Rex grinned wider, a sight that twisted Dave's gut. Blast it all. He shouldn't have intervened. A storm of malice filled his thoughts. Because of someone he didn't even know, he'd caught the eye of the room's biggest threat.
He noticed the girl - her eyes a shy blue. She stood still, shaking from head to toe, staring at Rex like a rabbit seeing a serpent. Unable to move, she didn't attempt to shield herself.
"Get up," Dave said. "Get up and keep running. If anyone sees you like this, you'll be the first one they target."
She jumped at his look, eyes flying to meet his. He glimpsed fear - just for a beat - then something like knowing dawned on her face. A swift head bob was her reply; she bolted up, disappearing within the roughhousing crowd.
Rex stood tall, moving forward - a deliberate pace that signaled Dave couldn't escape. His attention returned, fixed on the hunter's approach.
"You seem like a fighter who has seen many things," Rex said, his voice conversational, almost admiring. "Your hands prove me right. I can see the scars of a brawler you bear."
Dave didn't say a thing, face clenched. It wasn't news to him; he figured as much from the start - the instant everything shifted. A hunch bloomed when he woke up somewhere else. Dave's physique - once that of a combatant, mirroring my own past existence - now felt like a twisted joke. To inhabit such strength, yet be so easily surpassed…the contrast stung.
Dave didn't see Rex approach - one instant there was space, then suddenly Rex loomed before him, moving too quickly to follow. He covered the ground in a flash.
Swoosh!
The kick blurred toward Dave's skull. He ducked, feeling wind rush past as he lowered his shoulder. Before he could counter, however - before even thinking about it - a fist shot straight for his face.
Seriously? He launched into a kick - still airborne! A jolt of fear shot through him - the guy moved quicker now.
A jolt snapped Dave's head rearward; his hand instinctively went to his jawline. The force of the hit buffeted him. Yielding, he retreated - Rex advanced, unleashing a fierce, direct strike. Another dodge from Dave, though each move felt weighted against Rex's quickness. A gap appeared - he struck back, a swift slice toward Rex's throat.
Chop!
A shockwave of hurt raced through Dave's arm - a brutal collision, as if he'd punched steel. A coldness shot up his arm - just like that. Blast it! Now even he feels tougher.
Rex stood firm, unmoving. What seemed like a simple jab turned deceptive; Dave stumbled back from the missed punch directly into Rex's waiting blow. Rex hoisted a leg, quickly jerking it up to strike Dave's flank - a place Dave couldn't see. Completely absorbed in grappling with the hands, feeling each blow land, Dave didn't notice the incoming kick.
Crack!
Pain - a burning spike - shot through Dave's side. His eyes popped open; he choked, unable to breathe. He went airborne from the impact, tumbling until he slammed into the cold tile. A cough rattled him; blood tasted like metal. Attempting to rise, agony ripped through his middle - air vanished. This wasn't ideal. Things were rough. He felt shattered, exposed - practically defenseless.
A cruel grin stretched across Rex's face; he advanced, boots tapping a steady rhythm against the floor. Below him, Dave gasped for air.
"Come on," Rex taunted, his voice a low, eager purr. "Get up before I get you up…"