Okay so...what happened to this app ? I've been sitting on this chapter for SIX days because it stopped working. At first it wouldn't connect and now it won't let me login - still won't, so instead I'm using the website. I hope the issue gets fixed soon because I really don't like using the website.

Also, I forgot to mention this but Ashley's eyes are in fact still red ! I just couldn't figure out a way not to overuse the adjectives red and crimson all the time, so I was hoping people would just assume nothing changed haha. But anyways, thank you everyone for sticking with me for so long and enjoy ;)


Chapter 15. Trials

Once more seated in the white room – waiting for what could be her potential doom, Ashley couldn't concentrate. Why ? Because Leon had kissed her. Fully sober this time, of his own volition. She felt hot all over at the thought.

Ashley barely had time to react when Leon suddenly leaned over, crushing his lips over hers. Despite her initial shock, her body responded immediately, meeting his advance with her own – moving in tandem with him. A moan bubbled up her throat as one of his hands languidly rubbed up her collarbone, leaving a tingling trail as it moved to cup her nape, pulling her closer, while his arm snaked over her waist.

Her own hands were roaming up the broadness of his chest feeling every line, every taut muscle, shivering lightly over her touch. She had to catch her breath when he pulled away. "I was under the impression you wanted to take things slowly ?" Ashley whispered, not quite willing to break the unexpected but welcome moment. Although their lips were no longer connected, their hands hadn't moved – hers on his chest and his around her body, standing so close that their bangs were brushing against each other.

"I'm not sure what I want…except for one thing." She swallowed, heart pounding like a jackhammer. "I've wanted to kiss that mouth of yours for days – it was driving me crazy."

"…you can kiss me whenever you want."

Ashley blinked back to reality as the door opened and Derek Simmons stepped inside the room, the memory fading to the back of her mind. Even though her eyes were fixed on the man, she didn't miss the sound of shuffling – Leon edging closer to her. Though she couldn't see him, she could feel his presence at her back like a pillar of strength, an unwavering shield.

"Good morning, Ms. Graham. I hope you've rested well."

"And I hope I didn't hurt you too much that morning." She quipped, not at all sorry that she had. Though she'd been momentarily in shock at what her body had done, what he'd endured for a few seconds was nothing compared to what he'd done to her, for God knows how long.

He smiled as if he could see the real meaning behind her words. "Not at all." He said courteously, but his eyes were mocking. He took a seat across from her, like Emily had done two days ago, holding a tablet of his own. "I've had the time to think of numerous trials to test your abilities, most of them physical exercises and others more…intellectual."

"But ?"

There it was again, that saccharine smile. "But, if my theories are right – your abilities will only surge in a moment of need. That is why you will be put in situations of momentary threat, some of which will be real and others only simulations."

"And I'm assuming you'll stop the threat before it actually kills her, right ?" Leon spoke up, hands clenched into fists.

"Of course. The goal isn't to kill Ms. Graham, only test her newfound abilities. However, you will be required to find your own way to survival."

"But you'll stop if it gets to dangerous ?"

"That is the plan."

"Okay…when do we start ?"

"Soon. But first we need to discuss a few things…mainly, your bodyguard, Mr. Kennedy."

"What about me ?" She could hear the scowl in his voice.

"It's imperative you don't intervene in the trials, no matter what you hear or see." Well, that sounds promising.

"Excuse me ?" He growled.

"Not only would it beat the purpose of these tests, but it could potentially mess with the results as well. That is why you must not interrupt the process, no matter what you see or hear." He paused, waiting to see if Leon was going to interrupt, then added, "but that shouldn't be hard for you. You're an agent – surely, you've been trained not to form attachments ? To keep your feelings in check. Right, Mr. Kennedy ?"

Ashley kept her face impassive, even if her heart was racing. What expression was Leon making right now ? What was he going to say ? Was he going to lose it or keep his calm ?

"…of course. I'm a professional." Leon's voice was perfectly serene as he answered, despite his prior aggression. She sighed in relief, knowing it must've taken a great deal of self-control to keep himself from throwing a punch at Simmons. Ashley sure wanted to.

"Good. Then we may proceed. If you would follow me, Ms. Graham."

"Actually, I'd like to say something of my own. What my bodyguard does is my own business – and his. Because I may have agreed to work with you, doctor, butI haven't forgotten what you did to me without my consent – and it was only thanks to Leon that you stopped."

There was a considerate pause, making the room drip with tension as no one spoke – the three individuals watching each other warily. Ashley wondered if she hadn't just ruined their mission, sweating at the thought, when Simmons finally said, "It seems I overstepped my boundaries. My apologies. I will not meddle in the relationship between you and Mr. Kennedy." There was still a dangerous edge to his tone – especially on the word relationship, but it was communicated stiffly. She'd won this round.

"Thanks. We can go now."

Nodding, he led the group to – shocker – yet another room, but this one was completely different from its two predecessors. Except for one, the walls were made entirely of glass, and the majority of the floor was in fact a pool, wide and deep. Emily stood beside it, her mouth stretched into a grin as she held onto a dark bundle. "Good morning, Ms. Graham !"

"Hey."

The bundle turned out to be a plain black swimsuit, which Ashley proceeded to change into. Standing between see-through walls of glass and in the company of people who – unlike her, were dressed from chest to feet, made her feel extremely uncomfortable and vulnerable, like the test subject she was. She glanced at Leon, only to find him already looking. He held her gaze without wavering or blinking, and she was able to straighten her spine, lift her chin.

"So, what now ?" As she said this, two bulky men appeared from behind Simmons, much like the bodyguards Shepherd and Emily had sported upon her return to the lab.

"Something simple. These men will hold you underwater until you've run out of breath, and your task will be to fight back." He replied, completely unbothered by the fact that she would be drowning.

"And at what point will you be stopping ? When her body is limp and cold ?" Leon snapped.

"The exercise will be timed, of course, and will only exceed the human limitations by a few seconds."

Leon turned to her, speaking in shushed tones. "Ashley, you can't use your safe-word underwater."

Her eyes widened. So much for that. "I…" Despite her brave words from the last few days, Ashley didn't know what to do. She looked at the blue water, at Simmons, at Emily who was still smiling, then back at Leon. "I think I'm going to have to do this one on my own."

She saw a million things flash across Leon's face – fear being the most prominent one, but he didn't say anything. He couldn't, not with the four pairs of eyes watching them. Finally, he nodded. "But if I do go limp, come and save me, okay ?" She added with a shaky smile, and turned to the pool without waiting for his answer..

Making her way in, she was thankful that the water was at least warm. Hey, they had the decency to warm it up so I can drown without feeling cold ! How nice of them. She stopped when it reached below her collarbone.

"Go on in, men. You know what to do." Said Simmons, and Ashley had to fight the urge to run, to look at Leon with pleading eyes. In fact, she didn't look at him at all, or her resolve would crumble away. They followed her into the pool and placed their hands on her shoulders. She barely had time to suck in a breath before they pushed her underwater.

Holding her breath didn't stop the water from going up her nostrils, and just that was enough to make Ashley thrash. Her heart pounded harder with every passing second, making her need for air stronger. She struggled against it, trying to push or pull at the men, but whatever extraordinary power she'd exerted the last morning was absent.

And then her lungs started to ache. She needed oxygen so badly, she felt her body sucking against her closes mouth. She wouldn't last much longer. Fear seized her limbs, making her thrash even harder – desperately. She scratched at one of her captors' legs, a cloud of bright red blooming in the pool. It must've hurt, because the leg jerked and kneed her in the side, causing Ashley to gasp – inviting water into her airways.

No ! I have to get out of here ! I need to get rid of them !

I need to get rid of them…

She saw her veins turn the glowing crimson she'd come to be familiar with, like red ink was spreading through them – along with the strength she needed. She planted her feet at the bottom of the pool, grabbed the arms holding her down, and swung.

The water parted – parted, as the two men flew to opposite ends of the pool, slamming against its walls. But Ashley barely paid attention, breaking the water's surface to cough and hack. She would've fallen right back in if someone hadn't steadied her.

When she was done spitting water out of her lungs, she opened her eyes…and saw Leon's calm but concerned gaze. She didn't miss the fact that he was fully-clothed in the pool, shoes and all. "Are you okay ?" His tone was deceptively subdued – ever the professional, and yet Ashley could hear the hidden question. Do you want to get out of here ?

If she said yes, she knew he would take her away from here – no questions asked. That's what he would do for her, how far he'd go. Abandon the mission, going against his duty. She drew strength from the thought, and answered, "Yeah. I just need a minute." With a comforting arm around her back, he helped her out of the pool.

Simmons seemed to be having a conversation with whoever was on the other end of the earpiece, but he stopped at once when he saw Ashley approaching. "That was spectacular !" He exclaimed, more excited than she'd ever seen him. "It's far more than I was expecting to get from the first try."

She might've been in shock too by her show of power, if it wasn't for the fact that her throat ached – again, her eyes burned, and breathing hurt. "I was drowning."

This didn't dampen the man's mood in the slightest, though he toned down his exuberance by a bit. "I can assure you, you were completely safe, Ms. Graham. And while I'm sure this was an uncomfortable experience, look how much we've achieved with one test. Imagine what else we can do !"

"She needs a break." Said Leon, nonplussed.

"There's no time to –"

"She needs a break." Leon repeated through gritted teeth. The two men stared at one another in silence, both bristling in challenge.

"Perhaps I could check Ashley's vitals ?" Emily piped in. Ashley glanced to her in surprise.

It took a second before Simmons looked away from Leon, his expression unreadable. "Yes, you do that. Please bring Ms. Graham to the next trial, once she's ready." And with that said, he left the room without another word.

As she'd offered, Emily checked Ashley's vitals once she was dressed and dry. Thankfully they had showers here, so she was able to wash the chlorine out of her hair – with Leon guarding the door outside, of course. He had gotten fresh, dry clothes too. "Would you like something to eat, Ashley ?" Asked the female scientist. "We have a cafeteria, if you're hungry – and of course, you're welcome to eat too, Mr. Kennedy."

She wasn't. Drowning and then gagging out water from your throat and out your nose would do that to you…but she couldn't run on a low battery either – not if she was going to face whatever 'trial' Simmons had planned for her next. "I guess I could use a bite to eat."

To her credit, Emily waited at an another table while Ashley and Leon were eating. "She's being awfully nice." The latter commented after swallowing a bite out of his sandwich.

"I know, it's weird. She's probably just making sure I don't mess up their 'results'."

Leon nodded in agreement. Then he leaned over the table, looking at her meaningfully. "How are you feeling ? Really ?"

Ashley forced herself to swallow. "That was…horrible. I don't want to do it ever again."

"You shouldn't have had to in the first place. But I don't think he'll make you go through it twice." Ashley nodded, eating a spoonful of melon fruit.

Leon watched his charge very carefully. She'd gone through so many traumatizing experiences – some of which she was still recovering from, if she would ever fully, and Simmons was only promising more.

It had taken years-worth of trained self-control for Leon to stop himself from jumping into that pool as Ashley thrashed like a fox in a bear trap – to keep from beating the shit out of those guys holding her down, drowning her. And here she sat now, sitting across from him as she held her small bowl of fruit and chewed.

He expected her to be in shock – and though she was obviously shaken, she was calm, composed. Despite his worry and subtle vigilance in case he needed to step in, he was proud of her. You make me want to be strong and brave, she had told him just the day before. She already was.

"You ready ?" He asked a moment later, as she finished her croissant and chugged a glass of water, wincing a little as she swallowed.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

The two of them followed Emily out of the cafeteria, where she led them into a room with enormous machinery suspended from the ceiling, thick cables spreading out from it like roots. "Welcome back, Ms. Graham. I trust you've had your break ?" Leon didn't miss the derisive tone in Simmons' pretty words. He gave the man a look through narrowed eyes. Just give me one reason, I dare you…

"Yes." Ashley responded curtly, her face emotionless. Atta girl.

"Hello, Ms. Graham." Said another voice, from the farthest corner of the room. "It's good to be working with you again." James Shepherd. It looks like he had got some tips from Emily on how to fake politeness. He was standing behind a row of computers, from which a few ceiling cables were attached to.

"Dr. Shepherd will be conducting this trial. You, Ms. Graham, will be undergoing simulations providing various scenarios where you must find a way to escape, or fight the threat back."

"Okay…where do I go ?"

"I'll just put this back on, hook it to the machine," Said Emily, holding up the same helmet from a few days ago. "And all you have to do is lie down over there." 'Over there' meant under the big mass, on a cot.

"Got it." So Emily placed the helmet-contraption back on Ashley's head, and the latter lied down on the cot as she was instructed.

As soon as she did, the suspended machine and the helmet started glowing a soft blue light, and Ashley's eyes fluttered close. "Is she –"

"She's only been put to sleep." Simmons interrupted. "As Ms. Stanford surely told you, the helmet's purpose is to monitor her brain activity – however, attached to the computer you see suspended above her, it triggers her brain to sleep by emitting certain signals. Now, the simulations can begin."

A screen was projected onto the wall, displaying a dark room. Ashley was sprawled on its paneled floor, seemingly regaining consciousness. Leon glanced at her physical body; it was still there, unmoving. If he didn't know better, he would think she was sleeping soundly – but the Ashley in the screen was standing up and looking around.

She started walking towards the only door there was, but it opened before she could even reach the knob. A grotesque-looking man appeared in the doorway, holding an ax with a rusty blade. Letting out a disturbing mix of a shriek and a roar, he ran towards Ashley with the intent to kill.

To be Continued...