A/N: Ok so this is a short chapter.

CH 9 Workout.

Chloe could feel the adrenaline pumping in her veins the moment her foot touched the squishy rubbery surface of the blue mat. She loved this part too. The man in front of her bowed, and in one fluid movement placed his left leg back and brought his fists up. Chloe returned the bow and took her stance. They both started circling the mat. Chloe kept her attention on his eyes and his fists. He told her that most fighters tell you what they're going to do with their eyes.

Chloe's arms moved up slightly to block the first punch aimed at her face. Then a second aimed at her gut. He stepped back then came at her with another combo of two quick jabs that she easily blocked.

"You attack now" he said

Chloe threw a right hook at his face, which he swiftly ducked, then an uppercut, where he easily dodged. Her third punch barely nicked his ear. Then her foot came up and gave him one crack kick to the face. The man fell to ground.

"That was great, Amanda" he said as he got to his feet.

Chloe thanked him and went to take a drink from her water bottle. They were instructed to call her Amanda. In her small time with Lex, she'd gotten used to Chloe again.

"Ok now lets just spar"

"Ok" she replied looking at the man her instructor for the past four months. He had a very good build and short cropped black hair.

They bowed again. They're punches were flying swiftly through the quiet room. Her mind went back to Lex briefly, she couldn't help herself. But then suddenly he backhanded her across the jaw and she crashed to the floor, rolling on her side.

"You weren't paying attention" he screamed

Her hand instinctively went to her jaw holding it as a red-hot flash of pain crossed her vision. She didn't say anything because he was right.

"You need to focus, never take your mind off the fight" he said "Even just taking a second could get you killed. Your mind should only be focused on what your opponents next move is and nothing else."

Chloe nodded in agreement as she got up still holding her jaw.

Agent Michael Gallo studied the young woman who looked so much like her mother. "You ready" he said

"Yeah" Chloe replied cracking her neck. Determined to keep her attention on the fight this time.

She quickly swung a left hook and he turned away from it then Chloe jabbed a snap-kick right to his face, which released a grunt of surprise. He was knocked slightly off balance. Another left and her arm kept moving while easily dodged it but he reeled back and side-armed her right in the jaw again. Chloe's head snapped back from the force but she kept her balance this time. She wanted to learn to fight, so she wasn't going to back down.

Chloe felt herself going to another plane, a plane where she channeled all her power and energy into her movements.

She sprang into the air from her right foot and landed on her left while her right foot whacked him right in the jaw, cracking his head back. He staggered. Then she threw a right jab so hard, she came off her feet for a second by the force of it. He countered but she ducked. She shoved him away from her and jabbed a kick right to his chest. While he was choking for air she turned her back towards him and grabbed both his arms and tossed him over shoulder onto his back.

Agent Cara Hayes watched from the doorway as they continued their sparring match. Smiling she was learning much quicker then they had thought. But that's just who she is, she always puts 110% into anything that she wants to know.

But this was not the kind of life she wanted for her.

TBC