Slow and Speedy Win the Fight

27. Racket

Haresa

"Who do those knuckleheads think they are?"

Lupina was semi-focused on our sparring session and most of her energy went to vent her frustrations.

The rest of the gym was filled so we had to settle for playing squash. We both faced the lined wall and took turns serving and hitting the ball against it.

"There's something seriously wrong with the app, I can feel it." I swung my racket. "I can't believe they'd just dismiss it like that."

"You know what I find stupid?" Thwack.

"What?"

"We have to bow down to the companies that cooperate with us. I thought we were heroes, not products."

The ball was barreling towards me and I swung at it. It bounced calmly behind me and I stared at it in confusion. I was so sure I had hit it.

When I looked down, I noticed my racket had a hole in the middle of it.

"Darn, looks like this got worn out," I chuckled nervously.

"More like we wrecked it because we're strong-ass heroes," Lupina snorted. "I'll let them take it off my tab, don't worry about it, squirt."

"Thanks."

She took the broken racket from me and tossed it outside of the room where her bags were.

"I could prob use it as some sort of weapon," she joked. "Give it one last use before it gets tossed out."

I picked up the ball. "That's actually smart."

I followed her out of the room with the ball in hand.

"Think you're good to go another round or should we call it a day?" Lupina got a water bottle out of her bag before taking a seat on the nearby bench.

Just as she asked that two guys went into the squash room, too busy chatting to each other to notice what we were doing. I swore Lupina muttered some names towards the two men under her breath but I only turned a blind eye towards it.

"I think we'll have to call it for today." I scratched my cheek. "Don't want to worry my dad too much either."

"Is he still working on a costume for you?" She unscrewed the cap and chugged her bottle.

"Yeah, he is."

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Just let me buy you a costume already. We can't have the future of the hero industry destroying their clothing on a weekly basis."

"Ha, you know my dad." I waved a hand. "He's too stubborn to let it go. I don't want to break his heart if I get one without letting him know."

"Mm, alright. If you change your mind, you know how to contact me." She closed the bottle and threw it into her bag before she stood.

"Hey, before you go..." My voice cracked and I cleared it before I spoke again. "Do you... think it really was just a glitch?"

Lupina paused and thought it over. She had an unreadable expression and I couldn't tell what she was thinking. "Who knows, squirt."

After she said that, she began to walk away and gave a wave without looking back.

Her response only gave me an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I hoped it really was just a glitch. I wouldn't want more trouble to happen.