Accelerator

Lessons

--- Ezra's POV ---

I darted forward, and leaped over Seth, tapping his forehead and moving on, leaving blueberry paint (they made paint from berries) smears on their temples or necks. I got all ten of them before the paint dried, winning the little game. I grinned, cleaning my fingers off in the lake. "I win."

"You ALWAYS win. You're better than us." Seth said, crossing his arms.

"Get better." I said simply.

"It's not that easy! You have SuperPowers!"

"I actually turned them off with this." I jangled my bracelet. "I didn't use my powers. And I didn't use the Amazon ability to fly, either, though I love doing so."

"Then how did you do it?" He asked. The other boys nodded, curious.

"It's relatively easy. First. You're all very slow. Second, my reflexes make Superman's and Batman's seem like snails. And third, even without all of that, you have to predict your enemies moves, not just react to them. Your enemy could react faster than you. So you must predict his or her movements." I said, sitting down.

"How?" Seth asked.

"Well, first of all, you've got to gain combat experience, which is all about sparring as much as possible. Every day, a different opponent. That way, you're never reacting instinctively. Eventually, you'll have gained enough knowledge to know where your enemy is going before they move. Some people watch the eyes, some watch the gut, some watch the shoulders, some close their eyes. You've got to learn your way. That's why we haven't taught it to you." I said, stretching.

"What do you do?" Max asked.

"I watch everything. Most people can't, except maybe the Flash." I shrugged. "You can't do that, so don't try. It'll just get you hurt."

Damien walked up. "Are you ready to spar, boys?"

"They might be. Just focus, and do your best every time, no exceptions." I said to them and sat on a boulder, cross-legged.

Robin squared off against Seth, who was the best in his class. He surged forward, inciting Seth to slide under him, and trip him. Robin landed on his feet, and his foot connected with Seth's jaw without looking, knocking him out of the ring.

"Very intelligent, but preempt the counter, Seth. Doing good." He nodded. "Next, Max."

Max stepped forward, and the pattern continued. With just two months of training, they were learning at a phenomenal rate. Batman attested this to the fact that they were children, and they absorbed information more readily.

Soon, all the kids were done, and I nodded. "Very good."

Steve appeared. "Indeed impressive. Robin, I have an idea."

"Let's hear it." Robin said.

"Let's make them camp in the cove during the storm coming tonight." Steve said stonily.

"Why?"

"They need to learn about surviving weather without strong walls or tents. They'll learn quickly. And we'll be there to make sure they don't get seriously injured. All soldiers should have a healthy fear of Mother Nature." He said, and the kids knew better than to complain.

I nodded. "Sounds good. They can miss math one day." I said.

"Alright. Kids. Your math lesson is canceled. Make your way as a group to the cove, and make camp with what nature gives you. No tents." Steve barked. "Go!"

They scurried off, and we followed at a safe distance. "What will we do? Watch, make it worse?" I asked.

"Make it worse." Steve said. "Steal the food they find, make them scared."