As Cole said, the battle between the two began after their usual routine, (along with a short break). Cole put away his scythe, Liana put away her nunchucks, and they both began to circle each other in the boxing area. By this time the gym was completely empty. A janitor putting away yoga mats called out. “Y’all turn off them lights when yer done, you hear?”
   “Gotcha, man.” Cole answered. Liana took his distraction as a chance to attack, and she sprung at him. She knocked him to the floor, but he pushed her off easily and got up, kicking at her as she leapt at him, and the fight commenced.
   The battle was long and hard. Cole and Liana sprang, kicked, punched, swiped, and sometimes just simply wrestled fiercely. Their muscles burned like fire, their parched throats pleaded for water, and both were utterly drenched in sweat. Drops of it dripped from Liana’s bangs, and Cole tasted his own hot, salty liquid in his mouth. Their hearts hammered relentlessly in their chests, threatening to explode in exhaustion. Yet still they fought.
   Liana tried every move, trick, and attack she could think of, from the sneakiest swipe to the most basic punch, but Cole still managed to evade her and fight back. The girl certainly gave him a run for his money, but after nearly an hour of relentless battling, it was he who had the upper hand.
   Nearly twenty minutes after the clock struck ten, Cole finally succeeded in grabbing his opponent and pinning her to the floor. She squirmed and struggled valiantly, but he knew that he had won. With an exhausted but triumphant grin, he gasped. “Winnah.”
   When Liana didn’t cease struggling under his grip, he rasped. “Face it, Liana. I know you too well. I know all the tricks you do, and there is just no way you can surprise—”
   His words were cut off when Liana suddenly flung her arms around his neck and kissed him flat on the mouth.
   Dumbstruck, he froze for a split second before reeling back, wiping his mouth and sputtering. “What the heck—?!”
   BAM! With a devious grin, Liana punched him in the jaw. Cole staggered, and now it was she who wrestled him to the floor. With one knee on his chest and her hands pinning down his arms, she leaned close to his face and smiled innocently.
   “Surprise.”
   Cole glared into her milky-gray, unseeing eyes. “Get off me.”
   She rolled off his chest, and he forced himself into a sitting position, gasping for breath and wiping the sweat out of his face. “What’d you do that for?!” He demanded, heart racing. From the heat from his cheeks he realized he was blushing furiously.
   She cocked her head. “You said to surprise you with a move you weren’t expecting.”
   “That wasn’t a move! That was a dirty trick!”
   She shrugged with an innocent smile. “But effective, you have to admit.”
   “I guess.” He could still taste her lips. With an exhausted sigh he lay back on the floor and realized that he was trembling. “People don’t usually smooch their enemies in battle, though.”
   Liana chuckled and fell back on the floor beside him. She too was trembling and gasping for breath. The struggle had been quite intense.
   “Just you wait,” Cole warned. “I’ll get you back one day.”
   “I’d like to see you try.” She retorted with a competitive grin.
   They lay there for a while, feeling the sweat on their bodies slowly grow cold and the fire in their muscles fade to a dull, throbbing ache. Energy was slow to return. The gym was quiet, save for the sound of two breathing bodies.
   Cole glanced self-consciously at Liana, then saw something on her shoulder. “Hey. . . What’s that?”
   “What’s what?”
   He scooted closer to her and fingered her shoulder. “That scar. It’s running from your shoulder a few inches down your arm. Where’d you get that?”
   She was quiet for a moment. “There are dangerous crowds in Stixx.” She murmured.
   “What?” He shot up into a sitting position. “Are you telling me that a person did that to you?!”
   “It’s no big deal.” She shrugged. “It happened years ago, around when we first moved with our relatives.”
   “How did it happen?”
   Liana sighed. “A couple of men tried to take advantage of my blindness and hurt me, but Philip and I showed them what we were made of. We got a few scars, but you should have seen the other guys.” He heard pride in her voice.
   Cole regarded his old friend for a minute. “You’ve changed since I last saw you.” He said quietly.
   She tilted her head inquisitively. “In a good way or in a bad way?”
   He thought about it. “Good, I think. You’re more confidant. Stronger. Feisty.” OK, Cole, stop talking, he thought to himself before he could say something stupid.
   She gave a soft smile. “I could say the same about you. You’re not. . . lost anymore.” The two of them fell quiet.
   Liana finally pushed herself up. “Same time Friday?”
   “Sounds good.” Cole stood and put his shirt and hoodie back on. Whilst he tied on his shoes, she slipped into her own shirt and shoes, adding on her seashell pendant after putting on her shades to cover her eyes.
   Liana grabbed her support cane and nunchucks while Cole took his scythe and turned off the lights. They stepped outside, greeted by the bustling sound of the city. Cars honked and roared by the sidewalks, and a few people walked up by. The sky was dark overhead, but the lights of the sprawling city lit the world around the two teens.
   Cole shouldered the scythe strapped to his back. “Well, ah,” He said awkwardly. “See you then.”
   “See you.” With a smile, Liana put on her sunglasses and began walking down the street, tapping the cane lightly on the sidewalk as she went.