//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9 
// Story: Combat Magic 
// by totallynotabrony 
//------------------------------//

	The drinking establishment was rather rustic, perhaps not intentionally so. In fact, it might have just been rough and somewhat grimy on accident. Rarity couldn’t tell. The lights were dim.
Nevertheless, there was a table for six available. Closer to the bar were a few televisions playing some sort of sporting event. A male announcer was talking excitedly about Ducks versus Beavers. Rarity hoped it was a sporting event, anyway. Most patrons of the place were focused on the show and carrying on conversations amongst themselves. Even at the rear of the room there was some background noise to talk over.
“I’ve heard that they have pretty good hard cider around here,” commented Bear. “If you don’t know anything else about alcohol, that might be a good place to start.”
Rarity wasn’t sure if she liked the word “hard” in the description, but nodded consent. Rob had already taken a mental inventory of everyone’s orders and went to get them. Upon his return, he set a glass of amber liquid in front of Rarity.
It tasted like cider, but with an appropriately named hard undertone. Rob distributed various bottles and glasses to the rest of the group.
“Heads up,” murmured Rob to Veronica as he handed her a drink. “You’ve got someone making eyes at you.”
Rarity felt slightly insulted that that she wasn’t the first to get noticed by the locals. Then again, this is what she got by deciding to go without makeup.  She took another sip of her beverage.
“Do you want me to discourage him by acting like your boyfriend?” asked Rob.
Veronica considered that for a moment. “It’s a tough decision, but I’d rather deal with a creep I don’t know.”
“Get ready, here he comes.”
Veronica hunched a little lower in her chair. Rob picked up his drink, hiding a smile. Rarity thought that he might be anticipating a show.
The man that approached seemed only slightly intoxicated. He moved to Veronica’s side. “Hey there, I was wondering if I could buy you a drink.”
Veronica held up her bottle. “I already have one. You have five seconds to come up with a better line than that.”
“You don’t have to be that way,” he said, sounding somewhat offended. “I haven’t seen you around before, so are you just passing through? Looking for something short term? So am I.”
“You wouldn’t like me,” replied Veronica coolly.
It was a clear setup, and the man took the bait. “Why’s that?”
Veronica got up, her height no longer hidden. She was nearly a foot taller than the man. He took a surprised step backwards and she leaned towards him. “Why’s that? I’d break you in half.”
Rob’s amusement got the best of him and he cracked up. The man’s face flashed red and he started to edge backwards. One of his more inebriated companions appeared just then. “What’s going on here?”
The second man surveyed the situation and decided Rob was the easiest target with his eyes closed and laughing mouth open. As he stepped forward, Veronica moved her foot slightly to trip him. Rob sensed the stumbling man coming and slid sideways, letting him fall against the table.
Rob got up and helped the man stand upright. “There, we all get a little tipsy sometimes.”
He was clearly giving the man an out. Instead of taking it, he threw a punch. Rob ducked it effortlessly, as he had seen it coming. He shoved the man in Veronica’s direction. She put her hands up to catch him, still trying to de-escalate the fight. 
The first man unwisely decided to come to the aid of his friend. Veronica shoved the man in her grasp back towards Rob and threw up one long arm to intercept the attack coming her way. Her hand pressed against the man’s collarbone, keeping him out of range as his fist went sailing harmlessly past her face. Then she reared back and kicked him in the chest.
He hit the floor hard and slid for a couple of feet. Apparently the two men had other friends, as a few were already helping him up and advancing angrily on the table of six.
The man Rob was dealing with kept throwing decent punches, but Rob was better at getting out of the way. There was an angry shriek, “Get away from my boyfriend!” A woman attacked him at the same time. Rob feinted to the side and she went right past, missing his body completely.
Rarity had nervously gotten up from her seat when the fighting broke out.  She was currently standing behind and to the side of Rob. Apparently, when the woman failed to connect with him, she decided that Rarity was a fine secondary target. Rarity flinched away and the woman’s onrushing fist glanced off her cheek, rather than the intended target of her nose.
There was pain. It was possible that the scabs Rarity had gained from earlier attacks had split open. She took quick steps backwards, fear washing through her. There were no weapons this time and her assailant probably didn’t want her dead, but being so close and personal amplified the intensity of the emotion.
Rarity’s hand curled into a tight ball and she swung, smacking the woman’s nose. Blood blossomed from under her knuckles, accompanied by a cry of anguish. The woman stumbled away, hands covering her face.
Rarity felt a spark of magic in the air and saw Morgan hit someone. The unfortunate attacker traveled a longer distance across the floor than Veronica’s kick had produced. Morgan turned and picked up his glass, sipping casually.
Rob appeared to have become bored with dodging attacks and simply pushed his opponent to the floor. Veronica was the last one with a foe to deal with. She grabbed the man charging in her direction by the shirt and belt, rotating him over her hip and slamming him down on the table. Bear and Jenny grabbed their drinks at the last second as the table collapsed in front of them.
The six of them stood there somewhat awkwardly as every face in the bar gaped in their direction. Bear threw out a handful of cash and turned for the door. Rarity hurried after her, the others somewhat slower.
“Does…does this kind of thing happen often?” stuttered Rarity, as she felt her face and hand for injury. Her system was buzzing with adrenaline, and she couldn’t figure out how her hand had clenched into a fist seemingly by its own accord. She hadn’t expected human instincts to be so powerful, or focused on aggression.
“Not often,” said Jenny. “But this isn’t the first time.”
“And why didn’t you help?” demanded Rarity, looking between her and the other member of the group that hadn’t participated.
Bear shrugged. “We didn’t want to kill anyone.”
“Are you sure?” Rarity looked at Veronica. “You destroyed a table with a person!”
“Mostly it’s about momentum.” Veronica shrugged. “He’ll be sore, but fine.”
“Same for the guy that was all over me,” added Rob. “I barely touched him.”
“The one I hit will be unconscious for a little while, but that’s the alcohol’s fault, not mine,” said Morgan. “Force spells and booze aren’t a good combo.”
Rarity looked at them all and shook her head. “I think I may have broken that woman’s nose.”
Morgan grinned. “You’re a dangerous motherfucker.”



The airplane was somewhat late arriving. The passengers, already grumpy from an evening flight, were not very talkative and generally looked displeased. One man, however, stood out.
His face contained no hostility, despite his rather grim black clothing. As the baggage came off the carousel, an airport employee was reading off the nametags in an effort to speed up the process and perhaps quell passenger complaints.
“Mr. Wright?”
The man in black stepped forward. "That would be me."
The worker looked interested as he spoke. “You don’t sound like you’re from around here. What brings you to Portland?”
Wright smiled. “Business.”