"Oh wow... Did you make all of these?" Miss Martin asked, coming back from the bathroom.
Sting ray nodded, "Yup, you've all earned a good meal."
"Thank you for this lovely feast you have prepare-... Is that Sushi?"
Sting Ray nodded.
Artemis huffed and sat down, "I guess you're ok.. Next time you make me run in my pjs..." She warned.

Sting Ray sat down at the one end, "Please, dig in."

Pietro and Kid Flash were eyeing each other, apparently they had quite a conversation on their run.
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three!" and the two of them dove into their food, taking up everything on their side of the table at super speed.

Sting Ray grabbed a hold of Quick Silver's hand about a min later, "Oi. As much as I know you love my cooking, this isn't all just for you." She warned, having had a bun she had been reaching for taken out of her hand. "Seems you two have hit it off rather well."

"Unlike some of us." Artemis mumbled, Aqua Lad elbowing her.
"Don't be rude, she didn't have to make us food."

"Ha! I win!" Kid Flash declared, leaning back in his chair.

Pietro glanced over at Kid Flash then back at Ciara, "but-he-damnit >_< Okay, okay"

"That goes for you too, Kid Flash." Sting Ray added.

After breakfast, Ciara gave them an hour or so to rest before starting private sessions with each of them.

First up was Miss Martian. Ciara held up several photos of people while Miss Martian changed into them. "Some times you may have to do recon and sneak into a base."

"But I can turn invisible-"
"Yes but you still show a heat signature." Ciara pointed out. "Faster..." She flipped through the images faster. Then Ciara showed her video of each of these people walking. "You're still swinging your hips." Ciara pointed out. "Just because you look like the person doesn't mean people wouldn't pick up on the finer details."

Then Super Boy. They spent 2 hours in the water before retreating onto a cliffside to do so Tai-chi. "Inhale... Exhale..." Ciara looked back at him. He didn't seem to be getting it.He was a rock. Stiff movements. "Loosen your muscules, relax... Feel the wind in your hair and the sound of the waves crashing upon the shore."

"I can hear the water two miles away" Super Boy replied in annoyance, "it doesn't make any difference."

"Inhale... Exhale... Feel the grass beneath your feet...Feel the stress melt away..." She continued for awhile and finally stopped because Super Boy looked like he was going to punch something or rather someone.

"Your movements are stiff, rough and predicable. We must break you out of this rock form you've made for yourself. Just because you're strong does not mean you can defeat your opponent... Come, try to hit me."

"I've been over this with Black Canary" Superboy replied irritably, "it's just not my fighting style. The whole 'flow' thing doesn't work for me."

"Shut up and try and hit me."

Superboy rolled his eyes and then launched suddenly at her with surprising speed.

Ciara would be lying if she wasn't a little bit surprised by his sudden movements but she had a good reaction time. Her body moved on it's own. She started turning her body, raised her knee and made contact with his stomach. Normally, this would have hurt but with a cushion of water between her and his brick wall body, she pushed him back.

'Spiral movements. You have to be able to switch directions at a moments notice.' The voice of one of her teacher's rang through her head. Though it wasn't one from this time period. Horatio had taken her off to another time, a romantic/training trip for her birthday. Where the land and air were clearer. She trained with a few Air mutants, learning their fighting style.Spiral movements

Ciara continued to spin out of the way, occasionally dipping back or flipping out of the way. She looked rather calm, which probably enraged him. After a while, Ciara choose to end it. "That's-" Ciara went flying backwards, not realizing how close Super Boy had been. She rolled down the hill until she hit a tree.

She gasped and lay there on her stomach, trying to compose herself. Her back partly exposed as her shirt had pulled up and there scared into her lower back were the words: "Bitch, Mutant, Whore..." Most of the words she'd gotten from her torture had fully healed over but some had scared, leaving a perament reminder of the attack.

Superboy was getting frustrated, but at the same after this had happened with Black Canary, he was half expecting it. Mind you, he also had thought he'd improved a lot since then.
He winced a little when he sent her flying, usually Black Canary was still on her guard as she told him to stop so he didn't have to worry.
"Uh... sorry. You okay?" he offered her a hand up.

Sting Ray pulled her shirt down, once she realized it was up and took his hand. Once she got to her feet she laughed. "Got a nice swing on that arm of yours. Yeah, I'm alright." She slapped him on the back, a smile on her face. "And this dear student is what happens when you get cocky. That's enough for today."

"uhhh... kay" Superboy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, gave a bit of a smile and then headed back inside.

Ciara continued to push the team: Longer runs, more intense Team building exercises. She gave them basic first aid and CPR training.

Lessons of stealth.

"I can hear you Super boy!" She called out below as the team made their way through air ducts in the base. "You too Kid Flash."

Lessons on what if situations

"I would use my link to-" Miss Martian began.
"Nope, another physic is in the base." Ciara interjected.
"Then I would locate the team and-"
"Too late. Been picked up back heat vision."


Private sessions with Artemis involved extreme archery. Ciara had her legs tied to a swinging rope for over an hour, trying to hit moving targets with knives, arrows, throwing axes, darts, blow pipe etc.

Ciara rather enjoyed her lessons with Aqua Lad. It was a good chance to push herself as they battled against one another's waves of water. One second you'd have control over your current of water and the next Aqua Lad would turn it against you.

Miss Martian got quicker at changing her shape into a select group of people. Sting Ray even had her change into herself and mimic her movements and behaviors. Her only weakness in doing this was unlike Mystic she had to know what the person fully looked like. If she couldn't read their mind, she didn't know let's say, what they looked like under a part of orange sunglasses.

Sting Ray taught Kid Flash swimming and such along side Pietro. It was good to learn from another speed demon.

It was after dinner on the second week.

It was Miss Artemis, Robin and Super Boy's turn to clean up after the meal.

"Hey, Ciara McCoy's on TV again." Miss Martian yelled, rather excited.
Sting Ray walked over, leaning on the back of the couch. "I take it you like her?" She asked, watching the TV with a neutral face.
"Oh yes. She's standing up for those who are different. Not just mutants but super heroes as well. I know what's it's like to be judge based on what you are."
Sting Ray put a hand on her shoulder, "She's got a hard job. I don't envy her at all."

~

"Miss McCoy, are you saying these people are monsters?"
"It doesn't matter what you look like, what colour of skin you have. Some people simply hate for the sake of fear. Of not knowing. Fear of change. The Purifiers, are yes, monsters. They've not only attacked mutants but recently anyone blood related to a mutant. Human and mutant a like. It's a genocide. And I'm not about to sit back and let them have their way. Neither is the mutant community. And it's not just mutants anymore, they're expanding their rein of hate to super heroes as well. Last week, the Thing and Wonder Woman were both found died... Murdered. Enough is enough." A screen beside her showed pictures of the wreckage the two were found in.

"G. Gordon here." Miss McCoy's eye lid twitched slightly as the man stood up, "Miss McCoy, no one in their right mind would question that these so called Purifiers have gone too far. But are you forcing the mutants of Genosha out to war based on your own personally experiences with the Purifiers? A vendetta if you will?"

Slowly the team had gathered around the TV.
"I hate that guy." Artemis mumbled.

Ciara McCoy looked confused, "I'm not sure what you're referring to?"

"What I'm referring, to of course, is this viral video that was released late last night."
"What video-"
The screen to Ciara's right cut to a video... A video taken on a cellphone.

Sting Ray's face grew pale. It was a video recording of her attack. That night when she'd been tortured out in the snow... One of them had recorded it. She began to breath heavier, trying to remain cool as the memories came flooding back.
"OH my god." Miss Martian covered her mouth in horror.

The days went by quickly and Pietro was more than happy to be a part of it. He and Kid Flash were really bonding. But when the television broadcast came on screen, the mutant was suddenly nowhere to be seen.

"Those monsters!" Kid Flash glared at the screen in disbelief.

Robin swallowed hard and Nightwing's whole body tensed up.

Superboy was in the back of the group, watching the screen for a few moments before turning to look at Sting Ray with suspicion.

Ciara McCoy on the screen was frozen in place, shocked and trembling slightly. If that had been her there instead of Mystic, it's most likely the same sort of reaction she would have had.

The men laughed as they carved hateful words into her skin.
"No one can hear you, monster."
Splash. Another bucket of ice cold water.
Whip, punch, bar, splash

"By the gods..." Aqua Lad said in disbelief.

Sting Ray gripped the couch, a hand over her mouth. 'Don't throw up. Don't throw up...'

Ciara on the screen was breathing heavily, "Turn...it off...Turn it off!" She yelled on her knees, trying not to have a break down.

Nightwing turned it off, "I think that's enough" he stated, "we have another long day ahead, everyone should get some rest"

Sting Ray left the room as calmly as she could manage. As soon as she was out of sight, she rushed to the bathroom, throwing up dinner.

There was a light knock on the bathroom door, "Sting Ray?" Nightwing called, there was an unusual softness to his tone, "May we talk?"

Sting Ray flushed the toilet, splashed some water in her face. "There's nothing to talk about..." She said softly, opening the door.

Nightwing wrapped his arms around her in a brief hug before letting go, "sorry. I just... I've seen a lot of shit, and that was one of the worst... Are you alright?"

She shook her head and spoke very lightly, "No... Now that I remember it..." She was trying not to break down. "Oh gods..." Having already been hugged, she quickly retreated back into his arms. "Do you know where Pietro went?" She choked, her voice starting to tremble.

Nightwing hugged her back and let her keep holding onto him while he checked his arm device, "He's not in base... on top of the cliff from what I can tell."

"Great. Just when I need him..." She pulled away, "Thanks Nightwing." She quickly turned on her heel and dashed toward the exit. "Door Open." She yelled running past a couple of the team who looked puzzled.

"Pietro?!" She called, running up the hill, slowing down as she reached the top. Pietro was her anchor. He centered her. Was able to make all the bad things go away..