"I-I don't really know how to describe it. And I don't know how to control it either. I just...if I touch someone I see things. Like, in their mind. I don't know if it's memories or thoughts or what but I see them. And I can't shut it off."
28 stared expectantly at Rinzlo as he thought. He had pulled the grizzled man aside when they went to train that morning to report to him about his gift.
"I see. We'll wait for the eggheads to get an official distinction but for the time being we'll start working on that control you lack. I'll also arrange for gloves, that way you don't accidentally set it off while we aren't training."
"Yes sir."
28 made to join the others but felt Rinzlo's silver hand close around his wrist.
"Don't do anything stupid, boy. That's an awfully intrusive ability you have there, try not to use it on the wrong person."
28 nodded and Rinzlo released him. The following days were wearisome as 28 went through a series of personnel. Mostly cooks and janitors, but they would be brought in and he would be asked to remove his glove and use his power on them. Their minds were simple and through them he caught glimpses of the outside world, though not enough for a coherent picture. Sometimes he would be asked to turn off his power entirely, to resist prying into their minds. But that level of control eluded him. He did however, over time, sharpen his ability to pick out specific information from the swirling chaos of the mind. He could learn what they had eaten that morning, their names, birthdays and whatever else he was asked to glean. For their part, the "eggheads" were pleased with his progress. Rinzlo was not.
Combat training had begun to involve using their gifts and while the others excelled with their abilities, 28 consistently fell short. 78's shields kept him at bay entirely, 36's gravity well crushed him under its weight, 82's heat vision could slice him apart with a glance and 99's mutation's gave him whatever advantage he needed whenever he needed it. 28 had nothing on them, and that pissed Rinzlo off.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Rinzlo had pulled him aside after another abysmal combat session, 28 battered and bruised having been bested by all of his peers.
"What am I supposed to do? They have such amazing and powerful gifts and all I can do is figure out what they had for breakfast! I can't match them."
Rinzlo seethed with cold fury, his silver hand shaking as he stared the boy down.
"99 is better than you. He's a better and more skilled fighter-"
"Wow, thanks for telling me what I already know."
28 turned to walk away and felt Rinzlo's iron grip on his arm.
"Don't you walk away from me boy! You beat 99. You were smarter. You blinded him with your own damn blood and beat him."
"So?"
"So?" Rinzlo laughed, it was hoarse and unpleasant, "So, do it again. Fight smarter. Use your ability to your advantage. Have you experimented with it at all?"
"What do you mean?"
"What do I mean? Test its limits, its facets. It may be more than what it seems. You can take things from people's minds; memories, thoughts, emotions. Have you ever tried putting something in?"
Rinzlo sent him on his way with a shove.
"That's...interesting?"
78 had agreed to help 28 with his ability that night, listening closely to Rinzlo's idea.
"Yeah, I don't even know if it will work, but if it does I might just have a chance against the others."
"I understand, we may as well start now seeing as this might take a while."
She extended her arm to him and 28 doffed his gloves. Slowly and carefully he laid his hands on her wrist and before him her mind blossomed. A sea of thoughts and emotions, one would appear before him only to be swept away and replaced with another. 28 furrowed his brow in concentration. 'What do I even do?' An image came to his mind, the woman Liz. He could see her so clearly. The blonde hair, and her fierce eyes. He focused on that image, concentrating on each and every detail from the crinkle of her nose to the dust on her shoes. And slowly an image began to form within her mind. 78 gasped when she saw it, blurred and indistinct, but there it was. 28 shuddered in exertion and drew his hands from 78, the image disappearing.
"That was incredible, I saw it. I actually saw it!"
28 mopped his brow and nodded in response. The exercise had taken more out of him than he had thought.
"Let's do this again tomorrow…" He began, cutting himself short when he looked up into 78's eyes.
"Oh no you don't," she whispered, "we're not done yet. If we don't get this down you'll get your ass kicked again tomorrow. We keep going until you can actually use this. Got it?"
He nodded warily, not wanting to anger her.
"Good, then let's get back to it."
They worked all through the night, taking only short breaks for 28 to catch his breath. By the end of it they were both exhausted. As they lay there on the floor 28's wandering eyes fell on 36.
"Hey, Seventy-eight?"
"Hmm?" she asked drowsily, her eyes half closed.
"Do you think, maybe, I could use my gift to help Thirty-six?"
She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes with her palms before turning to look at 36 herself.
"I don't know, I'm not even sure if his mind is safe for you to try. Who's to say you could even get in?"
"I just, I think I should try. I have to, right?"
78 rose to her feet and grasped 28's arm, pulling him up as well and guiding him towards his bed.
"I suppose so, no one else has tried to help him. But not tonight, we don't have much time left to sleep and you've got a big day tomorrow. Get some rest and we can try to help Thirty-six another time."
"I guess you're right," he muttered with a yawn.
He was asleep the moment he hit the mattress.