red_detective (red_detective) wrote in newalliance, @ 2016-04-17 23:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | green arrow ii, hulkling, james rogers, red robin, speedy ii |
Who: Red Robin, Hulkling, and the second Green Arrow. Open to Teen Titans.
When: April 17th, 2016
Where: Titan's hideout, NY
What: The boys are sparring at the hideout and ready to take a break to mingle.
Rating: PG
Red Robin was heading down the hall to the practice area, text book in hand. He was listening to the faint sounds of Hulkling practicing as he went. Teddy wasn't the quiet sort--he even breathed loud. Tim was idly wondering if he should put in some hours training Teddy how to be quiet as a default as he stepped into the practice area...
...And smoothly stepped further in and to one side as Teddy smacked into the doorframe, sliding down onto his head and shoulders. The large, green-skinned Titan remained there, huffing out a (loud) grunt of discomfort and then a (loud) sigh, looking upside down toward the sparring ring.
"I didn't pull in my hip like I was supposed to, did I."
"No, sorry," Green Arrow answered, running a hand through his short blond hair with an apologetic smile.
Tim didn't bother hiding his amused smile as he looked from Hulkling to the older Arrow. "I'm glad you made it by after all. I see your hand's healed?"
Connor flexed his once-broken hand. "Just needs some restrengthening, now."
"Good." The Robin looked down at Teddy, handing the text book over. "Thanks for letting me look it over."
Teddy took it, still remaining upside down. "You probably already knew all the paramed stuff in there, huh?"
"Most of it," he agreed with a small smile. Batman had been very thorough in teaching the kids, and that included what a paramedic needed to know. "Now why are you letting yourself be thrown around this easily?"
Teddy shrugged while upside down (which made his whole body lurch up a bit). Tim would have been uncomfortable doing such a thing, but then, Teddy's body was made of flexible stuff, so hanging out upside down was obviously not straining his neck and spine at all. "I'm not letting him do anything... Though I might be distracted, is all."
"Distracted? Why would you be distra-oh." That's right. Connor had his shirt off. Little slow on the uptake there, Drake. Tim forced back the laugh and said in the most serious voice he could muster, "Well, it's not acceptable to be distracted out in the field either, so you're going to have to learn to deal with that."
"I so know that," Hulkling said, thumping his head against the floor lightly.
Connor sounded concerned. "Did I do something wrong?"
Red Robin waved a hand while Teddy rolled off the wall, the half-Skrull shaking his head dazedly. "Nah, trust me. It's all on him." He stepped toward the center practice mat. "Been a while. Shall we?"
Connor brightened. "I'd like that."
"Good." Tim fell into stance. Connor automatically did the same. Tim shifted to his other foot. Connor shifted the same instant he did.
He's very fluid, doesn't overthink anything it looks like.
Red Robin started. Connor was relaxed and waiting for the strike, hands accepting the hit and pulling Tim further in almost instantly. Tim withdrew in a hurry, narrowly escaping the grapple. When he fell back into his stance, he forced his mind to clear, removing the clutter quickly, removing all but the wordless calculation of moves and accepting what he knew intuitively about his opponent.
Connor watched the Red Robin impassively through the eyeholes of his mask, green eyes alert but not alarmed or tense. His breathing was easy, none of his joints stiff, his feet flat on the mat rather than up on the toes of his feet like Robin was. Connor, like Tim, wasn't thinking anything in words, nothing so slow. He was letting his intuition and body lead. So he came forward, swift, and everything communicated between the two as strike, block, shift, grab, counter, and then the feet won it. His knee straightened and he stepped forward and Tim lost balance. Robin had to go with the throw. He landed on his feet in a practiced, silent crouch, staying there for a second to reconsider his opponent before straightening.
"You've gotten... sharper," Tim complimented.
"So have you," Connor said, respect obvious.
Then the two smiled. They came forward, and motions blurred.
Hulkling stayed near the wall, sitting cross-legged and watching. "Gee..." he finally murmured, trying to keep up with the counters, kicks, and blocks. These two really did take it easy on him, he realized. They were so much quicker, able to judge how a body could bend, couldn't bend, how to counter another's balance, and how to not overreach (something that was ever a challenge for Hulkling with his strength). And they moved so quietly. The loudest sounds were the open hand strikes that came against the blocks, making a swift slapping before it was just dull thuds of flesh and bone blocking hits. Their feet barely made a sound on the mat, small pats of toes and heels, and every now and then a harsher breath.
Then suddenly there was a kick delivered, the two winding and striking shin to shin, and suddenly whirling quickly and stopping jarred elbow to elbow with each other. They both froze, looking startled over their arms at each other. Because both had their palms posed in the exact same angle ready for a new strike.
"Where did you learn that?" Red Robin asked.
"I just... I picked it up from someone..." Connor tried to explain.
Hulkling put a hand to the edge of his mouth. "You two are kidding me right? Where do either of you learn any of those moves? All of them looked crazy advanced to me!"
Tim pulled his arm back, his stance not indicating a want to continue. Connor relaxed into his own neutral pose. "I'll ask you later on that one," he assured. "Probably good we take a break, though." While I try to figure out how you picked up one of Shiva's combos. "Are any of Cyclone's cookies left?"
Hulkling folded his arms. "You think those survive around me? Not a chance, unless she brought new ones. Oh man, I hope she makes lemon bars again. Those are the best."