As time went by, their debate heated up. Long nights in the laboratory turned into battles full of sharp mockery and fierce debates. Elliot’s precision collided with Ryker’s impulsiveness, and every encounter ended with a sigh of frustration and a slammed folder.
Until eventually, they lost control completely. Elliot slammed his notebook onto the table. “You can’t do it on your own. This is not how teams work.” Ryker finally looked at him, his eyes lit up with challenge. “It’s funny, coming from a person who thinks cooperation means that everyone has to follow his rules.”
“I follow logic,” Elliot insisted. “Something that you clearly don’t understand.” Ryker snorted, rolling his eyes. “If I didn’t understand logic, I wouldn’t be assigned to work with you. So just accept it, we have to cooperate or not.”
The two continued to debate, to the point where Elliot’s emotions finally reached the point where he had to get up from his chair, trying to contain his anger. He needs some fresh air, because otherwise he might lose his mind completely.
However, Ryker wouldn’t let him go. His hand gripped Elliot’s arm hard enough that he almost tripped over. “Where do you want to go?” he asked in an almost challenging tone.
“Oh, the golden boy can’t do it anymore?” Ryker grinned, clearly enjoying Elliot’s annoyance. Elliot closed his eyes for a moment, controlling his emotions.
“You act like you’re smarter than everyone else, but all you do is rely on raw talent and hope for good results. If you really try, maybe you’ll be half as good as you think.” His words were mocking, and there was a loud silence that made Elliot uncomfortable, he couldn’t help but be impolite at this point.
His anger made him forget that Ryker was famous in this school as a delinquent, and that Ryker hated to be challenged so much in such a way. And he only realized his mistake when Ryker threw a punch directly into his face.
However, Elliot won’t let Ryker get away with it. Ryker didn’t even have time to react before Elliot returned with an equally hard punch to his jaw. For a moment, they just stared at each other, their eyes burned with anger that had not subsided.
Then, Ryker grinned. “So, the golden boy knows how to fight too, huh?” Just like that, they lunged at each other again, engaging in a fierce fight. They wrestled on the lab floor, exchanging punches and kicks, trying to defeat each other like two wild beasts that wouldn’t give in.
Until finally, exhaustion defeated them first. Both of them were lying on the floor, panting, their bodies full of bruises. Ryker laughed softly. “Not bad” Elliot snorted, rubbing the wound at the corner of his lips. “You too” They just lay there, managing their breath, staring at the cold ceiling of the laboratory, contrasting their bodies that felt hot with the blood flowing after their argument.
Then Ryker shook his head. “This is the stupidest fight I’ve ever had.” Elliot chuckled. “Agreed.” And strangely, after beating each other, they were finally able to work together. Elliot stops trying to control every second of the project, letting Ryker experiment first before rejecting him outright.
And Ryker “magically” began to follow some of their plans. In the end, their prototype is the perfect blend of structure and spontaneity. And when they won the competition, Elliot wasn’t even surprised anymore.Upon receiving their scholarship, Ryker patted Elliot’s still bruised shoulder. “See, I told you we’re a good team.”
Elliot just grinned. “Not bad for a reckless idiot.” Ryker laughed. “Not bad for an annoying perfectionist.” Maybe they are not just rivals anymore. Perhaps, they are friends.
