Brent wasn't sure how much time had passed until someone told him. Hours. They had been at it for hours. Brent wasn't aware of how many calories he was burning, nor how much he was drinking as Zaria and Henry tended to him and Ellie.
It was thrilling. It was like sparring with Kellen, but not. He knew all of Kellen's tells, but he didn't know his Mom's. It meant that he kept getting shoved to the ground, kept getting pinned, kept finding himself at the mercy of the older woman.
Brent loved it.
He felt like he was alive for the first time in a long time, and it was delightful to find that Ellie's eyes were reflecting back the same vibrancy that Brent was feeling. Both of them were humming with life, unaware of the time, sweat and laughter that they were putting in. All the while, Henry watched over them, the Espers coming and going. Zaria switched for another Lieutenant, Lieutenant Gardner, and Zaria lingered a little longer to speak to Gardner before she left.
