The day after Constantine arrived at the Outcast base, as the sun started to dip below the horizon, Marcus gathered everyone for Constantine's training. The training room was spacious, with an assortment of weapons in shelfs on the walls, training dummies, towels, and all sorts of equipment. Seeing all this, Constantine felt nervous but, upon noticing Jane's grin, he decided to suck it up and not give her the satisfaction; she just irked him.
"Alright, let's get this show on the road!" Darryl, clapping his hands together with enthusiasm.
Jane shot Constantine a mischievous grin. "Hope you're ready to sweat, newbie." she teased with a smirk.
Constantine smirked back. "Bring it on pipsqueak," he retorted.
"Oh really? Okay asshole, I'll bring it on, I'll kick your ass!" she said, going red in the face. She was pretty short and that was her biggest insecurity.
Kento chuckled, a hint of amusement in his eye. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We've got a lot of ground to cover," he said, his voice steady.
Darryl threw an arm around Constantine's shoulders. "Don't worry, man. We'll have you fighting like a pro in no time!" he assured, his grin widening.
"Okay everyone, cut it out already," Marcus said in exasperation. "Constantine, if I remember correctly, you said you had some fighting training already, correct?"
"Yeah, Krav Maga and some street fighting." Constantine said.
"Of course you'd be a delinquent," Jane mumbled.
"Shut up chibi." Constantine said with an eyeroll.
"I'll kill you!" Jane yelled.
"For Aeloria's sake shut up, both of you!" Marcus roared.
"Sorry dad." Jane said, lowering her eyes.
Constantine coughed awkwardly. "Anyway, yeah I got some training but I'm a bit rusty, been living the college life and all...until recently, that is." he said.
Marcus, with a small smirk on his face, crossed his arms and looked at Constantine and Jane.
"Alright then," he said. "Since both of you have so much energy, you can start the sparring match. We need to assess what Constantine's level is."
"Heh, of course you'd pick me!" Jane said, gloating.
"And Jane has the lowest combat level among us, so it won't be too unfair for you, Constantine." Marcus continued.
"Hah, you really thought you ate that up, didn't you?" Constantine said to Jane with a grin.
"Get on the mat jackass." Jane replied.
"No powers allowed!" Marcus yelled in exasperation.
And so, they squared off. Constantine took his stance and started looking for openings. Jane was short and slim, which would make her a difficult target to hit accurately, especially if she was fast. He also knew she was superhumanly strong and, seeing the wild grin on her face, he almost regretted teasing her so much – almost. Jane immediately lunged at him throwing two consecutive punches that Constantine dodged with ease; however, he could feel the air pressure following them. Yeah, maybe he should be nicer to her.
"Do you still think you can handle this, newbie?" Jane taunted with her fists raised.
Constantine smirked confidently. "No sweat," he shot back, lying through his teeth, his muscles tensing in anticipation.
With a swift movement, Jane launched forward with a jab aimed at Constantine's chest. He quickly sidestepped the blow, countering with a swift low kick aimed at Jane's knee. Jane grunted as she blocked the attack, her eyes narrowing.
"Not bad, but you'll have to do better than that!" she growled.
The two engaged in a flurry of punches and kicks, each move calculated and precise. Constantine's technique was disciplined, his strikes aimed with precision, while Jane's attacks were fueled by sheer strength and confidence in her enhanced physique. Ironically, their fighting styles were very similar; both relied in taking out their opponents quickly through overwhelming aggression, with Jane being stronger and Constantine being more technical. As the spar intensified, their exchanges grew more intense, each landing blows and deflecting strikes with increasing speed and agility. Constantine felt the rust shake off his fighting skills; this spar brough him back to his childhood, looking for trouble in the streets.
"You call that a punch? A kid hits harder than you!" Jane taunted, a hint of mockery in her voice.
Constantine gritted his teeth, his focus unwavering. "Yes, you hit harder than me but you're too slow, kid," he retorted, his movements becoming more fluid and controlled.
Jane got flustered. "Who the fuck are you calling a kid?!" she shouted, her movements getting faster.
Their spar continued, the rhythm of their movements echoing throughout the training room. Nearing the end, Jane had won most of their bouts, although Constantine managed to score a few wins. Jane wasn't gloating anymore; he annoyed her, sure, but she knew she had an overwhelming power advantage, and he was going against her as just a regular human who hadn't trained in years. So, despite the competitive edge to their interaction, there was an unspoken respect developing between them, each recognizing the other's skill. Constantine realized just how absurdly strong Jane is, and Jane realized she had underestimated him. As their last bout drew to a close, both of them were breathless and sweat-drenched, their bodies pulsing with adrenaline. They exchanged a silent nod of acknowledgment.
"Okay, you're good." Constantine conceded, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Jane smirked, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Not bad, for a newbie." she replied, her eyes gleaming.
"Let's finish this!" they both said almost in unison.
As Jane lunged forward with a fierce jab, Constantine reacted instinctively, stepping to the side to evade the blow. With a swift pivot, he closed the distance between them, his movements fluid and controlled. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, and lowering his center of gravity, Constantine launched a rapid series of strikes, his muscle memory guiding his every move. He started with a powerful straight punch aimed at Jane's midsection, followed by a lightning-fast elbow strike to her ribs. Jane staggered back, momentarily off balance from the onslaught of blows. But Constantine didn't relent, quickly transitioning into a devastating knee strike aimed at Jane's abdomen.
The impact sent Jane reeling; her breath knocked out of her as she stumbled backwards. Constantine pressed his advantage, closing in with a swift roundhouse kick aimed at Jane's head. With lightning-fast reflexes, Jane managed to duck under the blow, narrowly avoiding the strike. But Constantine didn't let up, continuing to press the attack with relentless precision. Jane tried to counterattack but found herself overwhelmed by his speed. Constantine used the opening and swept her legs, sending her sprawling to the floor. Constantine, exhausted, dropped to the floor and lay there, staring at the ceiling, panting heavily.
"Great work, you two!" Marcus said, walking towards them.
"I should have brought some popcorn!" Darryl shouted with a laugh.
"You're both sloppy." Kento said, walking to them and helping both of them get up.
"Give me a break, Ken." Jane mumbled, still exhausted. Kento ignored her.
"Constantine," he continued. "Your skills aren't bad but it's evident you're out of practice and your fighting style leaves a lot of openings. You're good when you overwhelm your opponent but in a battle of attrition you'd lose quickly.
"But aren't we fighting mages?" Constantine asked.
"Don't be presumptuous." Kento continued. "Many mages have excellent fighting skills to complement their spellcasting. Moreover, they can also enhance their bodies."
"He's right," Darryl interjected. "Sure, the average mage can't fight for shit but the well-trained ones are different; especially the nobles."
"And don't forget, Constantine," Marcus added. "There's a variety of Nightkin, or supernatural creatures as you know them, like Myra Hindley, who are extremely strong, fast, and durable. We also deal with those. You didn't do badly but you need to improve and refine your combat style. Tomorrow, we'll pick you a weapon." he concluded.
At the mention of Myra Hindley, Constantine clenched his fists and started grinding his teeth. He was here for payback, and she was first on his list. By now, he was sure it was here that trashed his apartment, looking for who knows what, and she injured him and sent him to Silver Haven. He put his hand on his chest. There were three diagonal scars left by her claws. He also knew that Vicky was in danger as long as she was alive.
"You are right." he told Marcus. "I have to get stronger. I want to learn how to kill Nightkin first." he said.
"Starting with shapeshifters."