The Red Ghoul {The Red Good Series: Book Zero}

ARC III: PART X

The training room was buzzing with the sounds of shuffling feet and controlled breaths as Dick and Jason squared off in the center.

Dick, bouncing lightly on his toes, had a confident grin plastered on his face. He was all about agility and flexibility, moving like a dancer with his blend of capoeira and gymnastics. His every move was unpredictable, and he knew it.

Jason, meanwhile, stood firm, his muscles tensed and his fists clenched. He was all about raw power and brute force, mixed with a bit of street fighting grit.

As soon as the match kicked off, Dick was darting around, his footwork smooth and fluid. He feinted and weaved, looking for an opening. Jason stayed grounded, watching Dick carefully. Dick launched into a series of flips and cartwheels, closing the gap between them. He aimed a high kick at Jason's head, but Jason ducked under it and countered with a powerful right hook aimed at Dick's ribs.

Dick twisted mid-air, barely avoiding the punch, and landed lightly behind Jason. He hit Jason's back with quick strikes, targeting pressure points to weaken him. Jason shrugged off the blows and turned to face Dick with a snarl.

Jason charged with a roar, throwing a flurry of punches. Dick danced out of reach, moving gracefully as he dodged and weaved around Jason's attacks. Dick then zipped in with a rapid series of kicks and punches, hitting vulnerable spots like Jason's knees and solar plexus. Jason grunted with effort, blocking as best he could, and then landed a powerful uppercut that caught Dick off guard, sending him staggering.

Dick flipped backward to recover, then flashed a grin before launching into a dazzling display of acrobatics. He somersaulted through the air, raining down kicks and punches from all directions. Jason growled in frustration, swinging wildly but missing as Dick stayed just out of reach, his movements a blur of speed and grace.

Finally, Dick saw his chance. With a lightning-fast spin, he nailed Jason with a spinning hook kick right to the jaw. Jason staggered back, dazed, and collapsed to the ground. Dick stood over him, extending a hand with a triumphant gleam in his eyes. But just as he reached down, Jason seized the moment. With a burst of energy, he surged forward, catching Dick off guard.

Dick's eyes widened as Jason's fist connected with his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He stumbled back, breathless, and before he could recover, Jason was on him. With a roar, Jason unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks, his strikes powerful and relentless. Dick struggled to defend himself, still reeling from the surprise attack. Each blow from Jason was bone-jarring, driving Dick into a corner. With one final, crushing uppercut, Jason sent Dick sprawling to the mat.

The training room went quiet as Dick lay there, a bit dazed and definitely beaten. Jason stood over him, catching his breath but grinning from ear to ear. After a moment, Jason reached down and offered a hand to help Dick up. They both flopped down on the benches, gulping water and wiping the sweat off their foreheads.

"Man, that was awesome," Dick said, still grinning. "I missed this, Jay."

Jason nodded, his chest still heaving from the effort. "Yeah, me too. It's been way too long since we had a good spar."

Since Batman had been back from the timestream, they hadn't had a chance to train together much. Today, though, they'd made time for it, just to reconnect as brothers.

When they'd finally caught their breath, they headed over to the small infirmary set up next to the training area. Jason motioned for Dick to sit on one of the benches, then grabbed the first aid kit. He got to work tending to Dick's injuries, cleaning and dressing the cuts and bruises with careful, practiced moves. Dick winced a bit but didn't complain, trusting his younger brother's skills.