#□Rookie Agent

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"Ah, I feel a lot lighter now," Kim Aeri sighs, stretching her arms while stepping off the slowing treadmill.

"That means you're ready" Hunter announces, taking quick strides towards her, wielding two long metallic staffs and handing a confused Aeri one before taking a few steps back leaving the teenager holding the smooth object as she cast his retreating figure a look overflowing with confusion.

"We'll be training with that today." he clears her unspoken question, tightly strapping on his fingerless, combat gloves.

"That's new," Aeri murmurs, observing the cold steel in her hand.

"Ever heard of Bojutsu?" Hunter quizzes, spinning the staff and striking an offensive pose.

"Yeah, Art of the Staff," Aeri replies, attentively mirroring his stance.

"There are situations when you won't have a weapon on you, in such cases, anything around you can be used to defend yourself, ranging from the sand on the ground and to a stick from a tree, just like this" Hunter displays, charging at his opponent with commendable speed.

Kim Aeri was quick minded to block the attack with her staff, pushing Hunter back.

"Nice defense," he praises. "Try fighting"

Hunter Lee attacked by swinging the rod for her head, and she ducked, trying to get a hit on his abdomen but was too slow when she felt cold steel resting on her neck

"Too slow, that's one point for me, first person to get to five." he smirks, quickly moving for a second hit.

This time, when he attacked, Aeri brought her staff in front of her face as it clashed with his, before he smartly lunged for a second strike, hitting the teenager at her side and obtaining a hiss from her.

"Always watch out for a second attack, two points," he lectures, swinging his rod again in her direction, leading her to counter and push back. Predicting his next attack, Aeri dropped to the padded floor on her back to get a quick hit on his right leg by extending her given staff.

"Fight smart, I took advantage of your height because I knew you wouldn't fight low, that's one point for me" Aeri cheers, patting her clothes and filled with the excitement of getting a hit while Hunter cast her a look of clear denial.

"What?" Aeri mocks, basking in her victory.

"I've always known you were short, but not in my widest dreams did I expect you to stoop so low to attack my legs," Hunter scoffs, slightly startled by a screech from his opponent.

"I am not short!"

"You sure about that?" He teases, gesturing to their obvious height difference by bringing his hand from his head to hover above hers.

"Y... You're just too tall, " Aeri stammers out in defense of her poor height.

"I'm 5'8, that's a normal height,"

"Besides, I got a point, that's what matters, not how I did, there aren't any rules stating not to take advan....." The rants of the 17 years old seized when she felt the weight of the Bo` on her clothed right shoulder.

"Three points for me, never get distracted, your concentration gets swayed easily by words, you would be dead now or really injured if I was the enemy," Hunter scolds, taking short steps back.

"I'm focused," Aeri groans in annoyance, her slim fingers tightening their grip around the weaponized rod.

"My momentary distraction was a result of your mockery on my perfectly normal height, and I'm pretty sure real rivals will never call me SHORT when fighting, so unless they do, I'm as focused as ever" she shuffles her left foot's grip on the firm floor pads, her booted right foot settling a few inches behind and positioned to lunge with her metal rod hanging right by her hip.

"Maybe I'll have to spread the news telling everyone to call you short and how you get distracted when ever it's mentioned to you, then you'll be distracted trying to explain to your enemy how exactly normal your height is during fi..." Hunter Lee's sentence was cut short by a grunt, his shocked eyes staring up at the teen who had managed to sneak not one but two hits.

"You're  one to talk about concentration, you would be dead now if I was the enemy, one hit on the shoulder and one on the neck" her lips curled up in a smirk, eyes swirling in a mischievous glint "we both know that's a vital point Hunter. Three points to me, " she sings, creating a safe space between them to avoid sudden attacks.

"That's a good one, taking advantage of me again," he chides, flexing his metallic rod.

"You make it sound like I'm some perverted pedophile." The offense was obvious in her complaint.

"Are you?" Hunter tilts his head in question, spinning and stamping his rod with a thud to the floor " Also, you do know those two words are meant to be used separately, it sounds too harsh when put in the same sentence".

"17 year olds are not pedophiles, and my sentence isn't harsh, pedophiles are perverts, and perverts can be pedophiles in disguise." she duly argued, swinging her rod to and fro between her left and right hands.

"There you go again using the age card," he sighs, resting his chin at the rod's cold tip.

"Well, what can I say, I am 17" Aeri spreads her arms in the emphasis of the age 17, leading Hunter to sigh, slowly closing the distance between them while swinging his rod for his opponent.

"Let's just get this done with."

Aeri was totally invested in countering the attacks. Focused enough to miss the smirk playing over Hunter's face when he attempted a last hit she maneuvered, granting him the opening to lower his staff and get a good hit on her stomach, sending her hurling backwards with the force it contained.

"Four points," he shrugs nonchalantly, ignoring the glare she aimed at him before lunging in an attack.

Her strikes were persistent, the aim at his chest countered by his staff locking hers in place. She retrieved hers, striking with a full forced hit, both staff clashing against each other with a loud clang and in the form of an X.

"I guess we're playing Xmen now," Aeri jokes, her onyx eyes trailing up the rod line and locking unto Hunter's dark brown orbs, a striking contrast to his natural blonde hair.

"You're undeniably strong," he commends, Aeri picking up on the cue to rain self- centered praises on herself.

"And smart, what can I say, I'm just good."

"And young , and yet you've gotten to this level as a trainee" his voice takes a husky and whispered tone as a seductive smirk danced on his lips " you know violence doesn't suit a pretty face like yours,"

"You're one to talk." Aeri plasters a forced smile. "Also, are you flirting?"

"Maybe," he whispers, leaning in till his face is mere inches away from hers.

"What's the smirk for?" she blinks.

"I'm just thinking about how far you'd go and all you'll achieve as an agent, you'd ace it,..."

A wave of pride swirled through her churning insides, crashing violently at his next words.

"...but for now, I'm still on a higher level,"

Aeri was a moment late at noticing his staff tilt out of the clash and swiftly move forward till its cold tip came into contact with skin, her forehead.

"Headshot," a toothy, victorious smile graced his cheeks as he took in her unmoving, shocked face.

"I think that's enough flirting for a day, you two." Both fighters broke apart, awkwardly shuffling about on hearing the deep voice at the door.

"Kim Aeri, I'll see you by the days end," Superior Kang boomed, immediately exiting the room and leaving two disoriented agents to themselves.

"Oo ohhh, you're in trouble," Hunter managed to let out, nervously massaging the back of his neck sighing.

"I guess that's enough warm up,"

"Warm up?" Aeri faced him.

"Yeah, Felix would be here later. You can run along now," his reply had her chirping, happily running out the training room's door.

"Time to bounce!!"

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