Humble lessons: 07 Growth
(Shannon and Bethony are walking towards school together all the while Bethony is nagging him)
Bethony: Pleeeeasssee.
Shannon: No.
Bethony: Come on, what's the big deal?
Shannon: No.
Bethony: Why are you being so stubborn about this.
Shannon: Because, I don't see why you would want to learn anything from me?
Bethony: (Lite chuckle) Well you are a teacher.
Shannon: You know what I mean, I don't even know anything about martial-arts.
Bethony: I'm not stupid, the way you countered my attack that day, your execution was damn near flawless.
Shannon: That was luck and maybe one too many 90's HK movies, also watch you're mouth.
Bethony: Then there was that actual fight we had a little while after that.
Shannon: Luck.
Bethony: The sparring match.
Shannon: You mean the one you won.
Bethony: Please, we both know you weren't taking that seriously.
Shannon: I was completely serious, about not getting hit.
Bethony: (Sigh) Fine.
(Bethony begins purposely losing pace with Shannon and as he turns around she lungs a kick at his head, Shannon catches and holds her attack)
Bethony: I guess I'll just have to attack you and steal whatever moves I can shake out.
Shannon: Sounds like a good idea, but there are two problems with that.
(Shannon releases Bethony's foot)
Bethony: Oh?
Shannon: One, I don't know martial-arts, that catch there was, again, just luck.
Bethony: And two?
Shannon: Two, we're going to be late.
Bethony: What?
(Just then the nearby school alarm sounds off, grabbing Bethony's attention, she looks back at Shannon with an annoyed expression and with a grunt gives him a quick kiss and runs off towards school, later that day after school Bethony and her friends are sitting in one of the empty rooms, as Jasmine and Alison are enjoying there meals Bethony sits at the window looking out at the school grounds sighing)
Alison: Beth, your foods getting cold.
Jasmine: Hey if you don't want it, I'll happily eat it for you.
Bethony: Yeah, sure, whatever.
(Jasmine and Alison look at each other puzzled by Bethony's jaded response)
Alison: You okay Bethony?
Bethony: Sha- er, Mr. Alderman won't train me.
Alison: Well he's a teacher, why would he?
Jasmine: There's more to Mr. Alderman that meets the eye, that guy's got some crazy skills under the hood.
Alison: Really, wait, how would you know?
Jasmine: Well....
Alison: You didn't?!
Jasmine: Hey, Bethony took a run at him first.
Alison: Bethony!
Bethony: (Sigh) That was the old me, plus its not like I did anything, more like I couldn't do anything.
Jasmine: You too, huh.
Alison: What is wrong with you two?!
Jasmine: Well, I can't speak for Bethony but when I went at him, I.... more or less felt I couldn't lay a finger on the guy, not without having to resort to a few.... "tricks".
Bethony: Sounds about right.
Alison: Is he really that good?
Jasmine: From what I could asses, he maybe as good as-
Bethony: Sensei?
Jasmine: Yeah, wait what?
(The girls run to the window to see Sensei Yoake roaming onto the school grounds)
Alison: What do you thing he's doing here?
Bethony: No idea.
Jasmine: ….Hmm.
Alison: Oh look, there's Mr. Alderman.
Jasmine: ….Uh-oh.
Bethony: What?
Jasmine: Well when Sensei Yoake was asking me about your "improvement", I told him that Shannon was the reason for it.
Alison: You don't think he's here to fight Mr. Alderman do you?
Bethony, Jasmine: Uhhh....
(Outside Shannon walks up to a well dressed man)
Sensei Yoake: Excuse me sir, I was hoping you could help me, I'm looking for a teacher by the name of Shannon.
Shannon: That would be me, how can I help you?
Sensei Yoake: I'm told that you are responsible for one of my former students changes in mind set.
Shannon: Ah, you must be Bethony's former sensei, I'm told you expelled her.
Sensei Yoake: It was suspension at the very least, and when I asked her to return she declined, saying that she chose a new path.
Shannon: I admit I have a hand in her change of heart.
Sensei Yoake: I'm also told that you posses a high level of skill.
Shannon: And I can assure you, that is a nothing more then an over exaggeration, I simply got lucky.
Sensei Yoake: I thought that myself, that is until I saw you with my own eyes.
(Shannon and Sensei Yoake stare each other down, a moment of silence passes)
Sensei Yoake: Is there someplace private we could spar?
Shannon: (Lite chuckle) Your tone makes it sound as though its not a choice.
Sensei Yoake: ….
Shannon: (Sigh, annoyed) Follow me.
(Shannon leads Sensei Yoake to the old gym as the girls watch from the upper floor)
Jasmine: Where are they going?
Alison: Looks like there headed towards the old gym.
Bethony: ….
(Jasmine suddenly rushes towards the door)
Bethony: Where you going?
Jasmine: Those two are obviously gonna go at it, I am not missing this.
(Jasmine rushes out the room, a moment passes then Bethony and Alison run after her, as they reach the gym they stay hidden behind the doors concealing themselves, as Sensei Yoake and Shannon separate as they take off there jackets and move into there stances)
Bethony: He didn't take a stance with me, you?
Sensei Yoake: Hmm, interesting.
(As silents feels the air it is quickly followed by a thick tension, the two lower themselves slightly then suddenly lunge at one another, colliding they exchange a flurry of blows, separating for just a moment only to collide once again, clashing with there kicks striking against one another, as there shins press against each other the wooden flooring underneath them begins to crack under the opposing pressure, soon the two momentarily push off from one another only to lean into each other exchanging a flurry of kicks)
Alison: I-incredible....
Jasmine: Am I missing something, I thought Sensei wanted to just spar with the guy, the way there going at it damn near looks like there trying to kill each other?!
Bethony: ….(Under breath) The way they look, are they really putting everything into this?
(Soon the flurry of kicks stop and the two lunge at each other stopping one another mid strike, a moment passes as they hold eachother in place, suddenly the two push off from one another, a moment of silence passes and soon the tension that once filled the air begins to recline and the two bow in respect to one another)
Sensei Yoake: I was expecting a caliber of skill but nothing could have prepared me for that, I can see why she would want to take this "new path".
Shannon: (Lite chuckle) You shouldn't sell yourself short, your skills are quite high-brow.
(Sensei Yoake walks over to grab his coat)
Sensei Yoake: I enjoyed our match, I hope to spar with you again sometime.
Shannon: And I, the same.
(As Sensei Yoake heads towards the exit seeing this Jasmine and Alison run off, exiting the gym Bethony bows in respect to her former Sensei and he does the same in return, Bethony then walks into the gym and greets Shannon with a smile, elsewhere in a small warehouse the group of men that had attacked Bethony are sitting around when suddenly a barrel is thrown into the couch)
Man1: WHO THE HELL DID THAT!?
???: I finally get outta jail and I come back to find this place filled with a bunch'a sad saps wear'in a bunch'a horse faces.
Men: Its Ralph!! Ralph's back! Aw yeah Ralph's back in town!
Ralph: Look'in all banged up ta boot, what the hell's that about?
Men: Some high school girl did this. Yeah we where paid to rough her up a bit but didn't know she could do all that, so we got our asses handed to us.
Ralph: Geez, lot'a damage for some "girly", I'll have to look into that later.
Lead man: (Tch) That's nothing, you guys where all knocked out when it happened but there was some dude in a suit, he didn't lay a finger on me but man did he scare the piss out of me, he kicked a crater in the wall next to my head just because I wasn't watching my mouth.
Ralph: You saying he had a problem with your sailor talk?
Lead man: Yeah, had a real hang up about it, why?
(Ralph lets out a sinister chuckle)
Ralph: Looks like the "red cougar " and the "black dog" are playing on the same mountain, this is gone be fun.
Dismissed