Airguns

Figuring out what kind of training I could do with the boy was harder than I thought it would be.

At first, I thought that I just needed to find a good place, and then we could fight against each other, one on one, with me going easy on him, obviously. I considered using airguns, because they are significantly less loud, and there was no risk of the boy being severely injured or killed. In that sort of mock-up battle, he would get to train to use his skills in practice, and I would get to further observe the organization's fighting style. And it could count as us spending some "quality time" together, bonding or whatever.

However, after giving it some thought, I realized that it was actually not such a good idea. After all, with the boy becoming my subordinate, from now on he would be fighting against gun-using organization members. There was no point in him learning how to fight against me. In fact, that was rather dangerous, in case he ever returned to the organization.

Of course, him understanding my fighting patterns would be advantageous when proving support for me, but it was still too early for that. Regardless of how good things were going between us, I still couldn't trust him.

Which meant that I needed to spare with him using guns.

But that was also problematic. I had absolutely no experience with guns. After all, why would I bother with them, when I could just use anything as a bullet on my own, with much higher speed and precision?

So before I could plan any training, I needed to learn to shoot.

I couldn't ask the boy for help though. I would never admit in front of him that there was something I wasn't able to do. And so, I joined a shooting range and started practicing.

It was always fun to try some new things, but it was… harder than I expected. Without breaking the reality laws, I hardly ever managed to hit the target.

It was a bit frustrating, but it made me even more determined to learn, and soon enough, I could see significant progress in my aim.

Just a bit more, and I would be ready to have the first mock-up battle with the boy without the risk of completely embarrassing myself.

***

I sat at the kitchen table with the boy, in the new apartment we just moved in, eating dinner.

"How has your training at the shooting range been going?" I asked the boy, interrupting the silence.

"Pretty well." The boy glanced at me with a smile. "I hardly ever miss the target."

My eyebrows twitched slightly, but I quickly fixed my expression, maintaining indifference. "Is that so? Then how about we have a little training together soon? One on one, in the park at night, or at an abandoned building?"

I had scouted several possible locations already, where we should be able to pull it off, at least for a short period of time. Of course, there was a risk we might get caught, but I had the escape routes prepared as well. If the police were to arrive at the scene, I would just grab the boy and run.

The boy paused eating and straightened up, his eyes filled with excitement. "Like a pretend fight?"

"Yeah." I reached for the tablet that was lying at the end of the table, unlocked the screen, and pushed it in front of the boy. "We will be using airsoft guns, to ensure that you won't get injured."

The boy glanced at the tablet screen. There was a website of an online airgun shop open in the browser.

"I don't know what guns you usually use, so pick whichever suit you most, don't mind the price." I didn't mind spending some money on his training. It's not like I had to work for it or anything.

The boy immediately started scrolling through the guns, completely forgetting about his dinner.

"Don't rush it," I interrupted him. "Take your time and read about the guns before you choose. You don't need to do it right now, just make sure to decide by the end of the week."

I still needed to look through all the accessories we might need. And I wasn't ready to fight with him yet anyway. I planned to have the first mock-up battle in around a month from now, so there was more than enough time for the guns to arrive. I only brought it up now so that he has enough time to prepare.

The boy nodded, but still remained with his eyes glued to the screen.

I shrugged my shoulders. If he wants his food to get cold, that's his problem.

Suddenly, the boy paused. "Seth, did you say we? Does that mean you will be using the airguns too?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh." The boy's face dropped. "I was hoping I would get to see you break the reality laws…"

"Why's that?" I asked with my eyes slightly narrowed.

"It's just way more interesting…" The boy said with clear disappointment in his voice.

I observed him carefully. He didn't seem to have any ulterior motives, but I still couldn't tell for sure.

I mean, he usually acted like a puppy, wagging his tail whenever I said anything remotely nice to him. But technically there was a chance that it was all an act, and he was trying to spy on me to provide as much information as possible to the organization upon his return. That's why I avoided showing off my skills too much in front of him.

I finished eating my dinner and got up. "You'll get to see it eventually. But this sort of training is far more beneficial to you, since you will be fighting against the organization in the future," I explained with a sigh. I didn't want him to know that I still have some doubts regarding his sincerity.

The boy nodded with understanding, quickly finished his food, and cleaned up the table. Then he returned to the tablet, to read a bit more about the airguns before getting ready for work.