CAREER ARENA PLOT Rematch (Marree)

Breaking down.

---

If you want.

I couldn't be happier to hear that he was going to finish our match. As of now, there was only one thing going on in my mind and that was to take out my sudden anger on the dummies in front of me. I wanted nothing more than to let the knives soar through the air. Peirce the dummy's heart once more, but in the end it doesn't help at all. Then he says something else that makes me realize what effect my sudden mood had on him. What happened to the smart mouthed career that I met the other day? THis is new! I should come back with a comment, but I stick with my silence instead.

I don't like seeing you like this. He tells me and I keep hearing that phrase in my head. Many times, I heard that, but only from my brother. He's really the only one that knows something is wrong when I come home a little worse for wear. He doesn't ask cause he knows I'll never tell, but he seems to be my only saving grace just by the look in his eyes. Matthew, though, I contemplate. He's only met me once. Sparred with me once. Now, our rematch has only begun, but how does he pick up that this isn't the real me so fast? He makes me curious as he takes my cold advice and throws.

I'm amazed now. Completely amazed and a very small hint of a smile forms on my lips when I see where the knives go. All three straight to the dummies head. Instant kills. A careers deadliest aim and it is all within Matthew. As long as he gets a practice shot or two in first. I muse. Maybe he isn't that bad afterall. The last knife that I see him throws is angled slightly different as it moved the one below down to make room to hit the same spot. I cross my arms in front of me and nod.

"Not bad." I state. I could have given him a better compliment, but the mood hasn't lifted from me yet, but it starts to lessen. He states that it was 'too easy' and I would have to agree. I"m bored with this, but I decide to get out one bit of my pent up anger and step up after he suggests something. I let the question linger in my thoughts for longer than It should. I take one of the knives and weight it in my hand like before. Then just as I get ready to throw it up, I make a sudden turn, flip the knife around then belt out with my voice as the knife shoots through the air and lands deep within the dummies neck. No blade to be seen. Just the handle. I turn back to Matthew, crossing my arms.

"We don't have moving targets in here, but like I said earlier, your welcome to become one if you wish." I state. My tone is lighter after that previous throw. My voice called down and more mellow. "... but since you clearly declined that idea, how about you suggest how we get moving targets? I'm game."

I can't stand the silence...

---

I can't help but swear against my attitude that I gave him. A pang of guilt that I never will admit. In honestly, I feel he deserved it after that first day. Maybe it also shows him what I can do. How I can be. I'm a take-no-prisoner type of person once my mood goes sour. However, this is no life or death situation. It's just living life. I can't hold grudges for long against someone who didn't deserve what they got. So, as I stand there after throwing that one knife, I watch him intently as he suddenly takes off to go retrieve them. His glance back at me though sends a shock through my system.

What's with the eyes? What it is that he is saying behind the stare. The glare. The man behind the mask that has me so confused right now? I wonder and finally, I crack a smile.

"I wouldn't say that I want to hurt you on accident, now..." I tease back. My mindset has been put into overdrive. My skills hightened by my mood. I'm not in a playing zone like I was when he first got here.

Career mode: Kill.

Then, as I stand there, I move my hands from being folded up in front of me to each hand hugging my hips. It accentuates my body in a way I didn't realize that he was looking at me like that. And there's the offer that I wasn't expecting. The question that has me raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"What am I willing to offer you? Hmm, how about a perfect aim. Maybe, a little pain?" I wonder where he's getting at. He's not one to take my seductive talk well as I found out the first time when we sparred. He completely had his mind elsewhere that day, but now? I'm curious what his mind is reeling? "Question returned... What do you want?"

I play his game.

Hot and heavy?

---

I'm not buying that for a second. If you could you'd stick one of those baby's in my skull. I can't help but agree with him. When it comes to the pregames, I will definately not take it easy on him. The pregames are just as agressive if not more dangerious then the real thing because that can show who you truely are. That will show your opponents what you can really do. It'll show Jins what I'm made of... if only I were able to just show him myself. Throw the knive into his skull and be rid of him forever. I pray every time that he gets put into the games, but he evades it each time to live another year and torture me. Why do I hold back with him... why can't I beat him... am I truely that weak against him. It's not right.

After my offer, he give that same answer back to me. That tells me now that he's playing with a sexual manner. His mind fully in the gutter. Maybe he is a man under all that career attitude. Have I been able to unlock that part of him? If so, how? I'm no where near him. The first time, he was so close to me. He was on top, holding me down when I tried to take his mind off the spar, and he didn't budge. Why now? I wonder, and let a smile grace my lips. There's this brief moment that I see him lick his lips and I can only imagine what thoughts he is imagining. It makes me tense though for reasons that I can't understand.

Then he answers my question yet again. You.

Me? why would you want me? My thoughts rage quickly but he continues and I listen to him so intently and I shake my head before I realize it. "I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand at all, Matthew. It's too complicated."

Too complicated for who? Him or you? You've never talked about the way he treats you before... that's the problem. Pent up anger your just dying to release and the only way is through fighting and throwing. You need him. You need to tell someone before you do something rash.

"I'll throw you another offer. I'll show you to throw the knives, but we'll make it battle. If you can beat me in this game of moving targets, I'll tell you what's my deal." I give him a stern look. Yeah... like he's going to win. I can keep my secret. He won't have to know.

Hot and heavy?

---

Fuck you.

For some reason, I smile. I know he takes the deal a little too seriously for a moment, I seem to catch a glimpse of something in his eye that's dying to know. When I protect my secret, I do just that and I'm not going to do anything to hinder that. Not even him. So, when I realize that he won't take my offer up without something up front, I have to contemplate something to tell him. Or is he wanting something else out of me? I shudder a moment before he declares that he needs armour and I shake my head, a smile appearing on my face as he walks away.

What a guy... honestly, I never would have imagined that out of him. Scaredy cat. I'd never truely hurt him though. Not badly... I wait for what seems like forever but I keep the close vision of him pulling his shirt off in front of me. That was one reason why I thought he was expecting something else. To decloth right in front of me. I'm surprise he didn't see my cheeks flush. I hide it well, but when he returns, I see a vest hanging from his hand. He doesn't want to hurt me either or he's planning on playing hard ball. I can play that, too.

"I should feel honored that you would even think of me in such a way." I say. I look to the vest in his hand. When it comes to what he said about making up my mind, I nod to him. Though, to reveal something about my life to him, to make the deal start is something I'm not to keen on, but I start with the safest thing that I can think of that everyone goes through when their young.

"I have... When I was little, my training started early because of this guy. I guess, you'd call him a bully back in those years... He's made me into what I am today." I tell him. I start safe. End safe. THere's this way that I say it that makes it seem like its not a big deal that, I would guess he'd think there was nothing else to it. If only he knew... that it never stopped.

I flash him a grin. "There... there's your something up front, Matt. Lets get going." I snatch the vest out of his hands and put it on, while I go and collect three more knives from the table. Six knives I hold in my hands. Six knives each for each of us to throw to see who will come out victorious. The pain of the knives is not what begins to bother me. It's me wondering if he'll actually hurt me enough that I have to give up my weakness.

"You coming or not?" I say and head straight to the door and into the outside. Leading the way out into the woods not far from the gym. With each step, dread follows me. I lock the vest into place.

Frozen throws

---

When I told him the first part of my story, I wait for his reaction and the reaction I got was what I was expecting. It was no big deal to him. Why would it be? To go through what I did, usually happens to everyone. It's different when you're the one on the short end of the stick. So, I take it he never got bullied. I simply state out with a straight face. "No, I'm not shitting you."

As I leave the gym, I silently curse myself, because I don't even think about grabbing my jacket before I left and I take in the feel of the cold with a harsh feeling. Damnit. It's freaking cold out here... I'm sure I"ll warm up soon enough, but until then, I'm just going to say screw it.... Shit, it's so cold! I use my thoughts to keep me going. At least I'm getting my run in that I was going to do first thing this morning. THanks to Matthew, I'm getting that run, but in a different climate that I wanted. With each inhale, the bitterness bites into my lungs.

I cling to the fence quickly, climbing it with ease. At the top, I hover for only a moment before I jump down. I don't dare look behind me because I'm afraid to look him in the eyes. Unsure of what he will be doing. The moment I take off again, my thoughts are turning into a career's mindset. I need to be sure I can do this now; target Matthew. I need to know that I will be able to do what it takes to protect my secrect, while also protecting myself.

I pass by the tall grasses, pass a few bushes and then I end up in between two maple trees. I take a take a minute to rub my frozen arms. My breath coming out in quick heaves from the run. I only take a few more breaths before I hear him come up beside of me. I hear his voice first before I look at him.

You'll have to give me the whole story when I win. He clams. I smirk.

Don't bet on it... I give him a sly grin when he tells me I'm up first. I laugh when he mentions not to go after his head, but is that because he's afraid I'll do to him, what the dummy got back in the gym? That's when tells me to count to ten and I see him take off. I count out loud, my words coming out a little faster than normal. I wonder more about him in my head as I watch him take off. I take the first knife in my hand, gripping the handle with a tight squeeze. When I reach the number ten, I take off after him, but the knife in my hand takes off toward him and lands directly within the tree that he just ducked behind.

"Damnit!" I shout, and take my leave from sight. I run as fast as I can, moving quickly behind a tree. My body forming to it as my breath forms infront of my face. I feel my chest moving quickly. Frustrated, I take a peek from behind the tree to see where MAtthew is and I am pleased when I don't see him. I grip another knife in my hand and wait. I don't know if we're going in order, but my knife is ready to strike true as soon as possible. I just hope his luck is as good as mine. I thrust myself back against the tree and wait. Listening. Learning. How does he move. Is there any distinct patterns to his feet. Does he float or does he have a heavy step. His breathing? I hold my breath a moment to listen.

Five knives left.... 1 down... 1 miss. I swear, if I miss again, I'm going to just flip out... Matthew, come on. Where are you?


((I got a five... which is a miss... HOW? Maybe Matthew will get his wish))

Slip and slide

---

I am infuriated with myself. Of all the times to miss, I would on my first strike. Matthew must have been running too fast. His body is quick. His feet so nimble that I can't blame it on myself. He's swift. Somehow he evades the knife like a fox diving into a whole and I stare only momentarily as the knife is plunged deep within the bark of the tree. Surely, it will stay. I will not remember where it was when I go to leave with him and go back to the gym. Perhaps some other group of people will come out here with the same intentions that Matt and I had. A battle of fun. A battle to win. A battle for secrets. As I see that the knife has missed the mark, I turned to run and hide. My breath being the only thing that was giving away my position but I did'nt think of that. I didn't think that the cloud of air that was expelled from my lungs would be my hinderance. I wait though. Listening.

He must be floating as a ghost, cause I can't hear him at all. There's a dread in my senses. A fear prickleing my skin that tells me something is about to happen. The bumps appear so numerous on my arms and I shiver. Damnit.. how in the hell could I forget my jacket? How on earth did I do that... its freaking cold out here. I say to myself, where I'm hidden. Seconds pass and no sound. Then, as if i sense something wrong, my body begins to release adrenaline. He's near.. I can feel it. I move. I lean up from the tree just in time to get the knife by my arm and I take off in a flash away from Matthew. The knife held so tight in my grasp, my knuckles are white. I run, pushing my arms back and force with each step. My hair flying behind me in the wind. Then, I stop. It's my turn. For the moment I have, I peer into the open woods. Looking for any sign of my opponent. I smile, when I catch a glimpse of something in my periphreal vision and I head in that direction.

"Come out... come out.. where ever you are." I want to laugh out loud, but my voice has this horror to it as I sing out that phrase in a whispered voice. I move siliently. I dance across the wet, slick grass like it's nothing and go back to a set of trees that I saw him near. I take refuge behind one of them and slowly edge around the girth. There he is.... and he has no idea I'm here. I say, and ready my knife. I tighten my grip, then let the blade fly. I don't stick around. I"m off like lightning and I think I hear a roar of pain, but i'm not sure. It just might be him coming after me again. I run fast. Faster. Each step across the wet grass. EAch step over the melting frost thats covering the blades of the grass. I jump over dead trees. I jump over sinkholes in the ground. My execution perfect each time, until I hit a frozen patch not yet touched by the climate temperature.

I fall. I skid to a halt on my left side, collecting dirt and scratches all up and down my arm, but I can't stop. I take one heavy breath as if I feel that Matthew will be on my heels in a matter of seconds and take off again. I"m more careful with my footing this time. I take refuge near a couple of hedge like bushes, somewhat bare from winters grasp, but I know it will hide my form.

I look at my arm. The scratches already expelling the red liquid that comes from within and I grimace slightly and sigh. "Where are you Matthew?"

((I'm terribly sorry MAtthew.. I rolled a six.. you know what that means? How will Kyanite take care of you with that wound?))