31 Plays in 31 Days, #6 - "Planning the Approach"

[breakinglight11]

Today's bit is an imagining from the planned sixth Mrs. Hawking show, the one where she takes on Jack the Ripper. This scene, where she figures out how she's going to approach the fight with the monster she's hunting, was inspired by a conversation I had with one of my favorite students, a super cool former fencer who told me about how real knife fights go. He made a lot of awesome suggestions for how an actual experienced knife fighter would work, and I tried to incorporate that into Mrs. Hawking's plan. At this point in the timeline she'll be forty-eight years old, and starting to feel the effects of being that age trying to take on men in physical altercations.

This scene leads into another scene I wrote for part VI in a previous 31P31D last year, which I called "Continual Practice." That wasn't my original intention for the two ideas, but I really like how they work together. Gets at some great, deep-dive character stuff for my beloved screwed up protagonist.

Day #6 Planning the Approach
From Mrs. Hawking part VI
By Phoebe Roberts

VICTORIA HAWKING, lady's society avenger
ELIZABETH FROST, her consulting nemesis

London, England, 1888
~~~

MRS. FROST: What’s your approach?

MRS. HAWKING: Attack from behind. Control the back. Get the neck in a hold and bring the blade in to end it. With speed it'll be over in a blow or two. 

MRS. FROST: What if you can't get behind him?

MRS. HAWKING: Go for the hands. Cripple him first, or at least knock out the knife. Worse case, bone shield to ward him until I'm close enough for the disarm.

MRS. FROST: And you’re certain he can’t fight like you?

MRS. HAWKING: What are the chances? He cuts up street women; he’s a butcher, not a warrior.

MRS. FROST: Most likely. But he'll be bigger than you— taller, longer reach. And most certainly he’ll be younger. 

(Pause.)

MRS. FROST: If he gets a hold of you, you're finished. 

MRS. HAWKING: I'll have to be fast. Hit and run, if I have to.

MRS. FROST: Worry him down. Might do. But then he'll know you're coming.

MRS. HAWKING: There’s always the throwing blades.

MRS. FROST: If you have a clear shot.

MRS. HAWKING: There will be something. You can strategize all you like, but you can’t know until you’re in it. I’ll find something.

MRS. FROST: You sound very certain.

MRS. HAWKING: If I couldn’t, I would not have made it to this age.

(Pause.)

MRS. FROST: I suppose that’s true. But you were always very sure of yourself. After all, you had no fear to biff a hero soldier twice your size the moment you laid eyes on him. Tell me, was that the last time?

MRS. HAWKING: Was what the last time?

MRS. FROST: That you hit him?