Jim entered the gymnasium alongside his friends. Varian looked around eagerly for their instructor. Puss stood beside the locked weapon's cabinet with his arms folded across his chest. He surveyed the entering students with a pleased expression.

Braxton nudged Jim with his shoulder. "I am going to take you down."

Jim snorted. "Like you could. I'm better with a sword than you are."

"Yeah, I let you think that," Braxton agreed.

"Excuse you. I only think that because it's true."

"Sure, Jim, sure."

"Good morning, students!" Puss greeted the large class with a flourishing bow. "Today we fight!" The group cheered. Puss allowed it to go on a moment before signaling for them to hush. "Put on your sparring equipment and find a partner, I wish to assess your skills."

As the various young men raided the safety gear Puss unlocked the weapon's cabinet. He signaled for a nearby cadet to assist in removing the sword stands. As the second year students finished strapping on their gear they approached to select a sword of the proper length.

Soon everyone was partnered up and ready for a fight. As their class had an odd number of students, Puss stood partnered with one of the youth. He scanned the other pairs with a discerning eye. "I see that you are prepared to battle. Excellent! For this, I shall use my whistle! We shall do three minute rounds, be mindful of your breath. Spread out across the room now, we shall start in forty five seconds!" As the youth dispersed Puss turned to give his partner additional instruction.

Jim knocked his shoulder against Braxton's. "You talked a big talk earlier. Let's see you put your sword where your mouth is." The two crossed the room to claim an open area near Matt and Varian.

Braxton snorted. "Please. We both know I'm better in a fight than you are."

"You're better when you cheat," Jim retaliated. They crossed their swords and waited for the signal.

"Oh yes, because every villain we do battle with shall be honorable and follow the rules of combat." Braxton answered, a wide grin on his face. He pitched his voice high as he mockingly imitated Jim. "'Excuse me mister pirate, but you just committed an illegal strike. Do you mind not doing that again?'

"'Oh yes, of course, forgive me. I'm afraid my memory of the rules are a bit rusty. Are we ready to resume our match?'" The fake pirate's voice was much deeper than either boy naturally spoke.

Jim rolled his eyes. "You are so dramatic."

"And I'm also going to win." Braxton surged forward as Puss's whistle signaled the start of the fight.

Jim's sword flashed up to block the downward strike. The dull steel clashed together and drew apart swiftly. Braxton did not let up, pressing forward with attack after attack. From above, the side, the side, above, below, each new swing was met with Jim's swift counter. Braxton flicked his sword down at an angle towards Jim's shoulder.

Jim batted his sword to the side and promptly folded into an attack of his own. Braxton leaped back, no longer on the offense. Jim lunged after him as if to run him through. Braxton surged to the side, not even bothering to block. His leg came up, catching Jim in the gut. A second after his sword flashed down and he tapped the handle against the top of Jim's head.

"That's a win for me."

"You cheated," Jim grumbled. His stomach hurt as he filled his lungs with air.

"Kicking isn't cheating," Braxton replied in his most innocent voice. "The teachers agreed that it's utilized quite often in fights."

"Not at our level." Jim reminded him as they crossed swords again. "We're not supposed to combine sparring and weaponry until the teachers introduce the appropriate unit."

Braxton rolled his eyes. Their swords clashed together once more. "Oh please. Like we both don't already know how to do it."

"Doesn't mean we're supposed to do it yet," Jim answered. "But if you insist." Without warning he punched Braxton swiftly in the face. Braxton's head snapped back, his face shield deflecting any true injury. Jim's knuckles smarted, but it was worth it. "I win that time." He declared, his sword tip resting at Braxton's throat.

Braxton burst into laughter. "There's my boy! Alright Hawkins, let's fight!"

The boys clashed together once more. This time with both sword, fist, and foot. Jim ducked under a slash and came up with a swift uppercut. Braxton blocked his arm and chambered up for a sidekick. Jim dodged backwards to avoid the projected attack. Braxton smirked. Without warning he over rotated his pivot, flowing from his bluff into a jumping back kick. Not bothering to know if his strike would connect, he automatically followed up with a downward strike of his sword.

Jim avoided the sword, but only because Braxton's strong kick launched him far enough back that he was out of striking range. He stumbled awkwardly as he tried to stay on his feet. Not one to let an advantage pass by, Braxton advanced, his sword flicking into a series of swift attacks.

Jim also avoided these attacks, this time by tripping over his own feet. His back hit the floor and for a second he saw only the ceiling. Braxton's face appeared a moment later. His friend grinned down at him. "Hello, Jim."

"Good bye, Braxton," Jim retaliated. He thrust his sword upward at Braxton's abdomen.

Braxton leaped back with a laugh. "Fair. Rule one, conversation is not a replacement for stabbing."

"Rule two," Jim kicked himself to his feet and met Braxton's attack with a block. "Get over your injuries or you die."

"Rule three!" Braxton spun into their next series of attacks and defenses. "Flashy is fun but you're more likely to get stabbed."

"Rule four, stop making up stupid rules and fight properly." Jim countered both verbally and physically.

"You're no fun." Braxton grinned as they locked swords.

The whistle blew again. Jim and Braxton disengaged. Both of them were attempting to cover for how out of breath they were.

"Excellent work cadets!" Puss beamed at his students. "You may get a drink, bring your canteens this way! I have access to the school's recordings, we shall watch on the hologram! I want you to observe yourself as you fight. Look for places you made mistakes, places you missed opportunities, or how you may have died."

The four friends made their way over to where they had left their tablets, canteens, and other school supplies. Jim scooped his up and eagerly drained some of the contents. A little of the fresh water dribbled down his chin in his haste. He drew his wrist across his mouth and turned towards his pals.

Braxton winked at him. Matt had already turned to head over to Puss. Varian still had his head tipped back as he took another swig of water. Varian capped his canteen and draped the strap across his shoulders. "Come on, let's go get a good view of ourselves!"

Braxton wrapped one arm over Varian's shoulders and his other over Matt's. "I bet you two had the politest fight in the world. Did you apologize every time you landed a hit against each other?"

Matt smiled. "Perhaps. And I'm sure you and Jim cheated horribly and insulted each other the whole time."

Braxton squeezed his shoulders. "That we did! Why, could you hear us?"

"Yeah, kinda." The group broke into laughter. They wove through their classmates to settle into a spot near the hologram pad. Braxton shoved Varian towards the front. "We can all see over you, so you get to be closest."

Varian sulked. "I'd be offended, but you'd just put me behind you and then I wouldn't be able to see at all."

Braxton grinned. "You know me so well."

Puss silenced them with a single paw in the air. "The projection will start in just a moment. I shall play it three times. Watch carefully. You may leave your helmets off, but do not remove any other gear. We shall be fighting again in a moment." He glanced across the students to be sure he had their attention before pressing play.

AN: This scene was a ton of fun to write! I adore Puss, his voice is such a joy to try and get write. And, of course, my boys are always entertaining. There is more fighting upcoming, so please feel free to let me know what you think!