Welcome to the Masquerade

"Duel" by Bond

"Mr. Giffin has mastered Brazilian Ju-Jitsu and is well versed in a few other martial arts forms." said Owen. Lory gave him a look that clearly called him a pot-stirrer.

"Awesome. So if I take you the best 3 out of 5, you'll leave me breathing room on Monday?"

"Sure." he shrugged still unconcerned with anything she was saying in her defense. "I'll leave you space."

"DUDE!?" Gabe was horrified no way were they letting Lory roam that hellhole of a school with those rumours circulating by herself.

"If." Nate said while focusing on particular turn combination.

"Oh," Gabe settle himself back into the seat and Lory's jaw dropped in shock. They had all written her off!

"When I put you on the mat. I want ALL of you to leave me breathing room. I know how to bait my own hooks, thanks."

"If you win Lory, I see no reason why we shouldn't give you as you call it 'breathing room'. No extra concern for you on our part. HOWEVER," Owen stressed, "that doesn't mean that you will not have back up and even if you win I insist on you taking a few precautions."

"Such as?"

"You need to get our apps on your phone." That was going to happen anyway, but it was so much easier if he got her to agree now in front of witnesses.

"I have Android."

"Mr. Morgan assured me there would be no loss of utility."

"I'm good with that." Backup is a good thing. Not something Lory was used to, but a good thing. So she wouldn't fight this one.

"Also, I want one of us nearby. Perhaps not visibly," he raised his hand to stall her comments, "But I would feel better if one of us could get to you quickly if you red line us."

"Fine," she agreed seeing the real worry in his eyes. She turned to Nathan. "Ok, so where are we going to throw down, Red?"

"Mr. Griffin, may we use your shed?"

"Works for me. I'll head over and set up." Nathan tossed his controller to Luke and left.

"Aren't you going to change?" Gabe asked.

"Nope," Lory said giving a slight pop to the 'p'. "If you get into a fight you don't exactly get a chance to change your clothes and get in a gi, do you? I'll spar in street clothes. Besides it'll impress upon you the fact that I have indeed been TRAINED, despite never having been actually academy." Then Lory starts in quoting a poem in a sing song cadence.

"There once was girl who had a little curl"  Lory paused slightly as she pulled a curl down to hang between her eyes, "right in the center of her forehead. When she was good she was very, very good."

Owen smirked before finishing it as a question "And when she was bad, she was horrid?"

"No, no, big brother mine. I rewrote it for myself."

"So how does it go now?" Owen indulged her.

"And when she as bad, she was better," She said with a shark's grin.

Somehow all the boys had the same thought at the same time.

Oh, no.

*~*~*~*~*

Lory stepped onto the mats in Nathan's shed and raised an eyebrow in admiration this was quite the set up. She toed off her shoes and walked into the mini dojo.

"Nice digs."

"Thanks"

"A little small for the audience, isn't it?" Lory questioned waving to the others crowding in the doorway.

"Yes," Owen said and shooed everyone but Nate and Lory out. "I wanted a skill assessment anyway. This will stand in."

"Whenever you're ready," Lory shrugged. .

Nate and Lory took positions and Owen stood back and watched.

"Begin," Owen commanded.

And begin they did.

Lory wasn't quite prepared for Nate to be as quick as he was, but it didn't really matter. She was quicker. She dodged his initial strike and follows up with strike to his knee that he neatly avoided.

They traded blows Lory mostly dodging them and Nate trying to dodge Lory's less successfully. She was damn quick. Suddenly, Nate was on his stomach with his arm twisted behind him oddly and a pressure he assumed was Lory's knee in his back.

He tapped the mat.

"One For Lory," Owen announced.

Nathan rolled to his back and kipped back up, ready to go. He'd held back and underestimated her. It wouldn't happen again. She was better trained than he expected, but he was a master. But that wouldn't happen again. He would be aggressive this time. This wasn't his Peanut he was trying to be careful with this was their sister and he was trying to prove they were there to protect her. Even if he was less and less sure she needed them to protect her. She was still a girl and he could over power her.

Round two was over quickly and went to Nate. Aggression he decided was his key.

"Lory - 1.  Nathan - 1.   Begin"

Round three went longer but still went to Nate. When she got up Lory just grinned and him and asked said the strangest thing.

"My mom liked older movies. She really liked this one called Maverick. The guy was a gambler and swore he would lose for the first hour. He did. By the time the hour was up he knew everyone's tell and won every other hand."

"Okay...," Nathan drawled.

"Times up," Lory smirked

"Begin," Owen called.

Lory was the aggressor this time. Her style was heavy on Krav Maga but blended in other styles as well. She'd never been one to dismiss what worked just because it didn't look like it belonged with what was already in use. 'One of these things is not like the other' was her style. It kept people guessing and underestimating her. And with someone who outsized her as much as Nate did, she needed that advantage.

He was on his back with the heel of her palm stopped before she contacted his nose.

"Lory - 2. Nathan - 2. Begin."

This round was hard and fast. It was the deciding factor. Each of them using swift and brutal strikes. They went back and forth for several minutes. By far, it was the longest lasting round. Neither opponent giving an inch they didn't take back.

Lory exposed her back allowing Nathan to have an advantage, drawing him in for an elbow strike to the solar plexus. He rolled better with the blow than she expected but was a little winded. He grabbed and attempted to grapple with her but she ripped herself from his grasp. The burning in her shoulder told her she would need to ice it or she would regret it the next morning.

Nate feinted to the right to get at her hurt shoulder. He needed to end this so she didn't get hurt worse. She rolled with pain not giving him the win he was looking for.

Leg sweep.

Jump.

Strike.

Dodge.

Spin.

Grab.

Twist

Flip.

*Tap Tap*

"Congratulations," Owen said neutrally. Only his eyes and the twitch at the corner of his mouth giving him away.  

"Duel" by Bond