Mac (Riders of Apollo #8)

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Evangeline White

I've never fought all three before but I have sampled their training over the years so I know exactly what they're capable of. 

Riley will move purposefully and swiftly, aiming for the torso and legs, attempting to get me on the mat to give her the high ground. She, however, won't reserve energy and she won't protect her left side. I've had the exact same training as her so when she reverts back to what she knows - UK army training - I can beat her with experience. 

Peyton will aim for the head and the legs, the supposed weak spots of the body but she loves kidney shots because they hurt like a bitch. She conserves energy when against an unknown quantity so she will play defensive this time, backing up Riley's attempts to force me to the floor. They've fought together before so hopefully they'll work together to do so.

Lucia was trained by one of my close friends as I was too busy to properly train her so her main focus will be my torso. It's where all my important organs are so when she's at a disadvantage she'll aim for the spleen. She plays dirty like that.

As expected, Riley strikes first and I slam my palm into her chest to send her flying backwards. I don't have a training stick because I find I'm better without one even if the others do. They'll try and keep a distance between us to be able to move their weapons and it'll make them more likely to attack each other by accident. 

Lucia aims for my waist and I lash out, grabbing the stick and throwing her over me. She rolls into a crouch with the stick now in her other hand. Peyton takes that small window of time to aim a shot at my left leg which I left up and kick her in the stomach. "You're not protecting each other." I warn as Riley almost hits Lucia in the face with the stick, only stopped by me grabbing it seconds before. 

Riley falls away from me and Peyton takes her place, swinging her stick high so I swing low, swiping her legs out from under her. I use the momentum of the movement to launch myself at Lucia and overpower her, knocking her back a few steps. They move to surround me again and I crouch defensively.

Riley moves from the front, Lucia moves from the back and Peyton waits in the meantime to lash out if one of the movements go wrong. Unfortunately for them, all three of them fail and Peyton hits Riley in the back of the leg instead of me. "Nova, get up here and help us." Lucia shouts, throwing a training stick in her direction.

I take the time to undo a few buttons on my blouse as I start warming up from the exertion. I've never fought Nova before but I think her base fighting style will be reminiscent of Peyton's. She falls in pretty quickly and mimics quite of few of Peyton's signature moves so ends up easy to predict no matter how much she tries to throw me off. 

They end up almost hurting each other again so I swipe them all out, they all hit the floor with resounding thuds. I stand in the middle of them with my hands on my hips. "You're hurting each other! You're a team. You're not competing against each other, you're competing against me." 

"What? You're the one moving whenever we get anywhere near you!" Riley whines and I kick her ankle in frustration.

"All four of you have spent too much time fighting alone. None of you rely on each other to follow through with the movements. Before Riley has even finished one, Peyton you're swinging in there to complete it. Nova, you move fast and you're smart about your movements but you conserve too much energy, your hits aren't as hard as they should be. Lucia, quit aiming for my spleen, I don't have one."

"That's my best move! Where is your spleen?" Lucia starts poking my torso from her place on the mat so I kidnap the stick and throw it away.

"I had to have it removed when I was like twenty-two. Get up, get rid of the sticks, fight as a bloody team not as a competition. You're a team now, act like it." 

They toss their sticks with loud grumbles and settle into their defensive poses. Then it starts all over again except now it's harder for me to stop them hurting each other. Riley ends up hitting Lucia, Lucia hits Nova, Peyton hits herself. It's a mess. "Enough!" I shout as they all start panting and sweating. I don't want that on me. 

"Thank God!" Lucia cries and leans back on the ropes with a heavy sigh. The other three do the same but both Peyton and Riley are pouting. They probably had a lot riding on this. Lucia doesn't care at all and Nova was dragged into this for no reason. 

"We will never beat you." Riley whines and Peyton nods her head in agreement.

"You could've. Peyton, you and Nova complement each other perfectly. Your moves are the same, your timing is the same and your tempo is the same. Riley, you have been playing alone for too long and you're way too offensive, work defence, figure your opponent out before you decide to use all your energy on one move. Lucia, there's nothing I can tell you, your form is perfect and you were using your power well, you just aren't compatible with the other three." 

Lucia blossoms under the praise before poking her tongue out at the others. "Santiago taught me well." She bows and ducks out the ring to find Matias, who accepts her into his embrace despite the fact she's all sweaty. 

"This is like the fourth time you've beat me in a fight, it's sad." Peyton leans her chin on my shoulder, her pout still very prominent as she looks up at me with big eyes.

"I'm sorry, honey, you're a very strong fighter. You just work better alone." I pat her cheek comfortingly and she heads off to her husband. Riley still refuses to make eye contact with me so I head over to Nova who is waiting for her own evaluation. 

"You're a brilliant fighter, Nova. Strong and swift but you let the others strike first and finish your movements, you're too humble. Fight like you want to win and you will." Nova nods with a big smile and finds her way out of the ring so I spin to glare at my child who is in strop mode. "You, little miss, are just fine."

"I lost again!" I walk over to her and grab her face, forcing her to look at me during her pity party. 

"It's okay to lose, Riles. You don't have to win to learn. You weren't protecting your team, you wanted to beat me but that wasn't the whole point of that. You have to unlearn what MI6 taught you, their survival skills depend on your ability to sacrifice a team member. Protect the team member and beat the threat together. You're an amazing fighter, Riley, you have a savagery that I haven't seen in a long time and you are strong and capable but you rely too much on yourself when there are people to help you. You're not a lone wolf anymore so stop behaving like one."

"You're a lone wolf though. No one can fight like you." 

"Riley, I've been fighting alone for thirty years. It's hard to fall out of the habit but I will, we will do it together. Deal?"

"Deal."