Zack and Jay walked down the corridor with Jibeom and Hudson's bodies slung over their shoulders.
Jay stopped. Surprise crossed his face.
Zack turned to see what happened. He saw a back that was tall, lean, and muscular. It took him a moment to recognize it. Big Daniel stood ahead of them.
Big Daniel turned slowly toward them. His eyes had black irises and white pupils.
Zack recognized the state immediately. Daniel had entered this condition during their raid on Hostel A. Zack's body shivered remembering that night. Daniel had tapped into this state again at the 3rd Affiliate not long after.
Jay dropped Hudson and approached Big Daniel slowly.
Zack dropped Jibeom and rushed forward. Before he could reach them, Jay's body flew back at him like a broken kite.
Zack caught Jay. "Are you okay?"
Jay looked confused but said nothing.
Zack explained quickly. "Daniel isn't sane right now."
A punch connected with his jaw before he could finish. The impact sent him flying.
Zack's body crashed into the wall.
Jay took a fighting stance immediately.
Daniel raised his leg and brought it down in an axe kick.
Jay raised his hands to block. His memories with Daniel flashed before his eyes. He lowered his hands voluntarily.
The kick connected with a thud.
Jay's eyes went wide.
Zack stood between Jay and Daniel. The axe kick pressed down on his crossed arms. His muscles strained against the force. Daniel's inverted eyes stared through him without recognition. He clenched his teeth. "This fucker! We came to save you, Daniel Park!"
Zack pushed upward and created space. Daniel's foot returned to the ground. Zack dropped into his boxing stance and moved his feet. His hands stayed high and loose.
Daniel stepped forward. His movements were smooth and deliberate. He threw a jab. Zack slipped to the left. The punch passed over his shoulder. Daniel followed with a straight right. Zack weaved under it. The fist cut through the air where his head had been.
Zack pivoted and threw a straight left at Daniel's face. Daniel tilted his head. The punch grazed his cheek. Zack followed with a right hook to the body. His fist connected with Daniel's ribs. The impact was solid but Daniel didn't react. He grabbed Zack's extended arm and pulled him forward.
Zack stumbled. Daniel's knee came up toward his face. Zack turned his head at the last moment. The knee caught his temple. Pain exploded across his skull. His vision blurred. He pulled his arm free and backpedaled.
"Fuck!"
Daniel advanced. He threw a low kick at Zack's lead leg. Zack lifted his knee and checked it. The impact sent a jolt through his shin. Daniel threw another kick to the same leg. Zack checked it again. His leg throbbed.
Zack threw a jab to create distance. Daniel slipped inside and threw an uppercut. Zack jerked his head back. The uppercut missed by inches. Daniel pivoted and threw a hook at Zack's liver. Zack brought his elbow down and blocked it. The force of the punch pushed through his guard and he felt his ribs compress.
Zack stepped back and reset his stance. His breathing was steady but his leg ached. Daniel walked forward without pause.
Zack moved to the left. His footwork was quick and precise. He circled Daniel and threw a straight right. Daniel raised his forearm and deflected it. Zack threw a left hook. Daniel ducked under it and stepped in close. His shoulder crashed into Zack's chest. Zack stumbled backward.
Daniel closed the distance. He threw a straight punch at Zack's face. Zack slipped to the right and countered with a hook to Daniel's jaw. The punch connected clean. Daniel's head turned with the impact but his body didn't move. He threw a backfist at Zack's temple. Zack ducked. The backfist whistled over his head.
Zack drove a straight left into Daniel's stomach. The punch landed hard. Daniel absorbed it and grabbed Zack's wrist. He twisted it and pulled Zack off balance. Zack planted his back foot and resisted. Daniel yanked harder. Zack's footing broke and he stumbled forward.
Daniel's elbow came down on the back of Zack's neck. Zack dropped to one knee. His vision darkened for a moment. He rolled forward to escape and came up in his stance. Blood ran from his nose.
"There's no way. It must be a lie. Just what is this?"
Daniel was already moving. He threw a front kick at Zack's chest. Zack crossed his arms and blocked it. The force pushed him back several feet. His arms went numb from the impact.
Zack shook his arms out and moved forward. He threw a combination with a jab, a straight right, a left hook, and a right uppercut. Daniel moved through it all. He slipped the jab, parried the straight, weaved under the hook, and caught the uppercut on his forearm. His movements were minimal and precise.
Daniel countered with a straight punch to Zack's face. Zack pulled his head back. The punch grazed his chin. Daniel stepped forward and threw a hook at Zack's ribs. Zack dropped his elbow and blocked it. The impact rattled through his arm.
Zack threw a straight right at Daniel's face. Daniel tilted his head and the punch passed by his ear. He grabbed Zack's extended arm and pulled him into a headbutt. Their foreheads collided. Zack's head snapped back. Blood ran from a cut above his eyebrow.
Zack pushed Daniel away and created space. His vision was blurred by the blood. He wiped it away with his forearm. Daniel was already advancing.
Daniel threw a low kick at Zack's leg. Zack checked it but the impact sent pain shooting up his shin. Daniel threw another kick to the same spot. Zack's leg buckled slightly. Daniel stepped in and threw a straight punch at Zack's face.
Zack kept his guard loose. He let his body lean back slightly as if he was going to retreat. Daniel committed to the punch with full force. Zack saw the opening.
He pivoted on his back foot with explosive speed. His body rotated in a single step to the left while Daniel's fist extended past where Zack's head had been. Daniel was overextended and exposed.
"I can't let down the monk!"
Zack drove his counter punch into Daniel's jaw with everything he had.
Gongseob Ji Counter. The technique landed clean. Daniel's head snapped to the side. His body twisted from the impact.
Daniel's feet slid across the floor. He came to a stop after several feet. He touched his jaw and looked at Zack. His inverted eyes showed nothing. He stepped forward again.
"That didn't work?"
Daniel closed the distance. He threw a straight punch at Zack's face. Zack leaned back and the punch missed. He planted his back foot and tried the counter again. He pivoted with the same explosive speed and threw his punch at Daniel's exposed jaw.
Daniel turned into the punch at the last moment. His forearm came up and deflected it. The counter glanced off his guard. Daniel stepped in close and drove his knee into Zack's stomach. The air rushed out of Zack's lungs. He doubled over.
Daniel grabbed the back of Zack's head and pulled it down while bringing his knee up. Zack got his hands up and caught the knee on his forearms. The impact pushed him backward. He stumbled and fell to one knee.
Daniel moved forward. He threw a kick at Zack's head. Zack rolled to the side. The kick passed over him and hit the wall. The concrete cracked.
Zack scrambled to his feet. His breathing was labored. Blood covered the left side of his face. His lead leg throbbed with each step. Daniel walked toward him with the same measured pace.
Zack threw a jab. Daniel slipped it. Zack threw a straight right. Daniel parried it. Zack threw a left hook. Daniel ducked under it and closed the distance. His fist drove into Zack's ribs. Zack felt something crack. Pain exploded in his chest.
"Damn it!"
Zack threw a desperate uppercut. Daniel leaned back and it missed. Daniel grabbed Zack's arm and twisted it behind his back. He drove Zack face-first into the wall. The concrete dented. Zack's nose broke. Blood sprayed across the wall.
Daniel pulled Zack back and threw him down the corridor. Zack's body tumbled across the floor. He came to a stop against the opposite wall. He pushed himself up on his hands and knees. Blood dripped from his face onto the floor.
Jay was back on his feet. He moved toward Daniel but Zack raised his hand.
"I can't lose today."
Zack stood. His legs shook. His ribs screamed with every breath. He raised his fists and moved forward. His footwork was slower now. His movements were less precise.
Daniel met him in the center of the corridor. He threw a jab. Zack tried to slip it but he was too slow. The jab caught him on the cheek. Daniel followed with a straight right. Zack raised his guard. The punch crashed through it and hit him in the face. His head snapped back.
Zack dropped his guard and left himself open. He made it look like exhaustion. Daniel threw a straight punch with full commitment. Zack pivoted in a single explosive step and rotated to the side. He threw his counter at Daniel's exposed jaw.
Daniel shifted his weight mid-punch. His other hand came up and caught Zack's fist. He twisted Zack's arm and pulled him forward into a knee strike. The knee buried itself in Zack's stomach. Zack coughed blood.
"How?"
Daniel released Zack's arm and grabbed his throat. He lifted Zack off the ground and slammed him into the wall. The wall cracked behind Zack's back. Daniel held him there for a moment. Zack's feet dangled. His hands grabbed at Daniel's wrist but couldn't pull it away.
Daniel threw Zack down the corridor again. Zack hit the ground and rolled. He came to a stop and didn't move. Blood pooled under his face.
Jay started forward but footsteps echoed from the stairwell. Little Daniel appeared first. His eyes widened when he saw Big Daniel standing in the corridor with inverted eyes. Vasco came next, then Vin Jin and Jihan.
Little Daniel looked at Zack's broken body on the ground. He looked at Jay's defensive stance. He looked at Big Daniel's empty stare.
"He tried to save you."
Big Daniel turned toward the new arrivals. His inverted eyes fixed on them. He took a step forward.
Vin Jin's eyes widened. Vasco dropped into his stance. Jihan's expression hardened. Little Daniel moved between them and Big Daniel.
"We came to save you. You didn't have to go that far, fucking bitch!"
Big Daniel walked toward them. His pace was steady and mechanical. His fists hung at his sides. The corridor filled with tension as the distance between them closed.