Ayda walked down a familiar hallway. All around her were metal panels of equal size. The walls, ceiling, and floor consisted entirely of them. Each long rectangle carried a slightly blue tinge, enhanced by the pure white fluorescent lighting which shone upon them. One of the bulbs up ahead flickered at irregular intervals. She'd fix it herself if she knew where to find the replacements. Oh well, maintenance could handle it.

The teenager was dressed for a workout in a tight black tank top and matching capri yoga pants. Her white sneakers clashed brilliantly with the ensemble. One hand held her staff in its collapsed form, along with her phone. The other slung a small white towel over her left shoulder.

Ayda made good progress down the passage. Save for the dying bulb, which now was behind her, the place was quiet. It was Saturday, and most people would be out enjoying their weekend. That included Bernard, something she was thankful for. A part of her was still mad at him, even though the rational part of her brain said not to be.

It'd be a lie to say she hadn't planned to do this on a Saturday specifically to avoid him. The space she journeyed to wasn't exactly the most trafficked area in the Belmont International Research and Development Labs. There was little danger of finding it occupied, even on the busiest of days. Ayda was avoiding Bernard, plain and simple. Some small portion of her hated how childish that was, but most of her didn't care. They'd talk when she was good and ready, and she wasn't ready.

She reached the end of the hall. To the passive observer, it looked like just a solid steel wall, but Ayda knew better. She walked over to the right hand corner and flipped up a hidden panel. Behind it hung a keypad. Swift fingers entered a code she knew like the back of her hand. When the sequence was complete, hidden hydraulics whirred to life. The dead end parted down the middle, each half sliding into the wall. The new opening revealed a round room with the walls and floor covered in white padding. The testing room.

Ayda took a single step inside, then used her towel hand to mess with her phone. She hit a series of buttons, entering commands for her own benefit. A figure appeared in the center of the room. It was shaped like a man, six foot tall and well-built. The thing sacrificed distinguishable features for blue skin crisscrossed by a white digital wire frame. This was one of Belmont International's prototype hardlight holographic projections, designed to train American soldiers.

A scowl crossed her face. She so detested the things, but they were good to wail on. It had been far too long since Ayda had done any actual training. Most of her combat experience these days came from punching gang members. That was all well and good, but they couldn't stand up to her powers. These projections, on the other hand, were more than capable of doing so. They made the perfect partners, even if they did make her skin crawl.

The girl stepped out of the testing room for a split second, just long enough to set her phone down in the corner beyond the entrance. She felt relatively safe about putting it there. No one was around to steal it, and anyone dumb enough to try would be caught on the security cameras. She entered the testing chamber once again and lifted up both a section of padding near the entrance, as well as the metal panel beneath it. She entered the same code as before, and the hidden entrance closed.

Ayda walked over to where the hologram stood, and stopped just out of arm's reach. She gave it an unimpressed look. The thing had assumed a standard orthodox boxing stance, as per its default setting. Ayda could change this, but saw no reason to. Most of her opponents fought from similar positions.

The teenager took a slight step back. She tossed her towel off to her left. It hit the padding and slid to the floor out of the way. She embraced her powers. The staff in her right hand attained the signature purple outline, indicating her energy flowed through it. A pair of blasts extended the formerly collapsed sides. Ayda brought it out in front of her and gripped it in two hands. A twist separated the halves. Now armed with kali sticks, Ayda assumed a fighting stance. She presented her left side to the hologram. The corresponding stick was held low at nearly a full extension of her arm, pointed at the thing's face. The other weapon was supported in a grip further back and over her head, tip focused right between the enemy's eyes.

A deep breath in, and then out.

"Begin!" She shouted. Voice commands, something she'd specifically requested be programmed into the hologram's fight software.

The hologram surged forward with a straight punch at Ayda's nose. She blocked it with her front stick. In the same motion, she rotated her body and delivered two regular body shots with her opposite fist. The hologram gave a pain reaction just like an actual person would, even though it felt nothing. The thing stepped back and, after a second's reprieve, launched a high sidekick. Ayda faded back, and the blue foot met only air.

The moment the thing had its balance again, Ayda stepped forward. She lashed out with a pair of forehand strikes, alternating left and then right with her sticks. The hologram blocked both with its forearms. Ayda lept into an aerial spinning crescent kick. The hologram ducked underneath the attack, exactly like she wanted. Ayda landed and jabbed her right stick upward into its abdomen. A small blast, her first of the fight, send it stumbling backward a few steps.

Ayda pressed her advantage. She closed the distance and threw a stomach-level side kick. The hologram slipped to the side and caught her heel. It attempted to use this as leverage to give her a good straight cross, but Ayda hopped back away from the blue fist. She stuck upward in broad motions with both sticks, once from the left and then from the right. The hologram matched her footwork, dodging each attack. It tried to give her a lead backfist, but Ayda sliced down at the forearm. A blast again sent the hologram stepping off. It did a complete rotation as it struggled to keep its balance, but remained upright. Not for long. Ayda advanced with a vile front kick. The ensuing blast caught the thing in the sternum. It uprooted from the floor and came down on its back a few feet away.

"Ha!" Ayda celebrated. That crescent kick combo was one she'd thought of the night before. Good to see it worked.

The hologram got to its feet and went back into a boxing stance. It would not receive a moment's rest. Ayda charged at it. She stopped within striking distance and immediately cut right than left with her lead left stick. Again, she had the hologram backpeddling out of the way. She spun into a slash from her back right stick, but missed. As he came out of the spin, the hologram went for a big overhand right. Ayda crossed her sticks over her head and caught it. She gave the hologram a push kick to the knee. The joint buckled. Ayda used the momentary unbalancing to strike diagonally downward with both sticks. The hologram did a solid faceplant.

Ayda let out a quick huff and stepped away from the downed machination. That exchange didn't actually go the way she wanted it to. Her opponent wasn't supposed to counter punch. She'd forgotten just how fast these things were. A normal person probably wouldn't have, though, and she would be able to front kick out of the spin like she wanted. Another combination that worked in practice.

The hologram stood. Ayda took a deep breath in, and then out through her nose. This next set might not be fun. She closed the distance. The hologram threw a quick jab, but she leaned back out of the way. The moment the threat passed, Ayda pressed forward, stabbing both sticks in rapid succession. The hologram dodged to one side. In the same instant, it went for a mean right hook. Ayda saw the attack coming. She tried to get away, but was too far forward. She took it on the chin. A few quick steps saw her out of range.

Just like she thought, stabbing with both sticks not only overextended her, but also made it difficult to raise up for a block. This was exactly why she bothered with training at all. She had very little practical experience using kali sticks, even considering the times she'd taken down thugs with them. The weapons served her no purpose if she didn't know how to use them properly.

The hologram came again. This time, Ayda improvised. Remaining on the ground, she sent a crescent kick toward its head. It ducked. She planted the foot she'd just attacked with and sent her opposite toe soaring upward. The hologram put it's hands down and stopped the kick halfway. That was the second front kick she'd used. The thing was probably getting used to them. The hologram sent an uppercut right up the middle. Ayda redirected it with her lead stick, but barely. She was beginning to notice the weapons made it harder to block punches, since they were much thinner and less stable than her forearms. An important note, to be sure.

No time to dwell on this, as the hologram sent forward a straight cross. Ayda moved her head away from it. The hologram connected with a heel to her right thigh. She barely even felt it. The enemy was well within her guard, now. She punched straight ahead with her left hand, then whapped the hologram across the cheek with her right stick. The accompanying blasts sent it reeling. It doubled over and stumbled on unsteady feet. Though the thing threatened to topple, it remained upright.

Ayda saw this as an opportunity to test something. She stepped up to the hologram. With her left hand, she sent a hammer fist straight downward into its spine, striking with the little bit of metal which stuck out past her pinky. A blast sent the hologram sprawling onto its front.

The teenager grimaced. She'd seen that strike on television, but it didn't work quite the same in real life. The hit itself lacked in power, but the blast—of course—made up for it. Beyond that, it was slow and only useful in certain situations. She could do much more damage with a knee, and such an attack would put her enemy on their back, making it harder for them to stand up. It wasn't a bad move, per say, but there were certainly better alternatives.

Ayda stepped back and let the hologram get to its feet. There was one more thing she wanted to try.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

She utilized her lead stick to open up with a simple backhand slash, no blast. The hologram easily blocked such a basic attack. It countered with a right hook. Ayda crouched down to pass beneath it. From her lowered position, she struck with her left stick at the thing's ankles in an upward cut, rising to her feet as she did so. The ensuing blast ripped the hologram from its feet. It tilted back, ready to fall on its rump. Using her right stick, Ayda tried the hammer fist again. This time she hit right in the hologram's breastbone. The blast slammed it to the ground, hard enough that she heard the metal impact through the floor padding.

Ayda stepped away with a half turn, a celebratory growl in her throat. Now, that was a good use for the hammer fist. Something that sent an opponent into the ground with that much force would probably end a fight all on its own. The immense satisfaction she felt from figuring out the proper application for a new technique was like few other things in the world.

"Alright, stop," she called out into the void. She heard the hologram stand behind her, but it only idled there.

The girl took a few slow breaths. That little session hadn't been enough to tire her out, but a little proper breathing would preserve her energy levels. Though not exhausted, she did manage to work up a little sweat. It had been pretty successful for a warmup, but that's all it was. While practicing combos was good, she also needed experience in more dynamic situations. After a quick rest, she'd work more on improvisational, reactive fighting, more like what she'd encounter in the real world.

She yawned, and walked over to where her towel now rested. She wiped down her arms, then her neck, before burying her face in the soft cloth.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," said a sudden and very familiar voice.

Ayda turned to the source of the disturbance to see an old man walk through the still opening doors. Square of jaw and in amazing shape for his age, his presence put an instant smile on her face. Distantly, the girl wondered how she'd managed to missed the hydraulics coming to life, but mostly she was just happy to see him.

"Colonel Hammond?" She jogged over to him. "Oh my God, it's been forever!" She greeted him with a hug.

"It's only been six months," argued the man while he held her.

"Forever," Ayda reasserted. They separated. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop by," Hammond joked.

"But I thought you were on some super-secret mission in the Middle East."

"Officially, I wasn't there at all," corrected the military man.

"Right, of course." Ayda rolled her eyes and smirked at him. "No, but seriously, what are you doing?"

"My portion of things over there wrapped up, so they let me come back back to the States. I figured you'd be mad if I didn't come see you."

"You're damn right I would be," confirmed Ayda.

"How are you holding up?" Asked Hammond, shifting the topic.

"What do you mean?"

"Bernard told me what happened."

"Oh." Ayda looked at her shoes. "You talked to him already?"

"Yeah," nodded Hammond. "I called him to try and find out where you were. He said he didn't know, and he told me everything."

There was a short pause, one in which Ayda had difficulty meeting Hammond's gaze. It was embarrassing, in a weird way, to be called out on her situation, and even more so to receive unsolicited sympathy because of it. She didn't need him feeling sorry for her. She was fine. But he probably wouldn't believe that.

"What do you want me to say?" Ayda broke the brief silence. "Yeah, it sucks, but I'm holding up. I was broke for most of my life. I can handle it."

"I don't doubt that," agreed Hammond. "If it makes you feel better, I do not agree with Bernard, here. This is the last thing you need."

"Yeah, you've always been on my side," Ayda said. "Thank you for that."

"Of course." Hammond put a hand in his pocket. "Speaking of which, as much as I wish this was just a social call, there is something I want to talk to you about."

"Oh? All good things, I hope," Ayda joked.

"Well, that's a matter of perspective."

Hammond dug out his phone and lit up the display, holding it up to Ayda's face. Her heart fell through the floor at what she saw. It was a news article from the New York Times. A picture of her all dressed up as Pulse outside Persimmon elementary school dominated the screen. The headline read something about superheroes, but she didn't have time to read it all before Hammond swiped it from behind with his thumb.

A new tab showed up. Another article, this one from the Wall Street Journal. Hammond cycled through several more. Washington Post. The Guardian. TIME. Boston Globe. Reuters. Every piece featured her face and monicker. She wasn't given an opportunity to read any of them, but she could just imagine what they said.

"Colonel, I—" Ayda hesitated. "I can explain. I won't say it's now that it looks like, because it is, but I swear—"

"Who knows?" Hammond cut her off. He lowered his phone.

"What?" Ayda looked at him.

"Who knows you're Pulse?"

"Just the people who already know about my powers. Elliot, Bernard, and you. I haven't told anyone, not even Emma."

"Emma is every bit as smart as her husband. Let's assume she's figured it out."

"Okay," Ayda said with a small voice. She looked down again. "I'm sorry, Colonel."

"I didn't come here for an apology," he said. "I just want to make sure you know what's going on. The cat's out of the bag."

"I know," Ayda said. "I knew the moment those reporters started taking my picture." She sighed. "Look, I am sorry. Really. I know this probably puts you in a difficult position. I know I broke whatever agreement I made when I first came here. But I don't care." She met his eyes.

"You don't?"

"No." Ayda shook her head. "I don't care what rules I'm breaking because this shit is important, Ben." She used his first name for emphasis. "The men I fight are out there doing bad things, selling drugs, hurting people. They killed—" She took a sharp breath. "They killed Jackie. The police do nothing. They're useless. I'm better equipped to deal with it than any of them. I said the same thing to Elliot. I can stop the Triad. I will. I don't care who stands in my way. As far as I care, they're just obstacles."

Ayda stopped herself short. She could've said more, but suddenly realized just how long she'd been talking. She didn't mean to go on such an impassioned little rant. That may have been a mistake. She cautiously searched Hammond's expression for any sign of what he may be thinking. All she found there was a lopsided smirk.

"Good," he said. "That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say."

"You're... not mad?" Ayda raised an eyebrow.

"Mad?" Hammond chuckled. "Kid, I'd give you a goddamn medal if I could."

For a second, Ayda was speechless. "Alright, you lost me. I thought for sure you were here to arrest me, or something."

"No, I'm not here to arrest you." Hammond put his phone away. "Do you remember what I said the day I gave you your plain ticket?"

"That was a long time ago," Ayda denied. "And, you said a lot of things."

"I said the greatest skill of the U.S. Government is it can cover-up pretty much anything. That includes you."

"Okay. I remember that, but I still don't follow."

"The government can't take any action against you, because that would be admitting you exist, which opens up a whole other can of worms. People would start looking for answers, and asking a lot of difficult questions. You had to come from somewhere right, so what are you doing in this country? Answering that would run the risk of incriminating the people in charge of putting you here. The public would figure out who's who eventually.

"I can see that," Ayda shrugged. "Sure, someone would get doxxed, or something. What's the government doing about it?"

"Mostly, they're staying quiet. Right now, there are no confirmed reports of you actually using any superpowers. You never did it on camera. I don't know about the President or anything, but that's the angle the Pentagon is spinning. They're passing you off as just another vigilante."

"They're covering me up?" Ayda wondered aloud. "But, that doesn't make any sense. They have more than enough shit to take me down. They have. Why would they just sit back and watch me instead of taking me out quietly?"

"You think no one would notice your absence? People know who you are. Again, if you just vanished one day, they would start asking questions. It's a catch 22. No matter what the government does, they lose."

"That still doesn't make sense. They could just kill me and cover that up."

"Well," Hammond said, "I may have fed them some false information once or twice. Though, I can't confirm or deny that."

"You lied for me?"

"Do you remember what else I said all those years ago?"

"Are you talking about the deal you made me?"

"Yep," Hammond nodded. "I still think trying to force you to stop using your powers is utter bullshit. You're special, Ayda, in a way so few others are. That should be embraced, not rejected. I've been doing what I can to help you on my end."

"I... I don't know what to say," Ayda breathed. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"It's nothing." Hammond waved away the notion. "I'm happy to do it. But even beyond that, things aren't as bad as you think."

"I don't know, it seems pretty bad," Ayda scoffed.

"On the surface, sure, but there's more to it," began the Colonel. "I chose those articles on purpose, because all of them cite the cold, hard facts. Crime is down, way down, not just in El Puerto, but the rest of the country. No one's dumb enough to take the risk of running into someone like you, and you'd better bet Washington has noticed. There's a lot of talking going on behind closed doors. Most of the bigwigs don't like you, but some of them do. I know a lot of my men are big fans."

"Alright. Just, give me a minute."

Ayda quarter turned away from him. It was a lot to take in, especially all at once. If what Hammond said was all true—and she believed it was—then things were much more complicated than she thought. There were so many questions, and few answers. She understood what Hammond meant when he said the public would get nosy. She herself had plenty of questions for the government about Pulse, and she was Pulse! Just imagine what the masses would think.

"So," she faced him, "what does all that mean?"

"It's too early to tell right now, but keep your ears open. I have no idea what'll happen in the coming months. That said, I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Yeah," agreed Ayda. "I guess that's all I can do, right? It's not like I have any connections other than you, or anything."

"The best thing you can do right now, is keep fighting," Hammond said. "You have everyone's attention. Show them what you can do."

"Oh, I had no intention of stopping," Ayda said.

"Good. I'm glad to see you haven't lost that fighting spirit."

"Thanks."

The sentiment hung in the air for a few seconds before Hammond broke it. "Well, That's just about everything I wanted to say. Any thing you want to ask me?"

Ayda shook her head. "Not right now, but I'll let you know if I come up with anything."

"Okay," said Hammond with a sense of finality. "I'll let you get back to training then."

"No, I think I've had enough stress for one day," Ayda quipped. "Are you free? It'd be nice to talk to you about some less heavy shit, and it is lunchtime." She let her pitch rise at the end, a sweet smile on her face to sell the not so subtle hint.

Hammond smiled. "Alright. Come on, we'll go to Fat Freddy's." He began walking toward the exit.

"Cheap pizza? Really?" Ayda fell in beside him.

"Kid, I haven't had pizza in half a year. Do you have any idea what that does to a man?"

"I don't think I wanna find out," Ayda said. "Pizza it is, then."

As the two of them exited the laboratory, Ayda couldn't help but be an absolute torrent of emotions. She was uncertain, anxious, and even a little bit angry for some strange reason. More than that, though, she was thankful to have people like Colonel Benjamin Hammond looking out for her. A superhero was nothing without a few good friends, and she had some great ones.

Though the future were unclear, Ayda determined to keep her head up and keep fighting crime as Pulse. The world wouldn't stop for her, and she had a job to do. All the old men in their stuffy suits could either take notice, or get the hell out of her way.