The weekend came and went as it always did. I tried going out later in the day, but I guess even crime has its off days. This part of the city is pretty boring so I'll have to expand my range of exploration at night. I'll also be sparing for the first ever time this week. I don't know the exact day since Frank wasn't clear with the specifics, but it'll probably be near the end of the week.
Nothing of interest has happened since that little incident with Barbara a while ago. Just the usual damage control- flyers being sent out to the residents about how harrowing this must be and that they'll offer free of charge consultation to anyone who needs it. I doubt anybody cares though, or anybody noticed what went down for that matter. Cheaper rent would've been appreciated, but alas this is a capitalist world so that's a big no-no. Hell, they even opened up her room for lease again, so I'm guessing she'll probably be leaving for the clock tower once she gets discharged from the hospital.
Spring weather up north was pretty decent to be honest. Cold enough to warrant a sweater in the mornings and warm enough to have it off come midday. Putting on my headphones and playing 'Blow out' by Radiohead I begin my daily jog.
—-
Finishing out my run I cool off a bit and begin to do some stretching and minor yoga. I've come to realize how tense my body is, so hopefully I'll loosen up a bit. I know I'm no Dick Grayson, but I still want that flexibility that comes with these sorta workouts.
Going back home and freshening up. I finish my morning with a protein shake, and some whole grain cereal filled with cut up fruits. Now I know you're wondering hey, aren't you 17? Why aren't you in school? Well to answer your question I'll have you know that I dropped out! Well 'I' didn't personally drop out but rather the other version of me did, I wonder if they already got the news? As for why a 17 year old is out living alone 1,000 miles from home…apparently my parents thought it would do me good to start developing independence early in my life. Talk about hands-off parenting huh?
I'd hit them up if I hadn't accidentally cut contact with them when I went and bought a new phone. Whoops. Well, I can always go and visit them once I get the funds for a plane ticket right? So it's not so bad once you think about it.
—-
"Okay, today we'll be purely focusing on defense. Well do different scenarios and I'll also be changing my attacks. After all, everyone is different, we all hit with different speed, and force." He gets into his stance, it looks scarier when he's posted up since Frank was a pretty big guy. "Hands up kid I'll start with some jabs, then hooks, and some body shots after."
"Right got it!" I put my hands up, slightly bend my knees, and 'turtle shell' as Frank calls it. Gloves covering my face, but not closed shut enough to where I can't see.
THWACK!
My head and neck bounce back after just one jab from Frank's right arm. Fuck it hurts! It's way easier to dish it out than take it!
"Chin down kid! Stiffen up your neck c'mon you're not a bobble head!"
"G-got it!" I go back into stance this time slightly flexing my neck muscles and with a lower field of view.
We focus on defending crosses, and jabs for a bit more.
"Good that's enough for now we'll work on that more as the week goes by. Next I want you to 'knock' my hits."
"Knock?"
"Parry."
"Ah okay, like in dark souls yeah?"
"Yeah, whatever helps you understand." He sighs. "When I strike, try tapping away with your glove. I hit with my left, you tap with your right, and vice versa. You'll be redirecting your opponents punches and making it harder for them to use that momentum following a cross okay? Let's try it out."
He led with a right jab this time more slowly, I guess to give me enough time to react. Once he's close enough I tap his glove and redirect his punch.
"Good! Good! Now cross!"
This time I tap his redirect to his left cross. We repeat this motion 12 more times.
"Turtle shell! turtle shell!" He sends five quick and consecutive jabs my way, but thanks to my new reflexes I immediately swallow the hits.
"Not bad kid, you got some good reflexes on you." He says with a smile, clearly proud of how far I've gotten in such little time.
"You know that one video of Ali? The 'can't touch this' video? We'll be doing that. Move your head outside of my punches. Well do 10 jabs, and followed by 10 crosses"
He jabs, and I move my head outside of the jab. He crosses, and I move my head outside of the cross. We continue to do this for a while longer. Getting used to different speeds and lengths. I keep making sure to bend my knees and slightly turn my body as I follow the motions.
"Okay let's move on to hooks. Hooks have a wider range of motion so you'll have to prioritize protecting the side of your head. You want to preferably be covering around or behind your ear to make sure the hit doesn't connect, because if it does, your fucked. Got it?"
"Yeah I'm ready, hit me." I turtle shell again, this time as he swings his arm I slightly raise my elbow and cover the side of my head with my glove, making sure it doesn't connect with my ear.
"Don't flare your elbows! Keep em tucked kid! It'll also help with defending uppercuts."
He swings his hook arm 10 more times towards the right side of my head. And then switches to my left.
"Good job! You want to be tight as hell kid! Don't loosen up until I tell you to. Let's run it again, but this time you'll be defending uppercuts."
Constantly having to defend was getting a little tiring and using my ability now would just leave me even more tired so I decided to leave it on hold for now.
"Okay you did good kid, we'll run the sequence one more time but this time I'll be sending a bunch of different hits your way. I'll lead with a hook, then a jab and a cross. Followed by an uppercut."
He starts the motion as he says and I react accordingly. I I raise my elbow and block the hook, followed by parrying the jab, and hook, and turtling for the uppercut.
"Good shit kid! At the rate you're going you'll probably beat the bricks off the kid I'm putting you up against." He says with a toothy smile while patting my shoulder. "Well finish off strong and focus on body shots as our last drill for the day. I'll give you a quick 5 minute break then I want you back here got it?"
I nod my head and walk away to drink some water and secretly use my ability to heal the soreness that was starting to build up. Seriously, I know he's holding back, but his punches still hit like a freight train! It's good practice though. Walking back after slightly recovering I get ready for the homestretch.
"I'll be aiming for your torso now. I want you to close off your body by bringing your elbows together, or you can do what I told you to do with jabs but this time use your elbows to knock away my hits." He stands on guard and waits for me to get ready.
Knees bent, chin down, arms up as always. This is the current stance Frank wants me to run. I don't mean it to sound disrespectful, but I might change it up depending on how any of my future fights go.
"Alright I'm ready."
"Good let's start."
Right jab, close elbows
Left cross, knock
We ran this drill for about 15 more punches, and after we stopped.
"Alright that's good. We'll run it one more time, but this time I won't call out what I'll be sending. I won't go fast as to give you time to react, however it'll be up to you to react accordingly. Don't get mad if you get hit, kid I don't expect you master this in one sitting."
For the final time today Frank came at me with everything he had taught. I'm not gonna sit here and say I succeeded in blocking them all out. Hell I don't even think I guarded half of his hits. It pissed me off, but I hadn't even been here for a month so I knew I had no right to complain. No system to garner any experience, no levels nor proficiency stat I could increase. It was my duty to remember and ingrain these skills I was learning into my body and mind.
I was dull and ugly, like a piece of unused iron, but one day. I can only hope to become a sword. I knew I wasn't special, just another number in a census. I want to be special though. I got thrown into this world. So there must be something out there for me right? I'll just have to find it. No matter what. I'll find it.
—-
"That's enough for today. Hrrrm" Frank stretches causally. The same couldn't be said for me. My arms were starting to experience the punishment of my actions and had begun to sore again. "That's enough for today. We'll run that again tomorrow, and also start to focus on defending against kicks. I don't think that other kid has learned how to send out a 'proper' kick yet, but with these kinda things you should always expect the unexpected."
]"Right, I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Stay safe kid." He waves me off.