A/N: This one is dedicated to wolverine15120 for being the second reviewer. Yeah not dedicating any chapters after this one. It makes the ones I did dedicate moar speshul. I'll probably have another chapter up in a couple hours.
The next day...
Everything felt... wrong. And it's not just the fact I couldn't sleep last night. As I walked through the mansion to the Danger Room I felt as if I was going to be attacked. You're being ridiculous. You've lived here for the past three weeks. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in hostile territory. At least I could retract my claws now. I figured out last night that if I clenched my hand I could retract them. Logan told me with practice I could extend and retract them without moving my hand, but for now I had to clench. After the shock of growing extra body parts wore off they were pretty cool. Even if they sliced my hands open every time they came out.
I entered the DR to see Logan waiting, looking grumpy. Real shocker. "Psycho, get your ass over here. You're gonna be put through a training exercise to see how well you handle those claws. And what they can cut through." At least it's not hand-to-hand combat training. I had gotten better. Nowhere near as good as Laura who kept beating the hell out of me, but I could usually beat Rogue now.
I stood in the DR waiting for Logan to start the session. I looked up at the observation bay to see most of my friends watching. Beautiful. An audience for my murder. "Beginning session," the robotic female voice of the danger room announced. Two silver robots walked out with a laser cannon on each arm. I began running towards them extending my claws as I ran. They started firing at me and I dodged most of the blasts. Their lasers were simulated so each hit only resulted in an unpleasant stinging sensation and a few points taken off. As soon as I came in range I brought one pair of claws up in an uppercut that sliced straightthrough the robots head. I barely felt any resistance. Whatever these claws are made of it's sharp as hell. I turned to the other one in time to dodge a blast aimed at my chest. I swept my left hand up taking its arm cannon off at the elbow. Before it could bring its other cannon to bear I swept my claws across its chest slicing through and leaving a huge X. And suddenly I wasn't in the DR anymore.
"Begin the bonding process." I was back in the tank filled with green fluid, hooked up to IV's and monitors. "This is your final mission. Your objective is to survive." And then the pain began. Worse pain than anything I have ever felt, or will feel. Pain so intense it blasted every thought from my brain. I couldn't even scream through the oxygen mask.
"Psycho what the hell are you doing?" Logan's irritated roar snapped me out of my... vision? memory? What the hell was that? "Sorry Logan. Just a little tired." I heard Logan growl over the intercom. "Bobby, Tabitha, Laura get down there. We're starting a team building exercise." After they had joined me on the DR floor Logan explained the exercise. "There's gonna be a giant robot called a Sentinel. Your job is to take it out without getting killed. Anyone gets hit by something that would kill you, simulation ends and you lose. First group is Iceman, Talon, Boom-Boom, and Psycho. Get to it." The DR immediately changed into what appeared to be a battle zone. Destroyed trucks, tanks, and helicopters littered the area, which looked like a destroyed city block. Then, a chilling metallic voice announced, "Mutants detected. Eliminate." I looked up to see a robot that was at least thirty feet tall with glowing yellow eyes. It raised its hands and began shooting red beams that blasted chunks out of whatever they hit. We all sprinted for the nearest building. A near miss shot chunks of rock into the air, one of which went straight into my back. It knocked the wind out of me and slammed me to the ground. I instinctively rolled to the left, got up, and began running again. Bobby peered around the side of the building and shot a stream of ice behind me. Judging by the blast and chunks of ice that shot everywhere, it was a good idea. I made it behind the building with the rest of them and tried to catch my breath. "So what's the plan?" I wheezed. They all looked at each other, and then back at me. You're kidding me right? But we didn't have time to argue. "Ok then, here's what we're gonna do. Iceman, skate around on that ice-ramp thing you do and hit it with ice blasts. But keep your distance. Boom-Boom, get on top of this building and hit it with explosives when it's focused on Iceman. I'm going to try and get behind it and go for its legs. Talon, when I've taken out one of its legs I want you to get on top of it and slice its head off. You guys got it?" They nodded. "Then lets go."
Iceman and Boom-Boom were doing their part. I was waiting for an opportunity to attack. There! A particularly well-aimed explosive courtesy of Boom-Boom had sent it reeling backwards. I sprinted straight at it, aware that any hesitation would get me killed. I arrived at its leg without being detected and sunk my claws up to my knuckles into its leg and began to climb. It certainly noticed this if the hand flailing around me was any indication. I managed to get up to where the leg met the torso. It was thinner than the rest of leg. Taking a deep breath I removed two claws from its leg and cut halfway through the joint. I began a second swing thinking, This wasn't so ha-CRUNCH. I flew for a long time and landed in a heap staring at the sky. The sky is so beautiful. Even when the sun is blocked by clouds it looks so nice. Wasn't I supposed to be doing something...? Shit. Sentinel. I got to my feet painfully in time to see the sentinel's injured leg collapse under it. Laura leapt from a nearby rooftop, claws extended, and landed on its shoulder. She wasted no time and cut through its neck with one powerful swing. "Simulation ended." Logan began berating us almost immediately. "Tabitha, I've seen the explosions you can make. Those were pathetic. Popsicle, try freezing its eyes next time. Psycho, nice plan, but you're lucky you're tough or that sentinel swatting you would have killed you. Laura, Psycho's plan wasn't bad but you should have taken charge out there, you have the most combat experience. Overall that was sloppy work. I expect better next time. Typical Logan," Bobby whispered as we were leaving the DR. "Letting us know he cares." Tabitha giggled at that and I couldn't help but crack a smile.