Moonlight Sonata

31. Saving lives

"Alright Lily, come at me with all you've got!"

The girl lunged, her arms outstretched as she reached for something to grab onto. I ducked beneath her and swept her legs out, only for her to land in a crouch and leap at me again. Her teeth sunk into my arm as I blocked my neck and I rolled over, pinning her beneath me while she flailed. I heard her hit the ground a few times and I let her up, feeling blood drip down my arm as it leaked over her lips.

"That's no fair! You knew I was going for the throat!" She pouted.

"That's exactly why I'll always win in a fight against you," I told her, "your first hit can't always be for the throat," I pointed to various main arteries in places that wouldn't be as protected, "these points will all kill a person if you rip it open. You'll be carrying a knife as well, so you might be able to reach these better than anyone else here because of your size."

"Oh," she perked up, the gears turning in her head, "that's smart, I never would've thought of that."

"That's why we're here." I smiled, wiping the rest of the blood off of my already healed skin. "I'll let you have another go later, but I want to try some more with some other people, okay?"

"Okay!"

She ran off into the group while I pointed at Crowe. He stepped up to the makeshift circle we'd made and cracked his knuckles, looking like he was getting ready for a boxing match.

"How well do you think you're going to do?" I asked him.

"Against you: maybe not so good. Against a PASCI agent after training with you: wonderfully," he grinned, "you're already going to be ten times stronger than any of those agents, so if I do good against you, I'll do spectacular against them."

"I like the attitude," I smiled, "come at me."

He lunged, his eyes on mine as he ran. Crowe gained the upper hand at once by dropping when I thought he'd be aiming high and I was flipped onto my back as he dragged my feet out from underneath me. When he turned back around to pin me I sent a foot into his chest and leapt back to my feet as he recoiled, but not quick enough: he'd started throwing punches quickly, all aimed at my face. I was able to block them all, but he twisted, sending his foot into my stomach and kicking me backwards. I curled in on myself but it was only a ploy as he came closer. In moments I'd launched myself past his feet and taken them out from underneath him, his face meeting the floor as I climbed onto his back and claimed my victory.

"Holy shit!" I wheezed, letting him up after a few seconds, "you're quick!"

"Is that a pass?" He asked smugly, and I nodded.

"Crowe is a prime example of what you're aiming to do," I told them, helping him to his feet in the process, "look where you're not intending to go. If you so much as glance in the general direction you're aiming, they can block you. Eyes ahead, hands below."

"I guess I'm up next," Nolan laughed, walking out into the concrete.

"I'm not fighting you," I shrugged, "you don't have any combat practice."

"Oh come on, I bet I could land at least one punch."

"Make a fist."

He held his hand in the air, and his thumb was tucked beneath his fingers. I rolled my eyes and walked towards him, fixing the situation before it could get worse, "you're useless."

"I know," he laughed, holding it for me to see, "better?"

"Much," I crossed my arms, "now punch me."

"What?"

"You heard me," I raised my eyebrows, "give me your best shot."

"Uh...okay." He winced a little, pulling his hand back. Before it could even come in contact with my skin I snatched his wrist and twisted his whole arm, slamming it against his back and holding him there. He let out a yelp of pain, but I knew I had to teach him, not baby him.