Waiting a few minutes, letting the memories that flooded her mind, disappear, she came back to reality. Brandi was sitting in the light booth with Erika and Jakeson, just like old time’s sake, but the only difference they were fighting more now. They were fighting about stupid things that happened so many years ago.

“Can we just forget about what happened in the past right now and just move on, and work on this show right now since it’s starting in two minutes,” Brandi attempted at changing the subject, but she wasn’t sure if it was going to work.

“You know what NO! I’m sick of this! I tried and I just can’t get along with him the way we did before!” Erik shouted at me, but really aiming his anger at Jakeson. “HE IS A LYING IDIOT WITH NO LIFE!”

“It’s not my fault that an opportunity came knocking at my door and not yours!” Jakeson shouted back at Erik.

“We had a deal, and you BROKE IT!” Erik shouted and swung at Jakeson trying to punch him in the face and knock him down, but instead missed.

Brandi just stood there not sure how to react to this whole situation. She had seen them fight before but not like this.

Jakeson took a few steps forward. Something about the way he moved triggered the start of a thought in Brandi’s mind about how they almost got in a fist fight during high school, but there were more people around to stop it then, but that thought was stopped dead as the sudden swell of Erik’s fist rose again and swung at Jakeson, but this time he didn’t miss. As Jakeson staggered back, surprised by the force of the hit, Erik broke into a run, ready to pounce on him like an animal ready to kill. Another bolt of energy pulsed out from Erik’s hands and Jakeson blocked it covering his face with his arms.

Jakeson got up off the ground and started to fly forward with a well executed kick. Erik
clenched his fists and bypassed it, blocking the kick to one side and sweeping his arm around in a looping bluster. Jakeson was quick, ducking his counter-attack and landing on one leg as the other swept around in a graceful arc.

Brandi backed up against the table with the light board on it. She was astonished that either of them would take this grudge this far, but they were boys and the only way for them to let out their anger is to fight, so she let them have their time.

She couldn’t keep her eyes off of their movement though. It seemed to her they moved as though they have been trained to attack like this.

As Jakeson’s shin then connected with the back of Erik’s ankles and swept his legs clean out from underneath him, breaking Brandi’s train of thought. With a grunt of surprise and annoyance Erik fell. Erik came up as his fist flew towards Jakeson’s chin. Turning his head quickly to one side, the blow shooting past close enough for him to feel the wind of its passing, Jakeson grabbed the passing forearm in one muscular hand and powered out his other hand in an open palmed hit. His palm landed with a satisfying thump high on Erik’s chest, educing a rush of exhalation.


Without any time to celebrate his strike, Jakeson felt the Erik’s arm and hand twist against his thumb, the weak point of his grip. Realizing they could not break free, Jakeson suddenly leapt up and over Erik, grabbing hold of his wrist, and landed behind him, pulling his own forearm across his throat. Erik felt Jakeson’s knee slam into his spine. Again Erik grunted, this time in surprise and pain. Jakeson seemed to be very good and very powerful.


Erik drew his energy deep into his core and pulsed out a wave of power. Jakeson managed to shield himself, mentally just in time at the expense of his hold. Erik twisted out of the grip, spun around, grabbed under the knee that had been in his back and threw Jaerk up and over. They twisted in the air like a cat and landed on all fours, hands and feet splayed wide and stable. Their position and shape suddenly united; the thought that had been tapping at the edges of Brandi’s mind while he fought.

Brandi’s gasped as blood ran down Erik’s face. She couldn’t bear to see this happen, any longer. She was just to step in when Jakeson leapt forward again. With energy flowing out before him, he knocked Erik back mentally and physically and rained blows across his shoulder and arm as Erik defended his head. His arms were starting to bruise and Brandi brought her hand to her face covering her mouth as she gasped in horror. This was going on long enough. Brandi had to end this now.

Jakeson brought his arm back, almost in slow motion, the crack across Erik’s jaw sounded like a gunshot and made his vision cross. Everything was starting to slow down, for Brandi. It felt like she was in a movie, she shouted NO, but it felt like nobody as able to hear her.

As Erik stumbled, trying to stand up Jakeson helped him down with a kick to one thigh and a second palm into his chest. He grunted in pain and fell. Jakeson dropped with him, all his considerable weight over Erik, laid one forearm across his throat. He knelt across his hips, sinking his weight to prevent Erik from bucking him off or kicking up between his legs, but since Erik had lost most of his energy by now, that was an impossible notion.

Jakeson knew it was over and he proved his point. He slowly stood up leaving Erik helpless lying on the floor. Without a word or even a motion, he walked out of the light as if nothing had ever happened.

Brandi raced toward Erik’s side, trying to help him in any way possible.

“Dang!” was the only words Erik was able to say at that moment. “Why the hell did we have to take martial arts together when we were in high school?”

When Erik mention this it made it completely clear why at first when they were fighting, they looked like they were pros.