Title: Against the rules

Chapter 42: Testing

/.\

Tracer's POV

I start walking down the corridor, it didn't feel uncomfortable to walk in. It moved with my body not against it. Which is always good for equipment.

Really, I need to be outside to do anything more than walking. Don't want to be stuck in a wall.

I make my way to the armory, where all our stuff should be. It would be nice to see some of my old gear.

I see the door open, it shouldn't be open. The rules state it should be locked.

I step inside and look around to see a figure in a white longsleaved top and black pants with shin high boots. The hair gives away who it was.

"Hey Ewa. Long time no see." I say as I move towards her. Her shoulders seize up slightly before relaxing again as she turns her head to look at me. Her face more worn than usual.

"Yeah. Sorry I couldn't come see you, had to deal with running this place." she deadpans as she smiles softly from seeing me. I couldn't be that good to see.

"I gather we still haven't defeated Talon?" I say, looking at all the old equipment from our group and possibly others.

"...Unfortunately. We was mainly waiting for you, we have to go in as a team to get a higher chance of winning." she says, looking back at the gear in front of her.

It was her own battle gear, aside from the boots that she was wearing right now.

"Teamwork… doesn't sound right anymore. I'm not as close to them as I used to be." I say sadly, looking to the ground. Maybe I will be the reason we'll fail again.

"Being close… helps. But it doesn't deem success. I know you're different from a year ago, being in time, from what I heard, sounds like torture." she starts, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "But, you don't have to push people away. I'm always here for you. So is Ana."

I look back up at her, trying to blink away tears. "Th-Thanks. Can you help me with my training?"

A smile ghosts over Ewa's face. "Of course, sparrow."

/.\

We stood on some flat trash land which Ewa said was the training grounds for all of the people staying here.

It's definitely something.

Ewa was stood to the side to watch me, I had to try and blink successfully and then maybe recall.

"Do you know how to do this?" she asks, slight worry lacing her voice.

I laugh humorlessly "In theory."

"Wait. What does that me-" she starts, overly worried now.

I roll my eyes and cut her off by concentrating on my particals and firing them up with energy. I feel a sudden rush and tugs pulling me in any direction they wanted. I grabbed control of this and pushed forward in a small step.

I gasp as I come out of the blink, further than I wanted to be, so much further I was out of the arena.

"Fuck that was a lot of energy." I mumble. Maybe I should try and use less of it.

I concentrate again and blink again, aiming for the middle of the arena, the image changes and I look around to see that I am in fact in the middle of the arena.

I fist pump and start blinking around, aiming for different places and achieving them the way I wanted to. I laugh as I feel the breeze in a way I haven't in a year. Like I was free.

I feel myself trip over a protruding piece of pipe. Now would be a good time to recall.

I concentrate on my particals and try to draw myself back through time, so I can escape from the embarrassing fate of falling flat on my face.

I find myself a little further back where I notice the pipe, I carry on blinking but hop over it as I do.

I blink to the side of Ewa and smile happily. But her face just was full of shock and confusion.

"Lena... I barely saw you."

"Well, I am moving through time. It looks exactly like before." I say obviously. It can't be different.

"No, you was faster."

/.\

Ewa called a meeting with us all. We was still waiting for a couple of people like Amélie and Angela but most of us was in the medium sized room with the circular table.

While I wait, I started to practice my flips and tricks. What's the point of having amazing speed if you don't add a backflip into shooting the person in the face?

At least do it in style I say.

I was part way through a flip when I heard two people come through the door.

"Sorry we're late." Angela said in her thick swedish accent as she comes to sit down.

I land the trick in time to see Amélie sit next to her. Her head lowered and staring into the grain of the table.

I blink into the chair that was next to Ana and smile at her. She shakes her head softly, smiling as she turns her attention to Ewa.

"As you can see, Lena has got her chronal accelerator working. So our plans can finally come into action. I have been watching Talon very closely and know his routine. We'll get ready today and tomorrow and head out the day after. We will not lose this time."

A full day to prepare? Oh yes, I can find out some nice thick gloves and find my blasters and maybe get-

"I would also like to bring up something else." Ewa starts, trying to capture my attention, knowing it went elsewhere just then.

I blush softly and give her my eyes and ears.

"I understand that there has been a little… fallout between a couple of you. I want you to put that aside until we have finished this mission. I don't need casualties on this mission. You either get on or get out. Do I make myself clear?" she says her fingers looping into her black cargo pants.

There's a mumble throughout the room, and a lot of them were talking about me and Amélie.

"So we can lose it all because of them two falling out." one mumbled.

"we've come too far for this to go tits up." another whispered.

I couldn't take this pressure anymore. I need to get out. I can't breathe with all this judgement.

"Yes ma'am." I say quickly as I get up and blink out of the room. Carrying on blinking until I was outside. I grab my knees and breathe heavily.

I can't do this. I can't be around anyone.

I look back to see none of the doors was opened from my little dash. Did I move… through them?

I know it was a possibility but I never thought… I didn't think to try it out.

I blink again and aim for past the door. I find myself on the inside and turn to see the door not open a crack.

I frown slightly. This can be useful.

/.\

I sit at my desk with my feet propped up on it. Times where nothing is done my mind wonders. And this time it wanders in a place I don't want it to.

Amélie. Her silky smooth black hair and her light blue complexion. Even the daring glint in her eyes when she is on a hunt.

Oh I want to see that predatory side again. I want to see that cocky spider pop it's head out while she treats me like her pray.

But should I? Maybe she's changed in a way where that side won't come out. One thing I want more than anything is for her to hurt me. She's in such a place inside me that I am completely vulnerable to her. And I want her to hurt me. I want to feel pain from the person I love but can't love. I want to be punished for being a foolish girl.

I guess I should poke the bear to see if she will come out to play.

/.\

I blink into her room, knowing she wasn't in here. I need to do something that will piss her off to no degree measurable.

What does she hold close to her? I look around her bedside table, knowing she'll keep things safe here.

I lift up paper and a gun and two knives. Jesus, she keeps a lot of ammo in here.

At the bottom of the draw I see a long wooden box that could have held a bracelet if it was thinner and smaller in depth. It has something engraved into the top of it.

A.L and G.L

Curiosity bit away at me but the realness of this situation made me think for a moment, do I really want to do this? Intrude on her privacy?

I pull it out of the draw to have a better look at the box. It had a lock on it. The wood was some sort of chestnut with a wax over the top. It had very well made dovetail joints too.

The door of the room opens and I put the box down quickly and turn to see Amélie looking at the box for a second.

Her eyes turn back up to me, full of anger. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" She growls out, striding towards me.

I couldn't find words for that question. What was I doing? Oh I'm such an idiot. I step away from the bedside table as she gets close.

She picks up the box and looks over it to see if I've done anything. I couldn't even tell her that I haven't done anything.

She turns to look at me pointing at me with the box like a weapon. "What was you doing?" she growls at me her golden eyes glowing with anger.

"N-Nothin'" I stutter out. Stepping away from her further. God I'm an idiot. All of this just for my own sick needs? I'm pathetic.

She throws the box back into the draw and slams it shut before stepping closer to me, I try to move away but find myself pinned against a wall Amélie holding me down by my covered arms.

"What the hell are you doing in my room?" she growls, glaring down at me like an emotionless killer.

I can't possibly tell her that. I'll look like a psychopath. Not like being one is any better. God there is something seriously wrong with me.

"Tell me." She almost shouts my head drops to the floor, avoiding looking at her. I don't know what is so wrong with me.

"Lena." she says sternly, her hand going to my chin to raise my face to look at her. But when her bare fingers touched my skin I gasp and get a string of incoherent images thrown at me.

There's one where we're all fighting against Talon.

Then it changes to him pulling out a gun and pointing it at Amélie.

Then the next image is of her on the floor, clutching her side that was dripping with blood, staining her clothes and the concrete at a faster rate than savable. All life dropping out of her eyes.

The next thing I know I'm on the floor cradling my knees to my chest and muttering small incoherent sentences. I try to stop but I couldn't.

I see Amélie drop down beside me, her face full of worry and her hand goes to touch me.

Without thinking, my body flinched away from her touch. Shuddering as tears rack my body for no reason but fear. What if images come back? What if they show something worse?

I hear a muffled cry for my name but my brain wouldn't allow it to come through.

"Lena. It's time, you're okay." I hear and open my eyes to see the blond woman in front of me. Her hands come forward to touch me but I flinch away again.

"Lena… did you..? What did you see?" she asks, desperation lacing my voice.

"P-Pictures." I sob out. Was I crying?

"What pictures? Lena." she says, pleading me for more information.

"Amélie." I cry harder, thinking of what the images held.

"What about Amélie?"

"She- She dies." I sob hard this time, crumbling into myself and hiding away from anything that can hurt me. Theoretically.

A darkness soon surrounds me and a feeling of peace comes over me.