A week had gone by since then, a week of dread. The public in an uproar, the Church feeling pressured, the entire squad in question and Steven under investigation. In light of the loss of an entire dome due to unknown means and the assault so heavily on the White Guard, Steven who had been in charge was under high investigation under suspicion of reckless endangerment… though more importantly, the Church itself was shaking and quickly looking into it… how a dome could fail.
-
Clicking
Clacking
Crashing
Standing in the battle arena, Shawn would move a wood staff back and forth, combating against two individuals, blocking one and then kicking the other in the gut to throw them back, flipping backwards himself with a single back flip. Bandaged moderately with cuts all over his still healing body, Shawn continued, grunting with each movement from pain.
“You shouldn’t be up moving, your doctor told you to rest!” his sister had often said in the last week.
“I refuse to do nothing, people died and I nearly failed to protect them, I need to keep working!”
Against his doctor, against his sister, against his peers, and even against himself, Shawn had to this point simply refused to quit, the memory of death fresh in his mind, rage boiling through his blood like a propellant.
“Shawn, you’re overworking yourself man, we don’t want to hurt you!”
“Don’t worry about me, just keep on. I… I have to get stronger, I can’t let this slow me down!” he’d snap in determination and rage.
Both his opponents would look to each other, then back to Shawn, shaking their heads.
“No way man.”
“We don’t want your wounds to open back up bud, you had best find someone else to do it for you.”
Both would drop their wood sword and back away, shaking their heads, leaving Shawn looking down gripping his staff tightly, “No… I can’t yet, come on guys!”
“We can’t Shawn, if we hurt you worse we’ll get reprimanded.”
“We like our positions here in the dome man, we don’t want to be reduced to-… to your rank… and have to go out and fight.”
“Cowards!”
A female’s laughter could be heard off to the right of Shawn, left of his foes, catching all their attentions and causing a quick look to find flowing golden blond hair and emerald eyes glistening back at them, Ellie.
“You sound so determined there Shawn, it’s funny,” she’d chuckle, leaping up off the rail guard and down onto the floor, landing perfectly then to look right at him.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re so weak kid that it doesn’t matter how hard you train. You won’t become anything.”
“Then try me for yourself or need I tell everyone that you dropped your towel at the sight of my naked body!?” he’d shout with a smirk, holding his staff out knowing what would come, the red anger on her face, “Oh yeah!?”
Kicking up one of the wood sword and then to kick it back at him while at the same time kicking up a second into her hands, she’d run forward quick, swinging out. Tossing the staff aside he’d catch the sword and rush forward himself, swinging it into hers with all his might, the two locking their weapons as equals, both quivering a bit, though Shawn would be grunting more due to using greater force it would seem.
A kick up and into Shawn’s hand and to see his arm jolt up and a swift pullback of her weapon and a jab forward right into Shawn’s gut sending him stumbling backwards onto his butt, looking up to see her smirk, “Bam, you’re dead.”
“HYAAH!!”
Bolting back up and quick to swing out only to be blocked again, Ellie then pulled back stepping to the right, turning with her foot out. Unaware in time, Shawn quickly tripped and began to fall as she spoke, “See, you’re not worth-”
Left arm down and hand on the ground, pushing himself up into the air to spin round and kick Ellie’s side, sending her stumbling back, “What!?” Flipping back and rushing he’d quickly begin to swing left right left right left right up and down, Ellie not quite able to move in time as her stumble began to take a toll, she’d gasp in surprise, eyes wide, mouth open, that is till she grunted flying back, a swift kick sent into her gut as a smack to her wood sword sent it twirling up.
Down onto her butt leaning back only to look forward to see both swords in Shawn’s hands forming an X at her throat, a serious look on his face, “Dead am I? What does that make you?” he’d then say with a smirk.
“How the… what!?”
“It’s something my father taught me,” he’d stay stepping back, dropping both to the ground, “Overwhelm your enemy with speedy attacks. If they can’t match your dance as he’d call it and begin to stumble, to continue till an opening shows itself. Your overconfidence cost you that round… and even with a wound to the gut, I could have moved yet… even potentially kept it in my body leaving you weaponless. My match, Ellie.”
“Jackass!” she’d spit.
“Hmm… perhaps… but I must thank you. If I can pull that off on someone as skilled and smart as you, even if only a one time thing, I know I can help our group better in the future,” he’d say with a smile, right hand held out, leaving a shocked Ellie to only look at it… that is… until clapping was to be heard.
Turning their heads, Zedd was visible, laughing, “Not bad Mr. Shawn, you actually beat that airhead though, that slight improvement will only get you so far. How about you try it on an actual fighter, eh?”
“You’re on!”
ns 18.68.41.150da2
