Shadow Of The Nightshade

Fairytale Endings.

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I had set a trap in my room after memorizing where every single broken piece of glass from the vase was, I couldn't afford to laze around in my room waiting for some person to show up. Besides, Slade was back.

×××
The Hideout
04/01/2007
{Shadow}

Once again I was back in the training room with Slade. It had been three days since my room had been vandalized and the assassin hadn't returned. Maybe—just maybe—they weren't as professional as I thought.

I shifted my thoughts back to the present. Slade was currently working me through jojutsu and bojutsu.

'Again.' He ordered, and I stood up stiffly and repeated the set of movements one more time.

I held back a groan when I finished and bit back my complaints. I had been practicing this same technique for the past three hours and had already memorized the movements.

A part of me realized that in the short time I had been Slade's apprentice I had grown to sound like a spoiled brat. The old me wouldn't be whining. I berated myself.

And so, without further ado I went through the motions again.

'Again.'

'Again.'

'Again.'

Finally the Bo staff fell out of my grasp and I was left trying to get it back when he nodded for me to stop.

'You have perfected the technique. Have a ten minute break.'

I nodded silently and grabbed my water bottle off the floor.

Slade had been working me like a slave ever since he came back two days ago—not that it bothered me—I liked being pushed to my limit.

I had breezed through my Taekwando and Savate, up next was Capoeira.

I had dabbled in that for a while along with others that weren't in the normal training regimen of The League of Shadows.

Dunking the rest of the water on my head, I shook it off and let out a breath, thankful for the cool liquid as it ran down my spine and took away my body's heat.

Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that combined elements of dance, acrobatics and music—it is sometimes referred to as a game. I practiced it for a while, but it didn't fit well into my schedule.

My break now deemed over, Slade walked into the training circle and motioned for my to join him. I happily obliged.

'Begin.' He commanded, and I obeyed.

I flipped off my feet and held my body up with a handstand.

Moving my hands rapidly I spun three times, pivoting my body on my right hand as I threw a kick at his skull. As expected he dodged, getting on his own hands.

We continued this dangerous dance for over thirty minutes, until a rhythm started forming in my head. Imaginary music played in the background as I worked up a plan, sweat dripping from my hair as I swept my hands over the coarse floor.