It was early in the morning when Jessie Bryne finished her jog. "Nothin' to make ya feel more alive! Am I right Bea?" She said as she looked back.
Beatrice by comparison. Was haggardly breathing, and crying from exhaustion. "What... what do you think?"
"Well, you asked me to help you get into shape in your Human mode. Don't know why that wouldn't be healthy in the first place." Jessie said.
"Jess... I'm sweating... I'm tired..." Beatrice complained as she fell to her knees. "My... nervous system is ablaze withe pain..." Jessie then dumped a bucket of water on her head. "Thanks... I need that."
"Look, Bea my lass. We've only done this a few times since that whole affair where ya made yourself human." Jessie said.
"Don't remind me... that Monday, you broke my nose with your locker!" Beatrice said it was then that a bus drove by. On its side read 'Just Getting Started'. "Oh no. Cricket, Bellator Mode!"
Beatrice then got up. Now feeling refreshed. "Oh come on Flynn. What are the odds that Milo Murphy is even on the-" Then a satellite fell on her.
XXXX
Latter on at Danville General Hospital. Beatrice was with Jessie's parents in a waiting room, when a doctor entered. "Give it to us straight doc."
"Well... the good news is she'll recover. The bad news is several bones were broken." The doctor said. "Also, sir. Animals aren't allowed in the hospital." He said looking at Jessie's father, who was completely covered by ravens.
"That's what I told them! But they wouldn't take no for an answer!" Mr. Bryne protested.
"Can we see Jessie?" Mrs. Bryne asked.
"Of course, just go on in." The doctor said. "Except for your birds, they have to wait-AH! GET THEM OFF ME!" Several of Mr. Bryne's ravens chased him down.
"I'll deal with there insubordination latter." Mr. Bryne said, he and his wife and Beatrice entered the room.
"Hey... you doing good Jess?" Beatrice asked, noticing that her arms were in casts.
"No... as if a satellite falling on me was bad enough. It broke my arms! I don't know how long it'll be before I can leave." Jessie lamented. "And to make matters worse... there's the wrestling tournament in a few weeks. I don't know if I'll be healed enough by then!"
Beatrice then snapped her fingers. "Don't worry Jess, I already got an idea."
XXXX
"For the last time Bea, my skills for monster hunting are to only be used AGAINST monsters!" Mathew said. "Why don't you take Jessie's place?"
"Because I'm banned from taking part in sports because of my enhanced robotic strength. And in my basic Human mode, I'm almost cartoonishly weak. I was physically exhausted that week I became Human!" Beatrice said.
"Then work out a deal with the gym teacher! I'm not going to risk accidentally killing people because I've been taught at least eighty different ways to kill someone with my bare hands." Daniel said.
XXXX
"Hmm... well I don't know." The gym teacher said when Beatrice explained her plan.
"Look, you train me while I'm in my Human mode. I take Jessie's place on the wrestling team that way. The wrestling team won't be disqualified from participating in the tournament." Beatrice said. "It's a win-win for you!"
"Well... alright. But I am going to ride you hard!" The gym teacher said.
"You have never done one of Jessie's morning jogs. She gets me up at midnight, drags me to her home, and we run all across Danville... which take until sunrise for us to get back to her house." Beatrice said. "Not to mention... other... things I do that are significantly more exhausting." She continued, not wanting to unintentionally reveal her superhero identity.
Over the next few weeks, Beatrice in her Human mode. Excersized and trained almost non-stop. With the most unlikely trainer imaginable.
"...997... 998... 999... one-thousand!" Perry, the aging platypus said. As he sat on Beatrice's back as she did pushups. "You're doing good Bea."
"Then... then why does it feel like I'm dying?" Beatrice said in exhaustion.
"Because it's working. Now take five minutes and rehydrate. After that, we'll be covering some of the moves you'll use in the tournament." Perry said.
"But... your a platypus... and old!" Beatrice panted as she hastily got some water.
"Okay make that fifteen. You've forgotten that we're in the VR Chamber Phineas made." Perry said as he opened the door, which led to the basement lab.
"You know... if I didn't have a... a subroutine that allowed you to talk. I'd... I'd never take you seriously in... in any capacity." Beatrice said as she took a sip of water.
XXXX
Eventually, the big day came. Beatrice was anxious to be fighting... and not in defense of humanity or of her friends and family. But to prove who was the strongest meathead in the Tri-State Area's public education system. Despite her commitment to helping one of her friends, she couldn't help but feel disgusted by the entire enterprise
But she proved her mettle, knocking out her opponents. Using pressure points to render them unconscious. Eventually, she got to the last round... and was utterly flabergasted by her opponent. "Uh... Cricket? What am I looking at?" She asked as she lowered her visor.
"A teenage male Human, heavily augmented with growth hormones," Cricket said.
"And... and this is legal?" Beatrice said in shock.
"Negative. But are you surprised by this development? Most Humans are unfettered by the law." Cricket said. "As it stands, the physical development you've undertaken in the past month in Human mode will not be enough to overtake him. Also, according to my scans. He's quite immune to your knowledge of pressure points."
"Hmm... I've dealt with worse." Beatrice said confidently. This was quickly deflated when the match started. When one of Beatrice's eyes flew from its socket. "Cricket! I could use a little help here!" She said as she spat out some teeth.
"Analyzing a plan of attack now. Just try to keep outreach of him until then." Cricket said, several minutes later. "Okay, just follow my instructions, and he'll be down soon."
Beatrice followed her AI companions commands, and finally. Battered, but triumphant. She won the match. Her opponent exhausted. "ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?... also, did anyone get my eye?"
XXXX
Several days later, Beatrice met with Jessie in her hospital room. "Really? Figures that Middletown High would cheat like that." Jessie said, her arms still in casts.
"I still didn't like it... I've fought before." Beatrice admitted. "But that was against alien monsters, rogue robots, mad scientists. But Humans? That just screamed wrong to me on so many levels."
"I'll try not to get my arms broken again Bea... of course, this time it was a result of Murphy's Law. So who knows what'll happen." Jessie said, then unexpectedly. Veronica Murphy, the BEA-Droid daughter of Milo and Amanda Murphy.
"Cousin Veronica?!" Beatrice said in surprise.
"Relax Bea, neither dad nor Mordred is here... or any other of there male relatives," Veronica reassured.
"If it's all the same to you. I'm going to get Jessie and I out of here. Nothing personal, but Milo being on that bus that crossed us before Jessie had a satellite fall on her. So I refuse to take any chances until her arms have properly healed!" Beatrice said in concern as she got Jessie up to leave.
"Come on Bea! Just because most of her family are walking disaster areas doesn't mean she is." Jessie said.
"I'm very much aware of that! But I'm not going to take chances with your well being!" Beatrice said in aggravation.
"I'd be more offended if it weren't for your memories of the first time you contended with Murphy's Law," Veronica said understandingly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I volunteered to read in the Children's Wing."
"You do that lass!" Jessie said, then when they got outside. They saw that the entire parking lot was in a state of pandemonium. "Oh... Murphy's were here, no mistaking that." She said, noting, in particular, a bewildered-looking hippo that was wandering around.
Beatrice then lowered her visor and called up Veronica. "Roni, you said your dad and baby brother weren't here!" She said in a panic.
"Yes... at present. Dad dropped me off, I'd have flown. But... well none of my robot abilities work. Murphy's Law... kind of makes my equipment blow up, fall apart, or otherwise not work." Veronica said.
"Yeah, I know, out of all of us. Your the only one who has more spare parts then I do!" Beatrice said to her robotic cousin.
"Yeah, now if there isn't anything else. I have to read a story to some sick kids." Veronica said, then she hung up.
"Eh, I was due to be let out today anyway," Jessie said as Beatrice took off.
