Captain America: The Phoenix

8. Test QR1

Chapter 8

Steve stood in the elevated glass viewing booth with Dr. Hansen, a neuroscientist and researcher from Dr. Cho's team that had extensive knowledge on brain activity, human behavior and even the biological properties of an enhanced person. Steve was watching behind the glass as assistant nurses connected tubes and all kinds of complicated-looking wires to Quinn, whom he could see looked a bit hesitant and nervous.

"There's nothing irregular about her blood, her cells or tissue. No gamma radiation, no alien DNA—" Dr. Hansen said from behind him as she looked through a microscope. "—nothing that would explain her superhuman abilities."

Steve furrowed his brows at this, planning to turn and ask the researcher more questions, but he was more intrigued by what was going on through the other side of the glass. The three researcher's assistants had instructed Quinn to lay down on that glowing, rectangular flat bed in the middle of the test room. Then one of them placed a sort of silver headband that wrapped around her forehead, having lines of light blue cutting through it.

The three then left the room.

"Excuse me, Captain," Dr. Hansen said, going for the control panel that he had been standing by.

He took a step back, watching the doctor's actions, she seemed to have activated the headband that was wrapped around Quinn's head, as it glowed bright blue. Then she fiddled with a few of the systems before a blank holographic rectangle showed up in front of her.

She then flipped on the intercom, speaking directly to Quinn.

"How are you feeling, Miss Rivera?"

"Is it too late to ask for a pillow?" Her raspy voice came through the speakers of the control room that the doctor and the Captain stood in.

The doctor let out a short chuckle, "the test will begin shortly, Miss Rivera. Do you have any questions?"

"Will it hurt?"

"This is a painless procedure, Miss Rivera. It's more of a psychological test. Just to see how your special instincts and reflexes react to certain emotions and situations." The doctor said in a calm and assuring voice. "We'll be monitoring your vitals and your external and internal temperatures."

"For safety reasons, this room is fireproof, right?" She asked.

"Yes, Miss Rivera. The room can withstand heat up to 1,000 kelvin. It's been used to test all kinds of weapons and devices."

Quinn suddenly felt like a bomb, contained in that bright white room. But she shook this off and nodded. "Good. Ready whenever you are, Doctor."

"Commencing test QR1." The doctor said before releasing the button for the intercom.

Quinn then closed her eyes and relaxed her body.

Steve watched as the doctor moved back over to where the blank holograph was floating, right above a panel of numbers zero to ten.

Before the doctor could begin, the door behind them opened. The two looked back to see Natasha, Sam, Wanda and Vision waltz into the room.

"We were gonna start training, but we couldn't really help but be curious," Natasha said to them as the four walked closer to the glass, examining Quinn's state.

Steve gave a nod to the doctor, who proceeded with tapping on the number 1 on the panel in front of her. An image of family in a delivery room appeared on the holographic screen in front of the doctor. All five of the team, standing on the opposite side of the booth as the doctor looked over at once to see the visuals being presented. It was clearly supposed to be a happy moment, the mother and the father crying tears of joy over their beautiful newborn.