Chapter 8: "Looking Out for the Bitties"
After a full day of training, Kamala was already pretty tired out, but she was so not going to miss working with Clara and Logan, so she wolfed down the dinner that had been brought to the suite before she politely excused herself and dashed off — not that her mentor or her partner looked too disappointed about her leaving.
She was the first one to get up to the roof — obviously too excited to wait — so when Logan and both of the tributes from his district finally hit the roof, she positively beamed at them and waved them over.
"What did you learn today?" Logan asked with a little smile at her obvious enthusiasm. "Anything?"
"I learned plenty about traps and knots," Kamala reported with a little nod, looking quite pleased with herself.
"Good," he said before he looked to his two shadows and then stepped up to Kamala with both hands, palms up in front of him. "Hit me."
She lost a bit of her pleased expression as she realized she had an audience and hedged, her teeth worrying over her bottom lip. "Umm…"
"Scott can work with Clara," Logan told her quietly, clearly realizing what her concern was as the two Sevens headed off to a different area of the roof. He dropped his voice as he added, "He won't listen to me. But he might listen to her, and she knows how to throw a punch."
"But you're his mentor! And you're actually mentoring!" Kamala looked totally bewildered. "Isn't that, like, the whole point?"
He tipped his head a bit to the side. "The only way he's going to learn anything is if it comes from anyone but me."
"That seems like a really long way around," she pointed out.
"Can't make him listen, and like I said — he doesn't like me."
She tipped her head to the side to study him for a moment before she let out a breath. "His loss," she decided.
"Didn't say that Clara wasn't getting a little help," Logan told her softly. "In how to tip him off."
Kamala smiled at him and put up her fists. "Okay." She set her jaw, nodded once, and then simply poured her all into a hit to his right hand.
He didn't tease her or comment negatively in the least, instead just taking her hand and readjusting how she was making her fist while explaining quickly why she didn't want to stick her knuckle out when she hit. "Don't try to hit my hand. Try to hit through my hand."
She squared both of her shoulders and let out a little breath, looking rather determined as she tried again, though of course, the very serious expression melted the instant she hit his hand as she grinned up at him. "Better?"
"Much," he said, nodding. "Give me five of those — nice and solid — and then I'll show you how to block." He took a better stance, and as she hit, he started giving her a few more tips on getting her weight behind her punch. By the time she'd gotten what he said was a solid five — in a row — she was feeling pretty good about herself.
"Now, blocking," Logan said as he started to show her a new drill. "Use your forearms to block and redirect." He explained why this drill ran through four areas instead of just two or three, and as they were working on it, the door opened up once again to admit their friends from Twelve.
"Got room for another?" America asked as she half dragged Billy along with her.
"Always," Logan said as he glanced up her way. "Just starting with basics. You know how to punch. If he won't listen to you, Kamala can teach him."
"I know how to punch," Billy argued, arms crossed over his chest as he looked a little put out at being obviously classified as remedial.
"Of course you do, chico," America said soothingly. "Now go show Logan your blocks so you can work with the chica he's got. You need the help."
"Just a starting point, kiddo," Logan told him.
Billy just gave America a look of longsuffering, and she shooed him with both hands, heading over to where the other two were so she could play with the older kids and leave Logan with the youngest in the group.
"She's a giant pain," Billy told Logan.
"She's trying to help you," Logan pointed out. "Oh, and just so I can say I did my best .." He reached up and popped Billy in the back of the head with a little swat. "Kate would be so pissed at you."
Billy rubbed his head and glared Logan's way. "Hey, they pulled my boyfriend. What was I supposed to do?"
"I didn't say I wouldn't do the same. I just said she'd be pissed." He gave Billy a little smirk. "There is a difference between being a sanctimonious pain in the ass and being truthful."
"It's a thin, thin line," Billy said, still rubbing his head.
"So come on. Ease Miss America's mind. Block what I throw at you — I'll go easy."
"It's not so hard, honest," Kamala encouraged him with a bright smile. "I'm picking it up okay, and I've never hit anyone in my life."
Billy almost couldn't help the little smile her way. "Oh, good. Then I'm at least not the least experienced," he teased. "I've hit America plenty."
With that, Logan started a slow attack to see how Billy held up his blocks, then stopped to correct him on an easier way to do it before setting the two younger kids up to practice together. He watched Scott, Clara, and America for a moment, just to see what he needed to get Clara to correct with Scott — since trying to do it himself was going to be like talking to a wall.
And Jess had pointed out that he couldn't tell Scott he was acting just like his brother in training. Since they weren't supposed to know what was going on in the training room. Or that's what they told the kids anyhow.
"You gonna come play?" America called his way.
"Sure," Logan said. "I'm sure you need to hit something. Quota wasn't met yet today, was it?"
"Too busy taking the kid around to the useful stuff. Plants, traps, bookish things he'll actually remember."
"Alright. I know you can hit — nice form, by the way," Logan teased. "How about blocking? You know. For when you don't want to get hit yourself?"
"Best defense is a good offense," she replied.
"True story," he said with a nod.
"But sure — come on over and try and hit me," she teased.
"I'll go easy for you," he said with a little smile. "Not as easy as them … but still."
She rolled her eyes. "Please don't. I've got thick skin. I can take it if I lose."
"I'd rather not go anywhere near all-out. I've got Clara's brother for that."
"I still say he's a punk and a coward," America muttered at that.
"He is," Clara called over. "On both counts. You should hear him complain. The only times he's ever really beaten Logan here is when our little friend has been drunk. It bugs him."
America shot Logan a huge grin at that. "Can't play fair, huh? What a loser."
"Let's not talk about trash when they're not here for me to chuck off the roof," he said with a little smirk. With that, he started the attack — easy enough to begin with, but he moved up in difficulty with her fast. Both of the other pairs of kids stopped what they were doing as the two of them started moving faster and faster, though when America was at her top tier, Logan was still just calmly nodding at every blocked punch or kick until he decided she'd had enough.
She grinned at him brilliantly as she leaned against the wall. "That was fun," she declared through panted breaths.
"We'll get into some fun stuff tomorrow," Logan promised. "And you can try to hit me."
"Don't let her kick you though," Billy called out as he and Kamala made their way over. "That hurts, and your ribs look like they're still healing. Or… is it the ribs?" He tilted his head to the side as he seemed to be studying Logan.
Logan looked like he'd been caught for just a moment as he looked Billy's way and held his breath. "Ah. I haven't really found out how many, but yeah. Ribs."
"You should. It looks painful," Billy said.
"You were fine this morning," Scott broke in, glaring Logan's way like he just couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"This happens," Logan said with a little shrug that really wasn't helping his case as Scott glared harder at him.
"Your ribs just bruise all on their own?" Billy shook his head. "Some superpower."
"Doesn't matter," Logan said, shaking his head. "Just trying to get you guys prepped. Don't worry about me."
"How did you even get hurt in the first place?" Scott asked, clearly not ready to let it drop.
But it was Clara who stepped in with a bit of a look in Scott's direction. "Just my brother and him in a suite alone for a few hours while we trained. You do the math."
"I didn't touch him," Logan clarified with one eyebrow raised her direction.
"I didn't think you did," she replied. "He hasn't been complaining," she added, though this time with a bit of a smirk his way.
"Then he must be pretty pleased with himself," Logan muttered.
"Well, like America said —he's a coward. Sleeping targets are easy for him," Clara muttered back at him.
"I'll talk to someone," Logan said. "I have to get a check over anyhow. Anxious little lab rats," he muttered very quietly.
"How'd you even know about Logan being hurt, Billy?" Kamala asked curiously, and the dark-haired boy shrugged.
"I noticed his breathing," he said. "Didn't you guys?" When there was a chorus of shaking heads, he shrugged again. "Well… I do a lot of reading, and I do a lot of patching up back home. Friends with this one." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at America.
"He doesn't patch me up — he patches up the kids who annoy me," America clarified, in case anyone was wondering.
"Yeah, I got that part," Clara said with a little smirk.
America grinned outright at Clara. "Alright, gorgeous, let's you and me go a round or two, huh?"
"Anytime, spangles," she replied with a little grin.
July 3
Hangar of the Tahiti Wing
It was pretty usual to see Cassie in the hangar waiting for any of her favorite people to come back from missions, but that day, the roles were reversed entirely. This time, it was Luke who was all but pacing the floor of the hangar while Cassie was the one out, and Cassie couldn't help but grin to herself as she set the jet down. She probably even did a better landing than usual just to show off before she jumped out of the cockpit to go wrap up her old friend in a hug.
"What, were you worried about me?" she had to tease as soon as she had him in a good, tight hug.
"You say that like it's a bad thing," he said as he picked her up off the ground.
She laughed and hugged him tighter until he set her back down at last and then shook her head at him. "Don't worry. It was actually pretty easy. The skies were clear, and I mostly just did the flying," she promised.
"So, no trouble like Romanoff had, I hope," he said with a little frown. "Because I am not used to you being out there in the middle of the mess."
"I asked to go out in the middle of the mess," she pointed out.
"Just because you asked for it doesn't mean I'm used to the idea of it," he shot back. "Especially right now, when the heat's up."
She threw her arms around him and hugged him again. "Are you going to be this much of a worrywart when we start having an actual revolution? Because you're going to go bald if you keep it up, just worry the hair right off your head!"
"I'll take that chance," he said with a little smile that almost hid his dimples.
Cassie took a step back and considered him. "You wouldn't look half bad," she mused with a teasing sparkle in her eyes.
"That's because I always look good," he replied, finally starting to back off a little bit. "That lunatic of an admirer of yours has been orbiting the hangar while you were gone."
"Oh yeah?" Cassie's eyes lit up a bit, though she had to laugh. "He can't really talk, though. And neither can you, Luke. Both of you have way more dangerous missions lined up than I do, and you know it!"
"Yeah, but you're way cuter than we are. Revolution can't go on without you."
She laughed again and popped up on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "You're such a sweetheart, Luke," she teased him before she glanced around the hangar. "So… where did you say the satellite was?"
"Girl, you can't go doin' that now. Don't start talking like him." He relaxed his shoulders as he gave her a hard time.
She smirked his way outright and did the opposite, drawing up her shoulders and adopting a gruffer voice. "You sayin' I should talk more like you?" she asked in her best approximation of his deep voice.
"Go find your little creep boy," he said with a little scrunched up look on his face. "Just don't do anything stupid with him."
"I promise not to do anything that would make you want to hurt him," she teased, drawing a halo over her head.
"You know I'll break him."
"I know," she agreed before she laughed and waved him off. "See you 'round. Get some sleep — you've been up all night on missions; why are you still here?" She made a face at him. "And you worry about me. Ridiculous." With that, she simply flounced away, and Luke was left shaking his head at her — though very grateful to see that she was in high spirits and that nothing had gone wrong while she was out.
