Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 427 HAUNTING

It took her a bit to get the nerve to come into my room. As the wind from the outside blew in the drapes she stood there all cool and collected. The drapes receding from the wind, her form was revealed, but I had seen her with Observation Haki so it wasn’t surprising for me. She was back to full health. Wearing her Haunt outfit she still looked like a short man. Only about 5 foot 10 inches in the suit, she must have been really short since she was wearing thick combat boots, and the skull mask added at least an inch. 

“The ghost of Christmas past, I see,” I said as she eyed me. “Here to tell me my sins?”

“I want to know what you know, Rift,” she said. Her voice was deeper, obviously changed with some sort of voice altering speaker. 

“I know you suck at fighting,” I said. “Getting your ass kicked by Jesters? Really?” Her Haki was furious, but she didn’t show it. Instead she walked toward me. Her boots stomping on the carpet I stood up to meet her and the fight started. 

I don’t think she meant it as a fight. Probably to try to intimidate me or maybe break something, I wasn’t having it since I put a deposit on the place. Instead I moved to punch her. She used a jiu-jitsu move to hold my arm and tried to restrain me, but I just used my other arm to punch her in the gut. 

Electricity shot from my hand, but didn’t go into the suit. “Grounded eh?” I asked, impressed. Instead I coated my hands in nen and pushed her away. She slammed into the wall, nearly hitting the TV. I cursed, moving for her, she pulled out some ninja stars and tried to hit me. They bounced off my Nen covered body. 

I grabbed her by the base of her skull mask and moved her toward the window. I didn’t want to fight there. Dragging her outside, I flew us up and away. Instead of letting her down though I flew up above the city. She struggled, but I was firm. Using my real strength she became limp. Biding her time to attack. 

“So I can drop you, but you’d just glide down like a flying squirrel. Instead we will talk. Or at least I will talk,” I said. She was listening, but pissed off. I didn’t care. “I didn’t tell anyone who you are, and I don’t plan to.” That didn’t calm her down. 

“Who told you?!” She yelled. 

“You did. You were delirious-”

“Liar,” she yelled. Her voice was in a synthesizer that made her sound like a man. “I didn’t.”

“Fine, I looked in your mask. What the hell does it matter?” I asked.

“You know my fucking secret!” She yelled. I rolled my eyes. Unsure where to go from there I made my way to the top of a building near my apartment. I let her go and landed a few paces away. Crossing my arms I stared at her as she got ready for another fight. Her stance wasn’t bad, and she had good balance. Her eyes were too obvious though. Looking away from where she wanted to attack it was easy to see where she was getting ready to strike. 

“Hold it,” I ordered, raising my hand. 

Batman was one of my favorite heroes. Not only his backstory, but the fact that he was one of the few heroes in the Justice League that didn’t have a super power. Despite all the crap that happened he was still in the thick of things. This girl was obviously weaker than Batman. But that didn’t really matter in the end, because there was no way for her to beat me as she was. 

“You are shit at fighting crime,” I said. “Don’t fucking argue, I’m just telling you the truth. You almost died last night, kid. I know you haven’t been doing it for long, so there is room to grow. But you need more training. Enough training so you won’t get beat up by random thugs. Enough training so that if you are on your own, it won’t matter.”

“So?” She asked, the synthesized masculine voice annoying me. 

“So, I’ll fucking help you,” I said. “I’m stuck in Gotham for the next six months anyway. I’m willing to spend that time to train you, and perhaps, if you’re far along enough, teach you a super power.”

“A what?” She asked, more than a little confused. 

“A way for you to become more than the thugs. Beat anyone and everyone. If you’re strong enough someday, maybe even beat Superman himself,” I said. I doubted that, but it was a possibility. Especially with some kryptonite. 

“H-how?” She asked. Her fists slowly dropped. 

I rubbed my face. Annoyed that I was doing this, but I knew there wasn’t any other way. My whole time in Gotham had been leading to this anyway. I opened my mouth but a pop-up appeared. 

I wasn’t too surprised. Whichever world I went to, it led me. Sticking me in Gotham, letting me happen upon the Jesters that night. It was all some big plot to get this to happen. I just hoped I could get it done in time. “By starting from the ground up,” I said. “Now let’s fight for real. I want to see what you got.” I put up my fists, and she put up hers. 

I could tell she had looked me up, but didn’t believe I had what it took to beat her. It was time to show her she didn’t have a chance if a villain like me came into town. It was time to show her that she had only begun her journey of becoming a hero. It was time for the hard part.

—

“Who the fuck taught you this crap?” I asked. “You’ve done krav maga, muay thai, karate, judo, jiujitsu and every move in between, but it’s all a jumbled mess. Your body doesn’t know how to react next. You’re confusing yourself,” I said. Willow Wayne was going through movements much more quickly now that she had been at it for an hour. 

We were in one of the many training rooms at Wayne Manor. She didn’t use hardly any of the massive home. Only a few rooms were renovated. This was one of about three she had shown me. We had been training for a week by that point and she still hadn’t warmed up to me. I’d beaten the shit out of her every day since I met her though, so I couldn’t blame her. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said exasperatedly, but continued to move from punching to kicking like I showed her. Now that she was out of the Haunt suit she really was pretty. Short black hair, strong chin, she had some muscle on her. No real bust to speak of, she wasn’t exactly my type, but she was young. Only about 22 years old she trained every moment she could, and we were finally getting to the core of her problem.

 
“Fighting isn’t the time to think,” I said. “Stances and styles are like accents. Whether you notice them or not, you reflect your trainers' traits. I’m seeing about 8 different fighting tutors in your movements.”

“How the fuck do you know that?” She mumbled.

“I knew it,” I said. “You paid for your training, didn’t you?”

“What?” She asked, finally stopping. Her dark eyes locked with mine as she sweated profusely. Her black workout outfit drenched in sweat. I could see she was exhausted, but kept going. 

“Let me guess,” I said. “You have been hiring the best tutors around the world for the past decade to help train you to be what? A ninja? You didn’t happen upon any ninja clans and get training then?”

“No,” she said, exasperated. “How do you happen upon a ninja clan?” 

“It happens, though it’s rare,” I said with a nod. “Fine. Who has trained you?” 

“Alfred for one,” she said, pointing to the old man standing in the corner. About 70 years old, the butler didn’t like me either. Mainly because I showed up and started to order his young princess around, but I could tell he was warming up to me. That might have had to do with the fact I kept her off the streets and away from crime though. 

“I had a jiu-jitsu teacher, muay thai, karate…a few others,” she said, starting to see what I was saying. 

“Yeah, kid. You got too many cooks,” I said. “Let me guess, they didn’t like you using techniques they didn’t show you?” She frowned but nodded. “So that tells me you have no real world experience.”

“I do,” she said, angry again. Her jaw set, she didn’t let her anger show anymore than that, but it was easy to read. 

“No, you don’t,” I said. “Alright. It’s time I give you the Hisoka treatment.” I moved to the mat opposite her. Peeling off my hoodie, I wasn’t about to get it bloody. Revealing my chiseled muscles I faced her. She was a little scared. 

“Who is Hisoka?” 

“Hisoka was a homicidal maniac I once faced,” I said. “I spent…five days?” I couldn’t remember for sure. Hunter x Hunter was a long time ago. “Five days fighting him. Every moment was life or death. I don’t think I became a proficient fighter until that happened. Fighting for my life for days on end. You need to learn that your body has instincts. Go back to basics. Let your body do the talking. You really do have enough training. Now it’s time to let the real world application hit you.” 

I eyed her up and down. Preparing myself to turn her black and bloody. “I won’t promise you won’t die,” I said.

Her lip trembled. Going through a cascade of emotions, she pushed them all back with resolve. “Mistress Willow,” Alfred said, walking up, fear in his voice. 

“Don’t stop me, Alfred,” she said. Not hardly looking at him. “I don’t want that to happen again. Not ever again.” Alfred Pennyworth opened his mouth but shut it. Frowning, he stared at me for a time but sighed. 

“Okay, I’ve talked to you about Nen,” I reminded. “Now, I am going to use some on you to make you feel fear. More fear than you’re probably used to.”

“I’m not afraid,” Willow said with a resolved set in her eyes. 

“You will be,” I assured her. I cast my Nen out and the immense fear I projected made her freeze up. Just used as a way to shock her I rushed forward. By the time she could move again, I was punching her in the barely existent boob. She was thrown back off the mat, but I wasn’t done. Again I cast my fear out. This time she almost blocked me in time, but I kicked her legs out from under her. 

My arm pile driving downward she blocked it with both of her arms and grunted with the strain. “Just react,” I spat at her. “We go until you do.” I punched down and she rolled away as my fist dented the hard wood floors. I ignored Alfred’s annoyance, he had insisted on training inside. 

Willow tried to counterattack, but was still hesitating on what move she should use. I chose for her and boxed her ears. Her eyes widening, she lost balance and fell over. I didn’t wait and kicked her in the side of the head, letting her have a nap. 

“Is that truly necessary?!” Alfred yelled as he rushed up. Ignoring the pain in his leg he was ready to fight me as well. I gave him a bored look. 

“It is,” I said. “Since you trained her wrong.”

“I most certainly-”

“You didn’t train her correctly then,” I said. “What did you think? That she would grow out of this shit?” He opened his mouth then shut it. “Dude, she dresses up as a skeleton and goes out to fight crime. When did you think she was joking?” 

He frowned, staring at Willow. “Don’t touch her,” I said. “I plan to attack her as soon as she is awake.”

“Master Walker, do you really think this is necessary?” He asked. 

“What would you give to know for a fact that she was safe?” I asked him. He paused. “I could make her so strong you wouldn’t have to worry about her. As long as she doesn't take on some crazy strong person like Superman, she should be able to survive. Should be able to win. Wouldn’t you give anything to make sure that happens?”

“Of course,” he said, frowning. “But I hardly doubt this would make her that strong.”

“No, but it’s a catch up game right now. The real training won’t start until she can fight without a clear path in front of her. There is too much jumbling up her-” She stirred. I walked back to her, kicking her in the side. She let out an oof and slid along the floor. When she stopped she rolled back to her feet. Shaking her head she put her fists back up. 

“Better,” I said. “But this is going to be a long few days. Better make sure you get your sleep in.” I used Timeflow, stopping it as soon as I was inches away. She flinched backward cursing, and I Sparta kicked her into the wall. She gasped, losing her breath and I punched her kidney.

I wasn’t sure when I felt like I knew what I was doing. Maybe a part of me felt like I was holding myself back. Maybe I felt immensely strong because she was so weak. Either way I could see what had to be done. She had to be broken and built back up. Stronger than she was before. Once she was no longer hesitating but reacting I hoped to teach her Nen. I would have preferred to awaken Chakra of course since Batman was more of a ninja, but that was the easy way out. I would teach her from the ground up what it meant to be a true martial artist. Though my own training was all over the place, spanning worlds, oftentimes the easiest move to throw was just a punch. She needed to learn that. 

So I set about teaching her that. One hit at a time. When she spit up blood, she got back up again. Slowly but surely becoming too exhausted to keep on. That was when I went easy on her. No longer able to maintain the fancy moves I went slow against her. Allowing her to land a few blows like training a cub to fight. Punching and kicking, back to basics. 

For days I fought her like this. Exhausting her with a massive onslaught of attacks. Then after she was beat up, letting the real sparring continue. Slowly she understood what I was saying, or maybe just her body did. No longer hesitating, she gripped my wrist and immediately tried a throw, or tried to twist it so I couldn’t move. Sometimes I would allow her, giving a little carrot instead of just the stick. 

On the seventh straight day of fighting I sparred her right at the beginning. And she was there. No longer pausing, or waiting, she went on the attack. It was good to see. I doubted she was cured, but it was a start. I felt she had far better control of her movements, and I rewarded her by beating the shit out of her. Master and student relationships were weird.