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Chapter 7: Training Gone Wrong

Gina swung her arm in a wide arc, fusing everything she touched with nano energy. Her hands gleamed bright green and a misty green haze surrounded her whole body. She had gotten much better in the past three weeks.

"Gina! How's it going?" Quill walked up to her, his brilliant eyes flashing in excitement.

"Would you like to practice together?"

"Umm, sure. Yes." Gina had practiced with Quill before, but never just the two of them alone. It seemed far more... close. She was good friends with Quill; the two had hit it off far more than the others, but she wasn't sure how he felt about her.

Quill turned suddenly and stared at her with his enhanced eyes. Streaks danced around them and Gina stood mesmerized by their sparkling beauty. It was like watching fireworks.

"You would like to give me a hug," Quill grinned cheekily. His enhancement gave him the ability to influence others once he had them under his control. Gina put up a nano shield.

"Not on your life." The shield blocked his power and she was released from his eye hold, she, in turn, touched his arm, juicing it with nanopower.

"Yikes!" He yelled, jumping up and down with his teeth gritted.

"Maybe a little less next time, Gina."

"Sorry."

"Just... work on how much goes into the strike. You don't want to actually hurt me."

"I know." She told him, with a slight edge in her voice. She had been working on her control for weeks, and Mr. Vienn had told her that she was improving.

"Maybe we should stop now. Do you want to come and get a drink with me out by the river?" Quill defused the situation as soon as it came up, as he was so good at it. Gina nodded quickly, ashamed of herself. Quill hadn't deserved that.

But fate decreed otherwise.

"Hello, fellow freaks. Shirking practice again I see. What? To scared to practice in front of me because you know I'll make you look bad?"

"Hello to you, Ro," Gina said, trying to hide her annoyance in a subconscious act of defense. She was having memories jolted to mind that she wanted to forget. Memories of Miss Karina.

"Well, well. If you aren't scared of me, how about we have a little contest? See who really is better."

"No, Ro. We are training to fight the shadow creature that sleeps beneath our Earth; not each other. We train to face a threat to every child in the world. A threat to us all."

Ro grimaced. Since she had become enhanced she was worse than she had been before. Now she was nearly reaching hurtful status rather than grumpy. Ro had been gifted with superior strength and stealth, her natural abilities. Sadly she hadn't been gifted with a more pleasant attitude.

Raging Ro, Gina giggled internally.

"Spare me the orphans and children talk. I've heard it enough." She rolled her blue eyes sassily.

"That doesn't make it any less..."

"Important," Ro interrupted rudely. "I know."

"Fine," Gina told her, her nerves tweaking. "Be unkind again. It simply doesn't bother me."

"Then fight me. If it doesn't bother you."

Quill stepped forwards quietly. "Stop it, Ro. You're teammates. Don't fight."

Quill was always keeping the peace, but Ro had deliberately goaded her and she was sick of it. If Ro wanted to spar that badly, Gina would give her a fight.