I gri her words, feeling the rush of bat beginning to awaken something deep withihe rhythmice of sparring, the quick exges, and the adrenaline — it was all too familiar. In my past life, I lived for this. The feeling of an oppo's movement, reading their i in every shift of weight and every gnce.

  Psylocke lu me agairikes faster, more precise. I could see the focus in her eyes, the sharpness of a warrior who had trained her entire life. Her fist shot toward my face, and I sidestepped, parrying with my arm before throwing a koward her midse. She twisted, narrowly avoiding the blow, aaliated with an elbow aimed at my head.

  I ducked, feeling the wind of her strike pass over me. My body was getting into its groove now, my muscles remembering the rhythm of a fight. I feinted a left jab and slipped under her guard, sweeping my leg to try and take her down. But she was quick, hopping over my leg and delivering a sharp kiy ribs as she he impact was solid, making me wince, but it only fueled my excitement.

  "Yetting serious now," she noted with a smile, her breaths ing a bit quicker but her form still perfect.

  I chuckled, rolling my shoulders. "You wanted a sparring partner, not a pung bag. Time to step it up."

  We moved again, the iy rising. Her fists flew like bullets, a shower of punches and kicks that I met with blocks and parries. I slipped inside her guard with a hard hook to the ribcage, but she took it with a grunt and spun into a backfist that clipped my . I staggered slightly but recovered quickly, the taste of blood in my mouth only sharpening my focus. It's fun to fight like this without using any power.

  "That's the spirit," she smirked and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow.

  I could feel the smile spreading ay lips, the kind that once used to e ay face when I was at my peak, challenging fighters at their best. There were fights I enjoyed and some that I didn't and was basically forced into. Still, I'm freaking enjoying this moment. It was like riding a bike, you don't really fet how to ride.

  My stance shifted, being looser, more fluid. I stopped trying to anticipate her and instead let my instincts take over.

  When she lunged again, I didn't step back. I met her head-on, blog her strike and catg her wrist. With a twist, I spun her around and pulled her into a lock, pinning her arm behind her back. She grunted in surprise but didn't hesitate, throwing her weight into me to break the hold. I let her go, but as she turned, I was already swinging a low kick at her legs.

  Psylocke jumped to avoid it, using her momentum to flip backward, nding gracefully on her feet. Her eyes gleamed with a challenge, a wild grin spreading across her face. She was also enjoying this moment. "Now that felt like a real fighter," she said, breathing heavily.

  I shrugged nontly, even though I could feel the familiar strain in my muscles, the heat of a good fight. "Maybe I just needed a warm-up."

  Her smirk widened. "Is that so? The's see how warmed up you really are."

  She u me with a new ferocity, and this time, I didn't hold back. Our strikes were faster, harder. We were moving in perfect sync, almost like a deadly dance.

  Punches, kicks, elbows, and knees flew between us. My mind cleared pletely, attending only to her movements and the rhythm of her breathing, shifts iance.

  I nded a hard uppercut to her , f her back, but she recovered almost immediately and tered with a roundhouse kick that I barely blocked in time. The impaumbed my arm, but I grinned, stepping forward and driving my koward her midse. She blocked with both arms, skidding back slightly from the force.

  We paused for a brief moment, both panting, but her of us was willing to show any sign of quitting.

  Psylocke wiped at the sweat on her forehead, her eyes shining with excitement. "I knew you were good, but, damn, Aron. You are like a different person once you get serious."

  I smirked, rolling my shoulders as I took a deep breath. "What I say, I'm all in one package."

  "Cheeky brat," she replied, stepping forward once more, her stance shifting, being more fluid, almost like a dahen show me what you've got, fighter."

  I moved in, my body now fully in sync with the rhythm of bat. I could feel the excitement bubbling up inside me, a thrill I hadn't felt in ages. My movements became sharper, quicker. I ducked under her high kid tered with a sweeping leg, knog her off bance. She fell to one knee, but before I could follow up, she rolled backward and sprang to her feet, nding a puny cheek as she came up.

  The strike made my vision blur for a sed, but I grinned, wiping the blood from my lip. "."

  She smiled back, her eyes gleaming with a wild, urained joy. "You too."

  And before we k, we were at it again; roundhouse kicks and punches flew through the air as we tered. Every hit I nded back came with one of hers. Straight and pure skill exge; no powers, no tricks-only two fighters testing the limit of the other.

  Finally, we both stopped; our bodies dripping with sweat, our chests pumping up with every breath. We moved around each other carefully and slowly, grinning like lunatics. Well, we ended up having one final round. I kinda held back a little at the end, si was a friendly spar.

  We both y on the floor, drenched i and huffing in exhaustion...

  "Yood, Aron," Psylocke said, her tone filled with genuine respect.

  I chuckled, brushing a hand through my hair. "You're not so bad yourself. Thanks for the spar. I hat."

  "Likewise."

  "So, I heard you are moving out of the school again," Psylocke suddenly asked me, as if trying to ge the topic.

  I nodded, w why she suddenly ged the topic. "Yeah, I've had enough fun with the baddies... I guess, I just want some pead a life out there, you know... Away from all the X-Men or hero stuff."

  "A normal life?" She looked at me, raising her brows.

  "You know it's impossible for me to have a normal life. A moment of peace, yeah, that sounds hough."

  "Hmm. So, you got both Jean and Kitty, huh? Quite a pyboy, aren't you?" She teased me.

  "What I say, I'm irresistible," I replied with a shrug.

  "That you are..." She mumbled, her voice barely audible, but I still heard it.

  "What?"

  "Nothing, don't worry about it." She waved her hand dismissively.

  "Wait! Don't tell me you like me too?" I asked her, surprised.

  "Don't ftter yourself too much. Yood-looking, strong, g, and not bad in bed... Ah! Tsk. Fet the st part," She stood up and was about to run away.

  "You read Kitty's mind, didn't you?" I asked her, stopping her iracks. I stood up and walked toward her.

  She paused for a moment, looking at me over her shoulder. "I might have actally seen that image in her mind when I met her... And yes, I 't fet it." She admitted, blushing as she remembered the se.

  "I see," I said, nodding slowly, my eyes twinkling with amusement. "So, you like what you saw?"

  "Wha- What? No, of course not," she protested, trying to hide the redness in her cheeks. "I'm not some pervert like you."

  "Hmm. So, what did you think about it?" I asked her, stepping closer.

  She gulped, turning away from me. "It was nothing special."

  "Really? Yet, you just said so many good things about me.. 'good-looking, strong, g, and not bad in bed'... Those were your words, weren't they?"

  "I- I didn't mean it that way," she stuttered, refusing to look at me.

  "But you did say them," I said, stepping even closer, our bodies almost toug. "So, what do you think now?"

  She remained silent, her shoulders tense and her fists ched at her sides. I could feel the nervousness radiating from her, and I khat if I pushed any further, she would probably end up using her powers on me.

  I sighed, taking a step bao point pressioo much just yet. "Well, life is too short frets. If you want to talk, you know where to find me." I walked past her, heading toward the showers.

  As I reached the door, I heard her voice again. "Don't hold your breath, Aron."

  "We'll just see about that..."

  "In your dreams..."

  "Without dreams, we ot live. You are already living in my dreams."

  "Wha- What?" She looked at me, shocked at what I just said.

  I walked out of the training room aered the shower, chug at her flustered rea. Well, that was a good session. But my mind> 'Without dreams, we ot live. You are already living in my dreams. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?'

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