The Grimm Huntress

Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

Yang lifted up her head, arms as she prepared for a fight. Tai took a swing at her with his left hand, but she easily blocked it with her robotic wrist, pushing his hand away from her. The interplay repeated with his right and her left, only this time Yang used the momentum to turn and come back at her father with a roundhouse kick. Tai bent backwards to dodge it, his legs in a lunge. He gave his daughter a solid punch, pushing her back a few feet.

Nearby, Zwei watched the two sparred, panting happily. Beside him was a low stool with two white towels. His head changed angles, oscillating to the sounds of grunts and contact. Abruptly he held his head straight and made a noise of surprise.

Meanwhile Eclipse sat in a small clearing a few yards away meditating. Shadows swirled around her as she had her eyes squeezed shut trying to block out the other two.

Tai stood alone and moved forward, doing his own roundhouse kick. Yang joined both hands atop each other to block Tai's landing foot. With a loud cry, she pushed it up and back. Tai regained his footing in a flip while Yang waited for his landing. Using her robotic arm, she knocked him back with a single hit.

Holding onto his right bicep, Tai slid through the dirt, his feet flat on the ground until he came to a stop.

"Whoa, that thing packs a punch!"

"We've been at this for weeks. I get it, you wanna make sure I can still fight." Yang bumped her own fists together. "I think I'm doing just fine."

"I'm not!" Eclipse yelled. "Can you two be quieter, thank you!"

Yang rolled her eyes at the other teen and yelled back, "Put your headphones on then you wouldn't hear us!"

"You're close."

Tai stood upright, no longer nursing his arm. Walking around his daughter in a circle, he assessed her progress.

"Oh, really?" Yang asked.

"You're still off balance."

"What?! No I'm not!"

Tai chuckled.

"Honestly, I'm kind of surprised." Yang said.

She lifted her robotic arm, looking down at it with a smile.

"I thought it would be just this huge weight, but it feels... natural. They did a great job with this thing."

Tai came in from behind, delivering a left hook right into her face. Eclipse sighed as they continued fighting and went back to the task of trying to meditate. Yang's upper body reared back both from impact and surprise. She was ready to block his right hook, however, and used the turning momentum to deliver an elbow jab. Grinning the entire time, Tai blocked it and then dodged all the kicks she followed through with. Yang switched to punches, but Tai was too on point for her. While she used her left hand to block an elbow thrust, Tai grasped her robotic arm and pulled it forward. The position put Yang in the position of having her balance rely on the weight of one leg.

"I wasn't talking about your actual balance." Tai said.

He swept her forward leg, sending her onto the ground on her back. He left her there and walked over to Zwei, who happily got the top towel for him.

"Although, that could use some work too."

Tai took the towel and gave Zwei a rub on the top of his head. Arms spread on the ground, Yang took a breath before speaking.

"Meaning?" she asked.

"I saw your tournament fights." Tai replied, toweling off his sweat. "During the Vytal Festival."