[48] Her Growth

Two Months Later. 

Inside a spacious training hall filled with various weapons and equipment, two people faced off against each other. 

The tension in the atmosphere was almost palpable as the two assumed fighting stances, gauging each other's movements with each passing second. 

Hot sweat trickled down Gwen's face, some of it stinging her eyes. Yet, the sweat and the rapid thumping of her heart felt inconsequential compared to the person she was sparring with—Joe.

Gwen's breath was slightly labored, but she tried to mitigate the tiredness by controlling her breathing rate. The lactic acid burning in her muscles only sharpened her focus. The enemy wouldn't go easy on her just because she was tired and needed a break. That was what Joe had taught her during the first lessons. She had to endure—to persevere—and surpass her limits. 

'Be like water, gentle and unhurried.' She recalled Joe's nonsensical words that made him look like a hundred-year-old sage. While the words were weird and seemingly old-fashioned, they had a self-hypnotizing effect to quell her inner agitation. 

'Damn, but my arms, knees, and legs are still aching from trying to inflict damage on his skin. This time I'll make sure to land a critical hit.' Gwen furrowed her brows in concentration as she slowly began to narrow the distance between them. She clenched both of her trembling hands and subtly gritted her teeth to offset the discomfort. 

Across the room, Joe calmly looked at Gwen. He didn't even have a drop of sweat on his body, and his breathing tempo was controlled. 

"It's commendable that you're still standing, student," Joe said, slight admiration and amusement showing in his sapphire eyes. 

Gwen didn't react to his soulless praises, staring impassively at him. After training with him for the past two months, she had already grown resistant to them. Conversations during a fight were also the ultimate weapons used in distracting your opponent if they're careless. During the first week of her training, she had suffered severely from Joe's venomous taunts. She had lamented the unfairness of it all as she had been nothing more than a martial arts greenhorn. Joe liked to play dirty and she learnt it the hard way. 

"Set those flames inside your heart ablaze. Round 2..." Joe casually motivated her, drawing some of his quotes from random animes. However, contrary to belief, Joe wasn't earnest in his motivation since...the next moment, he took a step. 

Gwen's eyes widened as she knew what came next. Joe's figure blurred, almost as if he had teleported, and appeared in front of her. She narrowed her eyes in concentration and reacted preemptively. Gwen instinctively exploded backward, away from Joe's lethal striking zone. 

But, before she could even take a breather, Joe lunged at her again. A sharp glint illuminated her pale blue eyes. Gwen efficiently sidestepped Joe's buffalo charge. He was big and powerful like an unchained monster so it wasn't wise to confront such simplistic, primal movements. 

Never fight an enemy using something that they are most proficient in. The words echoed in her heart as she deliberately aimed a deadly elbow at Joe's ribs who seemed off balance. Gwen could have opted to use his momentum against him, however, she had chosen to follow her instincts. 

To sweep Joe and throw him using Judo would make Gwen sacrifice her balance. Additionally, on the ground, she had come to understand no amount of submission techniques could tangle the beast known as Joe. 

An imperceptible, vague grin tugged the corners of her lips when she felt her elbow manage a clean hit on his ribs. However, suddenly, Joe spun around before she could retract her arm. He feinted a jab to which Gwen reacted with a defensive knee raise. 

But then it happened. 

Gwen suddenly felt her world go round and round. The next moment, her buttocks hit the wooden floor with a thud. 

'Again?' Gwen clenched her jaws in frustration before fisting the floor. 

"Stop being predictable. I can see all your intentions through your eyes. While you've improved in faking your movements, your eyes still remain a hindrance," Joe advised, his voice firm as he looked down at her. "Also, stop overanalyzing every little detail." 

"Remember, a fight isn't supposed to be fair. If you want to have enough time to contemplate which technique to use, then you should have extreme levels of situational awareness. You ain't at that level yet." 

Gwen nodded, letting the teachings flow into her mind. 

Joe sighed and extended a hand. Gwen arched a brow at his kind gesture. But the instant she grasped his hand, she yanked him down with all her strength. A momentary look of surprise flashed on Joe's face and before he knew it, Gwen's legs tightly locked his neck like a boa constrictor's grip. His entire arm got sandwiched between her soft thighs. Joe was surely caged. 

'Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu comes in handy at times like this,' Gwen smirked internally. She had finally taken her teacher by surprise. 

'From his expression, he hadn't expected me to pull a sudden 'uno reverse card' as he liked to term it.' 

"I wanted to ask you how you always manage to make me hit the ground, but...it seems there's no need since we're both on the ground now." Gwen flashed a diabolical grin. 

"Oi, don't you think it's too early to start being arrogant?" Joe quirked a brow, his face a few centimeters away from her flustered one. 

"What will you do?" Her eyes challenged him playfully. 

They silently looked at each other, their hearts seemingly beating in synchrony. Could they be fighting for dominance?

Joe lightly scoffed. "I guess... I would do fuckin' nothing." 

"W-What?" Gwen stammered, with an astonished expression on her face. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. 

"You heard me. I quite enjoy the warmth here. Now I can die without regrets," Joe shamelessly declared, even to the point of pretending to close his eyes—after all, he had already accepted his fate. 

It took Gwen a full minute to process this hubris. 

"What a perv!" She begrudgingly yelled at him, a blush tinting her cheeks red. Then, she hurriedly freed him from her death grip. 

Joe erupted in laughter as he lay beside her on the wooden floor.

"I'll make it a career if you continue calling me that." 

Gwen turned her head sideways to face him and whispered, "P.E.R.V." 

"Say it one more time," Joe warned jokingly, staring at Gwen.

"Pervert." 

"I'm not forgiving you." Joe immediately began targetting Gwen's weak points, tickling her until she surrendered. 

"Haha, o-okay... you're not a perv. Y-You are the greatest teacher on earth. Pweasee, I surrender!" Gwen's body shook with uncontrollable laughter, her eyes crinkling at the corners. Tears of mirth threatened to spill as she gasped for air between giggles.

Joe finally spared her, leaving her breathless, weak, and... sweaty. 

It was during moments like these that Gwen forgot about the traumatic events of the past. Whether she was fighting and training with Joe, or they were casually talking about nonsense during research sessions, being with him made her feel like a carefree bird. During those two months, she had suffered and wanted to give up on several occasions. However, Joe had been there to support her with tough love. When it came to training, Joe didn't go easy on her. He had been hard on her, and through those hardships, she had learned that the fights she might face wouldn't always go with her flow. 

The world was already a cruel place to live so shading some naivety along the line wasn't so bad. She had to evolve to fight the demons, and the fears and be the better version of herself. 

Gwen knew she couldn't always depend on Joe. She ultimately had to fight her own fights and survive. 

"Can I now be considered a graduate of your teachings, sensei?" Gwen curiously asked after putting her introspection aside. 

Joe didn't answer her at first and put his arms behind his head, comfortably raising it. 

"I've taught you everything you need for your survival. From the foundations of Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and instances of armed combat..." Joe responded in a reminiscent tone. 

"Of course, there's always more to learn, but what matters is having the basics to the tee. I taught you intending to make an all-rounded fighter capable of surviving in different scenarios." 

"You've shown exceptional improvement and grit throughout the training. As a teacher, I can't say I'm disappointed. You have fought several times against a superhuman. If you haven't already graduated, then what else? Did you want a certificate or something?" Joe gave her a sideway smile. 

Gwen blinked, feeling somehow proud of herself for surviving the hellish training. 

She smiled back at him. "Maybe you should consider processing one for me." 

"Do you want some beating?" Joe gazed at her seriously. 

Gwen paused and shook her head in defeat. 

"You are such a spoilsport, Joe," she complained in a low voice, the overhead lights reflecting in her pupils. 

"By the way, how's Pete's progress in researching the cure for Alzheimer's?" Gwen showed a contemplating face and finally asked. 

Joe sighed. "Nothing yet. But I chose him to be the head of R&D of our future pharmaceutical company for a reason. I know he will pull it off." 

"I'm amazed by your faith in him. You also believed in me when I failed to believe in myself," Gwen commented, her voice filled with emotions. 

"I have an eye for talent." 

"Can I ask you something off-topic? It's kinda stupid, but whatever." 

"Go on." 

"Can... Can you win against Spider-Man with your current strength?" 

Joe silently looked at the lights and smiled mysteriously. 

"He might bring me some trouble." 

"Would you lose then?" 

Joe chuckled softly. "Nah, I'd win." 

….

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[Word Count 1666]