After the Second Fall

"Sure, Rosie, just ask."

"What's a Second?"

Chapter 7

"What do you think, Max?" John asked.

"No doubt that he's fast: probably among the quickest I've ever seen. I'm not sure it's going to be enough against Ranger." The semi-retired Adam was standing next to Pip's smaller handler, observing Pip as he sparred with a partner.

"Yeah, Ranger's a tough draw for Pip," responded John, "but then again, at that ranking all of them are scary as hell."

"Then why don't you seem concerned? Have some trick that you think will work?"

"No, not a trick, but Pip can move faster than he's showing right now. Interested in seeing it?"

"Faster? I find that hard to believe, so yes, I would definitely be interested in seeing what you're up to."

John nodded and walked over to where the young Adams were engaged, getting their attention with a short shout. After thanking Pip's partner, John dismissed him and returned with Pip.

"Pip, you know of Max, but I'm not sure you've ever met in person."

"That's right," said Pip, shaking Max's hand. "Good to meet you, sir. I've learned a lot from watching your training fights."

"Glad to hear it, kid. John here tells me you were holding back while you were sparring just now. Is that right?"

Pip gave his handler a questioning look, to which John responded with a nod.

"Yes, sir, I can move a bit quicker. For practice, it's better if I match my partner's speed: it helps me to work on mechanics. Otherwise, I find too many openings."

"That right?" asked Max rhetorically. "Sounds like a load of bravado bullshit to me."

"Actually," interjected John, "it will be much easier to see with a demonstration. Still game?"

"Sure. What's the score?"

John quickly explained his idea, which consisted of having himself and Max stand about ten body lengths away from Pip, holding five fist sized rocks each. Pip would face them, holding a wooden staff as long as he was tall. When Pip gave the word, both Max and John would throw the rocks at Pip, as quickly as possible.

"So you want me to take it a little easy? Aim at his legs or something?" Max asked.

"Actually, no. I want you to throw the rocks as hard as you want, anywhere you want. Mix it up, if you like -- it will give him more to think about."

Max's eyebrows raised as he walked to the agreed upon spot, knowing that he was easily capable of killing a man with one of the stones he now held. When he looked to the newest Adam, he saw only concentration and poise, without any evident fear.

"Ready?" called John. He and Max both pulled back their arms, ready to throw.

Five heartbeats later, Pip called, "Go!"

Two rocks were immediately on their way toward Pip, quickly followed by the rest. Upon giving his signal, Pip squeezed the Effect and time slowed. Knowing that John's rocks would not have the same force as Max's, he stepped laterally to John's side, hoping to cause the latter's rocks to miss as he moved.

Pip deflected John's first rock, then the second, while Max's first two sailed past. Back in real time, Max saw his target step and adjusted his aim accordingly; additionally, John had decided to aim lower on his third rock, roughly at hip height. Choosing the lesser of two sources of pain, Pip pivoted his bo and deflected Max's rocks while absorbing John's with his left thigh. Now facing Max, Pip stepped backward, allowing John's final rocks to pass just in front of him, while easily deflecting Max's last one.

Pip let time resume its normal pace, and staggered slightly, now fully feeling the impact of the rock on his thigh. "Ha! Got you," said a clearly delighted John, walking toward Pip. "You okay?" he added, almost as an afterthought.

"Yeah, but it's going to hurt to walk tomorrow."

"No problem -- just have your lady friend in blue give you some attention."

Further banter was interrupted by Max, whose look indicated he was simultaneously astonished and pissed. "How the fuck did you do that?"

John turned to the huge Adam, "Actually, that's something I was hoping you could help us with. I'm also hoping you can help train Pip, because I'm way over my head here. We've been trying this all morning, and that shot to the leg is the first time I've even gotten close to the slippery devil."

"Listen, John -- no one is that fast. I know. I was the best, and I fought the best. I've never seen anyone, Adam or man, move like that. Tell me what is going on."

"I would be happy to, Max," replied John, "but if I do, this stays between us. I mean completely between us. You don't talk about it with Geo, or any of the other directors, unless I give you explicit permission. Can you live with that?"

Max stood up to his full, impressive height, and folded his massive arms. "I won't help you cheat. Hidden enhancements, drugs, anything like that -- totally a no-go for me. That ends with dead Adams during training and disqualifications during matches."

"Not a problem: Pip's totally clean. He'll pass any inspection, right Pip?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright," said Max after some time, "I'm in. What's going on, and what specifically do you want from me?"

John smiled and began his explanation, going through all of the details. "The issue, Max, is that I don't know where to go from here. You saw that I managed to hit Pip with a rock. In a real fight, it's possible that even with this crazy advantage, Pip could still get caught, and given his size disadvantage that could be really bad. I need you to work out how to use this Effect to its fullest potential. What do you think?"

"Hmm..." considered Max, staring off into the distance above John's head with his one good eye. "I'm getting some ideas, but to be honest, I don't really know what is going to work. As far as I know, this is new. I think it's going to be a bit of trial and error, but I am pretty confident we can make progress.

"Pip, I hope you understand why I was skeptical. Any issue with me being your personal trainer?"

"No, sir," said Pip smiling, "I totally understand. If it wasn't me this was happening to, I would have called bullshit, too."

Max nodded. "Good. John, you'll need to talk with Director Humbolt to get me reassigned to Pip."

"Already done," John replied. "Geo gave his go-ahead, pending your buy-in."

"Really? I thought you said the director doesn't know."

"He doesn't, at least not really. He knows I think that there's something special about Pip, and he's willing to indulge me."

"Fair enough. I don't suppose you reserved a private training room?"

John smiled. "Only until the fight; after that, everyone's going to know about Pip anyway."

Later, lying in his bed, Pip couldn't help but smile despite the pain in his leg. After all, workouts meant pain, and pain meant Rosie would be along shortly to take care of him. Pip was thinking back to their first encounter, with her laying on his chest and her face tucked into the side of his neck, when the knock came. "Come in," he called.

The door opened and Rosie stepped into the room. "Hi, Pip," she said, but didn't look as excited to be in his room as he had come to expect.

"Hi, Rosie. Are you okay?"

"Of course," she said, making a show of smiling. "It's just that John told me you'd actually been hurt this time, so I... well, I thought I should bring someone with me that knows a bit more about how to fix you up. This is Maggie. She's my roommate, and my best friend here."

Maggie stepped into the room, having been waiting for her cue in the hallway. She tried to appear confident, but she was having a hard time keeping her composure. "Hi, Pip," she said with a wave. "Nice to finally meet you."

Pip propped himself up on his elbows, looking at his unexpected visitor. Same blue shirt and tan skirt, but different: fuller and darker. Very, very pretty. Pip realized he'd been staring again. "Hello. Nice to meet you. I've seen you around, haven't I?"

Maggie nodded and looked down, finding herself blushing. When Pip looked back to Rosie, it appeared that her smile was forced. He scooted himself to the side of the bed and threw his legs over the side. "Thank you, Rosie, that's very considerate, but I'm okay," he said as he stood up. "I'm a little sore is all," but as he took a step, his left thigh cramped and gave out, causing him to fall to the floor. If it wasn't for his ability to slow time, he would have made a spectacle out of himself; as it was, it looked like he just decided to sit down.

Both of the women looked at him, startled, but when Rosie saw Pip's embarrassed looked, she started giggling. The other two looked at her, taken aback, which made her laugh harder; soon she was sitting on the floor in front of Pip, having lost the ability to stand. Pip couldn't help himself and joined her, while Maggie looked confused. "Are you two always like this?"

"It was... the look... on... his face," Rosie gasped out, pointing at Pip, still laughing. "Did you... see it?"

Pip managed to stop laughing, folded his arms, and gave Rosie a look of mock indignation. Turning to Maggie, "Do you see what she thinks of me? Here I am, beat up, and she's laughing at my pain. What kind of therapy is that?"

Rosie got herself under control, mostly, and crawled over to Pip. "Did I hurt your feelings, my big, strong Adam?"

Pip smiled and pulled Rosie onto his lap, causing her to squeal in surprise. "I think I'll get over it." He kissed her, enjoying the way she relaxed in his arms.

Maggie cleared her throat, reminding the couple that she was still there. "Should I... should I go, Rosie?"

Rosie felt awful, having entirely forgotten that her friend was there. "No, please don't. I'm sorry, Maggie -- I just got carried away. Help me pull this crybaby to his feet and we'll get him back in bed." Given that Pip was so much bigger than his two helpers, this turned out to be easier said than done. Eventually, with laughter and some cursing, Pip was back in bed, lying on his pillow.

"So, maybe a little therapy is actually a good idea," said Pip, having realized during their efforts that he really couldn't put much weight at all on his left leg. "What should we do?" Rosie looked to Maggie, hoping the older girl had some idea. Maggie and Pip discussed the injury, and then she disappeared out the door, returning quickly, her hands full.

Handing Pip the water from his bedside table, she said, "Take these pills -- they won't do much right now, but will help you feel better tomorrow. Now, I'm going to need you to take off your pants."

"What?" exclaimed Pip and Rosie simultaneously.

"We can't do a lot for a bruise, but we can try to take away some of the pain. I have a chemical pack here that will cool the area down, and then we can think about putting on this salve -- it will keep you numb for a while so that you can sleep."

Pip didn't make a move to obey. "Look, Pip, Rosie and I are professionals -- mostly. This is what we do, so take off your pants and let us help you. Or, if you prefer, we can take your pants off for you..." she said with a suggestive eyebrow raise.

"No, no," he quickly replied, "I can do it." Like the incident on the floor, it actually did take some help for Pip to remove his pants.

"Holy shit, Pip -- that looks terrible. No wonder you fell over," said Rosie, her eyes wide. "That bruise is as big as a dinner plate."

"Eh," shrugged Pip, "I've had worse. I'll be sore for a few days, but shouldn't have any trouble being ready for the fight."

Rosie didn't look convinced as Maggie prepared the chemical pack, but stayed silent and watched as the preparations got underway. When Maggie was ready, she moved up the bed and held the pack near Pip's leg. "Rosie, I need you to distract Pip -- this is going to hurt quite a bit." Rosie looked at her friend, not sure why it looked like there was a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth; furthermore, Rosie didn't have any idea what 'distract Pip' meant until Maggie mouthed 'kiss him'.

Oblivious, Pip was surprised when a smiling Rosie leaned over him and placed her lips on his. A moment later, pain shot through his leg as Maggie applied the cold plastic. When his mouth opened in a surprised groan, Rosie took advantage and deepened their kiss.

Maggie had applied a little more pressure than was strictly necessary. She continued to push, only easing off when Pip forced himself to relax. When the tension finally left his leg, Maggie began to run her free hand up and down his knee. The contrast of the deep ache with the gentle touching caused Pip to moan again. Rosie was thoroughly enjoying herself, exploring Pip's mouth with her lips and his upper chest with her hand.

On Pip's lower half, Maggie gradually became more bold, moving her hand up to his thigh, lightly tracing the outer edge of the bruise. The combination of sensations was something unlike Pip had felt, and he reacted strongly, arching his back slightly while repeatedly tightening and then loosening the muscles in his leg. Even more obvious was the swelling beneath Pip's underwear.

Not wanting Rosie to miss out, she tried to grab her friend's hand, but Pip was so tall that she couldn't reach; instead, she moved Rosie's foot to the front of his shorts and rubbed it back and forth, causing Rosie and Pip to moan into each others' mouths. Once Rosie had taken back control and established a rhythm with her foot, Maggie moved her hand back down to Pip's leg and resumed her increasingly intimate rubbing.

Soon Maggie's hand was disappearing up the leg of Pip's shorts, teasing whatever she could reach. Rosie looked to be enjoying herself as well with Pip firmly kneading her bottom. Pip himself was making a continuous rumble deep in his chest, supplemented with regular groans at shortening intervals. All at once, Pip's entire body flexed and he let out a long, low growl.

When he relaxed this time, Rosie finally broke their kiss. "My Lord," he exhaled. "That was something else. Who takes care of me after the blue shirts?" he asked rhetorically, for which he received simultaneous slaps on his inner thigh and ribs. "Hey!"

Rosie snuggled into him. "That was wonderful, Pip, thank you."

Maggie climbed up and settled herself onto his other shoulder. "Yes, Pip -- thank you."

Pip smiled. "I really don't know what you're both thanking me for, but you're very welcome." Replaying it in his head, Pip realized he'd enjoyed the entire visit, not just the therapy portion. "Rosie... Maggie? Is this a one time thing, or do you think you would both visit me again?"

"Really?" asked an excited Maggie. "You would let me come back? What about you, Rosie -- can I come back with you?"

Rosie continued to snuggle into Pip, eyes closed, looking totally content. "Absolutely. I think we make a good team."

"I agree," stated Pip.

Maggie let out an excited squeal and moved up to Pip, kissing him fiercely. Pip was surprised, but enthusiastically returned the kiss, enjoying the difference in style and approach from Rosie. Maggie was the one to break the kiss, smiling down at him. She then bent to Rosie, cupped her cheek, and kissed her friend with the same intensity she had just shown to Pip. Rosie was more surprised than Pip had been, but soon reciprocated.

Pip couldn't exactly see what was going on, but knowing what they were doing was threatening to overload his brain.

"Thank you, Rosie -- I really will be the best Second to you," said Maggie, a happy tear running down her cheek.

"I know," said Rosie as she wiped away the tear with her finger and then brought it to her mouth. "He's not going to know what to do with us," she concluded, grinning wickedly.

"Damn straight," said Maggie.

"Wait, what's a Second?"

Chapter 8

"Do you think he's ready, John?" Director Humbolt asked.

"I'm pretty confident, and I think he is, too. Bringing in Max for training really helped, so thanks again for supporting me on that. I thought Pip's form was already good, but it's better now, and he's picked up some of Max's killer instinct."

Humbolt nodded. "You know, this is really a lose-lose for me; if Pip is successful, I'll lose Ranger, and he's my number four Adam. On the other hand, if Pip gets waxed, we may lose something really special, at least if your hunch is correct."

"I know, Geo, and I'm sorry for it, but it's the nature of the program."

"Don't I know it. Maybe someday we'll figure out a better way to train..."

"Excuse me, Director Humbolt, but why put up your number four if you're reasonably sure Pip will be successful? Wouldn't it be better to... sacrifice -- sorry for the poor word choice, but I can't come up with something better -- anyway, why sacrifice such a promising Adam?" asked Director Collins, who was sitting with the two men.

"This is going to sound heartless, but Ranger isn't actually that promising for the overall program. He's older than most of the pool Adams and slowly declining; he's never going to have a real fight unless we have several significant setbacks in a row."

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Well, Ranger is extremely talented, as you would expect, but he tends to lose his head a bit when he fights. With some of the craftier Adams he has a tendency to get tricked into bad positions. You know that big scar on his side?" Director Collins nodded. "He had several ribs broken in a training fight because he tried some overly aggressive bullshit. His opponent -- it was Max, actually -- caught him with a roundhouse kick. Doc had to cut Ranger open to piece all the fragments back together.

"That said, he's still damn scary -- Pip will have to be in top form to win."

"Even if Pip does win, what are the chances he comes through this in one piece?" asked Director Collins.

John considered the question. "Honestly -- and I know this is going to sound conceited -- I think Pip is going to be fine. He doesn't have the size or reach of Ranger, or any of the other pool Adams for that matter, but you've seen the way he moves. I wouldn't be surprised at all of Pip is representing us in the Arena by the end of next year."

Humbolt shook his head, dismissing the idea, while Collins looked quite surprised. "Wait a moment, John, you said --"

John forestalled her objection with an extended hand. "I know, Director Collins, you want him for your publicity machine. I didn't say that him fighting for real would happen -- just that I wouldn't be surprised. After today, when people see what he can do, I don't think either of us are going to have much of a choice if larger circumstances dictate that he needs to fight." Director Collins was not pleased with this statement, and sat back in her chair, considering the impact to her plans. "Anyway, that's all academic at this point. He still has to get through today," concluded John.

"Look, they're coming out now," observed Humbolt. "By the way, John, why aren't you out there with him? You're his handler."

"Yeah, but Max knows a hell of a lot more than I do; he seemed like a better choice."

"Makes sense, I guess," said Humbolt. "Ranger doesn't seem too pleased." Pip's opponent looked absolutely livid. He was already breathing hard while his own handler tried to give him final instructions. "I don't suppose you already knew that Ranger had a personal issue with Max..." John shrugged and smirked, confirming the suspicion.

Director Collins looked at John, her already high esteem for him increasing. "I knew you were a good handler, but you had this planned from the beginning when you asked for Max, didn't you?" John didn't answer, but he did look very pleased with himself. "I don't know if it's brilliant, but it is damn sneaky -- I fully approve," she finished with a smile. "Let's see if your plan works."

"To be clear," said John, "my plan is based wholly on Pip's abilities as a fighter. I was just supplementing his advantage."