Liam moved again, and this time Matt was ready—or at least, he thought he was ready.
His enhanced perception caught the initial movement, his brain processing the blur of motion approaching from his right side. His body responded with the exosuit amplifying his reflexes, his arms coming up in a guard position, his stance shifting to brace for the impact he knew was coming.
The problem was that being ready and being fast enough were two entirely different things.
Liam's fist drove into Matt's guard with surgical precision, hitting exactly where his forearms crossed in what should have been a solid defensive position.
The force transferred through Matt's arms, through the exosuit's reinforced frame, and into his torso.
Matt's guard held structurally, but the kinetic energy had to go somewhere, and that somewhere was his entire body being launched backward once again.
