Maxwell VS Norton

By the time Alex Maxwell came out of the locker room with Yuna Shin and coach Albert, Andy Norton was ready. He was in full gear, patiently waiting for the easy-going Maxwell to come on piste.

Despite the tense atmosphere inside the gymnasium, Alex stays carefree. He continues to chat pleasantly with Yuna on his side, strolling casually, not hurrying in position.

Irritated by Maxwell's complacency, Norton lost patience and broke the silence.

"I will be your opponent, Maxwell. As We both practice the same discipline of the epee," Andy expected a reaction from Alex. But Maxwell ignores Norton completely.

"Maxwell! Let's enjoy our spar. There is no shame if you lose." Norton speaks again in a haughty tone, attempting to get Maxwell's attention.

"We will talk later, Yuna," Alex finishes his conversation with Yuna before casually answering Andy Norton. He calmly puts himself in position and turns to face him.

"You are too kind, Norton! Since I joined, you have always given me victory. Will you also let me win this time?" Maxwell responds sarcastically, alluding to Norton's past defeat and making him red with anger.

"Alright, boys. Let's begin," Coach Albert goes to the center and invites the two young men to approach.

"The rules are the same as always, three rounds of three minutes, the first to fifteen." Coach Albert confirms with the two; allows them to shake hands and get to their respective line.

"En garde!" Coach Albert instructs, putting the two young men into their stance, raising their weapons and lowering their bodies, ready to pounce at each other.

"Pret!"

"Allez!" The instant coach Albert finishes uttering the word, Norton lunges at Maxwell, landing a clean hit on his chest and surprising Maxwell.

"One point to Norton," Coach Albert confirms, raising ovations in the building.

"It's okay, Oppa! Stay focused!" Yuna motivates Maxwell.

The match continues but leaves Alex in a very disadvantageous situation. During each engagement, Norton always manages to catch Maxwell off guard. At the end of the first round, Andy leads five to zero.

During the time out, one of Norton's followers sneers at Alex, "What's wrong, Maxwell? Already out of gas?" He giggles, looking at Maxwell catching his breath, sitting on a small stool.

"Stop it!" Andy reprimands firmly and looks at Maxwell, feeling disappointed.

Mockeries and laughter still raise among the spectator, looking at Maxwell, quietly seated, with contempt, while Yuna and her friend help him ventilate.

Alex didn't reply and stayed put, ignoring the noises. But Yuna, with her feisty temper, yells fiercely at the audience in his stead. "Mind your business!"

"Ignore them, Oppa! You'll get him." She gives Maxwell a bottle of water and continues taking care of him.

Alex still stayed silent, making Yuna worried. However, when the coach calls them back for round two, Yuna notices a smile on Maxwell's face but is quickly hidden behind the opaque headset.

____

Alex Maxwell and Andy Norton stand from their seat, getting into their position for the start of the second round.

"Fight, Oppa!" Yuna cheers Maxwell vigorously on the sideline.

"Do you think he can still win?" her friend asks Yuna, astonished by her enthusiasm.

"Of course!" Yuna energetically answers without hesitation, watching Maxwell casually stretching his legs.

Even if he is behind in the scores, Alex remains collected. He still exudes confidence, unfazed by his surrounding's ridicules.

"I guess I need to be more serious," Alex mutters to himself and goes on his line.

Coach Albert confirms the young men are both all-set and starts the de-count. "En garde!..."

"...Pret!..."

"...Allez!" Same as the start of the first round, the moment coach Albert finishes his instruction, Norton immediately attacks Maxwell.

This time, however, Alex makes an elegant movement with his wrist, parrying the jab of Norton. And in a split second, within a continuous flowing motion, he riposts with a strong thrust on Norton's torso. The tip of his weapon plants deeply in Norton's plastron, bending the epee and destabilizing Andy's balance.

The action was too fast, leaving everyone in a daze, unable to process what happened. Only Yuna and her friend cheered loudly, hopping up and down in excitement.

"Point for Maxwell," Coach Albert exclaims, waking the onlookers from their disbelief.

"I see, now you are putting more effort, Maxwell," Andy says, shifting back into his guard, getting excited by their fight.

On the next engagement, both stay careful, gauging each other without directly attacking. Suddenly, Maxwell makes an abrupt move, baiting Norton to lunge, but he swiftly retreats out of reach and counter-attacks, stabbing Norton on his belly.

"Point for Maxwell," Coach Albert calls, making the girls cheers louder than before.

Again, in the next engagement, both start cautiously, followed by a feint and a riposte from Maxwell. For the remainder of the second round, Alex showed masterful techniques; feinting, dodging, fending, retaliating, and plunging at Norton.

In the end, Alex manages to equalize the score. They are now tied, five to five.

"See Annie, I told you so. He came back into the game," Yuna looks at her friend with an adorable smug smile, jumping all over the place while her friend tries to calm her down.

"Alright! You are right. I am wrong. He is the best," Annie responds playfully to Yuna, indulging her.

Seeing Maxwell coming back for the time-out, Yuna rushes to help him to sit down.

"Thank you, Yuna," Alex speaks softly, gasping a little from the fights.

"You got this, Oppa. One more round to go." She delicately wipes the sweat out of Maxwell's face and helps him to hydrate.

____

The third round goes with the two young men evenly matched. Maxwell and Norton were having a spectacular bout, putting everyone present in awes, their eyes glued to the two talented young men's display.

Anyone throughout the building could feel the intensity of their clash, quietening down to admire the fight. Maxwell and Norton, on the overhand, were enjoying their spar, oblivious to the spectators' wow and Woah.

If not for their masks, anyone would see the big grin on their faces.

With a few seconds left in the third, Alex leads fourteen to twelve.

Feeling pressured for trailing in points, Norton launches furries of jabs, putting Maxwell on the defensive. The latter moves back many steps, avoiding the succession of attacks, unable to place a counter before going out of bounds.

"Stop running away!" Andy groans in frustration.

"Wha, scary!" Alex replies nonchalantly, getting back on the piste.

When the engagement resumes, again Norton immediately lunges towards Maxwell. Alex skilfully moves sideways, parries the thrust, rotates his wrist to flick his weapon, and hits Norton on the back, staggered by the swift counter.

"Point for Maxwell! Maxwell win!" Coach Albert's voice marks the end of the bout.

Most of the students present were stunned by what happened. Norton was considered a favorite in the club, but lost to Maxwell, considered a slacker.

Alex stayed composed. He did not show any strong reaction to his win. In contrast, Yuna and her friend, Annie, were exhilarated. Yuna, more spirited, jumps into Maxwell's embrace, expressing all the excitation he could have.

"You won, Oppa! You won!" She shouts joyously, wrapping her arms around Maxwell's neck.

The outspoken girl, glued to Maxwell, then addresses Norton, "Now you have no objection for Oppa to be part of the team, right?" She fiercely says.

Norton was bitter about his loss. He approaches Maxwell with a threatening face and stands right in front of him. He menacingly glares at Maxwell as if wanting to start a fight.

Yuna, still attached to Maxwell, quickly intervenes. "What are you doing, Norton?" She screams in a fiery voice, but Maxwell reassures her, nicely patting her head.

"Seems like I won, AGAIN!" Alex gives a devilish smile.

"Come on, boys. Let's calm down," Coach Albert tries to resonate with the two young men, fearing a fight would break out.

However, to everyone's surprise, Maxwell and Norton laugh from their hearts, holding each other firmly by their forearms.

"Don't be a smartass, Maxwell! You are just lucky!" Andy says in playful tones.

"Big talk, for someone who cannot beat me for years." Alex retaliates with the same attitude.

The two continue their rivalry banter, easing the coach and Yuna's worries.

"You two were friends?" Yuna asks innocently.

"You can say that," Alex jokes.

"No way I'll be friends with this snake." Andy protests strongly, reverting back to his hostile attitude, making Maxwell smile awkwardly.

"For now, you can be part of the team. But you better watch out, Maxwell. My grudge against you still stands." Norton says and goes back to the locker room.

____

On the way out of the fencing facility, Yuna and Annie accompany Maxwell.

Yuna is still hyped by the previous fight, skipping all around him like a small bunny.

"You really showed them, Oppa," She says energetically, clinging to Maxwell's arm. "Since the start, I knew you would win," She adds, not losing her intensity, almost hindering Alex's walk.

"How is your ankle?" Alex asks, looking at Yuna energetically clinging to him, remembering this morning accident.

"My ankle is fine. I brought it to the school nurse. There is no swelling, but I still need to rest it." She replies, raising her bandaged leg to show proof, but almost falls down.

Fortunately, Maxwell catches her before she is tumbling. "Careful now. We do not want it to worsen." Alex speaks gently, holding her by her hip.

"Thank you, Oppa," She responds, slightly blushing because she notices she is in Maxwell's arms.

Alex helps Yuna up, still holding her. "We still should let a doctor check on it."

Yuna lost her usual outspoken self, becoming more bashful. "Mhm." She nods timidly, making her friend chuckle.

"Make sure you take good care of your ankle," Alex instructs her, scoffing her pink hair, disheveling the wig. "You still wearing it?" He asks about the wig.

"I like it. It's cute." Yuna sticks out her small tongue in protest.

"You cheeky little devil," Alex flicks her on her forehead, getting an adorable grimace from Yuna.

After a brief chat, Yuna and Annie greet Maxwell and take their leave, "See you tomorrow, Oppa," Yuna makes small waves with both her hands.

"Bye," He says and watches her enter her vehicle with her friend, leaving him alone in front of the school gates.

When Maxwell turns around to return to the parking, he sees Eliana Carter leaning back on the wall, waiting for him.

"Took you long enough," She slowly approaches Maxwell.

"Where are Lily and Ivy?" Alex inquires, remembering the four of them made an appointment after school.

Eliana stays silent, making Maxwell more curious. He notices her saddened face and endearingly takes her hands.

"What's wrong?" He asks again. "There was trouble?" Alex deduces from her grave expression.

Eliana lingers a little before deciding to answer. "Yeah! It's Ivy." She says hesitantly.

The strange situation confuses Maxwell. " What happened exactly?" Alex asks with a concerned expression.

____ End of Chapter 19 ____