Fii set down the last training dummy, sighing with relief as the heavy weight left her aching shoulders. The training dummies were crudely fashioned and painted, with misshapen faces and bulging eyes. Edith made them from scrap metal, using recycled car parts, and they were built to withstand a fair bit of punishment.

Finding a big enough spot to use for her training, while also being secluded enough to ensure they wouldn't draw attention, took a bit of time, but she finally found the perfect location: an old, abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the slums, near the Wall. The building itself was run-down and rusted, with graffiti spray-painted on the sides.

Squatters and vagrants sometimes lived here, but they never stayed long. It wasn't like the building was in the center of town. Most of the time, it was empty, save for the rats.

She glanced around the room, wiping the sweat from her forehead, admiring her handiwork. She had managed to bring all the training dummies into the building without being spotted, and she even had time to set them up properly.

Edith had set up a small desk in the far corner of the room, covered with all sorts of complicated-looking contraptions. Her fingers clacked against her keyboard, and her eyes were glued to a large monitor as she muttered to herself, not bothering to look over at Fii.

"Okay, I got the rest of the stuff you asked me to get," Fii said, rolling her shoulder and stretching. "What do you want me to do now?"

Edith raised a hand, shushing her. "One sec."

Fii waited impatiently, tapping her foot on the ground, drumming her fingers on the side of her leg.

After what felt like forever, Edith finally looked up from her screen. "Ah, there we go. Everything's ready. Let's get started on today's training then. Put on your gloves."

Fii grabbed the pair of boxing gloves Edith had given her, sliding her hands into them. She clenched her fists, enjoying the way the leather molded to her hands. She'd only had them for a short time, but she already loved the feeling of having them on. They were comfortable, sturdy, and most importantly, fit her perfectly.

Once the gloves were on, Fii stretched her arms out in front of her and bounced on the balls of her feet, warming up her muscles. She hadn't trained yet today, and her limbs still ached from yesterday's session. However, her excitement helped her ignore the soreness in her body. The more training she got in, the faster she could become a hero and get out of this dump.

"Alright, let's review what we've been working on for the past month," Edith began, picking up a clipboard from her desk. "To recap, you've been working on manipulating your gravity field until you can do so without consciously focusing on it—automatic reflexes. And I have to admit, you've come a long way."

"Thanks," Fii responded, her voice echoing throughout the cavernous room.

"Don't celebrate yet, I'm not finished. This isn't a game, and I'm not going to sugarcoat things. While you're showing improvement, you have a long way to go before you can even remotely consider yourself proficient." Edith paused, letting her words sink in. "Manipulating your weight and the weight of things you touch is only the basics of basics, the very foundations of Gravikinesis. We can't progress further until you've at least grasped the fundamentals."

Fii nodded. "Okay, gotcha. So, what's next?"

"Next, we move on to advanced basics. In essence, we'll be covering the same material as before, but we're going to apply the principles in combat-oriented scenarios. Each dummy is equipped with a weight sensor and an array of shock absorbers to record your progress. By monitoring how you hit, I can gauge your growth." Edith rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Now, where was I...? Ah, yes. Since you're getting more accustomed to controlling your gravity field, you'll be focusing on learning to maximize the effects of your attacks. Let's call it, 'Gravity-Enhanced Strikes'."

Fii cocked her head, curious. "So, what exactly does that mean?"

"It's simple," Edith explained, her eyes narrowing in concentration. "Normally, you can generate more force with your strikes just by increasing your own weight, right? You can punch harder by becoming heavier. However, with Gravity-Enhanced Strikes, you're going to do something a bit more... nuanced."

Fii raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Go on."

Edith turned to the nearest training dummy, placing her hand on its head. "Imagine you're about to punch one of these dummies. Just before your fist makes contact, you momentarily increase your entire body's weight, multiplying the force of your strike. Then, immediately after the impact, you revert to your normal weight. Think of it as a split-second gravitational surge."

Fii frowned, trying to wrap her head around the concept. "So, I'm going to be... what, turning myself into a human wrecking ball for a split second?"

Edith chuckled. "In a manner of speaking, yes. But it's more controlled than that. By manipulating your gravitational field, you can increase your weight exponentially in the split second before your strike lands. This will amplify the force of your punch or kick. Then, you'll decrease your weight to more manageable levels immediately afterward. This way, you don't crash through the floor or cause unnecessary collateral damage."

Helix's voice chimed in from one of the speakers at the desk.

[To put it in simpler terms, it's like adding the weight of a car to your punch for just a fraction of a second. The force generated would be immense.]

Fii grinned, bouncing on her toes. "Alright, I'm sold. Let's do this."

Edith returned to her seat at her desk, her eyes flicking toward her screen. "Excellent. Now, to start off, you'll be practicing against this training dummy." She pointed to the first target. "Start with that one. You've already learned how to manipulate your weight. But remember, the key is to increase your weight just before the impact. It's not about being heavy all the time, but about the timing."

Fii nodded, rolling her shoulders to loosen them. "I'm on it."

She faced the first dummy, holding her breath as she concentrated on her Gravitational Field. She pictured the invisible sphere of energy surrounding her body, imagining it as a thin blanket, enveloping her completely. It was a familiar sensation by now, like slipping on an old, comfortable shirt.

She focused on the dummy in front of her, imagining it as one of the Gully Rats who had ambushed her. The memory of the beating she'd gotten was still fresh in her mind. How many times had those punks hurt her? This would be her payback.

As she tightened her fists and drew her arm back, she imagined her fists being as heavy as a car for just a moment.

Taking a deep breath, she lunged forward and threw a punch, feeling the rush of power as her gloved fist connected. The dummy rocked back on its stand, a loud clang echoing through the warehouse.

"Not bad," Edith remarked, typing away at her keyboard. "But the time delay was a bit too long. Try again, but increase your weight a bit later and release it a bit faster."

Fii took a moment to center herself, feeling the familiar thrum of energy coursing through her body. It tingled and prickled along her skin, sending goosebumps rippling down her arms and legs. She didn't feel like her body or her fist suddenly got heavier, but weirdly enough, she felt her gloves squeeze tighter around her fists right as she was about to throw the punch.

Weird. So what was the deal with Edith saying 'weight' all the time? Nothing really felt heavier.

She lashed out with another punch, trying to be mindful of her movements. This time, she thought of increasing the weight of her fist just as she swung her arm forward, as if she were swinging a hammer. The force of the blow caused the dummy to rock violently, but Edith shook her head. "Better, but not quite what I was looking for. Try again."

Again. Nothing felt heavy, but her punch definitely hit harder.

Fii bit her lip, frustrated.

This was hard. Really hard. Edith wasn't kidding when she said she still had a lot to learn. This wasn't something that she could master overnight.

----------------------------------------

The warehouse echoed with the sound of metal clanging, as Fii hammered at the practice dummy relentlessly with a barrage of blows. It had taken her the better part of a week, but she had finally figured out how to increase her weight at the exact moment of impact.

Fii stood, feet planted firmly on the ground, and squared her stance as she attacked. Sweat trickled down her neck and face, plastering her hair to her skin, and she panted with exertion. But she didn't care. She had to get this right.

She struck the dummy again and again, slamming her gloved fist into its torso and head. The gloves had already been battered and torn from the countless hours of training she'd been putting in.

Edith glanced at her computer and shook her head, clicking her tongue. "Try again."

Fii bristled in irritation, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. "What, why? The timing was perfect."

"The data doesn't agree with you." Edith pointed to the screen. "Look, the output from the training dummy still shows a noticeable difference between when you increase your weight and when you release your Gravitational Field. It's not fast enough, Fii."

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"Are you sure weight has to be the only thing that matters? Can't I just...I don't know, use gravity to pull their face to my fist or something?"

Edith raised an eyebrow. "Is that a question or a suggestion?"

"Both?"

Edith snorted, rubbing her chin in contemplation. "While I commend your creativity, can you actually wrap your head around how to do that?"

"Um, maybe?"

"No, you can't," Edith sighed. "Your idea has merit, but I don't want to give you bad habits. Better to teach you the fundamentals first, before you start experimenting on your own. Look, I admit, we don't have a full understanding of how gravity works—let alone Gravikinesis—but we do know enough to theorize some things. You, on the other hand, are still learning about Newtonian physics so all you need to understand is 'weight' to build an intuitive understanding before tackling anything more complex."

Fii shrugged. "Okay, if you say so."

"Now back to work. Don't forget to focus on your timing."

With a roar, Fii launched another barrage of punches at the dummy. However, no matter how hard she punched, no matter how many times she smashed her gloved fist into its body and head, Edith didn't seem satisfied. "Again."

Finally, with a grunt, Fii brought her leg up and slammed her foot down, stomping on the ground as hard as she could, causing the concrete floor to splinter and crack underneath her. Her shoes sunk into the ruined cement, and a huge chunk of the floor buckled.

Fii grunted, trying not to scream in frustration. It was maddening, getting so close and still falling short. Why couldn't Edith be happy with what she did? She could have easily been bashing in the dummies' heads and breaking them in half with the force of her punches, but that wasn't what Edith was asking her to do. No, she wanted precise control. A quick flick of her wrist, the blink of an eye. Like switching a light switch on and off.

A vein throbbed in Fii's forehead as she continued to strike the dummy with reckless abandon. With each impact, the air thundered and the training dummy rocked and swayed, shaking the room. The thick concrete pillars lining the perimeter groaned, as if they were on the verge of collapse.

Suddenly, a sharp pain lanced through her arm, causing Fii to wince, and she stumbled backward, clutching her elbow. Blood streamed freely from her knuckles, the skin peeled away. The gloves Edith had made for her had torn through at the seams, leaving her hands exposed.

But more than that, she noticed a peculiar, dull ache in her bones, as if someone had broken her arm.

"Damn," she swore, gingerly prodding her elbow.

"Stop, stop!" Edith called out from her desk. "That's enough."

Edith rose from her chair and strode over to Fii, grabbing her by the shoulders and examining her arms and hands. "You're done for the day. Let's get you patched up."

Fii's shoulders sagged, and she wiped the blood from her knuckles. "I was doing fine."

"If by 'fine', you mean destroying the floor, then yes. Otherwise, no. Come, sit. Let me check on those injuries." Edith guided Fii to a chair, making her sit. Then, she grabbed a bottle of antiseptic solution from her desk and a roll of gauze and began cleaning the wounds.

The disinfectant stung Fii's torn skin, drawing a hiss from her. "Ow! That hurts!"

"Of course it hurts. That's why they call it 'disinfectant.'" Edith dabbed at the cuts, wiping away the blood. "Hold still. This needs to be cleaned properly."

Fii gritted her teeth, forcing herself to remain still as Edith treated her.

Once Edith finished, she began wrapping the gauze around Fii's hand. "There, that should be better. However, you're going to need to learn to control your temper. I understand you're frustrated, but if you keep this up, you'll only injure yourself more."

Fii pursed her lips, looking away. "Sorry..."

"I know, I know." Edith patted her on the head. "Look. I think you were right. You've got the timing down well enough. I've been pushing you hard, and I haven't given you enough praise." She pulled back, locking gazes with Fii. "You're doing a great job."

Fii blinked in surprise. "Wait, you really think so?"

"Yes." Edith smiled reassuringly. "I'm just a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to these things. I tend to nitpick a lot. I apologize for that. But I promise, you've made a lot of progress recently. I think you're ready to move on to the next stage of your training—after you've healed up."

"Really?" Fii brightened visibly, sitting up straight. "What's the next stage?"

"We still have to train you on how to augment your speed and agility using your gravity field." Edith tapped her finger on her chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm. I'll come up with a course or obstacle course for you to try, and we'll see if we can incorporate this into your training regimen."

Fii grinned broadly. "Awesome! Sounds fun. I'm tired of punching things anyways."

Edith returned her smile, nodding. "Glad you're excited. Well, then. Take the rest of today and tomorrow off. We'll resume after."

image [https://i.imgur.com/yAlVaJm.png]

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The sun had barely risen, casting a soft orange glow over the abandoned warehouse. The dilapidated building, with its rusted beams and graffiti-covered walls, had become Fii's training ground. Today, however, it looked different. Edith had been busy.

A series of obstacles had been set up throughout the vast space. There were makeshift hurdles made of old car parts, narrow beams suspended in the air, and a maze of ropes hanging from the ceiling. At one end of the warehouse, a series of platforms of varying heights had been erected, leading to a zip line that stretched across the room. The entire setup looked like a mad scientist's version of an obstacle course.

Fii, standing at the entrance, took it all in with wide eyes. "You did all this in two days?"

Edith shrugged. "Not me personally. A few of my patients owed me some favors, and I asked them to lend a hand. I just supervised. They handled all the heavy lifting."

"Wow," Fii breathed out. "It looks insane."

"Insane is the point," Edith said, dusting off her hands. "Now, go suit up. It's time to test out your agility."

Fii rushed to the back of the warehouse and changed into the suit that monitored her vitals. The sleek fabric clung to her body like a second skin, making it feel slightly constricting at first. She ran a few laps around the warehouse to get used to the feeling, while Edith attached various sensors to her, checking her readouts.

When Edith gave the green light, Fii started the obstacle course.

Fii approached the first obstacle, a series of hurdles. They varied in height, some barely reaching her knees while others were almost chest high. "So, I just run and jump over these?"

Edith shook her head. "Not just run. You'll use your gravikinesis to lighten yourself, then you'll be able to clear the hurdles no problem. The varying heights will force you to adjust your weight on the fly. If you miss the amount of weight you need, you'll either not clear it, or you'll overshoot it and float off like a balloon. Basically, the same principles you used to develop Gravity-Enhanced Strikes apply in this exercise. Time your transitions."

"Got it." Fii nodded in understanding. She crouched down, planting her hands on the ground. Her breathing slowed as she gathered her thoughts.

Then, she stood, taking a deep breath, filling her lungs with air. he focused, feeling the familiar sensation of her weight decreasing. With a burst of speed, she dashed towards the first hurdle, clearing it with ease. The next one, slightly higher, required a bit more effort, but she managed. As she progressed, she found herself getting the hang of it, adjusting her weight instinctively to clear each hurdle.

Without breaking stride, she continued on, ducking under low-hanging beams and leaping over obstacles. The wind rushed past her face as she raced along the path, a wide grin plastered on her face.

As she reached the end of the hurdles, she barely had time to catch her breath before the next challenge. The narrow beams, suspended a few feet off the ground, required balance and precision. Fii hesitated, looking uncertain.

"Remember," Edith called out, "use your gravikinesis to lighten yourself. It'll make balancing on the beams easier."

Taking a deep breath, Fii stepped onto the first beam. She wobbled slightly but quickly regained her balance. As she progressed, she found herself moving more confidently, her steps light and sure.

As she neared the halfway point, she encountered her first real challenge: a series of platforms suspended in the air. She had to jump from one to the next, adjusting her weight mid-air to ensure she landed safely.

She took a running start, leaping onto the first platform. She felt a momentary sense of weightlessness as she flew through the air, then increased her weight just in time to land securely on the platform. She repeated the process for the next two platforms, each jump more challenging than the last.

Finally, she reached the last platform, which was the highest of them all. She took a deep breath, then launched herself into the air with all her might. She soared upwards, the ground falling away beneath her. For a moment, it felt like she was flying. Then she began to descend, adjusting her weight to ensure a soft landing.

She touched down safely, a wide grin plastered on her face. But there was no time to celebrate. The course was far from over.

The ropes hanging from the ceiling were next. They were spaced just far enough apart that Fii had to stretch to reach them. Grabbing the first rope, she used her momentum to swing to the next, her reduced weight making the process smoother.

The platforms posed a different challenge. They were of varying heights and distances apart, requiring Fii to both jump and use her gravikinesis to glide between them. The first few jumps were easy, but as she progressed, the gaps became wider, forcing her to push herself harder.

Finally, she reached the zip line. Grabbing onto the handle, she launched herself off the platform, using her gravikinesis to control her descent. The wind rushed past her as she zipped across the room, the ground a blur beneath her. As she neared the end, she released the handle, landing gracefully on the ground.

With one final burst of speed, Fii sprinted towards the finish line, crossing it with a triumphant yell. She skidded to a stop, panting heavily, sweat dripping down her face.

Panting, she looked up to find Edith clapping slowly, a smirk on her face. "Not bad, not bad at all."

Fii beamed with pride. "Thanks."

"Let's go again. This time, a bit faster. We're recording everything, and I want to see how consistent you are with your use of gravity. Repeat the entire course six times and rest for five minutes in between. I want to see you maintain the pace for the entire exercise. Keep the heart rate steady. Then, you can take a break."

"Uh, okay." Fii turned back to the entrance, taking a few breaths to recover. "Ready when you are."

Edith pressed the button, and the timer began to count down. "3... 2... 1... Go!"

For the rest of the day, Fii spent her time training on the obstacle course, only pausing to take water breaks. By the time the sun began to set, she was exhausted and sore, but she couldn't help but marvel at the progress she'd made.

Compared to the days of punching training dummies, she much preferred this agility training. Sure, there were still frustrations, but she loved the way the movement made her feel: light on her feet, graceful, and fluid. This was her true element, her natural gift.

Even though she was tired and hungry, Fii couldn't wait for the next day of training. She couldn't wait to do it all over again.

Edith approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Nice work today. I'm impressed. You managed to maintain the same level of intensity throughout the whole workout. Good work. Get some rest, eat something, and meet me back here in two days. We'll be moving on to your final phase of training."

"Final phase?" Fii blinked. "What's the last part?"

Edith grinned, pressing her glasses up her nose. "You're going to learn how to deflect bullets...and I get to shoot at you."

Fii gulped. "Uh...excuse me?"