The syncopation of leather smacking against leather in rhythmic succession invigorated her, motivated her. A crowd of male body builders and boxers paused from their regular routines to take notice of what seemed to be an exciting new up and coming female boxing phenom. Her skill and tenacity when attacking the heavy bag, the strength in her form. the obvious power as the lengths of chain that fastened the bag to its supports, screamed in agony at the very force of her punch. The bag itself seemed ready to burst at the seams. And she was just getting warmed up.
Megaera, the grudging, scourge of the skies, vengeance incarnate, had finally returned. In the form of a sixteen year old girl. When she'd chosen this form, it had been with a bit of irony in mind. She couldn't wait for someone, anyone to cross the line. Ti assume her meek and defenseless, to push her buttons. It had been to long since she and hers sister soldiers had done work together. She ached for it.
It had been easy enough to locate Cortheus. They had a bond that could never be broken. She, Cortheus' ever loyal, foot soldier, The Enforcer...it was an honor that she held with great regard. And Cortheus, the unyielding, one of her oldest and dearest friends, her confidante, the one who pulled her trigger. Yes, it was nigh time. Taking a moment off from her punishment of the gym's heavy bag, Magaera threw a towel over her shoulders, sat in a corner of the gym and dialed a number on her cellphone. It had been easy to find. Cortheus had certainly seemed to leave enough clues for Her. And how had Cortheus known when she would return? The truth was as Megaera soon realized, Cortheus always knew.
When Cortheus had received the phone call from Megaera telling her she was finally in London and wanted to meet up, it had been a no brainer. Yes, Cortheus had a job, and a mortal guise to keep up, but when it came to her fellow Furies, nothing was more important than the mission. Of course she had agreed to drop everything and meet her fellow soldier. In truth she would have done it for any of them, but the fact that it was Megaera had genuinely made her smile.
Back in the day, the two of them had been close, no two ways about it. Working with someone in the way the two of them had worked together made their closeness inevitable. Cortheus was too good a soldier to openly whine about missing her old companion, but it was always something that had been in the back of her mind. She was just relieved now that Megaera had followed her clues and found her just as she hoped she would.
As her heels clicked along the pavement, Cortheus reached into her purse and pulled out the scrap of paper which had the address written on of where she was to meet Megaera. She'd been a little surprised by her fellow fury's choice of venue, but did not dispute it.
Looking up at the large grey building in front of her, Cortheus double checked she was in the right place and pulled the door open.
Skirting past the receptionist with the air of someone who'd been here a hundred times before, Cory headed immediately to the main part of the gym. The smell that hit her nostrils was nauseating. That overwhelming stench of human sweat and body odour turned her stomach. It was why she usually avoided places like this. But today she had a valid reason to ignore her own nasal preferences.
As her eyes scanned the room, her mobile phone rang from inside her bag. Reaching in and grabbing the small device, she rolled her eyes as she saw the name Megaera flashing on the display. Deciding against answering the phone, she resumed her search of the room and found her target quickly enough.
"You knew I was coming, you could have just waited for me to get here," she told Megaera with a smile as she stood over her, ringing phone still in her hand. "You always were the most impatient of creatures."
"Megz" leapt up from the corner and stood at attention, only briefly. Barely able to contain her emotions Megaera launched herself at Cortheus with reckless abandon. Megaera had always been fanatical when it came to her unofficial titles, Megaera "The Enforcer", Megaera "The Leg Breaker". Ever the faithful foot soldier, she also acted as bodyguard to Alecto and Cortheus alike. It was no wonder then, that she was unable to control herself and began to revert to a more formal and ancient form of speech when addressing Cortheus.
"Oh, Cortheus the Vengeful...I fear that my long slumber has kept me away from Alecto, the Supreme Sister, and Cortheus, Second to the Highest for far too long. What do you require of me? Whom shall I smite today?" Megaera, realized that for especially for someone with the appearance of a sixteen year old girl, her current rant was not only boisterous, but completely out of character. The fact was though that she had always been quite a zealot about these matters and she was hard pressed to curtail her excitement. Whom has judgment needed to be passed upon them, Cortheus the Unwavering?"
