Regressing For The Enemy

Chapter 18

Dick POV

 One on one sparring was pretty straight forward. Straight forward enough from being pummeled yesterday, that is. "Focus, Robin. Focus. You're letting that petty little contempt you're holding against me, lead your foot forward in combat. You can't keep letting your anger slow your fighting. You'll never get anywhere if you do." Swing. "It's not like-" Duck. "I'm not-" Pivet. "Trying over here." "You think you're trying, but you aren't getting anywhere." Dodging an attack from the front, Dick was oblivious to a perfectly timed sweep to the back of the legs. Fighting Slade was unique in that they had such similar fighting styles, it felt as though Robin was fighting himself. 

  "Stop, stop, stop." Slade put his hands up in mock surrender. "What? What is it?" Dick ground his teeth together. Every fiber of his being wanted to pummel this foe within an inch of being saved, yet he was repeatedly denied. "Here's a trick I want you to try. Instead of paying all of your attention on what move you think I'm going to make next, try to keep your mind as blank as possible. Move on impulse. Trust your balance." Slade patted his gut. "Trust this."  Robin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in. Allowing it to fill his body with pneum, Robin felt the wind behind his ear shift just slightly. The tiniest hint of a breeze. He's going to hit you with your eyes closed.  Trusting his instinct, Dick dropped to the ground. Moving to the offensive, Dick just barely struck the back of Slade's calves, before bobbing around front again, delivering a solid punch to the jaw. The diversion leg sweep worked, Slade was too busy reaching down to catch Robin by the leg, he wasn't paying attention to Robin's hands. Holding his jaw in his hands, Robin expected the villain to be irritable about the trick. Instead, he grinned. "Good job, Richard. Solid work." Shaking it off, Slade repositioned himself into a fighting stance. "Now let's see you do it again."

  After a lengthy four hour sparring match, Dick felt as though his legs were made of jello as he made his way to the kitchen table. For once, seeing that table was a relief, knowing that the food would give him a break from Slade. Plopping down into his seat, Dick could barely contain the grumbling in his stomach, as he watched Wintergreen prepare the plates from the counter. "Today for lunch, we will be having freshly cooked Salmon and green beans." Dick's tiny spurt of happiness suddenly dissipated. Salmon?  Dick loathed salmon and the green beans weren't much better. His face must have showed his reluctance because the older man smiled upon setting down his plate. "And for dessert, if we are to finish our plate, I have prepared homemade papanasi." Now that made Dick's mouth water. 

  After Slade had cleared his plate and Dick had gone up for his third plate of papanasi, it was time for weapons training. Being led back to Slade's room, Dick spectated carefully as Slade stopped in front of the door, reached into a compartment in his suit, pulling out the key. It was an old brass looking key with several odd notches carved into the side. Lock picking this would be near difficult to impossible. Meaning the only way to get through to the other side of that door would mean slipping the key off of Slade himself. "During weapons training, we will inspect and research a specific tool for a day and the next, learn the proper technique for using said tool and how to properly manage and take care of it." Slade reached down into the army duffel before pulling out a set of three swords in varying sizes. "Today we will be learning  about the short sword." "But I already know-" "Well then this should be easy for you." Dick couldn't help but cross his arms over his chest at that. "The common short sword. Relatively smaller sword than an original sword. It is a single-handed sword with a handle that just features a grip with a single hand. This was a popular sword during the Medieval era." Dick monologued off the top of his head. "Correct, but considering the fact I have yet to ask, you'll find a silent tongue to be much more fascinating." Dick rolled his eyes, throwing his body onto the chair beside the desk. "As you wish, sir." He could barely contain the words in his throat as something dark rumbled around in his chest; an impish like jester begging to be released. "Now, as I was saying."