What an absolutely incorrigible girl. Sable didn't hate that in a woman, and certainly not a teammate, but alas, he was neither dating nor leading at the moment. Instead, he was in the unenviable position of being stuck on the backfoot: reeling from a thunderbolt and left with an arm full of static. Holding onto his weapon wasn't so much a conscious decision as it was pure reflex, and even then, 'holding it' was a bit of an exaggeration given the fact that feeling hadn't returned to his palm just yet. Still, excuses were just excuses. It didn't change the reality that he had to defend, and defend fast.
Understanding his opponent was the basis of Sable's defense. His milieu had always been other people, so it was no surprise that prediction came most naturally to him. Unfortunately, even if he knew the exact pattern of his opponent's attacks, he could hardly
avoid all the blows given his position and condition. His only recourse then was to
divert what he couldn't prevent. It wouldn't eliminate the damage, but taking a hit to the quadriceps or the deltoids hurt a lot less than taking it in the groin or the throat.
Alas, he couldn't prevent his weapon from flying away with a well-placed blow to his arm, nor could he stop the blow to his chest from sending
him flying away just as well. But through some miracle of the Brothers, he remained standing, just barely, even despite Meg's best efforts. Sable wasn't entirely pleased with this. however.
'It's too late for regrets, but damn it all
, I should've followed up!'
That was the first thing he thought when his back slammed against the hard-light structure at the far end of their makeshift coliseum. The second thing he thought was a complaint about good deeds going unpunished, and the third was that getting out of a tough spot like this would take a miracle. Heavily damaged, no weapon, and hand to hand offensive capabilities handily outstripped by his opponent's. The only way the situation could degenerate more is if he were outnumbered, or if it were a fight that mattered. (Granted, the latter was a bit of a misnomer; every fight mattered in his book.)
Sable's body was revolting against him as he straightened up. He was still standing, but he certainly didn't feel like it. A quick glimpse of their aura readings on screen confirmed his diagnosis: they were both dipping dangerously low. Aura or not, those hits were going to leave red welts and purple bruises, a visible testament to how familiar he'd become with her fighting style--in every sense of the phrase. To her credit, her blows had landed, but to his credit, none of them carried Meg's desperately sought-after lethality despite their force. The same couldn't be said for the next exchange. Any solid hit would be enough to end the fight in either person's favor. Was this what you called a "paper-thin difference in skill"? Or was it was simply his luck that had preserved him? Well, Granny always said luck was a skill too, so it might as well have been.
'Options, options...'
There was always
that. No doubt it could decisively sway the conflict into his favor, but under the surveillance of his collar and of so many witnesses? Not a chance. Better to lose a battle than to lose the war, quoth the old lady herself. On that note, he could simply concede. Even if he secured his weapon, he'd be exposing himself to reprisal. Winning from this position was impossible.
Argh! It was in times like this that he could practically hear Granny in his ear, scolding him for being so defeatist.
'Impossible? Don't be a fool, boy. Impossibility has been your purview ever since I plucked you from the gutter. Remember...'
"...'Wanting to win and believing you can win are the two prerequisites to victory', " Sable echoed in response to Meg's insult. Wasn't Granny the same lady that told him there was no shame in running away if he had to? A bemused puff of air left the faunus' nostrils as his punch drunk gaze sharpened. He could still remember just how much trouble asking
that particular question got him into.
What could he do? He could land a few blows, but he gave himself half odds of breaking her guard with his comparatively weak strength. It was acceptable, but not ideal. He could defend, but that didn't get anyone anywhere. What did he know about her? She was getting agitated. Her pride was getting the best of her. He could use that, but how? Sable quickly glanced behind him. The surrounding structures were hard light dust: hollow and breakable, but also possessed of mass. The foundation cube behind him had damaged after he slammed into it. If he could get her to break it, then... Well, a popular children's game involving a tower of blocks came to mind.
He just had to make her really, really mad.
"For a second there, I thought you understood that. I didn't take you for the type to do things half-assed at the very end. Guess I should've expected less," Sable goaded. Tightening his empty hands into fists, he assumed a proper fighting stance: on his toes, center of gravity low, hands open and ready--a far more taxing effort than he'd have liked. Though he was ready to defend himself, his aura reading indicated that he certainly was not. But the gesture itself was enough to firmly defy his opponent's intentions, which was sufficient for his purposes. "Now let's finish this properly. Or were you
really expecting Mantle trash to up and surrender?"