"I will," said Soma simply. She hadn't missed Alita's glance, and she stifled the inexplicable urge to go for the other girl's throat. She'd always been impulsive, but this was something else; some part of her recognized Alita as a significant threat, some part of her that certainly hadn't existed previously.

It was illogical. She would be at a clear disadvantage, armed as Alita was and with her reflexes dulled as they were. She could only hope she could remain in control of herself tonight. The last thing she needed was a repeat of the incident with Exile. With near-deliberate slowness, she stepped aside, apparently content to watch for the time being.