The Shadows In The Dark

Chapter Eleven

Victor hated fighting Freya. Everything that she did was calculated, meant to end the fight as soon as possible. She never expended any more effort than it took to finish her opponent. She was like a robot, cold and precise. She was as much a psychological fighter as she was a physical fighter; that's why he was scared to fight her.

Drake, though...he was terrified of this guy.

He fought like an animal. His hands and feet were everywhere. He kicked, punched, and even headbutted Victor to the ground. Every single time Victor made an attack, instead of dodging it, Drake would just take the hit and retaliate. Victor was suited up in a modified ODST outfit, lined with extra padding around the torso and gloves, and less around joints like the knees and shoulders. Drake was only hitting him in those areas with extra padding and Victor still felt like he was getting shot by an angry MAC.

And the big guy wasn't even wearing any armor! He had a large set of 'casual' clothes on: a simple pair of sweatpants and an army green hoodie with the UNSC label on it. Without the suit he still towered over Victor. He had straight dark hair and wore red tinted shades that covered his eyes.

Another punch to the gut had Victor wheezing, a kick to the chest had him hissing in pain, and an elbow to the face had him shed a few tears.

"Hey! Wait!" Victor held up his hands in front of him, trying to stop the frenzied blows coming at him. He flinched as a fist stopped inches away from his face.

"What?"

"What?! You said you'd only hit me where I was padded!"

Drake lowered his arms to his sides, staring down into Victor's eyes. It was unsettling how he went from a frenzied beast back to a normal person in an instant. He stood there in almost perfect condition; breathing normally and without a single bruise on him.

"Ya got skin, don't ya? Natural padding."

The Spartan followed that sentence by raising his fists again, ready to continue the "training".

"No! It might protect me from small rocks and bugs, but not from those steel blocks you call hands!"

Giving him a look that clearly told Victor that he thought he was exaggerating, Drake turned around and headed towards the little rest area he had set up in the corner of the room. It was made up of a small table, three mildly comfortable chairs, and a crate full of all the things that they might need at any point: mostly datapads, extra clothing, small rations, and emergency medical equipment.

"How about we talk more about spatial awareness and body positioning before sparring again? I was watching your weak points when you fight and you really need to focus more on what's right in front of you. You're too afraid of something coming up behind you and getting in a solid hit."

Drake spun one of the chairs around, leaning forward into the back of it and staring at Victor. Victor took the hint and grabbed a chair of his own, sitting in it normally with a small slouch. Drake started discussing his major weaknesses in form and technique, detailing how he could improve. While the man was simple in his speech, he always got his point across. He was surprisingly relaxed for a Spartan, even for an officer in general. At least he wasn't contemptuous and snarky like Freya...

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"Ma'am, something just showed up on the edge of the asteroid field."

Freya turned to the woman that had spoken up, crossing the gap between them in a few strides. She looked over the blonde's shoulder at the screen that she was in charge of monitoring. It had running text covering the left side of the view, but the right displayed a simplified model of the asteroid field that they were in. They were positioned close to the edge of the rocky zone, with the Dawnbreaker and Talon Outpost lying nearer to the center.