Down In Ohio - Chapter 4

“Alright, the rules are simple. A strike on the body is two points. A strike on a limb is one point. No strikes to the face or balls or instant disqualifications.”

“You should be glad, Anthony.” Brian chuckled as he picked up a padded sword. “Wouldn’t want to hurt that pretty little face of yours.”

“I’d say you also should be glad your balls are safe, but first you’d need to have them.” Tony carefully looked at the various padded weapons until he found one that was a similar weight and length to the dirk he saw earlier.

“We’ll see who has the balls in a second!” Brian hissed before walking away, his body moving with agitation.

Ember reached out to him, but then hesitated. Instead, she turned to Tony, crossing her arms.

“Why do you have to rile him up?” She demanded.

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Me? He seems to be good at riling himself up.”

“And what if you lose?” She demanded. “What then?”

Tony’s expression turned bitter. “Then, I’ll find myself in debt trying to buy those things.”

She blinked and then shook her head. “I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about if he wins! You promised him… you and me…”

She looked away, but Tony could see the irritation. It was kind of cute on her. She was usually a girl who always got her way. Tony had been one of the few things she had struggled to obtain, which might have been why she was always chasing after him so much. Yet, even her desire to possess him would one day end when the world fell.

Tony’s expression turned serious, catching her off guard. “I won’t lose.”

She stared at him for a moment and then shook her head. “I don’t know where your confidence comes from. I’ll remind you one last time. He has been training his entire life.”

“Training…” Tony made a bitter expression. “I wish I had trained.”

“Then…” She stopped as she noticed the shop owner staring at her.

She gave Tony a nod and then backed off to the side of the dojo. The floor was made of a hard but spongy material that would keep either of them from hurting themselves too badly if they hit the ground. Brian was glowering at Tony, but Tony’s eyes went to check each of the exits. That was an old habit. Before you entered any fight, you needed an exit strategy. Tony supposed that this was one fight he couldn’t run from.

“Alright, you can engage when I drop my arm. Once one of you is struck, you must both back up, and we’ll start anew. Are you ready?” The shopkeeper spoke in a sturdy, no-nonsense voice.

“Ready.” Brian’s voice came out as nearly a growl as he got into a fighting stance, turning his body as he faced Tony.

“Ready.” Tony nodded.

“Go!” The shopkeeper dropped his arm and departed.

“Ahhhhhhh!” Tony let out a feral scream and charged.

Brian’s eyes only had time to widen before Tony was on top of him. He tried to defend, but they quickly discovered that Tony was too close. Tony stabbed out with his blade, aiming straight down in a chopping motion toward Brian’s neck. He only just managed to get his arm up before Tony’s blade struck him in the forearm. There was a crack, but Tony kept pushing forward.

Brian was expecting Tony to pull back, and as a result, his stance was lost, and he stumbled back a few steps. His face twisted in rage as he stepped forward.

“You did that on purpose.”

“It was an accident, force of habit,” Tony responded.

When Tony made a strike, it was all his strength. He wasn’t trying to play some game of crossing swords. He was trying to kill someone.

“You-” Brian’s hand gripped his sword until his knuckles were white as he took a step forward threateningly.

“It’s a hit! Back up!” The shopkeeper hollered.

Brian froze, his expression like he had just swallowed something unpleasant. He seemed to struggle mentally for a moment, but then took a step back, rubbing his arm where Tony struck.

“It was just a lucky strike anyway.” He snorted. “You just caught me off guard.”

“You’d already be dead,” Tony responded. “There is no second chance for a dead man.”

Had it been a real blade, Tony would have cut off his arm, and the blade would have been stuck in his neck. At that point, Tony would have abandoned the weapon and jumped back. He’d wait for Brian to bleed to death before recovering his weapon, or if the time was short, he might hit him with something large like a trash can to get him on the ground and then, once he’s disarmed, take his weapon back. Tony noticed the store owner watching him thoughtfully. He began to back off to his place.

The shopkeeper lifted his hand. “Again!”

As soon as he dropped it, Tony screamed and charged again. This time, when he swung, Brian wasn’t there. His blade struck Tony’s, and then he spun. Tony struck again, but he dodged left. Tony struck again, and he dodged right. Tony lunged forward, and he did another spin, but before Tony could change positions, he felt something hard slam into his stomach.

Tony let out a choking gasp as the wind was knocked out of him. A moment later, he felt his legs flying forward. His view spun vertically as he was slammed down on the ground. The combination of having the air knocked out of him and then being slammed on the ground might have caused him to become unconscious, but he fought the darkness creeping in at the edges. In the world after, losing consciousness was as good as death. As he regained his breath, he found himself staring up at a grinning Brian.

“You’re dead.” He chuckled.

“Brian! Too far!” Ember yelled.

“It was an accident. Force of habit.” He responded in a mocking voice before standing up and walking away.

Naturally, he didn’t offer Tony a hand as he got back up on his own. Unlike Tony’s attack, which had just been continuing to push forward instead of backing off, his leg swipe was a completely different and unnecessary move to the strike to Tony’s chest.

Top of Form

“Brian, two points. Tony, one.” The shopkeeper declared before stepping to the side. “How interesting.”

“What is it?” Ember asked, overhearing him.

“That Tony kid can fight. I’ll give him that. However, he has no technique. It’s like he’s fighting on instinct. He’s fighting-”

“Like an animal.” Brian declared before glancing at Ember. “Behold, you, prince charming, my lady. It turns out he was a beast all along.”

“A beast…” Ember repeated his words, but she seemed lost in thought as she stared in Tony’s direction.

For some reason, her look made Tony feel a bit uncomfortable. He readjusted the practice weapon in his hand and then focused on his opponent.

“Are we going to fight, or do you want to psychoanalyze me. Should I get a couch and tell you about my feelings?” Tony asked.

Brian snorted. “Are you eager to lose? The next round will end this. Anywhere I hit you will settle this wager.”

“I agree.” Tony nodded as he faced Brian once again. “Let’s end this in the next round.”

“Alright then,” The store owner stepped forward. “Again!”

This time, when his hand dropped, neither of them immediately attacked. Brian had a smug smirk on his face as he shifted to the side, taking small, deliberate steps. Tony stepped in the opposite direction.

“What’s a matter?” He asked mockingly. “You’re afraid to attack now?”

Tony stopped moving. “Just looking for your weakness.”

“Weakness.” He snorted. “I don’t have any weakness. At least, none that a nobody like you can exploit.”

“Everyone has a weakness. If you knew what it was, it wouldn’t be your weakness, now would it?”

“Hmm…” His eyes narrowed as he made a noncommittal noise. “It is time to finish this.”

He began to move forward. His movements were fast, but they were steady and determined. In a way, his cold ruthlessness was intended to shock and fluster Tony in the same way Tony’s yell and aggression caught him off guard in the first turn. Tony was supposed to panic so that Brian could use that moment to defeat him. The problem was that Tony had seen such ruthless efficiency countless times after the Awakening. If anything, he was numb to such things.

“Anthony!” Ember gasped right behind Tony.

“Time to die!” Brian lunged at Tony, attacking with the precision and skill of an experienced swordsman.

Tony spun around, reached back, and grabbed Ember. She barely had time to cry out as he threw her at Brian. His eyes filled with violence and vitriol as he descended on Ember, turned to shock and fear in an instant. He desperately stopped his attack, causing him to lose the grip of his blade. As it went flying, Tony attacked Ember from behind. His blade went directly for her head. Brian’s eyes were filled with shock, but with all his strength, he grabbed Ember and spun around. The blow slammed directly into his back. He stumbled forward a step with a grunt.

Tony leaned forward. “I win.”

Brian straightened up and let go of Ember. “That’s cheating!”

“The rules didn’t say I couldn’t use obstructions.” Tony shrugged as he walked back to the table and put down the weapon. “Are you going to refuse to honor your side now?”

“This was ridiculous! I was protecting Ember, who you put in harm’s way!” Brian shouted furiously.

Next to him, Ember looked at Tony with a somewhat stunned expression, as if she didn’t quite know what to say.

“Ember is your weakness,” Tony replied. “To protect her from harm, you put your own life at risk. But tell me, had I been a real assailant, with you dead, would Ember have lasted much longer? You decided you’d rather act like some white knight dying in her service, and the only difference is she dies a bit slower than you.”

“He’s not wrong.” The voice of the store owner cut in, causing Brian to look at him with shock.

“Sir, you’re not buying this bullshit, are you? He’s just trying to cheat to win.” He glared at Tony.

“Cheat?” Tony snorted. “First off, no one said it was against the rules. Secondly, anyone who would want Ember harm wouldn’t follow your rules anyway. They would do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals. Just admit it, you’ve failed as a bodyguard.”

“You bastard! Say that again!” Brian took several steps toward him, but the store owner stepped in his way.

“Sometimes, the lessons we least want to hear are the ones we need most.” The store owner hissed.

“Sir?” Brian looked at the store owner like a hurt puppy.

“He got three points. He wins. I will cover the cost of the bet.” The store owner told him sternly, but when he saw the bitter expression on Brian’s face, he continued. “Not everyone you encounter will fight fairly. Your enemies will rarely be righteous. Use this as an opportunity to reflect and improve yourself.”

Brian lowered his head with a defeated expression.

“Yes, sir.” He then bowed and backed away, but not before shooting Tony a glance. “I will cover your cost. Unlike some people, I’m not an animal.”

He turned and walked away. Ember was still standing there. She looked like she wanted to say something to him, but ultimately didn’t. Instead, her eyes fell on Tony, and her expression turned bitter.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

Tony smiled. “Didn’t you want me to win?”

Her cheeks turned red, but she didn’t look happy. She looked away from him.

“Next time you want to threaten my life to win a pissing contest, I really will never talk to you again!” She sounded genuinely angry.

She didn’t give Tony a chance to respond, quickly walking out and following after Brian. The sight made Tony feel a bit uneasy. Before the awakening, he didn’t recall ever seeing her that angry. After the awakening, she had spoken to him that way only a few times, and one of those times was when she finally decided to abandon him.

Tony shook his head. Things would be different this time, and not because he fixed his relationship with her. Rather, he planned not to depend on her in the first place. He turned to the store owner, who had been watching Tony’s expressions carefully. After a moment, he sighed and took Tony back up front, where he packaged the gun, armor, and tactical dirk. Tony had a little bit of money, so he bought a belt with a holster and a sheath too.

“Can I use the range to practice?” Tony asked immediately.

After putting everything on, he threw his long coat over it all, which hid the weapons and most of the armor. The store owner watched Tony with interest.

“Why so anxious?” The store owner asked. “Are you going to war?”

“Something like that,” Tony responded, taking the box of ammo and heading out to the range.

The store owner seemed to follow him, his arms crossed, an intrigued look on his face. Tony ignored him, though. He was associated with Brian, but that wasn’t really the reason. Rather, Tony didn’t really have the time to cultivate friendships, especially when most of these people likely wouldn’t even survive past the awakening. Tony checked the gun, loaded it, and then aimed down the range.

It wasn’t like he had never held a gun during the awakening. There had been times when need had ended up with him holding a pistol. However, by that point, pistols were nearly useless, and his bullets were there mostly to distract the enemy while the real fighters finished it off. Still, even though Tony was more comfortable with blades, he wasn’t stupid enough to write off the usefulness of guns early on. He shot off a few rounds, missing as many as he struck. It had been years since he last practiced. When he went to reload, he noticed the store owner behind him.

“Stand like this.” He explained. “When you shoot, you want a firm grip and a stable stance. Use the front sight focus. Remember, don’t put your finger on the trigger unless you plan to fire. Aim with your finger off the trigger when possible. It will keep you more relaxed.”

I listened to the shopkeeper’s suggestions, and after going through a box, I had improved enough that I was hitting more than I was missing. When I finally emptied the gun, put it on safety, and then holstered it, I turned to the shopkeeper.

“Thank you.”

“Come to the dojo. I’ll show you ways to improve your dirk handling, too. I think your ride has already abandoned you anyway.”

It appeared like Ember and Brian and left. I wasn’t sure if it was because they were busy or because they were mad. I had received a few texts I had yet to check. She probably explained that there.

“I actually have something I must do tonight,” I told him.

“Tomorrow then.” He gave a nod, “And every day after.”

“I don’t have a lot of money.”

“I’m not charging for it.”

“Isn’t Brian-“

“I train those who need to learn. I don’t know why, but it seems like you need to learn. So, I’ll do my best to get you ready…. For whatever it is you’re preparing for.”

I thought about it for a moment. Post-awakening, I’d always be looking for the catch. No one would do anything free for someone else. However, it seemed like, before the awakening, there were still generous and helpful people.

“I’ll have to get your help then.” I nodded.

I packed up my stuff and then exited the gun store. I kept the gun and dirk on me, hidden under my coat. As I predicted, Ember was gone. I checked my phone to see several messages. They weren’t necessarily impolite, just saying that they had somewhere to be and couldn’t afford to stay any longer. She asked if I had a ride, then said that if I didn’t, I should text her and she’d send me a ride to take me wherever I wanted to go. It was nice being rich, but I didn’t take her up on her offer. If it were her driver offering, then she would know where I went, and I didn’t want her having any clues. Instead, I called another number.

“A-anthony! You ready to be picked up from the library?” Doormat asked eagerly.

That was right, I had already forgotten that Doormat had been waiting for me at the library. She didn’t know I had gotten a ride with Ember Lynn.

“Never mind that, I’m over at the gun range. Please pick me up from the location I’m texting you.”

“A-a gun range? Oh… Okay!”

Doormat agreed, and I didn’t need to wait long until her father pulled up. When I got into the car, she stared at me with wide eyes.

“What?” I asked.

“N-nothing, you just… You look cool. What are you doing, cosplaying? If I knew, I could find something…”

“No.” I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it. Just drop me off over in the industrial district.”

She frowned. “The industrial district? Isn’t that place really grungy?”

“You don’t need to stay once you drop me off. I’ll be there a while.” I told her.

“Uh… O-okay.” She frowned. “Are you sure about that?”

I nodded, not saying anything else. Doormat gave me a few more looks, but she didn’t say anything else as she drove me over to the industrial district. Once we arrived, I got out of the car and waved her on. She hesitated for a bit, frowning in worry, but she did end up taking off. She was reliable for doing what I told her to do. She also wouldn’t tell anyone about it, mostly because I was pretty sure she didn’t have any friends to tell.

I checked my gun, my armor, and my blade. It appeared that I was ready. The reason I needed these items was simple. I planned to go into danger. There had been rumors that monster’s appeared before the awakening, although they mostly remained underground. If someone found and killed one, it was possible to unlock the system early.

That was my goal. I would head underground through the various sewer tunnels, find a monster, and kill it!