Dodging isn't impossible, but it's not a habit Ellis has cultivated. And he doesn't bother now. He weathers the blow, the immediate collision, because that's what they're here for, because this isn't a training exercise and it doesn't matter about form or instinct or anything other than what's owed.

Vance didn't want this to be easy. That doesn't mean Ellis has to make it any more difficult than necessary.

He swings back. There's almost nowhere to aim at but Vance's head, which isn't as straightforward a benefit as it should be. It's easy to miss when habit is swinging up at something taller and bigger.