2014-03-07 - The New Face in the 'Hood Pt. 2

 Jay shows up after the gym closes as he promised he would. He shows up just as it is closing to start some stretches and some warm ups. The guy is flexiable, though not Nightwing flexible. And when he finally tugs off his hoodie, Wildcat will notice he is armed with a knife at his lower back, a wicked looking one. But he removes the strap and knife and slips it beneath his hoodie out of the way. His t-shirt looks worn and old, like he had it that long or got it from Goodwill. An old heavy metal band.



 Wildcat is doing some stretches of his own, apparently inspired by Tony. He stands with his back on a newly reinforced pole. After a moment he reaches up and grabs the pole with both hands. He doubles up lifting his legs and wrapping them around the pole, his face a study in concentration. Gripping the pole with just his thighs and calves he takes a breath and lets his hand go and attempts to hang upside down for a moment. He begins to slide down the pole after a second, faster and faster.



 "Oh shitoshitoshit!" he mutters faster and faster.



 Jay is staring over at Ted as if he is nuts, and his eyes just boggle, and he starts cracking up laughing! He can't even help, he's laughing too hard! Not that he doesn't try to help, he tries to motion to Grant what to do to save himself, but the movements are well, not very expressive when he is cracking up laughing. His face seems to light up and he looks more youthful when he laughs, and his entire body shakes with the power of laughter. Yes, power, cause it's powerful.



 Ted Grant throws his hands out to stop his plummet. He does using only his index fingers with a little grunt. Then he bends double again to put his feet on the ground and stand up with a little sigh. "Beat that bitches. Still the Champ! You do acrobatics, Jay? Jay? Listen when you're my age you should do so good. What's so fucking hilarious headbanger?" Ted says it with an exaggerated Deniro voice. Yes he is aware that will probably serve to make Jay laugh harder. Ted is a bastard.



 Jay is currently holding his ribs on his right side and gasping for breath. "Bastard...what the hell was that? You don't look like no stripper I've ever seen, but then again, I've never been to no Chip'n'Dale joint." He's wheezing as he gasps for breath. "And I know...acrobatics." He can't even brag about the acrobatics he knows, cause he still is kinda half laughing.



 Ted Grant walks over to the weight bag and starts hitting it moving his feet to jog in place. The bag shudders. "I call it messing with the new guy. It was a joke. You needed a laugh. It's also stretched my core pretty good. Do not disparage the talents of strippers my boy. They can teach you something ... like never buy one dinner /in/ the strip joint."



 "Wait, is that code? What strip joints sell food?" Jay snorts and shakes his head. "I...don't remember the last time I laughed that hard. Though the kid would get me chuckling often enough," he says as he starts to catch his breath. "I think I pulled muscles where there shouldn't be any," he states, "from laughing too hard."



<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Ted Grant cackles a little bit. "Good you're warmed up. We don't use protection because let us face it ... nothing will protect you from me ... or me from you. No nuts ... no headshots ... I want to pratice my judo blocks. Anything you want me to throw at you?" He gets into a stance without further preamble.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> "Surprise me," Jay says. "I want to learn something new, I understand you know numerous forms. I need to think on my feet." He is finished stretching, that is right, and waits to see if Ted chooses a mat or the boxing ring for sparring. "Taking it we pull our punches, we are aiming to land, not aiming to injury?"

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Ted Grant sweeps a fnger around him. "Sparring is right here. This is real world practice. So you want to learn some tricks nearly cost me my belt? Done. First there's Mr. Elbow." Ted brings his foot onto Jay's pinning it and demosntrates an elbow to the mid section, keeping from any real contact. "This move is very good for dealing with smaller and faster guys. It can throw big lugs off too."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> "That would hurt," though Jay appears amused at the thought rather than intimidated by it. He doesn't budge or wince from Grant's actions, showing no fear. Then again, he knows Grant is a professional.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Ted Grant says, "Throw me some punches. I will show you some nonstandard blocks and counters. I may dock you for these pearls of wisdom." Ted is moving as he speaks throwing jabs and trying to get a feel for Jay's speed and technique.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Speed= Faster than the Champ

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Technique= A handful at the very least.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Analysis= Improvise like a mother.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> STA huh? In either case, Jay starts to get into the sparring, but he needs to warm up to it. He starts off a little slow, testing out some techniques. He moves through one form to the next, and he shows restraint, as if Ted recognizes Jay hasn't really been practicing non-lethal moves...he had to adjust his thinking. Once that is done, he moves more smoothly and faster. He favors upper body attacks, but uses footwork for defense, lifting legs for blocks, and had even jumped back, kicked off from the outside part of the boxing ring, and backflipped out of the way when he knew he couldn't block an attack from Grant. He lands with one leg outstretched and ready to enter a roll if need be, though he ends up coming up instead in the offensive.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> As the movements go on, Jay gets smoother and more comfortable, his mind starts processing the information more seamlessly as well. Jay would be a terror in the ring, but Grant knows by his fighting style, he would likely never get the kid in there as he would have to train Jay practically from scratch to learn boxing. Every move the kid uses other than the basics seems to be generally a martial arts move of some sort.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> The light in Jay's eyes grow more intense as the fight goes on, as he observes and learns, cataloges moves as he learns. There is a flash of something that goes across his expression whenever Ted does something he isn't familiar with and he has to think fast to try and counter it, no always the most successful when surprised.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Ted Grant finally snags a wrist in one of his big paws and tries to yank Jay forward. It's a full force move because the worst the happens is Jay gets a face of canvas. But Ted is now very curious of his sparring partner. His firends are the first to say as a detective he ... sucks. But fighting analysis is what he does. He spent hours with 35mm newsreel footage going over old JSA fights. So he indulges his curiosity. Cat by name, cat by nature. He gives a yank with all his might. That's 80+ years of training ... minus a few years worth of sitting around letting his bones knit.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Jay goes forward, but his body twists to protect himself from any potential incoming attacks and rather than face plant, he continues to twist so he can twist free of Grant even at pain to himself so he can land on his free hand and snaps his legs up and back to get back to his feet in a flip. He is breathing hard after that one, blinking with surprise. Damn, but Grant fights dirty and unpredictable, blending moves just like he does and using seemingly non-lethal ones that could potentially be deadly in the 'right' hands. Moves...Red Hood never thought could be a threat till they were used on him really. He makes a, "Tt," sound, much like the sound Damian Wayne makes.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Ted holds his hands up. "That's enough for tonight. You're very good. You're hired. I can't pay you what you're worth because there's maybe a hundred people in the world who can do what you do. I used to be one of them. Big difference between twenty something and ... older. Let's say ... five bills a week? As well as more lessons from me if you think I can teach you anything. Your previous teacher was very good. Very good."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Jay nods at that, "That's more than fair to me," he states, "How often you want me here?" He goes to grab one of the towels there and uses it to wipe the sweat off his face and neck, even his hands. His t-shirt clings to him, showing off what Ted would have already known, the guy is built though not overly bulky considering the acrobatics he can use.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Ted Grant thinks a minute, "Can you work nights?"