Sidekicks and Criminals

Chapter Eleven: Dinnertime Stories

Pain shot down Sophia's arm as her fist collided with the punching bag. She ignored it and teleported to another point in the room. Another punch landed, this time better prepared. She spun on her heel, ducking aside as the sound of a trigger clicking echoed around the room. She felt the wind of a bullet whistling past her. Felt the splash of a paintball hit her arm before she teleported once more. A kick landed against a target. She teleported again, already preparing an attack. She hit the last target for the training session, felt the familiar pain of a wrong hit rushing up her arm.

'You know,' came Kalie's voice from the door as Sophia flexed her fingers, trying to make the pain lessen, 'your right hook still needs work.'

'Maybe if I had a better trainer,' Sophia teased, not looking over at the woman. Instead she moved across the room, moving to grab the bottle of water that she had with her. She took a long sip, heard Kalie moving further into the room.

'What's wrong?'

Sophia sighed deeply. She'd hoped that none of the gang were going to randomly turn up. She'd already told The Muscle that she needed the room, and the message had spread quickly around the newer members. Mitch was too busy working on a job with Gabe to have interrupted, not that the former had much need for the training room in general. It appeared as though Kalie, however, had missed all the signs. Or, more likely, ignored them.

'You're never in here unless something's bugging you,' said Kalie gently, leaning against the table so that Sophia was forced to notice her. 'And your right hook tends to be better than that when you're focused.'

'I am focused,' lied Sophia, 'can't teleport on anything less.'

Kalie raised an eyebrow.

Twice in the space of one month Sophia had felt almost helpless. She'd bitten through it, pushing it to the back of her mind, but now it was niggling further forward, forcing her to recognise it. She had felt as though there was nothing she could do back at Lord Technologies; she'd felt as though she couldn't help Winn when his father was causing trouble, knowing that she had to see places to have stopped his father sooner. She didn't want to feel like that again. She refused to.

'Phia, sometimes it isn't how hard you hit, it's –'

'Where the hit lands,' Sophia finished, a smile flicking at the corner of her mouth.

'So you do listen,' teased Kalie, a small grin on her lips.

'Only very occasionally.'

Silence fell between the duo as Sophia finished sorting her things out. She flexed her hand once more, decided against any kind of support. The pain was sharp, but she knew it wasn't going to last. She grabbed her phone and glanced at the time. It was a few hours before the Senator's rally. A few hours before Gabe's two little jobs for the newbies were about to go down.

'Kal?' asked Sophia, glancing towards the other woman who hadn't moved but was now inspecting her nails. She nodded briefly, her attention on Sophia, boring into her. 'You up for a job at some point this week?'

A smirk and amused look flashed over Kalie's face. 'You going to train up for it?'

'Always. See you tomorrow morning then?'

'When have I ever said no to our dear Shadow?'

'Well there was that one time –'

'I had a date!' defended Kalie, shaking her head slightly.

Before Sophia could retaliate her phone buzzed. She recognised the ringtone. It was Cass. She nodded a brief goodbye to Kalie as she left, making a beeline for the study. 'Please tell me you're still up for dinner tomorrow,' she greeted before she was even in the study.