Xena and Ephiny were having a quiet evening in their hotel room after the third day of training camp. Ephiny had bags of ice taped to both of her calves as she casually texted Terries on bed. Xena had ice taped to her left shoulder as she constantly and intently texted Lao Ma from her bed. Neither of them were really paying attention to the La Liga MX game on their television.

There was a knock on their door that they had been expecting.

"It's open," Xena called.

"Woo, these hotels have certainly improved since my day but not by much," Aphrodite stated as she walked through Xena and Ephiny's room to the single, rather uncomfortable armchair near the foot of Xena's bed.

"Oh, they weren't just made of stone back then?" Ephiny shot at her.

"Very funny, sweetie," she replied in dismissive annoyance.

"I always thought they were nice," Xena added.

Aphrodite laughed. "Yes, honey. But back then anything was nicer than your childhood bedroom in your mother's tavern."

She shrugged in agreement.

"So," Aphrodite stated peering at Xena. "We are looking for a team building exercise?"

The captain nodded. "Yeah. The new kid, Gabrielle. She's real nervous."

"Normal intimidation or otherwise?" Aphrodite asked.

Xena rolled her shoulders as she thought it over. "Intimidation but more than normal."

"All her previous caps were during 'The Great Shakeup'," Ephiny explained.

"Ah," the executive replied with a nod. "Hmm, team building near Tampa? Oh, axe throwing," she said excited.

Ephiny snickered.

Xena groaned. "Axe throwing? Do we have to do every new fab?"

"The people want to see it, Xena," Aphrodite answered, playing up the drama. "Plus, the closest place has locations throughout the state, and they are already a sponsor in Orlando. They will be happy to work with us."

"And the small teams will make it easy to drum up competition, individual bonding, lots of segments for the video," Ephiny added.

Aphrodite pointed at her and gave an approving glare in Xena's direction.

She huffed. "Fine."

Aphrodite repositioned herself in her chair and straightened her hot pink blazer. "You are going to do something individually. We are going to plaster it across all your socials."

"What?" Xena questioned. "Why? You only ask me to do that shit when something is wrong."

Ephiny sighed heavily, shaking her head down at her bed before looking up at Aphrodite. "I told you she hadn't noticed."

"Noticed what? The fuck are you two taking about?"

"Seems I own you a drink, Ephiny," Aphrodite stated. "Xena, you had been posting regularly and I thank you for that and finally listening to my advice, but you stopped after the China friendly."

"No, I posted the sponsored content I was told to," Xena replied. "The Umbro and Under Armor stuff."

"The Umbro was fine," Aphrodite explained. "It was inside. Could have been a part of your apartment no one had seen before, maybe you remodeled, maybe you moved. But the Under Armor photo…"

"What?" Xena asked.

"Godamnit, Xena," Ephiny shot at her in frustration. "Stop being so naïve."

Xena glared at best friend and co-captain. "What?"

"It was on a beach," Aphrodite stated. "A Chinese beach."

The U.S. star covered her face in her hands and groaned. "Fuck," she breathed out in frustration.

"You're incredibly popular, Xena," Aphrodite stated the obvious. "And you know what you and Lao Ma meant to fans throughout the world."

Xena ran her hands down her face and leaned back against her headboard with her arms crossed tightly against her chest. "It was stupid," Xena said curtly. "I'm fucking everything up."

"Oh, piss off," Ephiny shot at her, shaking her head lightly.

"I think what your teammate here is trying to say," Aphrodite began, "is as your teammate and GM we are…concerned for what this will look like on a global scale. But personally, sweetie," she changed tones. "We love you, so we are going to trust you with whatever you decide with your personal life. It's just going to be a bit messy for a while."

Ephiny nodded in agreement. "Most of the team is in your camp. But she did knock out Terries and leave us with a nervous college kid."

Xena nervously laughed and nodded.

"Well, that brings us back around nicely," Aphrodite stated. "The individual content is going to be with you and Gabrielle. The oldest player and youngest player. The newcomer and the legacy. Guff aging captain Xena and young shimmer of light Gabrielle."

Ephiny broke down in laughter. Xena shook her head assumed.

"I am glad you both agree," Aphrodite said with a pleased expression as she stood. "I will see both of you at axe throwing on Thursday."

Training on Wednesday and Thursday morning went much better for Gabrielle and everyone. So, by the time Xena walked into the axe throwing bar Thursday, she was looking forward to how the event would go.

Xena left Ephiny and Terries, who playing for Orlando did not live all that far away and was able to come, by the door and as she passed Minya and Paulina talking to Varia and Eve.

"Is that even a shirt?" Minya questioned Varia, who threw her hands out.

Xena wanted to butt into that conversation but continued to Gabrielle, who was standing tensely at the bar.

"You are old enough to drink, aren't you, kid?" Xena causally asked as she leaned over the bar beside her.

Gabrielle gave a small laugh. "Yes, I turned 21…five months ago."

Xena laughed as she peered down at the bar and shook her head. The bartender came up to them. "Whatever your best IPA is," she said at the bartender before turning to Gabrielle.

"The dry Moscato," Gabrielle told the bartender.

Xena shook her head. "Dry Moscato?"

Gabrielle shrugged. "My parents own a farm outside of Houston. They've leased some of the land to a vineyard."

Xena smiled widely. "Ya heard of Hazard, Kentucky?"

Gabrielle nervously laughed. "Yes, it's your hometown."

Xena watched the blush intensify on her face. "So, ya probably know my mom moved to Lexington and opened up that brewery/bottle shop?"

The young defender bit her lower lip and inhaled awkwardly. "I've been to it."

"What?" Xena questioned amused.

Gabrielle rolled her shoulders awkwardly. "The team nutritionist…"

"Yeah, Joxer?"

Gabrielle nodded. "He's been dating my sister."

Xena laughed and then nodded. "Lila is your sister?"

Before Gabrielle could answer, Amirace rushed up to them and grabbed each of their hands. "Come on, your services are required for Aphrodite's nonsense."

The goalkeeper pulled them up to the throwing lanes.

"No, no," Amirace called as they stood beside each other. "It's young v. old," she called more animatedly than usual though seemingly ignoring the camera in her face. "Gabrielle, Varia, and Eve. Xena, Ephiny, and Minya."

"I'm not as old as them," Ephiny called and media intern swung around with her camera.

"Yes, you are," Terries called from her crutches near the tables behind them.

By the time, the old team had triumphed Varia and Minya had ran up to the intern's camera again.

"Chicago v. North Carolina!" Minya dramatically yelled.

"Fight!" Varia called as she karate chopped in front of the lens.

Xena, Ephiny, and Amirace struggled to compete with Chipala, Varia, Tarah, and Athena, who decided to jump in for the last club team she played for. In the end, North Carolina won.

"Amirace, your opinions on North Carolina winning tonight, like always?" Minya joking asked, using a beer bottle as a microphone.

The goalie put her hands on her hips and answered in complete seriousness. "You know, Minya. It's just, it's just really not fair. We have no reasons to be throwing axes at people in Chicago, but…but in North Carolina? I guess they must need to defend themselves, so they are just better at it."

"Hey, Gabrielle," Xena called as she walked up to the table where the young defender was sitting with Ephiny, Varia, and Eve. "Can I steal you for a bit?"

Gabrielle anxiously nodded.

"No, sweetie."

"Nah, no."

Eve and Ephiny said in unison as Varia grabbed her shoulder, laughing at the other two.

"What this table is trying to say, Gabrielle is don't just give in to what every older player on this team tells you to do," Varia told her reassuringly.

Gabrielle nodded at them as she stood. "I am prepared to surrender myself before Xena," she as she jokingly bowed before the table.

Varia laughed. "Been there," she called to Gabrielle raising her glass.

"Varia?" Eve called at her.

Gabrielle began walking toward Xena, who led her to a secluded booth within the bar. She slid in first and then peered up at Xena.

"Are you, um…I'm sorry. Aphrodite is making me do this, but are you okay doing a video for mostly mine but also team social media?" Xena awkwardly asked.

"M-me?" Gabrielle questioned. "Would anyone be interested?"

Xena scoffed as she slid into the booth beside her. "Oh, come on, Gabrielle. You know my hometown, so you're a fan of this team and you know how our fans operate. They're excited as fuck to learn more about you."

"Oh," Gabrielle inhaled anxiously and covered her face with her hands. "Okay, yeah."

Xena moved closer to her and sympathetically placed a hand on her shoulder. "It'll just be a casual conversation, interview type thing. And I'm recording it for Aphrodite. I ain't streaming it live anywhere."

Gabrielle nodded.

"It'll be fine," Xena told her softly. "Alright?"

Gabrielle peered directly into her eyes and nodded.

"Okay," Xena stated. "I'm going to start now."

Xena hit record on her phone. "Hey, everyone. It's Xena," she said with a wink. "I'm here with Gabrielle," she said as she turned the phone to show her.

"Hi," Gabrielle said with an awkward wave.

"She's our newest call up, from Stanford. Still in college which is cool and impressive AF. So, Gabrielle? Thoughts overall of being on the team?" Xena asked and nodded in approval as she turned the phone toward her.

Gabrielle nervously laughed. "Yeah, um, nervous is my overall feeling. I mean, I like so many others, grew up with you and the rest of the team. Just to be here is amazing. It has been everything I have been dreaming of since…since I got a book about Melosa and Aphrodite and the other first World Cup champions out of the library when I was in elementary school."

"Ooof, sorry Aphrodite," Xena stated. "The kid is a child."

"Kid is a child?" Gabrielle shot back. "Is that not redundant, Xena?"

"Where's that coming from?" Xena playfully accused.

"My English degree from Stanford?" Gabrielle asked, throwing her hands up.

"See, kids?" Xena asked point toward the camera. "Stay in school and maybe you could outsmart me in an axe throwing bar someday."

Gabrielle melted into laughter beside her.

Xena laughed in return for a bit. "That was good, kid," she told her, slapping her on the shoulder.

Gabrielle shrugged awkwardly. "Really?"

"Yeah, come on?" Xena replied and then finally stopped the recording.