2022/Champion's Ring

Champion's Ring
Date of Scene:	08 June 2020
Location:	Grant's Gym - Amusement Mile
Synopsis:	Ted Grant and 'Jenny' talk and practice self-defense tactics that may or may not help out with the agent network of the mysterious Shadow.
Cast of Characters:	Ted Grant, Natasha Cranston

---

Ted Grant has posed:
It's dark out, and the streetlamps are flickering--at least, those that are working--outside Grant's Gym, even as the lights inside are cut off.

In his Wildcat costume, Ted Grant turns the sign hanging inside the front door to 'CLOSED' and then steps outside to lockup. "Last time I offer evening training classes fer families. Shoulda figured they wouldn't come durin' dinner hours..."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    There's a saying. Heroes can retire, but it's still hard to /stop/. You don't unlearn vigilance and situational awareness that easily, not when it's more than once saved your life.

    Which is why Ted notices the moving shadows above shortly /before/ he hears the thip-thip of footsteps, the clattering of a fire escape and one outraged yell of "Hey! You kids get off this building right now or I call the police!" from the nearby alleyway.

    There is a brief "Sorry!" from someone who, by the sound of it, 1) is not in fact sorry and 2) is trying to save her breath for more important things than apologizing, and shortly after another *thump*, this time at ground level, followed by running footsteps as a young woman in her early twenties comes around the corner at a reasonable runner's clip...

Ted Grant has posed:
Ted turns, looking up just as the woman runs around the corner.

"Yow!" he exclaims in surprise, leaping back several feet. He shakes his head and laughs, raising his hands.

"Sorry about that, lady. Ya got me--congrats," Ted says with a chuckle. "Good thing that didn't happen in my class, or I'da probably gotten laughed outta my own gym."

He steps out of the way and gestures to the sidewalk. "Anyway, sorry fer slowin' down yer jog..."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
The woman comes skidding to a halt just in front of Ted. "Oh, I'm sorry, I just.. I was late and kind of in a hurry and..."

    She trails off as she notices the 'closed' sign on the gym entrance and groans. "... Dammit. Wait, /your/ Gym? You wouldn't happen to be Mister Grant, wouldn't you?" She doesn't wait for confirmation before continuing. "I was actually hoping to get here in time for those evening classes you advertised, you were... Kinda highly recommended..."

    She holds out a hand. "I'm Jenny, by the way."

Ted Grant has posed:
Looking down at his costume, Ted grimaces. "Fffuuuuu....." he begins, trailing off in an audible exhale as he shakes Jenny's hand.

"Hey, uh, who's to say who dresses up as what these days?" Ted shakes his head and groans. "Look, what say we just forget all about /this/ and get you into the ring?"

He turns back around to the door, unlocking it. "Yer never gonna believe this, but I was just writin' off the evening classes as a bust. Glad to see that there's interest..."

As he steps into the gym, Ted flips on the lights and smiles. "So. How much experience would you say you've got with boxing or self-defense or exercise in general? 'Cuz you clearly got some speed."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny umms as she follows Ted into the gym, scuffing out of her shoes at the entrance. "Well, I'm into urban running and Capoeira, but..."

    She fidgets a bit as she makes her way to the ring, and something about the way the girasol on her ring finger catches the light twigs some old, old memories in the back of the Wildcat's brain...

Ted Grant has posed:
"Oh, you don't say? I wonder who recommended you to me..." Ted asks, rubbing his chin.

At the sight of the ring, Ted squints slightly and clears his throat. "That, uh, a family heirloom? I would've sworn I've seen one just like it before, but the memory's kinda hazy..."

He frowns and takes a step back. "This a setup, or are you really here for the class?"

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny shakes her head. "No, I'm really here for the class. It's just... Well, the city can get dangerous sometimes, you know? If it hadn't been for... "

    She trails off, taking a breath and visibly banishing dark memories before looking back up to meet Ted's eyes with her own fierce gaze. "... I want to be able to /help/. More than just running away and hiding while someone else risks their life on my behalf... He... He said you were good at teaching people like me what we needed to know..."

Ted Grant has posed:
"Ahhhhh," Ted says, rubbing the side of his face. "I see. Okay. So not an heirloom, then, technically. A badge." He nods slowly, several times.

"Alright, then. Yeah, bein' able to help is a good reason. So what kinda help do you wanna be able to provide? Help buyin' someone time to get away from a dangerous situation? Help smackin' down that dangerous situation?" He puts his hands on his hips and takes a deep breath. "There's not necessarily a lotta overlap there, fundamentally speakin'."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    "... Buying time," Jenny admits after a bit of hesitation as she visibly weighs adolescent fantasies against stark reality. "It's not like any amount of training's going to let me go up against people with guns, if it comes to that..."

Ted Grant has posed:
"Well," Ted replies with a sigh, "it's not very sexy or badass-sounding to say that the best strategy tends to be to run. But if we're tryin' ta buy time for someone else to run, sometimes that means we can't."

"But," he adds, "we can try to get some distance between us. And go for disablin' pain to buy us that time ta gain distance."

Ted clears his throat. "You ever punch someone in the throat or kick 'em in the groin? 'Cuz if not, then ... guess what we're gonna be doin'."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    "Once. We'd gone to a bar after the 'roda, and this asshole and three of his friends took offense to Serpiente's face -- he's part Mexican -- and we tried to leave, but one of them threw a punch and another had a pool cue, so..."

    She trails off, then shrugs. "Turns out Capoeira isn't the best choice of styles in a crowded bar so we all had to improvise..."

Ted Grant has posed:
With a nod, Ted gestures for Jenny to approach. "Oh yeah? Let's see how you did. Make some space--get me further away from the door. Buy your friends some time to leave."

He slips into a tense, threatening stance. "Something something I'm a drunk jerk!" Ted growls, taking a single step forward.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny's taken slightly by surprise at the sudden shift, but she has good reflexes - most urban runners do; the ones who don't tend to miss a grab when the scenery changes quickly and land badly. She backs up two steps, feinting a move to the right with her second step before spinning on her heel with a near textbook perfect high spinning kick that doesn't connect, but likely would convince most people to keep their distance...

Ted Grant has posed:
And, in fact, Ted pauses in his approach at the sudden foot before his face. "Nice," he says. "That can definitely slow or stop momentum. So what's the next move? Can you sprint easily from there?"

He reaches out, slowly and obviously, to try and grab at Jenny. "Even if I'm not moving forward as much, I've still got some range in the moment."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny nods, takes a step back and repeats the move, this time letting her momentum carry the kick all the way back down to the ground, then quickly shifts her weight to that foot in preparation for a push-off and sprint. "Being able to quickly flow from one move to another is kind of what Capoeira's about..."

Ted Grant has posed:
"For sure," Ted says. "I'll be honest--I don't have too much experience with capoeira myself. But I've seen some /roughly/ similar fighting styles. You said you did urban running too, right? That kinda free-flow movement's gotta help, too. Okay, great."

He nods again and purses his lips for a moment. "Kickin' at the ankles to sweep the leg or cause a stumble can also help--other forms of slowin' down. This stuff you probably already know, but I'm workin' through the options we got."

"How 'bout throwin' improvised weapons?" Ted adds. "Distractions, obstacles, and the like."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny grimaces. "Those, not so much," she admits. "I mean, my hand-eye coordination's pretty okay and I can toss a baseball fine, but.."

    She trails off, pondering possibilities.

Ted Grant has posed:
"Here. Hang on," Ted says, turning to jog to a wall where several pairs of boxing gloves hang. He retrieves two pairs and, untying them from one another, puts a pair on the ground and holds out the other to Jenny.

"Don't actually put these on. You're going to throw them at me," he says. "It's not so much about hurting me as it is blocking my view, making me second-guess my intentions to come after you or whoever you're helping. And if it actually hurts?" Ted grins. "That's a bonus."

Once again, he assumes his 'aggressive jerk' stance and takes a step forward.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny nods and hefts the gloves for a moment, testing their weight before flinging them at Ted's face -- not both at once, but with just enough delay between them that the first will likely block his view of the second until it's nearly too late to duck.

Ted Grant has posed:
Ted's progress is certainly slowed--he staggers for a moment when the first glove is thrown, trying to swat it out of the way while protecting his face. The staggering is repeated when the second glove comes his way, but his timing's office, and it clocks him in the nose.

"Arghh!" he cries in an exaggerated tone before stopping and releasing the tension in his stance. "Well done. So--combinin' these together, you can gain yourself some considerable distance while buyin' time for others--especially if you can sprint a bit outta reach between any'a these thrown obstacles."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny nods, moving from one foot to the other in a rhythm that doesn't seem to stop. "So, basically, aim to distract or trip, throw something at them to keep them distracted, and then run like hell while they recover?"

    She casts another look around the ring and the gym, looking for obstacles and opportunities. "That sounds doable..."

Ted Grant has posed:
"That's about the most successful route, yeah," Ted says, hands back on his hips. "It may not make you feel like much of a hero, but most'a the time, it can help keep everyone alive and safe."

"'Course," he adds, shrugging, "if you're up against a pro who's on a mission, then sometimes even that won't do the job. But we're workin' with statistics here, you know?"

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny winces again. "... Yeah, I get it. I mean, I'm pretty quick, and out in the streets I'm willing to bet I could outrun most people, but..."

Ted Grant has posed:
"Hm?" Ted asks. "But what? Lookin' fer more? Or just not satisfied with this sort of defensive strategy?" He raises his hands, palms up. "You ain't gonna offend me with yer answer. I just wanna make sure I help the right way."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny shrugs. "Well, suppose I'm getting someone out of the line of fire but there's another guy in our way to the exit? On my own I'm pretty sure I could get past them unless it's a real narrow hallway or something, but if I'm bringing someone else along I might have to lay them out long enough to get away..."

Ted Grant has posed:
"True enough," Ted responds. "The capoeira might help with that, but there's always room for more options in the toolbox."

He drops slightly into a boxing stance. "How comfortable are you with close-quarters fighting? You mentioned narrow hallways--how would you lay someone out to get by?"

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    "If I'm on my own I don't think I'd have to," Jenny replies. "I'd just do a double bounce -- jump at the right wall, push off up and away, bounce off the left wall and over them while they're still expecting you to go past on their right."

    She goes into a half-crouch, still moving - at least he won't have to worry about telling her to mind her footwork - and sizes Ted up again. "If there's really no room... Momentum, I think. Rush at them, jump for some air time at the last moment, lead with a knee to their stomach or solar plexus maybe?"

Ted Grant has posed:
"Solar plexus. Gut. Groin. Claw the livin' hell out of their face if every other option's unavailable," Ted says, gesturing at each target as he speaks.

"There's a terrible decision to make, though, I admit." Ted frowns. "You don't want to let yourself get caught, either. Can't help much if you're stuck. So what do we do? Go for nerve clusters under the arm? More groin work? Eye gouging? Anything you can. Bite their nose off. Anything."

Ted clenches a fist. "We can figure out a program for some judo, some boxing, some MMA-type integration, if you want a longer-term plan for goin' offensive with yer defense."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny nods, clearly a bit dismayed by the thought of deliberately hurting another person. "That sounds like a good idea... I saw this aikido demonstration once the way he just threw that guy around like it was nothing..."

Ted Grant has posed:
"That can work, too," Ted says. "The goal is to make the interaction as short as possible. Again, goin' with statistics--the longer you're fighting, the greater the chance that the other guy gets an attack in and hurts ya, or worse."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny nods again. "So keep it quick, take them down fast, keep moving... I think I can do that," she says, a bit more confidence back in her voice.

Ted Grant has posed:
Nodding in response, Ted returns to his boxing stance. "Alright. I'm gonna come at you. You've got one chance to slow me down to get by me in this 'hallway' we're in. Whatever it is, take the shot when you think it's best and then get past me."

"Ready?" he asks, and then he springs forward--with speed, but clearly telegraphed--with a right hook at Jenny's head.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny dodges the incoming punch by swaying backwards, letting the motion push her into a spin that turns into a leg sweep that would probably be a lot more effective if she hadn't closed the range. As it is she doesn't have quite enough force to knock Ted over unless he was already off balance and the impact kills her momentum, leaving her curled up on the ground at his feet.

    ".. Um. That worked better in my head, I think..."

Ted Grant has posed:
Ted winces at the contact but remains standing. He reaches down, extending an arm to Jenny. "It's okay. You gave it a try, just like we wanted. So, havin' done that, what do you think could've been done differently?"

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny considers this as she takes the hand and stands up smoothly. "... I got in too close. Didn't have enough speed for a sweep, and not enough momentum for a hard takedown. Plus, with the way you were standing I don't think I could have knocked you off your feet to begin with..."

    She thinks some more, running over the events in her head. "... Maybe I should've moved into your guard and kneed you in the groin while you were busy recovering from that punch."

Ted Grant has posed:
"That's not a bad idea," Ted confirms. "A knee in the right groin can topple a kingdom. Or somethin'." He smiles. "Also, if yer gonna commit to a strike ... you need to commit. Do you want to knock me down or not? Do you want to drive my groin up into my lungs? We wanna minimize contact time, but we also gotta make sure the shots yer takin' count."

Ted takes a deep breath. "We can work on that further next week, if ya want. I'll make sure ta pad up so you don't feel any weirdness about kickin' me down there."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Jenny nods, her ponytail bobbing up and down behind her. "That sounds like a good idea... Next week, then?"

Ted Grant has posed:
"Sure thing," Ted says with a grin. "I'll make sure not to close up shop too early next time, too. Glad you made it out here."

He reaches out for a handshake. "Until then, keep on practicin' and thinkin' about those angles of attack and movement. I think yer gonna do great. And, ah, you-know-who will probably think so, too."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    "Who?" Jenny asks with a very good attempt at a guileless look and almost enough hesitation to fool someone who wouldn't know what to look for. "Thanks for the lesson, mister Grant. See you next week!"