Tests

"Oh you're going down, Storm!" Merc said.

"Not if you go down first, Denver!" Johnny said.

"My threat sounds better." Merc said. She glanced at the game system and Johnny's controller unplugged.

"MERC!!" Johnny said.

"Sorry!" Merc said.

"No you're not! You did that on purpose!" Johnny said.

"I did not." Merc said. Johnny's head snapped forward as if he had been smacked in the back of the head. "I did that on purpose though."

"Johnny…we're ready to test you now." Sue said, coming up behind them.

"Shouldn't you ask if I'm ready to be tested?" Johnny asked.

"No." Merc said. She went with them even though she didn't have to. She stood with Reed and Sue as Johnny made his whole body burst into flames inside a fire-proof chamber. "Umm…maybe we should get him to stop?" The walls of the chamber were glowing red and the machines were going haywire.

"Ok Johnny, Back it down!" Reed said into the microphone.

"I can go hotter!" Came the reply.

"Johnny!" Sue yelled. "Back it down!" All three of them had to cover their eyes.

"I can go hotter!" Johnny said, again.

"Oh no you can't!" Merc said, hitting a button. Johnny's flames instantly went out as foam sprayed at him inside the chamber.

"You guys are cramping my style." Johnny said.

"You could have blinded us you nitwit!" Merc said, going down the stairs and over to where Johnny sat in the foam.

"You were at 4000 Kelvin!" Sue said. "Any hotter and you're approaching supernova."

"Sweet!" Johnny said.

"No…not sweet." Sue said.

"Why not?" Johnny asked.

"Johnny…supernova is the heat of the sun." Merc said.

"Not only could you kill yourself…but you could set fire to Earth's atmosphere and destroy all human life as we know it." Reed said.

"Oh…ok. Supernova bad." Johnny said, giving Reed and Sue the thumbs up. He looked at Merc before flicking foam off his face. "You gonna help me?"

"Are you naked?" Merc asked.

"Umm…oh…good point." Johnny said.

"Keep the foam covering the private areas and you should be good." Merc said, reaching into the chamber. Her arm brushed the side and she jumped. "DAMN!!"

"What?" Everyone asked.

"That fucking burned!" Merc said. Sue and Reed blinked, not used to actually hearing Merc swear. "God…" Johnny instantly slapped some of the foam onto her arm. "OW!!"

"Sorry…" Johnny said, standing up, covered completely in foam.

"Whatever…go get clothes on." Merc said. She looked at the burn on her arm.

"You should run that under water for a while." Sue said.

"It just stings a bit." Merc said. "It's not really bad. Besides…if I do the water thing it'll heal completely."

"Yeah…so." Sue said.

"Well if I'm gonna go back to being normal…I wanna have some sort of souvenir or something from all this." Merc said. "Just to remind me of it all. Scars are cool anyways. Sorta…"

"Ok then." Sue said. She looked at Reed. "I guess we test her now."

"Yeah but how?" Reed asked. "Hers is the only one that's not actually physical."

A few minutes later they were sitting in the lab. Merc shifted uncomfortably as Reed and Sue both looked at her. She looked at them, feeling like she was being judged. She had a weird helmet like thing on her head that reminded her of something used at a hairdressers.

"What the hell do you want me to do?" Merc asked, finally.

"Umm…ooh…look at me." Sue said. Merc looked at her. You're telepathic so tell Reed that I think that this is the best way to test you.

"Sue says that the best way to test me is to have me read your minds." Merc said, looking at Reed.

"Oh." Reed said. "I guess that'll work." God…I wish I could think properly around Sue. Spending so much time with her now reminds me of the…Merc are you listening to this?

"No." Merc said, quickly.

"What are you saying no to?" Sue asked.

"Well Reed was…" Merc said. Reed stretched his hand out and covered her mouth. Merc mumbled against it then glared at Reed. You jerk. You are so gonna get your butt kicked. Too bad you don't know what I'm…

"I heard that!" Reed said. Merc blinked, her eyes widened. Reed removed his hand. "She can project her own thoughts into others' heads."

"So she's got the full telepathic communication package?" Sue asked.

"It appears so." Reed said.

You two know I can hear you right? Merc thought, raising an eyebrow. Both Reed and Sue jumped. "Sweet! I can hit two at a time!"

"You've hanging around Johnny too much." Sue said. "Where's my clipboard?"

"Over there." Reed said, nodding over to where Sue's clipboard was sitting on a table. "I'll get…actually…Merc."

"Yeah?" Merc asked.

"Can you get Sue's clipboard?" Reed asked.

"Can I take this goofy thing off?" Merc asked, motioning to the helmet.

"No." Reed said.

"Oh…that way." Merc said. She started to turn.

"No moving." Reed said.

"Why can't she move?" Sue asked.

"Just wait." Reed said. Merc kept facing them and narrowed her eyes as she tried getting the clipboard. Reed smiling slightly. "Ok, you can turn and do it if you want."

"Thank you!" Merc said, doing a quarter turn. She looked around and spotted the clipboard. Reed watched the readings coming from the helmet while Sue watched Merc as the younger girl raised her hand and curled her fingers slightly. The clipboard floated from the table to her. Merc directed it over to Sue.

"Thanks." Sue said. "I get it now."

"Get what?" Merc asked.

"If you can't see something…then you can't move it." Reed said.

"Oh." Merc said. "So like…if I wanted a drink I can't just have it pour itself in the kitchen then come over here? I have to actually be there?"

"It appears so." Reed said.

"Awww man!" Merc said, slumping slightly.

"Your brain power has seriously increased." Reed said.

"That could be taking wrong." Merc said.

"Well…it appears that your brain's energy and power have reached the…" Reed said.

"You know…I just like knowing what I'm able to do." Merc said. "I almost failed science a few times so…I'm not gonna understand what you're about to say."

"Fair enough." Reed said. "Now…you can remove the helmet."

"THANK YOU!" Merc said, flinging the helmet off her head and jumping off. She ran away before Reed or Sue could say anything.

"Whoa, Mercy." Johnny said, grabbing her shoulders before she ran into him. "Where you off to?"

"No where…not allowed leaving, remember." Merc said. "OH SHIT!"

"What?" Johnny asked.

"Well…if I'm not allowed to leave…what the hell am I gonna do about the class?" Merc asked.

"Umm…" Johnny said. "No clue."

You're useless sometimes you know that? Merc thought.

"Did you just…?" Johnny asked. Merc smirked and nodded. "You can do that too?"

"Yep." Merc said.

"Oh no." Johnny said. "Come on! That's not fair!"

"Too bad." Merc said.

"Too bad? Too bad?" Johnny asked. "No, no, no, no, no! I'm the one that says that."

"Sucks to be you, boo-boo." Merc said. Johnny glared at her. Merc jumped and yelped as Johnny suddenly had flames over his torso.

"Whoa!" Johnny said. "That's it." He went in the direction Merc had come from. Merc followed him. "Hey!" Reed and Sue looked at him. "I think we have a serious problem." Merc just giggled from behind him.