Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

With a low shout, Francesca tightened her fist and launched the first attack.

Chantelle sneered, calmly met her with one hand, and effortlessly brushed her

punch aside. She was just about to mock her when a sharp whistle cut through

the air, so fast it made her skin crawl.

"Oh no!" Chantelle's eyes widened in alarm. She jerked her neck back

instinctively, craning it up as something flashed downward like lightning.

Above her, Aspen's dagger had sliced through the air so fast it left a faint

afterimage behind.

"You..." Chantelle's shock turned into fury.

Was Aspen really going in for the kill?

Damn it. No wonder she was trained by Andrew-just as ruthless and unorthodox.

With a snort, Chantelle twisted her body like a pouncing panther, pushing off the

floor and springing upward. Her right leg shot high and strong, kicking straight at

Francesca's punch mid-air.

Francesca let out a muffled groan. Unable to withstand the blow, she stumbled

backward from the impact.noveldrama

Chantelle was just about to throw out a smug comment when a searing pain shot

through her abdomen. She looked down in disbelief.

When had Lauren gotten close?

Lauren's delicate, pale fist had gently thudded against her stomach. It looked

harmless, but the force behind it was brutal and unforgiving.

Her insides felt like they were on fire.

Lauren pulled her fist back and looked genuinely concerned. "Ms. Garcia, are you

okay? I told you, I have a hard time holding back once I go in."

Fighting through the pain, Chantelle gritted her teeth. "Quit talking. I'm fine. Let's

go again!"

Lauren blinked. "Uh, are you sure? Do you really want to go again? Alright then,

no mercy!"

She raised her fist and began swinging wildly, fists flying toward Chantelle's face

like a flurry of uncoordinated but heavy punches.

Chantelle, refusing to back down, clenched her fists and met her blow head-on. At

the same time, her other hand sliced outward, knocking Aspen away. However,

Francesca swooped in from the side with a follow-up strike.

Chantelle scoffed inwardly. She figured she could tank Francesca's hits without a

problem. Just as the thought crossed her mind, she heard a sharp crack from her

own palm.

The bone in her wrist had split.

A stabbing, electric pain raced up

her arm, draining the color from her

face as sweat broke out across her

forehead. She stared in horror at the

source of it all-Lauren again.

They had just exchanged a punch moments ago, and Lauren had been knocked

back, landing on her butt. Yet, the force had been mutual.

Chantelle paid for it with a fractured wrist, and the pain threw her off completely,

breaking her rhythm and leaving her wide open.

Francesca's punch landed squarely on her back, brutally solid.

Lauren specialized in internal energy-devastating, invisible damage.

Francesca, however, was trained in external power-tearing muscles and

cracking bones.

With a loud gasp, Chantelle coughed up blood and stumbled forward two steps,

barely keeping on her feet.

Then, Aspen appeared like a ghost, silent and lethal, right at her side. A cold

blade hovered just above her carotid artery.

"Ms. Garcia, thanks for the spar," Aspen said with a smirk. She retracted the blade

and bounced away.

"I'm done. I surrender!" Chantelle immediately raised her hand, giving in without

hesitation.

Blood still smeared her lip, and she looked around in disbelief at Lauren,

Francesca, and finally at Aspen.

Andrew stepped forward, grinning ear to ear. "So, Ms. Garcia, how about now?

Convinced?"

Chantelle snapped, "Andrew, you told them to go all out, didn't you?"

Andrew held up his hands

innocently: "Come on, we're all on

the same side. Why would we go for

a kill shot? That was just a warm-up.

If they'd actually gone for blood,

you'd be a corpse right now.

Chantelle shuddered as she bit her

lip and felt silent. She knew he was

right. If that fight had been real, with

the coordination those three had,

combined with their freakish talents,

she would not have made it.

"Fine. You win. I seriously don't understand how you trained three monsters like

this. Especially Ms. Rhodes! How's she so damn strong?"

Chantelle could not wrap her head around it. That punch from Lauren had

traumatized her.

Andrew chuckled. "How did I train them? That's my secret. A bet's a bet. Black

tights-you ready?"

Chantelle dragged herself off the floor, a chill running through her entire body. Her

skin prickled with goosebumps. She asked in disbelief, "Y-You really mean it?"