"Good fight Matt!" Braxton hopped to his feet. He spun his staff across the back of his hand and planted it against the ground. "My turn."
"Can I get off the floor first?" Jim requested from where he remained sprawled out on the ground.
"Nah, it's more exciting to fight on uneven terrine."
"Then you get down here." Jim groused. He shoved himself up off the floor with a loud groan.
"I didn't even hit you that hard," Matt laughed. "Don't be so dramatic."
"It hurts my pride less if I act like you injured me."
Braxton kicked Jim in the backside. "Oh, get up you fool." He spun his staff up and across his shoulders. Draping his arms over it he nodded to Matt. "You ready for this then, or do you need a moment to breathe?"
Matt flicked his tonfa in a full circle and secured them against his arms. "I'm ready." He spun the long end of one out and offered it towards Braxton. Braxton twirled his staff down and into his grip. He tapped the end against Matt's. Both boys settled back and into their ready positions.
Braxton instantly spun down and around, his leg lashing out followed a breath later by his staff. Matt hopped nimbly over first one then the other and caught Braxton's elbow as it rushed up towards his stomach.
Braxton wasted no time in leaping to his feet again. His staff twirled through the air. He struck high to the right, low left, mid right, high left. His weapon flicked back and forth as he took every opening he spotted.
Matt's arms flew through the air, the solid sound of wood on wood all that confirmed he'd successfully blocked one strike before the next one came his way. Braxton stepped backwards and thrust forward. Matt swept his right arm across his body to clear the staff to his side. Utilizing the momentum of the block, Braxton spun into his next attack. He pivoted backwards and swept the weapon down towards Matt's collar bone.
Matt's weapon flashed upward to meet the strike. The shock of the impact traveled through his tonfa to his right arm. Instinct alone was all that brought his left arm down in time to defend against the butt of the staff surging towards his body.
Braxton beamed. "You're getting better at this Matty!"
Matt's face broke out into a bright smile. "Thank you! I've been practicing the tips you gave me. It feels more natural now, though I do still find myself over-thinking if there's too long of a pause in the fight."
Braxton twirled his staff again, though not aggressively. He flipped it up over his head, exchanging hands before rotating it behind his back. Absently he kept the motion going in a circle around his body as they chatted. "I can tell. You look more relaxed fighting me. When you were against Jim, you were spending a lot more time frowning. You still don't attack though. You need to remember to go offensive at times too."
Matt shook his head. "I don't like attacking, Brax. You know that. I don't want to hurt you guys by mistake."
Braxton snorted. "Like you could hit me."
Matt rolled his eyes. "Fine. I don't want to hurt Jim or Varian by mistake."
"You attacked Jim," Braxton pointed out.
"I barely tapped him," Matt argued. He let his arms fall slack by his sides. "I wouldn't actually hit him hard."
"But you did attack," Braxton winked. "I get it. I'd be afraid to attack me too." He caught this staff above his head and brought it down sharply, across his body, and flipped it into his ready position. One handed he extended the weapon towards Matt.
Matt took a deep breath and brought his arms back up towards his body. Tentatively he flicked his baton out again to tap Braxton's staff.
No sooner had the weapons made contact than Braxton surged into a strike. Matt's arm flashed up to meet the swing. Wood hit wood. The cyborg pressed his attack, the strikes raining down on his friend faster and faster. Both weapons were nothing but a blur as they flew through the fight.
"Good!" Braxton beamed at Matt. The short end of the weapon flew less than a breath past Braxton's cheek. "That's it Matt!"
Matt surged forward again. His right arm led the attack, punching, thrusting, and whipping his weapon towards his friend. His left tonfa he barely tossed into the air to swiftly switch his grip. The handle lashed forward and hooked over Braxton's staff.
Matt stepped back and twisted, jerking the staff from Braxton's grip. The weapon clattered against the floor several feet away. It rolled across the ground. Puss caught it with the toe of his boot. He rolled it up onto his foot and kicked it into his paw as he looked around for where it had come from.
Before their instructor could call a stop to the fight, Braxton dove back in. His arms held up like a boxer, he led with a swift jab at Matt's face. Matt dodged back but promptly sprang forward again with an elbow strike.
Braxton pivoted to the side and blocked, twisting Matt's body away from him. Matt spun with it into a back fist. Braxton ducked under and popped back up in front of him. He wrapped his arm up and around Matt's shoulders and brought his friend's head down, securing Matt's chest to his hip.
Matt swung his weapon awkwardly, catching Braxton in the back and ribs a few times. Braxton jerked him forward and down. He released his friend to tumble across the floor. Matt hooked the handle of his baton around the front of Braxton's ankle and yanked. Braxton tucked into a roll.
Both boys popped to their feet. Braxton was beaming. "Good Matt. Very good."
Matt's eyes were wide. "How are you still winning? You don't even have a weapon any more!"
Braxton laughed. "Like that would stop me." Instantly he was back to attack. He ducked his way past Matt and popped up behind him. His arm shot out and around his friend's neck. He locked his elbow around Matt's throat and secured with his other arm. "Give?"
Matt dropped his weapons. "Give." He panted.
Braxton released him, spun him around, and pulled him in for a hug. "I'm so proud of you. You did fantastic!" He stepped back and held Matt at arm's length. "You're doing so much better! I'll make a fighter out of you yet! Remind me to give you my assessment at the end of class, okay?"
"How come he gets personalized tips?" Jim protested from the sidelines.
Braxton laughed. "Because you're too stubborn to listen to me, and you actually like fighting." He let go of Matt and headed over to retrieve his staff from Puss.
Jim rolled his eyes affectionately. "Come sit, Matt. Varian, you ready or do you need to build a stage so you're tall enough to reach Braxton?"
"Ha ha." Varian stood up. "Guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be." He lifted his chin and stepped into their fighting area. Braxton met him there. The cyborg smiled and extended his staff to his friend. Varian took a deep breath and tapped the staff with his frying pan.
