Beefy Skulls
"Samurai weapons are dangerous. That's exactly why they're perfect for training you, initiates!" The instructor's voice bellowed and echoed off the smooth dark walls of the training room. His glare was like a knife, Clary could feel his sharp eyes bearing into her neck as she drove the weapon into another plastic dummy.
"You're holding it wrong Fray." jeered a voice from the dummy next to her. Out of the corner of her eye Clary could only just make out Four balancing his katana on his shoulder. His face was wet and sweat was pouring off his broad frame in waterfalls as he gave her his cruelest smile. "This is how you do it amateur."
She turned to watch him make a fool of himself, like he did usually when he 'demonstrated', except this time, Four swirled, a perfect mix of strength and agility, threw himself up in the air and sliced his samurai blade cleanly through the dummy Clary was working with. He stood up from his crouching position and turned to Clary, then kicked his feet out and the separated parts flew into the dusty air, Four casually reached into his pockets, brandished two ninja-stars and chucked them backwards over his shoulder. The weapons sailed effortlessly through the air and embedded themselves in both centers perfectly. Four cocked his head to the side and grinned at Clary who turned muttering back to her own target.
A few minutes later, initiates were in the ring, their samurai weapons carelessly placed against the far wall. After ruthlessly beating up Jackson, Four was told to stay in the ring and Clary was invited up. Hesitantly she made her way onto the platform. She was aware of her shaky hands but tried to keep her steps even and attempted to calm herself down, no matter how inviting it looked, she did not want to end up in a pulverized mess like poor Jackson.
"HURRY UP FRAY. I HAVEN'T GOT ALL DAY." The instructor's massive, toad-like eyes were almost bulging out of his skull as he barked. Clary looked around for support. She had made only a few friends at Dauntless and they were giving her encouraging nods as she continued to step more sure-footedly than she felt. The other initiates held no interest whatsoever. Some were fighting and bickering and a couple in the corner were osculating, obviously being more daring than they should be in the Dauntless Compound.
The instructor glanced at his watch as her eyes darted over him. When Clary reached her place on the mat-of-pulverization she glared at Four, who matched her stare with a look of pure hatred. Before she knew it, Clary was on the floor, staring up at her smirking opponent with the wind knocked out of her lungs. Clary swung her small body round and hooked her boot-clad feet around Four's trunk-like legs, he collapsed to the floor and she sprang up, her reflexes alive and her senses aware of every slight movement. Four was soon back on his feet, his clenched fists jabbing Clary in the stomach. She doubled over which gave him the opportunity to stab a stubby finger into her eye. Clary was aware of her high shriek of pain as she clutched the sides of Four's head and brought it down hard onto her knee. As he stumbled around dazed and disoriented she planted a small foot in his crotch and planted a solid punch on the underside of his jaw.
Only able to see clearly with her left eye, she ducked under another attacking punch from Four. The chatter from the other initiates had ceased as they stood wide-eyed and shocked as Four managed to grab Clary's wild red hair and dragged her up, keeping her feet off the floor. Clary could make out a bruise forming on his forehead in the shape of her knee, his eyes were merciless, blood crusting in the corners, some from her, some from Jackson. She struck out with her feet, kicking at his strong legs, her nails clawing at his arms, his shoulders and he laughed a loathsome, repugnant laugh that made Clary's stomach squirm.
"GET ON WITH IT FOUR." The instructor's murderous voice rang out. "JUST FINISH THIS. I NEED MY LUNCH." His tone was ruthless and Clary knew that no matter what happened in the next few minutes the instructor wouldn't care, all he wanted was his hamburger and her unconscious.
Four slammed Clary's struggling body onto the floor and pressed his callous thumbs to her windpipe, forcing her to gasp and scramble. If she were outside, she could find a rock or something to slam into his beefy skull, but the mat floor was bare, save multiple blood splatters and unnervingly, some teeth.
Four kept his hands steady. Clary's heart dissimilar, was pounding as she gulped as much air as she could. Her vision went blurry, then spotty, and she couldn't see out of her right eye as the darkness overwhelmed her and only heard her faint wheezing as she tumbled into a senseless trance.
