The Special

Episode 10 - Testing, Testing

"So, Hawkeye, I have no clue what your abilities are, and since you've said that you don't know either, then today we are going to try to figure out what they are." Well, that was going to be fun. Not!
"So, what do you want me to do? Try to lift a car and if I can then I'm really strong like you?" He shot me a look that said he was getting tired of my smartass comments, but I wasn't. He crossed his arms, frustrated, and I put on a challenging grin.
"Listen, Hawkeye, this attitude of yours has to change, and it has to change soon. I'm sorry about what happened to you, but we're just trying to help you and if all your going to do is give us attitude then we're not going to be able to help you."
"I don't need your help." I replied in a low, gruff voice.
"Well, obviously you do, you were attacked the other day and I found you passed out in the forest. I could've left you there in the forest to die."
"Why didn't you then?" I quickly wondered. His face became soft and the anger was replaced with concern. His arms fell to his side and he put his hands in his pockets.
"Because I couldn't just leave you there. You can be an annoying ass sometimes, but your still a good kid, I know that." He looked right at me and I turned away, not being able to face the guilt and shame of having lied to him so much. He was a good person, too. Even though I hadn't known him very long, I could tell he truly cared.
"So, what are these tests?" I changed the subject.
"Well..." He said after a moments silence.
"For this first one I'm going to get you to do a bit of cardio, you seem to not have much of a problem with that." I don't like to brag but, ya, I'm pretty fit and good at cardio. This was going to be easy.
"So, what? You just want me to go for a jog?" That seemed way too easy.
"No, I want you to sprint from here to the other side of the camp." He pointed to the forest on the South side of camp. We were right near the tree line on the North side of the camp.
"Sprint for about half a kilometer? Alright." I was just about to start running.
"Wait! That's not all." I looked at him, confused.
"For this test I need you to concentrate."
"Concentrate on what?" I had no clue what he was talking about.
"Just concentrate." Yeah, that doesn't really help.
"When the time comes, and if you really do have this ability then you'll know what to do, you'll be able to feel it." I had no clue what he was talking about but I thought I'd give it a go anyway.
"Ready?" Damian nodded and I sprinted as fast as I could as cross the camp, whipping by Ron and Erik. I tried concentrating. Nothing. I'm was trying so hard to concentrate that I actually wasn't concentrating and I almost ran into a tree, though. I failed that test.
"What's next?" I was barely out of breath.
"Swimming." I changed out of my jeans into some canvas shorts and stood by the dock.
"Your going to swim wearing a sweater?" He looked down at the grey sweater that he gave me, which I was still wearing.
"Fine." I stepped onto the dock, took my jacket off, ran off the dock and jumped into the lake.
"So, what do you want me to do?" My head bobbed over the water.
"I wanna see how long you can hold you breath." He took out a stopwatch from his pocket.
"Sounds easy enough." I took a deep breath and dove under the water. I just floated there for a minute, like a particle floating in the cytoplasm of a cell. I didn't grow gills or start breathing water so I'm guessing I failed the test.
It was actually really relaxing being in the water with my eyes closed. So quiet. So peaceful. Until I heard something, someone, talking... to me.
"Hawkeye! Hawkeye! What are you doing?" That voice was that of a man, I couldn't remember who the voice belonged to but I did recognize the voice. It was of a middle-aged man, at least that's what I was guessing. The voice sounded angry and and maybe a little bit confused.
"GET HIM!" I also heard. That voice made me flinch a bit.
These voices weren't from right now, I soon realized, they must have been forgotten memories.
I got a sudden image of a flag in my head. It wasn't the flag of any country I knew of. It, too, was familiar but I couldn't quite put my finger on where I had seen it before.
Random flashes of images I couldn't quite remember flooded my mind and I was swarmed by violence and terror. The flashes got faster and faster and I couldn't take it any longer. I felt an urgent need to resurface, so I did, gasping for breath. As soon as I opened my eyes the images stopped.
"Well, I didn't turn into a fish-man so I'm guessing that test was a fail." Damian just stood there, staring at the stopwatch.
"What?" I grabbed my jacket from the shore and quickly covered up my dripping wet body with it. My secrets were hidden.
"Hawkeye?" Horror, or maybe it was surprise, masked his face and kept his jaw open.
"Yes?" I was a bit worried now.
"You were down there for six minutes." He held up the stopwatch for me to read.
0:06:01:43
Holy shit!
"Your kidding? I was only down there for a couple of seconds, I swear. At least that's what it felt like." I couldn't have been down there for over six whole minutes, could I?