Nevada Medical Station B

     "So what's going on?" Dr. Ferguson, a leading psychiatrist, asked the team of scientists.

     Dr. Xavier folded her arms, "We want you to converse with a patient of ours. He's been exhibiting...strange behaviors these past couple of days and we would like a professional opinion."

     Dr. Ferguson nodded, "Let's have a look then, shall we?"

     Dr. Xavier turned to Dr. Wong, "We just want to warn you on what you may see."

     Ferguson smiled, "I've seen a lot of strange cases in my line of work. For years I've worked with the mentally deranged, studied alongside some of the world's most interesting psychopaths, and have even had the privilege to write a book on it."

     Xavier lead Ferguson through a metal door and into the secluded observation room. Ferguson paused a moment, gazing upon the subject; someone the file he had been given only referred to as "GM". The cell within was littered with drawings scratched into the surrounding concrete wall. Images, words, and numbers overlapped each other in one, conjoining, interconnected puzzle. In the middle of the artistic chaos sat a man, shivering to say the least, curled up in a ball on the floor.

     Ferguson swallowed, "How long has he been exhibiting this behavior?"

     "Since he was brought in, roughly 5 days ago," Wong answered, stroking his chin. "What's your medical opinion?"

     Ferguson took off his thin spectacles and moved in for a closer examination of the artwork, "What are those?"

     A skeleton-like creature, with long bony hands, was huddled in the corner like a recluse. It had crudely draw-in features, and the body appeared to be shrouded in a rippling cloak. Ferguson got the chills by just merely looking at it.

     Xavier shrugged, "It might just be a representation of what he sees in his...visions; a by-product of his cosmic radiation exposure on the A.O.S.S. Or, it could just be a manifestation of something else entirely."

     Ferguson looked at the room with great interest before turning to Xavier and Wong, "When do we start?"

**

Ellie

     The sounds of New York City encompassed the surrounding air like a thick blanket. Ellie closed her eyes, looking out upon the city skyline. She stood on top of one of the tallest towers, wanting to take everything in. Her powers extended beyond her and she could feel every car, every phone, and the pulsing life of the city itself. The feeling was exhilarating.

     The simple boarding of a plane had drastically shortened the amount of time it took to travel back to New York City. She, using the same methods as before, "bought" a ticket by using money that she had "borrowed" from an ATM machine. Then, Ellie got on a plane in Chicago and flew all the way home. But the entire time she was paranoid about whether or not the C.I.N.A. agents had followed her.

     Her thoughts drifted back to the train wreck, and she reminisced in how she'd been a hero. All those people she saved with her powers, and the emotional pride it gave her was stunning. Ellie smiled at the thought, feeling the urge to do more. She could help the people of New York, do what no other person could ever dream of doing, and finally fill up the longing hole that had been in her heart for so long.

     The rush.

     The adrenaline.

     The thrill of staring danger in the face and taking a step forward.

     Ellie breathed a deep breath, opening her eyes and once more gazed out upon her city. The buildings towered in a mess of architectural beauty, reaching towards the sky in an everlasting struggle. Life flowed through the construct like a beating heart, with each pulse sending new waves of energy through Ellie's body. The rumbling of the subway beneath the earth, the chugging of the boats out on the bay, and the distant roars of planes taking off for their final destinations directed themselves through Ellie's body. It was a sense of power, a sense of elation, and a sense utter possibility

     And she wanted more.

     Finding her sister was still a prominent goal, but Ellie wanted to push her powers to the limit. She wanted to save more lives, make a difference in the world, and forever change the face of New York City. Ellie tilted her head and closed her eyes, letting her consciousness extend and grapple with the surrounding world. She weaved through Wi-Fi signals, phone conversations, data transfers, and information downloads. In her ears, she heard the crackle of a police scanner indicating a robbery occurring not too far from her location. Ellie retracted her being from the pulse of the city and turned around to sprint down to street level.

     There was a world to save.

**

     "Everyone, down!" a robber screamed, holding up his gun in the air and firing a shot.

     Dozens of people cried out in terror and pressed their bodies to the floor of the bank. The shot echoed throughout the room and made the air smell sour. Three criminals, all dressed in black outfits to obscure their identities, collected mountains of cash from the vaults behind them.

     "The police are on their way!" one of them hissed to another.

     "Who pressed the alarm?" the second criminal demanded, cocking his gun. "Who did it??!"

     Everyone shook with fear on the ground, the second criminal patrolling the interior while the first and third sacked as many bills as they could get their hands on.

     Outside, dozens of police cars had formed a perimeter around the bank. Police officers packed magazines into their guns to prepare for a sudden entry. Yellow tape was also, simultaneously, being rolled around to keep the public at bay. Ellie pushed her way through a crowd of people, easily sneaking under the fence of tape and making her way into the bank. There was, oddly, no fear for anything going wrong.

     She was in control.

     "Hey!" an officer yelled as Ellie slipped into the bank through the front door.

     Another officer turned around, "Wait, did a civilian just enter the building?"

**

     Inside, the criminals busied themselves with work while Ellie walked right up to them. She stood defiantly, above the cowering people around her, and stared directly at the criminals. They all froze, immediately pointing their guns at her.

     "Who the hell are you?" the first criminal shouted, fidgeting with a sack of money.   

     "She's probably one of the police," the second suggested, approaching her. "Stand down lady, before anyone gets hurt."

     Ellie shook her head, "I'm your worst nightmare."

     She raised her hand to the ceiling, and Ellie ordered the lights to explode. They did so, showering down a wave of sparks that made the criminals stagger.

     "What the hell?" one of the criminals grunted, sheltering himself.

     The third criminal pulled himself back, "It's all a setup...come on!"

     They tried to escape through the back door, but it was immediately locked with an electric lock. The second criminal tried to smash his way through, but it was a reinforced door.

     "Psst, lady!" an elderly man whispered from the ground. "Just do what they say! You're going to get hurt!"

     Ellie stared down at him, "I can't get hurt."

     The criminals scrambled in panic, trying to find another route of escape. Finally, the first one just pointed his weapon.

     "Look," he hissed, from underneath a black ski-mask that obscured most of his face, "we're just tryin' to make a livin' here, okay? Stand back before I shoot."

     Ellie tilted her head back, "No."

     She lunged at the criminals, confidence brimming in her, and attempted to tackle one of the criminals. Ellie punched, but was way off her mark, and was easily smashed to the ground by one of the criminals. She cried out in pain and was kicked in the face. Ellie sprawled on the ground, the criminals breathing heavily.

     "What's wrong with her?" one of the criminals asked, picking up some fallen money bills.

     The other criminal just shook his head, "She's probably got a death wish or something."

     Ellie rolled onto her side, still breathing heavily, on the ground. She puffed a strand of loose blonde hair away from her face and narrowed her eyes. Her consciousness reached out to the nearest computer and she ordered it to explode. The sparks, however, only startled the criminals before making them laugh out loud.

     "Is this some kind of a prank?" one asked.

     Ellie launched herself upward, grabbing the weapon from one of the criminals and turning it around. She shot at his leg, watching with satisfaction him fall to the ground in obvious pain. There was no remorse for the act as she whirled around and pulled the trigger once more. The air exploded, the shot rang in her ears, and Ellie staggered back with the recoil from the weapon. Her bullet missed its mark, instead hitting one of the front windows.

     Everyone on the ground screamed in fear and the police officers outside began to barge in. They shouted orders at each other, smashing through the front door and aiming their weapons at anything that moved. The sudden commotion made Ellie frightened and she lost her focus as the criminal she had aimed at raised his own weapon.

     "This is for not knowing your place," the criminal whispered, pulling the trigger.

     Ellie threw herself out of the way, but her movements were too uncoordinated. The bullet grazed her shoulder, tearing through the cloth and flesh with ease, and she stumbled to the ground in a daze. Her senses were disoriented, blood dripping from the wound. Shock caused her not to feel anything, and Ellie instinctively searched for a plan of escape. Within seconds, she staggered towards the locked exit, unlocked it with her powers, and sprinted outside.

     Terror seized her, the confidence fading. She had lost, and as she ran into the cold streets all she could think of was getting away. Ellie wasn't the hero anymore.

     She was nothing but a coward.