Up. down. left. right. I continued to dodge my sister, Jenette's on coming attacks. We've dueled together for five years now, so we usually had to constantly out think each other. But today her strikes were coming hard and in an erratic pattern. She was angry about something.
Jenette, finally gave me an opening and I took it. I swiped at her with a mild flame at my fingertips, but she ducked back down…then I felt her foot in my face. The blow was hard and fast, but it didn't topple me over. It was the second kick in to my ribs that succeed in doing that. I was sent flying to the wall, and collapsed to the ground. I gasped trying to get air back into my lungs.
"I yield! I yield!" I shouted in between coughs.
Taiga came running over to my side, "Are you alright, lili floro?"
"She's fine!" Jenette yelled, "I've hit people harder than that."
"Not in a training match, Jenette. Dad told us keep it friendly when we are in the base," Taiga said helping me up.
"Enemies are not going to be friendly in a real fight," Jenette said.
"We know that, Jet! But that doesn't give you the right to harm, Arrow, our younger sister," spoke Taiga.
"She's not a little kid, Taiga."
"As the elder siblings it's our duty to protect her, not harm her."
"Oh, come on! We duel all the time!"
"I was watching your movements; you had let emotion won over restraint! We fight to either disarm or incapacitate, not slay!"
"Maybe not you, Medic, but if you forgot I entered the assassin program! I was taught to aim for the head!"
"You were also taught not to use those techniques against anyone unless it was necessary, and especially not against family!"
"Okay! That's enough!" I shouted, "You both arguing is not helping anyone here! Besides if you get any louder the little ones will hear you," I turned to my brother, "I'm fine Taiga. I've been hit harder before."
Jenette rolled her eyes, and walked to the side of the room towards the pull up bars. I raised my left brow.
"Alright, what's the matter with you?" I spoke.
"Where are you talking about?" my sister sassed.
"Lili floro, is right. Your movements in battle were erratic. What is troubling you?" Taiga chimed.
"Nothing is wrong," Jenette said.
"It's about Bucky, isn't it?" I asked.
Jenette froze for a moment, before sighing, "There isn't hiding anything from you is there?"
"Nope!" I obnoxiously smiled.
"I must admit, this is an unusual situation. Perhaps if we speak about it, it may help each of us to adjust," Taiga spoke.
"So, it's time of a group therapy session?" I asked.
"If we're doing this, can we please not do the 'Hi my name is blank' thing?" Jenette said.
"But that's the most fun part about a group therapy," I mock whined.
"Not the time, Row," Taiga said.
"Alright, alright," I said, "What's your problem with him, Jet?"
"Do I really need to explain, my opinion on the situation? He galivanted around as one of us, without having to earn that right, for years," Jenette said.
"Well to be fair, Jet. Our people were so well hidden at the time, that we were practically a myth. So, he didn't really know that he was mocking our culture," I said.
"Really? You know what Captain America is guilty of…" Jenette started only to be interrupted by Taiga.
"Let's not bring Captain America into this. They may have been close during the war, but they are not the same person and shouldn't be judged as such. Besides they did protect the country we were raised in from a noticeable threat."
"There's no right side in a war, Taiga. There's only forces with different opinions having an argument, that kills a lot of people," Jenette said.
"And I agree with you on that fact Jenette, but for clarification I was speaking of Hydra not the Nazis," Taiga spoke.
Jenette and I nodded. Hydra and our people, had a…complicated…relationship. We despised them; they were one of the biggest buyers of the mutant trafficking system. Purchasing kids and experimenting on them, trying to make their own super soldiers. It was sick. But somehow there were a few of us, usually scientists, that held a strange admiration for some of their other scientific breakthroughs, and discoveries.
"What's you're opinion, Taiga?" I asked.
"I don't hold any ill-will towards him. Though I am concerned, about his condition," Taiga said, "Trapped out of time and the only survivor from a terrible accident, is a recipe for PTSD, and multitudes of other mental issues. And his mental state could affect his physical recovery."
"No kidding! The guy lost his arm," Jenette said.
I raised my eyebrow at her. Wasn't she just complaining that he was here?
"What? Just because I don't like the guy doesn't mean I can't feel pity for him," Jenette said.
I rolled my eyes again.
"And you, Arrow?" Taiga asked.
I thought for a moment, "We need to help him. That's all, I think. If we leave him behind will just be the monsters that everyone says that we are," I smiled.
"You think he's cute, don't you?" Jenette said, smugly.
I stuttered for a few moments before shouting, "NO!"
"She's shuttered, oh no, it's true!" Taiga said.
"Oh, no, Taiga," Jenette said, "Our little sister finally gone boy crazy!"
They both ended up nearly laughing themselves sick with this little game.
"I swear! If ya'll don't stop this now I'll set both of your heads on fire!" I shouted.
"Oh, come on Row, we were just having a little fun," Jenette said.
"I don't remember having that much fun when I found out about your secret girlfriend," I retorted.
Jenette froze, her face turned into one of shock, "How did you…?"
"Well, I'm going to make Lunch!" I shouted as I started towards the exit.
"No, wait you're not leaving until I know how you found out," Jenette said running after me.
I leaped up in to the air, using my aerokinesis to float near the ceiling, smiling smugly at my sister. Though she quickly whipped the smirk off of my face. Jenette leaped up after me, and in a small flash, she morphed into a medium sized eagle with bright golden feathers. She began to chase me around the ceiling, and I started laughing.
"Alright, alright," Taiga said, as he watched us from the ground, I knew he was slightly jealous that he couldn't fly, "What are we? Young children again?"
"Kill joy," I mumbled as I landed.
"I still want to how you knew?" Jenette said, after she shifted into her human form.
"Jet, everyone knows," I said dryly.
My sister looked like she was having her world turned upside down. And I started back towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Jenette asked.
"Like I said before? I'm going to make lunch," I said.
"What are you preparing?" Taiga asked.
"Sweet potatoes!" I shouted.
"Are you going to make them charred or edible?" Jenette asked.
Taiga laughed, knowing that I liked my sweet potatoes cooked until their (by my standers) nearly blackened to death.
"Hey! Don't hate on my food preferences! I'm not the ones that like live mice or bugs!" I shouted back.
A/N:
Alright a pretty short, and pretty boring chapter, but I hoped that it will help to flush out the characters here.
Lili floro - means 'little flame' in chosen tongue, the language of my version of the mutants.
Next time, Bucky's turn again!
