Ch 4 Anyway (6)

Goliath looked over at Joe, "Is that worrisome behavior?"

"No, she has never liked doctors."

"Ha, you talked to him."

"I went longer than you did, She-u." Joe pointed at a spot on my leggings where I had somehow gotten hot sauce on them already. I hadn't even put hot sauce on my eggs.

"At least it isn't blood."

"Day is still young."

We left the table and headed to the gym. Goliath let Joe take the spot of his choice and anatomical filled in to cover him instead. That out Joe between me and Goliath but I didn't say anything. I picked up the phone from the table in the front hall as we walked by. The little black box clipped to the inside of my mini skirts waistband. The half visor piece fits snugly over my right ear and eye. It could reconfigure into a full visor on command but I left it off. The maid had also left a pair of white glove with biofeedback input monitors on the table. I didn't put them on just yet instead tucking them into the other side of my waistband.

It was a short walk from there to the gym. The gym was more a gun range, with an indoor pool and workout equipment before it. Well I wonder what they boys are going to do first. "Mad Average Indigo Diver."

"That one doesn't even make sense miss. How may I help you?"

Joe didn't twitch at the name and Goliath seemed too busy to notice just now. "Yes, I assume you put the gym on lockdown correct?"

"Yes, you and the security team will not be disturbed, miss."

"Good, create holo images of use three and edit the take from this room with them. Make the footage show anything we do here today as Goliath only being slightly better than average and Joe his normal unimpressed. You are to make it appear Joe wins the wrestling match I am sure it will devolve down to. Keep actually events in line as much as you can, unless it is clear slightly above average people wouldn't do whatever it is. Am I clear?"

"Edit out anything that might be considered a super human act, I understand, miss. Anything else?"

"Not at this time, if I need you I will call." It almost looked like the French maid smiled brightly before bowing and vanishing. "Well Joe, I believe this is your arena, what first?"

"Are you sure that was wise, lady She-u? I won't feel like I need to hold back as much."

"If I thought Goliath wasn't a match for you, we wouldn't be here, Joe. Nope I told the maid to change the footage as that Goliath wouldn't feel as much a need to hold back."

Joe almost frowned but he just let out a small sigh instead. "I am getting too old for this." He wasn't talking to anyone as he looked around. "Well let's start with the range, then. You could use more practice, lady She-u."

I was a good shot, actually, but everyone could also use more practice time. Why did a rich girl like me bother learning to shoot, care for their weapon and fight in general? Because I was always being targeted by someone and always in danger, and only a fool doesn't know they are their last line of defense. Not that it kept me from being kidnapped.

"Right, small arms first?" Joe had started walking toward the weapons locker beside the range. The weapons in the locker were real functional weapons. If the gym was in private mode you couldn't open the locker at all. Any other time only security forces with Joe's approval could open the locker. Joe wouldn't let me carry a gun in the house but he had one under his jacket. He always gave me the impression he slept with the thing.

His uniform also covered skin tight micro armor that could take a hit from anything short of a 50kal powered long range rifle to the heart or head at short range and still give Joe enough time to respond before he died, if it didn't prevent him from dying.

Joe pulled two guns that matched the one he was already carrying. When he hired a security guard this was their standard issue weapon. Considering Goliath had been carrying an atomic rifle with powder propellant, I was relatively sure he could handle the lighter yet more powerful handgun.

Joe stepped into the range box without handing over either of the weapons. He checked as he walked after the door to the range closed behind us he handed one gun to me and the other to Goliath. I watched as Goliath checked the weapon himself. He seemed to not like something and changed it. "Something wrong, kid?"

"Twisted spring, might have been fine but I would rather it not break after 6 or 7 shots, if I can prevent it. I assume you have a log to report the wear?" Goliath hadn't slowed in what he was doing, he almost took the weapon all the way apart and put it back together.

"On the side of the locker." Joe didn't sound impressed or not impressed by the find. He probably had known it was defective and that is why he picked it. Had he just wanted to know if Goliath knew enough to spot the problem? "You by passed the bio lock as well, it shouldn't fire like that. Oh well at least that means I don't have to add you to the bio access yet. Are you ready?"

The range flashed as targets were generated beyond the firing line. Grey, blue and red forms appeared in random positions. Goliath examined the field for half a second then looked back at Joe. "A multistory position, looks like a mall food court. Grey are civilians, blue friendlies and red known enemies? What is purple though?"

Oh, wow, he was right the human figures could be at a mall. Actually now that he said that the scene seemed strangely familiar. "There is only one purple."