Genny woke up to the sound of screaming.

The first thing she noticed was that the light had been turned down extremely low. She could barely see in front of her face, much less walk around.

She peeked out of the room and located the source of the whimpering. It was coming from Tui's room. Genny cautiously walked over, peering in, expecting something hideous. Instead, it was actually quite beautiful. Tui was clutching her shaking hands on the sides of the folded bed. The room sparkled and reflected tiny bits of light from chunks of white gemstone that had gotten stuck in her hair.

The bed she was sitting on had turned into pure crystal.

"Woah!" She gasped, staring at the bed.

"I was just sitting here and all of a sudden it turned into this!" Tui breathed shakily.

"Look at your hair." Genny marveled.

Tui took a piece and examined in. The cuts of crystal glowed softly. Contrasted in her midnight black hair, it looked like Tui was wearing a wig of the universe. Little stars twinkled and glowed in the twilight depths. She looked stunning.

"Huh, that's cool. I guess." She attempted to smile, but failed miserably.

"Crystallokinesis."

Genny jumped and looked down to see Josie staring at Tui in awe.

"What?" Tui quacked.

"That's what it's called, Crystallokinesis. Trust me I know stuff."

Josie ran over and ran her hand along the smooth edges the sparkling bed. She smiled at the smothered glow. Genny looked down and noticed a large shard had fallen away from the bed. It was long, triangular, and sharp. She brushed an annoying piece of hair away from her face and picked it up. It gave her an idea.

Then in one swift motion, she reached behind her head, and sliced through her hair just below her neckline.

Tui gasped. "What did you do that for?"

Genny shrugged, holding the mat of knotted golden curls. "It's was getting messy, and I can't fight my way out with this mess in my way."

"But you're so pretty." She whined, reawakening the teenager inside.

"It'll grow back." Genny comforted.

Tui pouted a little, but it seemed she was finally getting over her new found superpower.

"I think you both look hideous." A sly voice hissed softly from the doorframe.

Genny sighed and turned to see Dylan leaning heavily on the rickety doorframe. It was hard to see in the dim light, but he looked pale and weak. It must have been her imagination, but was he trembling?

"And you look wretched." She replied with about as much emotion in her voice as a rock.

"Are you okay?" Josie asked.

He clenched his jaw. "I don't need your help."

Dylan stumbled off, mumbling to himself.

"Did he come over here just to insult us?" Tui scoffed.

"He doesn't look okay, last night he had a fever." Genny added.

"What are you suggesting? That we help him? Dylan has done nothing good for us."

She sighed. "He's a real brat, but I don't want him to die."

Genny stepped out from Tui's room. She was surprised when suddenly a black sack was thrown over her face and she bound in a matter of seconds.

"Again? Seriously?" She whined, trying to tell where she was being dragged now.

A body slammed against her, like someone had tripped, and Dylan's strangled yelp pierced her ears. Great, just great. Wherever they were leading her it was with snarky boy here. A few minutes later the hood flew off her head and she quickly surveyed her surroundings.

She was in a simple room, large, maybe warehouse sized. There was a black line leading in a large circle. Sweetness was complaining next to her.

"Agh, what a dump." He sighed.

"This about as good as it gets." A new voice said.

Genny turned to see it was Worthington. For once he wasn't smiling. The young man looked rather grim actually.

"Fitness training, run twenty laps and then report back here."

"Twenty!" Dylan gasped.

"Why fitness training?" Genny questioned curiously.

She rolled her eyes when he smirked famously. "We can't be sending malnourished weaklings like yourselves in battle, so shift it."

Genny sighed and began her laps. It was actually nice to feel the burn on her muscles again, having been cooped up the last couple of days. Dylan was lagging behind her, his breathing already ragged and corse after three laps.

"How.... Are you.... Not dying?" He inquired between breaths.

"I come from a boarding school that teaches martial arts six days a week," answered, slowing down to match his pace. Hoping against odds he wouldn't manage to slip an insult in.

"Could have fooled me.... You all look like.... a bunch of weaklings." He stood straighter in spite of himself.

"I slammed your face into the ground not twelve hours ago." She bit back.

He grew silent for a bit, his raspy breathing evening out. She wondered why it was just him and her. Where were Tui and Josie?

"Well if you go to such a fancy school your parents must be loaded."

She glanced at Dylan, was he actually attempting to find out more about her personal life? It wasn't like he wanted to be friends, or did he? He seemed innocent enough, despite hating her guts.

"I don't remember my parents. I lived with my cousins until I was seven and tried to run away. Then Mr. Wales found me, he's the principal of the school. He takes in kids like us."

"Like us?"

"Mutants, experiments, hopeless guinea pigs of the next generation."

"Oh. I didn't know you were one."

Genny was honestly surprised they managed to hold out this much conversation. Was he legitimately curious or so bored he wanted to talk to a pesky girl like her?

"I can read people's emotions by touching them, it makes my eyes turn color." She shrugged.

They rounded the tenth lap. Genny was slowing a considerable amount in order to keep pace with Dylan, who seemed to be battling this run with all his strength. He would be lucky if he lasted much longer. It was also strange how wherever they were taken the lights always seemed to be turned down super low. Genny was lucky she hadn't tripped.

"Enough about me, what did you deserve to end up in a place like this?" She questioned, trying to appear friendly.

His expression darkened. "I... I tried to run away as well, and was kidnapped a few days after."

She nodded to herself. That's how the Lab worked, first they made you run, then they closed in for the kill.

"This school, is it always taking in students?" Dylan asked, changing the subject.

"Oh yes, I imagine now that they've evacuated the first location most of the normal kids will resign their scholarships or be dropped out by their parents. The special ones often have no place to go, so they'll stay."

"Even if their family says no?"

She shrugged again, not liking the quiet, mouse-like quality of his voice now.

"It matters on your background. If you came to escape family in the first place, Mr. Wales could work something out. Most of the time families of mutants will have been reported their child is dead or missing."

Dylan didn't answer her. And with that final lap, they had completed the first task. She considered it to be a nice warm up.

Worthing grimaced. "Okay, now for the light test, Dylan only."