[i]‘Capoeira. Called it.’[/i]

The thought flitted through Slade’s mind as he swayed back out of the first of his opponent’s twirling dervish of kicks. His next back steps were clean and economical. He was ceding ground sure, but no one who was watching could claim he was retreating.

Because he wasn’t. He was simply giving her room to show what she could do. He challenged her to a fight for a reason after all.

But that didn’t stop him from shooting her a patronizing smile when he recognized her glib answer. He might not be the most prolific at Sign, but her knew enough to read her ‘8’ masked as a taunt.

A heartbeat later their fight resumed. Slade dashing in, a low kick aimed at her wrist. It was a friendly fight for sure, so he wouldn’t kill her. But a light maiming wasn’t off the table; after all, at this point if it happened, she deserved it.

And from there the fight was a master class in both contrasts, and technique. 

Slade was nothing but sharp straight lines of movement. Jagged and fast. Always at the edge of Queen’s range unless he was diving in with strikes or kicks. And even then, the risk of getting hit didn’t deter him all that much. He was more than willing to trade blows if it looked like he might score a solid reprisal in turn.

Queen, on the other hand, was an endlessly flow of looping winding movements. Never still, never static as she danced around the ring. Her stance ever shifting as she glided around the blows raining down on her, but never once was she flat footed.

It went on at this unreal, almost breakneck, pace for a solid minute. Neither letting the pace slow or the other rest.

Then Slade upped the pressure. From the outside it wasn’t enough for anyone to really notice.

But to Queen? Those almost hits, those near misses and last moment dodges, started becoming less show, and more fact. As Slade slowly, sadistically, zeroed in on her upper band of speed. And started edging her out of it. Inch by inch.

He wasn’t breathing hard, and was barely working up a sweat. And while he would admit to enjoying this surprise turn of events, what with actually finding a halfway competent combatant. It was time to bring it to a close.

She was good, that was confirmed. She was even excellent, that was the surprise. 

But that’s all she was.