MIRA

It was a perfect comic-book situation. Bank robbery, guys in ski-masks with guns. No super-villains, no powers. A simple and remarkably common problem.

We crouched behind decorative potted plants on shelves over the main area of the bank. On the ground, painted gold because why not, all of the customers and tellers were on the floor, the robbers in ski masks waving their guns around carelessly, like morons.

It was the perfect test for our powers. I looked to Ryder. We weren't wearing masks, or even our costumes. Those were still being designed.

I could see every detail of his face. The little cells opening and closing to receive air, observing the minuscule ways a heartbeat changed his coloring— all unnoticeable to the casual viewer.

"What should we do?"

I could hear Saige behind me, and my eyes flicked to her and her white-blonde braids, mostly out of habit, returning to Ryder before he could even notice.

"They've got guns, so we can't just go rushing in there," he said. "And Aleister can't shield all of them— probably only one or two of us."

"Depends on which two," Aleister said, his gray eyes starkly bright against his olive skin. Some said they were unblinking, but I always saw it. "You and Verity, definitely. But if it's Mira, I can't keep a shield on her, you know that."

I could see it— we were losing time. I didn't need to look to either watch on my arm to know that. The air felt thicker and thicker, threatening to choke me with the absolute lack of action.

"Look, we know I can dodge bullets just fine," I reminded them.

"But Verity could levitate them—"

Verity shook her head, biting her lip. "Maybe not all of them."

"Well, we're not going to keep talking," I said. I stood up, and Ryder grabbed my arm before I could start running. "What?"

"We need to have a plan, we're being tested on our teamwork—"

"And the bank is being robbed as we speak, and they're going to get away," I reminded him. I pried his fingers off— I didn't want to hurt him. "Aleister, see if you can guard Verity long enough for her to pull off her trick— I'm gonna try to clear the room."

Then I ran, before anyone could argue with me.

It was exhilarating, like being snapped forward into the air. Everything else was slow around me as I felt the air become light, felt like light myself.

I could see the bullets— and I was faster than them, fast enough that they were easy to push out of the way, towards windows where they couldn't hurt anybody.

Slowly around me, the guns started to lift out of the robbers' hands— Verity could do it after all.

Saige leapt from her hiding place, heading towards the civilians.

I went straight for the bank vault. Yet when I hit the door, I heard a beeping from the wrist-watch on my left.

I was about to run out of energy.

I stumbled to a stop, falling flat on my face and feeling like the living dead.

I hated the aftermath of my powers.

I ducked behind a piece of decorative wall, and opened a pocket. I pulled out a high-calorie bar. Had to replenish what I took, or—

I didn't want to think about the fear at the back of my mind, all the time, and instead focused on the taste of peanut butter and protein.

I had to tell Dr. Banning that I liked this brand more than the kind she had the lab buy last week.

"See, we're losing time now." I looked up to see Ryder standing over me.

I rolled my eyes. "Give me a minute— you know I have to make sure I can cover you."

"Still, we could've avoided this—"

I finished swallowing the bite. It wasn't quite enough to do my full speeds— but I wouldn't be useless.

"Alright, I'm ready," I said.

"I'll take high, you take low."

"Is there any other way?"

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. "Just follow my lead."

Then we burst into the bank vault, and I started by dodging the bullets, and kicking the two burglars to the ground. It was a room of cold steel, the cabinets of money towering far too high. Ryder came in from above and pulled out the bank teller.

One of the burglars reached for his gun, and I dived for the other one. The burglar who it belonged to tried to wrestle me for it, but a well-timed kick with my knee had him roll off of me like water off a duck.

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I put my finger on the trigger just as I heard a click behind my head.

Crap.

"Mira!"

Ryder sounded afraid. We both knew I was low on energy.

But maybe—

I ran and collapsed not three feet later. I was shaking and cold, my fingers trembling as I tried to open the pocket and get to the rest of the calorie-bar.

That was all that Ryder needed to get into action. Down the second burglar went with a well-timed punch.

I managed to eat enough to feel like I could maybe stand as Ryder walked over, and pulled me to my feet.

"We'll shut them in the vault until the police arrive," he said. "I grabbed his gun, come on."

We ran out— I say ran, but it wasn't my definition— to meet the others in the main room of the bank. I was more dragged by Ryder, to be honest.

We stopped in the golden main room. Verity was straining to keep all of the robbers in the air with her powers, I knew she couldn't keep it up much longer. Aleister and Sage were ushering the civilians outside.

They ran over to us just as we heard police sirens.

"Simulation over."

The bank fizzled away, revealing the neon green training room and the rigs pulled up and over our heads, detaching without any input from us.

Good, I thought. I didn't think I could muster the strength to do anything.

Several interns took notes on their tablets while Dr. Banning ascended the stage.

"That was your final test," she reminded us. "Your objective was to get the civilians out of danger until the police could arrive to formally arrest the burglars."

We looked at each other, and I managed to smile. We had managed that.

"You rose to the challenge, and I think you'll finally be cleared for field operations," Dr. Banning declared.

Ryder and Sage cheered, Aleister looked contemplative, and Verity looked nervous. I would have been with Sage and Ryder, if emotions didn't feel like too much in that moment.

"However, I do have some concerns," Dr. Banning said. "Mira, you cannot overextend yourself like that. You know what happens when—"

"I know!" I couldn't stop myself from sounded irritated. I was exhausted and I didn't want to talk about that worst fear that came up far too much.

Dr. Banning didn't get mad, to her credit. She just nodded and moved on. "Ryder, Mira was right. You wasted a lot of time coming up with a plan. You managed to pull it together later, but you are the leader of this team. I chose you with your eye for strategy."

Ryder just nodded, looking like the perfect poster boy of a superhero.

"Sage, remember how I told you about the importance of making the right pairings for a fight?" Dr. Banning asked. "Mira needed you. We talked about how you can help her by giving energy boosts with your healing powers."

"I forgot." Sage blanched.

"Aleister, I'd like to see you practice with your shields, more," Dr. Banning said. "You're being clever with them, but I do think we need to work on expanding the range."

"I'll do better," Aleister promised, solemn as always.

"And Verity—"

"I'm sorry, I know that I've done more impressive lifting in practice, but I just froze or—"

Dr. Banning's face softened. "You did well. You just need to work on your confidence."

Verity bit her lip, saying nothing.

Dr. Banning sighed, more one of relief and exhaustion than anything else. "That's it. You'll be entering the field in two days as official Sentinels. The costume designers are almost done with your hero identities. You'll get a briefing on that tomorrow."

There was a maternal expression of pride on her face.

"I'm so proud of how far you've come," she declared. "One hour free time, and then lights out."

The others dispersed, and I struggled to the kitchen while Dr. Banning stayed behind in the simulator room.

The kitchen was right down the hall, a sleek black-and white futuristic design, with a seemingly endless pantry and refrigerator.

I opened the sliding doors to the pantries, and I caught sight of the protein bars. I grabbed the box and sat down on the sleek white floor, ripping open one bar after another until I felt full and a little drowsy.

I checked my watch on my right wrist. It was 9:15. I had exactly forty-five minutes until I had to be in my capsule for the night.

I didn't want to go there, not yet.

I instead walked down the hall to where the entertainment room was, only to stop when I heard grunts of exertion from the training room.

I entered the large padded gym to see Verity grunting as she tried to lift every dummy in the room. All of them were weighted to feel like humans, and there were about thirty of them in there.

She strained for four seconds before they all crashed to the ground, and she fell to her knees with exhaustion.

I rushed to her.

"Verity, are you okay?"

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "It's never good enough!"

"Shh, you heard Dr. Banning, she thinks you're good enough," I reminded her.

She frowned at me. "Haven't you been in the Sentinel common room lately?"

I knew immediately what she was talking about. "Ignore them. Just because we're the last team to be field-ready doesn't mean that we're not powerful or that we're not trying hard enough. Dr. Banning just chose to raise us differently, that's her right."

Verity just shook her head again.

"Look, you'll feel better when you sleep," I promised.

"I just want to be good enough." Her eyes were far away.

"And you are," I assured her.

"That's easy for you to say," Verity sniffled. "You're able to just dive right into things and dodge bullets and stuff. The other heroes ask about you. You were the only speedster that lived long enough to be born—"

My expression slipped, but I managed to catch it before she noticed.

I tried not to think about the lost ones that were supposed to be like me.

"I collapse if I use my powers too much," I reminded her. "You don't have those kinds of limitations."

"True." She sighed. "It's just— this is what we were built for. But did you ever want it?"

I frowned. "Of course— think of all the good we're doing. Most kids don't get to be us. We're special."

Verity bit her lip, but said nothing.

"Wait— do you not want to be—"

"I don't know," Verity confessed. "But I don't know what I want."

"Maybe some sleep will help," I suggested again.

For a moment, Verity looked like she was about to say something.

Then she just smiled. "I guess you're right."

She stood on her feet, and used her powers to stand all of the dummies back up again.

We then walked into the capsule room. Five tubes in the middle of the room. There were masks that covered our mouths and noses, giving us air as we slept in fluid. Our heart rate and sleep cycles were also monitored, to make sure that we didn't wake up surrounded in fluid.

I had never had a bed, or a personal space of my own in the sixteen years I'd been alive.

I grabbed my sleep-suit out of the drawer marked for me. It was completely bare, with no personal trinkets. I had none. I was supposed to be one of many, a part of a whole.

Who was I to have anything when my part was service to everyone?

I headed into the bathrooms, with their sophisticated shower stalls and changing rooms, and I quickly stripped and changed into new clothing.

As I was on my way out, I nearly tripped into Ryder, on his way in.

"You did a good job," he said, smiling in that perfect Superman way.

"Uh, thanks." I didn't really want to acknowledge the part about him saving me.

"But next time, stick with me," he said. It was not a request. There was something sincere and earnest there. But ultimately, he was telling me what to do.

I wanted to be a spitfire, stand up for my plan, that I'd saved the day— but I didn't.

I was still exhausted, deep down.

I just nodded and headed into my capsule. I closed myself in, and put on the mask.

I could hear the computer counting down until I would either sleep or a drug would be administered to make me sleep.

But I didn't need that aid tonight.

It went black in three seconds.