"You're an enemy now?" X asked, a small smile on his face. He didn't move for the other weapon right away, too wary of another trick or a trap. "Thank you for the warning."

Bobby wasn't Valdis. All of X's fear of Bobby came from Devin, from Devin's memories and Devin's perception of her. If Valdis ever decided to trap X in a room and break his wrist, he knew intimately why he'd be afraid of her, and it wouldn't have anything to do with anyone else. Yet, Bobby was gone, Valdis was the one pointing a sword at him, and X wasn't afraid. It was funny, sometimes, how things worked out.

He moved slowly toward the bench, his eyes never leaving Valdis, and picked up the other wooden sword. "I should warn you," he said, "you're not the first person to try teaching me this sort of thing."