“That’s a tonfa,” Sensei Dan said. “It’s used in several traditional Asian martial arts, though its origins are disputed. Its versatility comes from its applications as a defensive and offensive tool capable of delivering a variety of strikes at unorthodox angles.”

  “Are you talking to me again?”

  “Hold it like this.” A tonfa materialized in Dan’s hand and he held it so the long side protected his forearm. “It works as a shield and a club. This one weapon is many in the hands of a skilled user.”

  “I think you were right.” No. Owen knew Dan was right. He tried to steer Owen in the right direction and he resisted his sensei.

  “Give me fifty deflections on your left, and then fifty straight punches aided by the tonfa.”

  “I shouldn’t have put the jumper on Amber’s pad,” Owen said. When he looked at her the betrayal replayed in his head. “I fucked up.”

  “If you can find another tonfa I can teach you techniques utilizing two at the same time.” Dan struck a defensive pose with a pair of tonfa.

  “Sensei Hardknuckle, please. Just talk to me.”

  Sensei Dan gave him a hard look. Gone was the encouraging Sensei whose eyes burned with jubilant energy and a constant smile. He was replaced by a stern instructor with judgment in his eyes. Owen couldn’t blame Sensei Dan, he deserved to be judged.

  “What do you want me to say?” Sensei Dan asked. “You made your choice. You have to live with it. Can’t do anything else.”

  “I’m not seeing a way out of this. I don’t know what Tuck’s up to, but with the explosives and now the weapons, it can’t be anything good. He’s looking for a peacekeeper vehicle. Why?”

  “You could ask him.”

  “And risk a knife to the ribs?” Owen shook his head. “You didn’t see him. We’re on the road to killing more people.”

  “Tuck’s a warrior, Owen,” Dan said. He crossed his arms. “He’s fighting his war. If you think he’s leading you down the road to hell, you don’t need to follow him. He’s not your master. You don’t have one. You never did.”

  “He wouldn’t just let me walk away. I know too much not to be all in. Maybe I tell the truth. Amber might be able to keep me out of trouble. I could tell her everything. The Callahans could protect me.”

  “Would you do that to your team?” Sensei Dan asked plainly. There was no judgment in his tone. Just cold neutrality. “They’d spend the rest of their lives in Black Hill. Would it sit right with you to run free while they rotted?”

  “I don’t know anymore.” Owen rubbed his face. “This was exciting when I didn’t have anything to lose, but now I have a real life. I have a girlfriend, and an apartment, and people know my name. I’m not afraid all the time anymore! I used to think about how much time I had before. I used to squeeze seconds out of the clock. And it would’ve stayed the same if I hadn’t crossed a fucking yellow line and got you in my head. You changed my life. The only reason I got started was to pay my fine.”

  “There’s still time, Owen,” Sensei Dan said gently. “The clock doesn’t stop until you do. I will be with you until our journey together is over, through the good and the bad. I will guide you as a Sensei should, and you will learn as a disciple should. Let your betrayal of someone you love weigh heavy on your heart as a reminder of what never to do again.”

  “I won’t. If Tuck asks me to spy on the Callahans again I won’t do it. I can’t. They aren’t evil. Lucas invited to take me for a drive in one of his cars. Jake’s a piece of shit, but the rest of them were nice. Why are we fighting them? What is it going to change?”

  “Tuck says the Callahans rule the city,” Sensei Dan said. “Everyone wants to blame the people on top. It was the same in my time. Government, billionaires, the law, inequality, injustice. These were the ills of the world and they were the scapegoats. There is truth to these grievances. But the problem didn’t lie with our leaders alone. It lied with all of us. It lied with everyone propping this system up. Corruption isn’t the cause of our misfortunes, it’s a symptom of a deeper sickness. Cowardice and complacency spread to the desperate masses. It’s an infection.”

  “The cogs keep spinning,” Owen said. “The wheels always turn. In this city, we never learn.”

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  “And the machine keeps running, and running, and running.” Dan smirked. “The world you live in isn’t too different from mine. But if Tuck thinks taking down the Callahans will magically make City Seven a better place, then he’s not paying attention. It doesn’t matter if you’re on bottom or on top, there are villains on both sides profiting from the misery they create. They live in the slums, and behind badges, and inside those industry towers, and inside your TV screens. Sometimes they live in your mirror. They are everywhere.” Sensei Dan looked Owen in the eyes.

  “You don’t think we can beat them,” Owen said.

  “You can beat people. You can’t punch the world right,” Sensei Dan said. “Men have been trying since the first caveman picked up his first rock. Knights, Samurai, Vikings, and Mongols. More warlords than you could possibly keep track of from the dawn of time to now. This is the way the world works. You take down the Callahans and someone else just takes their place. The Yamadas or someone else. But it’s not going to be Tuck and a handful of rebels.”

  “Then what? Do we live in the gutter forever? Tell me what to do!”

  “It’s not my job to command you. It’s my job to teach. You’ll need to forge your own path, Owen. Fight for the people you care about. Stand up against evil. It isn’t hard. The problem is that everyone has a different definition of evil. There is no perfect solution, only better ones. You stay true to your convictions and you’ll find your way through this maelstrom.”

  “It needs to be over.” Owen knew it for a long time. “What do I do if they won’t let me leave?” Owen knew Tuck could kill him. “I can’t go to the peacekeepers, and I can’t tell Amber. That was an idiotic idea. I’m alone in this.”

  “Every time you walk out your door you are entering a jungle of violence,” Sensei Dan said. “You don’t know how many enemies you might meet, or if you’ll have any friends to back you up, but if you stay true to yourself it won’t matter. I’ve given you the skills to survive the jungle.” Sensei Dan grabbed Owen by the shoulders and smiled warmly. “But forget the jungle, my disciple. If the whole world stands against you, then you fight the world. This is Hardknuckle.”

  Owen had his decision. He was done fighting Tuck’s war. He never should have started. He needed to tell Tuck directly, whatever the fallout may be. Two weeks later he received a message from Tuck to meet up at the warehouse.

  “There’s the up and coming champ,” Ed said as Owen entered. “You looked good on screen. That was a high quality knockout. A brain shaker!”

  “Thanks. What’s going on here?” Owen nodded at the peacekeeper transport that Tuck and Tom were painting with long rollers.

  “Fuck if I know.” Ed tapped the side of his head. “Tuck’s got the plan locked up tight in his noggin. Got something to do with this beast here though.”

  “Not even Naomi knows,” Vicky said. She sat nearby, plastic cube in her hands clicking as she shifted the colors.

  “You ever going to figure that thing out?” Owen asked.

  “Go fuck yourself,” Vicky said. “How are things with the princess?”

  “She keeps asking for your info so she can take you shopping.”

  “I’d rather take a nose dive off a residential.” Vicky grinned.

  “Owen!” Scott yelled. He tackled Owen from behind and rubbed his knuckles on Owen’s head. “A natural born brawler. Going to be champ. Everyone hear that? Just so when it happens you know I wasn’t bullshitting. You need to teach me how you got out of that headlock.”

  “It was lucky more than anything,” Owen said modestly as he wiggled free. “Ben around?”

  “He’s off site,” Tuck said from atop the armored transport. “He’s getting some more paint with Naomi.” Tuck squinted at Owen. “What’s wrong? Grab a brush. We need to get this transport to acceptable levels of shitty looking.”

  “Can I talk to you?” Owen asked Tuck. His guts rumbled. His heart rate increased.

  “About what?”

  “It needs to be private.”

  “Alright.” Tuck nodded. “Vicky, off the cube. Get to painting.” Vicky slapped the cube down and grabbed a roller. Black paint went on in thick stripes as Tuck led Owen outside. “What’s going on? You look like someone pissed in your HOA breakfast meal.”

  “I want out,” Owen said. He thought the band-aid approach was for the best. Quick and precise. No dancing around the topic. “I need to be done.”

  “Fuck me, Owen. Really? Now?” Tuck sighed. He didn’t say anything for a minute, but he didn’t look ready to attack. “That’s not how this works. Shit, I told you not to get too involved with Amber.” Tuck rubbed his chin. “She’s in your head, isn’t she? Fucking Callahan bitch.”

  “Don’t,” Owen said. “She’s not in my head. This is getting too out of control for me. I wouldn’t turn any of you in. And I think you know that. But this war, it’s not going to solve anything. I’m seeing that clear now.”

  “It’s going to solve everything, Owen.” Tuck took him by the shoulders. “I have trusted you, over and over again. And you have never let me down. Not once.” He smiled weakly at Owen. “I need you to trust me. I will let you walk away clean. We’ve bled together. I promise you as a brother, you will walk away. I can’t give you a better promise, Owen. But I need you one more time.” He held a finger up. “Just one more time and it’ll be done. Can you give me one more mission? That’s all I want.”

  “One more mission.” Owen nodded. It wasn’t too much to ask. One more and it was over. “I can do that.”

  “Not counting today, but we really need some help painting this fucking truck. It’s way bigger than I thought it’d be. But the next time we meet it will be the last time you have to see any of us. You get to just be Owen Lamb again. Sound good?”

  “Sounds good,” Owen said.