2000 – Part Three

Willow rummaged through her pencil case and pulled out a pencil. With a start, she realised that she recognised it as the very first pencil she had ever made. To her now more experienced eyes, it appeared crude and ill made. With a sentimental half-smile however, Willow started to write her psychology paper with it.

"There are five basic processes in operant conditioning: positive and negative reinforcement strengthen behavior; punishment, response cost, and extinction weaken behavior.

Positive Reinforcement-- a positive reinforcement is added after a response and increases the frequency of the response.

Negative Reinforcement-- after the response the negative reinforcement is removed which increases the frequency of the response.

Response Cost-- the positive reinforcement is removed, weakening the frequency of the response.

Punishment-- punishment weakens a behavior by adding a negative stimulus. After a response a negative or aversive stimulus is added which weakens the frequency of the response.

Extinction--No longer reinforcing a previously reinforced response (using either positive or negative reinforcement) results in the weakening of the frequency of the response."

Willow was just wondering whether or not the conditioning of Spike via Punishment had been The Initiative's ultimate goal or if they'd simply wanted a way to insure their personnel's safety and if she should mention to Spike the possibility that when he got his chip out he might not even want to harm humans any more, when the tip of her pencil broke off.

Thinking nothing of it, Willow extracted a pencil sharpener from her pencil case and commenced sharpening, her mind already dwelling on the possibilities surrounding Spike's chip and whether or not she dared mention the possibility of him as a case study – with the details suitably changed of course – in her paper.

With a blink, she realised that she'd sharpened her pencil into a sharp wooden point. Perfect for slaying, but not so perfect for writing… the pencil had no graphite running through it. That doesn't happen now though… right? She thought.

Deciding to test her theory, just in case, Willow pictured a new pencil. It popped into existence and just as quickly, Willow snapped it in half. It too had no graphite running through the centre. Okay, so the mutant powers do come with limitations. Willow realised. But what happens if I...

Seizing her idea, Willow pictured a long, slim piece of rounded graphite. Slowly, she built the wood of the pencil up around it. Snatching the newly created pencil from her desk, Willow snapped it in half, revealing a thin line of graphite running through the pencil. Willow frowned, reasoning her discovery out in her mind.

I create a pencil based on what it looks like and its defective. I build it up from the inside out and its fine. So... I can only create... what I can see? I guess that would kinda make sense, if my power's directly related to my eyesight – I can see atoms and manipulate them – then it's also restricted by my eyesight.

Willow took a sip of her tea and grimaced. "Ugh. Cold." She said to herself.

Concentrating, she dimmed the light behind the silvery liquid, thinning out the molecules, and watched it shimmer, billions of tiny atoms colliding with one another quicker and quicker and quicker...

Just as quickly, Willow broke her concentration to take a sip of her now warm tea.

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A/N

Hey guys, sorry for the extreme lack of update... I've had the familial problems recently and kinda moved out for a short while. That coupled with a phenomenal writing pace on all my other projects (Darkling's now up to 24 chapters, Project One has been completed to the Second Draft, Project Two has had the history (past and present) very firmly delved into and future storylines have been set up as well as the creation of a whole new language!) unfortunately meant that Red got kinda neglected.

But it's not all bad. I've had lots of time to do research on the whole Marvel background and I'm now completely terrified. How can I possibly do justice to what is possibly the most complex grouping of characters I have ever seen in my life? So I've decided to keep things as simple as possible for those who, like me, are novices in the world of Marvel. And pray like mad that I don't make a huge faux pas. *lol*

I hope to update again soon!

Kennie