Free Fall (Monsters and Bad Men, Book 3) (draft 01)

Chapter 5

Tristan

Emil comes at me with determination, fist raised, fire in his eyes. He swings, I dodge. He swings again, and I dodge. He repeats the same motion over and over, as if he can will a punch to hit me. I step sideways and back, keeping him moving.

His determination shifts to annoyance, then frustration, and then anger. Now he screams with each punch that miss me. He swings with a yell that could bring the neighbors over. I sidestep, trip him and his yell turns into a shriek. Before he hit the ground, I catch his arm and pull him up.

"Let go of me!" he yells, yanking his arm out. I let go of him and he raises his fists.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Yes. I will hit you." He runs at me with a scream. I smile. His box glows and another one echoes it, it takes me a second to recognize it as where I keep pride. The thought that maybe I should let him connect flitters through as I step aside.

"You are not a bull." I sidestep another punch.

"What the fuck does that mean?" he yells at me, swinging wildly.

"I am a bull." I swing at him and his eyes go wide in fear. He tried to stop, manages it, but trips as he takes a step back. He had good reflexes. I open my hand and catch the back of his neck, slowing his descent, settling him on the hard earth.

I hold him in place with my other hand on his chest. "I am strong and massive. When my fist connects with someone, bones break."

"I can do that too." Emil wriggles under my hand, tries to get away.

"Stop moving, Emil, training is over. Now it's time for you to listen."

"No, I can do it." He punches my arm.

"All you're doing is hurting yourself. You are not a bull."

"I know I'm small, okay, you don't have to rub it in!"

"I'm not. I'm trying to make you understand that you're going about it the wrong way."

"You said to hit you, so that's what I tried to do." He's panting, no longer hitting me. Exhaustion is finally setting in. I don't let go of him.

"You came at me like a charging bull."

"What else was I supposed to do?"

"Use your size."

"I don't have any!"

"Emil, being small is not a flaw. It is something you can use to your advantage."

"How?"

"For starters, you look young, not just small." He lets out an exasperated sigh. "That isn't a flaw either. Most people, those who are not mentally sick at least, don't want to hit children. Even your average thug will hesitate before striking you. You can use that hesitation. When he does decide to attack you, he'll expect you to be weak, afraid. You can use that too. Fighting is about more than getting you fist to connect. It's about manipulating your opponent into doing what you want."

"I saw you fight. You waded in with your fists."

"You're forgetting I was using guns before that to reduce their numbers. But even then, I'm a bull. I can wade in with my fist, because I can take the punches that hit and keep standing."

"So what? I'm supposed to cower?"

"Will it make you opponent drop his guard?"

"No you."

I smile. "Not me, but it might with someone else. It might with Bart."

Emil snorts. "I doubt it. He wants to punch me most of the times he looks at me."