Later that day, I was working on lightning control with Storm. We had just finished putting the touches on my new hand formation.

After a very difficult – and dangerous – trial and error session, we discovered that if I face my palm up, curl my pinkie and ring finger in and press my thumb tightly against the side of my palm, the lightning that comes from my two outstretched fingers is perfectly controlled.

I was sweating, the back of my tank top clinging tightly to my skin. The bunker was hot from the several hours of training and sweat dripped down my cheeks.

"Rebecca, please meet me in my office," requested the professor.

"May I shower first?"

He chuckled mentally. "Of course."

"I have to go," I said out loud. "The professor calls."

Storm laughed softly. "Ok, we were just about finished anyway. Good work."

I shouted a thank you as I ran out the door and went up the stairs to the basement floor. I ran to the showers and rinsed myself off. I changed into a pair of clean sweat pants and a plain t-shirt. I left the bathroom and went to the elevator. I pressed the up button, but then my heart accelerated and my muscles went cold.

"Wait," I said. "Your office is upstairs."

"Yes, I'm aware."

"You want me to go up?"

"I do."

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't tell you to unless I knew it was safe."

I took a deep breath and forced myself to relax as the elevator doors opened. I stepped inside and pressed the one button. The elevator moved slowly and I fisted my hands at my sides. The elevator beeped and the doors retracted.

I stepped into the paneled hallway and everything seemed shockingly normal. Kids walked from class to class; no one even seemed to notice I was there. I let my shoulders fall from next to my ears and walked to the professor's office.

"Hello," he said as I walked in.

"Hi." I closed the door behind me and took a seat.

"You can relax your hands."

I looked down and my knuckles were white with pressure.

"Oh, um…"

"You haven't had a random burst from your hands since the day you woke up," he said, catching my apprehension. "So go on- open your hands."

I looked at him sternly. Then, I gazed down at my hands and slowly unclenched my fingers. My palms felt the cool air conditioning and nothing happened. Even though I knew this would happen, that nothing would happen, it never failed to make me smile.

"It's back," I said.

"Some of it yes," said the professor. "So much so that I believe you may come back upstairs."

I looked up at him, surprise written across my face.

"Really?"

"Really." He smiled at me. "Your room is untouched, so you can go straight there if you'd like."

"I'm not dangerous anymore?"

"No."

I smiled and I felt a rush as my self-confidence came flooding back to me.

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

I smiled, left his office and ran to my old room.