The reality was, there was so disagreeing with China. It just wasn't heard of. Something that didn't happen. So they were going to train Ethel as much as they could in the remaining six days. Ghastly and Skulduggery were leading close range combat. Dexter, Tanith and Saracen were in charge of weapons training. Valkyrie, Fletcher and Anton were teaching about magic, and if she could do it. They created a schedule. Zafaria would be present in each "lesson", in case anything went wrong, physical or otherwise. Nasri, Rania and Sam floated around, offering help and advice where it was needed, observing other times. Ethel didn't have her mental memories, but she had her muscle memory. She didn't know this, of course, she just thought she was a badass.

"Pick your weapon." Dexter urged, gesturing to the table. They had set up outside, giving them space. There were swords, daggers, guns, bows and arrows, escrima sticks and her arnis on the table. She gazed at the them all, chewing the inside of her cheek. She trailed her finger over each weapon. The three teachers remained completely emotionless as she picked up a gun. Ethel fidgeted with it for a moment, then took one handed aim. "Can I shoot it?" She asked hopefully. Saracen nodded. She inhaled as she pulled the trigger, one eye closed. She missed. The kickback swung her arm pack, twisting her shoulder. She frowned.

"You're up." Tanith said to Dexter, smirking. Dexter picked up a gun and stood next to Ethel. "Like this." He said. He stood with his feet apart, both hands on the gun, arms outstretched. He inhaled, and as he steadily exhaled he fired, both eyes open. He hit the target she had been aiming at.

"Whoa." Ethel breathed. She looked at his feet, then her own. She copied his stance, her arms outstretched. Dexter turned to her and placed a hand on her stomach. "Tense up here. Anchor yourself. The kickback won't throw you off so much." He felt her stomach tense, her abs constricted.

"Yeah, like that." Dexter said. Ethel could feel his breath on her cheek. Tanith raised her eyebrows grinning, grabbing Saracen's arm. He shrugged her off, but he was smiling nonetheless. She inhaled, and fired on the exhale. She got the target.

"Ah! I did it! I got it! Did you see that?! Did you all see that?!" Ethel beamed. Saracen have a loud clap and Tanith slapped her shoulder.

"Do you like it? Want to try something else?" Saracen asked. Ethel looked at the gun, tilting it, watching it gleam in the sunlight.

"It's a bit loud..." Ethel admitted.

"Pick another one! We got time." Tanith assured. Ethel placed the gun back on the table. She stared at the weapons, pondering. She picked up the sword next. It was light in her hand, double edged. She turned with it, almost cutting Dexter. He dodged back.

"Whoa- okay, aim at the ground, Ethel! The ground!" Tanith instructed, stepping forward and holding the sword down in Ethel's hand. Tanith unsheathed her own sword and stood in front of Ethel.

"Okay, so similar stand to the gun. Legs apart. Arms up. Both hands. But don't tense. Be loose, be ready." Tanith said, rolling her shoulders. Ethel nodded, copying her stance. She rolled her shoulders too, trying to loosen up.

"Okay, now you wanna swing. Move your arms with the sword; one quick, fluid movement." Tanith explained, demonstrating, starting high up left and ending down low right. She was so fast Ethel barely saw it, just a glint of silver in the sun. Ethel gasped a little, then tried it herself. The sword was so light she lost her balance a little, dropping the sword. Tanith blinked slowly, her gaze flicking from Ethel to sword.

"Should we try something else?" Tanith asked. Ethel picked up the sword, nodding sheepishly. She placed it on the table. "What if I'm just not a weapons person?" Ethel asked.

"That's fine if not. Valkyrie doesn't use weapons, neither does Ghastly-" Dexter started.

"Nah, he uses his fists." Saracen joked. Dexter laughed at this.

"You haven't tried everything though." Tanith pointed out. She was dying to see Ethel handle her arnis again. Excitement bubbled inside of all three teachers as Ethel picked up her arnis, giving it a test swing, smiling as it whistled. She tossed it, flipped it and caught it.

"I like this..." Ethel mused. She looked up at Saracen.

"Am I holding this right?" Ethel asked. She was balancing it in a loose fist in the middle. Saracen smiled, nodding. He picked up another arnis, not Ghastly made.

Saracen stood in front of Ethel and gestured for Ethel to come at him. Ethel put her left foot forward as her right hand slashed through the air, holding the polished wood a quarter of the way up. Saracen blocked at the once moment, the satisfying thunk of wood on wood echoing. Muscle memory kicked in as Ethel pulled the arnis away, using the momentum to carry her into a spin, coming at him from the opposite side. Saracen couldn't block it in time and the strike landed on his arm, hard.

"Oh, oh no-" Ethel began, but she stopped as she saw Saracen's face. He was happy, his mouth open in a wide, teeth showing smile.

"There she is." Tanith whispered to Dexter as he stared at Ethel, beaming.

"I'm sorry, does it hurt, oh I'm sorry- I didn't know I could do that." Ethel admitted. Saracen brushed off her concern.

"It's okay, Ez- Ethel, don't worry." Saracen assured her, massaging his shoulder which had a dull, aching throb, but he hid it. He was too happy to really feel it. This was promising. This was progress.

"Okay, so. Feet shoulder width apart, yes, good. Like that." Skulduggery instructed. They were inside now, in a vast room with mats on the floor. Dexter and Valkyrie sat against a wall, spectating. Ghastly and Skulduggery stood in front of Ethel.

"We're going to focus on dodging first. Hitting is fun but not getting hit is even more fun." Skulduggery explained as Ghastly snorted.

"So take a swing at me." Skulduggery invited, dropping his hands to his sides. Ethel stared him.

"I'm not gonna hit you, Nate." Protested Ethel.

"I heard you hit Saracen- I annoy you a lot more than him." Skulduggery pointed out.

"Come on, just try it."

Ethel hesitated but then went for it. She closed the gap between her and her brother in a step, going for a jab in the jaw. Skulduggery moved quickly, without hesitation. His left hand encircled her wrist as his right one moved in for a jab of his own. His hand stopped centre metres away from Ethel's cheek. Ethel felt her eyes widen.

"When did you learn that?" Breathed Ethel. Skulduggery took a step back.

"Irrelevant. I'm going to teach you today." He insisted. He paused and turned to Ghastly.

"No special treatment?" Skulduggery asked. Ghastly shook his head.

"We didn't back then. We won't now." Ghastly insisted. Skulduggery nodded.

"Remember what I did?" He asked. Ethel nodded. Skulduggery surprised her, moving in quickly, his right fist connecting to her jaw before she knew what was happening. She took a step back, stunned. It wasn't a hard hit, it was the speed that stunned her. She nodded, determined.

"Again."

Skulduggery nodded, moving in again. This went on for quite some time. Ethel's face ached, but when she was offered a break she turned it down, determination kicking in. Her nose was bleeding, so was her lip. She was getting pissed off now.

"Again." She insisted. But Skulduggery hesitated.

"Ethel, no one is expecting you to get it the first day."

"Yes you are! You're all keeping this big secret! I'm not stupid I can piece enough of it together, okay?" Ethel burst.

"What do you know?" Ghastly asked, taking a step forward.

"I know that you think I'm someone else. Ezra, whoever she is. Maybe she is me, I don't know! But I should be more freaked out by this than I am! I'm engaged to a stranger; you all keep dancing on eggshells around me and it's so frustrating! So no, we do this now. Again." She demanded it this time. Skulduggery obliged. This time she caught his wrist, and swung, catching his cheek. It was a soft, messy hit, but a hit nonetheless.

"Nicely done." Skulduggery said, pulling his wrist back.

"Will you tell me what you're not telling me?" Ethel asked.

"I can't... I'm sorry." Skulduggery soothed.