Okay, so here I am and I have brought the first chapter of the expected sequel to Capoeira De Toad? and I will admit, I enjoyed the break from writing stories for a bit. But, hey, I'm a story addict and I wanted to get back into the flow of things. I will being doing my old routine of updating once a month because it gives enough time for everyone to respond and to think about what happened and what will come.
I'm adding my disclaimers now so everyone is on the same page as me. I have practiced Chinese martial arts before (specifically Wing Chun, various forms of Kung Fu, Xingyiquan and I have tried some contemporary Wushu here and there) and so I will be drawing upon the knowledge I have of those arts. I will also take from what my friend and a Sifu (teacher) will show me and adapt it as I go. I am by no means an expert in Wushu nor do I posses the experience like I did with Capoeira, but I will make do with what I know. Basically, I am using Wushu as it is directly translated into "martial art", not Wushu as the contemporary sport is classified, and I am using that as the basis of my story, that Todd and X23 were studying several styles of Chinese Wushu overseas and now they are going to use the lessons they were given in the dojo in real life.
Most of the characters I introduce and continued using will be classic Marvel Comic characters, however they are going to receive what I call the Evolution Treatment; its when aspects of that classic characters history are altered or haven't occurred yet for the sake of the timeline and the universe. A sneak peek for everyone, I am going to try and bring Emma Frost into the story but I may not expand much on it because it will depend on my writing style and how comfortable I am with writing her character. There will be OCs (Original Characters), as that is my nature to bring new faces to the scene and hopefully they will fill some of the gaps of emotions and complexity.
I think that it goes unsaid but I will put this here now and hopefully without need for a second time. I do not own Marvel, X-Men or any of the character linked to the previous listed franchise. I would make this into a comic if that was the case so everyone could truly see what I am trying to get across.
Anyway, enough from me, let's get the story rolling here! Welcome to the opening chapter Wushu Who?!
Prologue: Here Now, Without You, Missing You
Zum zum zum Besouro Mangangá
Bateu na Policia de soldado a general
Zum zum zum Besouro Mangangá
Entrava na roda e não parava de jogar
Zum zum zum Besouro Mangangá
Zum zum zum Besouro Mangangá
Rahne Sinclair was one a fast beat to keep moving, her partner no longer the inexperienced kid he had been when he first started. She dropped down as his foot swung above her head, her hand planted out on the ground and her body tilted to the side. Shifting her weight to her grounded hand and sweeping her back leg around, she grinned in a feral fashion as she reached back. Pushing off the ground with her feet, she rolled back in a cartwheel and then spun, her foot flying at Jamie Mardox.
Zum zum zum Besouro Mangangá
Bateu na Policia de soldado a general
Zum zum zum Besouro Mangangá
Entrava na roda e não parava de jogar
Zum zum zum Besouro Mangangá
Zum zum zum Besouro Mangangá
Jamie pivoted and twisted his body to the side with her kick so he avoided getting hit again and then dipped his upper body down as swung around. He then kicked off with one foot and the other soon followed as he managed to execute his favorite kick. As he landed, he had to drop down quickly to avoid the front kick that came out of know where and the multiplying mutant rolled over his hands and feet to avoid her.
"Ye love that Butterfly kick, don't ye?" Rahne teased, her Scottish accent dancing over her words like a river does to the pebbles under its swell and tow. "Isn't it a little hard to fit in, seeing as you do it at least six times a match?"
"Well, it's just such a cool move. I mean, it was really the first move that Todd showed me to do that was an aerial." Jamie defended, the young man now fourteen years old and holding his confidence higher than ever before.
Rahne smiled brightly as the younger boy pivoted and placed his hand on the ground, his leg flying around and up at her. The two X-Men had both been training intensely since Todd and X23 had left to go study in China, hoping that they could impress their friends when they returned and show them that had grown in the time they had left.
Jamie, by far, had changed the most during the year. He and Otero really bonded and Jamie had finally begun to stand up to those in the X-Mansion that tried to bully him around. He had even stood up to Wolverine, something nobody was likely to forget. He was also more confident with his powers, incorporating it into his martial arts so he could continuously train and improve. He wasn't that shy, awkward preteen anymore; he was now calm and balanced.
Rahne had grown too in Capoeira, finding a link to the wild in the martial art and that her lycanthropic forms were ideally suited to using Capoeira. While she didn't have the natural flexibility or acrobatics that Todd and X23 had been blessed with, she was more than making up with her speed and endurance. Rahne's real interest of Capoeira was the way that it just seemed to happen and flow, without any need for thinking but rather a feeling of what was supposed to happen.
"Okay, you two, take a break for a second." A familiar boisterous voice told them, both mutants smiling at Otero Smith, the Capoeira Mestre of Bayville.
He was the man who turned around Todd Tolansky and changed him into a better person, strengthening his personality. If he hadn't been willing to take Todd in after what happened, he could have been so much worse. Rahne even had to admit that because of Todd that she was discovering more about herself and that Jamie was becoming a stronger person as well.
But the person that had benefited the most from him, was Laura Logan, known as X23.
She used to be so angry and conflicted but the whirlwind of chaos known at Todd swept her up. He managed to reach her with martial arts, what she only knew as lessons in violence, in such an innocent and playful manner and he had managed to change her murderous streak. He even opened up her heart a great deal and fell in love with her at the same time, something that always brought a smile to Rahne's face.
As she sat on the floor, she couldn't but notice the amount of students that Otero now had. When she first came, it was a small class of maybe six to eight people and now, it had grown to some fifteen, twenty people. While none had been quiet able to replicate what Todd had achieved, there were some impressive rising stars coming from the classes. Some of the New Mutants, like Jubilee and Roberto, also came and some others came on occasion, but Rahne and Jamie were the true practitioners of the house. It just fit them and they also did it memory of their friends.
She never thought that a year and a few months could go by so slowly but the days had literally dragged on till the bitter end. It was as though that they hadn't had any emails or letters from the two, but it wasn't a suitable substitute. As Rahne glanced at Jamie, she could see that he still wore the pendant that Todd had given him. It was a valuable gift that Jamie hadn't undervalued and the boy had protected it with impressive ferocity from the other boys.
"Hey, Jamie. Ye heard any more from Todd or Laura?" Rahne asked curiously. The two hadn't written in nearly two months and despite reassurances from Xavier, Rahne was still worried.
"No, I haven't heard anything." Jamie said as he sat forward in thought. "I wonder if their okay?"
As he spoke, Rahne saw Otero near them and waved at him. "Hey Otero, have you heard from Todd recently."
"Yeah, actually. I got an email early this morning from both of them." He said as he knelt by them. "Their sorry about not writing to you guys but things got rough over there."
"Huh? What happened? Are they alright?" Their questions were nearly simultaneous and Otero lifted his hands in surprise.
"Whoa guys, I don't know that much either. Todd just said that they had some really intense training and that there was a major incident within the school. Laura said that Todd was shaken up by someone but she said they really couldn't talk about it." Otero said, rubbing his chin. "I mean, even Jason wrote me and said that they were fine despite a major incident that happened."
"Oh wow." Jamie said with wide eyes. "Man, I hope nothing too bad happened to them."
"I doubt it, since they both can take care of themselves." Rahne said confidently, more so to reassure themselves. "Are they still coming home at the same time?"
"Yeah, they'll be here at the start of the school year." Otero looked over at a struggling student and stood up. "Anyway, lets put that aside for now and get back to class."
"Sure."
"Okay, Otero."
And so the two went back to sparring, the heat of the room soon lost on the two as they went back to their fast game and soon the worry of their friends settled down as well.
The late August sun wasn't just making the gymnasium hot, as houses all over Bayville were fighting back the heat with air-conditioning and multiple fans. One house that wasn't as affected by the heat was the Boswell house. Preston sighed happily as he leaned back to enjoy the sizzling sun, his flannel shirt wide open to soak the sun as he lounged on his patio stairs
He was born and raised in Texas, the sun there like a warm blanket to him and the grass was a gentle bed. Preston liked Bayville, but there were times that he did miss his warmer hometown and he often thought of visiting. He was shaken from his thought when a stream of water poured over his head, sending a sudden but not unpleasant chill down his neck and chest.
"You need to cool down there, Texas Ranger." Tiffany teased, the jock begrudgingly accepting his drink.
He wiped the trails of water off his face and the glass, flicking some of the droplets at Tiffany. Before he could sip the cool liquid, another body entered his peripheral vision and he smiled as Erica sat in his lap. She shook her head as she took the towel off the banister behind Preston's head and dabbed the wetness off his chest.
"Whatever am I going to do with you?" She teased him lightly, running her finger over his lips.
"I could think of a few things." Preston taunted back, his hand rest on her hips and he savored her light blush before kissing her.
"Ugh….public displays of affection are abused by you two. At least Todd and Laura was a bit more discreet." Tiffany said as she lay on the suspended bench, sighing as the object swayed. "I miss them…"
The three had decided to get together for a few days before they were thrown back into the hassle of school. Erica had been dating Preston since their friend Todd Tolansky suggested that they do so and Tiffany had developed a close teasing-friendship with the boy. Over the last summer and the school year, the three had bonded very with the lack of Todd or his girlfriend, Laura Logan; those two had really changed some things in the high school and Preston could never get used to the feeling of them not being with them.
Tiffany missed Todd and Laura as well. Todd was so eager to be himself and to play around, allowing Laura to be his anchor to reality and to deflate any over zealous ambitions he may have. Laura was such a confident and calm woman that Tiffany found it refreshing from some of the other girls, with Todd there to help her loosen up and to be a source of imagination.
She knew that they both had tough childhoods and they were both more accustomed to the violence that the affection they got from one another. Todd was obvious as to why, given how everyone treated him, but she wondered what had happened to Laura, because she seemed to be so much more removed that Todd at times.
Erica sighed as she lay on Preston's chest, gazing out on the lawn and then turned so her back was on Preston's chest. She looked up at the sky and just wished that two people would just stroll u as they usually did.
"Do you guys know when Laura and Todd are coming back?" Erica asked aloud, Tiffany sighing and Preston lowering his head.
"Last thing that Todd said was that he was planning on coming back for the start of the school year. So, I guess he'll be in around September."
"Wow, they have been gone a long time…" Erica said wistfully. "I wonder if they changed much."
"Eh, it might not be a bad thing. I hope they come back a little more confident in themselves, especially Todd." Tiffany said as she folded her arms behind her head. "He was always so shaky when it came to show what he could do, it was a real shock he did the performance."
"I don't think so." Preston mused to himself.
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, you both know about the fight between the two of us but what I don't think you got, was how much that affect Todd." Preston said as he leaned back. "He felt destroyed that he hurt someone so easily without even really thinking about it."
"So, isn't that a natural feeling?" Tiffany asked, glancing at the jock.
"I guess so but when you look at from Todd's perspective, he must have felt that this meant he could never really use his martial arts in the public until he learnt to control them a lot better. It's possible that his performance was a way of overcoming that hurdle." Preston rationalized, brushing Erica hair absentmindedly. "I'm just glad he got over it as well. I forgave him a long time ago."
"Hmm, just cause you're a big ole' softy like that." Erica teased, Tiffany laughing at the indignant look on his face. "What was the last thing you got from them?"
"Hmm, oh, Laura sent me an email with a bunch of pictures attached to the letter." Preston explained. "I forwarded it to both of you."
"Yeah, I remember. Todd and Laura looked so awesome in those training pictures and the city they were visiting looked really awesome." Tiffany said wistfully. "Aw man, it would be so cool to go and see it."
It was very true; the photos that they had received on the web were beyond amazing. They were just so beautiful and well timed that they seemed to have been taken by a professional. The others in the picture had been described in their emails as being kids that they trained with the most, the closest friends that they had made in the school.
The two also looked a little different, like they were growing up a bit. Todd looked liked he had gotten some more bulk on him but he was still slim and defined while X23 looked like she had filled out slightly and looked sexier overall.
Erica sighed as brushed her hair back, remembering the picture all to well. They had been nice to see and it was great to get an update every now and again, but….
"I still miss them." The other two looked at Erica and she shrugged. "It's nice of them to send the pictures but I really miss having them here. They were just a breath of fresh air, you know?"
"Hmm, yeah, Todd especially. He didn't really accept the normal reality and submitted his own to deal with it." Tiffany said, as she sat up and watched Preston hold Erica gently while his lips gently touched the side of her neck.
They were a really good couple, at least as far as Tiffany was concerned. Preston helped bring Erica out of her timid shell and she helped cool him down when he didn't think everything through. She smiled softly as thy couple shared a smile and then groaned when they kissed; she may have been a little envious but there was only so much of the lovey-dovey stuff she could stand.
And they weren't always like this; Erica, as shy as she was, was adamant in her beliefs and ideals and Preston's insight to some things wasn't always accepted. They had their arguments and they would simmer over what one had said but they also knew how to forgive each other, understanding the need to compromise.
"You two are really too much of a couple at times." Tiffany teased, silently cheering at the blush she earned from them and then looked to the sky. "Have you thought about what's going to happen next year?"
"We're just taking it one day at a time right now." Erica said softly after a moment of silence, stroking Preston's arm absent mindedly.
Tiffany blinked as Preston's watch beeped and checked her own watch. She was never really good at keeping time and she often missed appointments or parties due to her poor time keeping skills. As she looked at her digital watch she leapt up in shock and began to grab her things.
"Hey! We gotta go! We're supposed to meet the others at the theatre at four o'clock and its quarter to right now!" She exclaimed, Erica leaping from Preston and the jock fished his keys out of his pocket as they pilled in his pickup.
They revved the truck up and then took off, the engine purring as it cruised down the streets to the theatre.
The offices in Bayville weren't known for their style or for their glamour. They weren't known for their spacious arrangements or for the most efficient equipment. What they were well known for was their difficulty in locating. Something that the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, better known as SHIELD, of the Department of Defense was very much aware of and as such, they had a satellite office in place and a set of operatives in place to handle any threats that may occur.
Also, due to the high numbers of mutant civilians living in the area and attending the Xavier's School for Gifted Children, it was a wise idea to have a representative in place incase something drastic or dangerous occurred. Hence why they had an office in a three story building rented out next to the police department and just twenty minutes to the Xavier Mansion.
In one of the private office, the head SHIELD operative glanced out his window as a pickup raced by and parked by the theatre and three teenagers climbed out. He smiled and looked back at the report he had in his hands, his keen red eyes dancing over the information he had just received.
It was a toxicology that had been taken from a young man named Todd M. Tolansky, a mutant previously associated with the Brotherhood and was know a known associate of the X-Men. He had gotten blood samples from him and had their best scientist to look at it, even going so far as to get Hank McCoy and Reed Richards to come in and help.
What they found, it wasn't something anybody wanted to read.
The serum was a hybrid of the fatal Legacy Virus, a lethal virus that specifically targeted mutants that had been cooked up in a lab and locked away, and the Super Soldier serum, the substance that gave birth to the legendary Captain America. The result of such a hybrid was an enzyme that would lay dormant in his body until a massive rush of some sort activated the enzyme that had attached to his cells. But then again, Hank had speculated that the enzyme was designed for an energy-expelling mutant so that they could get rid of the sudden rush of energy that soon followed.
When they had simulated the cells with small amounts of electric shocks, the enzyme had activated and created so much power that the desk was damaged during the sudden release of energy. And that was with a mere smear of blood on a glass slide. What would happen if the entire body released a massive amount of energy like that? There was an likely chance that it could very well rip his body apart but both Reeds and Hank speculated that it could possibly be used in another fashion.
The SHIELD agent dropped the report on his desk and rubbed his face in exhaustion, his hand thumping childishly on his desk as he let them fall. He leaned back in his chair, a little unsure of how to take the information about his friend but put it aside for the moment. He was going to focus on the good, which was that the enzyme wasn't going to affect his friend immediately and that Todd may still have a chance to keep anything from happening with the enzyme.
Standing up, the man twisted his torso and neck to relieve his body of its tensions and put his jacket on as he made his way out of the office. He walked past the other desk that was there for his secretary, Hannah Greenwood, when she called to him.
"Mr. Ira! Wait a moment, sir." She called politely, the operative stopping and turning to his assistant.
The former HYDRA agent Caleb Ruby Ira had hardly changed over the year. His hair still had distinguishing streaks of red and black and his ears still had their excessive amounts of piercings. The main difference was that now he had to dress somewhat respectively and that he kept his face trimmed due to office regulations but he still made it fit him as best as he could.
He was an active field officer, there was no way he could with his mutant abilities, but he was also quiet happy to be a liaison between SHIELD and Charles Xavier, something that did irritate him at times. He was a man who lived by principles and codes, not by some rule book and account number. That was never who he was, but sadly, the job required it.
He stood by his secretary's, and assistant's, desk and took a moment to reflect on her. She was appointed after he took the job and initially Hannah was assigned by other superiors to keep an eye on him, reporting around Nick Fury to other shadow members. She was a tough girl too; a talented markswoman and a suitable hand to hand fighter, she did surprise him with her talents when he got to see them at first. When he was informed of her true intentions, he actually thought he would be in trouble with her.
But after he protected her one night during a rampage of the Hulk's, Hannah began to change her perception. And when he explained his reason behind investigating the Sentinel case, she agreed to help him. They weren't just director and secretary, they were actually good partners and they now could trust each other.
"Headquarters has sent you a request and a mission." She said quickly handing him two envelopes and then she placed a black dossier on top. "And this came directly from Nick Fury, about a suggestion you had…."
Caleb's smile looked terrifying as he flipped the dossier over and nearly tore the envelope open, Hannah shaking her head at his antics. Her personal opinion of Caleb fluctuated at times but it often came to similar conclusions; an efficient and competent boss and a good friend. Maybe she was biased then or maybe it was his character traits, but she didn't care.
She trusted him and that was what mattered. Not to mention that his girlfriend was more than capable of reeling him in. Hannah glanced back at Caleb and was surprised by the victorious smile he had on his face. He picked the other folders and waved to her.
"I'll more than likely be back tonight, but you don't have to come in." Caleb told her. "I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay, Hannah?"
"Sure, Caleb. Just remember to call your sister for me; she and I are supposed to have tea again sometime soon." Hannah said, her face going slightly dreamy; she was a tea nut and his sister, Alexia, had the most exquisite tea ever.
"Will do, I promise." He said with a laugh as he left.
As soon as he was outside, he made his way calmly to his motorcycle and sat on the seat for a moment. The news he received was excellent but he had to approach in the most careful of ways. One wrong movement or request could make it all crash and crumble, his whole idea and plan would be for nothing.
But he wasn't going to worry. He had time before he had to present the idea official since he was reporting directly to Fury. That made some parts of this easier than others. Caleb shook his head and popped the front of his bike sear open, placing his files and his firearm in the bike carefully.
Placing the keys in ignition and stomping down on the kick-start, the bike roared to life as the back wheel ripped down on the pavement. The bike shot forward, the kick stand snapping up against the bike and the machine raced out of its parking lot. The man pivoted his weight and the bike hooked around an oncoming car. He reached into his breast pocket and took a cigarette out, placing it between his teeth.
He knew that smoking was bad but considering what his job was and the unsavory people that were after him, it wasn't as if anything was going to prolong his health. Plus, it was what he did to remember Sergei…
As he weaved around traffic, the agent of SHIELD smirked as he let his hand coat itself in black. Caleb's skin literally seemed to seep this black material from his pores, his finger lengthening to claw-like digits and the red markings on the back of his hand were a dull color. He jerked his bike over to a minivan that he was coming up on and as they swept around a corner, he pulled the cigarette from his mouth. He then pressed the tip on the wheel's hubcap and gunned the bike, the two opposing forces of friction lighting the paper on fire.
As he brought the bike up, Caleb gave a wave and a smirk to the kids and the angry mother in the car and raced off while popping his bike up on its back wheel. His red eyes gleamed in the light and he veered off down an alley. He wanted to get to Evelyn while she had her afternoon break and fill her in on some stuff, then tell Alexia about her son and his condition.
Caleb was really tired of bearing bad news…
The room in the Dragon Tiger Temple that the class was gathered in was one of their largest training rooms. The floor was cover in smooth tiles with a slightly raised section of padded flooring, made of tatemi mats. The mats were made of woven soft rush straw, and traditionally packed with rice straw to lessen the impact on the body when it hit the ground. Hanging from the ceilings were banners of varying colors and at the base of each wall, was a series of candles. An empty void of where a wall should have been looked over the green mountain from where the temple was placed.
Around the mats, were the members of the advanced class with their teacher, Master Jason Huang, at the somewhat head of the training area. Each student had a black slash wrapped around their waist, each wearing a traditional Wushu uniform in the schools colors, red and white.
And in the center were two students sparring.
One wore a red band around his arm with a gold tiger embroidered onto and the other whore a white band with a black dragon. It was a common practice when trying to grade students and one had to remain impartial to the fight. It was now just a part of their tradition and it was well kept.
The one with the tiger band was on the aggressive offence as he swept his hand around in closed palm strike. The dragon fighter was on his defense, both hand counter-striking Tiger's arm by striking the wrist and the inside of the elbow before his closest hand palmed him backwards.
Tiger stepped back to avoid the full brunt of the attack and lunged with a front kick, Dragon pushing the kick aside. He ducked under the following hook kick and as Tiger brought his elbow down on his opponent, Dragon's hand caught the red band fighter by the muscle just past his elbow. Tiger slapped that hand aside and came around with a backhand strike when he suddenly fell, Dragon finishing his sweep and held his hands at chest level while crouched on one leg.
Tiger flipped up and Dragon rose with him, both boys smiling broadly as they paced around each other. Jason was happy that they were able to restrict themselves so well and to even fight in the fashion that didn't suit them. Especially Dragon, he had grown a considerable amount in the short time he had been with them.
Dragon suddenly tensed and relaxed at the same time, his hands slowly closing as he slid a leg forward and his face seemed to become blank as he took four distinct breaths. Tiger nervously moved into a different stance, one hand across his collar bone and the other near his pelvis in parallel to above hand as Dragon finished three more breaths. With a small explosion of motion, the white band fighter lunged at Tiger.
"He has learned a lot since he came here, Dad." Jason looked to his left, where his son Gaara sat watching his two friends. "Hama is certainly a great deal more skilled than when he came."
"Indeed, the young man is some who I would consider a prodigy, almost a born fighter. While he is already at an extraordinary level, I feel that he could go even further." Jason mused quietly with his son as Dragon overwhelmed his opponent with rapid liner punches.
Tiger resorted to guarding with his forearms and Dragon suddenly stepped to the side, his knee catching his opponent's thigh. The leg shot up with the knee and Dragon snapped his foot out in a side kick to Tiger's chest, which sent him to the ground. Dragon began backing away so that Tiger when the other boy twisted his hips, his foot catching Dragon's ankle and dropping him on the ground.
"What about his girlfriend then?" Gaara asked curiously, a girl off to the side subtly glancing at the two as Dragon rolled up to block the next attack.
"She's a demon." Jason said with a small amount of worry and continued at Gaara's look. "Extremely well trained, highly focused and she can detach herself so she can fight at any level, that girl is almost an unearthly force. She's a good match for Todd in all respects."
The girl took some pride in Jason's words as she held a small simple smile on her lips and then turned back to the match. Dragon flipped back from his opponent and then threw himself in a horizontal spiral when Tiger threw a spinning kick, the red band fighter looking back into the green eyes of his opponent.
Dragon, who was better known to others as Todd Tolansky, suddenly shot forward. His body was lunged forward, front leg bent and angled at Tiger, whose real name was Xun Su Jen, with the back leg straight. His left arm was tucked by his ribs in lightly closed fist and his right hand was extending in a closed palm strike.
Xun stumbled back and froze when Todd's closed palm stopped, the heel of the palm jerking to stop. A rush of air swept past Xun's face and as his black and blue hair flared, a candle blew out and the stone behind it cracking behind him. They stood there for a moment, the green mutant clearly in a better position than his Chinese friend and it was clear who would have won.
Todd stepped back and wrapped his hand around his fist and bowed to Xun, who returned the bow after getting over the shock. They then turned to Jason and bowed to him and the seniors of the class. They both then smiled, tapping fists and swinging their arms over each other.
"I'm going to miss those two a lot when they leave, Dad." Gaara finally admitted, Jason lowering his head with a smile. "I know we've had a lot of students go through here but Todd and Laura just seemed to get closer with everyone. Their like our family, here at the temple."
"Don't worry, Gaara. I will miss them a great deal too. They have made a great difference here and I hope that they will visit one day." The master said as he looked to his son.
As they left the platform, one young woman watched Xun with an appreciating smile. Xun had been great in help her and Todd settle in, the young man astounded with their powers instead of being scared. He was able to see that Todd was having trouble with the upper body aspects of some styles they were learning and he offered to help him.
Xun had come from a town outside of Shanghai and the styles he had started with were Wing Chun and Shaolin Boxing. He literally specialized in punching, elbowing and anything else to do with his arms and so, he wanted to learn how to better use his legs and thus, Todd and Xun were able to bond quickly. It was really nice to see two impressive practitioners learning from each other.
As they left the platform, they took their bands off and gave them to one of older student. Four of the students were sitting there with notebooks and they spoke to Todd and Xun before the two sat down. The boys quietly chatted amongst themselves, Xun rubbing his chest where Todd had land that quick side kick while the green mutant rubbed his ankles.
Jason looked over the final markings of the match and smiled, impressed by both his students. Xun was showing a faster recovery time and improved coordination with his kicks, as well as his fluid defenses. Todd was using impressive hand techniques and was able to change up styles when he needed to, his kicks still the best arsenal he had but he was improving overall.
He looked around at the students and one girl with a raised brow caught his eyes, a smiling growing on his face. Jason took a quick scan again and felt his smile grow again as he found another girl.
"Jiang Ming, please collect the tiger band." A Chinese girl with magenta lines of color in her hair and black chocker around her neck nodded at her Sifu's words and moved to collect the band. "Laura Logan, please collect the dragon band."
The young woman smirked as she stood, twisting he ponytail around and rebinding it so it was out of the way. She quickly crossed the floor, winking at Todd and smiling at Jiang as she tied the band around her bicep. Laura, or X23 as she was more commonly called, walked to the center of the mats and held her hands out face up. Jiang smiled wickedly and slapped her hands down on the clone's hands, reversing for X23 to do the same.
Like Todd had bonded with Xun, X23 had found a friend in Jiang. The girl had come straight out of Hong Kong and she had literally fought for everything she had and everyplace she was in. She had studied a style called Nanquan and Jiang had been the first girl that X23 really had a fight with. Jiang had to be one of the toughest girls in the school and she even managed to give X23 a run for her money at times.
The two girls held a fist each in one hand as they bowed to their master and then to each other, both straightening for a moment. Jiang snapped into her stance, one arm straight up and down in front of her face and the other out to the side in right angle. Her right leg was bent under her and the left was braced out to the back slightly, ready to shoot her off at X23.
The moment Jiang moved, X23 also slid into her stance and her green eyes locked on the girl. She turned her body half way to the side, her right hand hovering by her waist and her left forearm rose beside her head as she gazed over her bicep. Her legs in a small L stance, her knees and hips gently bent in anticipation to strike.
Jason shook his head lightly to himself and reseated himself for watching this match. These two girls were always sparring and training together, an impressive force to watch and one he never wanted directed at him. Laura was meticulous, ruthless and had no reservations about what had to be done, while Jiang was merciless, inexhaustible and determined till the bitter end. They were quiet a pair but in a strange way, they just seemed to balance each other out.
"Fighters, begin!" A senior student said, a bell struck as he spoke.
X23 was in, right outside Jiang's guard and her foot swept up to the other girl's side. Jiang ducked and swept under the kick, her palm thrusting out to the clone's face. With the back of her hand, X23 struck the blow aside and threw a knee at the Jiang's stomach. The Chinese girl slapped both hands on X23's rising leg and used the force to shoot back across the mats.
As she landed, Jiang slid forward and swept at X23's feet. The clone leant in the air, leg lashing out in kick that forced the other girl to duck even more. Jiang twisted into the air and as X23 landed, she threw her kick at her head. X23 grinned as she arched back and over, the clone's hands planting firmly on the ground and pulled her bent legs up above her body.
Twisting around, her foot shot out and knocked one of Jiang's legs out, the magenta haired girl dropping to one knee. X23 grimaced as the other girl knocked her arm out and she roughly land in crouch. Her arm flew up to stop the shin that came at her face and she then rammed her palm on the inside of the Jiang's leg, throwing her as she stood up.
As she let go of Jiang, the Chinese girl snapped her foot in X23's jaw and the clone flipped herself backwards as the girl twisted in the air to land on her hands and feet, much like a cat. Jiang pushed herself up effortlessly as X23 felt a few little scrapes on her chin, her healing factor taking care of the slight wounds.
"Come on, yo!" Both girl's started and along with the rest of the students, looked at Todd who had just spoken up. "Stop goofing off and show us what you really got! Goofing is my job anyway, yo."
Some of the students laughed while others shook their heads, X23 and Jiang blushing lightly and then they both seemed to grow identical insane smile. Both then extended their open hands out before them, their feet sliding so that they were ready to lunge. X23's hand seemed to bulge around her knuckles for a moment
Suddenly, as if this had happened before, several students began to back away from the mats, leaving Todd and a few others who were obviously used to this. Both women shouted and met with an intense and seemingly endless volley of blows. It felt like wind was rushing away from them and the blows that they were landing, as though shockwaves were rippling through the air.
Jason calmly watched the exchange of blows with a the eyes of falcon, his mind drifting slightly again. He was proud of Laura and Todd, probably more so than any other student that had entered his school. Many of them just wanted to learn the skills so they could be the best and that they could honor their teachers. It was a good aim and along the way, those people often had a change of heart and mind.
But these two had come here with complete different mindsets. Todd had come here because he wanted to become a better person and stronger for the sake of protecting those around him. Laura had come here because of her love for Todd and because she wanted to help carry the weight on his back by choice. Their goals were impossible and selfless, the reason why they had been able to improve so much in one year. Todd had mastered four styles enough to fight fluidly in the arts and X23 had completely mastered two styles, her previous experience in the arts giving her a better edge than Todd. An impressive feat in a single year, something that only prodigals could do.
Those lessons had no come easily; they had been faced with hard teachers and harsh tasks to become this good. And then when the Su Lung incident, they had been faced with such daunting choices that Jason even had wilted upon hearing them. But they had managed to rise above it and even do the right thing, even when the wrong would have been so much easier.
Jason watched as Laura struck Jiang in the shoulder and then the stomach and received a kick in the head as the girl fell back. He was confident in sending them back home after everything that had happened. In all honesty, the rest was up to them and only they could tell if they would be able to handle it. As long as they kept the bad from overlapping the good they achieved, they would be fine.
Jason cleared his mind and returned to the match, deciding that those thoughts would be best left for later.
So yeah, that would be the first chapter done and dusted. It's a good start, giving everyone a chance to see what the different groups of people are thinking and feeling and a taste of what had happened in the sixteen months that Todd and X23 have been in China.
I'm goanna be updating this slowly as I said before and this is because I need to get into the flow a bit better and to figure out where the story is going to be going. This is because some plot ideas got scrapped and I am revising it while I write.
But I hope everyone enjoys this prologue and that everyone is looking forward for the continuation of this story and Capoeira de Toad?.
Talk care and later,
– Lin