The Seven
five times since then."
"Doesn't matter to me," said Holly. "I can still smell it."
"That's impressive," said John.
"And Sarah---you were in a cave today, a cave that's usually inhabited by pine martens in the winter."
"What?" yelped Sarah. "Gross! What's a pine marten?"
    Andy came back up the stairs. He looked worried. "Sebbins took Posey away from me as soon as we got to the labs. Cormair was already there. They slammed the doors shut and locked them. I don't even know what they're going to do. What are we talking about?"
"Powers," said Sarah. "Holly's got 'em."
"I talk to animals," Holly whispered.
Indigo sighed. "I turned on my stereo today."
"So?" Holly said. "Big deal. So did I."
"With my mind. From across the room."
"Oh," said Holly.
    "I'm pretty sure I'm telekinetic. That stereo thing was the first time anything like that ever happened, but that's what I think they've been training me for. Every time I go into the labs lately, Seb's been all like 'Pretend you have an invisible arm.' They want me to move blocks and stuff. It's got to be telekinesis."
"Aw, man," sighed Andy. "Nothing has happened to me, yet. This sucks." He and Sarah exchanged a look.
"Me neither," said John. "Telekinetic! That would be so cool."
"Are you sure that nothing has happened to you?" asked Indigo. She was eyeing John suspiciously.
"I am," said Andy.
    "I wasn't asking you, big dummy. John---look at yourself. You have muscles like a weightlifter. How many weights do you lift each day?"
    John shrugged. "I don't. I wish I did, though. This place doesn't have a weight room. I just do a lot of sit-ups and pull-ups and run that obstacle course."
    Indigo suddenly lunged forward throwing a punch at John. He fluidly swiveled to the side and blocked her arm with one arm, shooting out his other arm in an elegant counter-punch. His extended fingers stopped millimeters from Indigo's throat. It had only taken fractions of a second. He moved so fast that even he didn't know what had happened. John and Indigo stood frozen for a moment. John's eyes were wide and he jerked his hand back, staring at it incredulously. "I didn't mean to do that. I just sort of did it. It was involuntary, I swear, Indigo! You know I wouldn't hurt you!"
    Indigo swallowed hard and touched her throat with her fingers. "I shouldn't have done that. It's my fault, but I had to test a theory I've been working on. I think you're a weapon, John. I've been watching you. You never, ever get tired when you run, even when you sprint. You never trip. You're never clumsy. Everything you do is graceful. What other purpose would you have than to be a living weapon?"
    John opened his mouth, and then closed it. He looked at her stupidly. "Maybe I'm just an athlete."
    "Yeah," said Andy, "because all athletes are trained to shoot guns and throw daggers while running an insanely difficult obstacle course. I remember that event from the Olympics."
    "Or remember why we stopped playing darts?" said Sarah. "You always won. It wasn't fun anymore. You hit any spot you aim for. You never miss."
    "So what? That doesn't mean I'm a weapon."
    "Look at the facts," said Indigo. "Holly can control animals. I have telekinesis. John's a super athlete who is also a deadly marksman. What's the purpose of that?"
    "Cormair says he's advancing human evolution. Maybe that's the future of mankind," said Sarah. "We develop abilities that help mankind."
    "How is being a marksman helping mankind," said Indigo. "Unless your version of 'helping' means killing them with a single shot."
    "That's not what I meant," said Sarah. "There might be other purposes for John's ability."
    "Are you that dense, blondie?" said Indigo. "John is a trained killer. He never gets tired, he can hit anything he aims at, he moves faster than he thinks. Those are tools of an assassin if I've ever heard it. He's a killer. Unless you think that sort of thing is helpful as an attendant in a nursing home."
    "Well, what about you?" said Sarah. "Telekinesis

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