Chopsticks

Chapter 9: Demolish Demolition

 I told him it was a bandage for an injury. I don't think he believed me.

After Jae had accidentally unbuttoned my shirt and I snatched it closed too late, I quickly told him it was a bandage from an injury I had sustained from our last battle. He stared at me and then shrugged, but something about how quickly he brushed it off made me suspicious. He didn't ask about it once throughout our second interval of two week training (which was hell since Katsu was there), and acted like he'd never seen it. That should have been enough for me to believe that he went for my lie, but I know these boys are too smart for that.

A burly man, tatted from head to toe, ran at me with his spiked hammer of death. This was a member of our second opposing team: Demolition. Their terrifying appearance matched their title, as they walked out with weapons of destruction. A blow from that hammer would render me boneless. These men were out to bring pain.

My heart raced and I felt like a deer caught in headlights. I'd been running from this man for a while now, struggling to find a weak spot. Though I'd been training, it wasn't long enough for me to gain enough strength to face him head on. I could forfeit, but so much was already weighing on my shoulders, I didn't need our loss to crush me completely. He brought the hammer down, and I slid away just before it hit the ground, sending the "magic" dirt flying before it snatched back to the floor. The man grunted as he picked up his huge hammer, veins popping from his cherry red face.

Eureka! I thought. I'd tire him out! A classic martial arts move, though novice, was quite handy. He swung. I, distracted by my brilliant plan, got a blow to the ribs, knocking me a couple feet away. He'd hit me with the flat side, so I hadn't gotten impaled. Thankfully, due to some sort of physics related miracle, I still had enough in me to get up and dodge. My breathing was labored, but if I took short breaths, I would be ok. I could do it.

I bolted around like a lizard. My eyes were watery and shooting pains made me close my eyes at random times. Thankfully, after a couple minutes of chasing he was gasping for oxygen. Though I was too, it was nothing compared to this huge man carrying an anvil of a hammer. I needed a way in, I couldn't handle the stabs of pain any longer. Bitter thoughts and resentment brought me to reality, and the need to show others and myself how capable I was fueled my flame. When the man swung and held the hammer down to the side for a second too long, I had already gathered enough momentum and side kicked hard enough to hear a familiar crack from his side. He let go of the hammer, grabbing his side. I struck him with a palm strike, sending him falling backwards into the sand. I tried to pick up his hammer, but pain radiated throughout my side. I quickly changed my mind and held him down until he tapped out. When the lights flashed indicating that he'd lost, I finally took (or tried to take) a full breath. I turned to go to my teammates, expecting them to have already finished.

Only two members, Katsu and Satoshi, stood in the stands, screaming and pointing below. I followed their fingers into the arena. Bammi was lying on the ground motionless, his back to me, and another man from the Demolition team was running at him with his war club up and ready to deal damage. Without thinking, I picked up whatever was nearest me and bolted at the man. I wasn't going to make it, I needed time. I needed a distraction.

"HEY YOU," I yelled at the man, the effort of trying to sound over the crowd hurting my lungs. He turned his head to look at me, I chucked the hammer at him, it knocked him down. I ran and slid on my knees, halting next to Bammi. The arena flashed red, I assumed the man I just knocked out tapped out.

"Bammi. Hey. Bam, are you alright? Hey, are you ok?" I asked him, trying to see around his turned back. He moaned.

"Can I turn you? Did he hit your back?" I asked him. If his back was injured and I turned him, I could paralyze him forever.