I am number zero (I am Number Four Fan-fiction)

Fight Me

TALI's POV

I watch as Carmon runs around the arena, deep in the middle of training. It's been a few weeks and her skills have slowly improved. Although her other legacies have yet to develop, her Terric is much stronger. I continue to observe Carmon for a long time, watching her take on the various machines and robots designed to test abilities. I watch her attack each robot, stopping their advances; although her offense is strong her defence is lacking and her back is rarely guarded. I look at the setting on the control board; the robots are still on beginner, meaning that they only really attack from the front and don't move particularly fast. I sigh. Although Carmon has come a long way she hasn't really pushed herself since the first day, I look closely at her, she has barely broken a sweat, she seems calm looks to be under no pressure from the robots. I put my face in my hands and try and to suppress my anxiety. Deep breath.

Hildi sidles up next to me and offers me a cup of tea. I take my head out of my hands and try to hide the bubble of anxiety growing in my chest before I smile at her gratefully and willingly accepting the warm mug.

"You need to sleep." Hildi says with just a hint of a command.

"I do sleep." I protest half-heartedly feeling Hildi's stare but not taking my eyes off the cup of tea in my hands.

I continue to look at the tea until Hildi's stare becomes too much and I turn to face her.

"What do you want me to do? Do you want me to stop my mission? Hildi, I can't stop. I know the Gardé and the Cepâns can look after themselves, but if I stop, if I take a break if, in that one second I'm not ready or alert, something happens... You understand that I would blame myself for the rest of my life. I would feel personally responsible for that person's death." I hold my hand up to stop Hildi interrupting. "I have to do this. You can't talk me down, or stop me. Honestly...the best thing you can do for me is to help Carmon when I can't, and... just be my friend. I promise you, I can handle this."

Hildi looks uncertain before she nods in agreement.

"I hope you know what you're doing." She smiles.

"Me too." I say under my breath.

I go back to watching Carmon in the arena. She's still not putting much effort into her training. Eager to move the subject away from myself, and to try and put Hildi's worries at bay, I nod towards Carmon.

"I think Carmon is lacking motivation Hildi. What do you say I give her some encouragement?" I smile cheekily, pushing my anxiety deep down so that it no longer appears on the surface in one final attempt to get Hildi off my case.

"I think that might be necessary." Hildi says.

I hand my mug back to Hildi.

She nods and smiles genuinely.

Good, hopefully she believes I'm handling things, it was just a momentary lapse in concentration, I can't be seen to be falling apart, they are all relying on me.

I check my leg holsters before stepping into the arena. Once in I walk towards Carmon as Hildi turns off the robots. The one Carmon had been fighting falls out the air and hits the ground. She turns around looking confused and stares at me, I don't smile. I use my telekinesis to move all the machines and robots to either side in one motion. Carmon takes an uncertain step away from me and towards the far end of the arena. I keep walking towards her, staring her down. I slip my right hand into the holster on my thigh and pull out a small knife. I take off at a run. Carmen turns on her heels and runs away from me, I catch up to her easily and I swing the knife, intentionally missing her right ear by a few inches to scare her and force her to move to the side. She stumbles to the side and trips over her foot and falls to the floor. I turn in one smooth motion and charge my knife with electricity drawing on a small amount of legacy. I thrust the knife into the ground next to where Carmon is on the floor panting. The electrical charge shoots through the ground and cracks it sending up sparks and shocks where the cracks spread. Carmon looks up at me her face full of terror.