The gym was dimly lit; the only sound was the soft thud of footsteps on the mat. Jonah and Jonathan faced each other, their eyes locked in a fierce stare. They circled each other, their movements fluid and calculated.
Jonathan, a seasoned fighter, threw the first punch. Jonah dodged it easily, his reflexes honed from years of training. He countered with a swift kick, but Jonathan blocked it with a raised arm.
The two fighters exchanged blows, their movements lightning-fast. Jonah landed a solid punch to Jonathan's jaw, but his father barely flinched. Jonathan retaliated with a series of rapid-fire jabs, each one aimed at Jonah's face.
Jonah danced around the mat, avoiding the blows with ease. He spotted an opening and took it, landing a powerful kick to Jonathan's stomach. Jonathan doubled over, gasping for breath, but he refused to yield.
The fight intensified, the two fighters exchanging blows in a flurry of movement. Jonah's training as a protector kicked in, and he fought with a precision and skill that belied his age.
Jonathan, however, was no pushover. He had years of experience and a deep understanding of combat. He landed a series of solid punches, each one aimed at Jonah's vulnerable spots.
The fight raged on, the two fighters refusing to give in. Sweat dripped from their brows, their breathing heavy and labored. In the end, it was Jonah who emerged victorious, landing a devastating kick that sent Jonathan crashing to the mat.
As Jonathan struggled to his feet, a grin spread across his face. "You're improving, son," he said, his voice filled with pride.
Jonah smiled back, his chest heaving with exhaustion. "Thanks, Dad. You're so strong."
"You will be too soon. When your voice starts to change, you'll start the second stage of your gift." Jonathan reassured him. He stood taller and stronger than his own Father. But his strength was made to protect Eun Ho. Jonah had an heiress of tremendous abilities to protect.
He'd rival or exceed his other grandfathers' and Park Joon-su's strength soon enough. Jonathan shook off the unease of remembering Eun Ho's deceased brother. He had sacrificed his life for his sister and himself. The two fighters clasped hands in a handshake, their mutual respect and admiration clear. As they walked out of the gym, Selena watched from a chair.
Selena stood facing Jonathan, her eyes shining. She had upgraded while she was unconscious. A.A. had the correct judgment. She wanted to test them and her former knowledge. "I want to learn how to defend myself, Dad," she said, her voice firm. "I don't want to be caught off guard if something happens. James taught me a little."
Jonathan's expression softened at the word "Dad", and he nodded. "Okay, Selena. Let's see what you're made of. Take off your shoes. Do you want gloves?" Selena shook her head and hopped up.
The two of them faced off in the gym, their feet and hands bare. Jonathan, with his years of training, was a formidable opponent, but Selena was determined to hold her own.
"Start!" Arthur called out, interested. The fight began with Jonathan throwing a slow, gentle punch. Selena dodged it easily, her reflexes honed from her weeks of training. She countered with quick jabs, but Jonathan blocked them with a raised arm.
Jonathan panted with slight exhaustion. It had been a while since he was challenged like this. I'm going to start moving faster. Selena, just call out if it becomes too much, alright?"
The two of them danced around the mat, exchanging moves and blocks. Selena was surprised at how much she had learned and remembered and how naturally her body seemed to move. She only needed to think of what move she wanted to do of the suggested and A. A. and her body followed through. She was frustrated about how much less he communicated as the upgrades were processed.
As she landed the subsequent blows, she felt a sudden surge of her gift. She saw a step ahead, anticipating Jonathan's next move. She dodged his punch and landed another blow, her confidence growing. Arthur whistled. "Go on, Lassie!"
Just as she was getting into the rhythm of the fight, Jonah appeared at the edge of the mat. "Mind if I join in?" he asked, an ambitious and curious glint in his eye.
Jonathan nodded, and Jonah stepped onto the mat. The two of them began to circle Selena, their movements fluid and coordinated.
"The more the merrier, I suppose?" she said. Selena's heart skipped a beat as she realized she was in for a challenge. But she was able to hold her own. She focused on her gift, using it to anticipate their moves and dodge their blows."I can see your moves before you make them." Selena announced, "Dad in five movements."
The three of them fought on, their movements lightning-fast and their breathing heavy. Selena's gift surged and ebbed, guiding her through the fight. "Two movements," Selena said through her winded tone, really getting into the fighting. "One."
As they fought, Selena began to see glimpses of the future. She saw Jonah's next move and dodged it easily. She saw Jonathan's weakness and exploited it. Jonathan fell. Jonah picked up speed, his movements speeding up. He didn't hold back like he did with his Father. Selena kept countering. Suddenly, Jonah found himself unexpectedly on his back. He panted a huge grin on his face. "Damn. That was amazing."
The fight ended with Selena standing victorious, her chest heaving with exhaustion. Jonathan and Jonah grinned at her, their eyes shining with pride and relief.
"Wow," Jonathan said, still out of breath. He ruffled her hair. "You're a natural." James had taught his daughter a lot. He was struggling to keep up when Jonah joined in to help him. She was fierce.
Jonah nodded in agreement. "You're going to make a great heir, Selena. I can rest a little easier knowing that you are capable. But it means I have to work harder." He had seen odd trailing in his movements. Those must have been seen. '
Selena smiled, panting. "I was able to look ahead in the fight. It was cool." She knew she still had a lot to learn, but she was ready for the challenge. Jonah's speed was crazy. Even with A.A, and the gift, she was 2 movements away from being on the mat before she ducked and threw Jonah. Thank you, Globe Grappling Entertainment and Machismo the Wrestler, for that Shoulder Slide.
All of a sudden, she fainted as hunger kicked in. She had used too much of her ability. A.A. spoke through her mouth in her voice as her body fell and she landed. "I think I used up too much energy. I feel so weak." A.A. closed Selena's eyes, its system showing her plummeting blood glucose.
"Quickly, Jonathan. The Dextrose injections and the test kits, now." Arthur instructed. He shuffled to a post in the gym and called for the medical staff.
Jonathan opened a box full of D75 in syringes and started injecting them into Selena's bare thighs. Arthur joined him, injecting needles full of dextrose through her clothes into her body rapidly as Jonah tested her blood glucose at intervals.
"Jonah?" Arthur kept asking. He made sure his son and this kid knew how to care for a Seer. Amelia rarely had these severe lows; if she got lost in a book and missed a scheduled meal or had the stomach flu, she'd need injections to raise her blood sugar. The worst was when she was pregnant. He stepped up his research on diabetes at that point. Seers required a lot of energy, and their brains primarily demanded it. Glucose was the best and quickest fuel source.
"More." Jonah shook his head.
Jonah had run out of fingers and was resting her palms. "3.3, more."Jonah paused. " I don't think she should defend herself, Dad," he said as he watched him plunge another two needles in her buttocks. "3.7," Jonah said with relief. He started pulling the errant syringes out of his sister.