JJ stumbled back as he tried to block the flurry of punches sent his way. With all the times he had sparred with his sister he figured he might be a little more prepared for something like this. But it was clear that Lacerta wasn't pulling any punches. The redheaded titan smiled as he brought his fist back, punching at JJ once again.

He raised his arms and tried to defend himself, but Lacerta broke right through his guard, sending his arms upwards. "Can't leave yourself open like that!" Lacerta shouted as she charged at the boy, ramming into his chest with his shoulder.

JJ had the air knocked out of him, and was sent rolling back. He managed to get back up to his feet, but Lacerta was already on him again. He managed to dodge the first few punches, when he tried to slip behind him and get some distance, Lacerta swung his tail and struck his side.

He was knocked to the air, and groaned before pushing himself up to his feet. "Okay, maybe I can get a few seconds to-?" He saw something from the corner of his eyes, and then flinched as Dorado approached from his side. He swung Frostburn towards the other titan, and JJ flinched when the blade came towards him.

Dorado stopped just before the sword reached his throat, and JJ felt a chill up his spine. The look in Dorado's eyes right now was a cold and calculated one, and he knew if this had been a real fight he might have very well followed through with the killing blow. But a moment later, Dorado's expression seemed to change, and he stood back up and sheathed his sword.

"You can't let your guard down like that. Even in the heat of battle you have to always be looking out for the enemy's next strike. Not just with your eyes, but with your other senses too," Dorado said, patting him on the shoulder.

JJ let out a breath. "I know, I know. But it's kind of hard to focus on anything else when he's charging at you," he said, nodding towards Lars.

The redhead crossed his arms. "Well you're gonna have to. Because if you don't you're gonna keep getting your ass kicked," he said, shaking his head in disappointment. "I know you're Nenet's sister and all, but are you seriously a titan?"

"Yes! Why does everyone always ask that?!" JJ whined. He knews Lars was messing with him. Titans could sense other titans. But still.

When he had come to them asking for training, the brothers had been slightly surprised, but willing. Dorado was always open to help pretty much anyone any way he could, and Lacerta… well, he thought it would be amusing. Which it was, at first. But now it was starting to bug him.

The problem was simple as far as they could tell. JJ was a titan, and titans tended to rely mostly on instinct during combat. A sixth sense that just seemed to take over and made them act and move however they should have. But instincts were something that JJ seemed to just lack, if he had any to speak of at all.

They had been at this for some time now, and honestly they had expected it to just eventually kick in. That's what happened whenever they had their backs against the wall. Whether it was a creature from Tartarus or a particularly hard training session with their father, whenever they found themselves cornered it just happened.

But the switch just didn't seem to flip for JJ.

"I just… I don't know, I can't figure this out. I'm trying my best here. But I can't just pop into the zone like you guys," JJ said. He didn't know why. His sister seemed to be able to do it so easily. Whenever Nenet got into battle mode it was like a seamless switch. So why couldn't he?

"Well you best isn't good enough…"

"Lacerta!" Dorado said, narrowing his eyes. He turned back towards JJ and gave him a sympathetic look. "We just need to keep trying. I'm sure eventually we'll find a solution."

Lacerta tilted his head to the side. "How the hell does Nenet do it? I mean she's your twin or whatever, so shouldn't you guys be wired the same way?" he asked. "Just do what she does and you should be able to figure it out."

JJ thought for a moment. "Well… usually whenever Nenet is fighting her hardest it's because she's angry about something," he explained. Usually it was more like someone than something, but as long as there was a target for her anger it worked.

"So you think anger could be the trigger for you then?" Dorado asked. "That could work. It's not exactly an uncommon source to draw strength from."

"Maybe. But I'm not exactly the angry type. I mean, I get annoyed sometimes for sure, but I usually don't get angry unless-"

He was cut off when Larcerta suddenly moved towards him, punching him in the stomach. The air was once again knocked out of his lungs, and he fell to the ground clutching his gut. Dorado looked at his brother surprised, while Lacerta crossed his arms again. "Y-you sucker punched me…" JJ managed to choke out.

Lacerta nodded. "Yep, sure did. That piss you off?" he asked.

JJ groaned, not feeling anger so much as he was crippling pain. Dorado shook his head. "Really Lacerta? C'mon, you could have given him a heads up."

"That would defeat the point of it being a sucker punch. Anyway, are you ticked off? Angry? Wanna get back at me?" he asked looking back down at JJ.

"N-not really. I sort of just want to go to-" Lacerta kicked the ground, sending a cloud of dirt into his face. "Ah! My eyes!" He covered his face and began rolling around on the ground.

"How about now?"

"Lacerta!"

"What?! If he's not pissed off after getting sucker punched and dirt kicked in his eyes then that's more of an issue of his than mine! C'mon man, get angry!" Lars complained. "If it was your sister she would have gone all crazy goddess mode by now!"

Dorado sighed and stepped between JJ and his brother. "Just because that method works on his sister doesn't mean it'll work for him. Even if anger is the trigger, does he really seem like the type to give in to it so easily?" Dorado asked.

Lacerta scowled, looking back towards JJ who was pushing himself up to his feet. His brother had a point. He wasn't anything like his sister. Nenet could blow up if you said the wrong thing to her. But JJ? Everything was like water off of ducks back with him.

But then the redhead got an idea. "Well, it's still on him. Wouldn't have happened if he kept his guard up. He leaves himself more open than his mother's legs."

Dorado's eyes went wide, and JJ's looked at him in shock. "Lacerta!" his brother scolded. He knew what he was doing, but still.

"I'm just saying we all know how his mom was back in the day. Sounds like she tried to lay up with anything that moved."

JJ narrowed his eyes at him. "Okay, Lars, I know you're trying to make me angry, but that's kind of going too far," he warned.

"Kind of like your mother does with half the guys she meets?"

"Lacerta!"

JJ grit his teeth, and Larcerta looked up and saw the sky above them starting to turn dark. There was also lightning beginning to crackle. It was working. "Knock it off!"

"Tell your mom to knock off being a whore." JJ balled his fists up, his magic power beginning to spike. Lacerta smirked, signalling for him to come. "That's the spirit. You wanna shut me up, then come do it."

JJ let out a monstrous roar, and he suddenly began going into his dragon form. His skin turned a bright yellow, and his nails turned into razor sharp claws, and two large wings began making their way out of his back. He growled before lunging at him, flying at top speed.

He growled as he landed a flurry of punches to Lar's face, clearly not planning on letting up. He looked more akin to a wild animal than his usual upbeat self.

He brought his arm back and swung once more, but Lacerta raised his hand and caught his fist. He smirked down at JJ. "Now that's what I'm talking about," he said, balling up his other hand into a fist.

Lars swung at him, and JJ ducked underneath the blow before hitting him with an uppercut on the chin. Lars' head snapped back, but he stomped his foot and threw his head forward, heatbutting him.

JJ slid back, and when Lacerta tried to follow up and strike him and managed to react just in time and dodge him. Dorado watched as JJ and his brother continued swinging back and forth at one another, biting, snapping, and punching. JJ was moving and reacting far quicker than before, and he wasn't reeling back when he took a hit either. It seemed like his brother's goading actually had paid off.

JJ laid back on the ground trying to catch his breath. He was lying in a large crater as he tried to collect his thoughts. He saw the wreckage around him, and then looked worried. "Ugh, what happened? Did we get attacked?" he asked, sitting up.

Lacerta and Dorado looked down at him, the former looking amused. "See, you got some instincts after all. Just needed to get pissed enough to make use of them," he said standing over him. He had been genuinely impressed by how well JJ had managed to move during their brawl.

Dorado had been as well. He'd been thinking about cutting in a few times, but he hadn't wanted to interrupt the flow of the battle, and based on how aware JJ was of him he didn't think it was actually necessary. "It was impressive. You'll have to learn how to properly control yourself in it though."

"Oh… thanks I guess," JJ said, rubbing his sore head. He honestly didn't remember anything. He saw red and then he woke up like this. "Still kind of wished you didn't bag on my mom to do it… you didn't mean that stuff you said, right?"

"Huh? Oh no, that's just stuff I heard my dad say."

"...Uncle Astro wouldn't say that, would he?" he asked, looking towards Dorado.

The raven haired boy hesitated. "Uh… well, to be fair, I'm pretty sure he didn't think we could hear him," he reasoned.

"Aw…"

A/N: Fic of JJ, Dorado, and Lacerta for Onelastfic.