Chapter 5
Fighting Back
Emma gauged the distance between herself and the punching bag. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the ripple of pain through her ribs, she lashed out in a roundhouse kick. The cry that came with the kick was one of pain rather than one meant to instill terror in the bag about to be attacked. Jesse was behind her in a second, holding her steady until the pain eased and she regained her balance. With a grim expression of determination, Jesse nodded. "Good, try it again."
Brennan, Shalimar and Adam were watching from a distance. Brennan frowned and turned to Adam. "This is crazy. Adam, can't you stop this? He's going to kill her quicker than Crueben. She's not ready for this."
"I disagree. I wouldn't normally condone this type of training with her injuries but with Emma right now, I think it'll help more than it'll hurt."
Shalimar's eyes never left her two friends in the simulation area. "How so?"
"I can treat Emma's physical injuries but the longer the emotional injuries go untreated the harder it's going to be for her to get back into action. You both heard her earlier; she believes that we think she's helpless. No words from us will change that unless she believes otherwise."
"Why Jesse?" Brennan asked, his voice holding a tint of jealousy and hurt. "Both Shal and I are better fighters."
Adam smiled. "That's exactly why Emma asked Jesse. Brennan, you learned to fight out of necessity. Your less than legal activities forced you to learn to defend yourself. A mistake out in the streets could cost you your life. You demand perfection in yourself and in others. Shalimar, you are a fighter by nature. You thrive on the thrill of overcoming your opponent. Emma didn't want or need the pressure the two of you would unconsciously put on her. Jesse's different. He knows how pressured he felt from the simulation training and the frustration of not always succeeding. He'll have the patience to teach her what she needs to know without overdoing it."
Before Shalimar or Brennan could be hurt by Adam's words, Jesse proved their mentor right. He handed the Telempath a towel and a bottle of water. "That's enough for today."
"No." Emma shook her head, refusing the offered towel and water. "Let's keep going."
The Molecular shook his head. "Emma, Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was a well trained fighter. You're doing great but it's enough for now. Go take something for the pain and I'll bring you some lunch."
Finally Emma nodded. She eased herself down on the step and took a small sip of the water. "Jesse."
When she didn't continue, Jesse sat beside her. He waited patiently for a moment and then gently poked her in the shoulder. "What is it?"
"Thanks for helping me with this. It means a lot." She smiled at him wanly. But then her expression turned pensive and she stared out into space.
Worried he may have pushed her too hard too fast, Jesse frowned. "Emma, what's wrong?"
"I was thinking about the attack on the safe house. Shal's right; it doesn't make sense. Darius should have been able to fight back regardless of the dampening effect. Crueben must have finished the attack before Darius realized that his powers wouldn't work. So why am I still alive? He could have easily killed me."
Jesse considered this for a moment. Finally he shrugged. "I don't know. From Adam said, I don't think Crueben can sense what powers he dampening. Maybe it was a random decision or maybe he somehow knew you were apart of Mutant X and wanted to put us on alert."
Emma shook her head. "There's more to it than that. There has to be, and finding what that reason is will be what leads to defeating Crueben."
Jesse kissed the top of her head and then helped it up. "Just remember, you aren't in this alone. We are a team and we'll solve this as a team."
*******
Crueben waited in the shadows and watched the young woman with long blonde hair leave the small coffee shop. He'd been watching her for days, waiting for the perfect time. She was a freak; he'd seen her use your catlike reflexes to take out a GSA agent. He'd known from that moment she'd be the next to die. He'd bided his time until he could find her alone. Now was the perfect time. She looked distracted. She'd never know what was coming.
He approached quickly. With anyone else, she would have sensed his presence long before he grabbed her arm. Before she could recover from the shock of not being able to use her powers, he shoved a long bladed knife deep into her abdomen. He liked the way her eyes widened in shock and then pain. She looked down at the knife still embedded in her stomach and then at the man who had attacked her. Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed. Her cup of coffee hit the ground only seconds before she did.
Crueben pulled the knife from her dead body and wiped the blood on the black jacket the blonde wore. Whistling contently he disappeared back into the shadows.
Emma gauged the distance between herself and the punching bag. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the ripple of pain through her ribs, she lashed out in a roundhouse kick. The cry that came with the kick was one of pain rather than one meant to instill terror in the bag about to be attacked. Jesse was behind her in a second, holding her steady until the pain eased and she regained her balance. With a grim expression of determination, Jesse nodded. "Good, try it again."
Brennan, Shalimar and Adam were watching from a distance. Brennan frowned and turned to Adam. "This is crazy. Adam, can't you stop this? He's going to kill her quicker than Crueben. She's not ready for this."
"I disagree. I wouldn't normally condone this type of training with her injuries but with Emma right now, I think it'll help more than it'll hurt."
Shalimar's eyes never left her two friends in the simulation area. "How so?"
"I can treat Emma's physical injuries but the longer the emotional injuries go untreated the harder it's going to be for her to get back into action. You both heard her earlier; she believes that we think she's helpless. No words from us will change that unless she believes otherwise."
"Why Jesse?" Brennan asked, his voice holding a tint of jealousy and hurt. "Both Shal and I are better fighters."
Adam smiled. "That's exactly why Emma asked Jesse. Brennan, you learned to fight out of necessity. Your less than legal activities forced you to learn to defend yourself. A mistake out in the streets could cost you your life. You demand perfection in yourself and in others. Shalimar, you are a fighter by nature. You thrive on the thrill of overcoming your opponent. Emma didn't want or need the pressure the two of you would unconsciously put on her. Jesse's different. He knows how pressured he felt from the simulation training and the frustration of not always succeeding. He'll have the patience to teach her what she needs to know without overdoing it."
Before Shalimar or Brennan could be hurt by Adam's words, Jesse proved their mentor right. He handed the Telempath a towel and a bottle of water. "That's enough for today."
"No." Emma shook her head, refusing the offered towel and water. "Let's keep going."
The Molecular shook his head. "Emma, Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was a well trained fighter. You're doing great but it's enough for now. Go take something for the pain and I'll bring you some lunch."
Finally Emma nodded. She eased herself down on the step and took a small sip of the water. "Jesse."
When she didn't continue, Jesse sat beside her. He waited patiently for a moment and then gently poked her in the shoulder. "What is it?"
"Thanks for helping me with this. It means a lot." She smiled at him wanly. But then her expression turned pensive and she stared out into space.
Worried he may have pushed her too hard too fast, Jesse frowned. "Emma, what's wrong?"
"I was thinking about the attack on the safe house. Shal's right; it doesn't make sense. Darius should have been able to fight back regardless of the dampening effect. Crueben must have finished the attack before Darius realized that his powers wouldn't work. So why am I still alive? He could have easily killed me."
Jesse considered this for a moment. Finally he shrugged. "I don't know. From Adam said, I don't think Crueben can sense what powers he dampening. Maybe it was a random decision or maybe he somehow knew you were apart of Mutant X and wanted to put us on alert."
Emma shook her head. "There's more to it than that. There has to be, and finding what that reason is will be what leads to defeating Crueben."
Jesse kissed the top of her head and then helped it up. "Just remember, you aren't in this alone. We are a team and we'll solve this as a team."
*******
Crueben waited in the shadows and watched the young woman with long blonde hair leave the small coffee shop. He'd been watching her for days, waiting for the perfect time. She was a freak; he'd seen her use your catlike reflexes to take out a GSA agent. He'd known from that moment she'd be the next to die. He'd bided his time until he could find her alone. Now was the perfect time. She looked distracted. She'd never know what was coming.
He approached quickly. With anyone else, she would have sensed his presence long before he grabbed her arm. Before she could recover from the shock of not being able to use her powers, he shoved a long bladed knife deep into her abdomen. He liked the way her eyes widened in shock and then pain. She looked down at the knife still embedded in her stomach and then at the man who had attacked her. Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed. Her cup of coffee hit the ground only seconds before she did.
Crueben pulled the knife from her dead body and wiped the blood on the black jacket the blonde wore. Whistling contently he disappeared back into the shadows.