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[The smallest dog in this pack has to make the most noise. Without his magic to defend himself with - so potent that he feared almost nothing before - Theo felt cornered and terrified from the second he woke up on the Peregrine, and it hasn't ceased since. The target of that hostility was, well, everyone, but especially the wardens.

He's always been an easy target. The smallest, the weakest, a runt. Which is precisely why his older brother taught him to at least know how to throw a punch and the best way to hold a knife. They lived in a dangerous neighborhood, and since Theo was so keen to go running off alone so much, Greg needed to make sure little Theo knew how to carry himself.

The way he carries himself now was with conflicting emotions, breath nervous-quick and eyes ablaze with anger. If it was Bucky he had to prove it against, so be it. If he lost, if he died, so be it too. He hadn't feared death for a long time. The only think he feared now was continuing to live.

He knew he had no chance of winning. But he'd be damned if he wasn't going to go down without making a warden suffer as much as he could try. Give them more reason to hate him. Give him more reason to not trust them.

Theo takes only a few steps into the observatory.]

So. What are we doing here.

[He's expecting it to be a trap. To just be dragged off once again by his collar to his room, or worse, solitary.]

( keeping his distance, his eyes flick to theo, and he offers a short nod. missing the defensiveness proves difficult.

he raises his gloved hands, leaves the palms out and plainly visible as he pivots to face the young man. no weapons. no cuffs. bucky answers without lowering them. )

I know what you probably anticipate. What I wanna know is what reason you'd want it to be.

What?>

[A trap it is, then. Theo bares his teeth in a grimace. He almost takes a step back, but he holds his ground.]

What are you talking about. You started shit and I'm not a fucking coward, that's what.

[Theo is starting to realize his mistake. Too hot-headed to turn down the challenge, but what warden in their right mind would risk their job starting a fight with an inmate? How many inmates landed in solitary because they had tried first?]

Did you do this just to fucking lecture me?!

( bucky stays frozen in place, waiting for theo's answer. even with the outburst, he forces a careful breath before answering, )

No. I just want to make sure we're on the same page or at least be in the same book.

You just remind me of someone I know. ( knew, he corrects internally. ) So if you really wanna fight, then I want you to be able to. Just without consequence.

[He does take a step back now, trying to convince himself not to just take off. Can't say you're not a coward, and then run away. He does give Bucky a side-eyed look, since he's still expecting to be caught and dragged off for starting shit with a warden.

His face is trying to suppress several emotions at once, as he continues his cold glare.]

I'm not on your page. I'm not like you, or anyone you know, or anyone here.

And you're not the first person I've fought, so don't think I won't. Just because they took my power from me doesn't mean I'll back down. So I'll ask again - what are we going here!

Then fight me. ( his head cants with a slight shrug. ) No strings. You get to prove yourself capable, and I'll take you seriously.

I'm the one picking the fight, here. Wardens aren't supposed to do that — it's inmate behavior — so it's my hide on the line.

( not that he doesn't already have a plan around that, but. still, if anyone will be critical, it'll be his peers first for both egging theo on and separately encouraging it. this is bucky's way, though. this has always been his way, how he even came to know steve. if theo is really so keen on fighting his supposed bullies, then why deny him the chance? )

[He's torn. Theo doesn't want to fight Bucky - someone much larger than him, someone who might know how to actually fight. But he's in deep, making these claims hoping either Bucky would walk off, or Theo would be hauled back to the dorms before it got too far.

But Bucky just keeps standing there, waiting.

Theo hesitantly takes a couple of steps forward, fists balled. He'll try one last deflection.]

Then why put your neck on the line for something like this? You could have just-- You can just go do whatever! And why should I even trust that you won't just blame it--

[Nope. The texts show Bucky making the challenge abd choosing to meet here. Theo could definitely get in trouble for meeting it, but he doesn't care about that.

Another few steps forward.]

Fuck it. You started this. You really want to fight someone half your size? Fine.

( they're fair questions and assumptions to make. anyone should have them, really. anyone who trusts him blindly presumes to much, bucky thinks. even his own allies shouldn't trust him so quickly with things like this, likely.

even so, he knows how much something like this matters to someone who's felt the weight of an entire system working against them. he can't pretend it's why he didn't take pleasure in it too, back before he realized how little it changed things.

the image of steve, bloodied and face swollen, laying short of falling hundreds of feet back to the earth comes to mind. he hadn't been himself at the time. but. also he had been. did that make it worse? he still wonders, even if it doesn't matter anymore. )

You can handle it. Don't hold back.

[He has to do this. No backing out now. Taking a quick, deep breath, Theo finally charges at Bucky. He's probably surprisingly fast for someone his size and shape - nothing miraculous, but the job he had as a child required him to be sure if he wanted to keep his limbs intact.

He knows the right way to throw a punch, but not much else. He aims it right for Bucky's throat. No holding back. He doesn't expect it to land, not by a long shot. But if it somehow did, it works end this farce quickly.]

( the kid's fast. steve before the serum fast. which makes it all the more devastating in his mind. bucky barely bothers with holding up a guise of defense.

the strike lands, and his windpipe locks. expected. a wheeze as he chokes for breath, drags an arm back, stops himself from throwing it. his left hand flies to his throat as he coughs and gasps for air. he swipes his right arm in front to block an incoming blow but places it loosely, unfit to withstand a strike. )

[Theo had planned to follow up with another strike, but the fact that the first one landed and Bucky's reaction to it almost completely throws him off. Bucky's blocking with his right arm is actually enough to stop the punch due to Theo's surprise.

He stumbles back a few steps, eyes wide for a moment before turning angry again.]

Why didn't you--

[He thought this was supposed to be a fight, not just some punching bag session. He attempts to stay in something of a defensive post, shoulders tense and fists raised in front of him, in case Bucky makes a move.]

Had enough already? ( he catches his breath, though a noticeable rasp remains in his throat. ) You think a tap like that's enough to take me down?

( skipping forward into offensive, his right arm draws back again. jab, cross. granted, both are pulled so that even the bruises theo might get will barely show. the memory of steve asking for his help to pass the physical comes to mind. he hadn't held his punches then. but that had been another thing entirely. )

Shut up! [Theo keeps his arms up to take the hits, a definite "not in the face" kind of move. The blows make him take a few more retreating steps, but his temper is flaring up enough to keep him in the fight. Now if he only knew what he was doing.

He skitters to Bucky's left and attempts to land a hit in the ribs. Since Bucky was throwing from the right, maybe he'd be able to stay out of reach for a moment.]

( keeping theo on his toes is all he intends, not hoping to really rough him up in the process. theo's renewed fury makes it easy to keep up the appearance of effort. though bucky's reflexes afford him enough time to quickly throw his elbow down to deflect theo's punch, he takes it in full with a grunt, expecting theo's hand will hurt more than his ribs later. )

You call that a punch?

( delayed, he throws a strike at theo's shoulder, anticipating theo to easily dodge it. )

Didn't I say sh-- [Eep. Theo just barely makes it out of the way, wheeling backwards. He lets out an annoyed noise as he regains his footing and tries to figure out what to do next.

Sure, he's been in fights before, but he never said he won them. His older brother tried to help, but didn't get very far into it. Hard to convince Theo to put down the books to do anything else.

Bucky's antagonizing put Theo in mind of Greg, but his brother's teasing was nothing but a good-natured way to get Theo riled up and paying attention.

Right now Theo was wishing he had paid more attention back then. He goes for Bucky's other side now, aiming for his arm or side again. He wasn't sure how long he could do this, but he didn't want to find out what would happen when he lost, either.]

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