Issue 1 Downtime

Wanda had gotten permission to go through a training program in the Danger Room, since her strength made typical sparring somewhat risky. Today, she was in what looked like a typical gym, although most of the equipment looked far heavier than the standard gym. She had her hands and ankles wrapped and she was working a large bag, striking it repeatedly with her knees and shins. The force of the blows were clearly audible, even though the bag wasn't moving much.

Tommy More was observing from the observation desk.

"Hullo..."

Wanda didn't break the routine, switching to her other leg, but she did respond, "Hello." She glanced up at the observation deck to see who was talking.

"No, no, hullo as in an interesting sight."

"Oh, I suppose I am that." The rhythm of her strikes seemed to be guiding the rhythm of her words too.

"Well, I didn't mean anything by it."

She stopped her routine and looked up at the observation deck with her hands on her hips. "Well, obviously you meant it was an interesting sight or you wouldn't have said it. Unless you're in the habit of saying things you don't mean?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not!" Tommy blustered.

"Well, then that's settled," she said, switching legs and starting to hit the bag with her knee, laughing.

"Quite," Tommy chuckled back.

"Did you need to use the Danger Room?" Wanda asked, mentally counting off the knee strikes before switching back to the other leg.

"Not for another half hour. I just arrived early."

"Well, if you need to warm up, you're welcome to come in. There's more than enough room."

"I'd hate to disturb you..."

"I'm going to be winding down soon anyway," she said, stepping back from the big bag and laying into with straight kicks repeatedly. "And I wouldn't have offered if I thought you would disturb me."

"Well, of course, but one must always defer to a lady."

"That's nice, but unnecessary."

"'Tis always necessary! Chivalry is not dead."

"So me saying it's unnecessary means nothing?" She slammed the bag with a particularly hard kick so that it actually moved a little bit.

"I wouldn't go ~that~ far..."

"But if I say it's unnecessary to defer to me and you insist on deferring to me, you're really not deferring to me," she glanced up at the observation deck and then hit the bag with her elbows, alternating hits.

"I...but...what?"

"I'm not going to explain it again," Wanda said, smiling as she stepped away from the bag and stretched.

"But..I...that is to say..."

"Yes?" Wanda asked, looking up at the observation deck again, finishing out her stretching routine.

"I mean...there was no intent..."

"No intent to what?" She pressed, trying to hard to not laugh and mostly succeeding.

"I mean, to insult in any way..."

"If I'd been insulted, I'd be threatening to slap you. I'm Wanda, by the way."

"Ah.

Tommy More," he replied.

"Pleased to meet you," she said. "The room is all yours now, by the way."

"Are you sure? I would hate to inconvenience you..."

"I'm done. No inconvenience. Honestly."