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smell. This changing room had
more in common with a spa retreat than your local council verruca
pool. Freya had to be given her dues when appropriate: she was
really bloody good at picking complementary toiletries.
    Despite
protestations that she had never really fought before, Bea killed
it. On the agility tasks it looked like she was about to take
flight. Her strength was insane; she picked up a double decker bus
and threw it like a hammer toss. She then went on to commit acts of
carnage against a group of Viking marauders who had seen and/or
done some awful things on their travels. Honour had just stood
there in awe. She’d never seen anything quite like it.
    “I’ve got to
say Bea, you were a little crazy out there. How did you take out
thirty berserkers in a row like that? Where did you become such a
pathological killer?”
    “Cheers mate,
just a natural I guess. That was fun. I need to work on a few areas
though. These guys regenerate before we get sloshed tonight right?
I feel bad. Those were some really bad axe wounds.”
    “Yeah they’re
already dead, besides they were only human before.” Honour watched
another Valkyrie walk in from the training arena and go straight to
her locker. The girl was tall and slender. She was also pretty,
pretty useless and pretty mean.
    “Astrid, how
are you? I haven’t seen you since D-Day. Heard you’re leading the
212s now?” Honour asked.
    “Alright mate?
Yeah, yeah I am. It’s not a bad unit. We’ve jurisdiction over
firemen throughout North America. Nice little gig, not much going
on though at the moment what with all this health and safety
nonsense. Anyone would think the mortals don’t want to die.” Astrid
said shrugging her delicate shoulders “How’s Glory by the way,
still a mentalist? I heard she started a bar fight amongst some
rock giants the other week.”
    “Centaurs
actually but she will be pleased that a variant has gotten around.
Awfully proud she was. Forgive me for being rude. Astrid this is
Bea, Bea this is Astrid. Bea just started in the 401s today.”
Honour said, trying to be polite.
    “Nice to meet
you.” Bea said.
    “Yes” Astrid
said. That yes was a blunt instrument uttered whilst she stared Bea
down. “You look familiar.”
    “Do I?” Bea
asked.
    “Yes. Mind you
all you water nymphs look pretty damned similar.” Astrid said
pausing for a moment “Well I’ve got to be off I’m getting a new
helmet fitted. Toodles.”
    “Bye” Honour
said.
    “What a bitch.”
Bea said as Astrid walked into the showers and out of earshot.
    “Never could
stand the cow. ‘All you water nymphs look pretty damned similar.’
Sylphs are always snooty cows. Maybe she’s colour blind?” Honour
said sarcasm spitting out of her mouth.
    “Great arse
though.”
    “Yes it’s not
fair is it? Mean girls have great arses. Liberty has dubbed it
‘Aphrodite’s Disorder’”
    The pair of
them finished getting ready to leave in relative silence. Honour
was too busy thinking about what she had seen that day to ask Bea
any further questions. She was sure that both Glory and Liberty
were both equally capable of such an exhibition as Bea had made but
neither of them freely admitted to being that talented. It was
dangerous to be outstanding. Gods are particularly prone to tall
poppy syndrome. It was better to keep your head down and keep quiet
than to be a shining light. There would always be someone there at
the dimmer switch ready to turn you down or off entirely. Valkyrie
Unit 401 had a reputation as exceptional but no one other than a
select few really knew all the details and that was how they kept
it. No one needed to know how much of the show they ran. The girls
had all seen what could happen when you were just too damned good:
Liberty’s father Prometheus being a pertinent example.

Sweet Charity
    Liberty was fascinated by
shopping. She loved watching the mortals going out of their way to
acquire goods that they certainly had no need for. She also