Emily was released from the hospital around lunchtime. Her uniform was in her closet in her hospital room and luckily her room key was still in the pocket. She found her workout clothes in her duffel bag and changed into them. Emily was halfway surprised that they still fit even though the outside of her body hadn’t changed. She left her barracks room and headed out to get something that was not a milkshake for lunch. At the lunchroom she found a lukewarm cheeseburger and some fries that tasted like cardboard but still tasted better than the shakes.

The door to the gym had a sign that said closed for procedures. She almost left by at the last minute she decided to knock to see if the gym was closed because she was supposed to be tested today. To her relief, the lab coat guy answered the door. His partner Doctor Williams was already at a computer typing away.

“Private Emerson right on time. Let's get you weighed in again.” Doctor Williams said smiling. Emily followed him over to the weight machine. She watched him slide the weights on top of the weight machine over to the other side of the scale side far too many times. “Two eighty-six point seven.” The lab coat guy called out to his partner.

They had Emily stick her arm in the huge machine again for her blood and tissue. This time the machine seemed louder to Emily when it tried to stick her with a needle in her arm. Doctor Williams got excited about something he saw on his screen. “What do you think?” The other lab coat guy asked Doctor Williams.

“Let's try it again.” Doctor Williams told his partner. Emily felt the needle pull back from her skin only to plunge into her arm again. This time she was sure the huge machine whine louder.

Doctor Williams leaned back smiling and putting his hand behind his head. “That remarkable.” He said shaking his head.

“We can use the ballroom and increase the velocity. What do you think.” The other lab coat guy asked his partner.

Doctor Williams laughed. “Yea that's a great idea. I bet you we can get her to a high B maybe even a low A.”

“You sure? We only have three months.” The other lab coat guy said doubtfully.

“I'll have to run the numbers but yes I think its possible. A couple hours a day every day maybe. Yea just going off these numbers I believe it might be possible but I need more time to be sure.” Doctor Williams said frowning.

The other lab coat guy took Emily over to the squat machine and had her doing squats again. This time the bar felt really light. After about a dozen squats the bar locked itself in place when she lifted it to the full upright position. The other lab coat guy then had her move over to a machine next to the squat machine. This machine turned out to be another squat machine but instead of a bar, it had two thick metal handholds. She had to squat to get into position.

“Tell me when your ready and I'll hit the release.” The other lab coat guy told Emily.

Taking a deep breath Emily said.“Ok, go.” Emily had to push with all her strength to lift the top part of the machine. It took several seconds but she finally pushed the machine upwards. The other lab coat guy had her do it once more before he told him to stop. Even though it took Emily a lot longer to lift the machine a second time both of the boys looked happy.

“How much did I lift.” She asked him stepping away from the machine.

“Four ninety-seven point six kilograms so that's roughly one thousand and ninety-five pounds. Just slightly over a half a ton. That's a great start!” The other lab coat guy said to Emily as she shook her hand trying to get the blood flow back into it. They were cramping and white. For the next forty-five minutes, Emily jumped from one machine to the next doing various different exercises. She finished off the physical exercises on the oversized treadmill. This time Emily lasted a really long time on the treadmill before falling behind the yellow line. When she climbed off she noticed that she wasn't sweaty. She was completely dry.

“Doctor Williams I am not sure if this is a problem or not but I am not sweating.” Emily told him as he typed away on a computer.

“Hmm?” He asked turning around. “Oh, your power must be regulating your body heat. We're going to have to test that.”

From there the Doctor showed her to the office and started her on the computer test. The test was as long and confusing as before and she felt like she failed it again when she was finished. After the computer test, Doctor Williams and his partner left her off telling her she was done for the day.

“So how did I do?” She asked them.

They were both huddled around the computer didn’t seem to hear her. She debated asking again but then shrugged. She stopped off at the cafeteria for a quick bite to eat for dinner. The seat at the hospital cafeteria creaked a bit when she sat down. Embarrassed she didn't finish her meal and headed back to her barracks. Emily took a quick shower before putting her stuff away. Her room had a TV so she settled in to watch a sitcom about three male nerdy superhero Technomages who taught at a university and a normal female Brute who worked for the northern California super squad.

Emily was woken up in the morning by a knock at her door. When she opened the door she found herself staring at the corporal who showed her around the other day. “Hey ah I didn't see you leave yet and um wanted to make sure that you made it on time to muster”

Cursing Emily asked the Corporal what time it was. “I don't have a phone so I had nothing to wake me up.” Emily said turning around.

“You have about fifteen minutes if you skip breakfast again. I'll drive you in the golf cart.” The Corporal said as Emily turned back into her room. “I'll wait for you out here.” She heard the Corporal said through the door. She had accidentally closed the door on him. The door closed with a loud boom. Emily hesitated a second thinking about opening it again and saying sorry but changed her mind. She got dressed in her only pair of workout clothes.

“I am going to have to do laundry tonight. Right after I find someone to tell me where the laundry room is. And maybe find someone to borrow some laundry detergent from.” She thought to herself shaking her head. She needed to go shopping.

Once she finished dressing she gently opened the door and met the Corporal outside. “Sorry about the door I am still getting used to the whole extra strength thing. Sorry, I had a lot going on and I kind of forgot your name.” Emily said trying not to sound like an annoying bitch.

“Oh, it's no problem. I heard that you had some kind of seizure that nearly killed you. I even heard that Major Barton had to come and heal you. I think you deserve some slack.” The Corporal said talking really fast.

“Yea it was a crazy few days. So what's your name. Mine is Emily Emerson.”

Turning red the Corporal said. “Oh ha ha yea I know. My name is Noah Wigabaut.”

“Well, how do you do Corporal Wigabaut. I'd shake your hand but I guess it's not allowed.

“Ha no sorry.” Corporal Wigabaut said smiling.

Emily sat down on the golf cart which dipped a bit when she sat down. Feeling her face turn red she looked away from the Corporal. Luckily the ride was short and soon they were at the hospital. Emily said goodbye to the awkward Corporal and headed down towards the gym. At the gym, she was told that the plan had changed and that she was to muster each day on the running track. One of the purple scrub girls found her a private to drive her to the track which was just north of the hospital.

The track was deserted except for the Marine First Sergeant from Super School. He was sitting in a golf cart when Emily pulled up in hers. She thanked the Private and headed towards the First Sergeant.

“Rule number one. No more chauffeurs. You walk or run your ass everywhere. You a Super Soldier not a Super Hero.” He said as she walked up.

“Yes First Sergeant.” Emily said coming to attention.

“Second rule when there is no one around you can call me Perkins.”

“Yes First... ah I mean Perkins.” Emily responded.

“Good enough. Hey did you know my great-grandfather was in the alliance.”

“No, sir.” Emily said confused on what alliance he was talking about.

“Yea he was an overweight starfighter pilot.” Perkins said smiling. It took a few seconds for Emily to get the joke then she laughed.

“There we go.” Perkins said smiling. “Okay, we will meet up here Monday through Friday to run. I expect you to be here on the weekends at the same time and run on your own. I suggest you show up but I won't check up on you. I'll take you at your honor that you will be here. I am volunteering to be here. I have more than enough work in the office to be your nanny. If you put in the effort then I will as well and maybe one day it might save your life.”

“Yes, sir. I'll be here” Emily told Perkins.

“Good now since you were late we better get running. Well, you run since I am an old man I'll take the golf cart.” Perkins said turned the golf cart on.

“Not that old.” Emily thought, looking at the First Sergeant.

The golf cart really had some speed to it and Emily had to sprint to keep up with it. While she ran Perkins told her a lot of funny and vulgar jokes. She found herself laughing for most of the run.

“You know we had a nickname for you while you were in the program.” Perkins said as they rounded the turn on the track. “We called you Never. St Lewis started it. He couldn't remember your last name so he would call you 'that girl that never quits'. It got shortened it to Never and it stuck.”

Emily could only nod to Perkins as she sprinted as fast as she could just to keep up.

“Do you mind if I call you Never. You don't look like an Emerson to me.” He asked as he stepped on the gas some more.

“It's fine.” Emily said trying to control her breathing.

“What would you say if I told you that you are running at twenty-five miles an hour. The current fastest normal person in the world is twenty-eight miles per hour and only at a short sprint. You've been running at that speed now for about a half an hour. Come on let see if we can reach twenty-eight miles per hour. We have a bit more time to practice.”

Emily eventually made it to twenty-eight miles per hour near the end of the run. With her healing powers, she never got tired just really winded.

“How does it feel to run as fast as the fastest normal on the planet Never?” Perkins asked once they stopped running.

“Pretty good,” Emily said trying to get her breathing under control.

“You'll get better. You'll never be as fast as a speedster but you will be far faster than the fastest Brute on the planet.” Perkins said smiling. “I can get up to about thirty miles an hour and I am nowhere near the fastest brute on the planet. Well, I am off to get some real work done. See you tomorrow Never.”

“See you later, First Sergeant.” Emily said with a smile.

She made her way to the gym where the other lab coat guy was waiting for her. “There you are Private. I was worried that you would be late. Come on follow me.”

He led her deep into the hospital and to a locked door that required a key card to open. It also had a warning sign on the door warning everyone to keep out. That seriously injury or death may occur. Past the door was a corridor that led to a very tight one-eighty turn. The turn ended with a really odd door that opened upwards. Past the odd door was a large circular room. In the center of the room was a raised platform that the Lab Coat Guy told Emily to stand on. Emily looked at the walls of the circular and notice that they were covered in small holes. Looking up she noticed the ceiling which was lower than normal also had holes in it. The Lab Coat Guy left closing the door behind him.

“You are in what is called the ballroom. We use this room to help train force projectors to protect themselves from projectiles. For you, we are going to train both your reflexes and improve your projectile resistance.” Doctor Williams said from a hidden speaker. “With some time and luck, we hope to get you to the equivalent of a class A Brute resistance. The rules are simple you are to stay on the platform until times runs out which is in three hours. Avoid the ball as much as you can. Good luck Private.”

A woman's voice started to count down from ten. Once she reached one something hard hit Emily in the back with a loud 'Thwack.”

“Ouch!” Emily yelled spinning around only to get hit again a couple of seconds later. The balls stung only for a brief couple of seconds before the pain faded away but as soon as the pain faded the next ball would hit. Emily spent the next three hours getting hit by the small speeding balls from all directions. The balls were impossible to avoid.

After finally being let out of the ballroom Emily went to lunch. The lunch was a really good meatball sub. Too embarrassed to eat in the lunchroom she ate outside on a rock. At one in the afternoon, Emily headed down to the gym to find HM2 McLaughlin waiting on her. She had Emily working on the machines for the next four hours not letting her stop for more than a bathroom break. McLaughlin cheated on her rep counts like crazy and drove Emily up the wall.

“If you want me to do more just tell me and I'll do it. Don't skip counts that's just annoying.” Emily thought when McLaughlin said they were done.

Doctor Williams met Emily at the door. “Please come to my office I need to talk to you and give you your homework.” He told her. “First I need to make sure you understand the effects of your new power. They explained that you are stronger and taller than you use to be. We've been watching you and so far you have amazing control over your strength. Your equilibrioception … ah I mean your scene of balance has been greatly improved by your powers so we are not looking at any problems as you get taller.”

“We strongly suggest that you use prophylactics during intercourse until we figure out if your power will allow contraceptives to work as intended or interfere with the process. We should be able to tell within a matter of weeks when we check your levels. Though we do caution that your weight will affect what positions you are able to have sex in.” Doctor Williams said awkwardly smiling trying to be reassuring. “Your weight is going to be a problem though. I suggest only have sex with your partner on top until you get used to your strength and weight. Wouldn’t want to accidentally crush your partner.”

Emil's turned to beat red and stuttered “That won't be a problem. I ah will not be having sex.”

“Having sex is natural human desire. Once we are sure that it will not affect the contraceptives you can resume have normal sexual relations. Though I caution that you should always use prophylactics when engaging in sexual intercourse.” Doctor Williams said Frowning making Emily more embarrassed.

“Now about your homework.” He continued. Emily was grateful for the change of topics. Her homework according to him was a thick heavy duty laptop with a big clumsy not to mention old fashion headset complete with a mic. The computer had the language Farsi training program on it and he showed her how to access it. “We think with your ability will enable you to learn languages faster and easier than a normal person. I want you to do at least two modules a night.” He told her with a smile. Emily got the feeling that it was not a suggestion.

“Yes, sir.” Emily said.