Back in Black (Gabs)

[Dylan189]

Mark Antony (James Author)

It had been months since Mark had been around to his home district, two, of course he always had a special place for two in his heart. It had almost actually been a whole year since he had been there, and he had hoped to be back by the time it was his birthday, successfully doing so. Mark appearance had shifted much since all his friends had seen him, he had grown another few inches, and his body now obviously showed his toned body whenever he would move. Mark had been on a strict routine since he had taken on the life of a wanderer, every morning consisted of an extreme work out that has forged his body into a rather muscular thing. Mark also had carried around a gun, along with his now blood stained swords, that had a bit of rust beginning to show.

When Mark arrived in district two he knew he would need a fake identity, and it would be hard to come across one, so he began the long and strenuous process of stalking a kid around his age, making sure he was alone, it took Mark weeks to find someone who was like him, familyless, but he also had to make sure the kid was a shut in so no one would really recognize the kid by sight, otherwise the fake name may draw attention to him. About a month into his search he found his mark, making his move in the middle of the night, killing the kid in his sleep, stuffing his body into a bag and dragging it out to the woods. Mark had left the body about a mile out of district two, at the bottom of a large steep hill. Before Mark left, he slit the kids throat, draining his blood into a large metal canister. Mark would use the blood on the day of the reaping for his identification, and for anything else he needed it for. Mark looted the kids body for his house keys, along with whatever money he had before heading back to the district taking a few days to settle in.

Finally when Mark was comfortable he had settled in, he decided to retire his old swords, putting them in one of the back rooms in his newly acquired house. Mark then promptly found himself at the training center, his home away from home. Mark stood in the middle of the room looking around, it was still to early for anyone else to show up. Mark was usually the only one here this early. Mark took a deep breath and nodded slowly, pulling his shirt off, tying it around his waist. Mark slowly walked to the sword rack, picking them up, the new feel of these new swords in his hands almost foreign to him, but Mark was quite a swordsman, and he would adapt rather quickly. Mark gripped two swords, walking to a dummy station, usually the only one set up at the time he came in.

Mark took a few weak swings at the dummy to get use to the swords, then he surrounded himself with dummies. Mark then swiftly with grace began attacking all the dummies around him, his swords always moving, and blocking as if the dummies were attacking him.(of course they were not, but he was going through the motions as if he had to contemplate them attacking him) With every strike, Mark remembered what it was life for his sword to meet flesh, the feel being very different. Mark slightly missed the feel of his sword meeting the flesh of the Peacekeepers who wandered around the woods trying to find wanderers. Though of course Mark didn't mind the fact that the dummies would have to feel his wrath, mainly because he felt as if he was at home once again.

[Deleted]

The feeling of the large metal tipped leather whip in her grasp made a large malicious grin form across her scarred face, sadistic and full of killing intent. Rolling the tightly bound leather handle, she allowed the familiar weight to become comfortable in her grip, preparing to wreak havoc upon the innocent, well worn and beaten practice dummies that were sat out in front of her. With a final tightening of her grip upon the handle and sweeping of the extended piece of leather on the ground, her arm rushed forward, wrist snapping harshly with the leather in hand, and the soon leather and metal met the worn neck of the dummy, slicing a long gash along the length of the plump foam - a fatal wound. With another flick, another gash appeared striking across the dummies chest - another fatal wound.

With a smirk, she prepared to strike again when a flash of skin caught her eye. With a blink of shock that another being was at the Training Centre at 0500 in the morning, she lowered her arm slightly, releasing all of her leverage to attack once more, and turned her neck towards where she had seen the exposed skin. Approximately 30 feet away stood a man made of absolute, pure muscle, with gleaming skin covered in sweat, gripping a sword within his large hands and slicing with pure malice at the dummies within a 10 foot radius of him. Who is he? She couldn't help but wonder as her arm slowly continued to lower towards the floor, until the whip was no longer poised to attack.

Cocking her head to the side, she contemplated approaching the man, to question his appearance in the training centre at such an early time, but with a shake of her head, she decided to refrain from doing as such. It wouldn't be safe. She thought to herself, a sliver of pride now exuding from her at making such a wise decision. Especially since he is in such a state of attack. She continued.

"I'd probably be killed." She knew, that even with how proficient she was in handling her whip, she wouldn't be able to fight off a man of his size, especially since he held a sword in his hands. With the man standing at around 6'1", she was approximately a foot shorter than her, and she knew he'd have a larger advantage over her due to this, so she would definitely refrain from approaching him, at least, that is, until he ended his attack.

With that final thought, she held back, and stood watching him with a calculating look, categorising his every stance and attack, determining whether he'd ever have an effect on her future; would he be beneficial to know?

[Dylan189]

Mark Antony (James Author)

As the sweat dripped down Marks body as he continued his motions for over a minute and a half, the sword meeting with the fabric holding the dummies together. With each strike Marks feet would shit, along with his torso, either to get closer, set up for a spin move, or just a basic slash. Mark was a master with blades, especially when he was wielding two, even now was not the best effort Mark could give, as a matter of fact he was barely paying attention to what he was doing, for most of these things had become basic moves he had pounded into his head until they were second nature. Mark was more focused on the short girl who had been watching him since he had started. The girl was rather short, but that was all he could make out through all the movement he was doing.

Mark decided to try out a bit more difficult techniques he had been teaching himself. Mark then began focusing in on the sword work, continuing with what he had been doing before, just sped up. Mark feet started to take more steps, getting more technical as did his slashes, then at the prime of his speed, he did a quick spin, slashing a dummies head off, releasing the blade as it met the dummies neck. Mark turned his wrist quickly and caught the sword so it was now running the length of his arm, Marks feet then shifted once again, with lightning speed, spinning the other way,cutting the same dummies chest, releasing the blade, doing the same he had done for the last one.

As Mark gripped both swords that now ran the length of his arms, he quickly began spinning quickly, his feet quickening in speed as did his strikes on the dummies. Mark slowly began lowering his stance as he would pause every once in a while, only to shift his direction of spinning. With each rotation, he strike over and over again, leaving extremely deep cuts on the dummies, at one point even cutting one in half. After about 30 seconds Mark reached the apex of his speed, he struck the dummy in front of him with the spin, removing the head, then cutting the torso in half, almost instantly after, releasing the blade. It soared through the air to the dummy the stood behind him. The blade rotated and quickly flew through the air, seeming as if instantly after the release, the sword met with the dummy, cutting it in half from where the rib cage would be. Mark quickly took an upright stance, giving a slashing motion into the air as he gave one more spin, releasing the second sword. The blade flew quickly through the air, rotating sideways, meeting with the dummy the little girl had been practicing on, removing the head.

Sweat dripped down Mark body quickly now, his breath heavy. Mark walked away from the maimed dummies, walking towards a bench, speaking without looking to the girl." Staring is rude you know?" Mark took his shirt from his hips, throwing it onto the bench.

[Deleted]

The sound of the man's voice slightly jolted Elliot out of her analysing stupor; not having expected him to have noticed her so far away, hidden in a relatively darker and secluded part of the Training Centre, she narrowed her eyes at him, a scowl adorning her scarred face. "Well, I wouldn't stare if you actually wore some clothing as you practiced." She remarked, kicking her foot out and making a step closer to the man. "Especially at ... what, 5:00am in the morning?" she scoffed, her head moving to put emphasis on the sound. "There's even a chill out, so what sane (and I use that word loosely) would be here, in the Training Centre, at 5:00am in the morning, practicing shirtless? No one. So mind me if I was... 'staring'." Elliot couldn't help but glare at the man for having made the assumption that she had been staring at him, and narrowed her eyes. Rant now over, she hoped that she had gotten her point past to him, and that he would back off the question.

Now slightly furious that she had even given him the time of day, she rolled her eyes and turned shoulder to him (not fully however, as he still stood near the weapons rack, and she didn't trust him), turning back to her own set of dummies.

"Men!" She couldn't help but scoff aloud, more than loud enough for him to hear. "All you are, are a bunch of pansies, show offs, wanting to gain the attention of those in power since you all have no other way to gain acknowledgment." Raising the whip, she began ceaselessly striking out at the harmless dummies, no longer just creating mere slices in their plump stuffing, but easily slicing through limbs and chest cavities, breaking through to the other side of the 'body' and often severing the entire section. "Work hard, play hard, that's all you men think. You'd swear you were all trying to compensate for something you lack... a certain part of you that would dictate your gender." During her rant, she couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed for trying to down talk the man's manliness and for even having brought up the male appendage, but he'd embarrassed her and she couldn't help but react. Luckily enough, as she blushed, it was doubtful the man would have noticed as she her skin was already flushed a deep crimson from her anger and physical exertion.

"Now you're staring, do you mind?" She snarled out, "Do I need to make you stop?"

[Dylan189]

Mark Antony

Mark looked to the girl as she spoke, and nodded, shrugging a bit as she spoke. There was a fire in this little girl he admired, it reminded him of his sister Flavia. Mark slowly walked back towards the area he had left in ruin, admiring his work as she spoke. Mark continued to listen with a nod here and there, a big smile plastered across his face. " Well, little one, me here this early is to avoid waiting to use the area I want." Mark lied, but it was likely she would never figure this out, Mark was quite a charmer, and very good with spinning off a lie. " Now on to my shirt off, well as you can probably tell, my shirt would look like I had just took a swim in it.

Mark chuckled a bit, and watched the little girl anger striking at the dummy." Its only fair if you stare that I stare also. " Mark laughed a bit." How old are you little one? 13 14?" Mark asked a bit curios. Mark walked over to the wall near the sword station and took down two practice swords, gripping them. Mark slowly paced to the middle of the training center. Mark had the intentions to see how well the girl fought in combat, and when she threatened him he smiled." Please do." Mark challenged, tossing a sword across the floor, landing at the girls feet. " Show me your worth." Mark gave devious smile and stood at a rest, slowly pulling himself towards the girl. " Also, for your age, I wouldn't be talking about my male parts, I don't need to explain my." Mark paused." I don't need to explain what you would say I'm compensating for." Mark slowly paced, tauntingly with a confident walk." And, my impressing you? Well I'm glad to hear it worked." Mark knew this would anger her, and it made him smiles once more.

[Deleted]

"Little one?" She yelled. "FUCKING LITTLE ONE!?"

Bringing all of her actions to a halt, she froze in position, more pissed off now than she had been before. Anger rolling off of her in waves, she slowly turned her body to face the man before her. "How old am I? 13, 14? You motherfucker." She snarled. "I am freaking 16 years old, you old hag. I mean, how old are you? 49? 50? I mean, aren't you a bit out of your prime to be here? I doubt anyone can find any worth in someone like you." The rage came pouring out of her, lashing out at him, wanting to inflict as much shit upon him as possible.

Keeping her entire front facing him at all times, she knelled down whilst keeping her eyes on him, and grasped the handle of the dull edged training sword that he had kicked in her general direction. "Seriously old man, now fuck off before I seriously inflict some damage upon you and not these weak dummies." Dropping her whip on the ground, she weighed the sword in her hand and came to the conclusion, that while it was relatively awkward to handle, it would work sufficiently to help her hand the mans ass to him. Flicking it back and forth between her right and left hand, she casually began to saunter her way over to the middle of the training center, away from the safe darkness of the opposing end. "Come at me."

[Dylan189]

Mark chuckled an looked the little girls in the eyes and tilted his head. "Ahh, you're rather small for your age. Call me old, but I'm 17 darling." Mark gave her a small wink and laughed a bit, turning his back to her. " Come on, Ill show you a thing or two, or are you scared?" Mark bit his lip and laughed a bit smacking the swords together. "COME ON!"Mark shouted playfully standing with his swords handing at his sides. Mark was cocky, and was gonna stand like this till she attacked.

Mark wiggled his finger at her. "Come on already." Mark chuckled a bit." Though its okay if your scared, I understand. I can tell you I've killed people three times your age... And in total 28." Mark said to intimidate her, hoping it would egg her into attacking. The little girl seemed to be all talk, but she wanted to be the walk also.

(Short but if you post long, mine will be long)