Team SHDW Volume 2

Chapter 8: One Step Forward, One Step Back

Yang Xiao Long lifted up her head, arms as the ready for a fight, just in time to block Dante's left hook with her robotic wrist, pushing his hand away from her. This had been going on for a few weeks now. After Yang had finally gathered the courage to put on the arm, Taiyang had suggested daily spars, and Dante was happy to join in, saying his CQC was rusty and needed practice anyway. Diana joined in from time to time, the adults humoring her, but mostly took pleasure in watching from the sidelines with Zwei.

As the two continued to fight, Zwei, Diana, and Taiyang were nearby, watching the two spar, the Corgi panting happily as Diana constantly petted him. Beside the dog was a low stool with two white towels. Back on the "battlefield", Dante stood alone and moved forward, attempting a roundhouse kick, but Yang joined both of her hands atop each other to block his landing foot, and, with a loud cry, pushed it up and back. Dante regained his footing in a flip while Yang anticipated his landing. And using her robotic arm, she knocked him down with a single hit.

Holding onto his right bicep, Dante slid across the dirt, flat on the ground until he came to a stop, and he exclaimed, "Man, that thing packs a punch!"

Yang walked over and helped him up as Diana cheered along with Zwei's barking while Taiyang clapped and said, "Great job, you two."

"You got your butt kicked, bro!" Diana teased.

"Yeah, yeah," Dante rubbed the back of his neck, faking being offended.

"We've been at this for weeks," Yang told her father, "I get it, you wanna make sure I can still fight."

She bumped her fists together with a smirk, "I think I'm doing just fine."

"You're close," Tai said, walking around his daughter in a circle and assessing her progress.

"Oh, really?" Yang scoffed.

"You're still off balance."

"What?! No I'm not!"

Taiyang chuckled as Yang continued, lifting her robotic arm and looking at it with a smile, "Honestly, I'm kind of surprised. I thought it would be just this huge weight, but it feels... natural. They did a great job with this thing."

Taiyang suddenly lunged in, delivering a left hook right into her face. Yang's upper body reared back both from impact and surprise. She readied to block his right hook, however, and used the turning momentum to deliver an elbow jab. Grinning the entire time, Tai blocked it and then dodged all the kicks she followed through with. Yang switched to punches, but Tai was too on point for her. While she used her left hand to block an elbow thrust, her father grasped her robotic arm and pulled it forward. The position put Yang in the position of having her balance rely on the weight of only one leg.

"I wasn't talking about your actual balance," Taiyang said.

He swiped her forward leg, sending her onto the ground on her back. He left her there and walked over to Zwei and Diana, the former happily getting the top towel for him.

"Although, that could use some work too," he continued, taking the towel and giving Zwei a rub on the top of his head, the dog humming happily.

Arms spread on the ground, Yang took a breath before speaking, "Meaning?"

Taiyang toweled off his sweat, "I saw your tournament fights. During the Vytal Festival."

"Let me guess," Yang replied in a mocking accent, "'I was sloppy.'"

"No, no, you were predictable. And... stubborn. And... maybe a little boneheaded."

Yang sat up and spun to stare at her father. Dante blinked a few times, pondering Tai's words.