Cassian hurried into the training room and found no one there. He looked around, trying to find Dorian. Their training session was scheduled for right now, and the one who offered it was not even here.
He did one final check before he made his way to the changing room, but upon entering, Dorian stepped out from behind the lockers.
"Oh, Cassian, you are here," he said in a cheerfully low voice, his eyes obscured. "What's up with your clothes?"
Cassian became more wary of this face the more he saw it.
"It's nothing," he replied. "We had a promise, and I didn't want to break it."
He unbuttoned his shirt, getting ready to wear the combat outfit of the AU trainee.
Dorian nodded as he pushed off the locker. "Get ready quick; I will be waiting," he said as he patted Cassian's shoulders.
Cassian shook his head after Dorian left him to change. He came out after a while in a body-tight combat suit, black from neck to toe; even the shoes matched the suit perfectly, almost blending into it. The suit was designed to protect its owner while training or sparring.
As he walked into the training room, he saw Dorian playing with his dual blades—well, dummy blades. It looked non-threatening and almost playfully cool. But as soon as Cassian let his guard down to admire the blade expert, a blade flew toward him!
Keeping a straight face, he barely managed to dodge it. The dull rubber blade pierced the wall.
He looked at the knife and frowned, doing a slow turn toward Dorian, who already had acquired another knife to replace the thrown one.
"Awww, got scared?" Dorian chuckled, but his eyes were not smiling. "Come on, Cassian, pick up a weapon, or does the son of Magnus not know how to fight?"
Cassian smirked as he tightened his gloves, then went over to the weapon section and picked up his favorite one. It was a blade as well.
He chose a streamlined, single-edged blade with a dark handle and a curved tip—ideal for quick, controlled strikes and defense. Its design allowed for better swings; the blade's edge was sharp enough to cut through practice dummies but still safe for sparring.
The grip fit comfortably in his hand. He gave it a quick twirl, feeling its weight, then turned to face Dorian, his stance solid.
Of course, seeing Dorian's level with the blade, he would be using rubber ones, but on the other hand, Cassian would be using stronger and better ones.
He gripped his blade with renewed focus, preparing for the spar. Dorian, twirling his dual practice blades with ease, gave a casual smirk, sizing up his opponent.
"I've been waiting for this, just so ya know," he taunted, stepping forward. "I'd really like to see what you're made of."
Cassian narrowed his eyes. "Come and try," he replied, steadying his stance and observing his opponent.
Dorian lunged first, swift and low. Cassian countered, sidestepping and swiping his blade just over Dorian's shoulder. Dorian deflected with one blade while striking with the other. Cassian blocked, causing a momentary echo.
"Not bad," Dorian murmured, pivoting into another attack.
Cassian parried each strike. The force and speed of Dorian's attacks demanded his full concentration. For every move Dorian made, Cassian had to think two steps ahead to hold his ground.
"Think faster, Cassian!" Dorian barked, launching another flurry of attacks.
Cassian barely dodged and retaliated with a swipe that Dorian sidestepped at the last second.
They exchanged blows in a continuous flow, neither gaining a clear advantage. Dorian, however, kept the upper hand in speed.
Cassian, using his strength and precision, tried to wear him down, anticipating Dorian's movements. With a quick sidestep, Cassian deflected both of Dorian's blades with one clean swipe of his own, managing to unbalance his opponent slightly.
Dorian stumbled, but only for a moment. He quickly recovered, flashing Cassian an approving grin.
"Ha! That was interesting," he admitted, circling Cassian cautiously. "But don't get too cocky."
Cassian grinned back. "Wouldn't dream of it."
The room became colder, but their bodies grew hotter.
They clashed again, moving faster now, each gauging the other's reactions. Cassian's combat suit stretched with his every movement, allowing him to dodge and counter more fluidly.
Dorian pressed on, relentless and cunning, looking for any gap in Cassian's defense. Cassian could feel himself adapting. Not with his Band but with his mind.
Finally, Dorian threw a feint, drawing Cassian into a block, then slid his second blade in a surprise attack. Cassian dodged just in time, and with a swift counter-strike, he managed to land a light tap on Dorian's arm.
"Got you," Cassian breathed, smirking.
Dorian laughed, shaking his head. "Well, look at that. A touch," he said, almost impressed. "But don't think it'll happen again." He sprang forward, attacking with more intensity, testing Cassian's endurance.
Their spar dragged on, both men sweating, each motion more deliberate and precise. Cassian felt his skills and instincts sharpen with every exchange, matching Dorian's pace.
They fought and learned, driving their willingness into this fight. It could be said that Dorian was winning by a lot, but Cassian didn't take the match easily and showed what he could do as well.
The rounds were getting more and more intense, both completely immersed in their world.
It was their fifth round, and Dorian finished it off with a clean strike to the neck. Cassian smirked and nodded, starting the battle again.
Just as they reached a stalemate again, Dorian held up a hand, signaling a pause.
"Enough for today," he said, catching his breath. "You're getting there, Cassian. Keep it up."
Cassian nodded, feeling exhausted as he asked, "When's the next session taking place?"
Dorian chuckled and said, "Gee, man! As if today wasn't already enough. Haha. I'll let you know."
Cassian left the room feeling a little better about himself. His body ached from the intense sparring, but the pain was a reminder of his progress.
Today, though he still lost, he had at least managed to catch Dorian off guard, landing a single light touch—a small but meaningful victory against someone of that caliber.
Plus, he had outsmarted the man enough times to feel his own improvement since childhood.
The session replayed in his mind as he walked back through the quiet hallways, focusing on each technique and counter he'd used.
Dorian's attacks had been swift and precise, always aiming to break Cassian's defenses. It became clear that if Cassian wanted to match him one day, he'd have to adopt more than just strength—he needed Dorian's level of skill and speed.
When he reached his apartment, he sank onto his bed, his muscles sore but his spirit high.
His mind told him to wash up and change out of his dirty clothes, but his body refused to do that for a while.
Perhaps training with Dorian was a bad idea. What if there was an emergency at TEC? He surely wouldn't have the mentality to race over there and contribute much.
The combat suit, designed to protect him from most of the sparring impact, didn't fully prevent the bruises he was bound to discover later, but that didn't matter. He felt good about his progress. The high of the match still lingered in his mind.
Cassian thought about whether he would need a real battle against someone trying to kill him. That was accounting that Bandit was stronger.
He'd seen how Dorian read his every move, slipping out of reach and countering better than expected. He would need to work on his reflexes, learn to watch his opponent better, and respond without hesitation.
Of course, that was neglecting to use his Band. Had he actually implemented it in this session, the results might have been different—much different!
As he lay there, he made mental notes on how he would approach a Bandit like that. Someone who could harness weapons or skillfully manifest them wasn't that hard to deal with.
The best way to handle them was to try and throw them off, maybe use some feints until they were finally disarmed.
Dorian's approval had shown Cassian that he still needed improvement and that with time and practice, he could hold his ground.