“Frank, this is Amir. Please come to the mat.”
I’ve seen Amir fight. He’s graceful and very fast. It’s almost like a dance with him.
Frank was slow to move, that smirk of his gone. When he finally made it to the center of the mat, Amir nodded and waited. Frank, too, waited. No one moved, but the longer it went on, the more pronounced was Frank’s attitude of defeat and Amir’s of victory. It was similar to a chess master playing an entire game in their head, knowing twenty moves ahead who will win. That same knowledge seemed to be hitting Frank.
“Go,” Sebastian said, clearly done with the stalling.
Frank barreled forward, straight at Amir, who slid out of the way, spinning and hitting Frank in the back of the head with a bladed hand. Frank went down and was out.
Amir turned to Sebastian. “He’ll wake soon. There should be no permanent damage.” He then went to the judges’ side of the room and stood beside Wei.
With a look of annoyance, Sebastian went to Frank, grabbed a leg, and dragged him back to the wall opposite the judges. “Ava, please move to the center of the mat,” he said, walking back to the door. When he opened it, a man with light brown skin and long black hair, tied in a braid down his back, walked in.
“Ava, this is Salvador.”
Strange. I don’t know this one. Everyone else has been a renowned fighter, Clive said.
Delores gets her arm ripped off and Ava gets a newbie? Bullshit, that’s what this is. Clear favoritism. I swear, Clive, if some robo-vamp walks out to fight you, I’m taking him out myself.
No, you’re not. If you do, I’ll have to assume you think me too weak to defend myself. Is that what you believe, Sam?
Damn it, Clive! I don’t want you to get hurt.
I know. And I’ll do my best not to, all right?
I didn’t respond.
Sam?
Shh, it’s starting.
He growled in my head but I ignored him.
Salvador took a step forward but then stopped. Gaze focused on Ava, he lifted his foot again to move forward but dropped it back on the mat. Closing his eyes, he shook his head and shot forward. She turned to run but didn’t get far before he’d snatched her up and threw her at the far wall.
Somehow, Sebastian got there first and caught her. “Remember, we’re not doing permanent damage.” He put Ava down and then went back to the door.
Delores muttered insults—I assumed—in Spanish while she glared daggers at Sebastian.
Salvador looked over his shoulder to grin at whatever Delores had said, as he made his way to the wall beside Amir.
Interesting. Ava must need eye contact to influence others. Smart of Salvador to realize that.
“Clive, please come to the center of the mat.”
I mean it, I said. Don’t you dare get hurt!
Have faith.
Clive stepped up and turned to the door. Sebastian, though, walked over to the judges’ area.
“Clive, as you yourself are known for your fighting skills, we had to adjust the test.”
How is that fair?
Shh.
“The judges and I discussed it, and we thought you should have to spar with two of our fighters.
