"You couldn't wait until after he's healed?" Cggor asked sympathetically as Vi and Orion slid on 8 oz boxing gloves. The hanging training robot was shoved into the er but still occupied about a third of the ring.

  As per usual Cggor and Powder stood beside each other, their faces a mix of worry aement. Powder especially was starting to get into the mood, despite Orion's dition, as she threw her hands in the air and cheered enthusiastically.

  "Go Vi!"

  Mylo leaned directly on the ring, his arms hooked just inside for support, and his anticipation evident by his jittery movements.

  "I won't hit him hard," Vi said in a justifying tone. "Unless he hits hard." She added mischievously.

  Orion stood there with a deadpan stare, covered in bandages and bruised, against Vi, who was boung in pce, full of energy, and shadow boxing. His patched jacket hung on the ropes, and his shirt was still torn around the torso in several spots.

  "Yeah, this was a bad idea," he cluded far too te. "Wasn't I supposed to heal?"

  Ding-Ding-Ding

  Immediately Vi charged out, not using any stan her movement, but keeping her guard up.

  Orion, surprised by the aggression in his wouate, barely had time to dand slip out to the outside of her straight right. Everything hurt, especially around the stitches, as he flicked a soft jab toward her face.

  After missiraight right, Vi adjusted into a proper boxing stanow that she was in close, twisting and swinging with a wide left hook in Orion's dire. She gets caught mid-swing, but it barely stung, causio blink at most. Still, her hook fell short of his so she pushed off her back leg to try closing the distance again.

  This exge tinued, Orion dang oside, weakly jabbing, while Vi pursued, growing mitated with every soft jab that nded. Halfway through, Vi started to learn how to slow down. She tried ering Orion up against the rope, but he would slip out between southpaw and orthodox stao keep her guessing.

  Cgg the bell to signal the st ten seds, and Vi's flurry of blows intensified. She was hell-bent on nding a blow, her face stinging and head ringing, her face showing anger openly now.

  Every swing she took, whether it was an over-exteraight or lunging hook, Orion would slip or duck out of and dance away, leaving her frustrated and angry by the time the bell rang.

  Ding-Ding-Ding

  "You're a fug coward!" Vi cursed angrily. She flung one of her gloves off and openly flipped him off.

  Chug weakly, he gestured to blood seeping through some of the bandages. Orion taunted her with a mog tone, "I'm injured. 't hit an injured guy?"

  Everythied pretty fast as Cggor and Myl into a, holding Vi back as Orioed against the ropes, panting heavily. "Fuck you!" she cursed him out again, this time it echoed through the arcade with its iy.

  "Yeah, yeah...We go another round another day, when I'm not bleeding out." Orion said, waving dismissively.

  Turning around, he noticed his jacket was no longer on the ropes but in Powder's hands. She stood there ily, his medical kit with both hands, and his jacket slung over one arm.

  He smiled softly, aly said, "Thank you, Powder."

  She smiled lightly, not saying anything. Just big wide eyes looking up at him iurn.

  "It's gonna take a few more rounds to vince her..." He thought to himself as he took the medical kit. "At least I've got Powder as support," he cluded gratefully, giving her another warm smile.