Normally, it was difficult to carry Blaspheme through hand to hand combat training.

Rafferty would be the first to admit that if she and Blaspheme ever actually fought, she would have to be both nimble and fortunate to even get to her target. Blaspheme, with her crackshot aim, would most likely take her out before she ever threw a punch.

If she did manage to close that distance, however, Rafferty was pretty sure she could make short work of the gunslinger.

Fighting at close quarters just wasn't Blaspheme's thing. As such, when it came to practicing said fighting, her heart wasn't in it. The trick was to let Blaspheme do well enough that she didn't look foolish, because you'd pay for it later if she did.

Today, however, that was not a problem.

Blaspheme was assaulting her with a bevy of well placed kicks and punches that left Rafferty impressed. Always graceful, Blaspheme was using her perfect balance and excellent vision to attack from a series of interesting angles. Rafferty would have had trouble keeping Blaspheme off of her even if she was trying as hard as she could.

Which she wasn't, of course, because she felt guilty. Instead, she was happy to let Blaspheme knock her around the room a bit, while making only half-hearted swipes of her own.

When she had been paired with Blaspheme today, Rafferty had been a bit nervous, but not really surprised. Leslie knew there was some tension in J Hall. While she never said it out loud, it was a common tactic for the head trainer to match girls who were having problems. Apparently, it was supposed to help them work things out.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Rafferty thought this approach probably worked better with boys. She had seen Jacks who had been at each other's throats at lunch drinking together after dinner, plenty of times. Girls tended to use these fights to confirm everything they already hated about their opponent. She was out of position and let me land a kick? She doesn't know what she's doing. I must be right. Too aggressive? She's a bitch. I must be right. Lands a shot when she's supposed to break? She's a lying bitch. I know I'm right.

Blaspheme landed a spinning back kick, a move Rafferty had no idea she even knew, square to the gut. Rafferty was sent sliding across the floor on all fours.

Rafferty held up one hand, conceding the round, when an advancing Blaspheme kicked her in the face. She only saw of flash of crackling blue as Blaspheme's boot appeared in front of her before she was lifted into the air. She had time to think a single word,

Bitch.

before she landed on both elbows, hard.

Rafferty flicked her wrist, sending Blue shimmering through her bracelets, and pushed off. She slid across the floor with unnatural speed. Blaspheme wasn't ready for this move, mostly because Rafferty had just made it up, and Rafferty took her hallmate out at the knees.

She quickly untangled herself from Blaspheme, and moved to straddle her, intending to pummel her with short punches. The first shot missed, as Blaspheme rolled her head to one side. Pain radiated all the way up Rafferty's arm as her hand hit the floor, but it didn't stop her from throwing the second punch, which grazed Blaspheme's forehead, or the third, which landed flush on Blaspheme's cheekbone.

Rafferty was lining up another, which probably would have ended the fight, when someone grabbed her by the hair. The hand snaked around and gripped her face. She fought against it, but she wasn't going anywhere easily.

"Knock. It. Off," said a voice that Rafferty recognized as Cody's.

She gripped Cody's arm, trying to pry it off her face, but it was like straining against a rock wall. Rafferty was always in awe of how much power Cody could generate when she interacted with the Blue. Rafferty got the feeling that if Cody wanted to, she could bend her over backwards until her spine snapped and the back of her head rested against her heels. And then she realized Cody was pushing Blaspheme with the same force in the opposite direction.

Rafferty heard a grunt, and then she was dropped to the floor. She looked up. Cody had turned around, and was looking at the grunter. Max was here, and he wanted something.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want Rafferty to ki—" Cody started.

Max waved her off.

"Wrap up whatever this is, and grab Fawkes. There's a missing girl that needs finding," he said.

His point made, Max turned and left. Cody scampered after him, probably to make sure she wasn't in trouble.

Rafferty and Blaspheme were still sprawled on the floor. They sat up, and looked at each other.

"Remind me never to steal her boyfriend. Even if he's cute," said Blaspheme.

"Right," said Rafferty.