"Ok, everyone, the Professor will be around to help you, and tell you what to do. Until then, try to stay quiet. We really have to get some training in before next week, so pay attention. We don't want any accidents." Scott put down his bullhorn, turning to us. "You guys help him out."

"Way to give an inspirational pep talk, Scott." Logan laughed. "Have you been taking lessons from Tyler Durden?"

I cupped my hands over my mouth, imitating the slightly hollow sound of a bullhorn. "Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else."

Scott scowled. "Don't you have something you should be doing?"

Logan and I walked away, laughing at the angry look on Scott's face. Aqua, Kurt, Kat and Warren caught up with us. Kurt glanced back at Scott. "What have you been doing to Scott?"

I tried to stop giggling, shrugging. "Quoting Fight Club at him."

Aqua smiled. "We are the all singing, all dancing crap of the world."

Kat giggled. "If I did have a tumor, I'd name it Marla."

Logan nodded solemnly. "His name is Robert Paulson."

A small, mousy looking boy appeared at his elbow. "Did you call, sir?"

Logan looked around, startled. "Who are you?"

"Robert Dawson."

Aqua, Kat, and I burst into quickly stifled giggles at the look on Logan's face. "No, I didn't. Sorry." The kid turned back to his friends, and Logan looked around at us.

"Ok, you 6!" We all jumped, looking around to see the Professor watching us. "You have to practice just like everyone else. Go over to the practice dummies and try out those moves we have been talking about."

I gave him a mock salute, and we all turned to the stuffed dummies. "Aqua, you first."

Aqua stepped forward, raised both arms, and blasted the dummy with water, hitting it hard enough that a normal person would have been blown 15 feet back. I know. I've seen it.

"I still think you should say 'Mercury Aqua Mist' when you do that." Logan wasn't quite fast enough, he got drenched when she lobbed a handful of water at him. As he sputtered and wiped the water out of his eyes, I turned to Kat.

"Ok, now you. Thunderbolt!" I pointed dramatically at the dummy. She didn't move.

"Maia, I'm not a Pikachu." As she shocked the dummy, the electric current traveled through the water on the ground, blasting Logan and me of our feet. Logan twitched once or twice, then lay still, panting. I looked up, and saw that kid Robert standing over me. He held out a hand, helping me up. "Thanks."

He smiled, then looked at Logan. "Is he ok?"

I coughed. "Yeah, he just got hit with most of the blast." I coughed again. It felt like I had something in my throat.

Aqua bent over Logan, shaking him. He moaned and opened his eyes. "Where is Kat? I'm going to kill her."

I coughed a few more times. It was kind of hard to breath. It felt like my throat was closing up. "Logan?"

"What's the matter?" He stood slowly.

"I can't…" I gasped a rattling breath "I can't breathe…" Suddenly, my knees gave out, the muscles in my legs twitching. I fell hard against Logan, gasping for air.

"Maia! Oh my god…" He caught me and lowered me slowly to the ground, looking around wildly. I felt my throat close, I couldn't breathe. My muscles continued to twitch. My lungs started to burn, and white spots were dancing in my field of vision. I closed my eyes, hoping they would go away.

I heard Logan from far away, calling my name. I opened my eyes again and everything was fuzzy, and black on the edges. I was dying. I looked up, forcing myself to focus on Logan. He looked scared, on the verge of tears. "Please, Maia, stay with me…" To the well organized mind,I thought death is but the next great adventure. I closed my eyes again, and passed into oblivion.


And you know what? I'm going to stay dead. I don't want to post here if no one reviews. The whole point of my publishing this was to get feedback. Let me know what you think, good and bad, and then I might keep going. And reviews from Bluewater7 dont count. I want you (yes, you) to review. (and no, I'm not just saying this. I mean it.)