Training Day

"Talk with you in private, away from my friends? I'm not that stupid, John." -Raina Sylvir

Raina comes in to find that Jack is giving lessons in hand to hand combat to Grimaulkin in the base. Amused and pretending to be miffed at being left out, Raina settles back to watch and offer advice. She ends up taking a more active role in guiding Grim's movements so that he can learn the basics correctly. The lesson proves to be a success due to Grim being a quick study and he is soon practicing punching basics. In turn, Grim teaches them about conjuring a protective circle. Raina states that it is unlikely she can conjure anything since her magic is bound in her blood. However, she encourages Jack to go ahead and try.

Jack successfully conjures a protective circle and goes into a trance. Raina appears to do the same, but in truth is being contacted telepathically by Shadow and her old friend Parallel. Parallel, whom she knew as Amorphic, tells her that he thinks he can banish John to another realm but in doing so, will be banished himself. Not wanting to risk her friend, Raina at first refuses the idea, but then considers it when she asks if there's anyway to improve Parallel's chances of returning. The dimension shifting hero responds that if she can find and activate a dimensional beacon, he should be able to find and return to it.

Coming back to the event at hand, right as Jack banishes his circle, Raina presents the idea and states that they need to find a dimensional beacon asap. However, the frenzy of telepathic communication with her psychic friends has taken its toll on Raina's non-psionic mind.. she has a bad headache now. She decides to go take a nap in hopes of recovering. Jack and Grim bid her to rest well and state that they are all going to the D.

A decent nap lessens Raina's headache and she decides to catch up to the rest of her friends. She finds them in the D, talking to an ADD Griff. Somewhat disgusted, Raina tells the rest to forget Griff and head to the monkey fight club for drinks. There, Raina pores drinks for everyone and she and Jack debate the merits of scotch vs whiskey. Unfortunately, their good time is interrupted by the appearance of John and several of his minions. John "requests" to speak to Raina in private. Ever wary, Raina flat refuses at first, declaring the idea to be suicidal and stupid. She also states, with a smile at Grim, that their team has no secrets, so anything John wants to say to her, can be said to them all.

Parallel appears and encourages Raina to go with John. Raina is stunned that Parallel thinks she'll be safe with John, who wants her dead. John reveals that he wishes to speak to Raina about his wife. The group is stunned once more.. wife? Griff questions the wife's intelligence in choosing someone like John and is shot in the foot for it. Raina lunges and pins John to a pillar, who doesn't resist or try to break free. However, more of John's minions show up, including Harris. After several tense moments, and against her own and her team's better judgment, Raina agrees to go upstairs with only the "neutral" Parallel to keep them safe from each other.

John then, uncharacteristically, thanks Raina for reviving his wife. Confused and never one to lie, Raina states that she has no idea who or what he's talking about. Citing that she never knew he had a wife. John states that his wife said she was revived by a "cat with white hair". Raina replies that, unlike John, she does not make a habit of lying. She then tries to wrangle another cease-fire from him so that they can leave in peace. John does not promise anything as they head back down.

Raina once more presses for the two groups to part ways for now without violence. John responds by ordering his men to open fire at the group (Nevermind the power/weapon suppression in the D.. oh well). However, the stormtrooper effect seems to be in play as they are unable to hit any of the Safe Havens members. The group splits and meet back up at the base, with Raina arriving last.

As the group talks about this revelation about the existence of John's wife, Kalius arrives and is informed as to what happened. Grim mentions how he used to use essences. Jack notes that the bullet John shot into Grim's foot could be used for such. Kalius, Grim, and Shadow head to medbay to extract the bullet and Jack and Raina head to the TV room to wait.

As they cuddle together on the couch, Jack asks that Raina not agree to meet with an enemy without backup again. Jack informs her that Parallel seems to be siding with John, a statement that leaves Raina furious and her trust in the other hero shaken. As they continue to cuddle and enjoy the sensations their link allows them to share, Raina starts to think about the possibility of being captured and tortured like Grim. Ever concerned for the safety of her comrades, Raina asks Mind if temporarily removing her memories, if it happens, is possible.

Mind states that he could make a device that would do it, but they would permanently loose their memory of the last 2 months.. which includes their memories of each other. Raina rejects the idea, stating that she refuses to put him through the pain of thinking she had forgotten him that she experienced when he was under John's mind control. They agree to think of other options. Grim and Kalius come through to show them the retrieved bullet and Grim states that he is going home to try to extract John's essence from it. Raina warns him to be careful, even suggesting that Grim stay at the base. Grim refuses, stating that his magic tools were all at his apartment. Bidding them farewell, Raina and Jack turn their attention back to each other. As their actions begin to grow more intimate, Raina suddenly smells a familiar, but hostile scent... Bladeless.

She remembered seeing him standing with John earlier at the D, he had been one of the ones to fire at them. Why was he here in their base? Had John sent him? Filling with fury, Raina went straight into attack mode, yelling "Intruder!" into the comm. She makes a beeline to attack Bladeless, who barely dodges the first attack. Lunging again, Raina successfully swipes her claws across his face as Jack mind-blasts' him. Rusty also shows up to offer his help. Raina pins Bladeless and assists Jack in penetrating his mind to find out his intentions. Neither she nor Jack are gentle in their mental assault, causing Bladeless extreme pain as they ferret out his intentions.

However, Jack determines that Bladeless has indeed defected and that he had no idea the group was there. Relaxing, they release him and take him to medbay to patch him up. Through the subsequent discussion Bladeless states that he "knows" Grim and that he "hurt him" in the past, but does not elaborate. Not really thinking anything of it, Raina and Jack decide to seek our their own bed for the night.