Down
“This is the best you could find?”
He feels like he should be offended, but the boy that stands across from him isn’t impressive looking either, so he lets it go. When they’d asked him to be a stand in boxing opponent, he’d kind of expected someone, well, bigger, but he’s sure that’s what everyone thought about him when he was younger and in the same position. He knows he’s not everyone’s first thought of what a good fighter looks like, or even the tenth, but it’s been years since he’s been bothered by it. He knows what he can do, and there’s no better way to make someone a believer than show them.
“Trust me, he’ll surprise you.”
It starts off awkward, slow, the two of them circling around each other, and he’s reluctant to actually hit the kid, but he glances at Tommy and the man nods, so he supposes he’s got no choice, really. Still, he doesn’t go full strength, not yet, he knows to wait. Using too much energy to fast is always a bad idea. The shout of “Go, Bonnie!” almost distracts him, and he only just manages to get a hand up to block the punch coming for his stomach. The kid is strong, stronger than Vincent expected. Alright, fine, he’ll play along. Vincent hits him in the ribs, and the impact echoes through the warehouse, leather smacking against skin ringing in his ears. To his credit, Bonnie barely stumbles before he hits back with a punch of his own, hard to the shoulder, hard enough to knock him back a step, and then he stops thinking.
“I see why you chose him now.”
There’s a glimmer of surprise on Bonnie’s face, like not many people last too long against his fists that feel like sledgehammers. They probably don’t, it fucking hurts, but Vincent’s never been one to go down without a fight, and now is no exception, even if Bonnie is just a kid. He does feel a small shiver of guilt, when the crunch of bone breaking snaps through the air, but then he gets a hit to the mouth that he’s pretty sure loosens a few teeth, so he’s not that guilty. In the end, he makes the mistake of stepping forward too soon, getting his arm up at the wrong time, and the concrete fucking hurts when he slams to the ground, dazed.
“Fucking hell.”
Before he can move, a hand is reaching down for him, and he takes it, pulling himself up and grinning up at the kid who looks at him with a frown, confused. Vincent can taste the blood that’s smeared across his teeth, and it makes the smile look demonic, not unlike he’s just been eating something raw and bloody. Tommy looks indifferent, like he always these days, but Arthur and John look amused, passing money like they’ve been making bets, and Vincent rolls his eyes. Bonnie looks at him, a little confused like he’s still not completely sure how someone managed to last that long, let alone give him an actual fight, and hesitantly optimistic when Vincent tells him that he’s never met anyone that could put him down that fast without a weapon.
“So, you’re the best they have?”
“Not anymore.”
Bonnie grins at him, then, bright and wide, and he thinks, yeah, he’s definitely keeping this kid.
tagging: @the-makingsofgreatness, @mia-grace21912
