27

“I’m sorry, but I really am quite busy and can’t make it.” Alecia said just before getting hit in the stomach by the super villain. The blow sent her flying across the room, and partially embedded in the reinforced concrete wall. A spiderweb of cracks blossomed from her point of impact, and bits came loose when she pried herself free of the wall.

“Are you ok? That sounded bad.” Jessica asked. Her voice coming through the bases’ speaker system.

Alecia who had been frozen from the impact had to take a moment, as she waited for the pill in her mouth to take effect, before answering. The pills could be absorbed through the lining of the mouth, but it would take a while, unless they had been powered like this one had at the moment of impact. “I’m fine, just an unruly employee showing off his testosterone.”

“I’m not an employee, I’m a contractor, and I’m not showing off, I’m being restrained.” Hercules said.

“He sounds cute.” Jessica responded.

“He’s older than my father, and wouldn’t dream of taking advantage. Literally, I checked.” As she spoke Alecia took another pill the the pouch at her waist, and put it in her mouth, but didn’t swallow it, instead placing it under her tongue. She took a defensive stance in the middle of the room.

“That sounds worrisome in it’s own right.” Jessica said.

“Trust me, it was very embarrassing for her.” Hercules said as he punched Alecia  completely powering through her defense, and sending her back into the wall with a crash.

“Seriously what are you two doing over there?” Jessica asked.

“As it turns out some aspects of my education are severely lacking, so I’m taking measures to correct that.” Alecia said as she pried herself out of the hole in the wall. A large chunk of concrete broke off and smashed her in the head just as she got herself free. It rendered her motionless again.

“Damn it, Jessica we’re going to have to call back. Alecia went and incapacitated herself.” Hercules said as he walked over to Alecia’s twitching form.

“Is she going to be ok?”

“Well blows to the ego usually aren’t fatal, but she might have to admit she’s wrong, and find some humility, that might be fatal.” Hercules said in jest as he kneeled over Alecia. “Hang up.” The system automatically hung up on Jessica.

Hercules tried to open Alecia’s mouth, but it wouldn’t budge of course. He might have managed it if he forced it, but that wasn’t worth testing. Especially since there were other options. This one being a squirt bottle up her nose.

Alecia started coughing as soon as he applied the clear liquid. When she could speak again it was in Finnish, and several very creative insults, or at least he assumed they were. He could recognize Finnish, but didn’t understand it.

“Look, I feel I know you well enough to say this, but your current plan is stupid.” Hercules said, against his better instincts. He knew Prysim might take it ok, and Alecia probably would. Since the two personas did act different, although it was occasionally subtle. Currently he was in the room with Alecia, but Prysim could return at any time, especially since she was no longer on the phone with Jessica.

“You have a better idea?” Alecia asked.

“Yes, look I know you don’t want to hear it. But getting stronger through fighting alone just isn’t going to work, especially since you can’t fight. Your the weakest indestructible person I have ever met. All the others at least are strong enough to move under their own power you are not.” Hercules said.

“I need to get stronger, and learn to fight. Two birds one stone.”

“No way this is efficient, you need to be strong enough to fight for at least five minutes before we even bother with combat lessons. As you put me in charge of your rehab, I prescribe exercise, and only exercise.” Hercules said offering Alecia a hand up.

She accepted, and once standing dusted the concrete off of herself. Since she wasn’t sweating it didn’t stick to her skin. Which was mostly exposed, since she had decided that yoga shorts, and a sports bra were the most appropriate things to wear. She had joked about forgoing the sports bra, saying she didn’t need the support anymore. Hercules had just given her a deadpan look.

She was considerably darker skinned then she had been that morning. Apparently she had be experimenting with makeup, and chemical tans in an effort to look less. Whatever she was using right now wasn’t working, now she just looked flawless with a tan. Photoshopped models on the covers of magazines wished they could look like they had the skin Alecia was now working to hide.

“Fine I’ll acquiesce to your demands. What shall I do first oh wise one?” Alecia asked sarcastically. She seemed to have taken the ego comment to heart.

“I hope you like yoga, because if what you’ve told me about your new muscle growth is true you’re going to need it to stay limber, mostly however we’re going to start with cardio, so get some running shoes on, and find a treadmill.” Hercules said.

“Who needs shoes? My feet can take it. I’ll go run till I collapse, take the rest of the day off.” Alecia said leaving the room.

---

Hercules returned to his room in the complex. It was in the same place as the last one, he almost wouldn’t have noticed they were in a new complex if the medical bay wasn’t absent in this one. Alecia had just teleported the contents of his room as they were, making moving very easy. The old complex had been compromised about the time Owl had glued him to a wall, a rather embarrassing way to be taken out of the fight.

His room didn’t have much in the way of personal touches, mostly just several changes of outfits, a laptop, and a picture. The laptop looked like a consumer model, an old one at that, but it had been modified several times over it’s lifespan, most recently by Prysim.

After waiting for the boot up sequence to end he activated the computers dark net connection. It was redundant, Prysim had assured him that it was impossible to trace back to this facility, but habit won out. He dialed the number he wanted from memory.

It rang three times before Hercules got up to go take a shower. He didn’t hang up thought, just let it keep ringing. Like always she didn’t answer.

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