Strong of heart
CH.3 Run Rabbit
Sweat ran down Henri's panting face as his big sisters chased him around the gym for another lap, his p.e. kit was sweat stained and his plimsolls where starting to peel at the toe's, blond hair plastered down except for a single blond curl. Strongine wasn't far behind him swinging one of the family claymores trying to slap him with the flat of the blade every time he slowed, and Amue kept dropping things for him to manoeuvre around on his next lap. In the centre of the room was the boxing ring in which his brother was boxing with the Brigadier, there swings where fast and vicious and had anyone bar the two alchemists been fighting there probably be a very long trip to the hospital in there near future.
WHAP
Henri screamed and ran even faster as the stinging pain of the claymore burned through his buttocks, he dodged around the punch bag and over the vaulting horse and over the finish line. He collapsed onto the wrestling mat and tried desperately not to the throw up. Strongine took her sword back to the suit of armour it belonged to while Amune cleared the objects she's hauled onto the running track, according to his big brother they were going harder on him then he had on them, his twin however was on the other side of the gym bench pressing with the help of mother. As farther had said where Catherine was strong like Alex, Henri was fast like Olivier. He grimaced at the thought of his oldest sister, he had only met her the once when she had returned home for the funeral of grand-mama, she'd scared him with her cold attitude and her refusal to wear anything bar her uniform with her sword at all times. She was supposed to be returning for father's appointment party, she wanted to succeed there papa and made no jokes about what she would do to get her hands on the peerage, Henri quite fancied her chances as she was apparently vicious. She had recently been sent to the north and he'd heard that those who went there came back harder or not at all, the only thing in his favour was that she didn't know grand-papa had made him heir over Alex.
Thinking about his brother he glanced over to the ring where the fighters where warming down. Both of them where glistening and Alex was smiling in a way he hadn't seen since he had left for the war, Brigadier grand's smile was almost as wide he saw the young Armstrong watching and beckoned him over.
"So young man do you know how to box" Henri nodded, his brother had spent a few hours teaching him. "Well then Mr Armstrong get in here and let's go a round"
Henri striped his shirt while his brother brought him his gloves, the brigadier spent his time in the corner drinking from a large clear bottle while all the women gathered on the side too watch the thirteen year old take on a combat specialised alchemist.
It started well for Henri his dodges where quick but he could tell the man was going very easy on him but as the moustachioed soldier got more and more frustrated his swings got quicker and harder. A few of Henri's strikes connected but failed to make even the smallest of impacts, finally one of the brigadiers punches to the stomach connected throwing him to the ground and winding him, laying there with his family applauding him. It had taken the more experienced man a full two minutes to strike the young trainee.
"Your very quick Mr Armstrong" he growled hauling the younger man to his feet. "Even than your brother, but your strikes have no strength behind them. Id recommend some kind of ranged alchemy for you as your ill suited to direct combat."
Henri thought over his words as he sat beside his mother and watched his twin almost bend the man in half on the wrestling pad. His twin was everything one expected of an Armstrong, graceful with a beauty that shone through everything she did, even when dislocating a mans arm.
He shouldn't let it get too him. Everyone in his family was strong except him.
Well his eldest sister wasn't as strong as some but she was utterly ruthless and cunning.
Even mother was so charming it could stop a fight in its tracks.
So if he couldn't be strong, or cunning, or ruthless, or beautiful, or charming. What could he be.
Fast.
He was going to be very very fast.
