Cyber-Lynx/Colmaton Story 24: Recuperation and Training

Cyber-Lynx/Colmaton Story 24: Recuperation and training

The night brought with it a comfortable chill, a breeze that wrapped its bitter fingers around the throat of Evay's neck, looking down below the rooftop. Beside her stood the wiser vigilant of the night, War Wolf, deemed a hero in the cyborg's eyes to even her. There was a good reason for it too, as Evay sighed heavily; her hot breath was swept away in the cold blowing wind.

"You wanted to talk?" War Wolf asked over Evay's shoulder, with the lynx slumped down watching the street below.

"I err, had a run in again with those two...from the night before when you stepped in. I learned something, that...that one with the blue hair can suppress my cybernetics, weaken me a great deal to the point it's hard to move. I felt like, my muscles were nonexistent; I barely had strength to call my own and no combat experience to help me. I'm used to relying on my cybernetics so I wanted to ask you...if I run into them again, I want to be prepared to face them. I want to be taught how to fight on your level, their level...not mine."

The crimson-clad wolfess held her gaze over the city rooftops, cape billowing and whipping behind her. She remained as silent as a stone gargoyle and with the moments passing by, Evay was beginning to wonder if she'd turn into one. The crunch of boots leaving her brought Evay's mood down.

"Are you able to re-construct the conditions of what you speak of?"

Evay turned around; War Wolf was standing at a distance away but watching Evay intensely.

The Cyber-Lynx stood up. "One moment," was her only reply.

Evay's heart was racing as she sought to ask her own body to cooperate. She ended up severely limiting the amount of power her systems had access to. Her ocular lens flittered until the purple light faded to nothing. Half blind, she also tested her movements which was also difficult.

"This is about right," Evay continued, returning her to the wolfess charging her position. 'HEY WHOA I'M NOT READY!”

War Wolf moved in on Evay's blindside, taking her arm by the left and forcing her to take a knee. When she reached out with her right, the wolf seized it immediately and brought the arm back with the other one. Using her weight, War Wolf forced Evay to the ground and bound her hands with a zip-tie. Evay groaned as the crimson-clad wolfess walked off.

"I see, quite pathetic...very pathetic indeed," War Wolf quoted.

"Bitch!" the lynx spat back. In her rage Evay's cybernetics reactivated, her strength and usual functions returning within seconds. She ripped her hands free of the tie and stood up. Her hands balled into fists but taking a deep breath, she calmed before her senior crime fighter.

"You going to be able to hold your emotions in check?" the wolfess asked, frowning a little.

Evay once more disengaged her cybernetic augmentations. War Wolf calmly walked over to her. She held her gloved hands up. "HIT!" she barked.

Evay raised a query brow but got the hint. She balled her right hand and brought it up to strike the hand in front of her. It felt by far, the laziest punch she had ever mustered.

"What took you so long?" War Wolf teased but without modifying her stalwart stance and stony visage.

"It...it feels weird, like this," Evay muttered.

"Your body is not use to dealing operating at such low level power management. You need to contribute new tactics to muscle memory, reflex action. First the basics, really work these muscles...improve your functionality through routine training at this level for a while...then come and face me again."

Evay threw her left fist into the glove. "Got some time to kill?"

"Need a punching bag?"

"Na, I'd just appreciate your 'hand' in this," Evay grinned, taking a deep breath and threw another right-hand punch, giving the wolfess something to grin about. This was going to take a lot of work and War Wolf wasn’t sure Evay truly knew how much effort it would take but spirit willing the lynx would overcome her limitations.

***********************************

In a basement bar in the red-light district, there were only a handful of patrons at the Scarlet Lounge. The blue-haired snow leopard serving behind the bar uniquely stood out amongst the decor of crimson colours, which raged from the wallpaper, to the blood curdling red of the booths upholstered leather. Gleaming over her shoulder was the fine selection of cocktail ingredients and hard liquors reflected in the mirror that the bar had on offer. Sadly, as Alderhiem had her priorities elsewhere, the range was somewhat limited and to a true connoisseur of cocktails disappointing. The glare of the mirror ball was both an attraction and annoyance although many of the patrons were too inebriated to care. The few booths that had paying customers were well occupied by their femme fatales and it was a quit night. Alderhiem indicated to one of the other bar tenders that she was departing for the time being.

Leaving the bar, the snow leopard left for her private quarters. Taking her deeper into an underground abode. Alderhiem came into a room with Escritch seated at a round wooden table under a single hanging blue fringed lampshade. She was seated across from a laptop that faced the opposite way, whilst she stacked and countered the dollar bills from their most recent heist. In the corner, the ice wielding super villain, Antarctress, wrestled in her sleep. Beside her on the table was what was left of Escritch’s sandwiches and old strips of bloody bandages.

"How's our guest?" Alderhiem enquired.

Escritch eyed her mistress as she flicked through a large stack of bills rapidly. She just furrowed her brows in silence.

"Right, dumb question," Alderhiem snorted, flipping the chair around to seat herself at her laptop. She ran her fingers lightly over the keys and the screen lit up. Though she didn’t need to use such quaint methods like touch on a simple computer she still preferred the manual approach and tapped in her personal security codes, set a program in motion and waited. On the monitor, a database document began to compile from the information that then streamlined from her head.

"You know, Escritch, all that time spent with the Cyber-Lynx has proven most useful. I'm compiling a list right now of her, allies, family, enemies and friends...and all the information stolen from her very own head. The data just needs a little time to properly format, but we'll have all the necessary data we need on our enemies. Their known associates, combat tactics, locations."

Escritch sat the money down in one palm, the claws of the other lightly pricking the wood of the table and scratching it. Alderhiem cocked her head in curiosity at the jaguar’s countenance.

"Escritch, what's the matter?"

The huge jaguar took in a deep breath. "Mistress Alderhiem, you know I will do my absolute best to deal with our enemies. I just..." she stopped mulling over what she wanted to say next.

Escritch removed herself from the table but didn't get passed her mistress who leapt into her arms. "Shhh, shhh...you're strength is untested against such uncommon foes, but do you fear what Colmaton can throw at you?"

"I fear I will not be strong enough to protect you...m...my...my love," Escritch whispered, her voice barely audible. Her tears began to fall onto the leopard's shoulder.

Alderhiem pulled her head down, cuddling her on the spot. "This is why we seek out friends amongst our competition...like this one over there, Antarctress, or so the Cyber-Lynx calls her.

"I don't trust her." Escritched hissed quietly glancing briefly at the slumbering elephantess. "Oh hush! Good hospitality and bedside manner will cure any grudge she might have for giving her no choice but to come down here to recuperate," replied the snow leopard.

Alderhiem cupped Escritch's face with loving care, reassuring her with a kiss. "Now I have to run up back to the bar, I'm expecting some folks."

*****************************************

"Fat Busters?...really! Fat Busters?" Evay squawked out loud, hands on her hip.

She was staring up at the title of the gym; its title glowing in green neon seemed dubious at best. Evay was double thinking if this was the place for her. Lowering her eyebrows and shrugging her shoulders with a sigh, she meandered inside and paused to eye the patriots of the gym.

Besides the plus sized fursons, several members stood out. A red haired doberman pinscher wearing a white sweat shirt with red and white tracksuit pants and jacket was across instructing several fursons with a microphone. She dominated the entire complex with a booming voice that bounced off the walls, intensifying her presence that overshadowed Evay's intrusion on the Gym Brat's turf.

Meekly, the lynx waved. "'Ello?"

Unnoticed largely by the gym members, Evay twiddled her fingers, watching a few others working out. There stood out a tall muscular and plump female musk ox working out with some dumbbells, as tall as the door Evay had walked through. She was brown with large horns, orange eyes and orange messy long hair. Huge bust, huge thighs and wide hips, she dwarfed the tiny lynx in comparison. And then standing by talking to her was a brown Irish sport horse with white splotches. She was smaller than the ox, but by no means less imposing with thick muscular thighs and arms. Her attire was strange to Evay, giving her a cheerleader vibe rather than a serious workout enthusiast. She donned a red and white cheerleader's outfit with the initials 'GB' written in the middle. Long thigh high white socks and red and white shoes, red eye mask and a golden crown encrusted with red jewels finalised the equine's unique look.

Evay cleared her throat but without success of grabbing anyone's attention. If anything, the horse kept on speaking a mile a minute to her friend while somehow still able to loudly inhale a large soda. The sucking sounds from her drink were like nails on a chalkboard to the cringing lynx but her eyes fell upon an unused barbell with weights totalling six hundred pounds assembled.

Evay shrugged her shoulders and casually strolled over. Rubbing her hands, she knelt down and gripped the bar. Completely unaware of the fact she had meant to dumb down her strength, the barbell flew to the ceiling as she lifted and let slip from her fingers as she had a moment of panic.

All eyes fell upon the cussing lynx and before anyone could jump in, Evay franticly waved her arms about. "I GOT IT, NO WORRY COBBERS!" Evay caught the barbell above her head, the force of which had Head Coach worry over the sound of the floorboards groaning under the strain. Then as casually as twirling a stick around like a child would, Evay set the barbell down and had eyebrows raised from all the patrons, including several Gym Brat members.

Jock Queen, the equine, spat out her draw as she yelped. "Awww hell no!" A sense of dread fell upon her face as she remembered a while ago she had gone one on one with the Cyber-Lynx and now stood sweating in fear of some sort of joint sting operation from the Bureau of Superheroes.

Evay eyed Jock Queen and with her head tilted to one side, looked puzzled. "You seem familiar...where have I seen you before?" she asked casually.

Jock Queen laughed nervously. "Who me darling? Ha ha ha ha, I have no idea what you're talking about, I don't hang out with pipsqueaks like yourself, isn't that right, Grapple Queen?" The equine replied, punching the ox in the arm.

"She don't hang vith pipsqueaks, little cat!" The ox replied with a thick Austrian accent."

"Right, right..,. pipsqueaks," Jock Queen replied.

Evay shrugged her shoulders, seemingly looking like she didn't remember the equine. Jock Queen relaxed a little.

"I just remembered I was meant to lower my availability to how much power I can access...let's see..."

Both Grapple Queen and Jock Queen watched as the Cyber-Lynx went from making ease of weight lifting to falling over backwards with the dumbbell on her chest. Thankfully there was a blue gym mat to help break her fall.

"OOF!" The Gym Brats looked at each other with puzzlement as Evay crawled out from under the bar. "I'm trying to give myself a real work out but for that, I'm trying to access as little power from my cybernetics as possible."

The equine and ox eyed each other just as the Doberman caught up to them.

Whispering in their ears only, Head Coach had a few words to share. "That's the Cyber-Lynx isn't it?"

Jock Queen nodded furiously, remembering her run in at the Colamton pier. The little lynx knew how to take a good shot from her explosive tennis balls.

"Well what is she doing here?" the Doberman replied.

"Apparently, little cat vant's to bulk up," Grapple Queen added. "I want to take a crack at her! I owe her for our last encounter...!" Jock Queen added, fists shaking.

"Cool it... if she's legit and as dumb as she comes off, certainly she means to offer us compensation. And not to mention...we can learn a thing or two with a little hands on time."

"Let me take first crack at her," Grapple Queen interrupted. "First I make do with the pleasantries, then I crack head between thighs like sparrow egg."

"No cracking eggs on this one...yet!" Head Coach replied. Brushing passed Grapple Queen, Head Coach whispered. "We do what Gym Brats do when it comes to legit business."

The doberman approached Evay. "Welcome Cyber-Lynx. If I was aware we were to have a celebrity like yourself walk through, I would have greeted you first thing."

"Pleasure to meet you," Evay offered her hand and shook with Head Coach, only to wince as the Doberman's grip seemed to somewhat crush her paw a little. Cocking a half grin, Evay returned her best Australian handshake she could muster and squeezed back.

*********************************************

"Evay, is it me or are you feeling...bulkier?" were Bryon's thoughts, as he rolled around with Evay on the bed.

The lynx flipped the rabbit onto his back, pinning him down. "I've been hitting the gym for a month now."

The rabbit pinched the lynx's biceps. "You were packing before, now you're extra beefy!"

"All the better for flipping my bunnies around," Evay cheekily replied.

Bryon was released so he could hit the shower for the morning. As the taps turned and the pipes rattled, Evay was up on her feet, uppercutting and roundhouse kicking the air. As part of her promise to War Wolf, Evay took every opportunity to train her body with uncomfortable or unfavourable parameters. To put every muscle and sinew under strain, there was little other choice than operating at low power efficiency. To pull herself out of bed, she'd had never felt so heavy in all her life. To weight lift with her new parameters set, she never felt muscles burning like they do now. Now able to throw out her punches with a confident stride, Evay was ready to face War Wolf again.

*******************************************************

War Wolf's guard was ever unflinching, sweat flying off Evay's fists as they were blocked by the heroine's gauntlets. Much more satisfied than their previous encounter, War Wolf was pleased to see Evay listen to her advice and stick to it. While able to throw a punch not held back by being severally under powered, the trade off was her lack of stopping power. She was more akin to someone normal but without training, the next step in War Wolf's plan.

The following night, Cyber-Lynx's training was stepped up with War Wolf on the attack. With years of training under her belt, not even weight lifting or better management of low power could help Evay keep up. She was flipped; kicked and elbowed anywhere an opening was spotted.

Evay rubbed her sides. "Ow, ow, ow."

War Wolf cocked her brow. "I thought you could dampen the amount of pain you receive."

"I can somewhat...I just choose not to. I would rather be alert to what is coming at me. No pain no gain. I need the pain to tell me where I need to improve."

War Wolf shrugged, scratching under her chin. "It's interesting, you can soak up a hell of a lot blows, even glance some of them off with your hardened body the way it is. At this rate, you’re better off outlasting your opponents as they tire themselves out."

Evay folded her arms over, unimpressed with War Wolf's quote but the heroine just frowned back.

"I can't just teach you years upon years of experience over a matter of a few nights or weeks even. It too will take a great amount of dedication on your part."

Evay unfolded and nodded.

"Again!" War Wolf called out, daring Evay to take her on.

*****************************************************

Alderhiem and Escritch had granted Antarctress her own room in the basement of the bar. Alone, the self-titled Queen of Antarctica, toiled away perfecting her elemental abilities that had dwindled in affect when her body was left broken and beaten by the telepath. She would sit meditating in the middle of the room for days; her room transformed to feel like home; complete with stalactite icicles that hung down from the ceiling and those that rose up from the floor like stalagmites soldiers.

Escritch never hung around long enough to acquaint herself formally. She would deliver meals three times a day before flocking back to her mistress. Weary of the elephantess’s presence, Escritch was very much still sceptical of their guest but as she had turned the spare room into a ice cave, her accommodation was becoming a permanent one.

The snow leopard dashed by rugged in a fur-lined red jacket and caught the door before it closed. She traversed over the frost-covered floorboards to put herself before Antarctress. "Oh marvellous, I love what you've done to the decor...have you thought about an air conditioning unit though? Hmm? People after you darling might want to keep essential heating in mind during the winter." Alderhiem quipped with a sneer.

Antarctress exhaled deeply, steam venting from the nostrils of her trunk. She wore her tribal gear having discarded the bandages and splints that were no longer necessary.

Alderhiem rolled her eyes, grabbing for the back of a chair but without so much as budging due to its legs being frozen to the floor, gave up and put her hands on her hips. "I suppose everyday is winter to you? I can't imagine the damage all this condensation is doing to the walls, the ceiling, the floor, the bed, the table, the desk...did I mention the walls."

Antarctress shot up as she uncrossed her legs, towering over the spotted feline. Bursting through the door, Escritch was growling and put herself in front of her mistress. A hand on her shoulder barely calmed her down but Alderhiem's calm demeanour meant her lover and bodyguard had nothing to fear...yet.

"I'll compensate," Antarctress replied bluntly, rolling her shoulders.

Though Escritch outweighed and stood taller than Alderhiem, she was still overshadowed by the elephant and outclassed when it came to elemental powers. Still, Escritch felt no fear, her fur on end as she bore her fangs.

"Escritch, my love...Antractress is our good friend...and I'm sure she will compensate us well? Hmm?" Alderhiem pulled Escritch away, purring with cheer and pride as her lover displayed her fearless loyalty.

"With the heads of our enemy...as I presume we share in the same hatred for the Cyber-Lynx and her allies?" spoke Antarctress, holding her hand out with the palm upturned.

Alderhiem adjusted the collar of her fur-lined jacket, purring slightly as the rough bristles tickled her chin. "It would be...more than enough. So... Antarctress...is my generosity worthy of collaboration? We could use someone with your unique talents and in return, you have a place to call your own. A little abode to lie low, eat, sleep...make love to whomever you whisk away from above."

Antarctress snorted loudly with furrowed brows but her hand remained where it was, allowing the snow leopard to touch it lightly and run her fingers down the length of the palm in a sliding handshake.

A flick of jealousy, much to the elephantess’s hidden amusement, flicked across Escritch’s muzzle.

******************************************

Tonight's session was going to be mixed up; Evay wasn't sure how but the veteran heroine had something up her sleeve. Evay came prepared in her shorts and boobtube. That's when the familiar faces of those she met so long ago emerged from the shadows. Spectra, the lioness masterful wielder of Steellight, leapt from up high and finished in a flashy pose. Touching down on her left was the racoon heroine Miracle with her staff, tuned in to her surroundings with super sensory. On the lionesses other side was Evay's fellow Australian friend, Strikira, the BOS wolfess of precision strikes with a sharp tongue 'n' wit to match.

Blinking for several moments, Evay was taken back to her first day in Colmaton. Back to that first training session, the first time she had met these faces, and some before. Today was going to be just like then, back to basics.

Sitting this one out, War Wolf sent her force to surround Evay. The Cyber-Lynx, upholding her vow to maintain her low power management, effectively making her half blind and took deep breaths to steady her mind. It was the only thing she knew how to calm the rush of adrenaline and bring the thumping of her heart down. She didn't want to act hastily, hearing Miracle swing her pole arm around her body, steelight cutting the air as Spectra wielded purple-glowing daggers, and Strikira twirling a pair of tonfas.

It came to randomisation when Evay began confronting Spectra, blocking her steelight weaponry only inches from touching her skin. She was thankful for War Wolf pushing to train her so hard; Evay felt the thrill of combat seeping into her consciousness. She was now able to manoeuvre and block under low power usage, however, Miracle's bō-staff cracked against her head. With a mighty yelp, Evay crouched down holding her head, feeling the flow of the fight slow to a crawl. In that paused moment the lynx jumped back and struck with her foot. The racoon blocked the kick with her staff and dashed aside.

Leading the next dance was Miracle as Evay gave chase. Working with only one eye available as her cyber-eye was out of use for training purposes, Miracle was more of a blur than a solid object, seemingly ahead of Evay's moves every step of the way. But not going unnoticed was the boisterous wolfess, Strikira, leaping into the fray to have her go at Evay.

The lynx broke off from chasing the racoon and smiled when her Aussie comrade took up arms against her. She came at Evay with strikes from her tonfas that Evay felt were ineffective against her, almost outright humiliating. At least, at the level of seriousness Strikira was going at. Evay put up her arms and stood her ground, having no fear as the wolf's tonfa's were glancing off her body and every now and then, Spectra would hurl some steelight object her way. Then combined with Miracle, Evay was unable to dodge as she was pummelled by the tonfas, the bō staff and steelight, but Evay sucked in her breath and what couldn't be deflected was taken; blow by blow.

It was then that Evay was learning more about herself. She wasn't easy to bring down or easy to succumb to mere pain, when she could manipulate her pain sensory. What was bugging her as she concentrated was Strikira being the most reserved. The lynx leapt forward finally, keeping the wolfess on her toes.

"Come on Strikey, hit me hard!" Evay cried out, thumping her chest. "I'll do it mate!" Strikira replied, hitting at some vital areas but failing to bring Evay down.

The lynx shoved the wolf who toppled over a packaging unit on the roof they were fighting on.

"Come on! Is that your best! Because I'm dying from second hand embarrassment!" taunted the lynx.

Strikira upper lip curled into a vicious snarling growl and as Evay came too close, the wolf struck hard, breaking her tonfa as it connected with Evay's face. In the moment of losing her temper, Strikira gasped in fright and the others were poised in silence, save for the shattered tonfa hitting the ground and Evay groaning. The Cyber-Lynx cupped her face. Turning around and removing her hand revealed blood pooled in the palm and her misshapen bloody nose.

Strikira began to shake but raised a query brow as Evay's nose reshaped itself with a loud click several moments later. Wiping the blood on her thumb, Evay smiled slowly. "That's it...no holding back...because my enemies won't."

Strikira calmed the racing of her heart. "Not many I know would still be standing after that."

"That's her speciality," War Wolf said jumping in. "Outlast your opponents by surviving through sheer will and by that tank-like body of yours. You'll improve with improvisation, but I'm hoping some of our martial arts will rub off on you."

Evay nodded, flicking the blood from her thumb. She was dancing on her feet, ready to go again.

"You're paying for that," Strikira quoted, waving her busted tonfa in the air.

"Are you going to make me pay for it? Evay quipped a smile creeping into her eyes.

"Yeah...after I'm through with you," Strikira grimaced.

The End