A Demon of Their Own

[Yuki]

After a couple days had passed, Aiden decided it was time to practice hand-to-hand combat.

Now this was an area Yuki was familiar with. She had taken karate since she was old enough to walk and had proceeded with training all throughout her school years, taught by the best instructors in the country, possibly the world. She herself had achieved the status of a black belt when she was in third grade, and even became one of the nation's top ranked female blackbelts in seventh grade. By her first year of high school, she was instructing even people older than her in the ways of the martial art. Though she stopped teaching it by the time she entered university, over a decade of previous experience would surely resurface, even if it had been a few years since she had used it.

So when Aiden suggested that someone launch the first strike, and Teagan didn't make any notion that declared she wanted to do so, Yuki took the opportunity to test out her skills, she took a step in advance.

"I shall do it," she said confidently. "Do you wish me to actually strike you? If this is merely a demonstration of defense, I shall hold back the full extent of my strength and only make the motion of a strike, but I will not actually knock you down."

[Aiden]

There were instances when weapons weren't able to be, or couldn't be used, and in those instances, more often than not one resulted in depending on hand-to-hand combat. This was something that Aiden had been trained to do from a young age, learning with Malcolm before his death. There were still moves that Aiden was working on, even some he didn't know, but the basic element of a fight he had down. Now both said they knew karate, at least a little bit, and Aiden hoped to see that come into play, even if his own moves were more street-based. He didn't discipline in one single art, but it was more a compilation of moves, with the rough, strong, fast nature of street-fighting. They were inside for a change, the cool air conditioned room felt nice compared to standing in the sun and shooting jugs filled with water.

Yuki, at least, seemed interested in this area of training. Aiden had practiced and worked out that morning while the girls were asleep and later getting ready, so he was at his peak, ready for just about anything. The fact that Yuki's history with martial arts was extensive didn't phase Aiden, just how a ghost didn't phase him. His eyes danced between the two, ready to show them who was in charge around there, and when Yuki stepped up, he couldn't help but smirk a little bit. He was, after all, going to flip her, flat on her back. There was a reason there were mats on the ground, and as she droned on about the force she was to use, Aiden shook his head once. "Go all out, for the heck of it. I also need to see how you fight so I can give any pointers," he said simply, and then with a smirk at Yuki, knowing that she would probably deny needing pointers, "if needed."

[Teagan]

When Aiden mentioned that they would start learning hand-to-hand combat, Teagan spent the entire morning struggling to remember exactly what her master had taught her too many years ago. Something about katas and specific steps. Whatever it had been, as a young child, she had not been interested. Upon entering the makeshift training room (in a bar? Really?), she gave up attempting to recall anything and instead took a seat by an old broom that lay against the bar.

Teagan found humor in the taunting between Aiden and Yuki. Clearly, they both knew something or they wouldn't be so confident in their abilities. Underneath her smile, a small bead of jealousy formed. Why hadn't her parents sent her to Karate Kamp? She didn't know anything about self-defense other than what a well placed prank could do to frustrate attackers. The Parent Trap was her main source of inspiration on top of being her all time favorite movie. Oh well, at least she was learning, right?

Or would be, whenever her fellow faction members decided to start. "That's right. Go all out Yuki. Show him who's who here."

[Yuki]

She caught the lofty smirk Aiden made when she stepped up to his challenge. Did he actually think he could knock her down or inflict damage? She was a master in the art of karate, only national champions had defeated her. Of course, there was the fact that males had the advantage of a natural strength, but Yuki was practically up to par with that too. He obviously did not know what he was up against. It was true that she had not avidly practiced the skill, but even so, there was no way a mere eighteen year-old lacking in such professional expertise as the one she held could do her any harm when it came to hand-to-hand combat.

"Rest assured, you shall be the one who needs pointers, not I," she snapped after he made his comment. Understimating her abiltiies was a huge mistake.

After a quick bow, as per tradition, she settled into the offensive stance and analyzed him carefully. Every sense become extremely accute and she eyed him with caution, trying to detect his move. She concluded that pressure points would be her target. If she could hit one of the ones that controlled blood flow, his strength would be reduced, if not to a point where it would be lower than hers, than at least to a point where it would be equal. Striking a kick, she aimed for his upper chest, at an area near the shoulder bone. She wasn't sure what the measure of Aiden's strength was, but with that move, she would surely find out.

[Aiden]

Aiden had been in some sticky situations, with tons of supernatural beings where things got physical. It wasn't fun, and not knowing how to fight and defend oneself only made things worse and more life-threatening. Although he knew that he would find some pleasure in being able to finally get back at Teagan for her pranks, and Yuki for her jeers and her criticism of many things, he knew that this was more a demonstration and tutoring session than a way to get back...well, maybe except for getting back at Teagan. There was still the milk, chair, itching powder, foul-smelling odor, and numerous other things. Standing square on the center of the mat, he looked at the two girls as he prepared to show them the tricks he knew. It was important that they did it hands on, so they could actually keep it in their memory, in case something ever happened, which it likely would, in the future.

Rolling his eyes at Teagan's comment, he returned his attention to Yuki. She would root for her. Whatever. I'll show them what's up, he thought as he prepared himself for her onslaught. He knew that she was a black-belt, for he'd been gathering information over the past few days, and he kept that in mind as he tried to think of what kind of move she would try to throw at him. Would she go for a punch, a kick, try to flip him over, there were so many possibilities and Aiden was trying to prepare himself for all of them. Moving out of the way, twisting, retaliating, all he had to do now was wait, wait for her to move, and analyze it in a split second. His breathing slowed, as did time it felt like; his breaths were loud in his ear as he spread his arms, waiting, waiting, waiting...there, she moved.

A kick, aimed for his chest. His breathing sped up only a fraction--he knew to stay calm and not let his mind freak out like it wanted to. Still in slow motion, he watched her grow closer and closer, feeling the blood pound through his body. When she was close enough, he stretched his arms out, hands enclosing around her ankle. It was a fast movement, as time resumed its normal pace, and he waiting for her next move, using his strength to keep the kick from connecting with his body, though only by a few inches.

[Yuki]

Yuki expected Aiden's move, as that was the typical response to a kick. She was surprised, however, that he had grasped her ankle quick enough to stop her attack. Not many were able to do that. Normally, no opponent ever got this far, for she would hit the pressure point immediately, and the strength of her kick ended up being enough to temporarily stun or knock the breath out of someone, in which case a subsequent punch to the chest would have them knocked down. So perhaps his claims of close-combat ability are more than simply empty words.

It didn't make much of a difference though--she knew how to counter such a basic move.

With full force, she placed all of her weight twoards her leg, hoping to cause him to move slightly forward and to make him focus his attention on her foot. Then, with a forceful movement of her left arm, she lunged her fist foward, aiming her next attack at his left shoulder.

[Aiden]

Successfully stopping the incoming kick, Aiden was only a mere inch or two from being struck.Inwardly he grinned, but he didn't pause at all, or else he'd leave himself open for attack. He only hoped that Teagan was watching, which she probably was because she wouldn't want to pass up a chance to see Aiden get pummeled, although that wasn't going to happen. His basic combat moves were enough to keep him up in a fight, and honed enough so that he was fast enough, and strong enough to stop the attack before it connected with his body.

Still, though, it wasn't enough to stop her next blow, one that came fast and hard after he grabbed her. He felt her fist collide hard with her shoulder, and while he remained silent, he took the blow--pain rippled through his shoulder-- and he took one hand from her ankle, and brought it to her arm before she could pull away. Then, with a simple tug and some slight movement, Aiden pulled her forward, and then off of her feet, before dropping her all in one swift movement. It would knock an opponent down for a few seconds, and while he wasn't able to flip her as he originally planned, it was enough for him. "Right, so, that is some kind of battle I suppose. Teagan, why don't you charge me, and don't go for a kick this time," he said, the idea of flipping still in mind.

[Yuki]

Concentrated, she didn't smirk when she managed to land her punch against Aiden's shoulder, though she inwardly wanted to. She knew better than to get overly confident in any battle, for it would bring down her guard. However, she was confident enough to feel the sense of pride in her attack. That simply couldn't be helped.

However, she was caught by surprise when his grasp remained firm on her ankle. She had expected him to let go with her blow to the shoulder, but the next thing she knew, he had pulled her forward and then knocked her down. She slid a small distance across the floor and then came to an abrupt halt. Looking up, she locked her gaze on Aiden and blinked. She was stunned. How did he do that?

As well as shocked, she was split between two feelings. One part of her felt as if Aiden had gained some respect. It was no ordinary feat to be able to knock her down, and she wasn't being egotistal or cocky in saying that, it was sincerely fact. She had competed in nationals--only top martial artists had beaten her.

The other part of her was furious. Honestly, how had he done that?. She glared coldly at him, wanting some form of momentary revenge. And unfortunately for Aiden, this part was more dominant at the present time.

While he was talking to Teagan, she got up from the floor, walked quickly over to him, and in one swift move, let herself drop to the ground and then proceeded to swing one foot, which was targeted at his legs. With a thud, he fell to the floor.

"Now we're even," she said smugly.

[Aiden]

The fact that Aiden had the force to stop her blow in its track stemmed from one simple fact: he was a hunter. When one was a hunter, one fought demons and monsters of various sizes, and most of them were abnormally strong. To compensate and to be able to repel physical attacks, one needed to be stronger physically themselves. While Yuki's kick could have knocked out an expert martial artist, Aiden was more attuned to anticipating moves and either stopping them or blocking them, that was his fighting style. Beneath his clothes was a toned, muscular body, but it didn't show, he still looked like a thin and lanky teenager. That was good when he was fighting an enemy, it only served not to judge your opponent by his size or appearance. However, Aiden was too busy focusing on showing the moves that he didn't expect her to punch him. After he dropped her, he took a step back, and looked at Teagan, telling her to charge him.

Teagan would be a different story. She hadn't been in national tournaments, and she didn't know extensive martial arts as Yuki did. He did want to get back at her for the pranks, too, since over the past few days more had happened. Surprisingly, Yuki didn't seem to catch on as Aiden had, even if she was so observant. Telling her to charge him, he lowered again into a defensive position that would allow him the mobility to grab Teagan, left her over him, and let her fall flat on her back. It was going to be priceless, but he couldn't let his anticipation on. He stared at Teagan, not paying too much attention to his fallen opponent, when he felt his legs give out from beneath him. His body fell forward, and toppled on top of Yuki, who was still on the ground. After a series of 'oofs' and grunts, he managed to upright himself. "Yuki, that was a low blow, I just hope you know that," he grumbled, straightening his shirt. "Okay, Teagan, now charge me."

[Teagan]

The closest to any action Teagan had ever witnessed took place in high school when two girls became physically violent during a heated debate. Thanks to a well-trained security staff, only a small crowd had gathered before it was broken up. So to say she found mild interest in the spectacle before her would be rather lacking.

Her bets were on Yuki, but when Aiden flipped her over, Teagan raised an eyebrow. That wasn't something she had expected. A tiny part of her cheered on the inside. While pranks were a nice form of revenge, sometimes nothing but straight, hard physical retaliation could scratch the itch. Not that she had ever escalated to that though.

When Aiden first asked her to charge, he clearly was in total oblivion that Yuki was not finished with him. Wasn't rule number one of fighting never to underestimate one's opponent? This guy was in for a rude awakening. And a sweet one it was. Teagan's hands flew to her face as she burst out laughing.

"Smooth one there, Ace," Teagan chuckled as her two fellow faction members untangled themselves. "I'd say Yuki won that bout."

Heck yes she did. Nothing beat out the element of surprise. Aiden brushed himself off and took his fighting stance again, beckoning her toward him. Ha. Like she would be able to compare to anything she had seen within the past five minutes. The only way Teagan would be able to keep up with either of them would be to play dirty. And she was sure that would be looked down upon. Highly. Scratch that out.

"You sure you're ready for this? Because I'm about to show you both what awesomeness really looks like."

If she was about to crash and burn, Teagan wasn't going to let it affect her attitude. Not sure exactly what she was doing, she charged him.

[Yuki]

As she saw a shadow toppling over her, Yuki let out a short gasp. Within a few seconds, his weight was completely crushing her. "Baka! Okire!" she hissed, her eyes locked in an icy glare. Forcefully, she pushed him off of her.If he was able to withstand her attack, she most certainly did not expect him to lose his balance to the point where he would fall on her.

After he stood up, he commented about her move being a "low blow." Her stoic countenance did not change expression. Frankly, she thought it was quite fair. He had not declared the battle over, and had additionally let his guard down, not her fault. But, if he did consider that a cheap move, she honestly could care less. He had hit the ground just as she had, and as far as she was concerned, they were even.

As she stood up, she backed away to let Teagan attempt to strike Aiden. Yuki automatically knew this would not end well. She could tell that the girl didn't know a thing when it came to close-combat. Nonetheless, with arms crossed, she observed silently, knowing the match would end with Teagan on the floor.

[Aiden]

A cry of shock erupted from Aiden as he was sent falling to the ground, collapsing on top of Yuki in a mess of limbs. It took a moment to get himself back up, and more so trying to figure out how he hadn't seen her. Then again, he had just left her on the ground after taking her out, so it was possible. Still, he wasn't happy about the move, since they weren't really in a serious fight. To him, it was low, a cheap shot to try and get some satisfaction after being beaten. It didn't help that Teagan sat there laughing at him, but that was all fine, she would get what was coming to her all in a few minutes. Shaking off her initial laughter, he shook his head in disagreement, scoffing slightly. "If anything, that was a draw. Yuki didn't win," he said, more like she was being a sore loser. Jeez, if that's what its going to be like to fight her, maybe I'll just leave her be. Teagan's pranks are bad enough, he thought briefly, before beckoning Teagan towards him.

And so it began. A dark look of pure entertainment spread across Aiden's face as Teagan charged. Head on, no reservations, hesitant. Oh yes, this was going to be nice. He'd practiced this technique over and over, so that he could do it without fail. Time slowed, and he took in her each step, burning her rhythm to his memory. She grew closer and closer, and finally, he reached his arms out, grabbing her right beneath her own, grasping her as her body was close enough to her, and time resumed normalcy as she rolled up over his shoulder, and then fell through the air, landing flat on her back on the mat. The sound echoed in the room, and Aiden couldn't help to laugh a little to himself. "Who's the smooth one now? Come on, Teagan, you didn't even put up a decent defense," he said. "Running in blind causes that and much worse things to happen." He grinned, looking over at Yuki wondering if she had the same satisfaction that Aiden did.

[Teagan]

Normally Teagan enjoyed the feeling of weightlessness. In fact, she often sought it out in theme parks and cheaply painted roller coasters. But the feeling of Aiden (easily) picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder was not a pleasant experience she wanted to duplicate anytime soon. Her breathe was knocked out of her as she hit the ground, and the entire room seemed to freeze in the resounding echoes of her collision.

Ow.

Damn him, Teagan bit her tongue to stop the words from becoming verbal. That had hurt. Aiden's laughter didn't help, although it did say he'd bought her psuedo-attempt at something.

"Are you kidding me? That was smooth! Tell me you can pull off a flip better than that one." Attitude was everything, right? Still..."Fine, so maybe I don't know much about fighting." Teagan rose to her feet and crossed her arms. "But that doesn't mean you had to flip me to prove it. I'm sure Yuki agrees, on some level."

[Aiden]

The transition from actually having to think of a way out in fighting Yuki, to simply flipping Teagan over was something that Aiden relished. It was more so the payback she was experiencing for her pranks, though she might not have realized that. Aiden could play dirty when he wanted to, and now was one of those times. He was in the perfect position to inflict pain, and he had done so. It was now that the darker part of Aiden's mind came into play, and for a brief second, one that passed by so quickly he was sure that neither girl would notice, a glint of plotting shone in his eyes. It had been so easy the first time....why not do it again? He allowed her to get up, taking a few steps back himself to prevent another mishap like what happened with Yuki. Once she was up and dusted off, it was time to begin his 'lesson.'

"Look, I wasn't trying to be mean. I was showing you that your form is all off; charging head on into a situation where someone is anticipating you to do exactly that ends in failure. You need to have some sort of attack, plan, or defense in mind. Like with Yuki, when I stopped her attack, she had a plan to continue and strike back, not to mention she had the intent of striking me charging in. Going in blind is never good, never," he said, and then took another few steps back so there was a considerable distance between them. "Don't worry about Yuki, just focus on me. Know that I'm going to attack you back no matter what you do, and my goal is to incapacitate you somehow, be that knocking you over, or flipping you," he said, his face serious. "Now, charge me again, and give me all you've got."

[Teagan]

Again? Aiden seriously wanted her to charge him again? What- did he think they were a part of the Peanuts cartoon or something? She wasn't as daft as Charlie Brown; Teagan expected her "Lucy" to pull the same thing. Again. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that the teen had other options. She was here to learn, and if she didn't listen, she wouldn't achieve that goal.

"Fine," she shot him a glare and unfolded her arms. Since Aiden had bluntly stated it, chances were high she was about to be flipped again. But maybe this time Teagan could manage to take him down with her. It would be a matter of not getting caught off guard when he seized her arm and clutching his own in a vicegrip. Oh-and not letting go.

Planning out her steps would also be key. Unsure of how many she could fit in before the flip occured (because it undoubtedly would), she took an offensive stance, weight shifted on her back foot. Aiden's confident composure did nothing to ease her nerves, nor did it honestly give her any specific spot to aim for. A kick would accomplish nothing but ending the spar before ten seconds had passed. And that would ead her right back to the state she was. Only hurting a little more.

With a quick breathe, she threw a fist a tad below his shoulder.