The training room at S.T.A.R. Labs was a converted storage area, cleared of equipment and lined with sensors. Wells had explained that they needed to monitor Marcus's abilities, to understand their limits and potential applications.
Marcus stood in the center of the room, facing a series of targets Wells had set up. Metal plates, each marked with a number.
"The goal is precision," Wells said from his position near the monitors. Cisco and Caitlin flanked him, watching with interest. "You can create portals, yes. But can you control exactly where they open? Can you maintain multiple portals simultaneously without losing focus?"
"I did it at the bank," Marcus pointed out.
"You did it in a panic, running on adrenaline and instinct. That is not the same as controlled, repeatable application." Wells gestured to the targets. "Open a portal to target three. Just target three. Do not deviate."
Marcus focused on the metal plate marked with a three. It was twenty feet away, slightly to his left. He reached out with his spatial sense, feeling the dimensions of the room, the space between himself and the target.
Reality rippled. A portal opened, its edges shimmering with that strange not-light. Through it, Marcus could see the back of the target plate.
"Good," Wells said. "Now maintain that portal and open a second one to target seven."
Target seven was on the opposite side of the room. Marcus split his focus, reaching for that space while keeping the first portal stable. It was like trying to write with both hands at once, his brain struggling to process two separate spatial manipulations.
The second portal opened, but the first one flickered.
"Concentrate," Wells instructed. "Your mind is capable of processing multiple spatial coordinates simultaneously. You simply need to train it to do so efficiently."
Marcus gritted his teeth, forcing both portals to stabilize. Sweat beaded on his forehead. It felt like his brain was being stretched in two directions.
"Now a third. Target twelve."
"I can't," Marcus said through clenched teeth.
"You can. You did it at the bank. Three portals, possibly more. I need you to replicate that level of performance."
Marcus reached for target twelve. The third portal started to form, but the other two collapsed. He staggered, his head pounding.
"Interesting," Wells murmured, making notes on his tablet. "Your limit appears to be approximately two stable portals under controlled conditions. Under stress, you can exceed this, but not sustainably."
"Maybe I just need more practice," Marcus said, rubbing his temples.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps you have reached your current threshold." Wells rolled closer, studying Marcus with that intense gaze. "Tell me, have you noticed any other changes? Any abilities beyond spatial manipulation?"
Marcus hesitated. He had noticed something, in quiet moments. A strange sense of... wrongness, sometimes. Like time was moving at slightly different speeds in different parts of the room. But it was so faint, so easy to dismiss as imagination.
"I'm not sure," he said finally. "Sometimes I feel like... like I can sense something else. Not space, but something related to it."
"Time," Wells said immediately. "Space and time are intrinsically linked. It would make sense that your abilities might extend to temporal manipulation as well."
"But I can't actually do anything with it. I just... feel it, sometimes."
"Fascinating." Wells made more notes. "We should explore this. Cisco, set up the temporal sensors."
"The what now?" Cisco looked up from his own tablet.
"The equipment we used to measure temporal distortions after the particle accelerator explosion. I want to see if Mr. Chen can interact with time on any measurable level."
The next hour was frustrating. Wells had Marcus try to slow down a falling object, to speed up a clock, to do anything that might indicate temporal manipulation. Nothing worked. Marcus could feel something, a faint awareness of time's flow, but he couldn't touch it. Couldn't change it.
It was like trying to grab smoke.
"There appears to be a block," Wells said finally. "Your spatial abilities are accessible, but your temporal abilities are locked. Suppressed, perhaps."
"Suppressed by what?" Marcus asked.
"That is the question." Wells studied his monitors, frowning. "It could be psychological. A mental barrier your mind has erected to protect itself from abilities it is not ready to handle. Or it could be physiological. The particle accelerator explosion may have affected different aspects of your brain in different ways."
"So what do I do?"
"For now? Focus on what you can control. Master your spatial abilities. The temporal aspect may unlock naturally as you grow stronger." Wells turned his chair to face Marcus directly. "But I must warn you, Mr. Chen. If your temporal abilities do manifest, they will be dangerous. Time manipulation is not something to be taken lightly. It could have catastrophic consequences if misused."
Marcus nodded, filing that information away. Part of him was relieved that he couldn't manipulate time. Portals were hard enough to deal with.
They continued training. Wells had him practice creating portals of different sizes, at different distances. Had him try to portal objects instead of just energy. Had him attempt to create dimensional pockets large enough to store a person.
That last one didn't go well. Marcus managed to create a pocket about three feet across, but when Cisco tossed a mannequin into it, the pocket collapsed immediately. The mannequin tumbled back out, slightly compressed, its plastic features distorted.
"Okay, that's horrifying," Cisco said, staring at the deformed mannequin. "Please tell me that wouldn't happen to a real person."
"It would," Wells said bluntly. "Which is why Mr. Chen needs to practice until he can maintain stable pockets large enough for human occupancy. The consequences of failure are... unpleasant."
Marcus stared at the mannequin, his stomach churning. He could have done that to someone at the bank. Could have accidentally crushed them while trying to save them.
"Hey." Caitlin appeared at his side, her voice gentle. "Don't spiral. You didn't hurt anyone. You saved people. That's what matters."
"But I could have," Marcus said quietly.
"You could have. But you didn't. And now you're here, learning, getting better. That's how this works." She squeezed his shoulder. "Nobody expects you to be perfect right away."
Wells cleared his throat. "Dr. Snow is correct. Mastery takes time. However, I would recommend increasing your training frequency. Three times per week, minimum. Your abilities are powerful, Mr. Chen, but power without control is simply destruction waiting to happen."
Marcus nodded. He knew Wells was right. He needed to get better, needed to understand his abilities before he tried to use them again.
But part of him wondered if he'd ever really be in control. If these powers would ever feel like something he owned rather than something that owned him.
"There is one more thing," Wells said as they were wrapping up. "I have been monitoring police frequencies and news reports. The metahuman you encountered at the bank is not an isolated incident. There have been at least a dozen confirmed cases of individuals displaying abilities since the particle accelerator explosion. Some are using their powers for personal gain. Others are simply trying to survive. And a few\..." He paused. "A few are dangerous. Actively malicious."
"You think there's going to be more attacks," Marcus said.
"I think it is inevitable. Central City has become a breeding ground for enhanced individuals, and not all of them will be as easily subdued as the man at the bank." Wells met his eyes. "You have a choice, Mr. Chen. You can hide your abilities, try to live a normal life, and hope that these threats do not touch you or those you care about. Or you can train, improve, and use your powers to protect people who cannot protect themselves."
"That's not really a choice," Marcus said.
"No," Wells agreed. "I did not think it would be. You are too much like your father. Too driven by a sense of responsibility." He smiled slightly. "It is admirable. And it will likely get you killed if you are not careful."
Marcus left S.T.A.R. Labs that night with his head full of spatial coordinates and temporal theories. His body ached from the training, his mind exhausted from the constant focus required to manipulate reality.
But he felt something else too. Purpose, maybe. Or at least the beginning of it.
He had powers. Powers that could help people. And if Wells was right, if more metahumans were out there causing trouble, then someone needed to stop them.
It might as well be him.
Even if he had no idea what he was doing.
Even if every time he opened a portal, he was terrified it would collapse and crush someone.
Even if the weight of responsibility felt like it might break him.
He'd figure it out. He had to.
The alternative was unthinkable.