Chapter 5

Suddenly, the instructor, Azazael, races forward changing his stepping patterns. Rivera takes no time shooting water blasts at him but he dodges each one. I watch his feet closely wondering how that is.

Azazael takes a step forward and lifts both feet at the same time and lands his last foot in the same spot while only placing one foot in a new one. He instantly moves his first foot to a new place right after once Rivera shoots a water blast. He is directing her attacks where he wants them to go.

Azazael wins by grabbing Rivera by the neck and gently pinning her down to the ground. He releases her after a second or two and stands straight up walking to the front of both lines.

"Can anyone tell me why I was able to beat Rivera without even having to use my power?" Azazael asks looking through us before he looks directly at me.

"Hazel, do you know why?" He asks while folding his arms. I clear my throat akwardly as every looks at me.

"Even if you did use your power, it wouldve been worthless because she cant see so you went to the sense she does use. She senses your movements and where you were moving so you doubled your movements and kept switching your steps to make her attack where you had already been and moved on from. You turned her strength into a weakness." I say. Everyone continued to stare at me making me feel weird.

"How did you get that?!" Scout yells out dumbfounded.

"She got it by observing closesly not to how I may be using my powers but to how I use my body itself. Not everyone has power but they can still be formiddable opponents." The instructor goes on pulling everyones attention from me to himself.

"Speaking of which, Hazel and Reggie. Your next." My heart skips a beat remembering our last fight. What tactic could I possible use to fight Reggie?!

I stand up across the field from him feeling a cool breeze lift my hair slightly.

"Thats unfair, newbie against another advanced." Scout says pouting. He is probably being sour from all the beginner match ups with advanced. . . The instructor is purposely doing this. . . He is purposely challenging us beginners to make us use our brains. Even knowing that. . . I dont know what I could possible do against Reggie to help myself. I feel myself lift a bit as I begin to slide.

I look down at the field to see Reggie couted the grass with ice just like the first time we fought. He begins to slide across the ice towards me gaining speed quickly. I feel heat rise through my legs and instantly melt all ice I step on. The ice I melt immedietly grows over my shoes making me fall. Reggie gets really close and I quickly brake the ice and stand back up struggling to keep balance. He wants me to melt the ice. . . Come on. . . ive been ice skating before. . . I can do this. . . I take fast steps to the side sliding out of Reggies way.

I need to take small steps to keep on balance. I watch as Reggie quickly turns around ready for another round. I cant just stay on defence. . . itll give him an advantage.

I quickly begin sliding around bursting flames from my hands to direct where I want to go. Im not gonna let him win again. He starts making stubbs of ice making me trip onto the ice and slide across it. I quickly stand up and melt the ice beneath me and keep the heat radiating from my feet to stop ice from forming across my shoes.

I blast fire across the field melting on the ice and singing the grass. . . woops.

"Focus on harnessing your fire Hazel." The instructor says from behind me. I nod my head and turn to face Reggie who is sending blasts of ice straight towards me. I dodge each one and smile when he stops. He smirks and holds out his palms. I feel an ice shard pierce the skin on my cheek and look behind me to see the ice he had first shot at me coning back. He sends the ice shards in multiple directions making it harder to dodge them. Is he trying to kill me?! I need to focus. . .

Suddenly, an octopus pops into my head out of nowhere. What the- oh! I focus on the tentacles of the octopus and forms tentacles on my back made of flames. I easily melt the ice shards as they fly towards me with the tentacles. A headache forms in my head as I focus on containing my flames into tentacles. I dash towards Reggie throwing a flaming fist forward at him and he grab my arm as he dodges to the side pulling me further the other way while lifting his leg beneath mine. I flail forward onto the ground, my flame tentacles dissapearing as I roll.

"You can only direct flames from your body, where as I can make ice form from anywhere." He says smirking while making ice spikes grow from the grass. I can make flames come from my body. . . Maybe I need a heat source for them. . . The human body makes its own heat. . . I start setting patches of grass on fire while dodging Reggies attacks.

I manage to keep 3 patches of fire aflame focusing on them solely. I make 3 large tentacles arise from them and stand inbetween all three. I focus on the heat sources and the muscles of an octopus. I send one to slam down in front of Reggie making him step back and send another to hit right on top of him. I feel my hair lift as my body catches aflame and I race towards him. He begins to sweat and tries sending ice shards forward but they melt easily. I feel my eyes begin glowing as I have the third tentacle slam on top of him holding him down.

I feel the heat become uncontrollable as the flames around my body start turning a deep dark blue, the hottest flame. The tentacles begin turning blue and I see terror in Reggies eyes. He quickly engulfs himself in ice as the flames suddenly burst out blue. The ice slowly melts as the flames begin acting on there own. I grip my arms tightly trying to make the flames dissapear but they only grow stronger. I see Rivera motioning her arms pulling gallons of water from the tanks at the corners of the field.

"Wait Rivera!" The instructor says while looking me in the eyes.

"Control it Hazel." He says. I look down at the ball of ice Reggie is making grow to protect himself. Suddenly, ice tentacles appear slashing at the fire tentacles. The ball of ice that was surrounding Reggie suddenly explodes sending ice shards into the air. He makes the ice shards surround himself and I see his eyes shining a light piercing blue.

"Its on. . ." He smirks ticking me off. I release my arms and feel the heat rise in my heart. I close my eyes for a second grabbing control of the tentacles again and let out a long held on breath. His tentacles made of ice start attacking mine making me fall back on defence.

He suddenly charges at me catching me off guard. I feel cold gushes of wind fly past me as tons of ice shards come flying towards me along with Reggie. I let out a large burst of blue flames making all his tentacles and shards dissapear. The cold air entirely dissapears and is replaced with a very hot atmosphere.

"I win." I smirk while dashing towards him and knocking him onto the ground. I sit on his stomach holding my arms against his throat, the flames still engulfed around my body.

"I yield!" He yells making everyone gasp and start chattering loudly. Suddenly, I feel my flames entirely dissapear as I become soaked.

"Thank you Rivera." Azazael our instructor says.

"No problem." Rivera replies. I quickly take my hands off of Reggies neck.

"Sorry. . ." I mumble while quickly standing up. He smiles and shakes his head.

"That was the best fight ive ever had." He says while standing up and giving me a thumbs up.

"Hazel, that was beautiful combat but you lost control of your powers." Our instructor says.

"I know. . . I am sorry." I say.

"Hush class!" He yells while noddimg his head at me.

"Still, good job. Keep it up." He says before turning his back. Reggie goes back into his line and I do the same sitting on the grass where I had been before.

"As you can see, Hazel realized she was at a disadvantage and gave herself an advantage. Realize the limits of your opponents powers as Reggie did and use it against them. Give your own self an advantage in a fight. You wont always have time to study an opponent before a fight so you must make sure to study them while in the fight." He says before turning back to look at all of us.

"Thats all for today, take your clothes home and wash them. I expect to see all of you bright and early tomorrow." Tomorrow is Saturday, I forgot. Everyone stands up and I follow behind them until im tapped on the shoulder.

"Hey, Hazel. That was really cool how you beat Reggie!" I turn around to see Scout, a much smaller boy than me.

"Thanks." I say before turning back around heading to the locker room.

"Hey Hazel." I hear Rivera say quietly from behind me.

"It was really cool what you did. I struggle beating Reggie sometimes but it seems you did it with ease. For being a beginner, your just as good us who are advanced." She says smiling.

"Thanks but I still cant control it." I say while shrugging my shoulders.

"Tomorrow morning we do seperate practices on the field. I can help you or at least give you some pointers on controlling it." She says.

"Oh, thanks." I reply.

"No problem." She says before heading off to get changed. I grab my clothes and head into the bathroom changing in the stall away from the other girls. When I finish, I head back out to see Rivera waiting in front of my locker holding an empty duffel bag.

"Here you go, all trainees got this on the first day." I nod my head and grab it from her hands.

"Thanks." I say shoving my training clothes inside of it. I yawn before heading out of the building. This time, I take my time walking home.

"Hey Hazel!" Reggie runs up to my side.

"What do you want now?" I ask annoyed while turning around to meet him.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on the win. Also, I like your hair." He says while smiling.

"Oh, thanks." I say feeling akward. I see a car pull up and notice Reggies mothers face in the drivers seat before they honk. He looks behind him and holds up his hand for them to wait for just a moment more.

"Anyways, gotta go. Good luck tomorrow." He says waving.

"Oh wait!" He says turning back around.

"Can I see your phone?" He asks while holding out his hand.

"Why?" I ask in return.

"Just give it here." He says rolling his eyes. I reluctantly give him my phone and he begins to dial in hia number before giving it back.

"Thats my number, call me when you wanna meet up for our art project." He says before waving goodbye and smiling. I feel embarassed and roll my eyes while waving goodbye. Im not gonna call him. . . We can just finish the project during the week at school. I turn back around finishing my walk back hime.

"Im back." I yell slightly throughout my house to notify my mom ive returned home.

"Welcome back Hazel, are you hungry?" She asks while looking at me from the kitchen.

"Oh, yeah." My stomach grumbles. Today has been very tiring for some reason. She sets two plates on the table and takes a seat across from me.

"Wanna tell me what happened to your hair now?" She asks while beginning to cut her meat.

"Id rather not." I say as I take a spoonful of potatoes.

"What about the training? How did it go?" She asks while smiling before sticking a piece of meat in her mouth.

"It was fine." I state blatantly while continuing to eat.

"You know, its getting really lonely with your plain answers. I hardly ever get answer anyways." She says while brushing her hands through her hair to move it our of her face.

"Sorry. . ." I mumble.

"You keep saying sorry but it continues, why is that?" She asks.

"I just dont wanna talk about it mom." I say dropping my fork onto my plate.

"You know you can open up to me, right?" She says while gently reaching out and grabbing my hands. I nod my head and pull my hands back.

"Im done eating." I say picking up my plate and putting it on the counter. I grab my duffel bag and carry it upstairs with me and put it in the laundry basket along with my other clothes to wash it for tomorrow. Im really sweaty. . .

I should shower. I prepare clean pajamas and a towel in the bathroom and begin to undress and hop in the shower. As I shampoo my hair, I think of all the different tactics I saw being used in the fights for training at the agency. Then I relate them to my fight. They were all rather short as the advanced trainees destroyed the beginners except for me and Reggie.

I laugh at everyones faces when i had beaten Reggie on my very first day but then I remember how I did it. Tingles are sent down my spine as I remember the feeling of the power I felt in that moment. I was filled with so much adrenaline I didnt realize it but I can still feel the after affect coursing through my veins.

It was scary but. . . Fun. I hold out my hand away from the water trying to light one of my finger tips on fire only. It sparks at first before a tiny flame appears on my pointer finger tip. I smile in success and clench my fist closed. I dont want to be a hero though. . . I take a deep breath and hop out of the shower drying myself off. I look at my hair in the mirror before opening the medicine cabinet.

"Its about time I wore these again." I say looking at the big round glasses on my face in the mirror. I nod my head and finish drying myself off before pulling on my clean pajamas. I have to get up early tomorrow for practice, so tiresome. I set my alarm clock for an earlier time and crawl under my blanket. My body sinks into my bed numbing out. Im gonna be so mentally exhausted tomorrow. . .