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Post by Shadow on Jun 20, 2011 19:20:10 GMT -5
The third Training Room was for agility, or so I had been told. Looking up at the ceiling, I felt a bit trapped - it wasn't hard, considering how deep in the earth I was standing at that moment. Glancing around, I wondered who else was taking advantage of the day to train. The other chambers were usually pretty full, but this one seemed relatively empty. With a sigh, I intertwined my fingers, smiling slightly as a soft crack announced the easing of tension in the small bones of my knuckles. I made my way towards the center of the chamber, which was riddled with large rocks and other obstacles. Lights began to flicker overhead, signaling that the computer running the training session knew I was there. The earth shifted slightly, and I began to run. I leaped onto the first moving rock I could find, feeling its solidity beneath my fingers. Glancing up, I saw the roof coming at me, and just before I hit it, I leaped off the rock. Most people would probably be panicking at that moment, faced with the dark spikes of rock at least fifty feet below, but not me. I'd gotten used to heights, and they didn't really scare me anymore. A telltale glitter began to form beneath my feet, and I felt as though I was sliding down a smooth surface. Crystal glitters like falling glass seemed to break from just behind me, the only visible effect of using my powers. I let the slope of my created pathway even out, and slowly I made my way back to earth. As I landed, the computer blinked twice. I turned, wondering if someone else was entering or had already entered - that would be one of few reasons the program would shut itself down.
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Post by flameh on Jun 20, 2011 19:57:50 GMT -5
A girl with fiery red hair and black attire walked down the hall towards the usually empty training room. Ash preferred to be alone when she was training, she found it much easier to concentrate and control her powers. She walked into the training room and noticed that someone was already in there. She shrugged and approached the girl, who she quickly recognized as River, a fellow skirmisher. "Hello River" she said, a bright smile on her face.
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Post by Shadow on Jun 20, 2011 20:02:13 GMT -5
As she approached, I recognized my fellow mutant as a Skirmisher named Ash. I had talked to her before, though we had never had any missions together. I straightened, brushing a bit of solid air off my legs. One thing about my power that was a little annoying was that it tended to leave traces. But that was something I would sort out eventually. I smiled as I looked back up at Ash.
"Hey," I said, "It's good to see you down here. It seems so empty when no one's around." I commented, glancing about at the huge room with its wide ceiling and many angular rocks jutting up here and there. It was definitely not the sort of place one would feel particularly comfortable in if one was alone. That's why I was slightly relieved indeed to have another mutant to talk to.
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Post by flameh on Jun 20, 2011 20:06:22 GMT -5
"Yeah it can be lonely sometimes" Ash said. She knew how River felt, sometimes the solitude of the large rock room was a bit much, especially if one wasn't used to it. "I'm surprised to see someone else down here" she said "I'm usually the only one that ever comes here, though I don't know why."
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Post by Shadow on Jun 20, 2011 20:17:03 GMT -5
I smiled slightly at Ash's comment.
"Probably for the same reason I don't - it's almost always empty. If Colonel Shriek hadn't asked me to come down here to train I don't know if I would have." I chuckled. The Colonel of my temporary Squad was pretty much one of the meanest people I'd ever had the misfortune to meet. But then, I was used to prickly people. It was easy enough to avoid them - usually. And when I couldn't, I tried not to get into any trouble. I probably could have pretended to train down here, but it was better to just obey orders. Besides, I didn't want to disappoint Shadow. If I worked hard, she'd be proud of me, I was sure. Somehow she'd always been like a parent to me, and the thought of making her proud was enough to keep me going.
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Post by flameh on Jun 20, 2011 20:21:58 GMT -5
"I like the space" Ash explained "its a lot easier to train." "Plus I can train for almost anything in here, without the risk of hurting someone else" she added. Ash's amber gaze scanned the familar surroundings, and smiled to herself, it was one of her favourite places to be.
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Post by Shadow on Jun 20, 2011 20:30:09 GMT -5
I glanced at Ash, trying to remember what sort of power she had. Fire, I think. I mused, remembering how candles would flicker when she passed by. I did have to admit that training with such a power could be dangerous to others. My sister was sometimes wary about her own powers, and they were much more tame than Ash's.
"I see," I said at last with a small smile, "That makes sense. I must say my powers usually aren't incredibly harmful, although I did almost drop a ten ton pencil on my sister's foot once." I said mischievously.
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Post by flameh on Jun 21, 2011 19:02:27 GMT -5
Ash laughed at River's story. "What'd she do to you?" she asked. "It must've been pretty bad for you to almost do that" she said in a teasing manner.
Ash thought about all the horror stories about her powers. The one that stuck out the most was then one she remembered least about. All she remembers is her brothers, heat, flames and darkness. She shuddered slightly at the dark memory.
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Post by Shadow on Jun 21, 2011 19:05:05 GMT -5
I shrugged at the question, thinking back but only remembering my sister's body being enveloped in dark shadows as the pencil broke into the floor where her foot had been. "You need to be more careful!" she had snapped at me. Her anger had been warranted, but I had been young and unable to control my powers.
"Nothing much. Lucky for me my sister has the ability to evade my blunders, although I must admit I sometimes wish I could hit her with a two ton pencil." I chuckled dryly.
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Post by flameh on Jun 21, 2011 19:31:20 GMT -5
Ash laughed at the comment. "I know the feeling" she said "I used to wish I could hurt my brothers when they annoyed me." She managed to choke backs the tears that usually came with her discussing them. She wasn't one for sharing her emotions and thoughts without reason.
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Post by Shadow on Jun 21, 2011 19:35:16 GMT -5
I noticed something odd about Ash's face when she talked about her brothers. I knew that I'd never heard of them before, so doubtless she'd been forced to leave them behind. It was a pain that was hard for someone to understand if they'd never experienced it. I knew that well, as did my sister. I decided it would be best to avoid the subject. Turning my attention to the computer above, which was waiting for the signal to continue with the training simulation, I smiled slightly, my hands resting on my hips.
"Well," I said, "What say you we give this training thing a go?" I asked good-naturedly.
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Post by flameh on Jun 21, 2011 19:37:56 GMT -5
Ash smiled at River, thankful that she didn't push the subject of her brothers. She tried very hard to keep her past a secret, she knows that someone knows where she came from because someone brought her to the hideout. "Sounds like a plan" she replied, a competitive glint in her amber eyes.
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Post by Shadow on Jun 21, 2011 19:43:45 GMT -5
I grinned, happy to have someone to work with here. I looked back up at the computer's little neon light, pausing a moment before continuing.
"Computer."
"Computer Ready."
"Run program ATP2. Level 3." She said.
"Running program ATP2. Level 3. Begin."[/i] A smile crept on my face. This was probably one of the better programs, because it was both difficult and fun. The whole concept was to get past the ever-shifting rocks to the target beyond - a red button that would shut off the program. The only issue was that the button was located within a small crawl-space that was normally quite filled with a large weight. One teammate would have to hold it up for the other to reach the button. Or at least that's usually how it worked - I often could preform this one on my own. But it would be nice not to have to "cheat" this time around.
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Post by flameh on Jun 21, 2011 20:02:59 GMT -5
Ash listened as the computer started up. Usually she just used the room for free training and rarely used the computer. This should be interesting she thought to herself.
She braced herself as the ground she was standing on began to shift and move. "Well here goes nothing" she said to herself. She noticed her piece splitting and jumped to the next piece of land.
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Post by Shadow on Jun 21, 2011 20:09:47 GMT -5
The earth buckled beneath my feet, causing my body to lurch forward on its own. I began my dart for the other side of the room, my hands held just behind me, propelling me forward. My feet created a soft patter on the shifting earth. My eyes widened as a rock to my left bulged towards me, trying to knock me aside. I leaped into the air, concentrating on my right foot. It made contact with the rock, sending a resounding cracking noise into the air. The rock fell apart and I was free to move forward. A large wall stood in my way, but I made short work of it with one blow of my strengthened fist. As several rocks tried to block my way, I clapped my hands together and closed my eyes for a moment. Then next second I was running through the rocks like a phantom, gliding up on solid air one moment and darting through surging stones the next. I glanced to see where Ash was, knowing that I couldn't - or wouldn't - end the program without her.
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