I stand, backing up to the point where he lost his knives, and use my foot to slide one of them out of the ring for him. He doesn't even look at it.
Sore loser you are, Mr. Veteran.
I kick the other knife on the floor out of the ring and slide Tobias’ knife in its sheath at my back, backing away to encourage him to get back in the ring. I won't let him turn back the tide, even if it goes back to a fist fight. The chaos in me is impatient. Excited. Waiting.
He gets into the ring slowly, and I can count the seconds as we both wait for the other’s next move.
The stillness is broken like a gunshot in the air as I throw my body forward,turning in the air in a back kick to throw my right foot into his torso, beneath his guard. I’m suspended as I follow through, with a left kick to his head, but he blocks with his arms.
By the time I regain my footing, his hands are locked and he's dropping his arms down in an attempt to hit me down onto the floor. I have to roll out of the way, and the strike reverberates beneath my feet.
I throw my left fist into his stomach but although I land the blow, both of his hands grab onto me.
Now that I'm caught, the madness shivers. I punch his hold in an attempt to weaken it, moving in closer to punch his side where I’d slashed him with my dagger, but he uses his whole body to pull me into the air and down onto the floor.
The impact travels through my entire body.
He lifts me by the arm he's caught, so I only have one arm to block his fist. When it connects, I feel dizzy. I can feel the lingering bits of the pain all across my skin now. All the hits I took will catch up with me soon. I get good footing beneath me to throw my head into his nose and his grip loosens.
Just enough for me to grab his sleeve, pull him forward and connect my head into his again.
Again. Again. Again.
Each time he’s thrown back. And each time I pull him back forward to wreck his skull with mine. I'm dizzy I think. But so is he. I can feel blood seeping down my face. But I can also see his.
He pulls a dagger from a hidden pocket in his pants. A last-ditch attempt to get me away from him. But the dagger only sinks deep into my palm.
The pain is striking. Much sharper than the dull throb echoing across my body.
I like the look on his face, though. Like one who knows when he's cornered. Who knows when his life is up.
I pull him forward using my impaled hand to knock my head into his again.
And I can barely feel the impact echoing through my insanity.
Bump.
Bump.
Bump.
“Christian!”
Xavier’s voice pulls me out of the haze. It pulls me out of the madness.
And everything finally gets quiet.
Blood cakes my face. The room is spinning. I release Olsen, who falls to the floor, moaning incoherently, and drop into a crouch.
When did it get so quiet?
“I win?” My throat is parched.
Olsen’s incoherent moans are the only response, and I grin. I feel shaky when I rise to my feet. But I drag myself to the edge of the ropes and hold out my hand. Tobias is frowning but he slides the gun into my palm anyway, the one that wasn’t impaled.
When I turn, one shot echoes into the air, biting into Olsen’s ankle. His moans become more insistent. This time, it has just a bit more suffering.
I approach him again and fall into a crouch.
