"I had my doubts about you three when we first met, but now I see you all have the potential I could work with," Si-Fu Hibiki said.
Meili's eyes went wide, and she gasped. "You mean... you're one of em?" she said, her voice filled with awe.
"That's right," Hibiki said, his face solemn. "It's not also something I can control yet and it acts like an amplifier to my chi.. making me to bolster as much energy than i could ever use."
Kai looked at him in confusion. "What's the downside of having thispower?"
"It's not the power itself that's the problem," Si-Fu Hibiki said, choosing his words carefully. "The thing is when I got this power I never realized... it was the worst day of my very life. Anyways that's a story for another day."
"Huh.. what happened", Meili asked, sounding curious.
Hibiki ended changing the whole conversation evading Meili's curiosity,
"Before becoming Wushu Guan warriors, you should understand the weight of responsibility that comes with it. When you have such opportunity, it is your duty to use it for the greater good of the it's citizens. But sometimes, the cost of doing so can be very high."
He paused, as if weighing his next words. "As a Wushu Guan warrior, at every missions you have to make difficult choices, choices that can be hard to live with."
"Hm.. so what power do you possess anyways?" Kai asked
"What power?," Si-Fu Hibiki said, with a smirk on his face. "That knowledge is not for the uninitiated. You must first earn my trust completely and prove your worth in missions before I can reveal it to you. By that I mean become, as strong as your meant to be and never give up".
"Wha-, that's lame", Kai said in annoyance.
"That sounds like a challenge," Meili said, a gleam in her eye. "You up for it, Fuse?"
Fuse met her gaze, and his expression was resolute. " Sure, don't really get it but I accept the challenge."
Kai just shook his head, a wry look on his face. "What have I gotten myself into?" he muttered.
"Then it's settled," Si-Fu Hibiki said, "But first, you must each choose an object from the nearby stream."
The three of them looked at each other in confusion, but followed Si-Fu Hibiki to the edge of the camp, where a small stream ran through the trees. "Select an object," Si-Fu Hibiki instructed. "It can be anything, as long as it is from the stream."
"C'mon seriously, why should we be doing this anyway " Kai said frustrated, "Kai could just listen without any complains, it's Si-Fu talking by the way", Meili said.
UGH!, he muttered more
They knelt down at the edge of the water, searching for something that resonated with them.
Fuse was the first to find an object. It was a small, smooth pebble, its surface polished by the water. "This one," he said, holding it up for Si-Fu Hibiki to see.
Next was Meili, who picked up a small piece of driftwood. "It's not much to look at, but it has potential," she said, inspecting it.
Finally, it was Kai's turn. He stood there for a long moment, before finally reaching for something. "This is it," he said, holding up a broken arrowhead.
"Excellent choices," Si-Fu Hibiki said, nodding his approval. "Now, we must head back to the camp and begin your training."
HUH!!!, they'll gasp loudly in confusion
As they walked back to the main area of the camp, Meili couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. "What do you think that was all about?" she asked Fuse.
"I'm not sure," she replied, looking thoughtful. "But if it's an instruction from Si-Fu Hibiki, it's sure to mean something."
"Hey Si-Fu, what's all that about," Kai said, determination in his voice. "What do you mean," Hibiki responded .
"I'm talking about the objects we picked, why did we do that?" Kai asked, "oh that," Said Hibiki, acting as of he forgot.
"Those objects represent a part of who you are," Si-Fu Hibiki said, once they were all focused on him. "The pebble, it's smooth and polished. It represents your resilience and ability to adapt to any situation. The driftwood, it's strong, but also flexible. It represents your adaptability and willingness to change with the times. And the arrowhead, it's broken, but still useful. It represents your potential, despite any setbacks you may face or had faced." He looked at each of them in turn. "With these objects as your guides, I will help you hone your skills."
"Hope that's gotta give em some motivation at least." Hibiki thought.
"I'm broken huh, You might have a point there. So how about we got into the important stuff huh, how about that!" Kai said , irritation in his tone.
"Oh well, didn't work!", Hibiki gasp
Hibiki wondered if his little speech had motivated them or not. He had hoped that the symbolism of the objects would help them to focus and find their inner strength. But Kai's response made him think that maybe he had missed the mark.
"Don't worry, Hibiki," Meili said, giving him a reassuring smile. "I think we're all ready to get started with the real training."
"Yeah, let's do this!" Fuse said, jumping to her feet.
Hibiki breathed a sigh of relief. "Great!"
"Alright, I've got something," Hibiki said, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "We'll start with a little game called 'Capture the flag'. But with a twist."
"What's the twist?" Kai asked, his interest piqued.
"You'll have to work together cause I'll be landing attacks while your trying to capture the flag," Hibiki said, a mischievous grin on his face. "And I won't be using my full power, so try your best."
"Sounds like a challenge," Fuse said, cracking his knuckles. "I'm up for it."
"Me too," Meili said, determination in her eyes. "Let's do this!"
Hibiki pulled out from his warrior pouch three headbands, each a different color. He handed one to each of them. "You'll need to wear these to distinguish yourselves with your flags. "
He then pulled out three flags, one red, one green and one blue, and placed them at opposite ends of the clearing distanced around 5km away. "So the rules of the game are simple but challenging, and it required both individual and collective effort to succeed. Three differently colored flags would be placed at strategic locations throughout the arena not more or less than 5km away from your initial position, and each of you are assigned a flag to retrieve to complete the mission. However, you all have to retrieve the flag or y'all fail. And when trying to reach the flag, you would have to dodge attacks from your's truly, who would be chasing you down with my blood clones," Hibiki explained.
"Clones?", Meili said, full of curiosity
"The clones will only be capable of basic attacks, but they'll be fast and relentless," Hibiki clarified. "Think of them as a kind of gauntlet that you'll need to overcome on your way to the flag, and also you have just 15 mins." Hibiki continued, "No matter where you are when the timer goes off, you'll have to start over again from the start".
""I've never heard of a clone user before," Kai thought, his mind racing. "Is he not telling us something?, anyways 15 minutes to get to the flag seems like a short amount of time, especially while having to dodge and parry attacks along the way," he mused. "It would take at least 30 minutes to walk the distance, so this all about speed huh! Just have to get the flag but one problem"
As he pondered this, he glanced at Meili and Fuse, who were also struggling to catch with rules of the challenge.
"WHOOSH!" went the sound of Hibiki's blood manipulation ability, as he formed clones from his own blood. These clones were not armed, but rather, designed to perform basic combat maneuvers to prevent the kids from reaching the flags.
Kai, Meili, and Fuse looked on in amazement as the clones formed, wondering how they would ever be able to reach the flags in time. But they knew they had to try.
As Hibiki yelled " Alright, GO!", the three of them took off in different directions, each heading towards their assigned flag. Meili sprinted towards the red flag, while Fuse darted towards the green flag. But it was Kai who caught Hibiki's attention, as he deftly dodged and weaved through the clones' attacks, also leaving his teammates behind.
"Not bad, kid," Hibiki said, impressed by Kai's agility. "But let's see how you handle this!"
"Hey, come back here. We haven't even come up with a strategy yet!" Meili exclaimed, exasperation clear on her face.
"Just relax, I'll get mine first. I'll come back for you it's over." Kai said, a smug smile on his face
"Uh c'mon, Fuse, it seems we'll have to take this on without him" Meili said, with resignation in her voice
"U-uh Meili, they're coming us," Fuse said, her voice trembling with fear
"Oh man, this much on our first training!" Meili said ... her voice full of determination and resolve.
"Let's show him what we're made of!" Meili exclaimed, a fierce look in her eyes. "We can do this!"
Fuse nodded, her heart racing with adrenaline. "Together!" he said, raising her fists in readiness.
And with that, the two of them charged forward, ready to face the challenge head-on.
Meili and Fuse both leapt into action, each using their own unique techniques to fight off the onslaught of clones.
The clones' movements were coordinated but far less sophisticated than Hibiki's, and their attacks were predictable and easy to counter. Fuse darted around the arena, using her speed to evade their strikes. Meili, meanwhile, used her agility and flexibility to twist and turn, dodging their attacks with ease also landing effective strikes taking out the clones. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with.
As the battle raged on, Kai made his way towards the blue flag, his focus unwavering. He ducked and rolled, avoiding the clones' strikes, and soon found himself within arm's reach of the flag. But just as he was about to grab it, ...a pair of hands reached out from the shadows, snatching the flag from his grasp. Startled, Kai turned to see who had taken the flag, only to come face to face with a doppelganger of himself, an exact copy of his own form. The clone grinned maliciously, the blue flag clutched tightly in its hand.
"What the-?" Kai stammered, taken aback by the sight of his own reflection staring back at him. He had no idea how Hibiki had managed to create a clone that looked and moved exactly like him. But he didn't have time to ponder this question as the clone lunged at him, swinging a fist towards his face. Reacting quickly, Kai sidestepped the attack, and then struck back with a kick of his own. The clone easily blocked his strike, and then countered with a punch of its own. The two of them traded blows, each trying to gain the upper hand.
Kai was caught off guard by the clone's skill and speed, but he refused to back down. "I see you've taken this up a notch ain't ya," Kai thought, "anyways, I WON'T LOSE!" he yelled, his eyes blazing with determination.
"Uh-huh wha-,Zzzz" , Hibiki already taking a short eye.
"Huh, is that two of Kai?" Fuse said, catching a glimpse of the battle between Kai and the clone. "Hey, Meili, look at Kai-", she began, but Meili cut her off.
"Don't worry about him right now, Fuse. We need to focus on our own challenge." Meili said, her eyes fixed on the flag ahead of her. "I'm not about to fail this just because Kai's getting a bit full of himself."
"Uh ok," Fuse agreed, uncertainty in her eyes. "We'll show Hibiki what we're made of
Kai redoubled his efforts, his fists and feet a blur of motion as he fought back with more intent. But for every blow he landed, the clone countered with two of its own. It was like fighting a mirror image of himself, an opponent who knew his every move. He could feel his strength waning, his limbs growing heavy with fatigue.
'Huff huff', kai breathing heavily
Damn, what's with this! How am I not seeing a single opening. This is so frustrating! Ahh", Kai became angered, then something strange happened to the clone. It began to swell up, its form becoming more and more distorted. Then, without warning, it burst, a shower of blood spraying out in all directions, same happened with all the other clones too.
Kai, Meili, and Fuse all stood there in shock, covered in blood from head to toe. It was a grisly sight, one that left them speechless.
"What is all this," Meili asked confused about the situation.
"It looked as if the clone had been filled with too much pressure, and had finally reached its breaking point. But I doubt that'll be right," Fuse said
Kai, Meili, and Fuse all stood there in shock, covered in blood from head to toe. It was a grisly sight, one that left them speechless.
"What is all this," Meili asked confused about the situation.
"It felt like the clone had been filled with too much pressure, and had finally reached its breaking point. But I doubt that'll be right," Fuse said.
Then Hibiki's voice broke out, "Time Up, Y'all failed".
Hibiki looked at them, a smug smile on his face. "You all looked pretty dumbfounded there. I'm sure you guys know why you failed right."
"It's obvious!" Meili asked, her eyes narrowing towards Kai. " We had trouble with working together because Mr lone wolf here ran off on his own."
"Whatever, I did better than you guys anyway," Kai said, his voice dripping with arrogance.
"But that's not the point, Kai" Meili protested. "We appreciate your level of skill but this is a team exercise. The whole point is to work together."
"I am well aware of that," Kai declared with a condescending air, "however, I must inform you that i don't plan on ever concerning myself with any of your potential collaborative strategies."
"Why I oughta-," Fuse became tempered but was instantly stopped by Meili.
"But why Kai, did we do something wrong?" Meili asked, her tone softened
"You didn't do anything wrong," Kai began, "but you simply aren't capable of matching my level of ability. And if we were to work together, I would be forced to reduce my performance to your level. I refuse to do that."
Fuse's jaw dropped, his eyes bulging in shock and anger. Meili bit her lip, struggling to contain her anger. She had never met someone so self-aggrandizing and self-absorbed. It was almost unbelievable. "Is this really the Kai from before, how did he become so big headed and cocky," Meili thought, as Kai kept on rambling.
"But Kai, I don't think that's how teamwork works," Meili said, attempting to keep her voice soften. "Teams are supposed to pool their strengths and complement each other's weaknesses," she explained, "so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I may not be as strong as you think, but I can make up for it in other ways. And Fuse is just as capable."
"You two can work together all you like," Kai said dismissively, "but I have no need for such a system. I am more than enough on my own."
"But that's not the point," Meili protested. "This is a team exercise. The whole point is to work together."
"HEY ENOUGH!"
The shout from Hibiki was so loud that it startled everyone into silence. The room went completely still, all eyes on Hibiki. "I have had just about enough of this foolishness," he said, his voice like thunder. "You are here to learn how to become warriors, can't expect to listen to all this bickering."
He looked each of them in the eye, his gaze piercing. "Now you will take on this challenge once again until you fulfill or I'll have no choice but to end your dreams of ever becoming a Wushu Guan Martial Art Warrior?"
There was no hesitation in Fuse and Meili's response. "Yes, Sir!" they said in unison. But Kai still remained unfazed.
"I said, do I make myself clear?" Hibiki asked, his voice as sharp as a blade. But Kai remained unperturbed.
"Whatever," he said with a shrug, his defiance clear.
"Hm," Hibiki said, his tone softening slightly. "C'mon, how can being a mentor be so frustrating," Hibiki thought as he kept his stern look towards Kai.
"Tsk, nevermind," Hibiki intoned, his voice carrying a note of finality. "Let us proceed with the challenge once more. This time, I implore you to set aside your personal objectives and focus on the objective of the exercise. This exercise must be completed before we move forward in your training, if you guys are not willing to complete the task you are all welcome to withdraw from the Iron Fist Academy. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yeah yeah, we don't need that kinda information, I'm getting the job done no matter what. And that stunt you pulled earlier with a clone of me ain't gonna this time, I assure you of that." Kai said, with determination In his voice.
Fuse and Meili exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them.
Meanwhile,
Mei's team functioned smoothly, their actions perfectly in sync. Mei's led the team with aplomb, her instructions being followed to the letter by Lei, Ryou and Lian. But while it seemed like a harmonious operation, beneath the surface, Ryou and Lian worked hard to meet Lei's high standards.
Ryou, always eager to please, would bend over backwards to follow Lei's instructions, while Lian's apprehension led her to be overly cautious, causing her to err on the side
In a voice that brooked no argument, Lei spoke with a steely resolve that belied her youth. "We have to train harder than ever before," she said. "The stakes are too high to let our guard down for even a moment. Every second counts, besides our first time experience on the front lines in our previous mission made it sure that we can't afford to waste a single second. We must train, so we could be ready for anything that comes against us."
Lei's words hung in the air, the weight of their meaning palpable. Ryou eyes shining with the same determination that burned in their teacher's gaze, Lian, on the other hand, wasn't feeling so determined as always.
But nevertheless , this was no idle promise; but was a solemn vow for Lei.
Lei's voice was filled with a mixture of steely resolve and mischievous glee as she added, "We'll show Team Hibiki what we're really made of. They won't know what hit them!"