Phoenix Returns (Phoenix)

[Jack]

All jack could see was the bleeding face of a disobedient student, Jack had warned him several times to stop vandalizing school property. That he honestly didn't care what the other pillars used to do. If he does it in front of him he has to act. The fight as over quickly a punch to the solar plexus followed by a horizontal elbow across the face and a pin against the wall and the boy was out.

" Now next time when I ask you to do something what are you going to do?"

D...Do it.

"Good now get out of my sight"

Jack would fling the boy into the next wall, creating a blood splatter on the wall as the boy hit it. Pointing to a random student. Jack stared at him long and hard, the boy was demoralized. Why no student respected them they all feared him.

"You take him to the nurse's office"

Jack sighed as he pulled out a handkerchief and began to wipe the blood off his hands and face. Luckily he had gotten no blood on his shirt.

[Phoenix]

Phoenix watched from the shadows. Allowing a small half smile to manifest itself across his handsome features, Phoenix would almost loose control of his stoic demeanour as he thought of just how much fun Jack seemed to be having in causing destruction. Licensed destruction, but destruction nonetheless so it seemed.

Slithering through the darkness of the crowd, Phoenix would allow his amethyst eyes to glint momentarily, as Phoenix approached the fringes of the crowd he would casually force the small students in front of him out of the way and stroll out to a position in front of Jack. Phoenix had been waiting a long time for this.

Glancing at the sanguine pattern splayed across the wall, Phoenix could only laugh at the chaos and beauty of such an act. Reaching up towards his eyes, Phoenix would quickly manipulate his contact lenses and remove them, placing them within one of his pockets so that they wouldn’t be damaged in the inevitable actions to come. As Jack lowered his handkerchief, Phoenix would motion towards the wall covered in blood that was now slowly giving in to the effects of gravity.

“I see you haven’t lost your touch, Jack. However, its high time that you learnt how to share.”

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Phoenix would settle into a defensive stance as he enjoyed the emotions that would flicker across Jack’s features. Phoenix wanted to see what type of reaction Jack was going to reveal at seeing his protégé standing directly in front of him after they had parted ways years ago.
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[Jack]

“I see you haven’t lost your touch, Jack. However, its high time that you learnt how to share.”

Jack knew who it was even before he turned around. Spinning on the spot Jack lunged forward, extending his right arm out he would aim to use his lance on Phoenix. A straight lunge using all his speed and power through his legs, he would aim to spear his hand straight into Phoenix's mid section. In the scenario that his attack had hit Phoenix and forced him back Jack would straighten and look at the boy, properly assessing him.

"You've grown taller, fuck you're catching up to me!"

Jack would boom at Phoenix before starring at the boy long and hard in the eyes. You've finally come to me Phoenix, which means everything's in order. Lets see if you're ready for the next stages of your training.

"Before we talk business, I want to see where you are"

[Phoenix]

Phoenix saw Jack spin around and immediately knew that an attack was forthcoming, despite having this knowledge prior to the attack, Phoenix decided that he would allow the attack to land safely reassured that Jack wouldn’t try and end a fight within the first strike. Inwardly smiling, Phoenix knew that that would restrict amount of amusement Jack would get out of this scenario and that he would also try and drag it out at least for a short period of time.

As the lunge came at Phoenix, Phoenix did nothing except for shifting his balance towards the back of his body and jumping backwards with the force of the blow thus restricting the overall damage caused by it and allowing him to maintain his balance. Regaining his footing, Phoenix would allow his eyes to crawl upwards of Jack’s figure until their eyes met.

Phoenix almost sighed but caught himself before he could express any outward emotions that would his thought patterns away. The use of Jack’s all to familiar and colloquial language struck a chord within Phoenix as he had missed the only true friend he had ever made in New York, not that he would ever admit to such a thing.

Meeting Jack’s cold stare, Phoenix could almost hear the thoughts churning around at the speed of snail within Jack’s mind. Phoenix gathered that the time for a usual reunion had passed many moments ago and that it was going to be a different sort of reunion, one of a master and his former disciple.

[Jack]

"Let's see how you've flourished, friend"

Jack would take a step in and move to his right circling Phoenix. Jack would play a little game with Phoenix first, their fighting style was left incomplete, Jack decided to give Phoenix some time to learn a more general fighting method and put into practice what he had learned being his pupil against other opponents. If Phoenix was ready they'd finally be able to finish their Neo Evolution fighting style and bring their dreams to a reality. Once Jack got within range of Jack he would smirk at him.

"Here I come"

Jack would motion a roundhouse with his right leg, something Phoenix had seen a thousand times over. Jack would intentionally telegraph what he was doing, moving at only 40% of his overall speed Jack would smirk. Phoenix would know what Jack doing, this sort of test was used countless of times in the past even his slowest kick was too fast for Phoenix, how would he have improved now?

Stepping to the left Jack would open up his hips, exploding forward, Jack's sharp leg would slice through the air, his shin aimed for Phoenix's ribs, a perfect blocking height.

[Phoenix]

Phoenix would openly smirk darkly at Jack. A test was inevitable, and a test from Jack’s painfully narrow-minded perspective was always a test of martial abilities… or, in other words, a fight. How nice, thought Phoenix, a warning statement. Did Jack really think that Phoenix still needed anything reminiscent of a warning these days.

Jack’s weight shifted and Phoenix already knew what was coming. One of Jack’s favourite opening moves, a traditional right-legged roundhouse kick. Noting how slow the kick was coming; Phoenix gathered that Jack was going to steadily build up the difficulty, intensity and speed of his attacks until either Phoenix was taken out or Jack had seen enough.

Raising his left shin to a degree of around 45, Phoenix would attempt to meet Jack’s initial strike with his own as to completely negate any damage that could befall Phoenix should the kick have connected.

Upon the contingency that Phoenix’s block worked, he would withdraw his left leg and replace it on the ground quickly. Only to bend his right knee and jump upwards and slightly forwards whilst bring his left leg up to a point where his knee was only just below his eye level. As he neared the apex of his jump, Phoenix would use the force of gravity and his downward momentum in an attempt to bring his left heel crashing down onto Jacks forehead.

[Jack]

Jack smirked as he saw the kick come down, he was taller then Phoenix, the kick would have just begun when it reached Jack, Gravity's extra effect not giving Phoenix the bonus but Jack. Yawning he strafed to his right, avoiding the kick all together and thankfully, as it hit the ground, the concrete was shattered underneath. Phoenix had certainly been training hard, and practiced what Jack had taught him.

"A nice, move, however it's lacking the real sting that an axe kick should have in the initial stages. Might I suggest not jumping but standing off the one foot, it give you more tension through the muscles for a sacrifice in height, yet yield a greater power through the actual kick"

Jack would take up his initial Muay Thai stance. Smirking at Phoenix this was the first time he had gotten past the first stage, Jack had only been able to maintain his speed yet he lost everything else he hoped Phoenix didn't notice.

"You've passed the first stage. Congratulations are in order it's your first time getting to the second stage."

His trademark sinister smirk would creep across his face, Phoenix knew it was coming, his 60% kick was about to be unleashed, the 20% increase would feel like it had sped up ten fold.

"Here it comes"

Jack would step to his left, telegraphing his kick once again, the tension in his open hips ready to spring forward, Twisting his hip he threw his right arm out, counterbalancing his kick, as hie right shin arched through, whizzing through the air, no stronger then his last one yet four times as heavy.

[Phoenix]

Phoenix wasn’t surprised in the least when Jack nimbly darted to the side and avoided his kick. Phoenix felt the impact of his heel crashing and then breaking ground that they stood upon. Retracting his heel and standing up with only a slight bend in his knees, Phoenix would listen to Jack’s advice and store it away in his vast eidetic memory banks.

Judging by Jack’s reaction, Phoenix could assume that he was surprised at just how much Phoenix had managed to progress in such a short period of time. The training that Jack had given him back in New York had been the basis of his fighting style and desire to become stronger. He owed a lot to Jack, but that was going to be repaid another time.

Taking the almost mocking congratulations in his stride, Phoenix would simply start back at Jack with his amethyst eyes in an all-knowing stare. This stare instantly turned into a glare the bore the full force of Phoenix’s genius and strength behind it as Jack warned him once again of the attack that was to come.

Phoenix saw the tension in Jack’s hips and judged that from the stance it was going to be a kick but from the left this time. Quickly switching his weight over to his other leg, Phoenix would perform the same block as before. However, as Jack attacked, Phoenix saw that the kick was faster and as a consequence of this had a lot more force behind it, to compensate for this added speed and force; Phoenix would add more of his own speed and strength to his block. Hopefully, this action would negate the damage that Jack was intending to cause.

Phoenix would reply in kind, implementing exactly the same attack with 70% of his total speed and strength. On the contingency that the attack connected, Phoenix would, as soon as possible, retract his leg and resume his defensive stance. On the guard for an sudden movements that Jack might initiate.

[Jack]

"SHHH!"

Was the noise of Jack breathing out as his kick was launched, Phoenix blocked his kick on pure instinct alone, this however was not about predicting the strike or anything along those lines, It was a pure speed test.

As Jack's kicked through through blocked by his shin, Jack would continue to push on through before retracting his own leg. Noticing a move and just like Jack would have done, Phoenix responded with a quick right kick. Due to Jack's extensive knowledge of Pheonix's training and by extension Jack could think of moves he would do and then the most simple of those moves would most likely be what Phoenix would use. Jack blocked Phoenix's round house with his shin, noticing Phoenix's considerably softer bones, yet harder then they previously had.

"You need more conditioning training."

Jack would take up his stance, bouncing on the balls of his feet, loosening the muscles in his body next was a 75% kick. Jack would suddenly lunged out to his left, opening his hips and exploding out, Jack would throw his right arm out with more force out forcing the torque on his body to a whole new level. His leg would blitz through the air displacing everything as he was aimed directly at Phoenix's ribs. If landed he would fracture them at best.

[Phoenix]

As expected, Jack efficiently blocked Phoenix’s right-legged roundhouse kick. Hardly surprising, thought Phoenix upon retrospection, as Jack taught me almost all of my attacks, blocks and techniques.

Phoenix nodded slightly in agreement as Jack proclaimed that Phoenix required more conditioning training, in Jack’s absence, it had been hard to find the motivation that is constantly required in conditioning his bones and muscles into being able to resist more damage and absorb more force. Quickly blinking, Phoenix would analyse his situation and would see what Jack was going to do, almost sighing in the simplicity of it all, Phoenix would instinctively adapt his defense to the attack that Jack loved to finish with.

Sure enough, Jack bounced around on his feet for a second or two and then launched a high speed left hand kick that Phoenix could barely see, the only thing that saved Phoenix from a painful kick to the ribs was his instincts and his predictive genius. As Jack had launched the attack, Phoenix had recognised it instantly from the hours of training that the two of them had spent sparring against each other. Hunching his back slightly to reduce the initial target area, Phoenix would bend his left elbow and being his left fist up to a position slightly under his chin so that he had some form of a barrier between the kick and his vital organs.

Nonetheless, the kick still hurt… a lot. As the kick connected, Phoenix felt a bone in his arm fracture, possibly break. The force behind the kick forced Phoenix to stumble a couple of steps to the side, unbalanced, however, Phoenix soon regained his balance and righted himself up from his hunched position. Drawing in sharp breaths, Phoenix would glare up at Jack.

“I think your getting soft. That didn’t hurt nearly as much as it used to.”

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Phoenix would chuckle at his own humour, one that not many people understood at all, let alone fully.

“It’s good to see you again.”

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[Jack]

Jack's kick landed and he felt Phoenix's arm compress, he would be lucky to get away with minor fractures he didn't understand why Phoenix just didn't take the kick to the ribs. He would have been able to heal quicker with minor fractures to the ribs then his arm. Jack sighed as he took a step back, studying Phoenix as he took deep breaths in, the boy was unfit.

“I think your getting soft. That didn’t hurt nearly as much as it used to.”

"I think you're still weak"

Jack would chuckle, winking at Phoenix to ensure he knew Jack was only joking.

“It’s good to see you again.”

"and you, old friend"

Jack would look around people were staring and Jack and Phoenix and this was good. Since Phoenix got here everyone had seen a few things about this mystery man. He instantly went toe to toe with the Varsity Captain, he survived and came out with visually no injuries. The rumors would spread like a bush fire in summer.

"You still have a mountain to climb but at the very least you've started climbing. Now walk with me we have so much to talk about"

[Phoenix]

Phoenix allowed a half smile to spread from his lips to his eye, lighting up his amethyst contact lenses so that he, outwardly at least, possessed an almost relaxed demeanour. Phoenix considered how far he had come in such a short space of time, from being a nerd that got pummeled back at his beginnings in New York, to what he was now. There was no doubt in Phoenix’s mind that he wasn’t weak, however, Phoenix knew that Jack was still stronger than him and also, that Phoenix still needed to improve.

As Jack moved his eyes across the crowd, Phoenix would do some analysing of his own. Judging by Jack’s air of authority, which he hadn’t possessed in New York, and the way at which everyone treated him with some form of respect or fear, Phoenix thought it safe to presume that Jack had somehow managed to obtain a position of power within the school hierarchy.

Following Jack’s lead, Phoenix would also glance out towards the assembled crowd, intrigued to hear whispers saying something about how a new student that no one had seen before had just held his own in a fight with the Varsity Captain. Phoenix almost laughed out loud, Varsity Captain? Why on earth would anyone entrust Jack with such responsibilities… It was just asking for a disaster.

Phoenix considered Jack’s clichéd metaphor and decided that it couldn’t be helped. Casually, Phoenix would fall into step behind Jack as he wondered what Jack would want to discuss first.