The polished surface of the training area surrounded us, completely encased in smooth porcelain, I stood with Spyglass, Payback and LED.
The cooldown time for Payback’s powers had worn off, finally. it being a measure of more or less seven days, he didn’t know exactly why but he said that it never really did go shorter than six days or more than eight, he theorized it had something to do with the amount of damage he took from people.
“And the cooldown applies to you as well right” I asked him continuing our conversation.
“Yeah, it's mostly why we almost never go on various followed missions, the safety net of having a cure that strong is too good to pass up.”
“Which is why doing this now put a high risk on us, but we think it might be worth it” LED told me.
“I think we should wait, but LED is competent enough to not put himself in harm's way, different from the turtle.”
“It would be sensible” I agreed with Spyglass, ignoring her comment trying again to stick the nickname on me. “But I put the ultimately decision on LED.”
“I think it's no problem, this mission is supposed to be a quick extraction, avoiding confrontation. If something happens, I won't blame anyone.” LED said
“LED will stay defenseless, so you make sure you jump in front of anything aimed his way” Payback told me
I nodded understanding the preposition, the mission was time sensitive so it would be better to go quickly, LED said that he would pass all the details when everyone was together, at lunch or at dinner.
LED apparently also wanted to see what my powers could get from something like causality, I wasn’t sure that it was worth to do it now but I wouldn't deny it as well.
I would only need to make sure to get in the way of any attack aimed at LED.
“I don’t know about what I'd get, the possibilities are somehow being able to cure myself, or maybe inflict the same effect although I think that part is unlikely”
“Yeah, I think there's too much steps to pass the injuries of one person to another, doesn’t seem to be something direct.” Payback said agreeing with.
“I agree” LED said “But enough theory let's get to action.” he said as he stepped up to the testing area.
“I've noticed how you seem to have some degree of training, even if your stance is rusty you can defend from a punch fairly well.” he continued speaking now standing alone in a little further into the room.
“Yeah, I did some MMA in the past.” I told them as I walked to stand closer to LED “I’ve also done some other fight sports before MMA, but it was all before college and I really haven't trained anything anymore.”
“I don’t see why I'd need to fight proactively though; my powers are reactive.”
“That might not always be the case.” LED lectured me. “Besides there might also be times where you can't use your powers, or you could be buying time, if you master controlling it and turn capable of not triggering a transformation you might fight differently as well.”
That was certainly a lot of reasons, even if the prospect of not having access to my powers send a cold shiver trough my back, even having them for only a week, they already felt as part of myself, an intrinsic bit of me, as it should be.
“I need to be attacked though, to activate my defenses.”
“Again, it might not be the case forever, and if you attack them, won’t they use their powers to defend themselves?” LED asked, making a lot of sense. “You taking the initiative and attacking might start the learning process earlier, who knows. In all instances you’ve only interacted passively with other people's powers.”
“That’s true, my power could evolve in a more active way.” I though as I was already capable of pulling the full transformations and had just recently found out about the more active way of using the pieces I learn from other powers.
“Hmmm, if I fought with someone that could mutate in an active manner that might be the most promising way, I’d be able to do a lot more then” I said conceding his point about the usefulness of fighting proactively.
I being the one attacking and them the one defending was a direct interaction in any way, my powers weren't inherently defensive after all, maybe.
“True, we might want to keep a lookout for people like that, but now, aren't you looking forward to a rematch?” LED asked me, a small upwards tug on his lips.
“I doubt it will go much differently, but sure. Let’s do it.”
“I’ll be ready for the healing so let him get a shot or two LED” Payback said from where he was standing together with Spyglass.
LED and I squared off, in a flashback to the scene from a week ago, it seemed like a way longer time. Well, it is experience that makes time.
I dodged LED’s jab, not repeating the mistake of being completely lost in thought, I had been watching him for the first move.
“Better.” he said. “Still being passive though.”
I focused completely on the fight now, taking a quick breath in, and lunging at him with a short jab stepping forward at the same time.
He also dodged easily the simple move, readjusting with a step back. I gave him a small smile from behind my guard. He answered with one of his own.
The game was on.
I didn’t relent, keeping on the offensive, going for a sequence of punches, the dodging ability LED showed revealed itself to be phenomenal, the guy clearly wasn’t rusty like me.
In the middle of my sequence, I didn’t realize an opening and got a jab into the ribs as punishment, making me readjust, opening space for his counter attack.
As I dodged attacks to the best of my ability, having to defend a lot of the time I felt my powers adapting to the situation, thinking that I would again turn into the chunky armored beast that I turned into when subjected to physical force.
I was surprised though, as the situational capacity from my power was greater than I realized, as the armor still grew over me but in a much lighter form, my knuckles getting covered and my wrists reinforced, but there wasn't any big addition of mass as far as I could tell.
I jumped back not getting any opening from his form, and trew a kick at his legs, he raised it in response, defending with his knee. the beats of the fights were becoming clearer to me, like reading the flow of attack and defense was becoming easier.
Was it the adaptability? The potential to fighting was even greater than I thought then. This time as I was trying to not become over cumbered with a transformation, I didn’t feel the usual tugging from my core, leaving me only slightly armored.
As our fight continued it became less and less one sided, before I couldn’t get in the offensive unless I gave myself space, now though the situation was increasingly becoming an even exchange.
Moments of me attacking and then of me defending but always looking for the next opening.
My form was mutating as well, becoming more fit and well protected, with armoring and lean muscles defined beneath it.
My arms, sheens and feet the most armored bits with thicker ‘plating’ making my attacks much more damaging. LED was sporting some bruises and cuts because of that.
His focus was impressive though, not slowing down because of the hits at all, and that was without using any of his boosts, the guy really was some kind of combat freak.
I felt my power mutating much more cleverly now, like an oiled machine it worked seamlessly, identifying the area I was trying to excel at, fighting. Enhancing it and not only in body but in mind as well.
The little pieces it got from different powers seemed to be irrelevant and disconnected, but it already added up in such a way.
The concept separation, the enhancing and the control, all the examples it saw complimented the directions I could take my form.
Now I wasn’t only adapting to external stimuli, to harmful attacks, but to fight. I tried pushing this concept even more forward, to make me adapt to attack.
LED let very little time for my normally long contemplations, which was good, it forced me to think faster, that drove my powers to adapt for me to do so, the fight was in a steady pace now, where the only one getting more injured was LED.
After taking a couple hits to the face and abdomen I urged the covering to transform into a full armor, it complied this time, apparently having adapted fully to the situation.
A dark brown plating covered me, it was form fitting, but I could feel the internal part was a soft gel-like substance. While the outside was tougher than leather.
But the genius of the ability only revealed itself on LED’s next successful hit, I had slipped up and he got me on the solar plexus, a straight hit. Only that it didn’t hurt nearly as much I it should have.
The jelly substance had solidified at the area of impact, it was a goddamned non-Newtonian fluid!
I grinned behind the mask that covered my face now, leaving only my eyes exposed. All the types of force resistance the ability had to improvise with Victor and Glassmetal tests seeming to coalesce.
LED took a step back, narrowing his eyes. I stopped as well, still in fighting form. He opted to not say anything just activating his strongest buff, the white light on his forehead contrasting with his black skin.
He got into a fight stance again, now somehow more menacing.
He went into the offensive first, the attack coming way faster than before, I defended, feeling the hit this time, I tried catching his arm but he retracted it too fast.
The level of keenness and awareness that my adaption was giving me before now matched by his power.
He wasn’t trying to make it easier for me, but with his power increase so did the pressure, and we were exchanging blows at a fast pace, my hits doing almost no damage now.
I needed more power, I thought. My blood surging, bumping even harder. The bones in my knuckles spiking through the armored skin as we entered a furious back and forth of violent punches.
I got a hit on his kidney; he rocked my face with a cross.
He followed with an elbow swing pulling his arm back, I took it in my right palm.
I drove my left knuckles into his face in retaliation. He moved his head, lessening the blow but being hit all the same.
I went to follow up, only to get a foot to the chin as he somersaulted back. stopping facing each other as I stumbled regaining my foot. His face bled from the supercilium where my spikes scraped it.
His chest was raising and falling in deep breaths, I felt mine doing the same, my heart thumping furiously, pumping more blood than it ever had.
He got out of his stance giving me a smile, showing his teeth, I also got out of the battle-ready form, letting go of the tautness in my power, just letting it slowly dissipate this time, this fight had tired me, more than the only defensive scuffles I got into.
LED swiped his hand under his cut that was bleeding profusely, as cuts in that area tended to do. “I think that’s enough for now, huh.”
“I did get you hurt in the end.” I told him in between breaths.
He laughed loudly still in a great mood from the fight it seemed. “Yes, you fought really well this time. You’ll make a fine addition to the team.”
I nodded, too tired to talk still.
“It feels great to have a simple fight, not worrying about life or death.” he sighed, his smile subsiding.
“Great fight guys.” Payback said approaching us.
“It was way more well matched than I thought it would be, so you're not only a power nerd?” Spyglass commented clapping her hands weakly.
I shrugged “Told you I’d get him” I laughed, the two of them were close by now, and Payback stepped up to LED. “let’s heal you already, the blood’s getting all over the place.”
“Yeah, thanks Payback.” LED told him. And I watched eagerly, knowing the hit would be paid back to me, I smiled at my own joke.
