"I'll be honest with you, when I first saw your name on Alexa's list, I was shocked. I didn't think you could be Thomas's daughter." Daniel turns to me, tattooed arms crossed over his chest. "But looking at you now there is no doubt about it, you really do look just like him."

It's been about ten minutes since training ended, and I stayed behind, just as Daniel asked me to. Cassie seemed reluctant to leave me, but I assured her I would be fine on my own, so she promised to tell the rest of the team where I was and why I was missing free period. I wipe the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand.

Training had been quite eventful once all the demonstrations were over. Daniel split us up into groups of five or six and started showing us some moves. Not with our Gifts, just with our bodies. I discovered that I liked the punching bags the best. For one, they didn't hit back when I smacked them, and there was just something relaxing about getting to let out all your frustration on an inanimate object.

The moves he showed us eventually became second nature and flowed so naturally it was like we were performing a choreography. Lunge, dodge, swing, kick, right hook, jab, repeat. He also had us practice in pairs once we were done with the punching bags. Dodging was easy when there was nothing to dodge, it was much harder when a fist was headed straight for your nose. I learned that the hard way. I also had a pretty nasty bruise forming on my left side thanks to a particularly fast kick from Liam, who had been my sparring partner.

We started talking while we were fighting each other, and it turned out he was a really nice guy. I kind of pegged him for the dark and brooding type because of his Gift, but he was actually a pretty happy person. He kept cracking jokes all throughout practice, making me lose my focus more than once. I wonder if he did that on purpose. He lived in New Boston and had to leave his family behind to come here. I asked him why he didn't just join the compound in New Boston, it was one of the most recognized Elite training grounds in the country, but he just shrugged and told me he needed to get away from it all. Start fresh.

"With a Gift like mine, it's hard not to get noticed. Practically everyone back home knew who I was, and I don't mean that in a good way. Do you know what it's like to go for a walk and have mothers pull their children to the opposite side of the road because they are scared of you?"

I didn't, and I understood why he decided to leave it all behind. I respected him even more for that.

After class was over Daniel pulled me aside and waited until all my classmates left before he started talking. That's how we ended up here, now twelve minutes since class ended, sitting on the blue mat.

"So," continues Daniel, "do you really have your father's Gift?" He asks, but I have a feeling he already knows the answer. I nod anyways.

"Yes, although I just found out about it a little while ago. Up 'til now, I thought I was one of the only people on the planet without a Gift."

Daniel nods, expression darkening.

"It makes sense," he says, more to himself than directed at me. "He only received his Gift after his mother passed."

My eyes widen. So, he also knows how my Gift works, probably about my family's history as well. I guess it's only fair he knew, if my father was a close friend of his.

"You and my dad, were you close?"

He leans back, staring up at the ceiling before directing his attention back towards my eyes. He must see something in them, probably my desperation to finally find out more about my father, and sighs. He cracks his knuckles. Then his neck. Then his back. I wait patiently, trying not to cringe at every new sound that comes from his bones. Once he's done popping every possible joint in his body, he continues.

"We were more than friends. Your father, well, he was the only person I could truly trust in this messed up world of ours. He was like a brother to me." He stops talking at my puzzled expression.

"It's hard to trust people when you are surrounded and working with spies on a daily basis."

Oh. Yeah, fair point. I don't know how well I would do if my colleagues kept secrets for a living.

"Thomas and I, we would always go on missions together, we always told each other everything." His eyebrows furrow, a frown pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Except for that one mission."

He laughs, a humorless sound that makes me flinch.

"That one mission that I wasn't there to protect him on."

He stares at the blades on the wall behind us, and I wonder what memories those weapons bring back to him. More importantly, I wonder which one was my father's. Daniel shakes his head, seemingly coming back to himself before he smiles at me.

"But enough about me and your old man, I asked you to stay because what we need to talk about is you."

I jerk my head in what is supposed to be a nod, ready to hear what he has to say.

"I'm guessing you already have a cover story?"

It looks like we had the same idea. Maybe he could help me make it a bit more convincing.

I nod again.

"Sort of. I told Alexa that my Gift helps me guess my opponents moves in a fight."

He raises his eyebrows, surprised.

"And does it?"

I think back to the voice in my head telling me about the move that Juan was going to make before he himself knew what he was going to do.

"Yes. During our duels, a voice in my head told me what my opponent was going to do before he even made a move to do anything, so I was able to counterattack and dodge it."

He rubs his forehead with his hand, processing what I just said.

"That," he says, pointing a finger at me. "Is something new. Your father couldn't do that. He was able to see years into the future, but not minutes."

He nods again, and I can practically see the gears in his head forming a new plan.

"This is defiantly a plus," he exclaims. "We can work with this."

A mischievous grin stretches across his face, and I watch as he pushes himself up, standing in front of me on the mat. He studies me for a minute longer before shaking out his shoulders, standing with his arms held protectively in front of him.

What's he going to do? Punch the air?

"Well then, what are you waiting for? Hit me!"

He says it with such normality, like he didn't just ask one of his students to attack him. I wait to see if he's joking, but it's hard to tell with this man. I scramble to my feet when I see that he's serious, not moving an inch, waiting for me to do something. I think my brain is still processing what I have to do because my feet feel like they're stuck to the ground with super glue.

"You want me," I say incredulously, "to hit you?"

"Yes!" he exclaims, motioning me forward. "We need to make sure that voice of yours wasn't a one-time thing. Now come on Acero, hit me!"

I still can't believe what he's asking of me, but I listen nonetheless.

I lunge before he has a chance to realize what I'm doing, aiming for his chest, trying to stay as far away from his face as possible. But before I get a foot closer he grabs my arm, and I feel how my entire body freezes as he throws me over his shoulder, making me land on my back with a loud smack. The wind rushes out of my lungs, and I lay there, stunned.

"You could have told me you were a Freeze," I groan, closing my eyes and willing the ringing in my ears to disappear. Freezes had the ability to block someone's muscles, making all movement impossible when they touch their intended target. They are somehow able to control the synapses in someone else's body, using their own electrical signals to confuse their opponents nervous system. I guess you could compare it to how an electric eel is able to produce electricity, except Daniel's electric signals aren't exactly the same. I can feel it on a muscular level, but it doesn't hurt like a shock from an eel would.

When I finally open my eyes, my mentor is looming over me, slight frown lines etched onto his forehead. He stretches out his hand and I take it gladly, letting him pull me to my feet.

"Don't get discouraged," He says when he sees the expression on my face.

But how can I not? There was absolutely no voice this time, nothing to tell me what he was going to do or how I could avoid it. What if Daniel was right? What if it was only a one-time thing, a fluke? How would I convince people about my Gift?

He paces in front of me, mulling over something, when an idea seems to pop into his head. Snapping his fingers, he turns to me.

"We need to find your trigger."

I frown. 

"My what now?"

He chuckles at my expression.

"Your father told me, back when we were both learning about your families' Gift, that he had a trigger that helped him channel it. He would think of a person's face, imagine he was that person, and he would be able to see their future. It must be something similar for you. Here, let's try this," he says, getting back into position.

"Focus on me, try to tap into our current situation. I am going to fight you, and you need to predict my movements. If we want the other trainees and mentors to believe your story, we need to make sure your Gift works all the time, not just in certain situations."

He's right, and I know it. I take a deep breath, trying to feel for something, anything, to make the voice come back. I go at him again.

And again.

And again.

Every time I end up on the floor.

"It's hopeless," I huff, out of breath thanks to my tenth encounter with my dear old friend, the mat. My back and sides are starting to ache from how many times I've fallen on them. Daniel seems to be getting desperate as well. He's getting rougher, not being as careful when he throws me to the ground. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, mumbling something I don't quite catch. He closes his eyes, and I take the moment to stretch my tired muscles. Even after twenty minutes we still have nothing. No voice. Trainees have even started entering the room, focusing on their training, while I am still trying to start mine. I take a deep breath.

"Relax Bri," I tell myself, "you heard the voice once, you will hear it again."

I get back up, hating the way my knees tremble, and face my mentor, who seems about as ready to give up as I am.

"Brianna I..."

On your left, spin.

Fast as a bullet I spin to the right, just barely dodging a knife that comes whizzing by my ear.

"Sorry! Didn't aim that one very well." Someone shouts from the other side of the room, but I'm too busy screaming and dancing in my head to hear them.

I barely register their voice; focusing instead on the one that just spoke to me in my mind. Daniel is staring at me with wide eyes, looking between me and the dagger that landed a few feet away.

"Was that--"

I cut him off with an excited shout. I cover my mouth, but it does nothing to stop the smile that is growing under my fingers.

"I did it! I heard it!" I exclaim, laughing.

"It's back!"