Stronghold — Corridor

  Three men. Three weapons. No one moves.

  Jeff's eyes dart between the other two. Maximus stands controlled, calculated. Tobi burns for a fight.

  Tobi speaks first.

  He smiles.

  “2 for 1. Perfect.”

  Jeff looks back at Tobi.

  Maximus fires a round at Tobi's head.

  Tobi dodges.

  Jeff goes on the move.

  Tobi clocks Maximus, then Jeff — Jeff's closer. He goes for him, opening fire.

  Jeff slides across the floor, springs back up and flips backward, landing clean. He looks at Tobi.

  Tobi thinks to himself.

  That was pointless.

  Two shots crack from Maximus' side. Tobi tilts his head forward — the first bullet grazes his hair. For the second he raises his gun and parries it, the round hitting the core directly and breaking it clean.

  He looks at the broken gun.

  Then throws it at Jeff faster than a bullet.

  Jeff can't react. It connects hard and he flies backwards onto the floor.

  Tobi rips a metal plate out of the ground and uses it as a shield, charging Maximus. He swings it going for the neck. Maximus ducks and drives the butt of his gun into Tobi's right knee.

  No reaction.

  Maximus frontrolls, kicks up, back on his feet. He looks at Tobi then at Jeff getting up. He hears Tobi's footsteps already coming from behind and aims toward Jeff like he already knows what's about to happen.

  He thinks to himself.

  This is going to be the dumbest shit I'll ever do.

  Tobi swings the metal scrap at him. Maximus times his jump perfectly, both feet slamming into the scrap and getting flung hard to the right. Mid-air he opens fire at Jeff.

  Jeff looks up confused and steps back a few times. Then watches Maximus slam into the wall and drop to the floor, his gun skidding away.

  Jeff raises his weapon.

  Then—

  “NO. HE'S MINE.”

  Tobi Shouts.

  Jeff turns.

  The metal scrap is already flying at him. He throws his AR up to block — the impact snaps it clean in half and he flies backwards onto the floor again.

  He thinks to himself.

  What the actual fuck is that thing. He's trying to kill us at this point.

  Jeff gets up and draws his pistol. He looks at Tobi moving toward Maximus and fires. The round hits Tobi's arm, locking it up.

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  Tobi stops.

  Turns his head toward Jeff.

  Then reaches down, grabs Maximus off the floor and throws him. Maximus slams straight into Jeff and both go down hard.

  Jeff stares at the ceiling.

  He thinks to himself.

  I can't leave this floor, can I.

  He gets up and looks at Maximus, extending his Hand to help him. Maximus looks at it, then takes it. They stand together and both turn toward Tobi.

  Tobi raises his frozen arm and slams it into the wall. Once. Again. Third time — the ice shatters.

  Jeff and Maximus look at each other.

  Maximus says quietly.

  “That dude is insane.”

  “Yeah,” Jeff says.

  Maximus then says.

  “I'll go left, you go right.”

  Jeff doesn't even look at him. He just nods.

  They start running.

  Tobi picks up Maximus' AR and opens fire at Maximus. Maximus slides forward leaning backwards, rounds passing over him.

  Jeff fires from the right with his pistol — Tobi dodges, looks at Jeff, then back at Maximus.

  Maximus goes for a hit.

  Tobi ducks and drives a left hook into his ribs.

  Tobi turns and charges Jeff, using the AR as a Shield.

  Then swinging it like a baseball bat. Jeff ducks — then gets kicked in the face, Tobi expected him to duck. His pistol drops.

  Before Tobi can Freeze Jeff Maximus rams into his back, making him stumble. Jeff moves fast, driving an uppercut into Tobi's right wrist. The AR drops. Jeff feels one of his fingers snap on impact and ignores it.

  Maximus pulls Jeff up this time. They both look at Tobi.

  Tobi laughs, looking at them both with an insulting smile.

  “That all you got?”

  They charge at the same time, Jeff on the right and Maximus on the left. Tobi reaches out trying to grab both their heads and smash them together. Maximus ducks low, Jeff ducks and sidesteps left.

  Maximus drives an uppercut into Tobi's chin. Jeff kicks him hard in the lower back.

  Tobi grabs Maximus before he can pull away — Jeff throws a left hook into Tobi's face and Tobi drops him.

  Maximus hits the floor then immediately kicks Tobi in the balls, spins and drives a backheel into the right side of his head.

  Jeff follows with a front kick to the left side.

  Tobi stumbles back. They don't stop — a barrage of kicks and punches forcing him fully defensive.

  Tobi thinks to himself.

  If another big shot lands to my head it might be over.

  Maximus glances at Jeff and shouts.

  “Hey.”

  Jeff drops his guard.

  Tobi sees the opening and moves—

  Maximus dropkicks him directly into his knee.

  It snaps.

  Jeff sidesteps Tobi's incoming hit and swings with everything he has. His fist connects with Tobi's jaw and Tobi goes out mid-fall.

  Jeff picks up his pistol and fires four shots. Tobi freezes completely, locks up, and crashes to the floor.

  Jeff turns and says nothing before raising his pistol at Maximus.

  Maximus grabs his wrist instantly.

  Jeff pulls the trigger but Maximus forces his arm up — the round hits the ceiling. Maximus draws his own pistol and fires at Jeff. Jeff kicks him in the side and the round hits the floor.

  They go back and forth, parrying shots and redirecting each other's aim. Round after round hitting walls, floor, ceiling.

  Neither connecting.

  Maximus kicks Jeff hard in the chest, knocking the air out of him.

  Jeff steps back.

  Maximus aims and fires — Jeff raises his pistol and the round shoots straight into his muzzle.

  Jeff throws the pistol at Maximus' face, connecting with his nose, then immediately strikes his elbow joint, grabs his arm and drives his shoulder into Maximus' chest.

  Maximus drops his pistol.

  Maximus swings his left hand toward the back of Jeff's head.

  Jeff ducks and Maximus spins from the momentum.

  Jeff still has hold of his right arm — Maximus throws a back kick into Jeff's thigh, spins back around, backhand to Jeff's face and a headbutt.

  Jeff loses his grip.

  Maximus rolls his right hand free and unloads a three piece combo — one two right hook to the side, one two left hook to the face. He starts another—

  Jeff weaves the hook and drives an uppercut into Maximus' jaw, then sweeps his legs.

  Maximus starts to fall.

  Jeff launches a question mark kick toward his head — Maximus blocks it mid-fall and hits the ground hard.

  He grabs Jeff's leg, pulls him forward and kicks him in the stomach, using the momentum to get back up.

  Soccer kick into Jeff's shin. He ducks for the pistol—

  Jeff kicks him in the face before he reaches it.

  Maximus tanks it, grabs Jeff's leg and pulls him in, driving his shoulder into Jeff's face.

  Jeff falls.

  Right next to the gun.

  Maximus moves to kick it out of Jeff′s Hands—

  Jeff grabs it, turns and fires.

  Maximus freezes mid-kick.

  Locked solid.

  Composed to the last — he doesn't crumble, doesn't stumble. Just stops.

  Jeff stays on the floor for a moment, staring up at the ceiling, breathing like he ran a marathon.

  Then—

  “PUSH!”

  Green cadets.

  Jeff looks at the flag. Still Red. He checks his wristband.

  1 hour remaining.

  He gets up, every part of him hurting, and starts moving toward the Green cadets anyway.

  Instructor Observation Room

  One instructor leans back laughing.

  “What a fight to watch.”

  Another shakes his head smiling.

  “Yeah, now THAT'S what I call a fight. Less shooting, more fighting.”

  He laughs.

  A third cuts in.

  “Hey — look. Another fight's about to break out.”

  Cut.

  Corridor — Lardes and Jackson

  We return to exactly where we left off.

  Lardes.

  Jackson.

  Neither moving.

  Jackson smirks.