A Silent Standoff

You spoke of wanting to see me fight a swarm of ants. A true warrior does not wage war against disciplined workers without cause. Near the tree grate where the soil meets pavement, a column of small black ants marched along a cracked seam. I dropped into a grounded stance, planting both clenched fists upon the dusty pavement right across their trail. They did not attack; they paused, tapped their antennae against my knuckles with tiny, rhythmic murmurs, and orderly redirected their perimeter around me. Honor acknowledged honor. We shared the path in silence.