Cyber Stories

Chapter 11: Testing the Waters

-Phoenix POV-

Rumble kept his expression blank, stepping up to me and kneeling just slightly. He gave me a small nod, as if to silently check if I was ready.

I smiled and nodded back to him. Rumble, he had been so kind to me. Do I give him the win and let him have a break? Or do I actually try and win?

He flexed his claws a bit with one paw, then I noticed his weight shift just a bit. Did he just subtly telegraph his attack?

I tilted my helm and studied his frame. Was he testing me? Was he going to let me win? I slowly got down, ready to pounce. However, my launch position wasn't setting myself up to launch myself forward, it was to duck to the side. I made sure Rumble could not detect this however.

He struck forward, as predicted, at a speed I was surprised by. I've seen him move way faster than that. This was insulting, almost.

I just stood there for a moment, waiting till he was close enough to dodge out of the way. "Are you toying with me?" I asked, actually confused by his speed.

"Just sparring." he responded, shifting again and striking once more, much faster and with much less telegraphing.

I will admit, it threw me off a bit, though I was still able to dodge away from him fairly easily. I simply tilted my helm. "No, you're toying me." I responded.

"Am I?" he questioned, hesitating, then striking out again, decently fast. He then followed it up with a second strike, I squeaked and dodged it. I cannot seriously be doubting my training. I can dodge him. I can do this.

"Yes, you are." I responded. We both paused when some other student in the back yelled to us.

"Stop fucking with each other and fight!" The student yelled.

"Fair enough," Rumble responded softly, unleashing a chain of attacks, fast with little time between them. He kept the pressure on, giving me a constant barrage of strikes, alternating left, right, high, low.

I managed to continue to dodge them. Do I dare try to land a hit on him? I've been on the offense, do I switch to defense? Do I let him win? I can't take him down. He's so much taller than I am.

I backflipped away from him, smirking at him, taunting him to do one more. He gave me a look, something like respectful acknowledgement of my capabilities, then gave me one final strike, a move he telegraphed far more than any before.

He was giving up?

Well, that made up my mind. I simply smiled and cocked my back leg in a relaxed style, letting him touch me. The mech seemed to skid to a halt, his servo barely touching me. Only a single digit touched my paint.

I giggled a bit when he simply poked me. "I guess you got me." I smiled up at him.

He looked surprised, glancing back at where we were then back to me, I could guess he was confused by my standing down.

His face made me chuckle until someone from the back yelled. "What the actual fuck? She just lets you win?" He yelled.

Rumble looked me up and down, thinking for a moment before looking to Legend, "...does that count?"

Legend was looking at us both, a calm and collected look on his face. Nothing seemed to phase him. "I believe so, but after battling the entire class, I believe Phoenix could also use a break." He smiled directly to me, giving me a subtle 'good job'. "You're both dismissed."

"Hold on now." Another student yelled. "What the fuck. His bitch let's him win and now they both can go and do fucking whatever?"

In less than a second Rumble vanished from my side, it took a second for me to find him, as he now stood almost across the whole room, towering over a biped mech who was slumped backward against the wall.