The fist passed close enough that Liam felt the air of it against his mask.
He had moved back. Not far, not a dramatic leap, just the necessary distance, his feet finding the stone floor and pushing him backward in the half second between seeing the punch commit and it arriving.
His back foot slid slightly on the stone and he caught himself and came up into a stance, his hands raised, his eyes on Marcus.
Marcus had not overextended.
That was the first thing Liam registered properly.
The punch had been fast and it had been heavy but it had been controlled, the weight behind it placed deliberately rather than thrown, and Marcus had come back to standing straight with his hands at his sides like the punch had been a question rather than an attempt.
He was looking at Liam.
Liam was looking at him.
The crowd had a moment of processing what had just happened and then it decided what it thought.
"HE MOVED." Loud, from somewhere in the middle section, genuine surprise in it.
