18684/Amazon Smash

Amazon Smash
Date of Scene:	11 August 2024
Location:	Courtyard and Arena
Synopsis:	The Amazons put on another training sessions for would-be gladiators! Some quips are made, some punches are exchanged, some bruises are endured, and some gnarly injuries sustained! Monet shines as an Amazon pupil, while Kate Bishop comes in swinging for the top spot in the trainee pool! Audra and Talia impress the Amazons with their fortitude, while Caleb gets a lot of encouragement, and an assurance they are not being mean to him for being a boy. Honest!
Cast of Characters:	Diana Prince, Talia Wagner, Monet St. Croix, Kate Bishop, Audra Meridian, Cassie Sandsmark, Caleb Dykstra, Joshua Foley

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Diana Prince has posed:
The towering pillars of the Themysciran Arts Center's grand arena stretch skyward, their marble surfaces gleaming in the soft glow of torch light. The air is alive with anticipation as the rhythmic sounds of sharpening blades and the hum of energy from countless training tools fill the spacious hall. The sand-covered floor of the arena is meticulously arranged, sectioned off into various training zones, each one buzzing with activity.

Amazonian banners flutter above, depicting scenes of ancient battles and the might of Themyscira, serving as a reminder of the history behind this entire facility within Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Instructors clad in traditional Amazonian armor stand at attention, their eyes roaming over those who have gathered up for training this evening. Of note, the one who gets the most attention is quite obviously Wonder Woman. Though Diana does not attend every public training sessions here at the Arts Center, she does make a point to come to as many as she possibly can. The more she attends them, the greater attendance is, afterall.

"Welcome," Diana says, dressed in her iconic gladiatorial-styled armor, her dark hair flowing against her bare shoulders, as she roams her eyes over those present tonight. Being that it is late evening, the sun is setting behind the marble columns of the arena's walls, casting the arena mostly in shadow now, but the heat of the day's sun still rises from the sand beneath one's feet.

"I am very glad to have you all here, and I am eager to see to it that you get whatever it is that you want out of training with our people. Be it specifica weapons training, personal combat skills to defend yourself, or merely the mental fortitude that comes with becoming a stronger warrior, and obtaining a healthier life style. We encourage you all to continue to return here, and continue to develop what we are offering. We believe, as the Amazons, that the stronger we can make the world, the better all life will be because of it." She explains, her voice strong, and accented in a style very foreign to this part of the world.

Diana shows a light smile to everyone too. "And we want you to enjoy yourselves, as well. Should you have any questions, now will be the time to voice them."

There is an audience seated in the stands, but it is only around 1/3rd the capacity of the stands totality, as training sessions are usually only attended by friends and family, with a smattering of tourists just here by chance and eager to see anything take place. With Wonder Woman on hand, though, there are phones up recording what is happening, surely to be shared on the internet across all those pesky social media platforms.

Diana, flanked by other instructors, puts one hand upon her hip and nods to the trainees. "Please do, speak up, introduce yourselves, and perhaps let us know what you are most interested in obtaining through this training experience?"

Talia Wagner has posed:
Talia Wagner arrives in a custom combat costume, something she'd been working on. Dark fabric with a flow to it, akin to a martial arts gi, but with a bit more of a flare. Trimmed in scarlet, the midnight blue works with the tone of her skin, her golden eyes shining and with a scarlet headband tied across her forehead like a pirate's brand.

She gives a small bow at the chance to introduce herself. "I am Talia Wagner, a proud mutant and a wanderer of worlds. Something of a fencer, if I do say so myself. I thought it might be good to test myself against the legendary Amazonian skill," she says. "Plus, if I do well, maybe I can get a complimentary toga!"

Monet St. Croix has posed:
She has come here many times. There is always more to learn. A lifetime beyond lifetimes. The Amazons have lived, trained, and fought for millenia. They will be here long after she has passed. She will only learn should she spend the rest of her life training with them a very small amount of the knowledge and lessons they pass along. It is a rare privilege to be extended, and one that Monet is ever so thankful for. Coming here is one of those few things in life that gives her a sense of peace and control.

She listens calmly as Diana makes her introduction and speaks to those present that are here to watch, here to learn, and here to take part. She is respectful as Diana speaks, watching the Amazon Princess directly and giving small formal bows to the guards and others that work at the Embassy, most of whom at least she has had small conversations with. She is thoughtful, contemplative, and looks at the setup of the sparring area and the weapons prseent. Turning to focus inwards now.

Where is she weakest, and where is it best for her to spend her time today when it comes to honing her skills? They are a matter of focus. So what today best serves her to learn and to enhance? Even if just in observation. She gives a bow to Diana, and moves to a position where she is closer to the instructors - if need be to be used as a demonstration or a partner. She's durable and she's had a couple years of training.

Kate Bishop has posed:
So every so often Kate does get in the mood to show off. Being a contender for world's greatest archer, you're allowed to have an ego.

The kicker is that doing stuff for the Titans, the Young Avengers, and a bunch of her own hero work means while Kate Bishop might be able to squeeze in her own training, she can't always do it with all her friends.

In this case, her friends among the Amazons.

Having turned up geared up. the young woman in black leather motorcycle pants and a purple vest that looks like it might be all made as body armor to survive more than falling off a bike. On her back she keeps a quiver, and a couple bows. One a rather mundane compound bow. Mundane in that it has a natural two hundred and fifty pound draw. And judging by very toned muscles on her bare arms, she could easily pulls it. And her baby, what was dubbed WonderBow. A gift from her friends among the Themysciran family within the Titans.

She might also have herself a couple of what some would call escrima sticks strapped to the quiver. But a look close might reveal they're closer to Battlestaves used by the hero and SHIELD agent Mockingbird.

So she trains around.

"I'm Kate, lot of you know me already. I'm mostly here to get good enough I can keep up with a lot of everyone. As much in a fight as the toga parties." she introduces herself playfully.

Audra Meridian has posed:
It's hard to not be awed by the surroundings. One of the few places you can admire Amazonian stylings without visiting their elusive home. It's only proper to take a few moments to just enjoy the scenery for what it is.

Though when Diana starts to speak Audra turns her attention to the main reason they are here this evening. While the speech is being made she takes the oppritunity to slip off her leather jacket, wearing more appropriate athletic workout attire underneath. The jacket is folded nicely and set off to the side so she can turn back to the introductions.

"Name's Audra. I'm a stormchaser and disaster responder. Mostly here to keep up on fitness," she flexes one hand and balls up a fist, "And when I do get into a scrap not have to rely entirely on tech and stuff." Also the occasional heroing, but she's keeping up with the whole secret identy thing.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Cassie, of course, is not here for training herself. Or at least, to be trained. She gets that... most days of the week.

Rather, she's doing her part in helping Diana with whatever crowd has showed up, as another instructor, wrangler, whatever is needed. Also, as is often the case, she's helping with the Arts Center's official social media presence, which means phone out and video recording. Sure, some people can get a view of Diana from the stands, but she gets a nice, almost close-up 3/4ths profile of the woman herself, doing her whole majestic speechifying!

Because they're being all official, she's dressed in better than her usual 'just whatever random athletic gear' that she often wears in lieu of a costume, but instead is in proper Amazonian armor, with the breastplate, skirt, and greaves, plus the more distinctive true Amazon bracers. There are signs of her usual attire *underneath*: she's still trying to convert the Amazons to the wonderous invention that is the sports bra, for example, and has a similar pair of tight athletic shorts on under the skirt. And sneakers, over sandals.

She also has a spear and shield sitting in front of her, both resting on the ground, with her non-phone hand atop the edge of the shield.

"I can do weapons if anyone wants to learn those, or... well, there's always the punching," she offers, whether generally or just to Diana if she's trying to sort people out. Also, at Kate who she always has to remember not to call Kate: "Yo Hawkgirl." That's not her name either, but CLOSE ENOUGH. "You teaching archery?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb looks around, quietly gets up, and moves to present himself. He's dressed in a tight but flexible athletic garb, which has been modified to fit plating. The same thing goes for a jacket he's wearing.

"Most of you don't know me, as I often keep to myself. I go here with my sister to learn...", he pauses, considering what he's been learning, "...Well, let's just say whatever I can get my hands on that gets me - and my sister - through another battle." Cryptic, isn't it? Well, that's how he's playing it.

"Now, I have a tendency to think of this like an exam, so..." He shuts up, clears his throat again. "Pleased to meet you all."

And he quietly returns to his seat, checking out his gear.

Diana Prince has posed:
Wonder Woman let her gaze go to each individual who spoke up, showing each one of them a persistent smile. After each made their introduction, she pressed the palm of her hands together. "We really are thrilled that you have elected to come out tonight, and join us in this session. Some of you we are familiar with already..." She noted Kate, and Caleb, specifically. "But, we are always out for more friends."

Diana's eyes scanned the group, her voice carrying with authority yet remaining warm and inviting. "Tonight, we will be covering a variety of combat techniques, each designed to push your limits and hone your skills. We will begin with hand-to-hand combat, focusing on the principles of leverage and balance, before moving on to weaponry. Swordplay will be our primary focus tonight, but for those interested in other weapons, we have stations dedicated to archery, spear, and shield work." She gestured to the different zones in the arena, each marked by rows of weapons and targets set up for practice. "Cassie here is a wonderful bridge between our worlds, too, and I encourage you to approach her and specifically work closely with her as often as possible." She paused, before adding in a loud-whisper for 'just' the trainees. "Plus, she likes to get hit. So hit her often." Uh oh, teasing amongst the Amazons!

Moving along, Diana continued. "You'll find Amazonian armor sets waiting for you along the far wall," she motioning to where the neatly arranged pieces of armor gleamed under the torchlight. "These have been tailored for both protection and mobility, allowing you to experience combat as our warriors do. I encourage you to take your time selecting a set that fits comfortably before we begin the first lesson."

With a nod, Diana took a step back, her hand gesturing toward the armor. "When you're ready, suit up and we'll start. Remember, this is not just about physical strength, but mental resilience and discipline as well. Let us forge that together tonight." She smiled encouragingly, awaiting the participants to prepare themselves for the training ahead.

Talia Wagner has posed:
Talia Wagner chooses a few pieces of armor carefully. She doesn't want to limit her mobility too much - her extraordinary agility is one of her strongest combat skills. She prefers what nerds might call a 'rogue' build, favoring speed and movement over resilience and strength. Dexterity based.

Yes, she has played D&D a few times. Her uncle Hank was the best dungeon master.

She does get a helmet, however, and takes a shield. "Never used one of these, but it could be interesting," she says, smacking her blade against it a few times to test as her tail swishes a bit behind her.

She does a few backflips, landing on her feet, grinning a bit fiercely at the prospect of some combat, "Be good to work out," she says. Things with the Brotherhood have been quiet lately - not that she necessarily advertised her allegiances.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix goes to take a moment to head over to inspect some of the armor present. She settles on getting one that's a mix of leather and wood, with long armored sleeves and an armored skirt going down to mid thigh. It has thicker armored gauntlets with bared fingers that gives a little extra grip. It's not ordinarily what she would wear (not that she would wear armor at all) but it's good to be in the spirit of things. With the armor on, she goes to relax slightly, and then goes to tighten up the gauntlets, bracing them deftly to anchor them in place. Armor on, she pauses, and thinks.. Then goes to grab a leather helm with hanging flaps to protect the neck and sides of ehr head. No metal in the outfit beyond bucklings, providing a modicum of protection against blades and blunt attacks, for most purposes sufficient against an enemy that is not using iron based melee weapons, and light enough to carry, as well as retain freedom of movement.

She goes to grab a heavy partial tower shield for a change of pace, a spear, and a mace for close quarters.

Kate Bishop has posed:
There's a grin back to Cassie when the blonde girl pokes about teaching archery. "I can totally coach. I've got a whistle here too." she half jokes. She really does have a whistle.

"Ten laps for every shot you miss Wonderlass!" she playfully gets the name wrong. "The joys of having to share codenames." she adds and grins. There's a nod to Caleb.

"For a lot of us, this is just training. The real exam and test is out on the streets. Fail in here, you can learn from it. Fail out there, and well, death... or worse." That comes with a brief flash of extra experienced seriousness in her tone.

As for armor, Hawkeye the better just grabs a helmet. She already brought her own after all. It's just making sure it sits on her done steady and comfortable enough.

All that black hair pinned down and peeking down the back and along her back.

Diana teasing Cassie about getting hit gets a chuckle. "Depends on how she's hit and where." she adds.

There is some applause when TJ gets acrobatic. Eventually even Kate grabs a sword, switching out her bows and quiver and setting them down for later.

Audra Meridian has posed:
"Man, wish I could of had a coach like her in high school," Audra muses with a smirk. "But yeah, hand-to-hand. Sounds good." Learn to punch people better and it will make using her alter ego's eletrified gauntlets more effective too. She walks over to inspect the provided armor to find a suitable fitting set. It takes a few tests but once she's got an arrangement that fits it doesn't take her long to get suited up. Almost like she's got some experience in that. Also a moment to make sure her ponytail is firmly tied in place so it won't get in her way.

Then thumps a fist into the opposite palm. "Alright, lets do this."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Diana's remark has Cassie rolling her eyes allllll the way up, before she turns her attention back to the crowds, putting on a brash smile. "I'm happy if anyone wants to try, but fair warning: I hit back." Maybe Diana can bully her (and she often does, what terrible working conditions!)... but can these folks? That remains to be seen! "If you're not uber-powered, I can train a couple of you at once, if you wanna try. Or maybe I can toss M around again." They did that at one of these before!

Kate is maybe also an exception in all of this: "No thanks, that'd be a lot of laps." Even though the Amazons most definitely practice and train in archery themselves, it's never been a particularly strong suit for Cassie, and her friend has seen the evidence. She's much more 'punch in the face' than 'engage from long range' kind of gal. Of course, 'bad' by Amazon standards might be a little different than elsewhere, but she's not about to take Kate up and end up running in circles for the rest of the night.

She pans around with her phone again, getting some more group footage, and then turns to hand it off - apparently she has an *assistant* social media coordinator, even! So fancy. After that, she grabs the shield and straps it on, then the spear, and wanders out. "Any takers?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb was already in an armor, so to speak. But, when in Rome - or rather, Athens...

(And that's a coin for the pun jar!)

He grabs gear that favors mobility: leather armor, swords, spear, shield... Whatever's available, he's there to do it. (And yes, even bow.)

Looking at Kate, he smiles faintly with a slight nod. His eyes are reaching that level of focus where friendships don't count for training. "Every day's a struggle, Kate. For me, I just put myself out there never saving strength for a ways back."

He quickly changes in a locker room, and when he comes out, he's looking like a Hellenic soldier of old.

Pacing towards the arena, he closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Joshua had lingered for a while at the gift shop, picking up a couple of things for Belinda, Aria, and Nettie. Now that he has a small bag of souveniers, the golden mutant makes his way down to the observation area. Flying over one shoulder is a black crow. As the pair find a place to settle, Joshua takes a seat, setting his goods aside to allow the crow to land on the ledge in front of him.

Reaching into the bag, he pulls out a steamed and grilled corn on the cob on a stick, unwrapping it to take a bite for himself and then offering a bite to the crow. How has no money invested in this, instead ready to heal any that are seriously wounded.

Those that are bumped and bruised? Well, they deserve it. No pain, no gain, right? Another bite of corn is taken.

"No, I'm not going to fight myself." he says to the crow. A pause.

"I don't have anyone to impress." He sticks out his tongue. "You just want all the corn."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana watched as the participants began to don their Amazonian armor, her gaze warm and encouraging. She waited patiently as the group prepared themselves, the soft clink of armor pieces being secured around their bodies filling the space. Once everyone appeared ready, she stepped forward once more, her presence commanding yet still inviting.

"Excellent," Diana began, her voice carrying over the arena with ease. "Now that you're suited up, we will start with the basics?hand-to-hand combat. This is the foundation of all our training, where you will learn not only to use your physical strength but to master the art of movement, strategy, and most importantly, discipline."

Wonder Woman gave a nod to the fellow instructors, all donning their own suits of Amazonian armor, each one a rather intimidating looking woman by their own rights. They move from their idle positions, and fan out toward the students, with Cassie awaiting whichever one wishes to challenge her specifically, the others square off against everyone else.

Once each trainee has been paired off with an instructor, Diana speaks up again. "We will begin with basic manuevers, teaching you the advantages and disadvantages of simple grappling manuevers, all leading up to one final spar which will test what you retain. Remember that leverage, and balance, are the key to hand to hand combat engagements."

With the torchlight providing ample lighting from all directions, and the darkening blue skies above, the sound of the whipping flags adds additional ambience to the backdrop, as the pairs set up upon the sandy arena floor. Each instructor introduces themselves to the trainee, before they begin to set in on additional information on what to expect. After that... the grappling manuevers begin to get explained, and the lesson starts. It lasts for a good thirty minutes before the final spars are announced, and the audience in the stands get to watch individual versus matches taking place to see what the trainees learned.

Kate Bishop has posed:
Once again, Kate has another joke ready to go when Cassie warns of reciprocation. "Still a matter of how, when, and when!" she says playfully. was that almost a flirt? Lacking super strength or durability of her own, Hawkeye has to be very picky about when she's willing to let someone hitting.

Including during training here with people that could theoretically pop someone like a tomato with a strong enough strike.

The brunette in biker styled armor and a Themysciran helmet forgoes a shield with her sword. Likely the influences of her own training.

Hand to hand however, Kate is an experienced fighter and martial artist. But against certain Amazons, Kate might as well be a novice. If because despite a body that is honed and hardened from training and fighting, the flexing of muscles even through her clothes, Kate won't ever be fast enough. And proves it when she catches a fist to the face that knocked her right down on her ass.

That alone just gets her laughing more than anything. "One of these days!" she jokingly shakes her fist at the air from the ground.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
This is something she can relax in. Grapple, strike, counterstrike. Quick back and forth. Familiar. She sets herself in and goes for the attack. She fights using more of a kickboxing style against her Amazonian opponent, using slightly greater reach to her advantage and limiting her strength. The kickboxing lets her get out more force from her blows against her instructor, and Monet is able to get in one of her rare 'does acceptably'.

Monet might have an eidetic memory, super strength, slightly enhanced senses, and ehnanced speed, but this is still a woman that has fought and trained for millenia, and has the courage to come to Man's World. The blows go back and forth quickly as it settles itno a familiar routine of give and take.

Monet hums and enjoys herself, even as it ends as it most often does. Dizzy gives her a few hits and pointers, but gets in far more strikes on Monet and far better defenses than she does. But that's waht training is for. Focus and relaxation. Monet closes her eyes at the end, fresh several bruises over that will heal by the end of the day, and gives a formal bow to her instructor and listens to Dizzy's corrections and input in Themysciran. Committing them to memory, analysing them to each motion as the veteran warrior bluntly tells her where she needs improvement.

For one of those rare times in these last months, she has peace. With herself. With her life. What she is doing. She has tranquility.

Talia Wagner has posed:
Talia Wagner ended up finding the shield more of an inhibition than a help. She struggled with the weight of it and coordinating it with her sword attacks. The mistake ends up costing her.

After a few rough back and forths, Talia attempts to block an incoming blow from her trainer and it hits her across the shoulder, a sharp strike that splits some skin and almost breaks her clavicle, the pain driving her to the ground and forcing her to yield.

"I think I need a medic," she mutters.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Setting down the remains of his corn, Joshua comments. "Corvax, watch my stuff." And with that, he's on his feet to make his way down to the combat field to the golden mutant steps on the dirt. He waits for the current battles to end before he first approaches Talia. "Hello. You asked for a medic?" he asks as he kneels down next to the blue skinned mutant.

"I'm Elixir. It's nice to meet you." he greets before he warms up his hands. No medical bag. "May I?" he asks. And once Talia has givien him permission, Joshua takes a reading by touching his bare skin to hers. "...a fractured clavicle, bone bruises, slight nerve damage. Give me a few moments."

And with that, Joshua's skin grows warm and starts to glow as he knits and heals the injury, his steel grey eyes focused on the injury itself. After nearly two minutes, he withdraws his hands. "It may pop to reset when you roll it, but you should be good! I'd suggest sitting out the rest of the fights thought!" A quick smile as he rises to his feet, dusting himself off to look for other injured.

Audra Meridian has posed:
Is it training montage time? Feels like it's time for a training montage to me.

As it turns out Audra is a pretty good student. It shows that a lot of what she already knows is pretty basic or improvising, but the instructor paired with her works with it, pointing out more specific moves and going over proper hold techniques. Audra is in fairly good shape over all, and now she's getting advice on how to better apply it. And being resiliant in stressful situations. That's something she's got to do on a regular basis even without the heroing.

In the end she manages to even hold her own in the sparring match after all. Not without getting knocked around a few times, but the armor helps. And the advice on maneuvering (she'll have to figure out how to apply that to flying as well later) helps her avoid some bigger swings from her opponent.

At the end she leans against a column, breathing a bit hard but that's good in this case. "Whoo, now that was a workout."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb has the (mis)fortune of having Thalia, a woman that actually prides herself than looking taller than men. Just to measure, if Caleb kept his eyes straight ahead, they would fall on her chest.

"Right..."

Can you not see where this is going? Caleb sure does.

Let the sparring begin! And, he plants his feet on the ground for a ready posture...

She moves in, and Caleb starts deflecting punches aimed at him. And for a while, he's doing okay. But it's when Thalia gives him a good sweep of the leg when he's setting his foot down, hitting right at the ankle section, enough to twist it.

There's a loud but short scream from Caleb, and then he goes down on the the ground. He groans with pain, even hitting his hand in the floor to contain the pain.

It looks bad!

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Despite Diana's attempts at provoking bullying, and perhaps Cassie's own inclination to beat up on the trainees (and Monet specifically, maybe!), the training more or less goes on professionally, with minimal sudden, extreme, or unprovoked Amazon aggro!

Since they're doing hand to hand and no bows allowed, she DOES miraculously reappear at Kate's side. "Let's go Hawkling! C'mon. Show me how you punch." By this time, she's taken off the breastplate, since punching it would be knuckle-suicidal, so it's just soft Cassie-flesh. Well, 'soft.' "C'mon, harder."

Beat. "Harder. Ka- Hawk lady, c'mon. It's me. I throw tanks. HARDER."

So she really DOES make herself a bit of a punching bag for her friend. It's what good friends do! And it's not... static, standing there and getting hit. She helps, turning into or away from the blows to simulate movements, attack patterns. And if Kate is too slow, or DOESN'T give it her all after enough prompting, she darts in for a little quick TAP. Not hitting her, but definitely TEASING her. "What happens if your bow-string breaks? C'mon, lemme see- OW! OK good one that time!"

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana is right there to offer words of encouragement to everyone involved. For Monet, she places a hand upon the woman's shoulder when the spar is finished. Monet will feel her offer a reassuring squeeze. "You did good." She tells her, expecting as much from Monet at this point, since the French woman has been training with the Amazons for literal years now. The same goes for Audra, at least the hand gesture, giving her shoulder a soft pat too. "I am very impressed." The Princess tells her too, showing a small smile along with the words of encouragement.

Cassie and Kate are momentarily observed, but she lets Cassie deal with that, knowing all too well that her protege, and sister, has it covered nicely. She moves on to observe Talia, as Josh is there to aid her. She crouches down beside them, watching as Josh does what he does best. "You fought valiatly, Talia." The Princess says, giving her a sincerely warm expression. "I hope you will keep at it with us, I am sure that you won't suffer the same fate for very much longer. Practice is everything." She tells her, before nodding toward Josh, a silent thanks for his efforts here.

Back upon her feet, Diana is now moving toward Caleb's position, seeing that he has suffered and injury of his own. Thalia is there to take a look at what has happened to the young man, offering her observational diagnosis to Diana when she arrives.

"Josh, can you please aid with Caleb too?" She inquires, even though there are Amazon medics on-hand, their own treatments are not quite... as thorough as Joshua's, and they are quite fine with that. Those with amazing powers, must be utilized for what advantages they bring to a contest such as this.

Once things are settled, as good as they can be, Diana is back to the front of the group, and motioning toward a rack of weapons and shields. "Swords. Find the one that feels most balanced to your strength. Take up a shield, if you have not already, and square off with your instructors again. We continue to the next element of tonight's training..."

The audience in the stands are offering applause, to Monet and Audra the most; as they were quite entertained by their activities. Though the back and forth between Cassie and Kate had certainly elicited a fair amount of reaction from the onlookers in the stands as well.

Those who took injuries? They got the most phones held up to record and post online... because of course.

"Begin, when you are ready." Diana tells the Amazon warrior instructors, and their trainees. The armored Amazons hold up their swords, and shields, and begin to offer individual insights in to the process and techniques of wielding such martial weaponry.

Joshua Foley has posed:
"Of course, Your Highness. Just needed to finish Talia first!" Joshua offers, before making his way over to to Caleb. "Hold still." he orders, as he starts to work on his ankle, to set it back into place and heal it, that pleasant golden glow a soft anesthetic as he works on putting the foot back right. "Careful with this foot the next couple of hours. It's healed, but things are going to be tender for a bit." he advises.

"It's up to you if your night is over, though." he ssys with a shrugs of his shoulders. He just heals them up, not tells them what to do.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix watches attentively as the others continue to train. She pays particular attention to the spar between Cassie and Kate. Kate she pegs as likely the best fighter here that is not one of the Amazons. So the quick series of blows the two exchange is very informative. Cassie has to pay enough attention she isn't texting over it! May Cassandra never encounter Ellie, or the INternet would never be the same. Monet goes to watch attentively until Diana gives her the praise. She almost beams over at it, and her smile turns very bright and happy as her cheeks flush very, very slightly. She speaks in Themysciran quickly, careful on her enunciation. "Thank you Princess." Giving a formal bow back with her hands clasped.

As some are injured, she turns her attnetion over to Josh and gives him a supportive look and a quick telepathic <<Good to have you onhand>> To her teammate on occasion before nodding to the crowd. Then the group are going back to swords and shields. Something a bit more basic.

Monet takes a smaller shield than she had before, but that isn't along the lines of the almost meter in diameter one usually seen in these displays. Her's is a rahter small one that just hooks over to her forearm. THe trick with it is that she doesn't have to worry about keeping her grip on it or adjusting her arm. She can just quickly twist. But the smaller size is far less forgiving for defense. She takes her sword..

And then it's back to swords. She goes in with Dizzy once more, and moves for a series of rapid strikes. This time rather than a style she goes for more conservative attacks. The only style of swordfighting she has training in is the epee, which is nowhere near what a real fight is like. She goes for quick, powerful strikes and rotates her body to use her primary hand. Being quick on her feet makes it hard for Dizzy to get a clean swing at her that she can't turn aside on her smaller shield, and she keeps a slimmer profile.

But, she is still a learner, and her strikes are conservative, from the perspective of one that has trained. And Dizzy has fought.

Eventually, there is a chink in her positioning that gives Dizzy the room for a strike, shield flipping up to batter Monet's own to the side to give room for the sword strike across Monet's torso, a quick kick at the Algerian mutant's stomach which sends her flying back, then the heavy shield placed at her throat. Monet shakes her head as she gets up once more, and then her opponent commands her.

"Again."

And so they go at it once more. And like the dozens and dozens of times this routine has happened, she learns a little more. A few more flaws to work on, a few small improvements to make. A few things to do better on.

Audra Meridian has posed:
Audra Meridian is far less familiar with actual weapons, but it's hard to not feel motivated when you've got someone like Diana there being supportive. Can't say she isn't willing to give it a shot though. She gets a shield onto one arm, picks up a sword and after testing the weight steps back into place and gets into a stance.

Which leads to a bit back and forth as her instructor points out something more suitable to actual fighting and not the fancy posturing you see in the movies, which Audra, slightly embarassed, follows. That does feel more balanced and easier to shift position with though. Making swings a little less awkward.

The actual sparring doesn't as spectacularly as the first time due to her lack of experience, but Audra stands her ground through it. Literally, as other than a quick jab here and there she does mostly defend, to the point the repeated blows against the shield is going to leave her arm pretty sore and bruised tomorrow.

But now she's thinking about how she could have some sort of shield and electrify it or something...

Kate Bishop has posed:
As Kate and Cassie spar. Kate definitely won't be throwing closed hand punches and balled up fists. As 'soft' as Cassie's flesh is, Kate might as well be punching a tank, so her goal was to just make contact inside the blonde's guard.

The fact that a tap knocks the brunette down easily enough evidence.

"It's not harder and faster with you." Because a haymaker may as well be a kiss for all the force Bishop can muster.

"Fight smarter." she adds with a grin.

Banter is also a good part of any combat. "Better our bow strings than our G-strings!" When she finally does make a successful hit, Kate grins. Yes it was open hand, and more a shove that a slap with the heel of her palm but she got in there.

It'll do.

When it comes to actual weapons, Kate finally grabs a shield and draws the sword she had sheathed on her back.

Though she does flit her blue eyes over to her quiver and the two batons strapped to the side. "Think if you're gonna get all spear on me, maybe I should switch to a longer weapon." ponders and chuckles.

For now the brunette just clangs the flat of her blade against her shield ready to begin what is going to be a very tiring round of sparring.

Talia Wagner has posed:
Talia Wagner feels her ego bruised more than her body. She thanks Josh for healing her and, if permitted, will give her fellow mutant an embrace to express said thanks. While he attends to the others, she takes a moment to proverbially lick her wounds.

"I guess I'm rusty," she sighs. She hasn't seen a lot of action lately. Once upon a timme, she barely had a moment's peace, leaping from world to world, apocalypse to apocalypse, never resting, never blinking. She had found more peace here and a few friends, even family of a sort, in that strange dimension-crossed way.

But it had been a good while since she got her ass kicked. "Humbling is good, TJ. Humbling is good," she says to herself aloud, trying to convince herself.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Like hell's my night over, man!", Caleb quickly snaps at Josh, looking at Thalia - someone he can keep his anger on to mitigate the pain.

Once healed, he's much better. "Sorry. You didn't deserve that."

He walks slowly, with each step adjusting his ankle into a better walking, "Onto sword training it is..." He grabs two swords and starts feeling their weight...

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
With the weapon drills, Cassie is there to demonstrate form. Because there is specific stuff you gotta do. It's not like 300 at all! For instance, it doesn't involve ANY slow motion. Well, OK, it might be slow motion to _Cassie_ because she's one of those people who can super speed, but for the trainees, things go normal speed! And most people aren't excessively greased up! "Turn your shoulder, present a small profile, less target. This gives the shield better coverage. And then use it to brace. A spear, you can rest atop, step and thrust. For a sword, you have less reach, but you can rely on counter strikes. Let them come, catch them with the shield, jab at anything open."

Since she's still got Kate for the individual practice, Cassie's approach is still a very particular kind of weird, inverted bullying that no doubt relies on their familiarity, where she constantly provokes the other young woman to hit her without really striking back much. It's different than with the hand to hand, by some measure, because the technique is a little more... specific? A real hand to hand bout can be a lot about endurance, but the weapons add a lethal edge, or they would in their real versions, where precision is a lot more important.

"C'mon. No, not like that. Higher. Lower. Faster." Cassie CAN, at any point, easily just cheat. Kate can half blink and she can be in a different position entirely. But there's a purpose to it, other than just tormenting her friend, and it has a pretty scientific name, in sports medicine or other kinds of training: desensitization, progressive overload.

Cassie starts slow. She lets them do a few maneuvers until Kate gets a good swing in, but then speeds up a little to stop her, some quick parry. Mostly just that, althoug HERE and there she may take a quick swipe back to BONG Kate's helmet. And she keeps pushing like that, and pushing, until things might be pushing human possibility...

...and then she ramps back down. "Again." And when Kate comes in this time, it will feel like Cassie is wearing lead by comparison.

WHAP. "Ow, that was my ear! Okay, okay, good one."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana stood at the edge of the arena, her arms crossed over her stomach as she watched the trainees engage in their sword and shield combat. Her sharp eyes followed each movement, taking note of every parry, strike, and block. The clang of metal echoed through the arena, mixing with the breaths of the participants and the ever-present rustling of Amazonian banners above. The torchlight flickered across the sand, casting dancing shadows that added an extra layer of intensity to the training.

In the background, a group of Amazon warriors moved swiftly and efficiently, setting up a new challenge around the arena. Wooden beams were hoisted into place, ropes were secured, and large obstacles were arranged with precision. It was clear that they were constructing something formidable, something that would push the trainees to their limits. The trainees, engrossed in their current combat training, might not yet realize what was coming next, but Diana kept a close watch on the preparations, her expression one of anticipation.

As the sword and shield training began to wind down, Diana allowed the participants a moment to catch their breath. She stepped forward, her presence once again commanding their attention. With a small nod, she gestured to the newly assembled obstacle course. "You have done well so far," she began, her tone firm yet encouraging. "But now, it's time to test your endurance, your agility, and your resolve."

The obstacle course loomed before them, an intimidating array of challenges designed to wear them down, both physically and mentally. There were towering walls to climb, narrow beams to balance across, and heavy weights to carry?each element carefully crafted to push the trainees to their breaking points. The air was thick with the promise of a grueling challenge, yet Diana's gaze held an undeniable excitement. "This course is meant to test everything you've learned so far," she continued, her eyes sweeping over the group. "But more importantly, it's designed to show you what you're truly capable of when you push beyond your limits. Take a moment, gather your strength, and when you're ready... we'll begin."

Diana stepped to a table to the side, where her own weapons, and gear resided. She gathered up her helmet, a golden eagle head, that she brought down over her dark hair. "And the winner, gets to fight me." She announces, quite casually.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Well, she might normally not -go- and do this sort of thing, but the chance to fight the Princess? Well, it's something that she wants. She could possibly get it sometime at the Embassy, but to earn it.. But is that fair to the others? Monet goes to then takea few breaths, moving to do something very difficult with her abilities. To limit them. To calculate what is normal for a somewhat exhausted human sore from several spars, toning herself down and then goes to give a nod over. And then she's heading up and over at it as she looks at the obstacle course. Ignoring her ability to properly calculate trajectory, ignoring slightly better senses.. Time to go. This is the Danger Room, without it turning into things trying to kill her.

And she goe sin, careful to hold herself back. She goes to charge up one of the walls, moving to quickly dig in. She has to anchor herself, push her feet in.. And her footwear, while standard, is not the best for this sort of thing. So she works her way up them, somewhat slowed. Then on to the balance beams. Those are automatic. She's not remotely the gymnast that someone like Kate is naturally, but she has good balance. She goes to dart across most of them. She takes weights. She makes sure she's weighed down by them. She pushes herself. Up one thing, out the other.

Dart through the tunnel. Twist around the equipment. Lift and leverage herself over. Dodge the beam. Yank herself up. Monet is in good shape, athletic..

But there are others better. Others that are far better trained, far more focused, and that put far more work into it. That have the dedication to go through with it. And Monet, while close.. Is certainly not the one that finishes first. By the time she gets to the last bit of it, she is exhausted, and has other competitors of a high caliber get ahead of her. She gives a nod to those ahead. "Well done." Panting heavily and taking her time to catch her breath. Ah well.

More things to improve upon. She will not -ask- for a spar, even if she could get one on one time. She has to earn it. She is not that good yet. As much as Monet might want to think that way.. She is not perfect. She never will be.

But? Thanks to the Themyscirans? She will keep pushing to improve herself rather than sit in her superiority.

Audra Meridian has posed:
The winner gets to fight Wonder Woman. Is that a prize or a threat? (Or maybe both)

Audra takes a moment to wipe her brow of sweat. "Welp, didn't come this far just to stop now. Not like it's the first time I've had to climb through awkwardly positioned structures, ha!" But those were wreckage after a storm, so the joke doesn't really carry that much with it, just her getting herself motivated again.

As it turns out an obstacle course is... well, toughing through it sure. But in this case it's not a very fast challenge, because Audra gets a little analytical on picking the course through the challenges, which slows everything down. Shuffling through small tunnels and carefully climbing over obstacles as to not fall or knock anything over gets the job done but not very quickly. Also the bruised arm is slowing her down a bit when it comes to lifting and pushing anything.

But at least she kept trying.

Kate Bishop has posed:
While once again, Kate is physically outclassed in almost everywhere. There are some advantages Kate does bring to the table. While already an experienced swordswoman, though far from a master, she's getting there. And with a knack for learning on par with eidetic or photographic reflexes, Kate is learning moves and tactics as she goes. Like where Cassandra's openings in her defense are.

And eventually finds one. Thankfully Kate is skilled enough the blonde's ear stays in tact.

Thankfully she had enough of a breather after that for others to run thee new challenge. The obstacle course.

Luckily she can also take the time to watch how everyone else handles it before she takes her turn. And puts some major effort into all the running and jumping and dodging, dipping, ducking, diving, and dodging.

Eventually she comes to a skid at the end, hunching over like she's about to hurl from the exertion.

"Ain't dead yet!" she yells out of breath.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Fighting you is a pretty lame prize, I can do that any time I want." Cassie: Not impressed!

And with no motivation to do the obstacle course... she doesn't! Instead, she goes to retrieve her phone from the newbie Amazon (they have those now! it was a plot!) she'd given it to, and takes full advantage of not having to follow any course rules to go FLYING out among the obstacles. Phone in hand, she zigs and zags, doing under-overs and otherwise approaching the contestants from all kinds of strange angles to do her shots. So dynamic! Such content! Much wow!

Near the end, as its nearly neck and neck with Monet and Kate for time. Cassie holds back her cheering, zooming alongside to stabilize the tracking shots...

But at the end, it's Kate with the brass ring, or whatever it is! She hands in front of her. "Say 'I'm going to Disney World!' You're not, we don't have budget for that. But just for the clip..."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"I'd get to fight Diana of Themyscira if I win this sparring match?", he says with a chuckle. "I'd last about a milissecond..."

But alas, that ankle injury gets the better of him during the sparring match, and he falters when Thalia swings her sword and he blocks.

At this point, he starts to suspect that Thalia has it in for him. It's either that or the Moirai that cursed him somehow.

As he lies on the ground - again -, he can't help but crack a joke. "Say, you guys know the one about that Achilles guy...?"

Kate Bishop has posed:
The gold medal goes to Kate Bishop. Eventually she stands up straighter once she can breath, and actually move muscles where she wants to.

"I can have us in Orlando by tonight and on Space Mountain by morning." she half jokes when the camera is rolling.

Kate is loaded after all. Trust funds are great.

Monet gets a Thumbs up. "Well, we know that won't be happening a second time." The baseline, if exceptionally fit human out doing a mutant with superhuman abilities is one moment for the ages.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana watched the trainees tackle the obstacle course, her eyes tracking their progress as they navigated each challenge. She stood by the fighting circle at the center, where the final test of the night would take place.

When Kate approached, Diana smiled, clearly pleased with her determination. "You have done great tonight, Kate," she said, her tone both encouraging and warm. "Now, let us finish with a little fun, shall we?" Diana drew her sword, and motioned for Thalia, who was quick to bring Kate back her own sword and shield that she had used previously.

The small audience in the stands all cheered, watching the show, and applauding for the victory. The applauding slowly grew quiet again, as anticipation for the final fight grew amongst the onlookers!