ic Teachings from a Tiger

[Thunder King]

Claremont Academy

Workout Room

 

It was strange being back at Claremont after all these years. When she got asked if she wanted to mentor a student, she jumped at the chance. She was sitting in one of the work out areas, waiting patiently.

 

She had sent a note along to Multi-Girl to ask her to come here instead of meeting elsewhere. She assumed the young woman would benefit from her particular areas of expertise; kicking down doors, kicking bad guy ass, and sneaking around when it was the smarter thing to do.

 

She was vaguely aware that the young woman could make duplicates of herself. That was a neat trick, Mali reflected. She'd been in the heroism business for about ten years, and having a second Crimson Tiger around would certainly make that easier. 

 

She hadn't been there for long, and just needed to wait a few minutes. 

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

Bernadette O’Connell made her way to Claremont’s gymnasium to meet the mentor she had been assigned to. She had heard that Crimson Tiger was a Claremont alumna and was a skilled fighter who actually did not have superpowers. Oddly enough, the Irish redhead had to agree that working with someone that could actually help her handle herself better in a fight was something she needed.

 

The teenager had not been exactly sure what she should wear to meet Crimson Tiger. Given that the more experienced heroine wanted to meet at the gym, Bernadette assumed their meeting would include some sort of physical activity. But she also had not felt quite right just wearing some workout clothes. Ultimately, she had opted to wear her Claremont uniform, as it allowed enough freedom of movement for any sort of physical activity.

 

Mali did not have to wait too long before Bernadette entered the work out room. The five foot nine inch teenager had her long bright red hair pulled back into a ponytail to better keep it out of her way.

 

Heading straight to Crimson Tiger, the Irish teen gave a small smile. "'ello, I hope ye haven' been waitin' too long. I'm Bernadette." She said with a noticeable Irish accent.

[Thunder King]

Mali smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm Crimson Tiger." She stood up and gave the young woman a quick smile. "No you've barely kept me waiting at all. I asked to meet here because I figured we could get down to business."

 

"So, let me see." She began to pace slightly. 

 

"I'd like to get a sense of what you can do. Not just what your powers are, but what you've figured out about them. How you can use them, exploit them. I'm sure you've experimented with them, but maybe we can figure out some new tricks.  You can tell me what you think you need to work on, and, maybe, I can help you."

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

"Oh, well, as I am sure ye were told, I can create duplicates o' meself." Bernadette responded and then there were suddenly two additional version of the Irish redhead standing next to her.

 

"We are also a lot stronger than we look." Replied one of the duplicates.

 

"We can communicate mentally, know what each of us are thinkin'." Replied the second duplicate.

 

"So far, other than havin' lots o' hands for work an' the like, I have mainly just used a swarm o' duplicates ta help me the few fights I have been in so far. We are able ta work together a bit," the original Bernadette continued, "the last few years I was on a lacrosse team up in Boston, so am used to workin' as part o' a team."

[Thunder King]

Mali nodded. "So I have a few ideas"

 

She stood up. "Why don't we start with some basic punches. Just learn the basic movements, learn how to move your bodies, to maximize the power and effectiveness. It sounds like you don't really have a problem with hitting hard."

 

Mali stepped out into the middle of the room and threw a few quick punches. "Precise movements, with practice, can deliver consistent results. We're looking to consistently hit the target. Learn how to hit specific areas more often and more precisely."

 

She did the same punches, again, this time practically in slow motion. "Notice how the punch starts with my hips, abs and chest before it gets to my arm. Notice how I have my feet planted. A wide stance to maximize power, but...."
 

She did a quick Ali shuffle, moving her feet back and forth. "Also having a stance I can pop right back out of if I need to move.  Honestly, I think starting with learning how to throw some basic punches would do you a lot of good. After that, we can work on grapples, kicks and other tricks."

 

She motioned for Bernadette to practice. "Start slow, so I can watch your form, how you move. You'll get to actual punching soon enough.