At the very last moment, Malik jumped up, limbs tucked into a tight roll mid-air.
SSSSSSSSSSST!
The 'blades' sliced the air above and below him as he slipped through a gap between them, barely avoiding a fate that would've split him into two.
'Holy shit!'
His boots hit the ground in a rough landing, sending a jolt of pain up his legs.
No time to care. No time to think.
Malik was up again in a second, wheeling around to face the Roc.
Its left side was a mess, blood dripping from its ruined eye, staining the earth below.
But that didn't slow it down.
It was already turning, its remaining eye locked on him.
The rage that fueled it was now gone.
It wasn't just trying to kill him anymore.
It was fighting to survive.
The Roc swiped its talons, and Malik rushed forward to meet it.
He jumped through like last time, only to see them come back around.
'Fucker's learning.'
