Enzo dropped into a low, predatory fighting stance.
"MMA? So, that's your style," Mr. Henry remarked, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the posture.
What? Madison's heart hammered against her ribs. He could tell just by looking once?
Allen glanced at Ethan in surprise, but Ethan remained a statue, his gaze locked onto Henry.
"One glance and you knew?" Enzo let out a sharp, jagged laugh. "You're even stranger than I thought, old man."
Mr. Henry didn't flinch. Enzo exploded forward, a blur of motion aimed directly at the teacher, who stood perfectly still with his hands clasped behind his back. Just as Enzo's fist whistled toward Henry's jaw, a shadow intervened. A snap-kick flashed from the side—Allen.
Enzo pivoted, blocking the strike with his forearm.
"Enzo, your fight is with me," Allen growled.
Enzo's lips curled into a grin. "Then come and get some."
Allen rushed him. He unleashed a flurry of kicks, but Enzo was fluid, swaying his head back to let the strikes graze the air. When Enzo lunged to grab Allen's lead leg, Allen countered mid-air, twisting his body with acrobatic grace to drive a brutal elbow into Enzo's face.
The crack of impact echoed. Blood sprayed from Enzo's nose as Allen landed firmly on his feet.
While Enzo wiped the blood from his lip, Paul made his move on Ethan. He threw a heavy haymaker that Ethan caught, though the sheer force of the blow shoved Ethan back several feet. Paul smirked, enjoying the show of strength.
Across the yard, Enzo roared back to life, leaping at Allen. Allen raised a guard, but the momentum sent him crashing back against the wall. Before he could recover, Enzo drove a punishing knee into Allen's solar plexus.
The air left Allen's lungs in a wheeze. Enzo didn't give him a second to breathe, unleashing a relentless barrage of punches. Ethan saw his friend wavering and started to sprint toward them, but a voice stopped him.
"Excuse me, man," Paul sighed, sounding bored as he stepped into Ethan's path. "I'm your opponent." Suddenly, Paul's eyes shifted, landing on Madison, who was watching from the sidelines.
Ethan ignored the taunt and punched Enzo square in the face, the force throwing the MMA fighter back. Enzo scrambled to his feet, eyes wild. He charged Ethan, throwing a punch so heavy that even though Ethan blocked it, his own hands were slammed back into his face. Ethan countered with a lightning-fast jab, but Enzo absorbed it, planting a front kick into Ethan's chest that sent him staggering.
"I'm just getting warmed up," Enzo growled, stripping off his jacket to reveal a lean, tensed frame.
Paul, meanwhile, had lost interest in the fighters. He began sauntering toward Madison with a predatory grin. "Hey, beautiful. What's your name?"
Madison's expression curdled with disgust. As Paul reached out, a blur intercepted him. A devastating roundhouse kick slammed into Paul's ribs, sending him flying across the pavement until he collided violently with the base of the stairs.
Madison looked up. Mr. Henry stood there, his expression cold.
"Madison, go. Fetch the other teachers," Henry commanded. Madison hesitated, looking at Allen and Ethan—who were struggling to keep pace with Enzo—before nodding and sprinting toward the building.
Mr. Henry turned his full attention to Paul.
"You again, old man?" Paul groaned, clutching his side as he stood up. Henry took a silent, measured step forward. Paul's eyes narrowed. "Looks like you aren't in the mood to talk."
Paul lunged, aiming a fist at Henry's face. Henry leaned an inch to the left, the punch passing through empty air. In the blink of an eye, Henry was behind him.
When did he—? Paul's thoughts were cut short. Henry moved to strike. Paul's eyes widened; he knew he couldn't see the hit coming, yet somehow, his body jerked out of the way.
"You dodged it. Impressive," Henry said softly.
Paul scrambled back into a defensive shell, sweating. How did I do that?
"I was confident that would land," Henry continued, his voice devoid of emotion. "But that wasn't you. Your body sensed the danger. Pure survival instinct." Paul felt a surge of misplaced confidence, but Henry crushed it instantly. "Kid, if you think instinct is enough to save you, you're mistaken. What happens when I don't give your body time to react?"
Henry vanished. A split-second later, a punch whistled past Paul's cheek, the sheer wind pressure tearing the skin. The blow connected with the wall behind Paul's head, shattering the concrete. The force sent Paul tumbling through the debris into the room beyond.
Henry turned back to the main fight. Enzo was holding his own against both Allen and Ethan simultaneously.
He's keeping up with both of them, Henry noted. Allen and Ethan are strong, but they've never fought as a unit. They're hesitating, afraid of hitting each other in the crossfire. Enzo is feeding on that hesitation.
Allen threw a left hook at the same time Ethan threw a cross. Enzo dropped into a sudden crouch.
CRACK.
Ethan's fist collided with Allen's shoulder, and Allen's punch clipped Ethan's jaw. As they both stumbled back, stunned by the friendly fire, Enzo soared into the air, delivering a dual-dropkick that sent both boys hitting the dirt.
"We have to go one-on-one," Allen coughed, pushing himself up. "At this rate, we're just getting in each other's way."
Ethan nodded, wiping his mouth. "I'll take the lead."
Enzo didn't wait. He rushed Ethan, digging a punch into his gut. Ethan braced, catching the arm and driving a knee into Enzo's stomach. Enzo didn't flinch; he caught the knee, hoisted Ethan into the air, and slammed a heavy fist into his sternum.
Enzo's grown stronger during his suspension, Henry observed.
Ethan recovered, utilizing superior footwork to dance around Enzo's reach. He found a gap and snapped a punch so fast it was almost invisible. Enzo barely got his guard up in time, the impact vibrating through his bones.
Ethan has the edge in experience, Henry thought, watching the dance of violence. But Enzo is a cornered animal. He'll use every dirty trick in the book to win.