A/N: 2,564 words wew. I hope you enjoy this.
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"Ready your ass tomorrow kid, It's time for you to learn a proper combat."
"Alright!!! Finally, I'm going to learn techniques to fight haha." Noah excitedly declared.
"I hope you can still smile when we start tomorrow" Stick grinned evily.
"Ughh, me and my big mouth." Noah smacked his lips and suddenly felt afraid.
--
Next day inside the camp, Stick and Noah went to another part of the training ground that looked more complete. There are wooden training dummies, Punching Bag hanging on the ceiling and dumbells. The place looks like a proper gym compared to before.
At this time, Noah was squatting in horse stance sweating hard while Stick was sipping a coffee standing beside him.
"Hey Stick, I thought you're going to teach me to whoop ass? What the heck is this?" Noah was shaking as he gritted his teeth.
"This is called foundation, kid. A building will easily collapse if it doesn't have a good foundation. Right now, you are a building."
Then Stick kicked his stomach which made him lose his footing and crumpled on the ground in pain.
"Once shaken a little, you easily collapse. Stand up and do the horse stance again. It will strengthen your core. Make sure to set your feet apart firmly on the ground and lower your waist." Stick continued.
"Fuck you shitty old man that's not a shake, that's a kick!!" Noah hissed in pain.
Stick just smirked and said, "What a pussy. "
Noah wanted to strangle this old bag of bones but he held himself, gritted his teeth and persevered.
After two hours of horse stance, Stick let Noah rest a little and before starting once again.
In the afternoon, Stick taught Noah another session of foundation building stance. They climbed a tall tree about 20 feet high and went to the top. Stick nudge Noah to the edge of the branch and made him stand on his one leg.
"What the hell, are you trying to get me killed?" Noah angrily shouted.
"This is for your balance, punk. Stop complaining and do what you were told. When our body is in danger, it will be forced to do what it can't do normally."
"You mean adrenaline?"
"Correct! Like adrenaline. So if your brain knows that you will be in danger lose your balance, it will make impossible possible. Otherwise, I might be collecting a dead body soon."
Noah stopped talking and tried to concentrate. He was not that afraid since he can't see anything as he was still in blindfold so he stood in his one leg at the edge of the branch and imagine he was not in there but in a flat ground. He focused as he was sweating hard after a few minutes. This exercise lasted for an hour and then Stick made him switch to stand on the other leg for another hour.
It was already three in the afternoon when they climbed down the tree which made Noah blurted out a couple of curses towards the old man because he was rushing him down while Noah's feet were shaking from exhaustion.
When they went down, Stick decided to call it a day and let him removed his blindfold. While Noah was resting on the ground, a young woman approached them. He took a closer look and he saw a hot young Jennifer Garner with her signature wavy walk as she got closer.
She squinted her eyes and nodded at him acknowledging his presence before introducing herself.
"Elektra."
"Hey, I'm no one...at least haven't decided a name yet but some hateful guy decided to name me Noah just because it's sounds alike." Noah grumbled
Elektra looked at him with an amused smile.
"Noah!" Stick suddenly reprimanded him.
"What?!"
"See, he already accepted it." said Stick.
Elektra chuckled a little before turning serious signalling him for privacy.
"I need to talk to you, Stick."
Stick nodded and he said to Noah that he can go back to his room to rest for the rest of the day.
Then he turned around walking in another direction with Elektra in tow.
Noah watched them leave or rather he was staring at Elektra's ass.
"Damn, she's so hot but perhaps I prefer a little mature version of herself." Noah murmured.
--
Meanwhile, Elektra and Stick moving in another direction was talking seriously.
"I need your permission to move out of Japan."
"For what? Hmmmm..so you decided to go to New York."
"I got a tip that the Hand found what they are looking for in Hell's Kitchen. Whatever it is, we need to stop them."
"Is that the only reason? Or are you going there because of Matt?"
Elektra didn't answer and her face was a bit conflicted.
"I can approve but you have to help me train Noah, say for 1 month. Then you can go wherever the hell you want to go." Stick stated his condition after a few moments of contemplation.
Elektra hesitated for a moment before gritting her teeth and accepting the deal.
"Don't worry, you won't have a hard time on him."
"Why? How can you be so sure?" Elektra was bewildered. This is her first time hearing Stick praising somebody. Not even when he train Matt Murdock.
"That guy is a monster, absorbing knowledge like a sponge. I bet he can defeat you in just a month after your training with him. It's pity I can't recruit him to our cause. However, I heard he had a grudge with our mortal enemy. Heh, they don't know what's coming them hehehe."
--
Next morning
When Noah went to the training area, like always, he found Stick but there's an additional person in their presence. It was Elektra clad in her white training uniform. Still, her hot figure unable to cover that.
Elektra, seeing Noah's questioning look, explained, "Starting now until a month later, I will be your sparring partner."
Stick sitting on the side confirming what she said, "You heard her."
"Ohh-oh okay, I don't have a problem with that. It's just that, I might hurt you."
"Lesson number one, Kid. Do not underestimate your opponent whether they are a child, a girl, an old lady or a disabled person. You must learn not to hold back specially once it is confirmed that the other party is an enemy. It is a fatal mistake, do you understand, Noah?" Stick warned him sternly.
"Sorry, thank you for the reminder. I will keep that in mind."
"Hmm, now begin."
As they stood apart facing each other, Noah charge forward for an offensive to Elektra and threw a punch as starter activating his overdrive. Elektra took a side step, grab his wrist and kneed his stomach. Noah equipped with an ability saw that so he blocked the strike with his own knee. However, Elektra put in some of her weight while pull his wrist throwing Faust in the air.
Bang!
"Aw!"
Noah winced in pain clutching his backwaist.
"Told you not to underestimate her. Also, you have this habit of charging towards the enemy without any plan of action. That's just sending yourself to death."
"Charging is only effective if your enemy isn't aware of your presence or distracted by something else. It also effective if your strength is far more potent than your opponent but in the case earlier, it was a mistake. You're just like a wild bull charging mindlessly like a dumb fuck."
Noah ignored the insult remaining silent as he listened to the old man with seriousness. He was absorbing his lesson with all he got.
"You realized it too, huh. Then get up and wear your blindfold. At least it will prevent your habit of charging recklessly."
Without complaining, Noah took the challenge and put on his blindfold. He took a deep breath and sense his surroundings.
"Now tell me, do you feel her presence?"
Noah scanned left and right before facing a certain direction.
"Yes."
"Good, when the enemy knows your presence and is ready for combat, that's where you have to be cautious. You have to circle around the target and look for an opening before engaging in combat. That's how a predator hunt his prey. Prowling, lurking, looking for a weakness, waiting for the slightest flaw she'll make before going for the kill."
Noah did what he's told. He circled around Elektra constantly getting closer.
"When fighting an enemy in front you, it's either he dies or you die in his place. No gray area, just two choices. You have to do everything you've got to kill the enemy or he will kill you and your family. Isn't that what happened to you?"
Hearing that, Noah felt his body fired up and his blood boil from hatred. It was his own weakness that he wasn't able to save his parents. While the veins on his head throbbed with anger, he became terrifyingly calm. Stick was right, the enemy will not show any mercy.
Stick felt the changes in Noah and he couldn't help himself nodding in approval.
His aura became sharp drastically as if his entire being suddenly change to a ruthless hunter. As he approached closer to Elektra's attacking range, he suddenly move giving her a kick to her temple. However, she easily dodged and return with a counter attack.
"Now that's what I'm talking about kid. Imagine your parents still alive waiting for someone to save them in desperation, pretend she was the one who were sent to kill your parents. If you die, she will kill your parents. Do any means necessary to stop her and use every bit of your entire being to kill her. I mean it kid, every part of your body." Stick said from the sideline as he watch them fight. Overtime, Noah's attack became more ruthless using over inch of his body to attack. Shoulder bump, swinging elbow, head butt. However, Elektra blocked them all. What he didn't notice was, Elektra was now sweating having a hard time defending and she doesn't even have a time for a counter attack. Eventually, Noah found an opening as he hurled a kick towards her shoulder.
Bang!
"Very good, that's what I'm talking about. Do it again! You are almost getting the hang of it. Be swift in your attacks and be more ruthless. An exchange for an injury to injury might tip the stalemate. Use more of your elbows and knees, they are the sharpest weapon of your body."
Elektra on the other hand gritted her teeth in anger. She was angry at the fact that he was able to land a hit on her so she began her own ruthless attacks.
"Haayah!!" Noah send an elbow to Elektra's nape after he block another punch from her but she evaded it and she retreated from her position ready to re-engage.
"That's quite passable! However, the reason why she can easily dodge and block your attacks is because your aura is glaring at her face which she can predict where the attack is coming from. Do you think she can't feel it? Remember Noah, you are hunter in the shadows, contain your aura."
"And one more thing, don't shout while you are attacking. It makes you look stupid. You're not Bruce Lee so save it for something else. Be quiet when you attack so your opponent won't know where the attack is coming from."
Noah suddenly became embarrassed as he got carried away a little but he quickly adjusted himself and his breathing.
Noah started to attack again but this time, his movements became erratic. The target of his attacks became fatal aiming for the knees, throat, eyes, even ears. This made Elektra focus her defense on these areas but surprisingly, his attack changed once again shifting the focus so Noah managed to land a blow on Elektra's stomach which causes the her to take a step back.
"Well done, you are really a monster. It's a pity you aren't opted for our cause. Well, anyway time for phase 2, I'm gonna join attacking you. Be ready, I'm coming for you." Stick laughed evily.
--
After a whole day of sparring, they decided to call it a day. Noah hurriedly approached Elektra wanting to start a conversation.
"Elektra, please hang on a second. Hey, I just wanted to apologize for the outburst earlier and for uhh.. Kicking your hot stomach err...I mean your tummy." Noah said embarrassingly.
Elektra turn to look at him and accepted the apology before smiling sarcastically, "Thanks to you my trip one month later mightq be postponed."
"Eh? Why? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to--"
"Well it's not entirely because of you. I just realized that I still have a lot to learn when I'm sparring with you. I learned something from you actually."
"Really? Thank you for today. I hope to continue being your sparring partner."
Elektra smiled and nodded.
Noah leaned closer and whispered on her ears and said, "Say do you want to get revenge on that shitty old man. Let's teach him a lesson when he got stronger."
Elektra was stunned for moment before bursting in laughter.
Noah was bewildered and asked, "Why are you laughing?"
Then he heard Stick's voice from a distance saying, "Because I can hear you, moron! I'm blind but my ears are more sharper."
Noah was stunned which garnered more laughter from Elektra as she saw the look on his face.
"Ah.. So you wanted to get revenge, eh. I'll give you an opportunity to fight me tomorrow and brace yourself for more intense training. Hehehehe."
Noah shuddered at the thought of fighting Stick in full force as began to regret uttering such words. All of a sudden, he looked at Elektra who was still laughing and he thought of something evil. Since he can't escape from the suffering, why not drag another one companion to hell.
He grinned evil and said out loud, "Elektra, I thought we're in this together. You even gestured a few plans for revenge so Stick wouldn't hear it."
Elektra was stunned, she couldn't help but get angry at Noah for dragging her into the ire of Stick all of sudden.
"What??! I didn't say anything. I didn't do anything. I don't know yo--"
Elektra tried to explain herself but it was cut off when she heard Stick once again.
"Oh so you are planning this as well, huh. Then tomorrow, both of you will fight me for a whole day."
"But-- I didn't even do anything.." She slumped her shoulders in defeat.
Noah on the other hand fanned the flames more by saying a few insulting words to the old man. At least this way, he can take a little interest. He was going to suffer anyway so he said more curse words trying to annoy Stick.
Then Noah went to Elektra's side who was still weakly in daze and put his arms around her shoulder.
"Come on, we can do it together. We will teach that shitty old man a lesson he can't forget."
Elektra woke up from stupor and jabbed her elbow to his stomach in irritation.
"It's because of you.. Hmph! You have no idea what you've gotten us into."
Elektra started to leave in a hurry afraid of being dragged together with another trouble cause by Noah.
Cough! Cough!
"Geez that's a little mean."