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https://www.patréon.com/emperordragon
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Chapter 8: Testing the Waters
Saturday Morning – The MMA Gym
Jon adjusted the strap of his gym bag as he walked into the MMA gym near Jay's house. The place smelled like sweat and determination—padded floors, hanging heavy bags, a few fighters already working out. It was perfect.
Ever since moving in with Jay, he'd kept up his early morning training, maintaining his martial arts skills. But solo training could only take him so far—he needed sparring. Testing himself against skilled fighters would keep him sharp.
Jon scanned the gym, noting the layout. A full-sized octagon ring dominated the center, with various stations set up for striking, grappling, and conditioning. In the ring, a fighter was practicing with a coach, his punches hitting the pads with force. But Jon's attention shifted when he spotted someone working the heavy bag.
A girl, about his age—maybe a little older—was striking the bag with precision. Not just strength, but technique. Her movements were sharp, efficient, no wasted energy. Her kicks landed with the kind of impact that came from years of training.
Almost perfect.
Jon watched for a moment, appreciating the skill. Then, as if sensing his gaze, the girl turned and locked eyes with him. Her expression lit up immediately.
She knew who he was.
The girl wiped her forehead with her hand wraps and walked straight toward him, grinning.
"No way. Jonathan Hale?"
Jon blinked, caught off guard. "Uh, yeah?"
She practically bounced in place. "Holy crap! I saw you at last year's Taekwondo Nationals. You dominated. The final match, right? That spinning hook kick knockout was insane."
Jon chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, that was me."
The girl extended her hand. "I'm Samantha. Been doing martial arts since I could walk. And I gotta say, meeting you in person? This is so cool."
Jon shook her hand, amused by her excitement. "Nice to meet you, Samantha. And, for the record, your technique on that bag was impressive."
Samantha's eyes widened slightly, then she smirked. "Well, coming from you, that's one hell of a compliment."
They started talking, trading stories about competitions, favorite techniques, and brutal training sessions. Jon found himself enjoying the conversation—Samantha was funny, sharp-witted, and completely at ease talking about fighting.
But their moment was interrupted.
The fighter in the ring, who had been training with the coach, had noticed them. More specifically, he had noticed Samantha laughing with Jon.
Jon caught the guy glaring at him from the ring.
A few seconds later, the fighter stepped toward the edge of the ring and called out, "Hey. New guy."
Jon turned. "Yeah?"
The fighter leaned against the ropes, sizing him up. "Why are you here?"
Jon kept his expression neutral. "Checking out the gym. Thinking about joining."
The fighter smirked. "That so? You sure you're not here just to impress her?" He nodded toward Samantha.
Jon raised an eyebrow. "I don't need to impress anyone."
Samantha scoffed. "Seriously, Tyler?" She turned to Jon. "Ignore him. He's just—"
Tyler, apparently the fighter's name, cut her off. "Nah, let's not ignore anything. If he's serious about joining, he should get a proper welcome."
Jon tilted his head. "Meaning?"
Tyler grinned. "A free fighting lesson. On me."
Samantha groaned. "Oh, come on. You're just mad he's talking to me."
Jon studied Tyler. The guy was older—probably in his early twenties—and had a build that suggested years of conditioning. He was likely preparing for a real competition, not just high school fights.
But that didn't bother Jon. If anything, it made things interesting.
Jon met Tyler's gaze and smirked. "Alright. Let's do it."
Tyler's grin widened. "Good choice, kid."
Samantha looked at Jon, eyes flickering with concern. "Are you sure? He's got experience in the cage."
Jon just smiled. "I love a challenge."
Jon steps toward the ring, Samantha shaking her head but grinning as she cheered him on.
Jon climbed into the ring, rolling his shoulders as he took his position. Tyler smirked as he adjusted his gloves, cracking his neck like he was about to put on a show. Around the gym, a few fighters stopped their training to watch.
Samantha leaned against the ropes outside the ring, arms crossed. "Try not to kill him, Jon."
Tyler scoffed. "That's cute." He shot Jon a cocky grin. "I'll make this quick."
Jon merely shrugged.
The coach stepped forward. "Alright, standard sparring rules—no elbows, no head kicks, and don't kill each other. Touch gloves."
Jon and Tyler tapped gloves. The second their fists made contact, Tyler lunged forward.
Tyler came in fast, throwing a stiff jab straight at Jon's face.
Jon barely moved, shifting just enough for the punch to miss by millimeters.
Tyler followed up immediately, throwing a right cross aimed at Jon's jaw. Again, Jon leaned just out of reach, the punch whistling past his ear.
He's aggressive. Predictable, though.
Tyler didn't slow down. He threw a flurry of punches—hooks, straights, a sharp uppercut—but Jon was like a ghost. He dodged each strike at the very last second, his movements calm and effortless.
The watching fighters murmured among themselves. Samantha smirked, already seeing how this was going to end.
Tyler gritted his teeth and changed tactics. He stepped in, feinted a jab, and threw a powerful roundhouse kick to Jon's ribs.
Jon sidestepped smoothly. The kick hit nothing but air.
Tyler's frustration grew. He threw another punch. Missed. Another kick. Missed.
Jon could hear his breathing start to change. The aggression was costing him stamina.
Tyler backed up slightly, chest rising and falling as he took a breath. Sweat dripped from his brow.
Jon tilted his head. "You done?"
Tyler growled and started to step forward—
Tap.
Jon's right leg flicked out. A light, almost casual leg kick landed against Tyler's calf.
It wasn't a heavy blow. There was no real force behind it. But it hit exactly the right spot, perfectly timed while Tyler was shifting his weight.
Tyler's leg buckled. He collapsed onto his knees, stunned.
The gym fell silent.
Jon stepped back, already pulling off his gloves. "Good fight."
Tyler looked up unable to get up, eyes wide with disbelief. "What…?"
Jon didn't bother explaining. He just climbed out of the ring.
The coach chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, kid, welcome to the gym."
Jon signed up officially, filling out some paperwork. As he finished, Samantha walked over, her smirk firmly in place.
"That was beautiful," she said. "I haven't seen someone humiliate Tyler that fast in years."
Jon shrugged. "I wasn't trying to humiliate him."
"Sure," Samantha teased. "You just happened to dodge everything and take him down with a single tap."
Jon smiled but didn't argue.
Samantha pulled out her phone. "Here, give me your number."
Jon raised an eyebrow. "So forward."
She rolled her eyes. "Please. You're the most interesting thing to walk into this gym in ages. I'm keeping you around."
Jon chuckled and gave her his number.
As he walked out of the gym, he felt good. He had a new training spot, a new friend.
Life in this world was turning out to be pretty fun.