Iron angel (Book 1 of IA)

[22] A Little Incident...

"Why did you accept the mission?"
I thought for a moment trying to think of an answer to appease Isa. Failing that I went for a straight answer:

"Because I wanted to sir."

"Do you have any idea how dangerous an S level threat is?" she demanded, eyebrows crossed.

"No sir."

She let out an angry sigh, and rubbed her forehead several times.

"Add all the threats you faced so far multiplied by ten. That's how dangerous an S level threat is." Her voice cracked like a whip and it took all the will inside me to not jump away.

"But he's in chains and there are other guards too, right sir?"

For a moment Isa was silent. Then in a whisper full of warning she said, "It is very likely that his men will try to save him along the way. Worse, it may come down to bone and nail."

"But that's why they wanted us, right sir?"

"This is not a joke!" With a few rapid steps Isa was upon me. She grabbed me by the collar and slammed me against the warehouse wall.

"How many times do I have to tell you dumb meat? Tougher meats than you have died on these sort of missions! You are not ready at all! Can't you see, you blind meat!"

Spittle flew across my face; for a brief moment I was too angry to be afraid. I shoved Isa back with a force that surprised me. She didn't seem to expect it either.

"I have already made up my mind. You heard the decision at the meeting. You can't stop me, sir." I said with barren anger.

One moment Isa looked shocked, the next her expression went dark.

"So you think you are tough meat now huh?"

​The weight of her voice beat me down like a club. My anger deflated like a low quality balloon. I took a few steps back unconsciously as fear became the dictator of my mind.

Silence.

"I want to hear an answer fresh meat." Isa said, contempt bleeding through her old mask as she shoved me back.
I remained silent unable to think of anything to say.

"Being a quiet meat huh? Fine, if this what you want fresh meat." She held up a fist and pounded it several times against her abs before she continued. "I want you to punch me in the gut as hard as you can soft meat. If I fall or bend over, you're the sir from now on. Then it will be my turn..." She cracked he knuckles in a heart-breaking cacophony.

I gulped, as I raised my right arm and looked to Isa.

"Are you looking down on me fresh meat?"

"No sir..."

"THEN USE YOUR LEFT ARM!" Her anger echoed through the empty warehouse.

I dropped my right arm and raised my left one. I looked to Isa.

"If you don't give me your hardest, you will become dead meat."

Maybe if I used my full force I could knock her out so she wouldn't be able to hurt me...

I clenched my teeth at the thought.
But if I fail, I need to be ready to embrace hell...curses!

"Do it, or are you too soft for it?" Isa taunted.

With a trembling fist I called out to Rin.

"Rin, max force."

"Are you sure Kard? You might..."

"SHUT UP! Just do it." I bit down on my lip until I could taste my own blood.
"Fine, whatever you say Kard. It's your reasonability though." Rin said with a carefree voice. A moment later a blue glow began to wrap around my arm as I turned to face Isa again.

"I am going to hit now."

Isa simply sneered.

My anger, my fear, and my discontentment were all wrapped into one with my fist. I launched my fist and the ignition boost propelled my arm with incredible speed. I could feel the electro energy pulsing throughout my body. I felt like I was cheating, but I knew I had to do this in order to protect myself. Emotions were just overflowing my head, leaving me with nothing but absent state of control. This was the hardest punch of my life, there was no stopping; until it met Isa's abs.

Holy shit...

Her abs felt harder than triple layered steel and the scariest thing was, when I looked to her face I didn't see someone in pain. Her expression told me she could do this a hundred more times.

...

I pulled back my fist and retreated a few steps, knowing that my end had come. My pupils grew large, sweat was just flooding my forehead and I may have crapped myself.
Isa on the other hand stretched and rotated her hips several times before finally facing me again.

"Good power, but bad technique." She commented. For a moment I thought she was complimenting me until she said: "I will make it quick for you fresh meat."

Curses, curses, curses, curses, curses, curses...

I was no samurai warrior who kept his word even to death. I was just a regular human being. Begging for mercy seemed like a pretty good option, but then again it was Isa. She'd probably be disgusted by me and actually end my life. Running wasn't an option either, because she would probably pounce on me before I could even get three steps and then just beat the crap out of me. In conclusion, I was going to die no matter what.

As Isa walked closer, my body went rigid as stone as the rest of me panicked and shut down. In the end all I could do was watch as Isa lashed out her punch. My memories after that were pretty fuzzy. I recall lying in bed the next day with a really bad stomach ache. After that I still went back to training. Apparently there were no hard feelings between Isa and myself. I wanted to forget the incident ever happened; but the knot of pin in my stomach made that impossible. Thankfully I made a full recovery right before the day of the mission, and it was only then that I realized; Isa had held back her punch.

Q: Have you ever been knocked out by a punch/kick before?