"Oooh," Madison said with a smile while holding her hands out in front of her, making them shake intentionally, "Miss bad-ass warrior eagle afraid of the dark?"

"You? Giving ME shit?" Heda replied.

"Last time you started something with me you flying rodent, I hung you upside down as naked as the day you were born."

"You caught me by surprise."

"I caught you by the ankle, which was attached to the foot you tried to kick me with!"

Madison smiled.

"You wouldn't be so tough without your Gift."

"I won't use mine if you won't use yours."

Madison nodded.

"Deal." Then she took a step back and got into her fighting stance.

Heda blinked.

"Deal? Madison, you're blind --"

"Tell me something I don't know."

Heda heard the snap in her date's voice. She didn't want to be dismissed or discounted.

"Damn, do you pick a fight with everyone who teases you?" she asked, rotating her shoulders and then getting into her combat stance.

“I'UL fight one on one," came the reply.

“Alvin never comes after me alone, not anymore."

Heda smiled and moved, noticing that Madison's face followed her even though her Gift obviously wasn't on.

“What did you do to him?"

“Alvin's really just an enormous prick anyway, so I kneed him in the smaller prick."

Heda took a step forward and Madison lifted a knee, prepared to block Heda.

"Okay," Heda started, "I know the whole blind people have super-hearing stuff is bunk, so I'm guessing you've got a stock set of defenses that you . . . hey!" Madison had snapped a kick forward, nailing Heda in the upper leg with the ball of her foot.

"You talk too much," Madison replied smugly.

Heda rushed her companion, not giving the girl any more chances to react. Madison squeaked and tried to turn, going into a grappling mode where she normally would've been on more equal footing anyway.

But Heda's mother had trained her in the martial arts all her life ... born to be a warrior. Before long, she had Madison in a modified chicken-wing armbar and sleeper hold, her legs wrapped around Madison's waist.