Claire Davis (1.5 Years Earlier):
I'm currently waiting for my protégé in my lair's training room. He should be here any minute. Staring at the bleak, empty steel walls within. There are countless cracks and mini craters from my own training.
Before long, I see my mentee, Ray, walk in. The little six-year-old boy was looking all around the room in awe. I have never let him in here before. Since taking him in and discovering his potential, I've only allowed him to study his abilities and how seeing aura and copying it works.
One huge thing we learned is his ability to instantly copy an ability without memorizing the aura movements of it. However, such a thing strains his brain. If he does it too much, he'd almost certainly get a seizure and die. So that's why it's way safer to copy things the hard way and manually copy and memorize the movements of aura.
I've called his instant copy ability a "one-time activation" to try and instill in his head that he should only do it once per power he copies, to minimize the strain on his brain.
When Ray is finally done exploring the room, he walks over to me and waves, looking up at me with his bright heterochromic eyes. It's almost like he's beaming brighter than the sun.
"Hi, Miss Claire! We're starting actual training, right?!" He says, practically bouncing up and down. His excitement is very infectious, even reaching me.
"Calm down, kiddo. You might tire yourself out before we even start." I tease him as I reach out to ruffle his black hair.
"Sorry, Miss Claire, it's just that I've never been important to anyone before, and I'm excited to start training so I can be more useful." He says, slightly looking down, looking like a sad puppy.
God, of course, he has to say something depressing like that so casually. I suppose it's only natural, considering the life he's led. I crouch down to match his height to speak to him, "Aww, don't worry, kiddo. I understand. Here, I got a present for ya." I walk over to the right corner of the training room and pick up a black cloak and a pure white mask with a black Chameleon insignia on it. I walk back to him and put the cloak on him.
I hand him the mask before saying, "Here, wear this. I know you struggle with getting in the mindset for fighting, you act too nice despite what you've been through, you couldn't hurt a fly." I told him before following up with: "So when you wear this mask, channel all of your anger and hurt into it, and let it be your switch into a fighting mindset."
Ray nods and puts on the mask. We spent the rest of the day training away.
Claire Davis (Four Months Later):
Today, my Chameleon and I are gonna spar. Hand-to-hand combat, no powers. I want to make sure that he's proficient in it before I teach him my power. I see my protégé, a seven-year-old Ray, wearing his Chameleon mask.
"Ready to spar, my little Chameleon?" I ask him.
I get zero response, and there's eerie silence that ensues as he readies himself into a fighting stance.
Before I can ready myself as well, he sweeps me off my feet, jumping up and spin-kicking me square in the face before I hit the ground. He then leans down as I hit the ground, gunning to hit me right in the throat.
Is the kid seriously fighting to kill in a mere spar?
Before he can do anything, I knee him in the stomach. I then pinned him to the ground.
I regret my words four months ago. It's like he's a different person when that mask goes on. A demon that is only obsessed with killing to vent out all of its hurt and hatred onto others.
It is now clear to me that my next step is to teach the boy to be more mellow with the mask on. I think he's grown enough to keep the fighting spirit alongside having some sense of calmness to it.
Claire Davis (Present Day):
Before me, I see Ray standing off with Ironhide. I didn't think he'd have the gall to.
However, with his earlier outburst, even though I laughed in shock. I can't help but be worried. Is all of the mellow I taught him leaving him?! I think seeing Ironhide reignited the flames of hatred burning within him. I don't want him turning back into it, that demon.
He can carry out the mission without being like that. He shouldn't be like me.
However, I know I can't do much without a proper opening, so I only sit there in silence. Waiting for an opportunity to intervene.
I hear Ray's "game." One thought immediately enters my mind, like an instantaneous reaction.
What the hell does that boy think he's doing?!