The walk was quick, her movements were definitely betraying the fact that she wasn't supposed to be out and about. She clung to corners, waited extra-long just to be safe, and more than once used me as a shield to avoid people. I was starting to wonder how much trouble I would be in if she got caught hiding behind me.

We made it to the elevator and we headed down. She breathed out a long sigh of relief, before turning to me with a wide smile, "Thanks for coming."

"Oh no, don't mention it, I was entirely amused by your methods of getting here." I said without pause, grinning as she rolled her eyes, "Oh whatever."

"But seriously though, why are we going down here?"

"Kate made a breakthrough, she needs your power to test it."

My power?

"You mean she needs to absorb a large amount of energy at once?"

"Right" she said, smiling at my thought, "She can't absorb and hold it for long, so receiving a large burst at once is what she needs."

I frowned, before I nodded, and the elevators opened. I hopped forward, darting to try and pick up the woman that came to get me…but I passed right through. A bone chilling echo passed through my system where she touched and I fell to the ground after passing through her, shivering.

What…what was that!

"Ah! You ok?!"

I rolled my neck, trying to subdue the chill in my system, looking over at her from my shoulder, "Your…incorporeal?"

She twitched, before she clutched her arm, "Yeah…I am."

I shook my head to get out the dizzies, "Well, since I can't carry you, I'll be running ahead, think you can keep up?"

She blinked in surprise at my dismissal, before she just waved me off, "No, go, I've done my part."

For some reason, I really didn't want to leave it off like this…it felt wrong. "Well, walking is nice too, c'mon."

"Just go."

"Nah, I'll walk with you, your headed this way right?"

"Maybe."

"Cool, cmon then."

I stood in the hall, waiting impassively. My stare was even, though after a few moments of stillness, I just tapped my foot and looked at the clock above the door.

"Best hurry, I'll be late."

She stared at me, a façade carefully masking her true emotional state, and she moved, walking forward. I moved with her, and we headed off.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Why not?"

"Don't think I'm…spooky?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"I'm scary right? I can…go inside you."

I blinked, and looked at her numbly, "As long as you don't take anything with you when you leave, we should be fine. I do need my intestines, bones and brains too. If you want blood I can spare some though. Just holler, it's part of my quirk."

She was stone faced as she listened to me, and I just shrugged, "No, you don't scare me."

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

"More like I don't want to them to exist."

"Why?"

"Because it must suck."

She was stunned into silence with my answer, and I let it slide. I knew where I was going, so did she, we would be there in any second.

"You…really aren't creeped out?"

I stared at her flatly…now that I was looking, I couldn't hear her footsteps, or see a shadow.

"Nope, your about as intimidating as a wet roll of toilet paper."

She looked at me apathetically, "That isn't a compliment."

I stared at her blandly, "Would you rather I admit something that isn't true?"

"The truth hurts!"

"Mmm, tough love."

She laughed, though it was one of relief rather than anything else. We traveled in silence after that, making it to our destination eventually.

"Hurry up!" Kate called from the arena, and I blinked, she was up against the glass, staring at me insistently like a pet puppy with way to much energy forced to sit still. I took that as a sign of motivation, and I jogged over, not even bothering to open the door as I kicked it down in an unnecessary show of strength and haste.

She didn't even question it.

Must be big.

I stood in the center, and looked at her, "I got thirty minutes, what do you need?"

She held up both hands, "Hit me."

Acknowledged. I shot forward, and with a double push, I slapped her hands in an extremely overpowered double high five.

And she didn't move.

She stood there, staring at me, and a wide grin spread across her look of focus. "AGAIN!"

My grin matched hers, this was impressive, she must have figured something out. I reared an arm back, and suddenly my eyes flared red as I flew up a stage.

"STAGE TWO!"

BOOM!

Wind roared, and her hair flew back as the force of the blow rippled across her body.

"AGAIN!"

BOOM!

"AGAIN!"

BOOOM!

I grinned like a lunatic, and I took a hop back, before I jumped again to the side, and span in the air as I launched at her.

Let's try a kick!

I span, and at the end of my spin, I lashed out. A lighting fast snap kick struck her hand, and the force was clearly noticeable.

And she couldn't tank it.

Her arm folded, and she flew back a few paces as the wind forced her away. I landed in a low sideways stance, standing, and smiling.

"Impressive! You made quite a lot of distance in these last few sessions! What happened?"

She wiped her brow to clear away the sweat, and she frowned, "It's not enough."

I blinked, "I doubt thinking that way let you get this far. C'mon, what was that? Were you absorbing it? Nullifying it? I know that the last time I was here you were trying to funnel it somewhere else."

She looked at her arms, clenching them experimentally, before she grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled it forward, looking inside...

"Yeah, it's gone."

…what?

"She had the idea to essentially transfer it to a specific item on her person. Clothing worked the best, that way, it would disintegrate at the end of its usage rather than becoming superheated and unstable." A voice said behind me…ah, it was ghost lady…did I forget her name already?

Wait.

Clothing… 'It's gone'.

Mother fucker.

"Did you use your bra as an output!?" I asked in horror, and honestly embarrassment. I know I didn't do it, but the idea that I made her clothing, specifically her underwear, destroy itself…was a very revolting idea. It's so rapey!

She looked at me surprised, "How did you know?"

I slapped my own forehead hard enough ruffle even ghosty lady's hair, and I rubbed my noes furiously for a few seconds. "Why?! You can't just use your own clothing as a battery, you'll be arrested for public indecency!"

"But it works!"

"Are you saying you're ok with being bare ass naked in the middle of a city with onlookers!? Are you mental!?"

She blushed, before glared defiantly, "If I can save someone, it's a small price to pay!"

Oh my lordie…why hast thou forsaken me.

I stared at the inside of my eyelids for a while as I held my face In stupor, before I just shook it off and glared at the ceiling.

"We'll find something else. Replace it, and we'll get started. Grab a waterbottle too."

She said nothing immediately, choosing to instead to just move. I continued to stare at the ceiling in thought, before ghosty lady's form floated above me.

I guess that answers how she got up onto the stadium roof.

"You know, for a brute, you're kinda nice."

"Excuse me?"

"You know, caring about her public opinion."

I snorted, "There are plenty of female heroes that use their figures to garner more attention and services. I doubt that she would ever need to destroy her own clothing against a villain without super strength, but if she did, and was running around topless, there would be more than one issue cropping up. She has a very powerful ability, I need her to be criminal record free if she is going to help me."

"So you didn't stop her because you like her?"

I blinked in shock, "No, I stopped her because her future as a heroine is at stake if she becomes a streaking legend. "Saving people in the buff"…I wouldn't want that for anyone, not even a dude."

We shared an idle silence for a time, before I felt a chill on my cheek, and I glanced over, seeing her poke me. "Don't you have to head up in the next few minutes?"

"It will be a quick test."

I heard Kate come back with a quick pace and I looked down, "Alright, here's what I want you to do. Try transferring it into that water. Not the water bottle, the water. Can you do that?"

She frowned, "I can't transfer it to something I have no contact with."

"Then practice directing it through a barrier. Take energy, transfer it to the bottle, and then the water in the bottle."

"That would take too long!"

"Well, try making it faster."

She growled, before she just stomped off…what a weird girl. Are all Americans like this?

Either way, I needed to head back up.

It's time the one on one battles commenced!