The Plague

Chapter 3

Right punch, left punch, right kick. Right punch, left punch, left kick.

"If you keep kicking like that I'm going to make you run laps, now again!"

I've been a seeker for ten months now and I'm already an advanced fighter. With Adam pushing me harder than I thought I could go, I quickly acquired the skills needed to kick some Plagued ass. Still, he is a perfectionist and after this I know is knife throwing, my favorite, and then the gun range which is to the back of the sprawling estate we moved onto shortly after my change.

I've been boxing for two hours straight, switching between a punching bag, and then Adam using padded shields on his hands.

He wants harder? Ok.

Punching with my right, giving it all that I've got, I catch a flash of surprise come over his features, then determination as he tries to cover his face and body with the shields. I keep on, all the while pushing him back. Jabbing, punching, and kicking. I swing again with my left and then continue in the motion spinning my body quickly and landing a kick to the right side of his head with the back of my leg that he barely avoided by managing to bring his hands up in time. It still caught him off guard.

I could tell by my face stretching that I looked entirely too pleased with myself. That would of hurt alot more if I were using my full speed and strength.

He laughed a little and tossed the shields to the side of the room.

"Very nice. You almost kicked my ass just now. That's the determination I see when you're going against the plagued, but if you spar like that in PRACTICE every time, then you'll be ten times more deadly against them."

The thought makes me shiver in anticipation. After hearing that, I want to go back in and kick the bag a few more times but tonight we have a hunt and I need my target practice.

Before heading to the gun range we go into a separate room adjoining the gym. In this room is a set of obstacles specifically for blade throwing. There are dummies on sticks acting as fake converts set around the room, made from a type of hard gel that is supposed to feel as real and tough as a human body. There are also bags of the same gel matter hanging from the ceiling by ropes.

This is my favorite form of stress relief. I grab a basket filled with different knives and walk to the starting line placing them in my belt, and then two in each boot. I have one minute to land as many strikes as I can. Adam will be going around the room on a ledge up at the top releasing the bags so that it stimulates a surprise attack.

Pulling out my iPod, I place the headphones into my ears and Adam starts the time. Breaking Benjamin blasts through my ear drums as I launch blade after blade at the dummies. I take out the ones placed on sticks around the room as fast as I can, while keeping an eye out for the falling bags at the same time.

I have one blade left. This can't be right. I quickly scan the room, not looking up for Adam because that would be cheating. Pulling out the head phones, I turn around slowly. One.. Two.. I count thirteen bags, one missing.

I turn around just in time to see the last bag flying at my face. If I throw the blade now, both it and the bag would smack me pretty hard, so I bring the knife up and jump to the side just in time, slicing the rope. The bag falls and slides a few feet before I jump on top of it, shanking it with the blade over enthusiastically.

Take that, bag! I didn't even break a sweat, and looking at the clock I had ten seconds left. Record breaking time, baby!

I hear a hoot of laughter and Adam is hanging onto the rail, holding his sides, finding himself hilarious.