Full Mikwam fight

I didn’t have to wait long. Just after midnight, there came a knock on the door. I was up and to the door in ten strides. I threw back the deadbolt, ripped the door open and threw out a front kick. If someone had been behind the door they would have been obliterated. Too bad nobody was there. I stumbled out into the cold night feeling like a jackass. Then, upstairs, Kiira screamed. I spun and sprinted through the house. Kiira’s piercing shriek was cut short, as if someone had slapped a hand over her mouth. I blasted up the stairs and down the hall and through the door and found her up against the wall with wide open eyes and a gloved hand across her mouth. A guy in a white balaclava stood behind her. He had a knife to her throat. I kept my hands out in front of me where he could see them but didn’t stop moving forward.

“I’ll cut her *bleep* throat!” the guy said.

“No you won’t,” I said, taking one last step. Eight feet separated us now. Far enough for him to feel safe. Close enough for him not to be. “You’re getting 20k to beat her,” I said. “Not kill her.” The guy’s head titled to the side, just a fraction, but it was enough to tell me I’d got it right. “Listen carefully,” I said. “I’m sure you’re a scary guy. Maybe you’ve done this kind of thing before. But I can promise you two things. One, I’m much better at this that you are. Two, if you don’t put that knife down right now, I will kill you.”

A moment passed. I looked straight into his eyes. He looked back, saw what he needed to see, and lowered the knife. “Kick it to me,” I said. He dropped the knife and his eyes went down with it and I used that moment to lunge forward and push his off button. My knuckles tapped the point of his chin, jolting his sinus. His legs gave out and Kiira leapt away with a yelp. I pointed to the door behind me and she skirted toward it. Without needing to be told, she flicked on the light. The guy was already regaining consciousness. He blinked a few times. It took a moment for his eyes to focus and when they did they found me standing over him, one foot on each arm. I leaned down and yanked off his balaclava. He was Ojibwe. Maybe twenty-five years old. Young, but with a hardness in his eyes.

“You’re one of Moosejaw’s,” I said.

"*bleep* you."

I slapped him across the face with my open hand. It stung and it was humiliating and it woke him right up. He clenched his jaw and fought against me, trying to free his arms. I slapped him again, harder. He stopped fighting. He was breathing hard through his nose, trying to control his anger.

“You’re blooded,” I said. “Majii Manidoo.” That stopped him. He squinted up at me, suspicious.

“How do you know that?” he said. “I know a lot of things,” I said. “Who’d you kill?” He breathed through his nose some more. Shook his head. “Tell me,” I said, digging my weight into his arms. He breathed in and out. I slapped him again. “Tell me.” He glared at me and I looked right back until he looked away. “Who did you kill?” I said. I saw his eyes go far away. Eventually, he breathed, “A man.” “In the Boundary Waters?” He nodded. Moosejaw and his Wendigo control the unguarded border between the US and Canada known as the Boundary Waters. This kid was one of them. Silent assassins that know the land. Shadows that murder in the night. “How’d you do it?” I said.

“Waabishkiiwed make so much noise,” he said. “Wake the whole forrest. He was like a blind man. He never even saw me.”

“How’d you do it?” I said again. He breathed for a moment.

“Drowned him,” he said. “Did he fight? At the end?” He nodded slowly.

“Did you watch it?” I said. “Did you take his spirit?” The young Ojibwe said nothing. He breathed in and out, unable to meet my gaze. His eyes were wet. “How often does he visit you?” I said. His mouth began to quiver. He squeezed his eyes shut. A tear spilled down his cheek, leaving a glistening trail. “Does Moosejaw know you’re here?” I said. He opened his eyes again. I saw fear there now. He shook his head. His eyes were wide. Moosejaw wasn’t stupid. He knew Kiira was off limits. Which meant this kid was already dead if Moosejaw found out about this. “What’s your name?” I said.

“Mikwam.”

“What’s that mean in Ojibwe?”

“Ice,” he said.

“How did you discover The Labyrinth, Mikwam?” His eyes widened.

“Are you in it too?” I shook my head. “How do you know about it?” he said.

“As I said, I know a lot of things. Where did you find your code?”

“Someone texted me a link. Unknown number.” He paused. “They knew,” he said.

“Knew what?”

“His name.”

“The guy you killed?” He nodded. I thought about that. “Any idea how they knew?” I said. He shook his head. I took a step back and considered him.

He’d forgotten to be afraid of me. “I’m going to throw you out the window now,” I said. The fear came back.
-Sledge vs. The Labyrinth, pg. 20-23