The Grind

That day at recess taught me a valuable lesson.

It was true that I was outnumbered in that fight, but that wasn't what bothered me.

I was spending days just casually lying about like a war wasn't coming in eight years.

A war that I was vastly unprepared for.

As I lay there, I tried to think about what I could have done. I spent that entire school day thinking about what I could have done.

I realized I didn't have much of an answer.

Then I thought about when the war starts, that I wouldn't stand a chance.

I didn't know how to defend myself, much less how to shoot a gun.

Plus I must have lost the instruction manual to my powers, cause I had no way of knowing how they worked.

Which is what lead me to my decision of hiring a martial instructor from the Shimada clan.

That being said, actually hiring one was easier said than done.

I failed to realize just how hard it was to come into contact with the group.

They ignored Sebastian's attempts to communicate.

I was reduced to searching the internet for possible third parties who could intercede for me.

It took some weeks, but I finally got a person who could talk to them on my behalf.

A meeting online with everyone's identities being anonymous was set up to negotiate with an apparent member of the Shimada clan who would hear me out.

I offered to pay them my monthly allowance for however long it took to train, but was cast down immediately.

Thinking that it wasn't enough, I offered 200 thousand a month, knowing that I could easily come by that amount of money if I needed to.

I was once again denied, leaving me slightly clueless as to how I could bargain for a teacher.

I racked my brain for something they could want that didn't deal with drugs.

I remembered that they also dealt with guns but I only knew how to develop omnics.

Then I remembered that they had their ninja omnics.

I offered to build a special unit of ninja omnics specifically for them, along with any requests they had for said units.

They agreed as long as I also paid 10 thousand a month as well to whoever they sent.

I agreed to the terms even though it seemed like I was at a disadvantage.

I found that I didn't really need my allowance as I receive proceeds from the prosthetic project since it was my idea.

They send me their requests for the oni omnics, and tell me that the instructor will be there within three months.

I recall how the oni omnic looks in the 'Twin Dragons' short and quickly drew some plans designing it.

I went all out in what they should do since this was the Shimada Clan and I didn't want to be on bad terms with them.

With Genji in mind, I made them able to walk imb, and deflect bullets, I also made them bullet proof from the waist up, and able to camouflage with their surroundings.

The problem was that not that many units could be produced as they were extremely expensive to make.

I added an important note not to manufacture more than the set amount listed and to delete the plans once finished to my team at Omnica Corporation.

I had no desire to be facing these omnics in the upcoming war, should the plans get leaked to Omniums.

While waiting for the instructor, I needed to try to figure out my powers.

So I take up the daily routine of waking up, going to school, coming home to exercise, then practicing training with my powers by attempting to summon any form of electricity.

Within two and a half months, thirty Oni Omnics were developed and sent to the Shimada clan. The day after they were confirmed to be sent, the instructor arrived in California early.

Me and Sebastian went to pick him up from the airport. We found him at the gate holding a sign that said Rose.

It was a tall man with short sleek black hair wearing a red dress shirt under a black suit and sunglasses.

The red dress shirt was unbuttoned enough that the signature Shimada dragon tattoo was exposed, telling me that he was actually a high ranking Shimada member.

From the lore, I only knew of Sojiro, Hanzo, who was just being born this year, and Genji, who hasn't been born yet.

As we approach him, he pulls his sunglasses down to the bridge of his nose as his eyes dart between the two of us.

In a laidback Asian accent, he says, "You have to be joking."

I smile at him, "I don't consider myself a comedian, Mr . Mamoru Shimada. Should I add it to my resume?"

He takes his sunglasses off, "No don't bother. You're more of a smartass."

"A charming smartass?" I ask?

He chuckles a bit, " Not at all. So I can assume that you're Shawn Rose, my student?"

"Do I call you Sensei?"

"I really hope you're a fast learner." He says while picking up his bags.

Sebastian stretches out a hand to offer to hold them for him, but he ignores him.

While in the car ride, I decided to make light conversation.

"I learned that Japanese names have meaning to them. What does yours mean?" I ask.

Turning towards me he asks, "How is it that you heard of the Shimada in the first place? I thought kids your age were only worried about what types of chicken nuggets they want to eat."

I turned towards him, "Would you believe me that if I said I looked up the best martial artist and Shimada came up as the top five?"

He smirks, "Your interesting kid. I'm actually struggling to tell if that's the truth or not."

"Thanks, I try my best."

We arrive at the mansion, and I give him a tour, and show him his room.

"It was an 11 hour flight so it's only fair that you get some rest today. We start tomorrow because I don't have any school."

He stands in the middle of his room and drops his bags while taking a look around.

"No, I think we'll start now." He says turning around to look at me.

"Uh ok. I'll go get dressed in something more..." I say a bit flustered as I wasn't expecting him to say this and he cut me off.

"You want to learn from a Shimada, you fight the Shimada way. We fight in whatever we are currently wearing, which usually is a suit." He explains.

I take him to the yard where I was exercising prior, as I loosen my tie as I don't know what to expect from him.

He walks a bit of a distance from me, then crosses his arms, "Alright, come at me. I want to see your form."

Knowing that I have no form that he speaks of and that I stand no chance, I do the only thing I can do.

I charge directly at him, with no plan whatsoever.

As I near him, I aim at his stomach since his face is too far from me.

My fist passes the space where he once was, and I notice that I am currently upside down in the air.

Landing heavily on my back takes the breath away from me.

"I know you're a six year old kid, but even that was pathetic. But at least I know that you know absolutely nothing about fighting."

I stand up, brushing off the dust from my clothes and await his instructions.

"First, you're going to have to learn how to properly punch and kick."

He balls his hand into a fist and shows me the proper way to throw a punch, and I look exactly like the Karate kid.

As the sun gets low, he turns to me, "I have some business to attend to while I'm here. I will be back before the next session."

I nod my head and continue to practice punching the air in front of me as he walks away.

Before he disappears, he walks back.

"I'm beginning to understand you less and less. I take it that you know what the Shimada clan does. And you're foolish enough to let someone like that just casually stay in your house. Let them come and go as they please? How are you so sure that I won't kill you and take the money that you plan to pay me with?" He asks.

I pause the punch I'm about to throw and look at him, "The Shimada that everyone knows thinks you're all about drugs and guns.

The Shimada I know are loyal and honor their word. I believe your leader said it like this. 'This is the lesson. This is the Shimada. We take care of our people, because they take care of us. When they are hungry, we feed them. When they are hurt, we heal them. And when their city is burning about them, we quench the flames. A leader must be responsible, or else he is nothing more than a parasite'."

My words leave us both in silence as the moon begins to rise and the crickets begin to chirp.

He turns around and puts his hands in his pockets, "Rotate your foot 15 degrees to the left." He says as he walks away.

As he turns the corner, I continue to throw punches into the night.