Lackluster

Pressure

The woman walks beside Mikhail into the fighting ring. The same ring that Theta had used to test her previously. Across the room stands Prime with his hands behind his back seemingly waiting for them. The agent stops but she continues until she stands directly in front of The Doctor.

"It has been a week since you infused the Elementium into my body and I gained my black cryo power. Mikhail, Néos, and I have done as you asked and have been practicing with my control. I can now summon stable constructs much quicker and easier than before."

"It is my intention to teach you how to use it in a fight." He smirks down at her.

"Of course it is..." She mumbles under her breath.

Hearing this, he chuckles. "Néos tells me your control has indeed developed at an accelerated rate during the past seven days. This was expected given your constitution. We have seen you show some excellent ability with your new element, but your technique is rough and can easily be improved upon. You have also shown some difficulty with energy management. You must learn to control the rate at which you expend your energy. Otherwise, you may be caught without enough to power your skills if a battle goes on for too long. Your wrist please?"

The man reaches for her hand as she lifts it for him. He takes a moment to uncuff the dampening bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet was built specifically to negate the power Elementium grants to the user. He made her wear it when she was alone, only allowing its removal when Mikhail, Néos, and himself were working with her. She understood why he did it, but it made it no less annoying. The Harbinger places the cuff in his pocket and turns to face her more fully.

"I understand, and I will do my best to work on that. I have to admit I do feel tired quickly after using my cryo for any extended period of time."

"Mmmm. Of course, Darling. You are pushing yourself too hard. You are feeling drained because you are using too much of your power too quickly. I have observed you in combat previously, and I have seen that you are quite reckless. This behavior puts you at great risk of overusing your talent. In combat, learn to hold back your more powerful attacks for times you are certain you will land a blow. Instead, focus on conserving your strength. While you may not do much damage initially, this will allow you to fight for longer, and deal more damage in the long run."

"Slow and steady wins the race, huh?"

"You must understand, this is no race. What we are talking about is war. In war, you do not win by being quick. You win by surviving."

She is silent for a moment while she thinks about his words. 'War huh? I'm not looking forward to that.'

His grin widens at her look of concern until she can see the sharp tips of his teeth. "...this is a test under pressure. Don't expect me to take it easy on you like I did with your examination. I will not hold back any of my blows, I will not hesitate to hurt you. It is my full intention to push you in this sparring match. I need to see how you hold up under stress."

She swallows nervously, but if she is being honest with herself, she expects nothing less. Y/N stands up straight and stares right into his mask.

"I expected as much, but if I continue to learn at my own pace, I'm never going to get anywhere, Besides..." She jokes, "If you beat the shit out of me, you can put me back together again."

The Doctor chuckles and his grin widens further. "You have more courage than I had assumed. Very well, we shall begin." He turns his attention briefly to Mikhail motioning for him to leave. "Make your move when ready."

She stands watching him for a minute before she raises her hands in front of her, forming a black spear between them. The woman fires the projectile at The Doctor before immediately leaping away and preparing for his retaliation.