Chapter 45

The newly labelled Hawk, strike first making Danuja move her head, avoiding all his hits. He moved fluidly, much better than Danuja, that she could recognize but after a couple of minutes of avoiding Danuja already saw a pattern.

Pushing, jab right hand, low kick, pushing, uppercut, jab left hand, pushing and so on and so on.

Like a fool Danuja fall in the Hawk pattern, making the first hit in her chest gasp for air. She was quickly pushed in the ring bars, the crowd cheering behind her and Hawk hits in front of her. Danuja gritted her teeth, looking at the young man behind her guard, grunting at the next hit and the sight in front of her.

No wonder he is Nr. 17. she thought already knowing that her ribs will give her hell for weeks. Her leg tensed before remembering Mr. Touma words.

In between Hawk pattern, right when he got ready for a low kick, Danuja strike right between his eyes, a loud thud echoing in her ears. Hawk snarled before pushing her giving distance but Danuja wasn't giving him this change.

She pushed a sharp uppercut, by using her hip and pivoting her ankle, feeling the bone under her hand. Before she could move again, the referee got between them stopping the fight and signaling for the end of the first round.

Five minutes passed and Danuja wished they were just a little bit longer. Despite that, she followed the referee orders, seating in her corner on the small chair Mr. Touma provided.

'' I think this thing will break under me.'' she said faintly yelping when Mr. Touma poked her ribs. They were a little protected by her bandages and chest 'shield' but there was no mistake with the red skin there.

The man padded her forehead with a cold cloth before he checked her head for any wounds.

'' Continue pressing and focus on making him tired.'' Mr. Touma said before tying her hair in a low, short tail 

---

Two whistles were heard, signaling for the second round and Danuja was restless. Or was it reckless? She was pretty sure it was the second, especially when she briefly broke Hawk guard, focusing on his chest and solar plex.

She teased him when he could finally make some distance between them. Touching his glove, stepping just half a step closer, feigning a hit, small punches, touches his shoulder , pushing him in the ring bars.

Danuja pressed and pressed before pressing some more till Hawk finally snarled, sweat dripping off his body, hitting her in the stomach sharply making Danuja lose her breath shortly. 

She quickly realized or more like feel, that his pattern broke making him more unstable and hard to read. And angry. Danuja stepped back when a punch come to close to her eyes, pivoting on her heel, Hawk going right into the bars before using them to jump on Danuja.

Using his impact against him, Danuja waiting him with an open arm, hitting Hawk in the jaw. He stumbled back before he honest to God yelled, charging at her. Danuja couldn't help but huff amused at his display but that just made Hawk all the more angry.

The whistle blow and the round was over, guiding them into their corners.

Danuja remained up this time, leaning on the bars, taking deep, careful breaths. She turned her head to Mr. Touma when she saw Hawk taking slow sips of water.

'' Good enough?'' she asked shifting her body, checking the bandages on her body

'' Push a little more.'' he said not even looking up from the ice bucket '' After this round, tire him enough to gulp that bottle down then you know what to do.'' he said snorting before finally looking at her, reeling in surprise

'' What?'' Danuja asked frowning before touching her face '' Blood?'' she said not feeling the familiar dripping on her body

'' You are shaving your armpits?'' Mr. Touma said, sounding a little disturbed. In response Danuja brain stopped for a brief moment before she cursed loudly

I really have no time for this shit  she thought welcoming the three whistles for the third round.

She didn't like the heavy punches at her head but she welcomed them all the same.

----

Fighting with Hawk felt like fighting her own shadow. It wasn't really a surprise especially when both of them were using the Drowning Style and once Hawk become angry, forgetting or at the very last not caring anymore about his pattern.

The hits hurt and they always will, Danuja was pretty sure that her side was slightly dented because of her slip up from before but the adrenaline pumping in her veins was doing her worth.

Now, how does one win, not fight but win, against a swarmer? Danuja thought getting a little dizzy from the hit she got in the head, feeling one of her eye swollen up, before counter attacking with a fury of jabs, making sure to push Hawk in a corner

She grunted when he catch her head in a lock, both of them swaying there for a few seconds.

'' Where were you till now?'' he asked, surprising Danuja '' How are you this good?'' he asked before chocking, a few drops of blood falling of his mouth when Danuja fist pummeled in his gut. She did not except for his weight to make her stumble, both of them falling on the ground, Hawk above her.

Oh shit  she thought, glancing up for the briefest second at Mr. Touma who was hitting with his own fist the ring, yelling something a her 

I can't hear she thought faintly, yelling in surprise when Hawk suddenly begin thrashing above her, knees stuck in her ribs

Right. Forget about that  Danuja thought grunting before laughing loudly

'' Ha!'' she said, skillfully throwing Hawk off her and with too much familiarity, tackled him on the ground. Maybe it was the reminder of her own encounter with those goons all those months ago or maybe and most probable was the near constant play fighting with a 155 pounds dog, with too much fur, sharp claws and hidden teeth.

Danuja snarled and with an eye open and another swollen, body full of bruises and sweat making them both slip on the ground, she pushed her fingers in Hawk eyes.

This.

This was a game she know to play.