Participants:
| Scene Title | The First Rule Of Fight Club |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Ash begins to teach Harrison some basics when it comes to fighting…Melissa joins…for a little while at least. |
| Date | June 16, 2010 |
Howland Hook Facility: Storage Room
Unfinished buildings that look like gutted iron rib cages is all that remains of the unfinished Howland Hook Facility. What was going to be a revitalization of Staten Island's abandoned rail system was cancelled after the bomb of 2006 ripped thorugh Manhattan and sent a poisonous fallout cloud down onto Staten Island. All that remains of this massive abandoned facility is a sprawl of seventeen unfinished buildings in various state of disrepair over 187 acres of land.
Ranging from two floor office spaces to gigantic roofless skeletons of warehouses the Howland Hook new constructions only serve as haunting landmarks between far older though more intact structures. Old rail houses and terminal stations for Staten Island's abandoned rail network rise up from the crumbling concrete parking lots and industrial parkland here, connecting old and derelict rail lines that criss-cross through Staten Island and north into Jersey City through tunnels that cut beneath the northern river.
This complex was intended to be a container ship port and features a derelict ship berth 9,000 feet long that had been intended for the use of loading and unloading cargo. Shipping cranes have since been left abandoned here, reaching up with peeling paint and rust towards the skies.
A practice ring of sorts has been set up in a storage room at the Howland Hook facility. THere's blue mats down on the
floor, and red chalk marking the outline of teh ring on the floor around the mats. Against one wall are a couple of
punching bags that have been suspended from overhead steel girders and such. It's a bare bones excersize/training room for
the moment.
Ash is already there waiting. He's sitting on the mats in simple black gi pants, and a black tanktop with it. A red belt
with black stripes on it is tied about his waist, little black characters sewn into it near the stripes. He is stretching,
in a near full splits, limbering up while he waits. He put the offer out there for anyone who wanted to come train, sharpen
thier skills, learn, whatever have you, to do so.
As he walks into the room, Harrison peeks his head in to make sure he is in the right room. He sees Ash and swallows hard
as he steps in fully. Harrison is dressed in a white tanktop, black shorts, and a pair of white sneakers. He gives the man
a wave and says, "Hey Ash…" He chuckles, "I'm ready to get my ass kicked."
Ash looks up from the floor, the big man's eyes settling on Harrison, a slight chuckle as he sees the sneakers. "I wouldn't
bothe rwith the shoes on the mats, you'll slip more with them on. Here." he picks up a roll of tape, tossing it to him, his
own feet taped up with the narrow white adhesive. His hands as well are taped up around the knuckles and such. "Hey
Harrison." He hops up onto his feet from the floor, arching a brow at the comment. "Do you have fighting experience at all?
I can teach you some basic kick boxing and judo stuff, basics on judo, karate, that kind of stuff. I'm a kickboxer myself
when it comes to fighting. I can throw some mean punches, but it's my kicks that take people down." He bounces from foot to
foot a couple of times. "I'm also going to ask that you don't do any sudden metaling on me, breaking my hands and feet
aren't on the agenda for today." He winks at him, a sly smile on his lips as he waits for the man's replies.
As he kicks off his sneakers, Harrison catches the tape. He looks down at his hands and then at Ash and cocks his head to
the side, "Me? Fight…not really. I played football…swam alot…hiked yet never really had a need to get into fights."
He begins to wrap his knuckles as he chuckles, "As long as you don't put my life in danger I usually have very good control
over it Ash. Only when my surivial instincts kick in do I shift without control. I think it is my body's way of protecting
me…unless I really concentrate that is the only time I lose control."
Ash nods his head slowly forwards as he thinks that over. He watches Harrison wrapping his hands and steps forwards to
correct him slightly in the way he's doing it. "Snug is better, just not tight, and you want to get it so it reinforces the
knuckles and the bones behind them." He steps back then, face thoughtful. "Well, I'll do my best not to kick in those kind
of instincts. I also won't be beating you up yet. We have to teach you the basics, though these basics will be rather
different from those most would teach. Most aren't teaching you how to kill with your bare hands." He looks around the room
a moment, then back to him. "And we'll train using our powers as well once you get a hang of it all. I won't be able to
hurt you in your metal form, but that doesnt' mean I can't beat you, and you'll need to know how to counter someone who can
beat you without really hurting you."
Harrison is standing across from Ash in the Storage room that has been turned into a make shift training area with mats and
all. Ash is correcting Harrison on how to reinforce his knuckles and bones. He nods as he listens to the instruction as he
says, "Ok…" He finishes and throws the tape to the side as he cracks his neck. He is limber and must have warmed up
before arriving. He looks at Ash and says, "Ok now what?"
Ash tilts his own head to the side, muscles and tendons stretching until they pop audibly, then the other way to do to the
same. "Well, first you'll need to know how to throw a proper kick and a proper punch, none of that pussy shit they do on
TV." He motions Harrison over to the punching bags with him that he rigged up. "When you punch don't go straight in, you'll
break your hand into a million pieces, well, you might not, since you'll usually be punching with a metal hand, but it also
stops you from getting the most velocity into it. Don't roundhouse either. You just want a slight angle on a punch." he
turns towards the punching bag, demonstrating with a heavy thump that sets the bag to swaying a little. "And it's best to
turn your fist so that when it hits the back of your hand is facing up, gives it more impact."
They say that two is a party and three's a crowd, but Melissa doesn't seem to care about that old saying as she waltzes in,
dressed in black cargo pants, one of her favorite corsets (also black of course) and with the red scarf tied around her
waist. She's even whistling. "Oooh, fighting? Sounds like fun. Can anyone join, or is this invitation only?" she asks,
grinning at them both.
Harrison blinks as he nods and walks over to the bags with Ash. He listens to the man's instructions…balling his hand
into a fist…releasing it. He watches him hit the bag. He blinks and his lips make a soft ooooo sound. He nods as he
begins to hold his hand as instructed and then arches his arm back and just as Melissa enters he does not hit the bag. His
eyes move to the woman as he looks between her and Ash. Harrison shrugs, "I don't care yet…I might suck compared to you
guys."
Ash turns his heas as he hears the sound of whistling, his eyes settling on Melissa warily. His tongue pushes at his lower
lip from within causing a bulge that moves about beneath the skin. eyes go to the outfit she's decided to wear to the
little workout room he set up, taking in corset and cargo pants with a faint hint of amusement coloring his features. He's
dressed in black gi pants with a red belt that has black stripes and characters on it, and a black tank top. Both men are
shoeless, Ash's are taped, as are his hands, and they're standing at the punching bags.
"Not fighting yet. Teaching Harrison how to throw a proper punch and kick so that he won't break his hand if he ever has
to fight without his metal form. Then I'm going to start training him in a bit of technique." He glances back to Harrison
and arches a brow at him. "Hit the bag kid. I want to see you throw at least 5 or six solid correct punches before I show
you how to kick in a proper fashion. Once that's done we'll work on some basic moves for you based on your body type and
how you move."
"Ah, but no answer to whether I could join or not," Melissa points out with a grin as she moves in their direction, hanging
back so she doesn't get in the way. "And I don't think you'll suck compared to me, Harrison. I can hurt someone, and I can
shoot alright, but a fist fight?" She shakes her head, then shrugs. "Never really had the cause or opportunity to learn or
practice, really."
As he looks back towards Ash, and then to Melissa, "I don't mind you joining. He is the teacher though." When told to hit
the bag he nods curtly to Ash and turns his eyes towards it. He takes a few deep breaths and taps it first to make sure his
hand position is right. He is slightly off at first yet corrects it. He punches the back once, it doesn't move to much. He
punches it again, and it moves a bit more. His large arm muscles flexing at the impact. He hits it a third time and he
yelps slightly as he grabs his thumb. He angled his hand a bit too much and slammed his thumb on the bag. He brings his
thumb to his mouth to suck on it.
Broad shoulders shift upwards in a shrug as a reply to Melissa. Ash's eyes watch Harrison for those punches as he replies
to the woman. "It's not my place to say yes or no Mel. I set it up for everyone to use. You're just as welcome here as
anyone. As to fighting you? I don't know. I dislike fighting women…" Which is rather odd considering well… Ash, that
he'd have that kind of opinion. The moment Harrison starts to nurse his thumb Ash lashes out with two fingers striking the
kid's forarm, nothing damaging, but painful is the intent. "Keeping hitting. That kind of shock or hesitation will get you
killed. Just readjust the position and keeping going." He's not shouting or anything, but his voice is firm. His eyes cast
over his shoulder to Melissa a moment. "If you don't know anything about fighting then get your skinny ass over here and
start practicing along side kiddo here."
When Harrison yelps, Melissa's attention focuses on him, then on his thumb, only to be distracted by Ash, her head tilting.
"You don't fight women? That's a dangerous handicap Ash. Or maybe insulting. Not sure which. But women can be just as
deadly as men." But she does stroll over towards him, looking at the bag, then Ash. "So we're just…punching the bags
right now?"
As he nods slowly, "Yes sir." He is brought back to his days running drills with his team. Harrison begins to hit the bag
again as he focuses his attention on his hand…fist…body. He hits it again…the bag moves. He hits it harder…it moves
a bit more. He shifts his body weight into the third punch and a thud can be heard from the impact. He lets out a grunt as
he hits the fourth punch. He winds it up this time and puts in his all this time…arm…body…fist and the bag swings
slightly where it is hung. Harrison beams a smile towards Ash to see how he did.
Ash turns his head, his eyes settling on Melissa as she makes her miststatement. "I did not say I won't fight a woman. I
said I dislike fighting women. There is a rather large difference. I do what I have to." He stated it with calm certainty.
"You couuld ask Huruma, or anyone that was working with me when I was working for Adam. I ran a girl down and ended her
because she had seen our faces. Adam saved her after teh fact, but she had no recolection of what had happened. A quick
knife through the temple and that was that. I /dislike/ fighting women." He nods his head to her question. "Punching
properly is the thing." He demonstrates for her as well, a heavy blow, alot heavier than he should be capable of, slams
into the bag, sending it rocking on it's rope. "Slgiht angle, fist flat, not straight in, not wide in like a roundhouse."
He watches Harrison throw his punches, nodding in approval. Alot of teachers would correct him for that windup punch,
saying he put too much into it, went too far, voerstretched himself, but Ash doesn't. Doing what they do, they have to go
the extra mile, have to dedicate themselves to a fight if they want to come out alive.
"Point," Melissa concedes, moving up to the bag. She makes a fist, a proper one, and tilts her head. Then she starts to
punch. She doesn't punch precisely as Ash is telling her to, of course, not more than once or twice, but she just admitted
to not being a hand to hand fighter, so it's expected.
Ash shakes his head when he sees Melissa punch at the bag. He steps over near her, looking down at her. "no." He murmurs.
He goes through the motion slowly a few times, not a full force punch on the bag, showing her what he's talking about, the
form her blow needs to take. "And for you, if you can time your blows right, you could make each one feel like a
sledgehammer with your ability. That's something I'll be teaching later, combining your ability with your fighting. Can
shock the hell out of people." He flashes a predatory grin at her. He turns his head a she hears the heavy whump of the bag
being struck, already knowing what he's going to see. He lifts a hand and actually facepalms, hand spreading out and
striking himself in the face. "Kid…" He rubs his hand over his features slowly. "Powers come later. You'll be alot more
amazed with what you can do when you actually have a basic idea of how to teach that bag what is what."
Melissa seemed agreeable enough to taking corrections on how to throw her punches, but when Ash starts talking about her
ability, her eyes narrow. "If there's one thing I don't need teaching about, it's how to use my ability, Ash. You can
teach me to throw punches and kick or whatever, but I've got my ability." But luckily for him, she doesn't decide to
demonstrate that. Not quite yet. Instead she resumes punching.
If his blush could be seen through the metal it would show he is a few shades redder, as his body begins to shift back to
flesh he looks like a kid who got his hand caught in the cookie jar, "Sorry Ash. I was just curious." Harrison turns his
attention back to the man.
Ash arches a brow at Melissa as she makes her little statement. "If you throw a fit at me again, or presume to know what
I'm talking about again you can find another teacher Melissa. You either learn from me, or you don't, you take my
instructions, or you don't. That simple. You don't question your trainer. That's the way I was taught, and that's the way I
teach. If you have a problem with that, then you can, as I said, find someone else to teach you. I wasn't suggesting you
dont' know how to use your ability. If you'd bothered to listen."
He turns back to Harrison and pats the kid on his shoulder. "It's fine kiddo, just progress with me allright? I'll teach
you as we go, to incorporate your ability, and then fight full on with it, it's a stages thing. Can you phase individual
parts of your body? Cause we're going to have to get you used to fighting while moving slower as well, your body is rather
dense, so we'll have to focus on center hitting moves so they will have to full body dodge to get out of the way."
"First, that wasn't a fit. It was an explanation. Second, you said that you'd be teaching me how to combine my ability with
my fighting. I don't need you to," Melissa says, speaking a few words between punches. "More, I've already considered how
to do just that. I asked you to teach me hand to hand. Nothing more. That is all you're my instructor for."
"I have never thought about it. I have only ever really been able to do my entire body." He looks down at his hands a deep
look of thought on his face. "I could try if you want yet….don't know if I could." Harrison looks between Ash and Melissa
and shifts his weight a bit uncomfortably as he listens to them before adding, "So…what is next." As he makes an attempt
to move on pass the tension.
Ash looks at Melissa squarely now, his head giving a slow shaking. "You don't get to tell me what I am and am not teaching
you Melissa. You either learn what I have to teach or you find someone else to learn under. Your fucking choice." With that
he turns away from her, walking around to the other side of Harrison before he nods his head a little bit. "Now, you've
learned that, and only practice will ingrain it into you. When you kick? Don't kick with your toes, they'll break and won't
do a damn things. When you kick you'll be using the top of your foot, the curve of your ankle joint, and the bottom of your
calf for impact. He lifts his right leg in a side kick, but slowly so Harrison can see what he's doing, bringing it around
to the bag, then doing it again, slow, letting him watch the motion. Then he puts in a full kick, slamming his leg into it
and sending nit swinging about. "Try to shift individual parts of your body if you can. That way, it will slow you, but not
as much as when you shift your whole body, so you can strike quicker, and nearly as hard."
The punching stops at Ash's words to her, and Melissa nods. "Alright. I'll learn from someone else. Because all I want
to learn is how to fight hand to hand. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't get delusions of grandeur." She smiles
sympathetically at Harrison. "Good luck," she says, before turning and strolling towards the door.
"Awwww Melissa." Harrison says softly, "Stay…I know he means well…just he is the teacher…the coach. When I was on my
football team we never questioned the coach. He had his reasons for what he did…" He looks at her with a slight tint of
softness in his eyes before they harden up when Ash begins to instruction him again. He turns his eyes on the movements and
watches. He begins to try the same motion his body losing it's balance now and again as he goes through the motions slowly.
He then stops and focuses his energy on his left foot. He just stares at it…and stares at it.
Ash glances over towards Melissa, giving a slight shrug. "There's no delusions of grandeur. I teach the way I teach. If you
don't like it, too bad." With that he turns his attention back to Harrison, not apparently too worried about Mel walking
off. He looks back at Harrisona nd nods his head a bit when he watches the kid try to kick. "We can work on your center of
balance, but I can tell right off kicking won't be your thing, that's fine. I'll teach you some low kicks, to ankles and
shins type deal, but nothing higher so you dont' put yourself off balance int he middle of a fight." He watches him
staring, knowing full well what he's trying to do. "If you can't do it, or can't do it yet, don't worry about it, practice
it, try. I know some Evolved can gain greater mastery of thier ability by trying and practicing."
"Sorry Harrison. I want him to teach me one thing, and he's decided that if I learn one thing I'll learn everything. No go.
I'll learn from someone without their head up their ass," Melissa says, shaking her head and not turning back. She doesn't
even stop. And a moment later, she's out the door.
Harrison looks up and says, "Yeah sorry. I didn't even feel it tingle. I can try and see what happens in the future." He
listens to the man's assessment of his skill and says, "I didn't do much kicking in football or swimming. I was the QB."
Ash shakes his head a bit at Mel's comment as she walks out. "And I won't take a bullet for someone arrogant enough to walk
away from further training." It's said with a sad certaint. He really means it. His eyes and attention pull back around to
Harrison and he tilts his head forwards a little bit. "Try it in metal form. I'm wondering if your increased weight will
help your balance. If not then we'll abandon the idea of higher kicks entirely. Not a massive loss, just helps to have a
big repetoire of available moves to use on an opponent."
As he takes a deep breath, it takes about sixty seconds for the full shift to happen as his body mass is the same yet he
just looks heavier. He lifts up his leg up and seems solid until it gets to about three feet off the ground and he loses
his balance all together. He falls backwards onto the mats in a loud thud! The young man has to roll on his side to get up
in this form which would be completely different in his normal form. He looks at Ash and says, "Yeah…sorry…I can't lift
it up more then knee level."
Ash watches him as he changes, a curiosity there as he observes. "Well, at least we know." He comments, his face thoughtful
as he pondsers the change in things. "Spears, body tackles, cross body attacks, and low kicks it will have to be then, use
your natural weight to your advantage." He looks over to the mats, then back to the bag, but doesn't move to help the kid
up, letting him do that on his own. "How fast can you move in this form?" he asks him.
Harrison looks at the man his silver eyes glitter as he asks, "Spears?" He shakes his head as his hair clings against each
other as he says, "I can't run or jump. I can climb but I get tired. I weight in at 410 in this form."
Ash purses his lips at that statement, but then nods his head. "Spear, like a full body tackle, kind of like…" He moves
forwards in a swift motion, moving for the kid's middle, but stops before impacting, hsi shoulder set against his stomach.
"And I'd have carried through with the impact, lifting you from your feet and slamming you dowbn onto the ground. Even at
410 pounds I could probably spear you. However, being speared by 410 pounds of titanium would incapacitate nearly anyone."
Harrison nods as he closes his eyes and his body begins to shift back to normal flesh as he says, "Yes but your not
everyone." He opens his eyes and cracks his neck looking down at his hands, "Yet I do see your point. I could most likely
try that move a bit more. It kind of reminds me of the days from running drills on the team when we hit the dummies."
Ash laughs lightly and gives a little nod of his head. "Moves like that yeah. You're a football player, so we'll work on
that as well. We'll go for mostly low body moves that won't challenge your center of gravity. You'll have the force to
break bones and such in your metal form, we'll use that to your advantage. Low kicks, diving tackles, stuff like that. But
for now, practice your punches." And he himself turns away to begin pummeling one of the bags. Ash doesn't often let the
full force his body is capable of out, but now he does, laying blows into the bag that only men that compete in the Worlds
Strongest Man compeition can aly out, setting it to swinging hard as he pounds it's surface.
Yes sir." The young man moves to the bag as he turns to watch Ash out of the corner of his eyes for a moment. He makes an
attempt to not stare and jumps slightly when he remembers he should be hitting his bag. He does a practice hit making sure
his fist is in the proper manner as he begins to open fire on his bag. He is not Ash but Harrison is in shape and can land
a few good punches of his own.