Chapter 12: The First Test

(Saturday, October 16)

Kassidy was very excited when she awoke on Saturday morning. The previous night, Kassidy learned that Iceman would be returning to train her and test her on her abilities. Kassidy was eager to have another training session with Iceman and was anxiously awaiting Iceman's arrival at Mount Justice.

"Recognized, Iceman 2-7."

Iceman arrived at two on the dot, which was good for Kassidy because she had been waiting in the main hall for over thirty minutes and she had already chewed all her nails down to the bit. Kassidy excitedly walked over to Iceman.

"Bobby! You came," Kassidy said happily.

"You doubted me?" Iceman asked.

Kassidy shrugged. "No. It's just been a while and I'm excited for today, that's all. By the way, what are we going to be working on today?"

"I'm going to test and gauge your powers," Iceman said. "Sort of get an idea where you are in learning your abilities and how much further you may have to go."

"Cool," Kassidy said.

"But it won't be without distractions. As we go through the tests, I'll be trying to break your concentration. If you don't get distracted, it will be an automatic pass, for now, but if you do get distracted it's going to count against you," Iceman explained.

"Alright," Kassidy said after a moment of thought, "I can do that."

"We'll see," Iceman said.

Kassidy's body changed into crystal as she prepared herself for the first 'test'.

"Let's start with something easy to start things off," Iceman said. He turned and made a target out of ice against on the opposite wall of the Zeta-tubes. "How about some projectile work? Shoot your crystal shards at the target," he gestured over to the one he had made, "and steadily increase the number you shoot until I say we are done."

"We?" Kassidy asked turning to face the target.

"I'll be trying to distract you, remember?"

"Oh, OK," Kassidy said. She moved her arms slightly, her palms facing towards the target and placed in from of her abdomen. She then shot one crystal at the target. The extremely thin shard buried itself in the target.

"Bump it up to five then add from there," Iceman instructed.

"Kay," Kassidy said, sending off five arrow-like shards.

Iceman started out the distractions lightly, starting with a blanket of ice covering the floor around her. Kassidy vaguely noted the slight change in scenery but continued on with six then seven shards. He then shot some ice at her feet. Taken completely by surprise Kassidy took the full brunt of the blow and her feet were knocked out from under her.

"Hey!" Kassidy said, looking up at Iceman from her spot on the ground.

"Can't handle the distraction?" Iceman asked an eyebrow lifted.

"No," Kassidy said, getting up to her feet.

"Then continue," Iceman said.

Kassidy warily turned back to face the target. She sent over 8 then 9 shards at the target. As Kassidy worked, he walked around her coming to stand on her left side. He repeated his last move, the same as he did before as she sent out a wave of 12. This time Kassidy was expecting it, she managed to make a wall around her legs as she sent out her crystals.

Already the target looked like a porcupine of crystal. Kassidy continued on sending her waves of crystal now fully aware of Iceman as he moved around. Shortly after his second distraction he attempted to demolish her small wall that went no higher than her waist. She paused a second as she was about to send out 16 crystals.

"Keep going," Iceman instructed. "Don't stop until I say so."

Wherever Iceman managed to destroy her wall she would grow it back higher. He then began to pummel at her wall that was now taller than himself. He paused in his attack on her wall as she was sending out 35 shards. In her little igloo he had little pieces of ice rain down on her head. From behind the wall he could hear her groan of frustration.

"Tired yet?"

"No!" was the response as she sent out another wave. The shards were beginning to hit and break against the other crystal already pinned in the target.

Feeling confident in Kassidy's ability to protect herself, he threw his biggest blast yet at her wall. It shattered and cracked under the blow and began to fall in on itself. As Kassidy sent a wave of 45 shards she telepathically lifted herself into the air, out of harm's way. Her wall of protection was now a pile of rumble beneath her feet as she floated above it, seemingly defenseless to any more attacks on Iceman's part. Her arms were now fully outstretched in front of her as she had to concentrate more with the large number of objects she now had to create.

Iceman was slightly more hesitant at his next hit at Kassidy, worried he would knock her out of the air. He was only beginning to step into the role of mentor and was just learning when to push and when not to. In reality, he didn't need to be, instead he should have been thinking of ways to protect himself from any of Kassidy's defensive attacks. His next blast didn't come within ten feet of her because a mass of crystal caught his blow and was hurtled in his direction.

She continued to throw her shards but at the same time she was doing that she was fighting Iceman. As Kassidy was nearing 100 shards she was beginning to grow tired. Iceman was unable to see that she was growing weary. Kassidy continued on.

"How many was that last one?" Iceman asked as he sent of a blast.

"106," Kassidy answered faltering slightly in her defense against Iceman. Her block wasn't very strong and Kassidy had to lift herself up to doge the blow.

"Four more and that will be it for this one," Iceman.

Kassidy sighed in relief and quickly sent out four more waves before slowly lowering herself to the ground.

"Good job," Iceman praised as he cleaned up his part of the mess.

"Thanks," Kassidy said, re absorbing all of the crystal she had sent out. She felt vaguely better but still felt fatigued. "What next?"

"Have you practiced any with manipulating pressures?" Iceman asked.

"Just a little bit. I haven't managed to make any sort of real explosion," Kassidy answered.

"OK, then we can work more with the shards. Flip between big shards about the size of my arm to small arrow-like ones. If I shout out 'sharp', you make them sharp. When I shout out 'dull' make them dull and blunter."

"There isn't anything else?" Kassidy asked, tired with the shards.

"It's not like I can test your matter surfing ability," Iceman said. "Unless you want to try another set of drills testing your constructs?"

"That sounds fine. Just want to do something other than shards," Kassidy said.

"OK," Iceman said. "Just this next one and two more and you'll be done." Iceman noted Kassidy's small frown. "You feeling alright?"

"Just a little worn-out," Kassidy said.

"We still have a lot of time left in training," Iceman said. "We'll see how you are feeling when were done with the next part."

"Alright," Kassidy said, lifting herself into the air.

"So you're going to switch between a block and an attack on my call. For a block you are going to make a wall or shield. For attack create any weapon," Iceman said. "Anything that you create has to be completely gone before you bring in the next item. This will not only test your reaction time but your improvisation skills."

"Got it," Kassidy said with a nod.

o\/\/\/o

Halfway through her training Kassidy felt totally drained. She felt more tired than the first time she had trained with Canary and more than when she had trained with Martian Manhunter. By this time Iceman had seen her decent improvisation skills and strong shard manipulating ability. He also tested her on her ability to crystallize other objects, rather than trapping them in crystals she literally changed the material into crystal.

Kassidy was slightly worried about her new feeling of weakness, it having never occurred before. Worried about this change Kassidy asked Iceman.

"I'd say give yourself a day of rest. It could be that you can only fight for so long, as if you actually were losing energy. If this is true you'd have to be aware of how hard you are pushing. On the other hand it could be that you're not skilled enough to have a high stamina. Same thing with the pressurized crystals and the matter transforming. You'll get better with practice," Iceman said.

"Oh... ok," Kassidy said in response.

"Nothing I'd be too worried about. But do be careful," Iceman advised. "Make sure to tell me if it becomes too much. I could also just have the training sessions shorter."

"What? No!" Kassidy protested. "Training is something I need to do so I can get out of this place... I don't mean to say that I hate it here but..."

"Then what would you suggest we'd do?" Iceman asked.

"Uhh," Kassidy glanced down at her feet. "I don't know..."

"How about the next time I come here that we just go with our regular training routine. Obviously don't push yourself but I have the feeling that it's more of an experience type of thing. The more control you have over your basic powers will improve your concentration and thus your complete control," Iceman said.

"OK," Kassidy said, for once treating Iceman as her mentor by accepting his words. "I'll see you the next time you end up stopping by."

Iceman nodded. "You're good, Kass. The only thing you need to be working on right now is your control." Iceman walked off with a wave of his hand and then left through the zeta-tube. After watching Iceman leave Kassidy turned and left for her room to rest.

Arriving in her room, Kassidy locked her door. She pulled of her shorts and plopped down onto her bed. Once the bed had settled and she was no longer bouncing along with it Kassidy turned to lie on her back.

Iceman had made a point; she only needed to be working on was her power. But now that Kassidy could see through the metaphorical tunnel in her head she began to wonder what she was going to do once she was back home. Of course she'd be back to enjoying her life as a teenager but was she really just going to drop everything that had to do with her powers? I'm still going to have to train to keep in practice with my greater control, Kassidy thought. But that would be the only time I'd ever use my power.

Kassidy had used her power every day since she had arrived at the mount and could do so anytime she would want to. Going back home she would still use it every so often to make sure she still had the control to keep it hidden during the time she wasn't training. She'd be able to do that, but life would seem empty somehow. Something remained that Kassidy needed to deal with. It rested at the back of her mind, her subconscious working hard to get it buried deep.

Kassidy lay on her bed for a while, the idea at times, just at the tip of her tongue. Eventually she grew frustrated and rose from her bed to get fully undressed. She then changed but didn't have the need to shower after her training with Iceman. You didn't sweat when you were a crystal.

It was only when she entered the main hall did the idea finally come to the forefront of her mind. Seeing the team laid out on giant grey slabs like they were a bunch of science projects to be dissected reminded her that she was one herself. Kassidy was standing where she was because of someone's sick idea of world domination. Thankfully she was still able to remember the bastard's name: Dr. Kinner.

As she paused near the entrance to the main hall that she had arrived through Kassidy vaguely wondered how she could have possibly forgotten his name. Along with the team Batman, Martian Manhunter, Red Tornado and Captain Marvel were in the room. Currently Martian Manhunter moved from his position from the center of the circle of team members towards the older group of heroes.

"What is this?" Kassidy asked, taking a few steps forward.

"Training," Batman answered.

"Training that involves lying around?" Kassidy repeated. "… That sounds so simple… but I'm guessing that it is extremely hard due to its simplicity." For a second Kassidy had thought that Batman was making a joke when he had answered her.

"It is a training for failure exercise," Martian Manhunter said. "No matter the action the situation is made to get worse."

"Oh." Kassidy was then hit with the importance that the team had. It hadn't been the first time she had felt this way, but it was always a big reminder all the same. They were here to train to become superheroes – she wasn't.

"Do you wish to join?" Batman said, turning away from the team to face Kassidy.

A short laugh came from Kassidy. "Now that is you being humorous. We both know I'm not part of the team and I'm beginning to get a read on you despite everything working against me. You're not that super mysterious, especially considering that I've only been here for… two weeks." Kassidy turned slightly to her right to leave the superheroes to do their thing.

"How is your training?" Batman said, surprising Kassidy. She hadn't expected him of all people to ask her 'how's it going'.

"OK, I guess," Kassidy said, genuinely feeling unhappy about how her training had gone. "After training with Iceman I feel more like it's my first day all over again. He's just so good and I'm…not." Kassidy turned to face Batman and the others. "He just makes it look so easy and I feel like an idiot for not getting it."

"Your abilities may appear to look the same, but they are in fact not. You should not gauge yourself against someone who isn't comparable," said Red Tornado.

A small sigh escaped from Kassidy. "I know, but it makes me realize I've got a long way to go. There is no way to tell how long it is going to take to gain complete control." Kassidy glanced around, taking in the Mount. Her eyes once again settled on Batman. With a small pang in her heart she said, "I've realized that I'm not going back – back to my family. It's not going to be as quick to learn as I had originally thought." Kassidy turned and left then, returning to her room. She'd come to this fact, among others, as she was searching for the wayward thought of getting revenge against Dr. Kinner.

After spending some time mulling around in her room Kassidy decided on having some dinner. Once she had assembled her dinner, Kassidy sat herself down on one of the stools in the kitchen. Just as she was about to bite into her food she could hear cries from the main hall. Kassidy dropped her fork onto her plate and made her way down the short hall to see what was amiss.

Everyone was up now, no longer lying on the slabs looking like they were sleeping. Miss Martian was crying into Captain Marvel's chest. It seemed that a lot had gone on in the minds of the team in the twenty minutes they had been in training.

Each team member seemed to be dealing with different amounts of distress, Artemis and Beast Boy the least out of them all. Because Kassidy knew what had just taken place she knew not to question them about it. In a way they had each taken their Kobayashi Maru test. One's true character was revealed in such a test. It may take some of them time to reflect on that.

Well aware of all of this, Kassidy quietly walked over to Beast Boy's side.

"Do you want me to make you guys dinner? I'd be happy to, you guys seem pretty bushed," Kassidy offered.

"Most definitely," Beast Boy said. His following smile was only a few degrees off of his usual brightness. "You or Kid can have the plate I've already made. Didn't even have a bite of it and it's just sitting in the kitchen getting cold." Kassidy looked over at Kid Flash and gave an inviting smile. Both boys perked slightly at the idea of food. The two locked eyes before running off for the kitchen.

"You guys join us in the kitchen when you want," Kassidy said, announcing the invitation to the rest of the team. Kassidy walked off down the hallway alone. Kid Flash had completely finished her plate when she arrived in the kitchen.

"Gonna whip up something Mexican next?" Kid Flash said resting his arms on the countertop.

"Nope. Easiest thing to create in a mass order is pasta, so you're getting pasta. With a few random add ins if I find them in the fridge," Kassidy said, pulling out the largest pot from a lower cabinet.

o\/\/\/o

Not everyone ended up partaking in dinner. Artemis didn't come nor Robin, who left with Batman. No one said a word about their recent training session. When they weren't eating their food they talked little of anything to do with the superhero world. Beast Boy and Aqualad were the ones who talked the most with Kassidy and were also the ones to stick around the longest afterwards.

As Kassidy made her way back to her room with Beast Boy she hoped that the rest of the team would be able to cope with whatever had happened in their training.

"Thanks again for making dinner Kass," Beast Boy said as they walked down the long hallway where the bedrooms were. "You should make dinner every night."

"I'm not going to willingly become you and Kid's maid. I'll offer when I feel like offering, otherwise you'll pretty much always have Miss Martian to bake you food," Kassidy said.

"Ah, yes. The perks of having Miss Martian as a friend," Beast Boy said.

Kassidy smiled. "A big perk for someone who likes to eat so much."

"Yes," Beast Boy said as they reached the end of the hall.

"Good Night, Beast Boy," Kassidy said, turning to walk down the hallway on the right.

"Good Night, Kass," Beast Boy said heading in the opposite direction.

A/N: Do I have any Star Trek fans get my reference? In the 2009 movie the Kobayashi Maru test is the one that Kirk hacked it in order to beat it – not knowing it wasn't supposed to be beaten.