ALIAS ? Peter Parker?

10. Only The Dead Rest

Leaving with the confidence of a god, he catches up with a group of rich kids.

A few minutes pass, and a familiar lanky figure comes stalking up the metal seats. "Did I miss anything?"

I scour for Jackie on the field. "Other than Jackie flirting with Kim, no."

***

"Fuck." Pain explodes from my nose to the rest of my face. I touch my nose to test for blood, then give Rachel an incredulous look. If I was tired before, I'm definitely alert now. "You just punched me in the face."

"You're not blocking." She states, her arms up. The grey tank top matches the one I wear, but my sweats are much more worn. "Hands up."

"Fine." I mimic her arms up pose, fist close to my face. The heel of my foot an inch above the wooden floor of her studio. Images of us paint the wall, reflecting our every move.

Fist move the air at a rapid pace, I dodge past most of them and even block a few. But, one hits me right in the cheek. If these are her pulled punches, I hope I never have to feel her real ones.

Momentarily distracted, she grabbles me, arms hooked over my collar bone and stomach. Sweat stringy hair flips over to one shoulder. Then she asks the question she has been asking all week. "What happened to your neck?"

"Nothing," I send my elbow back into her stomach and twist out. Once I move out of her grip, her other fist slams against my cheek. "Ow."

"Guard."

I duck as her arm flies past me, then she punches forward to my torso, and I knock it down with my forearm. "I am."

"You're doing the wrong type of guarding." This time it's her foot that comes up. I leap back, barely missing the first kick, then get hit with the second. She gives me a smirk. "Come on, I'm teaching you how to kill a man. Least you could do is give me a little honesty."

"Avengers."

"Avengers?" She asks, halting her spars for a second. "That's a little different from street prowlers."

"That's what I thought." I wave my arms, then quickly dropping back into defense as she raises her hand to strike.

"Which ones?" Her bare foot slams into my belly.

"Ugh," I groan in pain, clutching my stomach. Then I give out a kick, which she blocks so hard I almost trip. "Captain, the red-head, and the new Falcon guy."

She stumbles a little, I use it to try and get back at her for the nose thing. It almost works, but she's too fast.

"What did they want?" She sends her fist forward.

The punch is blocked with my forearm. "Nothing special, just help on a mission."

Her brows fly up. "From a fifteen-year-old?"

I freeze. "I never said I was fifteen."

"You did now." My foot is swiped underneath me and fall, correctly this time. Rolling on my shoulders. Rachel smiles and puts her hands on her hips. "You're getting better."

"It doesn't feel like it." I groan.

"Up," She offers a hand that I grab. I sit up a little then yank her back down, but she catches me before I can. Laugh twinkles through the air and puts her point and thumb finger to press an invisible grape. "Almost."

***