Chapter Five

Game Face

"Cherie," J.L. called for me. I snapped out of my moment reminiscing Freelancer all over again.

"Yeah, what's up?" I replied.

"We are hitting this next port up, we need to resupply before getting to Chorus, we don't want to need more assistance than the assistance we want to give do we?" He stated. I sighed.

"Yeah you're right..." I shoved my stuff back into my locker. "Do you and Aiden need me to come with?" I asked.

"Feel like watching the ship?" J.L. replied. I nodded.

"Yeah I'd rather be here in case some space pirate shits wanna try and take our shit again." I sighed. Not all ports we had access to were friendly spots, and both the guys had a better eye for inventory and I typically sent them with my list and didn't screw up. "I have my list already made. It's on the counter in the lavatory."

"You mean the head?" Aiden called from the other part of the ship.

"I refuse to call it that on principle Aiden!" I called back. J.L. rolled his eyes and confirmed he'd get what was on my list. I moved myself to the control room and stared at the screen again. I needed something else to do. I sighed and got back up and went to our bunks. I began stretching.

It's been a moment since I have practiced any of my hand-to-hand. I began to start making jabs, breathing in and out appropriately, adding knees and kicks. I started to recall the training simulator in the Mother of Invention. I imagined the moving targets in front of me and I was sent back to a different time in this impromptu practice.

FILSS announced the countdown and I was bouncing lightly on my feet in preparation for the start. I watched all the green holo targets raise themselves and the count reach zero. I started landing my punches and kicks on the targets and for my final two targets I sprung back and split kicked them, barely making it. I was panting as I tried to just remain on my feet after my showy display, for the 5th consecutive time as FILSS announced my time.

"Colorado, you're time is fine, you don't need to continue." York called out. I'm glad he was coaching me, Louisiana and Alaska today, Carolina kicked our asses last training session. I saluted and headed to the exit of the training room when I was met by Louisiana and Alaska shaking their heads.

"Where you think you're heading?" Alaska asked hands to his hips.

"To shower. It's the hygienic thing to do after training, something you're only so acquainted with..." I retorted with my own hand on hip body language.

"We have a team exercise to complete before we can go anywhere." Louisiana stated.

"Gotta be fucking with me." I replied. "Carolina kicked our asses over the last two days, what more could York be making us do?"

Maine emerged from the other door of the training room and the pillars rose from the floor.

"Nooooo…" I groaned. "Not the sticky guns."

"Oui, Cherie, the sticky guns." Louisiana said in an excited fashion. Alaska clapped me on the back.

"C'mon, three on one, it'll be over quickly." Alaska reassured. I sighed and trudged after them.

Alaska couldn't have been more wrong.

I will always stand by my theory that Maine is a dick head. He has potential to be nice, he just tosses his opportunities out the window and waves at them as they soar away.

I gotta hand it to us though, we never backed down. I had been hit with that sticky shit so many times just trying to sneak up on Maine, I thought my own muscles were going to go stiff after this trial.

But we did get one win.

Alaska had his back to a pillar and we were waiting on the countdown to reach zero.

"Ok, you're going to dart over to me, I am going to boost you up to the top of this pillar you short shit, and Louisiana is going to keep him occupied. Do you're worst." Alaska spoke the magic words. FILSS announced the start and I dashed over to Alaska. I could heard Maine's stampede from around the corner and Alaska had nearly thrown me like I was the flyer for a cheer squad to the top of the pillar and I heard Alaska grunt as he was shot and Louisiana started to flag Maine away from me.

I saw my opportune moment.

I leapt onto his back and rode his shoulders like I was a rodeo cowboy getting bucked off a bull and finally got the shot I needed as I gripped his shoulder plates. I pulled that trigger too many times in pay back for all the hits I received in the previous rounds and I toppled to the ground with the unstable Agent Maine.

His hardened armor fell on my right foot, but I didn't seem to register or give a shit until after I threw my arms up in celebratory fashion. I went to pull myself up and staggered and almost rolled on my ankle. I muttered under my breath.

"Ok guys, we can call it a day. Go hit the showers." York instructed over the loudspeaker. The sticky wore off and Alaska and Louisiana groaned in unison as they also sat up. I played off my pain on my foot which I quickly realized I was screwing up more by walking and waited until Alaska, Louisiana and Maine had quickly overtaken my strides and gone out of sight before I just simply slid with my back against the wall. I hissed in pain as I began to roll my ankle. As it turned out I guess Maine landed on my ankle, the chink right between the armor plate on my foot. Damn, that's what I got for that over zealous trigger happy moment I had on his shoulders.

"You alright?" I glanced up and realized it was Wash who was looking down at me with his arms crossed. I swallowed hard.

"Totally." I lied, attempting a chipper tone. I sat myself up with my other foot and when I applied pressure to my right one, I about collapsed. Wash caught me.

"Whoa, whoa, easy." He cooed. Damn, why me?

"Truly, I am ok, it's just a bruise. A really, really big bruise deep in the tissues of my ankle." I sighed. "I just need to get back to my quarters and get some heat and ice on this. I can't miss training my skills are rusty and I can't keep up my runs have been super shitty and-"

"I'm gonna get you back to your quarters, I'll bring you a compress and an ice pack, if you stop doubting yourself, ok?" Wash interrupted me.

"...wait what?" I exhaled.

"Stop doubting yourself. I was up there in the look out too towards the end of your runs with the others...You're doing fine." He said, and without stammering. Typically if Wash was attempting to flirt with me by now his tongue would have tripped over one of his words and it would have snowballed into awkward. But it didn't. Now I was tongue tied. I had no idea how to respond.

"But I mean, look I came out of here hobbling...I got a gimp foot..." I tried to laugh it off. "I;m not like...totally you know, bashing on myself, I just don't feel as though I am keeping up is all. I feel like, did they really mean to pick me, in comparison to everyone else I can barely fight and-"

"I would have never in a million years been brave enough to ride Maine's shoulders and get yanked around like that. That took balls..." It came out before he could stop it. I tried to stifle the chuckle. "I mean, you know, that shit was brave and you don't need balls to do that! What I mean is you don't have to be a guy to ave done that or masculine in any way-" I started laughing so hard I couldn't hold myself up any longer and just draped my arm over his shoulder.

"I think those have been the best words of encouragement I have ever heard Wash. Really. Thank you." I started to hobble alongside him.

"You...are welcome then." Wash responded chuckling lightly as well. "Let's get that foot taken care of now."

I flopped down on the cot and rubbed my eyes and wiped sweat off of my forehead. Aiden and J.L. were taken their sweet time today. God knows why.

I sighed and looked at the com screen with the ETA to Chorus and Wash's coordinates.

"I can't doubt myself. If I do that I psyche myself out. I got this. We can help him. I can see him again."