Override (Glitch)

brother.
    “She is now,” Tyryn said.
    City’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
    “She’s been testing through the Rez fighter training program and was just officially assigned yesterday. Taylor thinks she’ll be good to have on your team.”
    City scoffed. “Why?”
    “The General believes it’s imperative to have non-glitchers on every task force, and Xona is the perfect choice since she already lives and trains with you. I don’t want to hear another word about it,” he finished, staring at City. She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.
    “Stand at attention.”
    With another audible sigh, City dropped her arms and straightened her back.
    “Now,” Tyryn said, “as I said, you have to start working more as a team. You each have varied and unique gifts, but you have to start working as one. Which is why today instead of moving directly into weapons training, we are going to do some trust exercises.”
    We all stared at him.
    “First, everyone needs to grab one of these poles.” He pointed to a pile of poles on the ground. They were thin metal rods, each with a rubber hand grip on the bottom. They didn’t look like anything we usually trained with.
    “Each of you will hold this and let Filicity cast her electricity at you. You have to trust she’ll hit the pole. Don’t let go or drop it. And Filicity,” he looked at her, “keep the amperage to a low stun just in case.”
    City nodded, her attitude suddenly changed now that she was the center of attention. She grinned and rubbed her hands together, sparks flying between her fingertips. Rand was the first to go and pick up a pole. I reluctantly followed. As much as I might not like City, I had seen her aim, and she was always spot-on.
    Ginni tried to hand Saminsa a pole, but the pixie-haired girl took one look at the pole and City, then crossed her arms and turned to go sit by the wall. Tyryn let it go without comment. I guessed there was a grace period for trust when you’d been the enemy on the last mission.
    We lined up and let City attack us. It was unnerving to see the blue-white spiral coming straight toward me when it was my turn, but other than a faint vibration in the handle of the pole, I didn’t feel a thing.
    “Good,” Tyryn said after we’d all gone. “Now we’ll turn to Cole and Zoe. Cole,” he looked at the ex-Reg, “I want you to hoist each team member gently by their waists and toss them up into the air a few feet. Zoe, you catch them with your telekinesis and return them safely to the ground.”
    Xona’s eyes widened until I thought they’d pop out of her head, but she kept her mouth a tight-lipped line.
    “Do I have any volunteers to go first?”
    “Hell yeah, I’ll try it.” Rand stepped forward. He put his hand on Cole’s shoulder. “Be gentle, my good man,” he said with mock seriousness before turning to grin at the rest of us.
    “Let us know when you’re ready, Zoe,” Tyryn said.
    I closed my eyes and let the buzzing in my ears grow. I imagined my connection to everything around me. The people standing in front of me were just extensions of the floor which was merely an extension of myself. I still meditated every day, and accessing these connections came more and more naturally now. After only a moment’s resistance, a projection cube of the entire room rose in my mind. I marveled for a moment at being able to call on my power so easily, then latched onto Rand’s figure. “Ready.”
    Cole lifted him up by the waist. Rand was a big guy, surely over two hundred pounds, but Cole lifted him as if he were no heavier than a paperweight. He tossed him up. I’d had my power lassoed around him the whole time, but when he peaked in the air and began to fall again, I grabbed hold and lowered him slowly to the ground.
    “That was awesome!” Rand said, pumping a fist in the air. “You could’ve let me fall faster though. Where’s your sense of fun?”
    One by one the rest of them went through. Adrien felt bulkier in the air than I expected, but I was glad because it meant he was still putting on weight. Finally no one was left but Xona. She gritted her teeth and walked over to Cole. She looked up at the ex-Reg who towered a good foot over her and took several quick breaths. I could see her arm trembling slightly as he reached toward her, but she managed to stand still. Cole hesitated before gently placing his metal-reinforced hand on her waist. She jerked away. “I can’t.”
    “Xona,” Tyryn