The More You Know (Part Five)

One of the first things someone needs to understand when it comes to leading is delegation. Even if you are the leader, you aren't going to be well-equipped for everything. That's not what a leader is. A leader is meant to figure out who's best for what job and put them in the best position possible to succeed.

For instance, in practical application, I had next to nothing for Miss Pryde. There. I said it. I couldn't hit her, because I wasn't wily enough at the time to come up with a way to do it, so I was basically impotent against her. That's a word I hope I'll never use again.

I couldn't hit her, but there was someone on my team who assured me that she could. I would have been a fool to ignore that. A kind of arrogant that went beyond the ego trips that I routinely enjoyed.

So I pulled back. I never did that. It was strange having an extra frontline specialist. It had always been me and Hisako, and we weren't as good in direct combat as Laura was.

I learned something that day. I never wanted to fight her for real.

The way she moved in a fight, she might have been Mister Logan's clone, but she didn't fight anything like him. It was like a chainsaw versus a wood chipper. Mister Logan was more measured in his attacks. He wouldn't overextend, but he would keep coming at you until he found an opening.

Laura didn't need to worry about that. Whatever side she came at you on, the girl would cut you up from all over. She was so nimble that one missed blow could turn into another just like that, and she was so flexible, that blow could come from anywhere if you were too close to keep sight of all of her.

Fighting against her was one thing. It gave you a certain perspective of what she was like. Watching it was another experience entirely. Eddie managed to track Miss Pryde to the hangar underneath the mansion. Laura hadn't exactly managed to get the drop on her, but she caught her off-guard and she never let up.

Eddie had the best view of any of us once the fighting had started, so I asked Ruth to project what he was seeing to Hisako and I. It was quite the sight, and I had to imagine if it was anything close to what they saw when Laura had fought me.

Eddie's thoughts filtered through the open link we were all sharing, "Sol, I think you need to be grateful that she couldn't use her claws in that spar with you."

Oh, I was. Even with her claws, including claws that came out of her FEET, she still attacked with the intent to make contact with that limb. That way, even if she missed, unless you were a foot away, you were going to get slashed.

"Just remember, everything you mess up or destroy, you have to clean up or fix later!" Miss Pryde chimed in from the hangar floor as she weaved herself around Laura's onslaught. I say onslaught because that was what it was. It reminded me of those Karate Fighters toys from the 90s.

It was during this time that I noticed something very interesting, and very important, "...I think I can take a shot," I thought aloud out of the blue. My friends thought I was nuts.

"What?" Eddie's response summed up in one word.

Hisako was wordier in her rebuke of my spur of the moment idea, "You've missed every shot you've ever taken at Miss Pryde. What makes you think this time will be any different?" She asked, and not without good reason. Armor had a point. Anytime she had done these little practical exercises, we never made any sort of contact with her, "She's in a fight right now. She's gonna phase through it whether she sees it or not."

Normally, I would have been right there with her. But my gut was telling me there was a chance."No she won't. Blindfold?"

"Yes, Solaris?" Ruth's pleasant, calming voice rang out in my head.

"Tell me when she's solid, exactly when she does it," I told her, setting up in hiding behind a stack of supply crates. I stuck my arm between them, taking aim with my fist. I had a pretty good view. It was important that I didn't move, otherwise my target would know I was there and everything would be The moment would come.

I laid in wait... and waited. Miss Pryde and Laura kept fighting, and I waited. Time ticked down... and I waited.

"Now, please."

I took my shot. One shot. It hit her, she fell. Laura pounced, Miss Pryde phased after being covered. I rolled my eyes, "You know, that would have been a head shot if you weren't my advisor!" I yelled from my hiding place.

Seriously, if what had just happened didn't count as subduing her, there was no way we were passing this test.

Miss Pryde sighed and stood up properly, safely away from Laura, "Alright, alright. That's it then. Good job. You finished with-," She stopped to check her watch, "-Wow. Twenty-eight minutes left. Way to go."

The rest of the team made their way inside of the hangar while Miss Pryde gathered herself. She was more than tired, and I knew it. It was the reason all of this had happened to begin with.

"Yeah~!" Eddie nearly danced as he landed and shuffled over to everyone else, "I've gotta say, after watching you guys botch the first try, I wasn't really sure we could pull this off!"

Hisako leaned on Ruth and spared Eddie the dullest look she could muster, "Wow. Thanks for believing in us so much."

Maybe my stealth abilities were better than I thought, because I was able to get behind Laura and pick her up in a gigantic hug, "You! Are! Pure! Money!" I said, bouncing her once with every word, right up until she elbowed me in the gut, "Oof!"

"Too close, Bel," Hisako said, grinning as I stepped back, doubled over, "Don't think you can get all touchy and feely with her. The only girl on this team with any kind of soft spot for you is Ruth."

Fair enough. I got a little too excited and had to celebrate with someone. I had clearly picked the wrong someone, "That's cool. Lesson learned," I wheezed, taking a seat on an empty fuel barrel to get my wind back, "Never make the same mistake twice."

Laura at least apologized, "I'm sorry, Solaris. I do not like being touched," She didn't have to. I was being presumptuous. It happened sometimes, with varying results. That came with the territory.

Miss Pryde peered over at Laura, more specifically, her hands which housed deadly-deadly Adamantium claws within, "Damned metal. Which one of you knew?" Everyone looked confused except for me. I probably looked like a smug asshole, because Miss Pryde noticed, "How'd you know?"

I got my wind back and got on my explanation horse, "I didn't think of it until Laura attacked you and you went through her claws. You kept solid on purpose and just kept running away whenever you could," There was a lot more movement from her that would have been unnecessary if she had just been going intangible, "Every time you phased through her, it seemed like you were getting worse."

"-And like a good little sniper, you laid in wait," Miss Pryde finished, knowing how the rest of the tale would go, "Not bad. And I don't think you ruined that much trying to get to me either."

There was plenty of time for pride. Why not? We'd pulled it off, "I have an awesome team," I crowed with no shame whatsoever, picking Ruth up piggyback. She was much more receptive than the last person I'd tried contact with, "Laura kept you off your game, and Ruthie cued me exactly when to take the shot. If I'm a sniper, she was my spotter," I didn't see it, but I could swear she made finger guns from my back. I loved that girl.

Miss Pryde laughed and gave us a few claps for all of our trouble, "Well done for the first team exercise since getting a new member. It looks like with some more time, Laura will fit in with the Paladins just fine."