>>148973868
>It was a clever move—Norm’s height and reach were his strengths, but his long limbs also made him top-heavy. If Ronnie could just knock his legs out from under him—
>He struck fast, ducking beneath Norm’s arms, going straight for the knees with a sliding sweep.
>Norm stumbled.
>His arms flailed.
>Everyone leaned in.
>This could work—
>But then…
>Norm jumped.
>Just enough.
>His right foot lifted, avoiding the sweep by inches. Ronnie’s claws barely grazed his pant leg. With surprising grace, Norm landed lightly on one foot, twisted midair like a gymnast, and bounced backward, recovering instantly.
>“Whoa!” Norm laughed, stepping back with an impressed grin. “You almost got me there!”
>Ronnie, still crouched low, blinked in frustration. He hadn’t expected Norm to actually dodge that.
>"Right," Ronnie thought bitterly. "Experience. Norm has done this before."
>Still, he wasn’t done.
>Trying to follow up fast before Norm could press the advantage, Ronnie jumped to his feet and delivered a quick, desperate sidekick—his paw angled to strike the side of Norm’s thigh.
>It landed with a soft thud.
>Norm didn’t even budge.
>Ronnie, on the other hand, recoiled instantly, hopping backward on one leg while grabbing the foot he kicked with.
>“ouch?” he said in a nonchalant way like he wasn't sure if he should feel pain or not.
>From the sidelines, Willow’s hand flew up to cover her mouth. She almost giggled but managed to mask it with a polite cough. Gwendolyn looked over and whispered, “He kicked Norm? With his foot? That’s like punching a brick wall with a marshmallow.”
>Back on the mat, Norm tilted his head. “You okay, bud?”
>Ronnie didn’t answer. He forced himself back into a stance, teeth gritted.
>Norm didn’t wait.