Chapter 73: The Powers That Be

  Dr. Evelyn Mercer stood at the observation window, her hands clasped behind her back. The glass was slightly tinted, but it provided a clear view of the arena below where Dana Wright and Claire Langley were preparing for their next training session. The soft hum of the arena’s air filtration system was the only sound in the observation room, where she, Dr. Marcus Vance, and Marianna Kyros stood in a silent triangle, each observing the unfolding scene with different thoughts in mind.

  The arena itself was a circular, steel-clad chamber designed for this very purpose—reinforced to withstand the full brunt of Class 4 and Class 5 metahuman abilities. A few technicians milled around, making last-minute adjustments to the environment before retreating to safety behind the observation deck’s thick walls.

  Dr. Mercer took a breath, her gaze fixed on the two figures below. Dana, with her sharp features and tightly coiled posture, looked ready for whatever was coming. Claire, by contrast, stood with a calm, collected demeanor, her presence less intense but no less dangerous.

  The arena’s announcer spoke briefly, signaling the start of the session.

  “Dana and Claire,” Dr. Vance murmured, his voice a low hum beside her. “Light versus sound. This will be an interesting combination.”

  Mercer didn’t respond immediately, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched Claire stretch her arms out, adjusting to the energy in the room. “Yes,” she said finally. “This match will give us a good sense of how their abilities interact. Claire’s sound manipulation is… notoriously dangerous especially in enclosed spaces. But Dana’s light control has evolved faster than we projected.”

  Vance stepped closer to the window, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. He tapped a finger against his chin. “Dana’s power is unique,” he mused. “I’m still interested in how her light manipulation reacts to stress. The more strain we put on her, the more her abilities develop. It’s why she was such a valuable candidate for the replication program.”

  “Light replication is only one part of it,” Mercer said, keeping her voice level. “We need to ensure control over that growth. Claire may offer the resistance we need to push her.”

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  Mercer glanced at Marianna Kyros, who stood slightly to the side, her arms crossed as she observed the arena. Kyros was always cautious, always thinking two steps ahead. Today, her attention seemed more focused on Claire than Dana, her lips pressed into a thin line.

  “Are you concerned about Claire’s ability to hold back?” Mercer asked, already knowing the answer.

  Kyros shifted slightly, her expression unreadable. “Claire’s sound manipulation has a history of… instability under pressure. In a confined space like this, any loss of control could have serious consequences. I hope we’re not pushing her too soon.”

  “Claire’s powers are dangerous,” Vance remarked, his voice tinged with impatience. “But that’s the point, isn’t it? If they aren’t pushed in these environments, we’ll never understand their limits.”

  Mercer nodded. “Exactly. We wouldn’t be getting these kinds of reactions and data if we kept them in isolation. Letting them interact in controlled environments is essential. Besides,” she added, almost as an afterthought, “it helps our public image having them seen every now and then.”

  Vance said nothing, but his expression shifted as though weighing her words. His mind, Mercer knew, was always calculating.

  Below them, the arena began to hum with power as Dana raised her hand, the air shimmering around her fingers as light bent to her will. Claire, standing at the opposite end, remained still, her focus entirely on Dana. A low hum reverberated through the arena as she began to manipulate sound waves, though she hadn’t yet released their full force.

  “Let’s see how well Dana handles the pressure,” Mercer murmured, her gaze flicking to the monitors tracking their biofeedback. “Claire’s abilities are more sophisticated, but Dana has been adapting quickly.”

  Kyros’s frown deepened as she glanced at the data. “Sophisticated, but unstable,” she said quietly. “I’m still not convinced it’s safe to let Claire push too hard. We all remember the damage from her last incident.”

  Mercer dismissed Kyros’s concerns with a wave of her hand. “They’ll be fine. We’re monitoring everything closely, and they need this experience. We need this experience.” She turned back to the window, her gaze hardening. “Besides, this isn’t just about them. We need results. Now more than ever.”

  A sudden burst of light from the arena caught their attention as Dana unleashed her power, bright, controlled, and purposeful. The light bent and warped as it shot toward Claire, who responded instantly. A sharp, piercing note filled the air, cutting through the light in a swift counterattack. The collision of sound and light sent a wave of energy rippling across the arena.

  Vance leaned forward, his eyes glued to the display. “Fascinating.”

  “Impressive control from both of them,” Kyros admitted, though there was still a trace of worry in her tone. “But let’s hope they keep it that way.”

  Mercer nodded absently, her mind already moving ahead. The fight had just begun, but this wasn’t about the spectacle. It was about data, progress, control. Every session like this brought them closer to understanding the depths of metahuman potential—and how far they could push it before something, or someone, broke.

  For a brief moment, her thoughts drifted to Blackwell and Foster. To the experiments. To the future.

  But for now, her focus was here. On Dana. On Claire.

  On the Academy’s ever-growing need to control the uncontrollable.