The Fire Inside

34. 99% Ready, 1% To Go!

A/n: Sorry I've been told I have a LOT of typos and grammar issues, but I PROMISE to fix them after this book comes to an end! Pls forgive me for the moment! 🙏🏾

Edit: I had to unpublish bc I found a few major issues! Sorry bout that! Fixed now so hopefully it's better!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 weeks later...

Everyone had finally gotten enough training to do some rigorous one on one. Heiwa and Varun partnered up, Julien dragged Maria over to practice aiming, and Emmalynn was training hard with Dakota. Isadora on the other hand was still busy training the hot-tempered Jimin, who still hadn't mastered her flames.

~~~~~

Heiwa was fighting Varun, who had been established as inferior in strength. As Heiwa aimed at his side with the flat of her blade, Varun whipped out with his nunchucks, cutting her off and dodging the attack at once. Heiwa took that expected counter as an opportunity and kicked out her leg, knocking Varun of his feet. Varun quickly got back on his feet and swung his weapon in such a way that Heiwa's katana was stuck in place. She tried to move her sword out of the nunchucks, but before she could, Varun flipped her over onto the dirt and sat on her stomach giving her a smug look.

"Thanks for the lesson Heiwa," he winked.

Heiwa was speechless, but recovered enough to discard her sword and flip him over. She got up and dusted herself off before giving Varun her hand.

"C'mon, get up," she said.

When he grabbed her hand and tried to hoist himself up, Heiwa let go and let him fall.

"Karma's a bitch," she said cockily, but secretly proud of her friend.

~~~~~

While her boyfriend was falling on his ass over and over again, Maria was in a training facility, doing some training of her own. Julien had been throwing his practically indestructible boomerang at her, and every time she dodge before shooting back a volley of arrows. She smiled at Julien knowingly as he flung his boomerang at her once again. She dodged the boomerang but shouted out soon after.

"Julien! Behind you!"

Julien looked back and saw nothing out of the ordinary. He turned to Maria to shout out a complaint, but was interrupted when the boomerang slammed into his stomach. He groaned while clutching his stomach in pain. Maria's eyes doubled in size quickly running over to the fallen male.

"I am so sorry! I- I didn't-  I didn't expect that!" Maria stammered as she pointed to Julien's stomach.

Julien chuckled awkwardly before pushing himself off the ground. He groaned a bit, which made Maria quickly move forward to support him.

"Nah, it's fine. Just a small bruise," Julien said as he examined the red mark slowly forming across his stomach.

Maria poked the slightly showing abs and laughed at Julien's frown.

"That hurts," he whined.

"C'mon let's go get that fixed," Maria laughed as she supported Julien.

She put her arm around his back and one on his shoulder before walking towards the back of the house where Dakota and Emmalynn were diligently practicing.

~~~~~

"Dakota!" A shrill voice resonated through the air.

Dakota whirled around to see a limping Julien and a guilty Maria walk over to her.

"What have you guys been doing?" She said with a sigh.

"I accidentally pulled a stupid move," Maria shrugged.