Tuesday evening
Thirty minutes later
Safehouse F
"Psyche, put any apprehension behind you and lay into the bitch – she deserves everything that she gets!" Mindy said seriously.
"Gee, thanks, Hit Girl!" Wildcat growled as she paced from side to side, flexing her hands.
"Stop winging Kitty Kat!" Josh laughed from the walkway that ran over the mat.
Wildcat muttered something vile and started to move towards Psyche. Two minutes later, Psyche was on the mat, face down, for the second time. Both put downs had been hard, too, so the girl must have been hurting. I pulled Psyche back to her feet and looked directly into her eyes. I could see pain and worry.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't want to do it, I mean I do, but I can't... She's my partner..."
"Get angry, like you did with me – dig deep for something that makes you angry. Look into your past, seize hold of something or somebody when something bad happened to you. Use the anger from that moment, or the fear. Bring it forwards and then before it consumes you, turn it around and turn it into hate. Use that hate and focus it against your target."
I saw the girl's eyes go dark and focused.
"Go get the bitch!"
Wildcat was not expecting the wild attack which put her down hard enough to make her scream in both surprise and pain. Psyche had turned away from me, her body language had changed and she had grabbed up a four-foot training Jo. With it, she had pounded on Wildcat, and all the older vigilante could do was use her gauntlets to protect her head, which seemed to be Psyche's target. Wildcat managed to deploy her claws and flip the Jo out of Psyche's hands. Psyche was not phased for a moment as she punched Wildcat hard in the chest.
"Fucking bitch!" Wildcat yelled out in pain. "That was my fucking tit!"
"Poor little kitty!" Psyche growled.
The younger girl was not holding back as she laid into Wildcat. She punched and she kicked – using all that she had learned to that point. Wildcat was holding back, just a bit, which was good, but Psyche was not. At one stage she managed to get Wildcat into a headlock. Rather than let Wildcat's neck be broken, I intervened, kicking Psyche off to one side. I was not wearing any protective suit, but I knew that my skills would protect me. I picked up the Jo and faced off against Psyche. She was raging. Wildcat was back on her feet and I waved her off.
Psyche could move well, which impressed me, yet again. She was light on her feet, despite the extra armour and weapons. She used her gauntlets to fend off the Jo. Within two minutes I had beaten the younger girl down. She lay on the mat, breathing heavily. What skin I could see was soaked in sweat. I dropped the Jo, kneeling down beside the girl where I rolled her onto her side and gently eased off her mask.
"Water!" I ordered, clicking my fingers and Josh appeared, an ice cold bottle in his hand.
I gently eased Stephanie to a sitting position and held the bottle to her lips.
"Small sips only..."
Stephanie was soaked and exhausted. After she had taken a couple of sips of water, she lay back on the mat unable to move. I waved and Josh picked up Stephanie and carried her upstairs.
"Megan, get changed – Josh and I'll sort out Stephanie."
Later that night
Glenview
When I awoke, I was in my own bed at home.
I looked around me and I saw a grinning Anne-Marie sitting cross-legged on her bed a few feet away.
"So, you're awake," she said.
"How long have I been here?"
"About four hours – Mindy brought you home with Josh and they put you to bed. They said that you had overdone it at D-JAK – idiot!"
I smiled weakly.
"Something like that, yeah..."
"Plus you stink!"
"Great!" I laughed, noticing that I was all sweaty and clammy. "Thanks Anne-Marie – I love you too!"
I threw back the duvet and climbed out of bed. I felt a little weak as I pulled off my t-shirt and knickers before heading for the shower.
Two days later
Thursday evening
Safehouse F
"Can I have your attention, please!"
Everybody stopped milling about the mat and looked up at me on the walkway.
"Please welcome the newest member of Fusion: Psyche!"
There were cheers and applause as the red and blue clad Psyche came out of the armoury with Wildcat and Trojan on either side of her. The poor girl looked incredibly embarrassed, but everybody gathered around her and took a chance to examine her new combat suit and weapons.
Stephanie was a very popular girl and everybody liked her.
That same evening
Safehouse D
I had given Josh and Chloe a challenge.
They had both needed new motorcycles for their vigilante personas, for winter, as they had both lost theirs in Gotham. I had suggested that they research and pick machines for themselves. Erika also decided that she needed a winter machine too, so I gave her the same challenge.
Once they had purchased their machines, they were to be sent to Gotham and Wayne Enterprises for some updating. I would have no idea what they had bought, however, Fox would give me a thumbs up or a thumbs down when he received the machines. I was annoyed when I received an email from him: 'Three thumbs up!' I was hoping they would flunk, but no – maybe they were learning! Dave just told me to have faith in my protégés.
..._...
The day finally arrived when the five of us arrived at Safehouse D to examine the container that had been delivered from Gotham. After checking the security seals, Dave unlocked and pulled open the doors of the container. He then went in to unstrap the first motorcycle.
"Mist – your ride!" Dave prompted.
Erika moved forwards full of excitement as her Yamaha Super Tenere in black and light blue, with the licence plate 'MIST', was wheeled out of the container.
"Very nice choice, Erika – you have my respect as always," I said with a grin that had Erika blushing.
"Shadow!" Dave called out as he wheeled out another machine.
"Oh, wow!" I exclaimed as my mouth dropped open.
The Suzuki V-Strom 1000 ABS motorcycle was beautiful in its navy blue livery, right down to the licence plate: 'SHADOW'.
"Damn, Chloe, fucking well done!"
"You sound surprised, bitch!" Chloe commented with a grin.
"When you actually use your brain, you do well!" I retorted.
Chloe laughed.
"Jackal, you British rat!" Dave called next.
"Oh, well done – a very nice machine and not a surprise now I think about it!"
The tan coloured motorcycle with the licence plate 'JACKAL' was from the British manufacturer, Triumph. The Tiger 800 ABS was a good strong machine and I was impressed. All three machines were fitted with Continental TKC-80 Twinduro tyres, ready for winter.
The plan had been an outrageous success – but then what would you expect from Hit Girl?
All my plans worked – well most of them...
Friday evening
Glenview
My life was complete, apparently.
It had been ten weeks since Daddy had died and we had left Gotham for the first and the last time. So much had happened to us in less than three months. Danny and I actually sat down to take stock.
"We have a beautiful house," I began.
"With an indoor pool!" Danny added.
"We have our own bedrooms..."
"I don't have to put up with you farting all night!" Danny chuckled.
"What about your snoring?" I replied with a scowl.
"We have a dog..."
"Who's 'up the duff', as Stephanie calls it..." I laughed.
"That's another thing – we have Megan and Stephanie. Both are really good friends, although they are both very strange..."
"I have to agree with you there, Danny."
"Daddy always used to worry about money and buying food, but we have never wanted for anything..."
"We have the most perfect Mom and Dad, now."
"I still miss Daddy..."
"We always will, Danny... But now we have Dave and Mindy and they love us."
"If it weren't for them..."
"I have nightmares that nobody came to rescue us..."
"I do, too. I hate them, but I suppose there's no way to avoid them."
"We've learnt to ride quad-bikes!"
"Yeah, I love them – the speed!"
"The speed... You're always coming off your quad 'cause you ride too fast," Danny chuckled.
"You ride like an old granny!" I replied, sticking my tongue out at my brother.
"Do you ever think that there's something that Dave and Mindy are not telling us?"
"They're adults. Adults have secrets. I trust them both, so if there is something that they are hiding from us, it's for our own good."
"Okay, that's fair."
"What else – oh, yes, I can kick your ass!" I grinned.
"You cannot – I'm better than you!"
"Are not!"
"Am too..."
What the hell was going on upstairs?
I headed up the stairs and heard a scream of pain – it was Anne-Marie...
"Ha – told you I was better!" Danny exclaimed happily.
I peered in the bedroom door just in time to see Anne-Marie kick her brother's feet out from under him.
"What do you two think you are doing?" I bellowed and both seven-year-olds froze.
Neither said a word as they turned to face me. Both knew that they were in big trouble.
"Well? I'm waiting for an answer!"
"She started it..."
"I did not..."
"Did..."
"Did not..."
"Did too..."
"Stop!" I said sharply making both kids jump. "What have you been told about sparring outside D-JAK?"
There was some muttering.
"Speak up!"
"Never spar outside the Dojang," both replied.
"It is one week before Christmas, should I ground you till after Christmas Day?"
"No, please Dad..."
"Those puppy dog eyes are not going to work on me, girl – your Mom's been trying those on me for many years and they never worked for her, either..."
"They did too!"
I turned to see my wife grinning at me, trying on her own puppy dog eyes.
"So adorable – a bit like a rabid Rottweiler that wants to rip somebody's throat out!" I quipped with a chuckle.
"Where did I go wrong with him? I used to be able to scare him half to death with a mere glance!" Mindy muttered quietly.
"You're such a softy!" I teased.
Mindy ignored me and went over to our daughter where she roughly took hold of her head and checked out the bloody nose.
"No permanent damage! Bed both of you – now..."
"But it's only..." Danny began.
One glare from Mindy and he fled to his room. Anne-Marie stamped the floor with her foot and headed over to the bathroom. I grinned at Mindy.
"You used to stamp your foot like that, too – so cute!" I laughed.
Mindy did not reply – she just stalked off downstairs.
I knew that Danny and Anne-Marie were in trouble – again!
Mindy had given me a ton of homework which had taken me two hours to finish. Mindy could be a real bitch! I had to catch up so that I could start at school in January – I hated school and had not attended one for almost two years.
Once I had finished I was exhausted. I was still a little sore from Tuesday, but most of the bruises were fading well. I said goodnight to Dave and Mindy before I headed upstairs. Dave was still winding up Mindy – how he had the temerity to do that, I had no idea! When I got to our bedroom, I found that Anne-Marie was still awake and sulking. I grinned when I saw her scowling face peeping out from under the duvet. She glowered at me as I got undressed for bed.
"If you're gonna break the rules, make sure you don't get caught..."
I saw Anne-Marie's mouth moving, but I never heard the words of her reply!
West Columbia
I was so excited!
It was happening. In the space of a little over a year all my dreams had come true. I was getting a Dad and I was getting a big sister. It had also occurred to me that I was going to be gaining a niece and a nephew, too. Oh wow, that was going to make me an Auntie – at eleven-years-old!
I was getting too giddy for Mom and Marcus, so they had sent me to bed early.
Oh, I was going to so enjoy Saturday morning.