** Jill, thanks for your suggestions. I will do everything in my power to
help my story be more readable. Upon reading of reviews, I'll try and beef
up the plot some. Convenient happenings are not desirable in movies I
watch, so I'll go back and look over my stuff after this chapter**
Chapter 6 --- "Because you have Immortals under every bush, I will give you a choice of which one you would like to train under." Methos was hoping it would be Amanda or MacLeod. He just wanted to disappear again. "It never pays to have the whole Immortal race after you once your secret is revealed," he thought.
"I choose you Methos." Methos cringed inwardly.
"Fine choice if I do say so myself," quipped Richie. "World's oldest man should know something about something."
"Child," Methos whispered to himself. "The only rule I have is that I will do whatever is necessary to see that you are trained to survive. No complaining, whining or shirking of duties will be tolerated. My training will be brutal but complete. Understand?"
"I understand," said Willow.
---
"One, two, three, lunge!" Methos shouted. Parry, parry, parry, side-step, and disarm was Methos' response. "Again!"
"One, two, three, lunge!" shouted Methos again. Parry, parry, parry, side- step, parry and disarm. "Excellent," Methos breathed. "Thank you for not repeating the same mistake twice. You are learning this well Willow. Soon you will get to spar with Richie."
Willow beamed at the compliments he gave her and wiped the sweat off of her forehead. "Three weeks into my training and I am doing well! This is great! He looks great in sweat." she thought. "Bad Willow!" ---
"C'mon Xander, HIT ME!" Richie demanded. Richie blocked the strikes, dropped and swept Xander off his feet again. To Xander this seemed like the umpteenth time this had happened today and he was getting irritated.
"Richie, give me a break man! I'm getting my ass kicked here!" complained Xander.
"Better me than a pointy-toothed freak in need of a plastic surgeon," replied Richie as he stepped back into his fighting stance. "Take me down and I will be buying the beer tonight," taunted Richie.
"You're on!" agreed Xander.
"You are beginning to sound like Methos," Duncan said as he began stretching his upper body.
"If the system works," said Richie then he dropped and swept for Xander's legs. Xander jumped and sprang at Richie to get him in a headlock. Richie dropped onto his back and used his legs to propel Xander onto the mats behind him.
MacLeod grinned and walked over to help Xander off the mats. "Want to try someone a little more up to par?" he taunted Richie.
"Sure Mac. Anytime," replied Richie with a grin.
They began to spar slowly at first, then began to work up a good rhythm before MacLeod flipped Richie over and put him in an arm-bar. Richie tapped out.
"You wanna pick on somebody who can take you?" The three men turned and faced the door as Buffy walked in dressed for a workout. "If you think you can handle it anyway," taunted Buffy with a little grin on her face.
"Which one of us were you challenging?" asked Duncan.
"You first," she said pointing to Duncan. "You next," pointing to Richie.
"All right, do you want to stretch first?" asked Duncan as he stepped into one of many fighting stances.
"Nope, I came prepared," replied Buffy who then attacked.
Much to her surprise, Duncan wasn't there and his foot was. She took the kick well and countered with a back-handed fist. MacLeod blocked it and a kick before throwing Buffy unceremoniously to the ground.
"How did you do that?" demanded Buffy.
"You have to learn how to use an opponent's strength against them. There are many forms of martial arts that are based on just that. You are very strong but I have studied many forms of fighting for hundreds of years," Duncan said in his deep teacher's voice.
"Geez, you sound like Giles sometimes Mac," Buffy said shuddering at the sudden mental image of Duncan MacLeod in tweed.
"Ya wanna have a go Buff-meister?" asked Richie with a grin.
"Sure are in a hurry for a temporary death aren't ya Richie?" Buffy returned.
They both dropped into fighting stances and started circling. Duncan tapped the ground with something and they both turned to look at him. He tossed Richie his sword and Buffy one from the weapons locker. They grinned.
The clang of metal on metal drew Methos, Willow and Dawn from the other room. They all stood by Duncan and Xander watching with interest.
The fight went back and forth with no apparent victor until, in an arm-lock Buffy ran her tongue over her teeth seductively at Richie whose jaw dropped. He relaxed for an instant and she flipped him over and sat on his chest. Their eyes met and locked briefly in desire with the combatants breathing hard then tore away as the others began laughing at Richie's flaw.
"What, I've been gone for a few years. I'm off my game a bit," retorted Richie angrily.
"At least I know I still have mine," Buffy quipped while Richie's face turned red.
--- "Dawn, this would be lovely on you," Amanda gushed.
"Yeah it would, but I don't have any money," said Dawn as she sighed. "Money is kinda tight right now."
"Not to worry darling. Duncan has plenty of money and I know just how to spend it." Amanda said with a wink holding up MacLeod's credit card. Dawn smiled widely.
"So, how long have you and Duncan known each other?" asked Dawn.
"We met a couple hundred years ago and we always managed to get mixed up in some trouble. It's been a fun time and he's quite talented in so many ways."
"Amanda, my ears are too young to hear that!" Dawn gasped with a smile.
Amanda suddenly stopped and reached inside her coat. She scanned around her for the other Immortal who had just come into range. She spotted the other Immortal and was motioned into an alley behind some buildings.
"Dawn, stay around people and wait here," ordered Amanda.
Dawn did as she was told. Amanda pulled out her sword and waited as the other Immortal did the same.
"I'm Amanda and we don't have to do this."
"I am Marcus and I know."
"You're not that general of the bloodthirsty legions are you?" quipped Amanda as she struck the first blow and started the dance.
--- **I like cliffhangers. Feedback please.**
Chapter 6 --- "Because you have Immortals under every bush, I will give you a choice of which one you would like to train under." Methos was hoping it would be Amanda or MacLeod. He just wanted to disappear again. "It never pays to have the whole Immortal race after you once your secret is revealed," he thought.
"I choose you Methos." Methos cringed inwardly.
"Fine choice if I do say so myself," quipped Richie. "World's oldest man should know something about something."
"Child," Methos whispered to himself. "The only rule I have is that I will do whatever is necessary to see that you are trained to survive. No complaining, whining or shirking of duties will be tolerated. My training will be brutal but complete. Understand?"
"I understand," said Willow.
---
"One, two, three, lunge!" Methos shouted. Parry, parry, parry, side-step, and disarm was Methos' response. "Again!"
"One, two, three, lunge!" shouted Methos again. Parry, parry, parry, side- step, parry and disarm. "Excellent," Methos breathed. "Thank you for not repeating the same mistake twice. You are learning this well Willow. Soon you will get to spar with Richie."
Willow beamed at the compliments he gave her and wiped the sweat off of her forehead. "Three weeks into my training and I am doing well! This is great! He looks great in sweat." she thought. "Bad Willow!" ---
"C'mon Xander, HIT ME!" Richie demanded. Richie blocked the strikes, dropped and swept Xander off his feet again. To Xander this seemed like the umpteenth time this had happened today and he was getting irritated.
"Richie, give me a break man! I'm getting my ass kicked here!" complained Xander.
"Better me than a pointy-toothed freak in need of a plastic surgeon," replied Richie as he stepped back into his fighting stance. "Take me down and I will be buying the beer tonight," taunted Richie.
"You're on!" agreed Xander.
"You are beginning to sound like Methos," Duncan said as he began stretching his upper body.
"If the system works," said Richie then he dropped and swept for Xander's legs. Xander jumped and sprang at Richie to get him in a headlock. Richie dropped onto his back and used his legs to propel Xander onto the mats behind him.
MacLeod grinned and walked over to help Xander off the mats. "Want to try someone a little more up to par?" he taunted Richie.
"Sure Mac. Anytime," replied Richie with a grin.
They began to spar slowly at first, then began to work up a good rhythm before MacLeod flipped Richie over and put him in an arm-bar. Richie tapped out.
"You wanna pick on somebody who can take you?" The three men turned and faced the door as Buffy walked in dressed for a workout. "If you think you can handle it anyway," taunted Buffy with a little grin on her face.
"Which one of us were you challenging?" asked Duncan.
"You first," she said pointing to Duncan. "You next," pointing to Richie.
"All right, do you want to stretch first?" asked Duncan as he stepped into one of many fighting stances.
"Nope, I came prepared," replied Buffy who then attacked.
Much to her surprise, Duncan wasn't there and his foot was. She took the kick well and countered with a back-handed fist. MacLeod blocked it and a kick before throwing Buffy unceremoniously to the ground.
"How did you do that?" demanded Buffy.
"You have to learn how to use an opponent's strength against them. There are many forms of martial arts that are based on just that. You are very strong but I have studied many forms of fighting for hundreds of years," Duncan said in his deep teacher's voice.
"Geez, you sound like Giles sometimes Mac," Buffy said shuddering at the sudden mental image of Duncan MacLeod in tweed.
"Ya wanna have a go Buff-meister?" asked Richie with a grin.
"Sure are in a hurry for a temporary death aren't ya Richie?" Buffy returned.
They both dropped into fighting stances and started circling. Duncan tapped the ground with something and they both turned to look at him. He tossed Richie his sword and Buffy one from the weapons locker. They grinned.
The clang of metal on metal drew Methos, Willow and Dawn from the other room. They all stood by Duncan and Xander watching with interest.
The fight went back and forth with no apparent victor until, in an arm-lock Buffy ran her tongue over her teeth seductively at Richie whose jaw dropped. He relaxed for an instant and she flipped him over and sat on his chest. Their eyes met and locked briefly in desire with the combatants breathing hard then tore away as the others began laughing at Richie's flaw.
"What, I've been gone for a few years. I'm off my game a bit," retorted Richie angrily.
"At least I know I still have mine," Buffy quipped while Richie's face turned red.
--- "Dawn, this would be lovely on you," Amanda gushed.
"Yeah it would, but I don't have any money," said Dawn as she sighed. "Money is kinda tight right now."
"Not to worry darling. Duncan has plenty of money and I know just how to spend it." Amanda said with a wink holding up MacLeod's credit card. Dawn smiled widely.
"So, how long have you and Duncan known each other?" asked Dawn.
"We met a couple hundred years ago and we always managed to get mixed up in some trouble. It's been a fun time and he's quite talented in so many ways."
"Amanda, my ears are too young to hear that!" Dawn gasped with a smile.
Amanda suddenly stopped and reached inside her coat. She scanned around her for the other Immortal who had just come into range. She spotted the other Immortal and was motioned into an alley behind some buildings.
"Dawn, stay around people and wait here," ordered Amanda.
Dawn did as she was told. Amanda pulled out her sword and waited as the other Immortal did the same.
"I'm Amanda and we don't have to do this."
"I am Marcus and I know."
"You're not that general of the bloodthirsty legions are you?" quipped Amanda as she struck the first blow and started the dance.
--- **I like cliffhangers. Feedback please.**