Defiance.

2

I was awakened by Micah shuffling around the room at 8am. He seemed to be unpacking his things or looking for something.

"Be quiet," I groaned pressing a pillow over my head to mute the noise.

Micahs head popped up. His hair look wet and he was shirtless in socks and sweatpants. "Oh I'm sorry. I just showered after my run, I didn't mean to wake you. But don't we have training in three hours? Why aren't you up?"

I wanted to throw my bedside lamp at his head with my powers, but I held back. "I'm still sleeping because it's 8 am and we don't have training until 11am. So, that means I can sleep three more hours, now shut up and be quiet for those remaining three hours or leave because I promise I will make your stupid Normie death slow and painful," I grumbled. I wasn't a morning person at all. In fact I find that I think better toward nighttime.

"I-I'm sorry I didn't mean——" he faded off looking down. That's when I felt bad. Usually I hid my guilt well, but for some reason I felt guilty for snapping at Micah.

I sighed, "I'm sorry for snapping. It's just that my powers drain me sometimes so sleep is something I need if I have to perform well the next day. My powers take a toll, they're not just there. The rest of my body has to compensate for them."

When Micah looked back up he almost looked like a puppy who had just been scolded. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Thank you for telling me."

I couldn't understand how he was so nice to me when I was so mean and cold. It angered me more to know they were basically sending good, caring people like him to slaughter without a second thought. I just knew he didn't deserve it. Sometimes I'd catch the occasional thought that passed his mind and never once has it been about him. Maybe I just can't hear those ones because my mind reading power and precognition isn't that strong. I just knew he was a good person. I always know when people are good. I've been like that bc since I was a kid.

"It's fine. You didn't know. Just———just don't get used to it," I finished and with that he turned of the light and laid back in his bed with a book and a reading light and made no sound after that except for the pages turning and his breathing.

I fell right back asleep.

•

"Alright, Micah, this training is a lot harder than what they make you do to become a soldier. This isn't against normal human enemies. It is meant to mimic the fighting you'd experience while fighting against those with the Gift. The simulation has certain settings that provide different situations, landscapes, and powers you could face, but do not underestimate the simulation. It has been made by the most brilliant minds on earth, human and Gifted. The algorithm is solid. You will be thrown by forces. You will feel pain if you get hit with any force, or weapon. There are real elements. This is dangerous, but what is out there is even worse. Your targets will be specially programmed robots with various powers we picked up from the Gifted and replicated. So let's get started with you and Blitz sparing so I can see your skill. Blitz is not going to use his powers yet."

I rolled my eyes at the long spiel I have to go through every time a new Normie decides they want to commit suicide by coming here. It is by all means necessary, this training simulation is dangerous. If you get hit, you feel the pain. The compound had 10 training rooms like this one a mile or two from the living area. Each room was reinforced so that any Haz powers used would be contained. Inside each room the walls ceiling and floor were lined with special panels that made the simulation look even more real. They had special androids to mimic Haz powers. They looked like real humans, even bled like them to give us the full experience of murder. What experiences the simulation couldn't give us we had in real life. We trained with other Haz and Normie pairs to get the full experience.