Page 54 of Twilight Tactics

“Perfect. So, let’s just focus on some basic escapes. And truly, if you can outrun someone, do it. Avoid having someone lay hands on you at all costs.”

“Right,” Ollie said.

“Okay, so let’s try a wrist grab. If someone tries to control you by grabbing your wrist or arm like this...” She grabbed the girl’s left wrist in a light hold. “What’s your instinct here?”

“To pull away.” She tugged.

“Exactly. And that rarely works unless you can catch someone by surprise. But if they’re stronger and expecting you to do that, then it’s basically impossible to get away like that.”

“Okay.”

“So, what you want to do is use rotation instead. I’ll show you. Grab my wrist—the one without the bandage.”

Ollie did so. Her grip was surprisingly tight. “Okay, now what?”

“What’s the weakest area of your hold?”

“Where my thumb and fingers are separated a little?”

“Exactly. So if I rotate toward that gap, I have a much better chance of breaking free.”

They practiced the maneuver several times with Elena easily breaking out of Ollie’s grip no matter how tight she tried to hold on.

Then Elena did the same to Ollie, being careful but allowingthe teen to master the move. “I think I have this,” she said, excitement bubbling in her voice.

“I think you do.” Elena grinned. “Now, let’s move on to the next step.”

After about fifteen more minutes of practice, Ollie said, “Okay, for real now.”

“I’m not going to do anything to hurt you.”

“I’m not worried about you hurting me. How am I supposed to learn this if it’s too easy?”

She had a point. Elena grabbed Ollie’s wrist in a firm squeeze and the girl rotated her wrist just as she’d been taught, but as she tried to step back, she lost her balance. Ollie worked to regain her footing and accidentally hooked her ankle around Elena’s. As she toppled backward, she grabbed Elena’s shirt, and the sudden pull, combined with their tangled feet, sent Elena forward.

Momentum carried her down toward Ollie. At the last second, she managed to twist away to land on her shoulder and avoid falling on her injured wrist—or Ollie.

A moment of stunned silence followed before Ollie shifted, then her eyes widened, her mouth twitched, and she erupted into laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Elena asked from her awkward position on the mat. Then she followed Ollie’s gaze and realized why the teen was nearly in tears with laughter.

In her fall, Ollie had somehow managed to grab not just Elena’s shirt but the elastic waistband of her yoga pants, pulling them slightly down her hips. Just far enough to reveal the bright blue Wonder Woman boy shorts complete with gold stars and the iconic WW logo prominently displayed across the back.

“Wonder Woman?” Ollie gasped.

Elena ignored the heat flooding her cheeks while sheadjusted her clothing. “They were on sale,” she muttered, “and they’re super comfortable.”

That set Ollie off again, and Elena found herself unable to maintain the facade of dignity. A snort escaped her, then the giggles started. Finally, Elena caught her breath. “Wonder Woman is a warrior. An Amazonian. The underwear is basically tactical gear.”

Ollie roared and tears streamed down her face. She clutched her stomach and finally lay on her back on the mat, gasping. “So, does Sully know you’re a secret superhero?”

“You wouldn’t dare.” The words held no heat. She didn’t care if Ollie said anything to Sully but played the game like she was supposed to.

“No, not right now. But blackmail material is always handy.”

Elena laughed, and Ollie hopped to her feet. “All right, what’s next? Wanna show me how to use your golden lasso?”

Elena cut her eyes at the girl. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”