Chapter 7: Learn, Live it, Love it Part II
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JIN KAZAMA & RYU
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Both Houmin's and Skylar's shadows from the far side next to their previous trainer gradually gain color, forming a blurry structured figure. The body started moving slowly as their complexion begins to congeal into a more natural form.
*HAH*
The moment both characters felt confident with their movements--they strike out!
Houmin, with extensive learning of CQC from Big Boss, deflected a straight punch from Ryu and weaved himself out of reach from Ryu's hurricane kick.
At the same time, Skylar's MMA enabled her to block Jin's punch while she counterattacks, which Jin also stopped it.
"Do you have it in your heart to be a proper martial artist?" Ryu readied his stance and said with a smile. Letting out an aura of confidence as he is eager for a fight.
"I hope you're better than Asuka," Jin fixes his gloves as static electricity crackles around his arm. He didn't waste time and gave out a fast right hook, which Skylar dodged by sidestepping to the opposite side.
Both trainers were similar to the last one. They gave out the general practice of their craft and not their insight, quirk, personality, even bloodline, considering Jin's unique circumstances. A bare-bone program for the two.
Ryu's martial art, Shotokan, is rooted in the art of assassination.
Ryu taught Houmin the peaceful way of the art while subtly teaching him the actual Ansatsuken. Houmin scratched his head, sorting out his memory of how or when did Ryu learn the original art.
"Remember, violence for a purpose, not out for a desire. Else it will consume you." Ryu warned. "Let's correct that footwork!"
Jin's martial art, a mixture of Karate, Mishima Style Fighting Karate, and Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts, making the practitioner hit hard, hit fast, and have exceptional defense techniques. An all-around fighter. Except Jin took a liking to Skylar and turned the style into a tactician's approach.
"Learn those emotions," Jin pointed a finger to his head. "The heart is a fickle thing to have. Train your mind, and do not let any emotions take control. Recognize the emotions happening within you. What you do with those will show you who you are."
Houmin and Skylar's daily life nuances are almost non-existent due to a specified nature of the space, and resting was all they need to calm the overload of information from the everyday grind in training. Time is relatively short than the last one, as their body is athletic enough to do the daily rigors of martial arts training.
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<<<<[Discipline Training - Complete]>>>>
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The 2nd training came to a close with both Houmin and Skylar adapted the experience to the style they knew. Houmin's CQC, now with added assassination techniques making his CQC even deadlier, but the best thing he got out of it was the ability to have the calmness when in a fight. Skylar's MMA, now with added Jin's fighting style, has made her "Splinter Cells" skills more decisive and having fewer doubts to herself.
Before Ryu and Jin can disappear, the two gave out a fist at the glass wall, looking at each other.
"Jin, I hope you didn't slack off in your training. We'll meet again in the future."
"Ryu, don't you dare bore me out once we fight again."
*PING*
<<< Ready for the next training? >>>>
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LARA CROFT & NATHAN DRAKE
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Next up is a pair of adventurers. One is an actual archaeologist, and the other destroys every civilizational discovery that he finds-Accidentally.
Lara Croft waved out, and the whole area transformed into a study room. She leaned on the table and crossed her arms, "Ready for an adventure?" She asked without even introducing herself first. She's sporting a tank top and cargo pants while carrying a twin pistol on her hips. She snapped her finger, and the world shuffled to mountainous terrain.
The very first thing Nathan Drake did was to shook hands with Houmin. "I'm not much of a teacher. Sully is much better about this than me."
Nathan handed out a pocket notebook and a pen. "But, let's try walking through you how I usually do things."
Adventure? In Wasteland? Are we going to make ourselves go through the blasted lands of America? Houmin thought.
As time goes by, Lara and Nathan were swapping the scenery once they were satisfied with Houman and Skylar's performance. Jungle, Tundra, Arid, and now, an abandoned city.
Skylar was keen on learning from Lara. A female one is a nice change, she thought. Thankfully, she can relax now with a fellow woman with her.
Lara is leading Skylar to all sorts of caverns, tombs, and fights. Adventuring and experiencing all kinds of culture, and just like the previous one, nobody knew they were there. As well as Nathan with Houmin.
Lara is more of a hands-on inquisitive type of adventurer. Each step and procedure was taught. Even with the strictness of the lesson, Skylar appreciated the time with her. Especially with just the two of them walking through a path in a village in the Tibetan mountain. Chatting about the wonders of dinosaurs and how pistol caliber bullets go through their bodies.
Nathan was more of a gambler than an actual archaeologist. A treasure hunter of sorts. Houmin was reluctant at first. Seeing the way Nathan did things... is questionable. Despite that, he always produces results. One quirk of Nathan that Houmin always admire is the constant need to update what he sees and think in that pocket notebook of his, scribbling away.
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<<<<[Adventure Training - Complete]>>>>
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Lara appreciated the time she had with Skylar. She had fun when she and Skylar peeked at the other side of the Glass wall. Houmin and Nathan were dancing around a campfire with a bottle of whiskey in their hand, and beside them were chests full of gold.
Houmin paused as he took a glance at the glass window. He urged Nathan to show the girls "A good time" and danced away like the drunkards they are. All four of them laughed, told stories of each other, and admired each other.
Once everything was done, Houmin and Skylar parted ways with their instructors. While Lara and Nathan didn't mind that they were considered as rivals. Both were thankful not one of them was wearing a silly hat and a whip jumping around tombs.
*PING*
<<< Ready for the next training? >>>>
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AGENT 47 & NATASA ROMANOVA
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A full suit-wearing bald man on Houmin's side and a jumpsuit wearing red-headed woman on Skylar's side showed up.
Agent 47 and Natasha Romanova are both exceptional assassins/hired professionals with a similar past. They are artificially enhanced human beings.
Why is this choice given? The constant thought arouses in Houmin and Skylar's mind. The training up to know were both overlapping the previous lessons and giving out new things for the two to digest.
In regards to this training, Skylar was on par with Houmin's thinking, even though most of his ideas are from nerd knowledge, another spy/assassin? She thought. Sam has given her the skill set of a "Splinter Cell," that in itself is already an intelligence operative. So what's the deal?
"Can you dance?" Natasha asked. "If not, we'll do some stretches first."
"What?"
"I'll take that as a no" Before Skylar can even react, Natasha has shoved her away. The surrounding changed to a dance studio with wooden floors and wooden rails on the walls. There, with her arms on the rails, Skylar's leg was being stretched out by Natasha while she screams out in pain.
Houmin's predicament is more on the calmer side than Skylar's. Both he and Agent 47 were wearing gardener's clothes, trimming away the shrubs and flowers inside a monastery. Reciting Bible verses and answering questions that 47 asked out of the blue like "Does Ryu like ripped jeans?" "Is Big Boss a BIG boss?" "Is Nathan Drake, actually a drake?" that last part was about a dragon.
During the training, both of them were feeling a prick sensation all over their body from time to time. As soon as the two brought this up to the trainers, 47 and Natasha hastily changed their method of teaching. The physical training, thought-process training, and even academic became the flow. Asking them over and over if the stingy feeling is gone. If not, the training continues. If yes, the training stops and their back to doing... odd stuff.
And other times, they were asked about their previous training and were taught how to improve upon it better. Weapons, Martial Arts, Tactics, Movements, Decisions, Intuition. and even tact.
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<<<<[Modification - Complete]>>>>
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They knew. Both Houmin and Skylar knew that something happened differently within them. Every time the prickly sensation came, the training became increasingly difficult. 47 and Natasha continually chose a concept or event which their trainee struggled. Breaking them. Changing them.
Houmin and Skylar realized that their strength, speed, health, and even willpower improved as time goes.
The training finished with a single piece of advice for both of them.
"There are consequences in giving every part of your body to modification. The ones you have now are just the start of it. Don't worry, you'll have ample opportunity to look into it in the future."
*PING*
<<< Ready for the next training? >>>>
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MECHANIST & ANTAGONIZER
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An early development right out of the bat. With the "Mechanist" and the "AntAgonizer" spewing curses and insults at each other. Even though they can't hear each other. Then it developed into summoning robots/turrets and giant ants, attacking the glass wall.
Houmin weakly sighed, expected this to happen. While Skylar had the impression that these two were completely nuts.
Once the two were worn out, they gave up the idea of trying to kill each other for the moment and looked around the area they're in.
For the Mechanist, he reverted the whole surrounding into his own shop, The Robot Repair Center. And gestured for Houmin to try and care for the littered unresponsive robots all around.
For the AntAgonizer, She hurriedly approached Skylar, which the girl got spooked and readied her stance. Unfortunately, her arms got locked in by giant ants. Now, with the AntAgonizer in front of her, smiling.
"Eughh! Another Redhead!" She said when she saw the AntAgonizer took off her helmet. The curly hair of hers does give out a sense of charm. But with that crazy stare and smile of her gives Skylar the creeps.
The crazy redhead pressed her head to the other's forehead and closed her eyes. Skylar's eyes pupil enlarged as the two were in a state of pseudo-stasis.
Apparently, the AntAgonizer has a perk of being a psyker. A being possesses paranormal or psychic abilities.
What exactly has gone through between the two is a complete mystery. But the fact the Skylar's Pineal Gland experiencing changes showed that whatever they were doing, Skylar has gained the ability to become a psyker.
If that was easy, Houmin side was much grueling or rather boring. Houmin was stuck around tinkering with robots, and the high pitch voice of comic book dialogue bored Houmin out of his mind. Time in and time out, his familiarity with all things electronic and robotic increases. A tweak here, a touch there, a fix somewhere, and an assembly everything gain him the Robotics Perk.
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<<<<[Innate Perk - Complete]>>>>
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An unlikely coincidence, as Houmin finishes the training, Skylar too was done with their weird girl to girl moment.
Houmin felt uncomfortable as he saw through the glass wall what the two were doing, kneeling there and both heads touching foreheads. The giant ants were dancing around them all day every day. When they were done, he paused with whatever he was doing, and straight one ran ahead to the glass wall. Showing all sorts of hand gestures and funny faces with only one outcome in mind: Hey! how are you? Are you okay?
Skylar smiled at him, waving him away. Indicating that everything was fine, which Houmin gestured by saying, "Are you sure? Blew me a kiss if you're not a zombified ant slave."
Skylar gave him a middle finger instead, and the two laughed it off.
Both the Mechanics and the AntAgonizer said their farewell.
*PING*
<<< Ready for the next training? >>>>
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ENGINEER & MEDIC
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"Hey, look, buddy. I'm an engineer-that means I solve problems." Said the man with oversized goggles. "So, what's this I'm hearin' about you needin' to fix some toasters?"
"Wunderbar!" said a stoic looking man with one hand on his back. "Archimedes! Fly around~ Now. Fraulein, Ready to practice zum medicine?"
During this batch, Nothing much was eventful. Goes to say that there wasn't enough happening that can be considered odd-that means this training was relatively okay.
For Houmin, obviously, this training is overlapping with the one he got from the Mechanist. He didn't mind it much and considered it a welcome surprise. Engineer took it on his own to tell him stories about his life and how stupid the people he had to work with-while explaining that everyone is good people on their own.
They're working on actually creating things from scrap. Modding it, improving it, redesigning it, repair, and even jury-rigging something to another thing was fun. From turrets to having a flintlock be used as a laser rifle was not out of the idea. They thought about it, they did it. Houmin was having fun.
Meanwhile, Skylar's world of the medical field got turned right round. The Medic was an unexpected one, to say the least. A medical professional should be the assistance and cure to the general populace. Except, what's happening right now is the medical professional "expanding" the medical knowledge through... unnecessary means.
Skylar was disturbed throughout the whole ordeal. Poking things just because there's exposed skin. Making an alive body and turn it back and forth from being alive and dead. Just to see to results which ribs will make the person cry, "I want schnitzel" (Medic's medical hypothesis). Or the giant medical contraption that spurs out a red glossy substance that keeps a body awake, as Medic made gossip with the body.
This whole training made a mess with Skylar's perspective. Sure the healing stuff was effective enough to keep a person alive. What she didn't stomach was Medic's liberty to both animal and human life when it comes to medical advancement. Still, with it, she was thankful that she could learn so much-without even using a single book about MEDICINE! and just meatballing everything. And if things had gone wrong, they can just shot the body up with the medical device and try again. Yet, she felt a warmth coming from Medic like the one she felt with Sam. Being patient with her.
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<<<<[Technical Skills Training - Complete]>>>>
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Unexpectedly, Both Engineer and Medic didn't stay long for their goodbyes. Saying that they had people waiting back on them as a giant bread monster got grown in their base was a problem they needed to fix.
Engineer scruffled Houmin's hair, "I am damn proud of you, boy. Seeing you two about to have a heap of work heading your way. Hell, I be wishin' I there to help y'all. Be a good boy and stay by her side, you hear me?!"
Though the stoics of Medic, he looks at Skylar and fixes his glasses. He didn't say anything, but before he turned around, Skylar took the chance and hugged him. Medic was surprised. Again, Medic didn't say anything.
"I know you're busy with all the stuff happening inside your brain, Mister." She said. Bunching up her face tighter to his clothes. "But thank you, mister. I know you always felt alone, and that's why you drown yourself in your work. You're not a bad person-Well, not exactly the best, but you know what I mean."
"Danke, Fraulein." Medic hugged back. "Zis... is acceptable."
"And stop telling stories about how you lose your medical license, Okay? You're changing it every time."
"Heh. Fuck you, Fraulein."
*PING*
<<< Ready for the next training? >>>>
♪ Mambo number 5 - Lou Bega ♪
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
CarbonatedDrink
CarbonatedDrink For the new readers, ignore this haha!
For the old readers,
A follow up chapters since I know I messed up badly with the training part.
Hope you enjoy this. Point out the wrong stuffs!
Stay Safe and Stay Healthy!
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