Nothing Super [COMPLETED]

Chapter 22 - "Your family is weird."

Taylor sat cross-legged on the floor of the training room, tugging at the edge of her bandage. She knew there was no way around the situation, Clint would see the bandage and want to know what had happened. Still, she didn't want to tell him already having a feel of how he would react.

The door to the training room opened and Clint stepped inside, bringing with him the clicking of metal weights and rhythmic thump of running feet. The sounds died away as he shut the door. Taylor raised her head, preparing herself for what came next. Clearly, she had developed psychic powers because Clint stared at her hand with blatant curiosity and worry.

"What happened?" he asked. With teleporting and mind powers she should take the show on the road. "Taylor?"

"It's nothing," she said, knowing full well this answer wouldn't fly.

He frowned, his concern deepening which only made Taylor more guilty.

"Your hand is bandaged." She was two for two. "Are you okay?"

"If I say yes, will you drop the subject?"

Clint moved forward. "No, your hand is hurt. Did something happen last night?"

Taylor closed her eyes, trying not to think about last night, but of course thinking only about it. Guilt and shame crawled across her skin. The feelings wormed their way through her chest sinking their teeth into her heart.

"Taylor, do you need Naomi to look at it?"

She buried her face in her hands. "Can you just leave it?"

"Hey," he said, his voice so gentle Taylor knew that tone would disappear if she did admit to what she'd done. "I'm helping train you, I want to know if you're not okay. Can't you tell me?"

Her hand throbbed and she could still feel the way the mugger's nose had broken under her fist. "No!"

"Taylor..."

"I lost control okay!" she snapped. "I was dealing with a mugger and I got angry. When I took him down I couldn't stop hitting him."

Shocked, Clint took a step back, staring at her. His surprise shifted into frustration and Taylor lunged with her words before he could.

"I know! I know, I shouldn't have gotten angry," she said. "But I already got a lecture today and I don't need another one." She held up her hurt hand. "I already have a constant reminder that it was a terrible decision so now can we please drop it?!"

Without a word, Clint left abruptly, leaving Taylor feeling rattled by its suddenness. With a tired sigh, she sagged against the mirror and tilted her head back. She closed her eyes. On top of threatening her connection with Dominic, she had now lost training with Clint. It was not her best day.

Before Taylor could gather herself together and leave, Clint returned. She stared at him surprised. The spark of frustration he had shown on leaving was gone. He quietly crossed the room and sank down in front of her. In his hand was a glass jar with some greenish looking ointment.

"Can I see?" he asked, nodding to her hand.

Taylor pulled her hand against her. "You're not going to yell at me?"

Clint let out a slow breath and shook his head. "No, I'm not."

After a second of hesitation, Taylor held out her hurt hand. Clint carefully unwrapped the ace bandage and inspected the cut knuckles and the bruises on her wrist. Gently, he bent her wrist backward and forward then side to side.

"Any of that hurt?" he asked.

"Only a little."

"That means it's not fractured. But possibly sprained."