Cold Steel - Grace & JaK training session.

It took a few days, but finally JaK was all healed up and was ready to get back into the field. First thing's first, however, he promised a certain someone that he would help teach her some techniques to aid her in hand to hand combat and that's exactly what he planned to do. Sage if anything thought himself to be a man of his word at the very least. It was 5 minutes until they're scheduled appointment was to take place and JaK was hoping she wouldn't be late. He was really eager to get going, in fact, he was doing intensive stretching to pass the time. Putting both legs behind his head while holding his entire body above the ground with just his palms and freezing in that position as he stretched. The boy himself looking calm and tranquil as a monk as he did this. The location of the training session was in the simulator which was on a gym setting today. The simulated holographics mocking that of a boxing or mixed martial arts dojo. There were multiple weight benches, punching bags, fake boxers and fighters walking around; plus a giant ring in the center of the room. Sage being seen on the floor mats near the ring as he did his stretches. His attire was simple today, just ripped blue skinny jeans which were supposed to be make-shift gym shorts of some sorts and everywhere else on his pale grey body was bare. His muscular figure looking as if it had never received a scar in is life when really just a few days ago the flesh was burnt to a crisp tar black. Now all that was left was for him to wait, wait and hope that the day didn't end in a fight and with him getting frozen solid or worse should he piss his temporary student off too much.

"Ha. Funny, but no it's always good to stay limber...Especially if you need to jump kick some guy a foot or so taller than you."

As JaK spoke after seeing his student for the day had arrived, he looked her up and down and then transferred hismelf back to a more normal sort of stance. Afterwards standing back up on his feet before cracking his back by putting his hands behind him, cupping them together, and leaning to the side."

"So ya ready? Like the outfit by the way, a bit more revealing than your usual stuff."

JaK was joking of course, however, he did eye Grace every once and a while on the daily bases when he remembered she was a girl rather than just another teammate. Then usually something would happen to make him loathe her enough that not even her appearance could save face in his mind. Today, however, there would be none of that. He was going to keep good energy with her and hopefully there would be no arguing between them.

JaK clapped his hands together at hearing this, happy that she had at least already somewhat worn herself out or gotten pumped because in a real life situation fights rarely happened when you're rested and at 100%.

"Ok, first thing's first, you're a female.....Let that sink in....As such I'm not saying you can't kick ass on the regular bases, but you having no super durability and not being physically imposing like Wonder Woman can't take as much punishment from big bruisers as say I or Dan could've. That in mind, you also can't dish out the same amount of punishment, however, that makes things easier. It gives you a better focus on ground work without having to worry about over powering a target. All fights or at least most of them are lost when your opponent loses his footing. Your footing is everything, understand that right away. Without proper footing you can end up getting run through by a machete, shot by a stray arrow or bullet, and knocked unconscious by a random thug. Ok, so now were going to teach you how to render a much more imposing foe temporarily bewildered by taking them off balance. This is done by watching how they telegraph their body language. For example, if I run at you with a right hook like most hired henchmen usually do. Your first instinct shouldn't be to try and block it, but rather avoid and then sweep his footing or use his own momentum against him. I'm gonna try this right now, when I run at you I want you to dodge my blow and then hip toss me as hard as you can; don't hold back. Since you say you've been studying me I assumin you already know or have the basic idea of how to do this?"

That being said, JaK took a few steps back and waited for Grace to signal that she was ready and then ran at her yelling out in his usual ferocious manner. He wouldn't hold back his punch for her sake, he needed to have that fear that this was real and she could get hurt. Training gloves was a luxury of time and that's something a TEEN Titan didn't have much of in their career.

As Grace immediately dropped down and went for a leg sweep JaK's eyes twinkled, the recognition of what she had done rendering in his mind and the immediate counter measure coming to him mentally. First leaping over the leg and diving head first into the ground where he would roll to recover on impact ending up just behind Grace and then reached back grabbing her hard by the back of her head and pulling her close. The intent being to show her if he was a trained assassin or anything more than a street rat/big bully she could've had her neck snapped or been at his mercy. Instantly after yanking her close by the hair he let go of her and pushed the Koori forward getting up and speaking as he walked back to the starting position from which he ran.

"Again. You need patience, and you lack confidence. You did good by anticipating my move, which I telegraphed, but then you telegraphed back to me. Fighting is and can be a very dangerous chess game of which you do need to be two moves ahead. Your weak leg kick might've caught Joe Shmoe off guard, but to anyone trained in any type of dojo your counter would've been re-countered instantly. Think clearly and positively about what I'm doing and what you're going to do and then time your reaction perfectly because in most cases your life depends on it. Now...Again."

JaK was being a bit harsh, in all honesty she did what he told her to do and it would've worked maybe on most regular people, but they weren't the police. Their job was to do regular, Titans are called when the irregular comes busting down the front door. This time running at her without yelling out loud and had a more focused look on his face, a look of silent intimidating aggression.

JaK noticed Grace had no response for him as he came charging at her, but that was ok. He expected her to be mad. Especially since she hated being touched, but she better get used to it because at the rate she was going they were going to be at this all day....Or maybe not? It would seem this time as JaK charged at her in a full bailout sprint instead of trying to sweep him she jumped up in a show of athletic prowess he rarely saw from the Koori, if at all, and hit him in the jaw with a well placed kick. The move itself causing JaK to drop to the ground as if KO'd. One would imagine that Grace must've felt bad now, since JaK had given her explicit instructions on what to do. Instead she had surprised the boy who was teaching her his craft and knocked him out. However, it would be shown moments later that he was fine via kipping back up to his feet before dropping into a knelt position and rubbing his chin. At first JaK had a murderous scowl on his face, but then just chuckled and looked back at the girl with a smirk.

"Very good. Now you're learning...Always go with your gut. Even though I told you one thing, you decided to do another and so far that's kept me alive in a lot of situations where I should've probably ended up at Gotham or Jump City cemetery. Had you actually tried to sweep me the same thing would've happened to you again that I did the first time. You caught on a lot quicker than I thought. So with that in mind, lets move on..."

JaK then stood up and walked over to an area behind the ring and came back with a rolling tray table full of guns, arrows, knives, grenades, and balls of all shapes and sizes.

"To evasive maneuvering..."

At that all the martial artist, boxers, gymnasts, and cage fighters around Grace would back away from the immediate area around her. Although they were virtual beings it was as if the simulator itself knew how F'N crazy JaK must be to do what hes about to do.

"I know you're probably wondering what this has to do with fighting, and I'll tell you. If I had a penny or a nickel for every time I was taking on some guy or some guy and his friends, and some punk from out of no where tried to hit me with a projectile...Well...I could buy us another Tower...Preferably by the beach this time so we could catch some waves, and check out all the---"

As Jak began day dreaming about all the beautiful girls in bikinis while he sat on top of a sand castle themed T-shaped tower drinking lemonade under the sun. He quickly snapped back to reality when he saw the look of Grace's expression.

"Riiiight, anyway this exercise will help teach you how to rely less on you powers to block incoming objects and more on you own skills and reflexes. Which will be key for when you're facing an opponent in a fight and his allies try to blind side you. So basically, I'm going to try and hit you with these things and you're going to try and dodge them. Sound good?"

As JaK said this he would pick up the glock and point it mockingly at Grace with one eye closed.

"Don't worry by the way, I've pre-set the simulator to have anything that hits you break into digital specs upon impact; but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. So ya, whenever you're ready."

"Haha. Maybe I should start covering my eyes, you might dodge one. Just kidding, but seriously heads up!"

That being saiid, JaK would toss a baseball into the air before holding a wooden bat in both hands and knocking one right at her just as Grace dropped to her knees on the ground. No sooner had he done so he heard more encouraging words coming from the entrace to the sumulator, but the odd things was...He didn't recognize it. This disturbed JaK greatly. Grabbing the gun from the tray he turned pointing it at the man and directed a question to him.

"Whoa, Whoa, this is a closed training session and I don't appreciate sneak attacks at my house!!"

However, no sooner had JaK threatened the man would Grace speak up identifying the man..

"Brother!?"

As soon as the word parted JaK's lips he put the fake firearm behind his back and smiled.

"Hehe, my bad dude. Grace neglected to tell us we were having guest..."

What the heck, fiance? At this age!? Was Grace's brother on crack, most of the men her age had just conquered their acne issues and he was asking her about signing her life away? Don't get JaK wrong, the prospect of hooking up with Grace had crossed his mind once or twice before, but being engaged and having a fling or date were two ENTIRELY different things...Well not entirely really, but vastly different.

"Err, um ya, JaK Sage leader of the Teen Tita---Well Ex-Leader, and not of the whole Teen Titans, just a branch of it---How did you get in here??"

JaK Sage would try to introduce himself to Grace's brother Argo, but he found himself getting tongue tied because of what was on his mind. This guy just said he could dodge bullets, that's fine, Sage got that; but to be able to get past the Titans security system took magic. Not even Batman or the Flash can get in here without triggering some kind of alert. A flicker of the lights, tripping the silent alarm or the back up silent alarm...Something!!?

"Uhh, Suitor?"

Truthfully, JaK had no idea what that word meant, but how could Argo here have known that JaKy here didn't even make it through the 4th grade before going on the run, much less learn advanced vocabulary. But he would try to guess what he meant anyway, not wanting Argo to think he was stupid or anything. If he had to make an educated guess based on what he said before that JaK assumed 'Suitor' meant poweful friend or ally.

"I mean ya, of course I am. Grace and I have been through a lot together as of late."

JaK would then fold his arms and nod assuringly. He of coruse thought he was powerful in his own right.