bones hurt, my head hurt, my feet hurt, my hands hurt. Everything in me screamed to go to sleep. I almost did until he hurled another knife, this one grazing my knees. I yelp, sitting up as blood starts to appear from my new wound. "Good. Now, attack me again."

My strength nearly leaves as I go to my feet, my stance sloppy. He sighs. I walk to him cautiously, sizing him up. He chuckles and goes to hit me. I duck and slide under his legs, pulling one from under him. Standing shakily, he looks back at me, a smirk on his face. "How's that?"