maskormenacelogs | Practical Lessons in Practicality

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Practical Lessons in Practicality | CLOSED

WHO: Darin Altway and Momo Yaoyorozu
WHERE: Aegis Force HQ training room
WHEN: January? Sometime?
WHAT: Momo has been Darin's apprentice for quite some time and he wants to see what she's learned
WARNINGS: Shounen training montage, Some considerable blood in the latter half of the spar

[With things having settled down some with the coming of a New Year, and matters in his own personal life having become more manageable, Darin had realized something. He'd taken on Momo as an apprentice months ago, and while the young woman flourished at his forge, there was something else he was neglecting to train; namely how the techniques he'd passed onto her translated to her quirk.]

[If he was really going to take her training seriously, he needed to see where and how she'd improved. And what better way than to have a friendly spar? He'd made all of the arrangements and called Momo to schedule the spar ahead of time (he knew how busy she liked to keep herself) so she could prepare herself mentally as well.]

[On the day of their sparring session, he met her at the forge and from there, made their way to Helix Station in Maurtia Falls. Once inside the base, he made his way to one of the familiar training rooms.]

Y'know, I gotta say, I've been looking forward to this, Momo. It never occurred to me to put you in a combat setting, but I realized I was failing you as your Master by not putting you to the test more often.

Before I became a Master, I used to train with some old knight buddies of my father. They used to tell me that forging a weapon was meaningless unless you knew how to use it. You were only forging a tool and not an extension of yourself.

So, in lieu of knights, you'll be facing off against me.

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[ Momo was a little surprised by Darin's invitation to spar with her, but as soon as it sunk in, she was jazzed up about it. Finally, the chance to show her mentor all the skills she's been training both back home and here, with the Justice League. The chance to get a look inside Aegis Force's headquarters was exciting as well, and Momo was all eyes as she followed Darin through the halls of Helix Station to the training room he'd selected.

She hadn't brought anything with her. Part of this exercise was to test her Creation ability, so she thought it best to use only items she created. All she had with her was a towel and a water bottle, plus a little bag with some protein bars in it for her to recover from any potential crash should she push herself too hard. ]

I'll do my best to show you how far I've come, Darin-san! You won't be disappointed in me.

[ She dropped her bag, towel, and water bottle in a corner of the room, also taking the time to remove her sweatsuit jacket and pants, leaving her in sneakers, a pair of running shorts, and a form fitting tank top. She'd considered wearing her Creati costume for this, but somehow it didn't feel right. Darin wasn't training Creati, the way Blue Beetle and Batman were. He was training Momo. So it was Momo who would face off against him.

Her heart raced slightly in her chest, nervous that she'd freeze up under the pressure like she had in the match against Tokoyami-san. But she'd come a long way since then, and has more confidence in her abilities both in fighting and in Creation. She took a deep, centering breath, and stood off against Darin, dropping into a ready stance. ]

Alright. I'm ready!

Alright. But first, a couple of things.

[Darin drops into a crouch, and extends one leg to stretch it while he continues on.]

First, I want you to come at me with everything you have. Don't hold back. If you're afraid of hurting me, don't. A real opponent won't ever think twice about hurting you and you need to be prepared. My injuries will heal up in no-time anyway, so there's no reason to hold back.

[He straightens up and stretches his arms over his head.]

Second, this isn't just a test of combat ability. It's a test of creativity. Not every fight needs to be won out of brute muscle. You've got one of the brightest minds I've ever seen. I want to see you use it!

[He cracks his neck, and reaches around to the sheathe on his back. He unsheathes his immaculately forged, jet black dao. He hasn't used this in a proper spar...well, ever.]

And finally? Don't forget to have fun!

[He shoots her a grin, looking her over in her ready stance, a sense of pride welling up inside.]

[With a nod of approval, he rushes her, coming in low, then leaping at the last second to bring his dao down in an overhead slice. He's not going all-out with his strength, but he's not pulling his punches, either. He knows Momo would never accept anything less than having him fight her seriously.]

Let's see what you've got!!

[ He almost gets her. She'd sunk down low at his approach, preparing to jump out of the way, but when he leapt at the last minute, she has to think on her feet, reaching up and creating a shield around her arm on instinct. She winces at the impact, a loud clang as the dao glances off the hardened steel of her shield.

Having deflected his first attack, she creates a wakizashi in her other hand, the blade extending out from her palm until she can grab hold of the hilt, and then she swings it around under his guard. Just as he'd asked, she doesn't try to pull the swing, going after him with the full force of the blade. ]

[Darin grins at the sound of his dao ringing off the metal of her shield. There was, after all, a reason why Darin chose to use this weapon today. It was his father and master's greatest work. A blade that not even Darin has been able to recreate. He doesn't even know what metal was used and has spent countless hours trying to source the materials his master used.]

[If Momo's shield could turn it away, then that was no pot lid she was toting around.]

[As he lands, sword arm turned away from the deflection, his eyes focus on the wakizashi erupting from Momo's palm. No matter how many times he saw her make things with her quirk, it never ceased to amaze him. Not only that, but the blade she produced wasn't just a normal longsword. From what he studied of the Japanese blade forging process when forging Yato's weapon, katana and wakizashi were forged through a complex folding of layers of steel. It was an incredibly complex and time consuming procedure, but the end result was always nothing short of art.]

[And Momo made one in such a short amount of time.]

[He really can't fight the grin on his face as he watches that blade swing at him.]

[Using the momentum of the deflection of his first strike, he pivots and swings around, twirling in place on the ball of his foot to swing his dao around and strike at the flat of the wakizashi, testing its durability while turning the strike low to the ground, which he then proceeds to roll his body over to dodge.]

HAHA! YES!! GOOD!

[ Momo's face is in a look of intense concentration, but she can't help the hint of a smile that shows at Darin's enthusiastic praise. The impact of the dao against her smaller wakizashi sends shockwaves up her arm and she grunts, but recovers, backing up to regain her strong form before charging forward with a series of quick strikes. ]

Hyaah!

[ She isn't usually one for making much noise during a fight, preferring not to telegraph her attacks with sound, but she's also never thrown herself into a battle with all her strength before. Before, all her combat has been in class, in simulated battles, or in challenges of skill where she wasn't actively trying to harm her opponent. Now, she wasn't going to hold back. ]

[Darin let himself stay on the defensive. Her wakizashi didn't snap or cut in half when he struck the flat with his dao, which was a testament to how well it was forged. And while he could parry Momo's strikes, he wanted to really throw her a curve ball.]

[On her final strike in her series, he doesn't move to parry, but steps in. He accepts the strike and pivots so the blade glances along the side of his torso. He grunts in protest, but grins all the same. The cut is clean and smooth, nothing jagged, no tearing. The blade had a perfect edge that wasn't dull. Nothing was as merciless as a dull blade.]

[But by accepting the hit, he had sealed her sword arm and was free to strike. And strike he does. He reverses his grip on his dao and plows the pommel of it straight into her shield, stepping in with the impact.]

Ahh--!

[ Momo winces again when she sees she's drawn blood. It should feel like a victory but it doesn't, even though she knows it's just a glancing blow and Darin will heal. But worse than that, he's got her trapped! She cries out at the blow to her shield, deciding the best way out of this sticky situation is to think creatively. If she were a normal fighter, she would be committed to her weapons. This sword and shield would be her only way of winning the battle.

But Momo Yaoyorozu is not a normal fighter. She is Creati: The Everything Hero!

She lets go of the wakizashi, and slips her arm out of the shield, letting them both clatter to the floor as she dances quickly back out of Darin's reach. As she retreats, she throws a series of darts at him to distract him until she can think of her next move. ]

[Darin quirks an eyebrow when Momo abandons her weapons. He knew she wasn't just about to give up, but dropping them after such a powerful strike seemed against instinct. People usually turtle up after a strike like that, then wait for an opening.]

[He wasn't expecting darts at all, actually.]

[He just barely manages to slap one aside with his dao, but the others have him rolling to Momo's far left, strafing before he can cut in again. This time, he stays low, and swings his dao towards her legs, a horizontal left to right slash.]

[Alright, Momo. What've you got next?!]

[ What she's got next is something super impressive, actually. When he charges and swings at her legs, she leaps, doing a front handspring off of his head. As her hands land on his head, she creates a woven steel cable which she loops around his neck. As she completes her flip, she pulls the cable tight, aiming to either strangle him into submission or get him to drop his weapon. ]

[The look on Darin's face is indescribable. A mixture of alarm, excitement, and pride. He doesn't even have enough time to work his fingers around the steel noose before it clamps down on his throat, jerking him backwards and off balance.]

[He drops his dao, and claws at his throat, trying to work his fingers under the cable, but struggling only made the wire tighten around his throat.]

[It took a moment to force his brain out of fight or flight mode, to think rationally about what to do next. He works his legs under his prone form and kicks himself up, though still leaning backwards precariously as Momo tugs on his leash. He slides on foot back so that he could pivot, then turns enough to grab the steel cord with one hand.]

[Had he been a normal person, that would have been it. Momo would have won. But they both knew he was stronger than that, and they both knew that ending it there would have been more than a little disappointing.]

[He does grin at her as a quick twirl of his wrist wraps the cord around it, and he yanks with egregious strength, with the full intent of not only yanking her off of her feet, but pulling her directly towards him.]

[ She had been trying to stay close to Darin to maximize her leverage on the cable stranglehold, so he definitely pulls her off her feet with that tug, but she thinks quickly, bringing her feet up under her so that when she crashes into him, she can kick off straight away. Not only that, but she sends a volley of spikes out of the sole of her foot, straight into Darin's shoulder. Hopefully that will serve to distract him while she kicks off and gains some distance once again. Otherwise, her shredded sneaker will be for nothing. ]

HRRRNNGGH!!

[Darin fights back a roar of pain as the spikes dig in and he falls backwards into a roll. He'd never seen Momo fight before, but if she was this tenacious? He might not have been going all out, but she was still giving him a run for his money. She was actually pressing him!]

[With the distance created, Darin reaches up and grabs the steel cable around his neck. He loosens it and loops it back over his head, gulping down air. He glances at his torso, the side where he'd been cut, to see the wound already scabbing over. His eyes wander up to his shoulder, where the spikes had torn in.]

[They certainly were effective. The way they'd dug in, it made his arm harder to move. He wouldn't have full range of motion of that arm for a few hours at best at this rate.]

[His beloved pupil really was impressive.]

[Slowly, he pushes himself to his feet. His dao was about six feet away, but it was on the side of his bad arm. He could close the distance between himself and Momo, but he'd be at a disadvantage if he wasn't using his good arm. His balance would be off. And he knows now not to underestimate Momo and try another frontal assault like that. He might be physically stronger, but she's a lot more nimble.]

[He finds himself grinning. She'd already passed beyond his expectations, but he wanted to see what she could do if he really pushed her. He takes a few quick steps towards her, the crouches and launches himself into the air like a rocket. He pivots and puts his feet above him so they slam into the ceiling, which he kicks off at and launches down towards her like a meteor.]

[ She thinks she's gotten him. But then he grins. She isn't sure what his trajectory is, when he approaches her. She certainly isn't expecting him to come rocketing down from the ceiling like that.

She hunkers down, knowing there isn't time to dodge, and braces both arms over her head. There's a bright flash of sparkles down her back before a large steel dome, like a turtle shell, erupts around and above her, hopefully protecting her from the incoming missile.

It'll pin her down and she'll have to find some way out of it, but at least she won't be crushed. ]

[Checking your flight trajectory when rocketing towards your opponent is not an easy thing to do. It's also not something Darin can do. So when that dome goes up, that dome of reinforced, tempered steel, Darin really only has time to do one thing.]

Oh fu--

[Well, almost enough time.]

[He slams into the dome with a horrible crunch, denting it with his frame, then bounces away, rolling across the floor. For all of his strength, Darin's body wasn't impervious after all. And with the force his body struck that dome? That's more than a few broken bones right there. He might as well have gotten hit with a truck. Still, he struggles to his feet with more than a little juice left, and a lot of adrenaline. He rushes for the dome and cracks a few devastating punches off of it, looking for weak points or seams. When nothing gives, he goes for option B. He crouches and digs his hands in at the seam between the dome and floor and tears it up.]

Don't tell me you're just gonna turtle up! Show me your blacksmith's heart, Momo!

[ When the dent comes through in the roof of the dome, Momo knows she has limited time in her makeshift shelter. She gets to work right away...

She'll show him her blacksmith's heart, alright. By the time Darin lifts the dome up from the floor, she's ready and waiting, with a blacksmith's visor over her face, and a flash grenade aimed at Darin's face, finger pulling the pin as soon as she sees the blue of his hair. ]

[~~Hi, I'm Darin. You're probably wondering how I got into this mess, huh? Well it all started when--~~]

...Oh.

[The grenade goes off and Darin has absolutely no chance of shielding his eyes in time. Reflexively, he tears the dumb up and pitches it backwards as he hurls himself back, blinded and stunned. He tucks into a roll and then come up, looking this way and that, squinting his eyes to try and recover at least a little bit of his sight.]

[He didn't even know flash grenades worked on him! The thought never even occurred to him, when he gave Jacob a list of ways to possibly bring him down. Better add that to the list.]

[That said, he cranes his head around. Because he threw himself back and rolled, he has no idea which direction Momo is even in. And since his vision isn't returning any time soon, he tries to steady his heart and breathing to listen for her.]

[But the adrenaline is pumping and he can hear his own heartbeat in his ears. And with his vision sealed, he's in deep trouble.]

Damn...!

[He starts rubbing at his eyes.]

Edited 2019-01-06 23:10 (UTC)

[ As soon as he stumbles back, blinded, she retreats, dancing away as silently as she can. She has the advantage now and doesn't want to lose it by giving her location away. Her shirt is in tatters, one foot is barefoot. If Darin can hear anything at all, he'll hear the uneven steps of one shoe constantly in motion.

The fact of the matter is, the dome took most of her energy. She used what little she had left on the flash grenade and visor, but she's swaying on her feet. It's a good thing she brought those protein bars. She needs to end this as soon as possible.

As silently as possible, she picks up the discarded wakizashi and steel cable, creating a small hook to fasten the cable to the hilt of the blade, and then positions herself behind Darin, at the edge of the room. The other end of the cable slung over a ceiling beam-- notably not the one Darin launched himself off of--, and Momo catches it, before launching her makeshift wakizashi spear straight at Darin's back. ] Hyaahh!

[ Her goal is to spear him and then hoist him up like a fish on a line. Who knows whether this will work... ]

[Darin strains his ears to try and listen for any indication of where Momo is. But he's never been blinded before, and being without his sight is sending him in a bit of a panic. All he hears is the rush of blood in his ears and his own boots heavily hitting the floor as he moves in place.]

[He stops and works to steady his breathing. He takes a few deep breaths, then slowly exhales. He shuts his eyes because they're useless now anyway.]

[He hears...something. Something moving through the air? But he spends too much time picturing it, too much time trying to tie a sound to an image. Momo's battle cry, snaps his attention towards her, but before he can move, the wakizashi hits home. It slides cleanly though his back, just under his right shoulder blade, and pokes through his chest. Roaring in protest, he tries to claw at his back, only to have himself hoisted off his feet.]

[The pain in insane. He struggles fruitlessly, trying to grab at the cable to keep his weight off of the blade.]

G-GAH!! A-AGH!!! I YIELD!! YOU GOT ME!! AGH!!!

[ The instant he yields, Momo drops the cable, letting him crash to the floor. There's blood, there's a lot of blood, and she knew what she was doing at the time but now she's just looking at him and the hollow realization of 'I did that to him' echoes in her mind. ]

Oh-- Darin-san! What have I done!?

[ She rushes to his side, but the sight of the blood is now coupled with the smell of it as well, and she's frozen, unsure what to do or how to help. ]

[Darin hits the ground, thankfully, on his side. Not that it helped with the wakizashi impaling him. He glances up at Momo's face and sees the fear in her eyes, and knows he's not going to like what comes next.]

...T-Turn away, Momo. Just...turn away and cover your ears...

[Hopefully, she heeds his advice, because he suddenly trashes onto his back at an angle, using his weight and strength to snap the wakizashi at the hilt. He hates to break such a beautiful sword, but he couldn't just lie there, skewered. He grabs the steel cord, bites down on it, and pulls the blade free from his chest, roaring in defiance the entire time. With the blade extracted, he drops to the floor, winded, covered in sweat, and breathing heavily.]

[Thankfully, Momo's aim was either good enough or he was fortunate enough that his lung wasn't punctured. That would have been a bad time.]

[Finally...]

M'okay, Momo. I'm gonna be okay. Just...gotta rest.

[He's not moving anytime soon, that's for sure.]

[ She does heed his advice, turning her back on him and running to the edge of the room to grab some towels to staunch the bleeding. When he begins to roar in pain, she freezes again, wracked with sobs. She'd been so focused on winning the fight she didn't stop to think about who it was she was fighting! ]

I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...

[ She runs back to his side, holding a towel over the gaping wound in his chest and applying pressure. ]

What should I do...? Do you need me to go get someone?

[He shakes his head.]

Blood should be clotting...soon...

Should be able to get to the medbay once the wound closes up...just...gotta stem the bloodflow...

[Gods above this hurts. He rolls onto his back on the cold floor and looks up at his apprentice.]

You were amazing, Momo...you really showed me your blacksmith's heart...

M'so proud of you...

[ Try as she might, Momo can't meet his gaze. She keeps putting pressure on the wound but turns her head so she doesn't have to look at Darin's broken, bleeding body. ]

I'm not... I really hurt you.

I told you to...

...Momo, sometimes bad guys aren't going to be stopped with polite intentions. Sometimes you're gonna have to make a hard choice...

[He winces as pressure is applied, but he can already feel the blood starting to ebb.]

We always have to be prepared to use a last resort...

I know you did...

[ Her voice is quiet. But Darin is right. She's never fought as hard or as ruthlessly as she did just now. Not in the Justice League training room, not back at U.A., not ever. This is how she'll have to fight in this world, where villains can't just be arrested, but must be taken down with brutal force.

This is how she'll have to fight to save the world. ]

Thank you. For pushing me the way you did.

[Darin reaches up and places his large, calloused hand atop Momo's as they clamp down on the wound.]

It's gonna be fine, Momo...

Just because there are some bad guys out there who won't stop until they're broken...doesn't mean that's always gonna be the solution.

That is what I want you to take away from this. Not just the courage and conviction to do what you must...but the drive to find another way.

Because that's what blacksmiths do. We forge a new path with our own two hands. One that didn't exist before.

[He grins.]

We forge a better tomorrow for everyone.

[ Finally, Momo meets Darin's eyes, tears still lingering in her own. She smiles, feeling a little more hopeful. ]

Mm!

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Practical Lessons in Practicality | CLOSED

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