Flurry [Ben Parish]

Sonic Drive-Thru and Rule #1

I completely shut out everything else, focusing on my movements, my control, and Reznik's voice (because if I miss him talking to me and unintentionally ignore him I might end up on the other side of P&D). A hand on my shoulder sends a jolt through my system. I flinch, barely, and turn my head. Zombie is giving me a concerned look.

"You alright?" He asks.

"Yeah, why?" My voice is breathy and tired and I quickly clear my throat.

"I called your name. Three times." For a moment I wonder when I told him my name. Then I realize he meant 'Snowflake'.

"Sorry, I was-" I almost say off in Wonderland, but stop myself. That word means something different now- "stuck in my own head. What do you need?"

His frown deepens but he doesn't push it, thank god. "I need your help showing Nugget a sequence."

"You want me to be your punching bag?" I raise a brow, but I'm already unwrapping my hands as we walk back to where Nugget is waiting on a mat. Part of me is surprised he stayed put that long.

"You can't say no, I'm squad leader."

I scoff at his cheekiness and shove him away from me, getting into position across from him. "You gonna tell me what I should be expecting, or is it a surprise?"

"It's a surprise." I send him an 'I hate you' look and he smirks, mirroring my position. "Alright Nugget, I'm gonna do it once to show you and then we'll break down the steps."

Zombie grabs me and I tense, focusing most of my energy on not fighting back the way I'm used to. Not punching him in the face is harder than it sounds. Instead, I allow myself to be forced to the ground, Zombie pinning me to the mat in seconds. Puffing out a breath, I'm very much aware that the bastard didn't even try to make it a softer blow.

"Asshole," I whisper roughly, breath still rattling in my lungs.

But he's not paying attention, his gaze is on Nugget who is standing in the exact same spot, eyes wide in either fear or awe, possibly both.

"You're gonna show me to do that?" He asks, his voice even higher than before. Something I hadn't thought possible.

"I'm gonna try."

I roll my eyes at Zombie, Yoda's voice echoing in my head. 'Do or do not, there is no try', he says.

"Hey, Nugget, you know what lesson one is?" I ask innocently, shifting my arm slowly. Both boys look at me curiously and I stare Zombie dead in the eye. My hand shoots up and grips his shoulder while I swing my leg around his hip and use the momentum to flip us, pinning him beneath me instead. I grin wickedly, "Don't let your guard down."

I stand to my feet and look at Nugget, his expression definitely leaning more towards awe now. "That was awesome! Can you show me that too, Snowflake?"

Zombie drags himself to his feet, glaring at me as I send him a smug look. "Gladly," I say.

We go through the sequence slowly a couple more times (my switching the pin included), showing Nugget a few of the major points more closely. Theory can only go so far, and the five year old definitely can't knock either of us off our feet, so I switch with Teacup for him to practice appropriately. Oompa greets me warmly and for the rest of hand-to-hand we work together.

*****

The best meal I've ever had was a double cheeseburger that I got from a Sonic drive-thru at two am. I ate it in less than forty seconds, no joke. Maybe that's why I hate burger day the most. Lunch rolled around and I force the charred mystery meat down my throat, taking large gulps of water between bites.