little bird // r.keene

xxii. hit me.

The bell above the door rang as Wren pulled the glass door open, the dojo was deserted, training having ended hours ago. Wren strode through to the next room and dumped her bag by the door, funnily enough there was a punching bag set up in the center of the room, as if the universe knew it was exactly what she needed at that moment in time.

To hit something. Really, really hard.

Wren began to train, she hadn't fought in weeks. In fact, the last punch she had thrown had been at Hawk at the school fight, though that now seemed like a lifetime ago.

Still, the time spent away from training quickly faded away as Wren found her strength. She dug and dug, each punch harder than the last and softer than the next.

Again and again, she scolded herself over and over. Again and again she punched harder and harder that she didn't even notice the man standing in the doorway behind her.

"The dojo is closed." John Kreese's voice called out to her, Wren threw him a look over her shoulder then proceeded to continue to hit the bag.

"I thought you wanted me back," Her voice was cold and stiff, "Here I am..." Kreese crossed his arms and walked further into the room, he stood on the left side of her, watching strike the punching bag again and again mercilessly.

"Move your arm closer to your body." He told her, her eyes met his.

"I know how to throw a punch."

"You know how Johnny Lawrence would throw a punch... Just do it." He instructed and Wren focused back on the bag, she applied his correction and just like that- the hit felt more solid, harder.

"Angle your shoulders more, you'll recover faster." She turned to face him, "Faster recovery, faster you're free to strike again." Kreese told her and Wren felt her chest tighten, he remained motionless, his hands crossed in front of him.

"Stop that." She snapped, "I didn't come here for a training session."
"Oh I know, you came here to let out your anger..." he said calmly and Wren clenched her teeth, it bothered her how well he could read her. "So let it out." Kreese added, unfolding his hands and taking a step back.

"Kreese, now is not the-"

"You need to let it out, so let it out. Hit me Evans, come on." He taunted, opening his arms as if to say: here I am. Wren swallowed, her throat was dry and her heart was hammering in her chest, adrenaline humming through her, making her fingers tingle.

"Do it." Kreese said in a low voice, followed by a numbing silence, reminding her that there was no one else there, reminding her what was waiting outside for her, reminding her that everyone she cared about was just beyond arms reach. "They all think you are weak, Evans, all because you left when it became too much." Kreese taunted, "Do it because they said you couldn't."

Wren lunged for him, striking his midsection. Kreese blocked her.

"Good. Faster."

She spun, kicking her leg, aiming to take out his base. He dodged it.

"I know you hid Keene." Kreese said to her as she struck for a third time, he grabbed her arm and twisted, shoving her forward so hard she stumbled. "It's strange isn't it? How your heart burns?" He smirked, Wren pushed herself to her feet with a grunt and swung her arm at him, her breaths were ragged. "How it burns and it burns and then turns to ice when they're gone..." He blocked her punch, but Wren stuck out her leg and kicked his knee, Kreese buckled, letting go of her arm.

"Good. Very good."

"Stop talking and fight!" She half yelled, feeling all her rage brand her skin. Her chest heaved and her joints screamed at how long it had been but Wren perused, his words fueling her.

"Never let your guard down, Evans, never, not even for a mere second," He hissed, pausing as she charged at him once more, kicking his middle which he struck away with his arm. Wren pivoted and swung, Kreese ducked, avoiding her throw, "If it comes down, they'll see it. They'll see you're weak." Kreese heaved.

"I'm not weak." She sneered.

"Of course you are, everyone has a weakness!" He raised his voice, this time he moved first. He didn't wait as he kicked her back, she only just managed to get out of the way but Kreese kept advancing. "You're just a child," He punched her shoulder, sending her spinning, "You're a scared child who's felt loss and is sitting on the doorstep of a house that is no longer there...." His words felt like thorns rooted in her heart, in her skin.

Wren's chest heaved as she scrambled to her feet but Kreese was quicker, he sent a kick to her stomach, Wren hunched over.
"Get up!" He shouted and Wren felt her mind scream and so she did too. Her blood simmered in her body, her anger, her determination lifted her up, made her stand, made her fight; she was on her feet in a mere second. "Faster!" Kreese ordered.

"Feel it." He barked at her through clenched teeth and she did. She felt every ounce of her fill with her concentrated grief. Wren cried out as she threw one final hit and struck Kreese's chest, his mistake for leaving it exposed but part of it had been intentional. He wanted to see how strong she was, how far she was willing to go.

He spun and kicked her. Wren fell to the mat like a puppet with her strings cut, her legs giving way. Her chest was burning and her eyes were dry, she had been so fixed, so determined on winning she had missed his attack.

Wren rolled over, gasping for breath but never quite catching it as Kreese casually strolled over to her side and crouched down.

"Johnny taught you well..." He said in a low voice, Wren pushed herself to her feet, clutching her sides, and met his eyes. "For a moment there, I forgot you are the All Valley Champion, then you reminded me." He said, placing a hand on his ribs that were throbbing from her kick. "I'll see you at training on Tuesday, Miss Evans. I'm going to need your help moulding some new recruits into shape."

Wren just stared at him through her brows as her lungs finally began to work again."What makes you think I'm coming back?" She snapped at him.

"Because you have anger in you, Miss Evans." She didn't object. "You need to channel it into something. All the new recruits I have are coming after you and your title. Defend it. Hold onto it. Not a single one of them deserve it more than you... Remember what I told you?"
Wren shook her head, he had told her lots of things, and her mind was still trying to scrape itself back together.

"Power belongs to those who take it." He uttered, "Never let them take it from you, without it, you have nothing."