Supernatural Abilities

Chapter Seventeen - The Proof

She nodded once before silently beginning her own warm up method: yoga, stretching, the relaxing business. For someone who has to use their body to fight, I imagine they would have to be pretty fit to do that. I mean, look at Cole. The boy has muscle.

But with me, the one who primarily fights through their mind, all that isn't very needed, but could prove useful. In a physical fight against a Catcher, I would die immediately. I need to train both my mind and my body.

"Care if I join you?" I asked, taking a spot next to her where Leona was doing some crazy twists with her body. She shook her head and tried to mimic her position.

And that's how Cole and Alex found me later and almost died laughing when they saw stance I was in thirty minutes later.

"Pretty sure that's not right, Taylor," Alex said in the middle of his cackles.

Leona was at a perfect angle and arc, while I probably assembled the Leaning Tower of Pisa more than anything else. I dropped my body to the floor in a lump and huffed out in frustration. When they looked down at my crumbled form, I glared.

"Huh," Cole commented. "Your papers didn't say that you're the most inflexible person ever. Looks like I won't be calling you Twisty anytime soon."

"Well, sorry for trying," I groaned while adjusting myself to a sitting position. "I just want to be strong and physically fit like the rest of you guys."

"And you're not?" Cole asked with his eyebrow raised. "Taylor, you look great--"

"It's not all about looks, you know," I eyed him. "In the event that my powers magically disappear and I'm left with pure strength, I'm toast!"

"And how would that even happen?" Alex challenged. From next to me, Leona watched our conversation in joy.

"Gee, I don't know. How'd the hell did we end up with superpowers? Or this thing on our backs? Or how did we all magically pass out from pain at the same time? I know I haven't been here too long, but I'm starting to see a pattern of things that seemed impossible happening."

Alex didn't say anything as Cole gave me an impressed look. He offered a hand that I gratefully took.

"Then let's go," Cole said and I gave him a confused look. "You're being trained a different way. Let's go on a run."

Alex laughed as Cole grabbed my hand, despite my objection to running, and led me outside. When I finally was able to pull away, I faced him in defiance.

"I'm not interested in running--"

"It's needed, Princess," Cole grinned while stretching his quads for a few moments. "Stamina is really important."

"I'm not--Ow!" When Cole shot tiny balls of flame at my head, I jumped back. However, he didn't stop and I get going and moving out of the way until I eventually had to start running. After some time of him shooting fire at me from behind and myself further ahead, he finally stopped and caught up to me, the two of us running through the wood side-by-side.

"See, it's not so bad!" He said exuberantly while I was already gasping for air.

"I... hate you so much," I wheezed by continued on.

Cole grinned at me. "That's not what I'd say to you, but I'll take it."

He thankfully didn't take me on a long run and once we circled back to the training room, everyone was there and I collapsed onto the ground in a mess of heavy breathing.