JP - Gym

Alex entered the gym before putting on his headphones and heading to the weight racks. Ever since his capture orchestrated by his parents he had started working out with Susi refusing to let him be caught in a weakened state again. After her capture he had thrown himself into it more as both the distraction and preparation.

Megan walked in, going right for the bikes. Tossing off her clothes down to her bra and panties, she started biking and anyone that gave her an odd looked would get thoroughly cussed out. “You got a problem?! HUH!? If ya do, then go to my room and YOU risk seeing Joel and Annie fucking like jack rabbits!” She hissed at a poor man that ran out of the gym crying like a little bitch. “Fuck you too…”

“Is it me or has she gotten worse ever since you know who betrayed her?” Klaire asked as she started on a treadmill.

"No offense Klaire but some of us don't have a healthy way to blow some steam off" Alex replied grunting as he lifted weights. Despite the headphones it was impossible not to hear Megan's frustration when she yelled. Looking her at through the mirror though He had to admit all the exercise over the years had made her more attractive and with her sweat was making her underwear transparent there definitely was some temptation in his mind. But he'd never betray Susi like that.

"What was that moron thinking leaving someone like her" Alex thought to himself "then again Tzeitel made sure he didn't live long enough to regret it."

Klaire just glared at Alex and set the treadmill up so she could start running.

“I don’t suggest pissin’ off the woman with dog genetics, Alex!” Megan called over her shoulder. “Her bite is worse than her bark and you’ve been bitten by Susi!” That poor bike was going to get murdered eventually.

"Trust me there's nothing I'd love more than to be covered in bite and claw marks right now" Alex sighed before looking over to Klaire. "Sorry, just five years is a long time. I didn't mean to come off as rude."

“Uh, Megan, your meta is kind of just hanging out.” Tzeitel said delicately gesturing towards Megan’s cat ears and tail. Tzeitel did not care but it was not a safe world to openly be a meta in. She got on a treadmill and started off by running too fast already.

“Well, you did,” Klaire said stiffly. “Just because James and I share a bed at times does not mean we’re any happier than we were five years ago.” She kept running, killing off the energy and sweating out more than half of her stress at the moment. “Apology accepted, though.”

Megan looked at Tzeitel. “I don’t care. They touch me, I’ll rip their fucking throats out!” She hissed and kept going on the poor bike that was actually having a hard time keeping up with her.

"Thanks Klaire" Alex replied shamefully "it's just seeing you and James, Annie and Joel, Riley River it gets to me sometimes. Reminds me of how alone and empty I feel all the time." Grabbing a bottle of water he drank from it before grabbing another and offering to Megan. "Lord help whoever she takes to bed they're going to have to be superhuman to survive" he thought to himself.

“I didn’t need to know that Klaire.” Tzeitel muttered in a low voice which was perfectly audible to Klaire. “Okay… Just they like to hit with tranq darts from a distance.”

“Well, it’s better to know than to walk in on us…which you’ve done twice now.” Klaire said with a chuckle and looked at Alex. “We’re getting closer to finding Susi. Don’t give up hope.”

Megan took the water. “Thanks!” She guzzled it and kept going, letting out all her rage on the poor bike.

Alex nodded before deciding to tease Megan "we could remove the bike seat if it will help" he said grabbing some gloves as he moved to the punching bag to vent more stream.

“I was pretending to have not noticed.” Tzeitel muttered, turning the treadmill up more.

“Denial doesn’t fix anything,” Klaire remarked and picked up pace on her own treadmill.

“Nah, I got this!” Megan stuck her tongue out at Alex in a bratty gesture. She always saw the guy as a brother and was thankful for the teasing.

“At least he isn’t with that other bitch anymore.” Tzeitel muttered, increasing her speed again as if she was racing Klaire.

Alex nodded in agreement as he landed blow after blow on the punching bag. Pausing for a moment he took his shirt off, throwing it to the side. While Riley's muscles were more for a runner's build Alex had focused on strength and power. Gone was the string bean who had first showed up on his cousin's doorstep replace with a more muscular build.

Facing the bag again He began to punch it with more and more force his frustration growing as memories of the search for Susi came to mind. He remembered the last time they interrogated someone for her whereabouts. He remembered snapping when the person had made a derogatory comment about her. He had lunged at the man putting him down and beating him to a pulp. Lost some thought Alex hadn't realized that he had knocked the bag off its hook and was now straddling and punching it as he had the person back then, raining blow after blow.

Tzeitel was on her way to beating Klaire on the treadmills when she heard the punching bag hit the floor. She looked over and saw Alex on the bag and beating the shit out of it.

“Shit.” Tzeitel stopped her treadmill and ran over to Alex, already touching her powers. “Alex- Hey Alex! Calm down!”

"ALEX!" Megan yelled and hopped off her bike, going to Alex and trying to pull him away. "It's just a punching bag!"

Klaire hopped off her treadmill just as she pulled on the emergency stop string and went over to them. Getting Megan to step aside, she gently covered Alex's eyes. "Calm down, Alex…it's going to be okay." As she did this, there was sadness etched on her face and she nodded at Tzeitel to use her power to help.

Tzeitel swiped some pheromone oil off her arm and wiped the calming pheromones over Alex’s chest and his bare throat.

Alex began breathing became slower as Tzeitel's oil began to take over. Looking over around he noticed the others surrounding him. "What happened?" He asked in a confused voice.

“You killed the punching bag and wouldn’t stop.” Tzeitel explained, nodding to the murdered piece of gym equipment.

Alex nodded and stood up grabbing his he walked out of the gym. Heading to the van he climbed into it before laying down in the back seat.