4: “Suit Up!”

“B E T T E R   S T A R T   P A Y I N G  up!” yelled Dr. Carter Hall to his counterpart, Dr.Katherine Patterson.

“Oh, it’s not over, yet!” Katie snapped back.

They were watching a large screen which displayed two beeping signals on what appeared to be a detailed 3-D scale  of Atlanta City. The signals were represented by colors where one was pink while the other one was green.

“You’re doing brilliant, Natasha. You can do it!” Katie said over the mic attached to a computer, sending her signal all the way to the teenage girl speedster who was at that moment hurtling through Atlanta.

It was a race between Natasha and Carol as another part of the training they had been doing for Natasha the past six months since she unlocked her powers.

Carter and Katie had mapped out a track all over the Northern Side with checkpoints as markers and Carter•Labs was set as the final checkpoint.

Tearing through the city at super speed, Carol turned her head back a little to note the gap between her and Natasha and she grinned a little before running over a bridge and passing through another checkpoint.

“Oh no you don't!” Natasha said, shaking her head.

She thrust herself forward, green-blue lightning sparkling all around her and a loud blast followed after she broke the sound barrier, causing a sonic boom.

They were almost at the final checkpoint as Carter •Labs began to pop into view.

Carol was running straight towards the lab, having maintained the lead since the start of the race, thanks to sticking to the main lane while Nat was not progressing as she tried using short-cuts and side routes which only lengthened her own track.

She made turn from the main lane again and found herself running into the subway where people waiting to board a train gasped when a streak of green suddenly zoomed past, disappearing into the darkness of the tunnel.

Back on the main lane, Carol had realized that Nat was no longer behind her. She was beneath her as she suddenly appeared from the bridge which connected to the subway, catching up with her and they were neck and neck.

Carol was aware that statistically, Natasha had gotten faster than her in less than a year. There was a tall office building set as the second to last checkpoint which separated the speedsters from the lab.

Natasha gave Carol a quick glance accompanied with a grin, informing her that she was definitely winning this.

Carol on the other hand still had a few tricks up her sleeve and she smiled back at her protégé.

They hurtled towards the building and Natasha thrust herself ahead of Carol, using that force to leap onto the building. She ran up, using her speed to defy the laws of gravity and friction to plant her feet against the building.

Carol opted for another slick move. Instead of running up the building like Nat, she went on straight, ramming herself into it as her entire body began to phase, her molecules vibrating at incredible speeds, faster than air, allowing her to phase right through into the building.

Obviously, she covered less distance by doing that and had already emerged through to the other side while Natasha was running down the building.

“Team Carol for the win!” Carter shouted triumphantly after Carol burst into the lab before coming to a halt, pink lightning dancing around her legs before dying out.

Natasha appeared about three seconds later and approached Carol who could tell she was not at all pleased by the race.

“You cheated!”

“No I didn't,” responded Carol, “I used my powers to go through the building like you used your powers to run over it.”

Natasha turned to Katie, who had been looting for her as ‘Team Viper ’.

“As much as I’m really hating to admit it, she’s right. She phased with super speed and won the game fair and square.”

“But I don't know how to phase like that,” added Natasha, “the closest I've come to do that is by using my hand to speed up a chemical reaction back at the school lab!”

“Hey,” Carol spoke, placing a hand over Natasha’s shoulder, “that’s why we do all of this — to make you better. I mean, you're what...two times faster than me?”

“Actually it's three,” corrected Katie.

“And sometimes, you might face an opponent who is faster or stronger than you and there's always something you can use to your advantage to level the playing field,” Carol added.

“I suppose you're right,” shrugged Natasha.

“OK, I guess there's no time than the present to give you this,” came Carter, trying to lighten the mood.

He tapped on the holographic screen projected behind him and a low whirring noise emanated, making Natasha to look to one side of the lab where a large compartment slowly opened up to reveal what appeared to be a blank cloth, covering something underneath.

“What is that?” asked Natasha, approaching the compartment.

“Well, why don't you find out?”

Once she got to the compartment, Natasha slowly and gently grabbed at the cloth and pulled it down and there it was! The sleek green outfit outlined with a blue highlight around the shoulders, the sleeves and down to the legs. There was a tiny mask covering the cheekbone area on the mannequin's head then down to the torso was a green snake circling a tiny lightning bolt emblem colored half green and half blue.

Gasping, Natasha recognized the super suit.

“You have very gifted friends,” chimed Katie.

Natasha felt a warmness inside her as she smiled, clearly knowing who or rather which ‘gifted friend’ Katie was referring to.

“So, do you like it?” asked Carter.

“Are you kidding! I love it!”

“Oh thank God!” Carter exhaled with relief, “you have no idea how much nanotech I used in making that suit!”

Carol approached Natasha.

“Step by step and you probably won't even need me anymore.”

“I’ll always need you by my side,” responded Natasha softly.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Suit up!”