Taboo Online

Luke walked past her.

"Luke?"

He stopped at the front of the marked floor, leaving only a short distance between himself and Red Hound. The hero towered over him, forcing Luke to tilt his head, but he refused to retreat.

"I’m the blade of this team," Luke said. "Lauren supports me from behind and guides the fight."

Her lips parted behind him.

Red Hound studied him. "You decided that already?"

"That’s how we fought inside Powerforge."

"You know what her ability did inside the game. You don’t know how reliably it’ll work here."

"No."

"You also don’t know what else it can do."

"No, but I know how to fight with her supporting me."

Interest entered Red Hound’s expression.

"And if her ability fails?"

"Then I protect her until it works again."

"And if it doesn’t?"

Luke held his gaze. "Then I keep fighting."

For the first time since approaching the group, Red Hound appeared genuinely interested.

Lauren remained quiet behind Luke, though he could feel her watching him.

Turning toward one of Red Hound’s assistants, Luke said, "I use a spear in Powerforge Online. I want one for the spar."

The assistant looked to Red Hound for permission.

A smile appeared on the hero’s face, but there was nothing friendly about it.

"Yeah. We’ve got you covered."

One of the assistants carried a long black case onto the training floor and placed it on a bench. The locks snapped open, revealing a sleek training spear made from dark reinforced metal.

Its blunt tip could not cut anyone, though the weapon still looked heavy enough to break bones in the hands of an awakened fighter.

Luke reached for it.

The moment his fingers closed around the shaft, a familiar sense of balance returned. The weapon was not identical to the spear he had used in Powerforge Online. Its weight felt different, its balance sat farther forward, and the grip lacked the worn texture he had grown used to.

Even so, the motions came back naturally.

He lifted the spear, rolled the shaft across his palm, and settled into his stance. Metal cut through the air with a low whistle as his muscles adjusted without conscious effort.

Reinforce stirred beneath his skin, and for the first time since leaving the game, Luke felt ready to fight.

Red Hound glanced at the weapon, then down at his own suit.

"You’re not changing?" Luke asked.

Someone behind him released a nervous breath that might have been a laugh.

Red Hound adjusted one cuff. "Do you think I need to?"

Luke tightened his grip. "No."

"Good answer."

From behind him, Lauren watched the spear settle naturally into his hands.

Red Hound was taller, broader, and far more experienced. With no armor or protective gear, he made the gap between them painfully obvious. Lauren’s attention remained on Luke anyway.

He had stepped in front of her at the café when neither of them understood what was happening. He had hidden the extra headsets because he knew they belonged to both of them. Now he had placed himself between her and Red Hound with the same certainty.

For a moment, she wanted to object. Lauren had not joined the awakening project so she could hide behind someone else. She wanted to fight, learn, and become strong enough to protect Luke as well as her daughters.

Then she remembered his words.

Luke had not dismissed her strength or treated her like someone who needed to stay out of the way. He had called himself the blade and named her as the one who would guide it. He understood her role because they had already survived a battle neither of them could have won alone.

Her attention moved across his narrow back, the firm hold he kept on the spear, and the stubborn set of his shoulders. Luke was still inexperienced. He blushed whenever she whispered something provocative into his ear, and pride or emotion often made him react before thinking. Whenever danger appeared, however, he stepped forward for her.

Lauren moved into position behind him as her heartbeat quickened. Once the spar ended, she intended to pamper him until he forgot every bruise Red Hound was about to give him.

The sensor remained attached near her temple, and medical staff waited beyond the edge of the training floor. She drew a slow breath and focused on the faint pressure behind her eyes.

Luke trusted her judgment. She needed to prove that trust was deserved.

Red Hound walked to the center of the marked floor and stopped with his hands loose at his sides.

"You don’t need to defeat me," he said.

Luke adjusted his grip on the spear. "Then what do we have to do?"

"Make me take one full step backward."

Several people behind them reacted. One of the middle-aged men gave a quiet laugh, while the younger woman beside him whispered something Luke could not hear.

Red Hound glanced toward the spectators. "It sounds easy because none of you understand the difference between forcing someone to move and convincing yourself that they moved."

His attention returned to Luke and Lauren.

"You have five minutes. If either of you leaves the marked floor, loses consciousness, or can’t continue safely, the test ends."

Lauren touched the sensor near her temple. "And if my ability causes another headache?"

"You stop," Red Hound replied. "If you hide the symptoms because you want to impress me, you fail even if you throw me across the room."

Lauren nodded.

Luke looked over his shoulder. "You heard him."

"I did."

"I mean it."

A small smile touched her lips. "So do I."

Red Hound adjusted one cuff. "Start whenever you’re ready."

Luke lowered the spear until its blunt point aimed at the hero’s chest. Reinforce stirred through his muscles, but he held it back. Activating the skill too early would waste energy and reveal exactly when he planned to move.

There barely seemed to be a stance for him to study. Red Hound stood upright with his feet a comfortable distance apart, his shoulders relaxed, and his hands at his sides. He looked less prepared for a fight than someone waiting for an elevator.

That casual posture made Luke more nervous than any proper combat stance would have.