Polar Opposites

Chapter 8: The Past

"Leo, I hate you."

Leo laughed and kept walking, a reluctant Cora following after him as they made their way to the stream.

"You remember when the frogs attacked? Tell me you beat just one of them and I won't make you train." Leo offered.

Cora glared. "I could lie to you."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't understand why you won't just do it. You've got great potential."

"It just seems wrong." She muttered, kicking a pebble.

He stopped and smiled. "Okay. Hit me."

Cora frowned and tried to smack him softly in the plastron, but Leo stepped back.

"Come on." He urged. "Just hit me."

Cora stepped forward again and tried to smack him, but Leo moved away again. Feeling frustrated, Cora tried to lunge at him suddenly, but Leo sidestepped and she tripped over her other foot.

"Remember your footing. And don't try to slap me, punch me." Leo instructed.

Cora looked down at her feet and shifted them before running at Leo again and throwing a punch. He jumped away and grinned.

"That's more like it!"

Cora huffed and went after him again, missing.

"Try to guess how I'm going to dodge and go after me that way." Leo suggested.

She looked at his feet, which he purposely turned to the right slightly. When she attacked again, Leo made himself move a little slower to make her think she was getting better.

And for the next hour, Cora relentlessly chased Leo around the stream and he easily dodged her. Finally, Cora had enough and she came up with a plan.

She ran at him again and when he dodged, she grabbed a stick and threw at it him. Leo caught it, slightly surprised, but moved out of the way as Cora lunged at him again. She tripped and faceplanted.

"Ugh!" Cora complained, rolling over onto her back.

Leo leaned over her and smiled. "You're getting better."

"Right." Cora muttered.

"You are!" Leo assured her, sitting down. "You just aren't on my level, which is completely understandable, considering you've only trained twice in your entire life."

Cora sighed. "This is pointless."

"No, it's not. You just have to be patient. You aren't doing half as bad as April was at first. And when we get you a weapon, I'm sure you'll do even better." Leo assured her.

"Oh great, a weapon. Another way for me to get myself killed." Cora said sarcastically.

Leo laughed and shook his head before standing up and holding out a hand. Cora grabbed it and pulled herself up.

"You know, Mikey made a good decision befriending you, Cora." He smiled.

"Yeah well, the other guy is a freaky wolf mutant that wants to kill him, so..."

Both of them laughed and headed back to the farmhouse, where Cora settled down on the couch chair and went through the dwindling traffic cameras in New York.

Still no signs of humans, just Kraang patrol.

It was getting dark, so Leo wasn't surprised to find out that everyone had already headed off to bed. He headed back to the livingroom to let her know.

"Everyone is sleeping." He informed her. "Want me to walk you back to the shack?"

"Knowing that there might be crazy mutants on the loose? I'll stay the night here." She smiled and stood up.