E-mails, Sparring, and Crushes

Disclaimer: Same as before

Author's Note: Several sections from Red Witch's Ronin Toad inspired this particular chapter. And the character of Sergeant Snuffles, i.e. Beach Head's teddy bear, was first created by Red Witch.

Tim,

Evidently Shipwreck, two years ago, burned down the local Coconut Pete's in the process of trying to flush out a COBRA spy ring operating out of the place. Is that the incident you were hinting at?

I miss you.

Kate

P.S. I love you.

The Pit, Ninja Dojo
Kate, Conrad, Quick Kick, and Shipwreck
18 February 2002, 0845

"Oh there's a sequel to that incident with Shipwreck burning down the Coconut Pete's." Quick Kick began as he approached Conrad and Kate.

"So Shipwreck destroyed another restaurant in town?" Kate asked.

Quick Kick replied, "It involves another restaurant, the local Margaritaville just up the street."

"Let me guess, Shipwreck got a gift certificate or something from them." Conrad chimed in.

"Nope, better, he evidently has a lifetime discount on drinks at any Margaritaville restaurant chain he comes across." Quick Kick replied.

"How far will Shipwreck go to get on a bender?" Kate asked.

"That is a question best left unanswered." Quick Kick replied.

"What's best left unanswered?" Shipwreck said as he walked into the room.

"How far you'll go to get on a bender." Quick Kick replied, "I was telling them about the Coconut Pete's incident two years ago…"

"There is another side to that story." Shipwreck began.

"There's another side to burning down a restaurant?" Kate asked, incredulous.

"Exactly. It was in the line of duty…" Shipwreck replied.

"You still burned down a restaurant." Kate countered.

"Jeez, trash one place and you get marked for life." Shipwreck replied, defensively before saying, "Looks like my little girl and Todd are about to get some sparring in."

Indeed, in the same small sparring area where Kate and Conrad had faced off the day before Todd, clad in a white training gi wearing a white belt was facing off against Althea, similarly clad with the exception of the black belt across her waist and her trademark fingerless black gloves.

"So you train here too?" Todd asked.

"Yup. Uhm, hey, about yesterday I'm sorry. It's just that Claudie is so little and I thought you were picking on him..." Althea said.

"No sweat, you were just watching out for your little bro." Todd replied, "I understand..."

Stormshadow headed over to them just then and said, "Well, it is good that the two of you have gotten to know one another. Now, Toad, I want to assess your fighting skills."

"Ok, uhm, so you want me to fight you or something?" Todd asked.

"Pfah." Althea commented, "You're fighting me, pal. And don't worry about hurting me because I'm a girl. I want a good fight."

"If that's what you want," Todd said as he raised and lowered his right knee and then his left, "That's what you'll get. I won't hold back on my powers much."

"This should be good." Conrad remarked.

"I'd say they're overmatched." Kate countered.

"I'd be inclined to agree with the lady, Hart." Shipwreck replied, "My little girl has fighting in her blood."

"And I presume the same penchant for destruction?" Kate replied.

"You know it." Shipwreck said, as he proudly tugged on the lapels of his own training gi.

Note to self, leave that out of my next report to Baer. Kate thought as Todd leapt into the air.

"Ok sister let's see you handle this!" Todd leaped towards Althea from across the sparring area, doing a flip in mid air, as he attempted to kick her.

With expert timing Althea dodged with a slip to the right and with a front snap kick she managed to shove him off balance. Todd tried to throw a roundhouse kick after he regained his footing but Althea simply jumped backward and Todd's foot passed harmlessly in front of her.

"Is that all you've got?" Althea taunted as she dodged three other attacks from Todd, "You ain't got nothing."

"Hey, I'm the Toad! I've got style, character, and charisma yo!" Todd countered as he swept Althea's legs out from underneath her before she could react. However she rolled away before he could pin her down.

"About time." Althea grinned as she flipped up to a standing position, "Maybe this might last longer than a few seconds."

"I'm just getting warmed up." Todd crowed. He only now realized that their match was starting to draw a small crowd.

"I've got moves you wouldn't believe." Todd added as he jumped up again and went for another jump kick, this time with both feet.

"Blah! Blah! Blah!" Althea replied as she dodged the kick with a springing leap of her own.

Todd shot out his tongue, which snaked around Althea's left arm.

"Hey! I don't do tongue on first dates!" Althea snapped, and grabbing hold of Todd's tongue with her free arm and pulled hard before cocking that same arm back for a punch.

As Todd flew towards Althea he saw her fist heading straight for his face but had no time to do anything about it. After the punch Todd found himself pinned on his back.

"Okay! Okay! I give up! Let me up! Man, what do you do, train with the Hulk or something?" Todd asked.

"Althea, let him up." Stormshadow commanded, "Now I need to see how everyone else does."

"Well," Shipwreck declared, "I guess that means you two need to go for round two of your little sparring match."

At both Conrad and Kate's quizzical looks, Shipwreck continued, "Well everyone heard about how you two fought each other yesterday striking. Let's see how you do rolling around on the ground.

"SHIPWRECK!" Kate admonished.

"Come on, not everything I say is full of innuendo!" Shipwreck replied defensively.

*WHACK*

Jinx walked by and casually smacked Shipwreck in the back of the head, "No, but most of the things you say are full of innuendo. We can't take that chance."

"Ow!" Shipwreck yelped.

"Alright you two," Jinx said, "Let's go see how you do grappling with each other. We'll start standing up."

Shipwreck snickered.

"Shipwreck, you and I are sparring right after these two are done." Jinx replied.

They started with Conrad's right hand gripping the left sleeve of Kate's gi, near her tricep and his left hand gripped a handful of fabric around Kate's right shoulder blade. Kate's grips mirrored Conrad's.

"Alright, begin." Jinx said.

Conrad stepped forward, seeking to try and unbalance Kate, looking for the opportunity for a take down.

If I can get my arm loose I can throw him. Kate thought. However it doesn't seem like he's going to let go anytime soon.

Kate stepped back, just as Conrad tried to hook his right foot around the back of her leg to sweep it.

Immediately Conrad tried to pull Kate down with a pull to right, but without a leg sweep to assist he didn't get very far.

The two continued to step around the mat, still holding onto each other, trying to take the other down but not succeeding in either case.

"Alright you two, stop dancing with each other and go for a take down." Jinx replied.

"You dance divinely." Conrad smirked.

"Somehow I don't think leg sweeps are normal dance steps." Kate replied as she tried to slide her arm from underneath Conrad's armpit only for the ex-Legionnaire to clamp his arm around Kate's arm before he pitched backwards, landing on the mat on his back, immediately wrapping his legs around Kate's waist, just above her hips.

"Solid guard, Hart." Jinx began.

She's right. Kate thought. His legs are pretty strong, he's probably going to try and bridge to roll me on my back and mount me...Then I'm in a bad position.

Kate felt Conrad attempt to do just that, before she pushed her left hand onto Conrad's right hip to check his movement.

Conrad felt Kate's right hand on his left thigh. She's trying to pass my guard. Clever girl...But if I time this right…

Kate pushed on Conrad's thigh, and Conrad let go with his guard, shrimping backward with a shoulder shimmy before hooking his right leg around the back of Kate's neck, his left hand grabbing a hold of her sleeve.

Then he hooked his left leg around his right ankle. Pulling with both legs and with his arm, tugging on her lapel with his free hand.

Triangle choke...Kate thought. And he's got a good grip…

As Kate felt her vision narrowing she began tapping the side of Conrad's right leg with a free hand. Conrad let go.

"Nice triangle choke." She quipped as they stood up.

"You weren't too bad yourself." Conrad replied, "If my timing had been off you would've mounted me…"

Shipwreck chuckled and both Conrad and Kate simultaneously shouted, "SHIPWRECK GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER!"

"That's physically impossible for Shipwreck." Quick Kick quipped as he headed over to watch.

"Ok, now let's reset and see how you do this time." Jinx said.

"Grappling is a martial art full of Freudian slips." Conrad quipped as he and Kate got reset in position again.

"And of course Shipwreck will find them all." Kate replied as she and Conrad began the all too familiar dance of trying to take the other down.

Alright, I don't want to roll around with this guy. Kate thought. Gotta try for a solid throw if I can manage it.

She's pretty good at dodging takedowns. Conrad thought. But I'm stronger than she is, and if I can get her on the ground I'm in good shape.

Conrad felt Kate backing up and Conrad advanced, keeping their close proximity, trying for yet another leg sweep but missing.

He's stronger than I am, and his timing's good, I just avoided that takedown too. Kate thought.

Kate took a couple steps backward. I've got to time this just right…And if I'm right he'll follow me.

Conrad took the two steps to match Kate's movement.

Gotcha. Kate thought, a smile on her lips.

Kate slipped her arm out from underneath Conrad's arm, managing to grab his lapel, then got her other hand around his other lapel before she planted her foot just above his right hip and fell backwards.

A near perfect sacrifice throw that sent Conrad flying and landing with a thud on his back that knocked the wind out of him.

"Solid sacrifice throw, Agent Todd!" Jinx called out.

"Agreed, mademoiselle." Conrad replied as he shakily got to his feet.

"You aren't too shabby yourself." Kate replied.

The Pit, Ninja Dojo
Todd Tolansky, Althea Delgado, Beach Head
18 February 2002, 0903

"What do you want you little troll?" Beach Head remarked as he saw Todd looking at him.

"Can I see your teddy bear sometime?" Todd asked innocently, "I used to have a stuffed frog. I miss it. I couldn't sleep without it either."

"Go away you ugly little wart farm." Beach Head snapped.

Todd glared at him, walking outside, as he grumbled, "Just trying to be nice."

He leaned against a tree, watching some other soldiers training. Why'd he have to throw that in my face? As if I didn't know how I look? Okay, I can handle losing to a chick who's cute, but he didn't have to point out the obvious! Who am I kidding? It's not like she'd go out with me anyway. Not when she sees these guys with these perfect bodies all the time. Oh yeah. What could she ever see in a guy like me?

Althea walked over to him, an amused look on her face. "What's wrong? For someone who's never done martial arts before you did great. So what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just…" Todd began, eyes downcast, "You won't understand."

"Try me." Althea said, and then her eyes moved to some of the soldiers who were jogging by, "Wait a minute, is this about what that jerk Beach Head said about how you look?"

"Well," Todd said, making a semi-circle on the ground with his right foot and looking down, "I ain't exactly called Toad because of my good looks."

"What's wrong with the way you look?" Althea said, looking askance at him.

Amazed Todd looked at her, "You don't think I'm ugly?"

"Ugly?" Althea challenged, "Please! You may not have perfect chins and rippling abs and stuff! You've got style, character, and charisma!"

"Yeah," Todd blushed slightly, "You don't have to say that you know."

"You calling me a liar?" Althea glared.

"No! No! Nothing like that…" Todd backpedalled, "I just...uh...um...well…"

"You really think you're ugly, don't you?" Althea said, shock in her voice, mixed with recognition.

"Well, I ain't perfect," Todd sighed, "I mean you...uhm...nevermind."

Althea replied, "Todd, you know, you and I are alike in a lot more ways than you think."

She slowly removed her left glove, putting her now bare left hand on his right. Todd absently looked at it and with widening eyes he noticed that it was webbed, recognizing the slight expanse of skin between her fingers, just like his own.

"You...you're just like me! I mean your hands!" Todd stammered.

"I have gills too," Althea added as she moved her hair out of her way on the right side of her neck, revealing three delicate gills on her neck right below her ear, "I've been able to breathe on both land and water since I was born."

"You're a mutant too!" Todd replied.

"Duh!" Althea shot back with amusement, "So is my brother and all my sisters. We all have the same ability. My mom's one too, but she had trouble breathing out of water. It's kind of a long story. You see, Todd sometimes...not for long you understand...but even I feel a little weird about how I look."

"But you're beautiful!" Todd protested, the words coming out of his mouth faster than he could think. He blushed.

Althea blushed as well. "Don't get me wrong. My Dad's always made me feel special. He's really great with this mutant thing. Actually sometimes, no most of the time, he does make me feel normal with how crazy he is. And around her nobody cares I'm a mutant. I've known most of them all my life. But sometimes I feel a little...sheltered...you know. Afraid to let other people see the real me."

"Yeah, I guess I can understand that." Todd replied.

"So, you wanna go back inside? I'll let you fight me again." Althea replied.

"Okay…" Todd replied, "I just gotta ask you something."

"Shoot."

"What's the deal with the spaceship?"

To Be Continued…

Of note, in Ronin Toad there was a spaceship on the Pit.