Keep Swinging [Set It Off] <COMPLETE>

Chapter 6

heyhey just a warning this chapter contains quite a tw for abuse ily if u don't wanna read thts ok

Cody didn't sleep that night. He couldn't, knowing his former trainers would be in the same apartment as him. He pulled his blankets over himself and laid still, arms crossed over his shaking body and tightly clinging to his forearms.

"If we come back and you're still here, you're gonna wish you were dead. Understand?"

Vergil's final words. His last sendoff was a threat. A threat that made Cody vow to never see them again. Ever.

And tomorrow, they're gonna be in the same apartment as him.

You won't see them, he assured himself. You're going to be in your room, they'll be having the shit beat out of them. Just stay in here and you'll be fine.

Despite the assurance in his mind, a small seed of doubt was planted, sprouting into memories. Dark memories Cody thought he'd forgotten.

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"Get up." Vergil's harsh tone made Cody immediately jump up from the floor, trying to wipe the pain off his bleeding face. "That was so weak." he looked the fighter over: a scrape on his cheek from hitting the floor, a somewhat swollen left eye, a rip in the hem of his black shirt, and a bleeding wound on his knee. His dark eyes seemed darker in the dull lighting of the training room.

"S-sorry," Cody stuttered, shaking his head. "I-I know, it's just... We've been practicing for so long, I'm getting tired."

"Tired?" James's voice howled from the doorway. "It's only been three hours."

Three hours of nonstop fighting. It was more of a beating on Cody's end, as he wasn't fighting back much. If Vergil says it's practice, it's practice.

He always told himself that. They were the trainers, this was just their training method. It was just a little gruesome.

"No, he's right," Vergil huffed, rolling his arm. "I am getting a little tired."

"I'll take over," James offered. "Someone's gotta work him up."

"Can I take a break?" Cody mumbled softly. "I-I'm really tired, and my arm is killing me." he rubbed his bruised right arm, which throbbed dully.

"Listen here," James hissed, shoving Cody back, where he stumbled with a grunt. "If you want to actually be good, the only break you get is when you pass out. Understand?" his red curls fell in front of his green eyes, and his chapped lips turned upwards in a nasty grin. "Now, come on!" he swung, landing a hard punch to the tired other's face. "Let's go!"

Then punch sent Cody stumbling into a wall with a cry. He held his cheek, gingerly pressing against the wounded flesh, feeling cold liquid on his fingers. Pulling his hand away, he saw crimson blood staining his hand, which was shaking.

"Fight back, you rat!" James cried, advancing towards the male with his fist raised.

Cody flinched, reflexively shielding his face, and James's punch was landed to his already throbbing forearm. He heard a small crack.

His arm lit up with a new bright pain, and the shorter man reeled back, slamming his back into he wall and clutching his arm. It wasn't broken, but definitely hurt. As James advanced again, Cody strongly protested.

"S-stop!" he shouted. "Stop, seriously!"

"Oh, what is it?" James demanded. "You need a band aid?"

"My arm," Cody breathed, looking at the somewhat swollen part, which stung as he touched it. "I-I think it's broken, or-or fractured, or something!"

"You'll be fine," the ginger objected, elbowing his stomach with a huff that proved tat this task was effortless.

Cody choked on air, sinking to his knees. He tried holding his injured arm and stomach, but it just made him look confused in James's eyes.

More like a perfect target.

Landing a swift kick to his side, James didn't let up for a second. Even after Cody gagged and almost threw up, even after he screamed hoarsely for his trainer to stop, even after he went unconscious, James didn't let up until Vergil came in and roughly threw him to the corner of the room.

When Cody came to that night, long after the two trainers had drunk themselves to sleep, he counted the day's wounds. One semi-black eye, a (possibly) fractured arm, a cut on his cheek and knee, an empty stomach, and a bleeding head. That's more than yesterday.

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Cody's trip down Memory Lane was (thankfully) interrupted by Zach shaking his shoulder. "Cody? You alright under there?"

Cody replied with an invisible shake of his head, realizing he'd been dreaming. Somewhat, at least.

Zach slowly pulled the covers off the fighter's head, and went into an immediate defense mode upon seeing his pain-stricken face. "What's wrong?"

"When are they gonna be here?" Cody whispered, warily meeting Zach's blue eyes.

"That's why I came in here. They'll be here by three in the afternoon tomorrow," the man informed. "Are you okay?"

"Can I..." the other slowly sat up as he hesitated. "Can I not be here when they are? Please?"

"Cody, you're gonna be okay-"

"No, you don't understand!" Cody interrupted quickly, raising his shaking hand. "I can't be in the same house as them. I just can't. I can't even hear their damn voices without nearly having a damn heart attack!"

Zach was quiet for a little while, looking at the ground and straightening up. "I'll see if one of the other guys can go training with you. I'm staying home and giving them some payback, though."

As he turned to leave, Cody spoke out in a heated moment. "His knees."

"What?" Zach turned around the door way to look at Cody, confused.

"Virgil's weak point is his knees," Cody elaborated from memory. "James never blocks his throat." It was small, but something that stood out in the years he belonged to Vergil and James.

And then, Zach smiled. "Good to know." he made sure to shut the door on his way out.

Cody laid back down with his own smile. It's about time that those two pay for what they've done. Not just to him but to every single fighter they've worked with.

He finally slept soundly the rest of the night.

Okay next chapter will be those two having the shit beat out of them literally or metaphorically idk yet we'll just have to see where my mind takes me