Knuckle Down
Chapter 4
Cast stood in front of Yun. It was dark outside, Yun had said that the less people knew about his training, the less they would have interference and such. Bedside's, a lot of humans and furs wouldn't approve of this collaboration. Cast was dressed in light blue shorts, no shirt. Yun said a shirt would restrict his movement. It was time for the first lesson.
"Alright," Said Yun. "The first thing we do before starting a lesson is physical conditioning. Cast, do a quick spin around." Cast complied, rotating in a 360 before coming to a halt in front.
"Hmmm…. You're utterly pathetic. We're going to need to do some serious work before your ready to take on my regimen." Cast felt more than a little indignant. He wasn't THAT bad off. He was still built better than most humans his age.
"I aint that bad." Cast remarked, his smart-aleck personality showing through a little bit.
"You aren't that bad huh? Why don't you do 50 push-ups for me. Right now. Go on get started." Cast looked at him blankly.
"What's a push up?" Yun groaned. This was going to be harder than he thought.
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Fox looked up from the spot where he was sitting with Krystal. They usually came out to the field at night to enjoy the stars, sharing their romantic moment. They had gone through a tough time with the Shane thing a while ago, but they had gotten over it, and everything was pretty much back to normal. If anything they were a bit closer now.
"Aren't the star's beautiful Fox?" Krystal asked. She asked the same question almost every night they were out. And Fox always answered the same way.
"Yeah, but not as beautiful as you." Krystal laughed a little bit. If the response was ever any different, it might break the mojo they had going. They sat around for a little while, enjoying each other's company. They're peaceful repose was interrupted by motioning to Fox from the edge of the forest.
"What the… Damnit…." Krystal sat up and looked at Fox.
"What's wrong?" Krystal asked.
"Nothing, I have to go see something, I'm sorry. We'll have to continue this tomorrow." Krystal pouted and said she understood. Damnit, Fox thought. Bill better have a good reason for this! I'll ring his neck myself if he doesn't. Fox followed Bill as Bill moved into the forest. He closed in on him as he was walking.
"Bill. You'd better have a great awesome reason for this. I don't much like being interrupted while Im spending time with Krystal." Bill nodded.
"Fox, something's up. You remember that human, and the jaguar, the male one, Cast?"
"Yeah, I remember him very well. Why?" Fox looked at Bill with interest.
"Well, they are both doing something together. I don't know what, but every night they're sneaking out to this clearing in the woods. It isn't right, and I think you should look into it." Bill said. He motioned for them to stop. They were almost to the clearing, they could hear the two conversing. Fox moved for a closer look, leaving Bill a little ways behind. What he saw astounded him. The human was teaching the fur something. But what? Humans and furs don't share secrets and techniques with each other. The Great War had put an end to anything like that. It was unnatural for these two to be together. Fox knew that Cast had to be confronted about this. Surely he knew about the reason why Humans and Furs don't interact? They weren't enemies per say, but they damn sure weren't friends. The closest he had ever come to having a human friend was Shane, and Shane wasn't even a true human. Not anymore at least.
"Bill, go back to town. I'm going to keep an eye on these two for a little while." Bill silently complied. Fox continued watching the two, as Cast was instructed in some form of human.
"Sigh, I'm going to have to have a talk with him. He needs to learn a few things." Fox continued watching, while the kit went through his ordeal.
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"Cmon! You can do better than that! I thought you said you were 'Not that bad'? Then why are you having so much trouble with such a simple idea?" Cast was doing his push up's doggedly. He managed to grunt out a response.
"I'm not having any trouble at all. Stop being so mean about it. This is hard." Cast continued with his 37th push up.
"Haha! Hard? Did you think it'd be easy? I'm not training you to be some 4th rate fighter who never had to work hard for anything. I'm here to teach you to be the best you can be, and If you cant cut it, or WONT cut it. Well, then there is no place for you in my schedule. Give up now and go home to your mom." Cast looked at him gravely, finishing his push ups. He sat up, utterly exhausted.
"I'll never give up." He said simply. Yun looked at him. Then he smiled.
"Ok, Well it seems you've completed your first exercise." Cast almost died right then.
"FIRST?! As in not last?!" Yun laughed.
"Yes there is more. Don't worry about it for right now. Take a 15 minute break. I'll cook up some food for you, you'll need the energy." Yun walked off to start a fire and heat up some stew. Cast fell backwards out of his sitting position. "I don't think I'm going to be able to do this." He thought. Yun, working on his stew, had almost seemed to overhear his thoughts.
"Cast, If it helps, when I started, I was only able to do 10 push ups." Cast sat up immediately.
"Wha wha?!" Yun laughed again and wouldn't say anything more. He gently stirred his stew, adding some bits of meat to it. They ate, and eventually got back to training.
"We only have a few hours before dawn, so I want you to run around this clearing 100 times to build endurance."
"Damn…."
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Fox eventually got back to his house, After watching them do their training which had explained everything to Fox.Damn, he was going to have to deal with this in the morning. He was a bit tired now. He went to sleep, and dreamt of a massive confrontation involving some humans and Cast. It was soon forgotten as it were.
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Cast slinked back into Peppy's house, and slipped into bed. He fell asleep without even pulling the covers over his head. He didn't notice Conte eyeing him from her bed.
"What was he doing?" She thought. She didn't pursue it right then, and drifted back to sleep.
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"Wake up you galoot." Jason shook Cast's prostrate form violently. Cast replied in kind.
"Mfugger rawr mmmph" Cast warily stood up. His muscles all ached. Goddamn. That training was having an effect, though not a outward one. Jason left the room as Cast put on all his clothes. Once he was don't he headed downstairs where Jason was hanging out.
"Hey what time is it Jason?" Jason gave cast an odd look. Right then, Conte came into the room.
"It's around 3'oclock." Cast dropped his jaw.
"3 OCLOCK?!!?" Conte popped Jason on the head really fast.
"Don't yell! Peppy and Fox are talking in the other room. About you I might add." I wondered what they were talking about. It couldn't be about Yun and him. Just then, before he could ask Conte what about, Peppy called him into the kitchen. Cast went in. He didn't like the look they were giving him.
"Cast, I'd like to know what you were doing out last night." Cast immediately knew he was in deep trouble.
"Um, nothing. I was just taking a walk." Peppy eyed him.
"Cast, I don't think your telling all that you did. Fox, why don't you tell Cast what you told me." Fox looked at Peppy. He looked uncomfortable, apparently he had been asking advice about him, but now it looked like he was helping to incriminate him. Cast felt that he was being betrayed. Fox gave him a sympathetic look, then spoke.
"I saw him out in the forest clearing, being taught how to fight by a human." Peppy looked at Cast again.
"So, is this true?" Cast looked at him. He couldn't back out of it now.
"Yes Peppy." Peppy looked at him closely.
"Cast, I don't believe it's appropriate for you to be out there with that human. I don't trust him. You know our kind don't get along with human's, don't go pushing things on a human that they don't understand. He doesn't know anything about Fur's and most of us would prefer it stay that way. So, to be clear, you are no longer to be instructed by the human." Cast was dumbfounded. He'd only been training a day, and they were already piling in against them! This wasn't fair, it wasn't right either! Yun said this would happen, Cast thought to himself.
"But why? He wont hurt anyone! Even Falco can attest to that!" Peppy gave him an even sterner look.
"Cast, It's done. You cant continue." Cast couldn't accept that, WOULDN'T accept it.
"Peppy I'm 17 years old, you cant order me around like some little kit anymore. I wont allow it! It's my choice who I associate with, not yours, not fox's, not anyone's!" Peppy stood up, a little angry now.
"Cast I forbid it!" Cast was almost blind with anger right now. He said something that looking back he wished he never would have said.
"You aren't my father. Leave me alone." Cast stormed out of the room, leaving Peppy sitting there shocked, and Fox in stunned silence.
Cast burst out of the room, and went upstairs. He threw all of his clothes and personal items. In a bag, and threw it down the stairs. Peppy was nowhere to be seen, neither was Jason or Fox. The only person in the room was Conte. She looked at him, super pissed.
"Cast, where are you going?" Cast didn't say anything, and opened the door. Yun was at the pub more than likely. He would go there and ask him what to do. He would know.
"Away. I wont be back for a while." Conte knew something was up. She had listened to the entire conversation.
"Cast, you really hurt Peppy. I don't think you should have said that, he was only looking out for your well being." Cast didn't look at her.
"I don't care. I don't care what anyone thinks anymore. From now on, Im going to do what I want, no what anyone else wants. I've been messed with by furs my entire life, because I wasn't that big, cause I was a bit smart. Just leave me alone. I'll come back eventually." Cast left out of the house in a huff. Maybe he was being too hasty. He didn't care though.
"Cast get back here!" Damnit, it was that meddler Fox. He caught up with Cast, and grabbed his arm. Now Cast had learned a thing or two last night, he knew how to punch correctly, he knew a bit of the stance, and with his anger the way it was, he was itching for someone to try it out on. He dropped his bag, turned around, and slugged Fox as hard as he could. Fox was almost turned completely around by the impact. He fell to the ground. He looked stunned. Cast picked up his bag and kept on walking.
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Author's Note: It seems Cast is starting to lose it a little bit! What good could come out of this development? It seems kind of bleak for the young boxer. Anyway, I'm getting a little bit more into the story now, and you can expect to start seeing a lot of twists and turns, its gonna start getting really exciting! Anyway, Read and review!