It was through Jonny's technique that she began to understand what Charles was telling her to do: to fight with a strategy for winning rather than fighting simply to fight. Jonny treated this as a chess match while she normally just tried to Hulk smash her opponent.
"Sixty seconds!" Charles belted out.
Ashley hit harder, moved faster, danced swiftly. Sweat dampened her clothing and hair. She smelled Jonny's sweat and masculine scent as well, and it only made her more fevered.
"Thirty seconds!"
Jonny switched tactics suddenly. She landed four solid blows in a row - more than any other single instance - before he disappeared.
This time, he didn't reappear immediately. Ashley remained in place, breathing hard, senses alert, and eyes closed to await the charge of his return.
"Fifteen!"
She waited.
"Ten! Nine. Eight."
The tingle of electricity came from her right. She whirled to confront him only to feel the tingle behind her instead. Using her momentum to double her speed, she spun completely around to block his blow. And then she sensed it - the setup he'd worked to create. A tree was on one side of her, limiting her movement, and Jonny the other.
"Five. Four …"
Jonny Traveled closer and shoved her into the tree, one arm braced against her back while the other was wrapped in her braid and pulling her head back.
"One."
Ashley panted, locked in place and fully aware someone half as fast as she was had just beaten her.
Jonny's hot breath was on her neck. She tensed, her eyes flying open to stare at the trunk and blue sky above. She waited for him to bite her.
Jonny lifted his head instead without releasing her.
"Speed versus strategy," Charles said, approval in his voice as he approached. "Do you still doubt me, ikir?"
"I never doubt you, Charles. But this was sparring. When Valon comes for me, it won't be a game."
"Did you go into this fight considering it a game?"
Ashley listened. Jonny was breathing hard, his lean form pressed to hers.
"I didn't think so, no," Jonny replied. "There wasn't as much at risk though."
"Speak for yourself!" Ashley bit off.
Jonny released her hair and stepped far enough away for her to ease back from the tree. "This was real to you?" he asked.
"Every time is real to me," she replied.
"And that is what you can learn from her, ikir. The Natural fights for her brother every second she's on her feet," Charles said. "She lacks discipline and strategy, which you do not. But you lack -"
"- heart," Ashley finished for him. "You're a cold, robotic bastard who's forgotten how to feel."