Hook-swinging vs. Lord of Loss

I kept the hook spinning around me in loose circles, experimenting with passing it from hand to hand, with trying to find the balance between using my strength to keep it moving and maintain my grip and not having the Wretch in a position where it was hurting more than helping. Here and there, the cable slipped against my hand, metal edges cutting at the fabric. Tough fabric, but it was a lot of wear and tear. Past a certain point and it would be cutting my hand.

***

He pulled his head away from the kick, retreating. I shifted my course, pulling the slack in the line taut, and let the current momentum of the hook finish its rotation. It smashed him in the right shoulder and then carried on to hit the ground by his left forelimb. He hopped, three-legged, to get back, already regenerating by morphing his form.

***

I flew after him, and saw him veer to one side. Claws latched onto the wall of a building. Going up, gripping-


I shifted course.


-and he bounded off of the side of the building, collapsing a part of the construction as he sailed upside-down toward me.


Again, the hook struck him. This time it was across the face. The impact changed his orientation and gave me the opportunity to strike out, kicking. I remembered the lessons I'd had learning to fight while airborne, and applied them. Rotation was key, and my rotation was helped by the fact that the hook's weight was pulling me one way. Wretch active, heavy blow delivered.


The Wretch broke and I had to pull my hands away before the cable tore right past my hands and shredded them. Wrong timing. The only saving grace was that I'd just delivered a heavy hit, and all of the momentum was gone. Cables swung through the air and the damaged hook and pulley combination tumbled end over end.


I caught it. Not a great catch.

- Blinding 11.7