#and has known the various people in bruce’s circle for TEN YEARS

[roobylavender]

also something else tangential not to that ask but to the tangent of that ask: it is a wonder why the people to whom bruce affords the most interiority whether by circumstance of knowing him for so long (alfred, leslie) or by his own rare willingness to relent (talia), are never really used to help bolster understanding between him and his children despite the fact that they are aware of things the children aren’t. with alfred i think it owes to lack of consistency in his role from one writer to the next; sometimes he’s merely there for the occasional comedic quip, sometimes he has genuine commentary on bruce’s lifestyle and care for the children, other times he hardly exists as anything more than a prop who could just as easily be removed without any impact at all. talia is obv villainized before she has the chance to interact with any of bruce’s children in a truly constructive capacity. and then there’s leslie. i’m really curious why leslie (at least prior to war games) hasn’t been used more in this capacity. not that it’s the sole thing she should exist for but i think she offers a unique perspective in that while she does condemn vigilantism, she also understands where bruce is coming from and that his intentions are good, if misguided. so why is that never capitalized on to allow her to communicate with, if anyone at all, dick? i have far too many spiels on here about the leslie and jason potential but it’s really baffling to me there’s not a more significant rapport between her and dick considering the fact that year two and full circle establish her as having been a significant witness to dick entering bruce’s life. she was witness to him being partner to bruce for roughly a decade. how would that not result in some sort of relationship between them, and why wasn’t that ever used to provide a bridge to understanding bruce via the lenses of two very different people?

[athenasbloodyspear]

The Viper: Chapter One

What happens when an agent of the Red Room falls into  the hands of Hydra? What happens when Hydra puts out a hit on their  favorite assassin? Who is the mysterious woman with a twisted history  and an even more twisted mind?

The team wants to know. They want to know what you know. Nat and Bucky want to know if there’s any light left in you.

They want to know you.

Bucky x Female Reader

The Viper Master List | My Writing Master List

The sounds of car horns are loud around you. The blaring, beeping and  bustle of pedestrians creating layers and layers of sound. You’re  trained well enough to sift through the sounds, listening to pieces of  conversation and various sounds of your environment to orient yourself.

You can feel the smallest shift of every person who’s moving in the  space around you. Your senses are so focused you can practically hear  the blood rushing through the people closest to you. Your prey is about a  block up, completely oblivious to where you followed.

The streets around you were loud and the sounds were strong, but nothing could keep your focus off your mission.

Underneath your hood and the rim of your baseball hat, your face was  hidden in shadow. If anyone would have seen or marked it, they would  have seen the wicked gleam of a grin.

--

“What’s got you all in a tizzy, Tony?” Nat asks from Bucky’s right.  The whole team was gathered around a conference table in Avengers tower  looking kinda bored. Tony had called everyone here this morning, much to  everyone’s chagrin because he had promised a week off and then  apparently changed his mind a mere three days later.

Bucky sighed and rolled his shoulders, leaning back in the office  chair he currently sat in, lifting the two front feet off the floor. All  he really wanted was to go back downstairs and into the city with Nat  and finish looking for a birthday gift for Steve. That’s what they were  doing this morning before they were quickly called back to the tower.  He’d procrastinated too long and really had zero idea of what to get the  man.

“I’m confused about something and I don’t like being confused.” Tony retorted.

“Oooo” Sam piped up from across the table. “The great Tony Stark  admits to not knowing something. I’m surprised there isn’t steam coming  out of those ears.”

Bucky smirks at his friend. God he loved Sam and his remarks. He  would say something similar, but his relationship with Tony still wasn’t  perfect and he didn’t want to push his luck at the moment.

“What is so confusing, Iron Man? Don’t know what to get Pepper for  your anniversary? Or did you say something stupid again and your giant  brain can’t figure out exactly which asshole statement pushed her over  the edge this time?” Nat chimed in with a mocking smirk.

Tony pointed a single finger at Nat. “I have had our anniversary  present for two months already and I’m actually getting better at  figuring out which one of my snarky comments goes too far, just so you  know.” He sighs and presses a few buttons on the large screen under the  glass conference table, whipping up a bundle of information to appear on  the screen behind him. “What I’m confused about is why Hydra put out a  public hit on one of their top agents.”

At that, Bucky’s chair drops back to all four legs abruptly. The  confusing piece of information startled him into finally giving his full  attention to the conversation. His heart rate picked up a bit.

“They did  what ?” Steve asks from the end of the conference table opposite Tony, voicing the question on all their minds.

“This morning Hydra posted a bounty on a known dark web forum. It’s  not unheard of for them to post some of their lower enemies on this  anonymously for unaffiliated assassins and bounty hunters to take down.  What’s different this time is they made it very clear that  Hydra  was posting.” He whipped up what looked eerily similar to a reddit post up on the screen. “And what makes even  less sense is I know for a fact that the person they called a hit on has been their little secret weapon for over ten years.”

Bucky scanned the post up on the screen. Sure enough, it said that  Hydra had a hit out on a well known assassin and was offering 50 million  along with diplomatic immunity in a country of their choosing for the  head of the operative.

“Who’s the target?” Nat murmured.

“So, this is the fun part. Especially for you two.” Tony continued, pointing at Nat and Bucky.

“What?” Bucky grumbled. Fun for him? What the hell? What could  possibly be in Tony’s twisted brain to think anything to do with Hydra  would be  fun for him?

“Here’s the mark.” Tony pulled up a blurry photo of a figure wrapped  in muted colors clearly captured on some sort of security camera  somewhere on a bustling street. If Bucky was tracking the cobblestones  and architecture of the buildings correctly he’d guess it was taken  somewhere in Cairo.

“Is that the best fucking picture you can get us, Stark? You can  barely see their face.” Sam quipped, leaning forward in his seat to  squint at the screen.

“This is the clearest photo of her face, yes.”

“Her?” Nat snapped, popping her eyes to Tony.

“Yes. Her.  The Viper .” He smirked back at Nat. Bucky heard a quick intake of breath from his right. Nat.

“No…” She whispered, and trailed off.

“Oh yes, Natasha. Oh yes.” Tony flicked his fingers across the table  again and all the known stats on the Viper pulled up on the screen.  “This is where the fun begins for us. This is what we know about the  Viper. She was “found” at a young age somewhere in middle America. It’s a  little unclear where, but from where I tracked it must have been  somewhere in the Midwest.”

“They stole a kid from Wisconsin? Why would Hydra bother when they  had their fingers in so many other countries?” This was from Steve.

“It wasn’t Hydra…” Nat murmured.

“ What? ” Bucky piped up again. He felt like his brain was  spinning. A top Hydra assassin? Did he know her? He would have to spiral  into his memory to find out if he ever met this Viper…

“It was the Red Room.” Nat whispered then. Her eyes staring directly at the table.

“Yes indeed!” Tony quipped. “Remind me Nat, were you still there when  they dragged in the little girl kicking and screaming or not?”

“Tony!” Steve seethed from his end of the table.

“I wasn’t living there anymore, no. I had just graduated. She was a  couple years younger than me. They said she caused quite a nuisance  during the assassination of a target. Instead of killing her they decided  to bring her back. I saw her maybe twice. They had always referred to  her as the snake. She was less refined than the other girls, she started  her training a little too old, but she was… desperate to make up the  difference.” Nat shuddered a bit then and Bucky felt compelled to reach  out and place a hand on her shoulder. “She reminded me of… me.”

There was a small moment of pause before Tony started again. “So our  little snake graduated from The Red Room and spent a few years as an  agent for them before falling in with our buddies at Hydra.” Tony looked  at Bucky then, “Where she was trained and conditioned to fill a missing  position in their ranks after they unfortunately lost control of a very  important  asset. ”

“You’re a prick Tony.” Steve muttered, his eyes falling on Bucky.  Bucky waved him off. He was fine, really. He’d started making peace with  his history when he was on Wakanda and though he still had a long way  to go, he wasn’t going to fall to pieces at the mere mention of the  Winter Soldier.

“You’re telling me that they…” He trailed off, his mind spinning in  circles. This poor woman he didn’t even know subjected to what he went  through, simply because he had left. He knew it wasn’t his fault, but he  still felt responsible that someone else had to fill a hole he had  created.

“Yes they trained this little spitfire to be their top assassin and  she has been in their top ranks since about 2010, only stepping into the  role of top assassin after the events in 2016 finally severed you  completely from the organization. She’s been racking up kills ever  since. Much like you my dear metal armed friend, she’s nearly impossible  to catch on camera, let alone see with your own eyes.”

From the corner of the room, where he sat in a chair separate from  the table, Bruce finally spoke. “I always thought The Viper was a  myth.”

“Yeah and you thought the Winter Soldier was a myth. Hell I always  thought Thor and Loki were just some folklore.” Sam remarked. “I believe  almost everything nowadays.”

“Wait so, this woman was a trained Red Room assassin, then a top  Hydra operative and now they’re asking the internet to kill her? Why  didn’t they just take care of her themselves? Surely they had her locked  up or brainwashed somehow.” Bruce said.

“You guys are seriously just assholes sometimes.” Steve murmurs.

“I’m fine, Steve.” Bucky says. “It’s a valid question. Even when they  wanted me eliminated, they only worked with people inside.”

“Exactly.” Tony said. “My theory is, they want us to know that they  want her dead. In fact, my more specific theory is that this is bait in  order to get us to hunt and eliminate her. I want to know why.”

“She must have slipped away from them.” Nat said then. “Even if no  average internet bounty hunter could ever touch her, surely they’d at  least keep her a little busy. Busy enough that we might be able to get a  jump on her. She must know something.”

“Exactly. What does she know? And why don’t they want her to utilize whatever information she knows?”

“So we’re going to find her then.” Steve said. “What if this is a  trap? Specifically set up to intrigue us into bringing their very own  top operative into our facilities.”

“It could be.” Nat responded. “But it seems a little weird to send a  bunch of people they don’t control after her unless they genuinely  didn’t care about what happened to her. It seems unlikely she’s still an  asset to them if they’re willing to risk her actually being caught off  guard, no matter how unlikely that is.”  

“See, this is what I meant by being confused.” Tony quips then,  heading for the door. “I’ve sent everything I know about the woman to  each of you. Study it. See what conclusions you come to on your own.  We’ll reconvene here tonight to discuss an action plan.”

--

You sat in a corner booth at a tiny cafe, facing the door. There was a  swinging door into the kitchen to your left, which led to three back  exits. Directly in front of you was the only door facing a main street.  The whole front of the coffee shop was glass, giving you a clear view of  the two targets you’d been tracking all morning, who had stopped to  grab breakfast at a restaurant across the street.

You were twirling a long since lukewarm cup of coffee in your hands,  your eyes flicking back and forth between your marks and the swinging  kitchen door at your shoulder.

You watched as your marks both stretched and stood up. The woman hailed a cab. They seemed disgruntled.

 Interesting.  

While the woman tried to snag the attention of a cabbie, you threw a  few crumpled bills on the counter of your table and slipped through the  swinging kitchen door. There were a few shouts of alarm as a stranger  wandered into the bustling diner kitchen, but you quickly weaved through  the crowded kitchen and out a back door. You jumped on the sleek black  Kawasaki bike you’d stashed behind a dumpster in an alley.

You pushed the bike out and around the corner before turning it on,  waiting to confirm that they had both piled into a cab. You revved the  engine and punched the accelerator, weaving quickly   between the piled  up traffic, causing lots of horn honking and a few near rear-end  accidents.

Your heart was hammering in your chest, the adrenaline coursing through your veins as you tore after that cab.

The grin still plastered on your face.

--

Bucky’s head was reeling as he read through the intel, albeit a small amount, that Tony had managed to dig up.

There were a total of 3 videos captured on a security camera of the Viper on a job. He watched them all multiple times.

The Viper was ruthless and unnervingly calm. It reminded him of  himself, what he saw in the footage of the Winter Soldier. It made the  bile in his stomach churn. He knew that feeling of uncontrollable calm  very well and it made him break out in a cold sweat.

The first video showed her walking calmly up to a high security  warehouse, putting bullets between the brows of every operative in  sight, barely even looking in their direction before pulling the  trigger. She walked directly with purpose toward the door that was  clearly her mission. Once every operative in view of the camera had  fallen she reached for the door handle. Before she slipped inside, she  lifted her pistol without looking and fired one round into the camera,  cutting the feed. With the hood on her jacket, there was no clear  footage of her face. Bucky wondered how they were even sure it was her.  Her murderous calm must have been enough evidence.

The second was a terribly grainy video taken in some basement  somewhere. There was someone strapped to a chair and he watched as the  Vipers fists slammed into the man repeatedly. A choppy, distorted, and  heavily accented voice spoke about 40 seconds in. “Good, Viper. You may  play now. Make sure there’s something left of him to interview  tomorrow.” Bucky flinched as he saw the woman stride toward a table,  likely filled with instruments of torture. The man strapped to the chair  began to scream, pleading in Russian that he’d say anything they wanted  him to. He heard a low woman’s voice come through the video, murmuring  “Too late.”

The third was a more recent video according to the time stamp. It was  less than six months ago off a security cam in Maracaibo. It was about a  9 second video, just watching the woman cross a bustling street in  Venezuela. Bucky remembered that some hot shot Hydra agent had been  found dead in Venezuela this year. Could it have been the Viper taking  down one of their own? Is that why they were mad?

There were about 5 other attachments of images. The only photographs  that Friday could find of this enigma apparently. 4 were blurry security  camera footage from various places. The one Tony had shown this morning  was truly the only one that even sort of showed the woman’s face. Well,  except the 5th.

The 5th made Bucky even more sick than the footage of brutal  violence. It was a Polaroid image of what appeared to be a 16 or 17 year  old girl in ballet clothes, standing in the middle of what he assumed  was a dance studio. It would have been normal, a young woman after a  dance class, if it wasn’t for the red blood splattered up her pink  tights, dripping off her knuckles and smeared on her jaw. The subject  wasn’t looking at the camera, but rather seemed to be standing at  attention with her focus to the right of the photographer. Written in  sloppy Russian at the bottom corner of the Polaroid was “Option 4.”

What does that mean?  Bucky thought to himself.  Option for what?  

It made him sick staring at that photo. If the blood wasn’t there, it  would just look like a young woman preparing for a ballet class, or  perhaps being photographed so a costume designer could see her figure  while they created dazzling outfits for a production. It was so wrong  for someone so young, whose face was filled with innocence, to be  covered in blood. He felt so protective over her, this young woman he  didn’t even know. This young woman who he knew grew up to be a murderer  with a kill list almost as long as his.

He knew, looking at that photo, that this woman had never wanted  this. He didn’t know how he got such a gut reaction to the image, but he  saw himself in it. A young person who was given the worst hand of cards  to ever be dealt, and was simply trying to stay alive. He stared at her  thin frame, the hollow look in her eyes and nearly wept.

He needed to find her. He needed it more than he’d needed anything in  a long time. He needed to find out how far she had fallen from this  image, and if he could pull her back.

He needed to do it, because he’d always be grateful that someone did it for him.

--

Your marks had gone into the tall skyscraper a few hours ago. You  were too antsy to sit around and wait to see if they’d venture back out  into the city.

You prowled the sidewalk like a caged animal. Tracing patterns through the busiest blocks. Keeping track of nearby cameras.

Everything smelled like garbage and piss. You hated it. You loved it. It was such an easy city to get lost in.

An even easier city to be found in.

--

When Bucky finally dragged himself back to the conference room that  evening, he felt like a wreck. He had worked himself up considerably  throughout the afternoon. He was antsy and apprehensive.

He really didn’t know what was wrong with him. It was just some random assassin, why was he so worked up?

Steve noticed his touchy mood as soon as he walked in and raised an eyebrow at him.

“I’m fine.” Bucky grumbled. “Just want to figure this out. It’s bothering me for some reason.”

“Maybe because it’s a little too personal, Buck.” Steve said quietly.

“Yeah maybe.” Bucky coughed out. His chest felt tight with someone who knew him so well staring at him like this.

Before Steve could rib Bucky more, Tony sauntered into the room with  Nat behind him. “So what’s everyone’s thoughts on our little snake in  the grass?”

“I think the woman is damn fucking scary.” Sam piped up from the same  chair he’d been in this morning. “And really good at her job. Reminds  me of robocop over there a little too much if you know what I mean.”

“That’s what I find so interesting.” Steve says. “Because obviously  we know that Bucky wanted out, and was not the person that the camera  showed. I wanna know what’s really going on in her brain.”

“Banner, question for you, if we managed to set a little trap for our  snake and actually got her in here, would you be able to scan her brain  and see how much of it was under her actual control?” Tony said as he  dropped into a chair at the head of the table.

Banner responded from where he sat in his normal chair in the corner.  “I could compare a brain scan to early scans of Barnes’s brain. See how  similar they look. Then compare to his post-Wakanda scans. In a sense,  yes. But the brain is complicated as you know.”

“Can’t we just talk to her?” Bucky pipes up. “I mean, if it makes you  feel more comfortable to hook her up to a lie detector whatever, but I  just… I know what they do to people there and let me tell you there’s no  way she’s in control.”

“What makes you so sure?” Tony questions. “I mean, I was wrong about  you. I’ll admit that. I’m a bigger man now. But not everyone is Cap's  former BFF brought back from the dead with a heart of gold trapped in a  twisted hydra web. She could have gone willingly. In fact, I have a hard  time believing that a Red Room agent was accidentally captured by  Hydra. What if she went to them willingly?”  

“But then why did she leave?” Natasha counters. “Who’s to say that  she ended up in all this willingly. I don’t know the whole story of how  the Red Room got her, but it’s rare that people join without coercion.  There’s more to this story, I can feel it.”

“Me too.” Bucky whispered. There had to be so much more to that 17 year old girl than a brutal murderer.

“Nat, can you explain this image to me?” Tony says, pulling up the  very polaroid that was going to haunt Bucky for weeks. “This looks like a  pretty willing agent to me.”

Bucky cringed at Tony’s short sighted assessment. Sure, the subject looked relaxed but that didn’t mean willing. Nat sneered.

“Well Tony, when every week your instructors challenge two students  to spar and the loser is killed however the classmate prefers, you too  would willingly fight back, to the death if necessary.”

Steve flinched, and looked at Nat with eyes full of grief. “They made you kill each other?”

“Kept us from attaching to each other.” Nat said simply.

Steve just shook his head, placing his face in his palms. This was  one of the reasons Bucky and Nat had gotten along pretty quickly. They’d  come to terms with their trauma, and the others sometimes had a hard  time brushing past the torture that the two of them had simply moved on  from.

“Touche.” Tony shrugged. “So why does this image say option 4?”

“That I don’t know.” Nat sighs. “No photos were ever allowed to be  taken of us, but the fact that this was clearly taken by an instructor  confuses me.”

“So we have no answers.” Sam quips. “Do I need to go stand on the  street with a sign that says “Viper take a crack at me” so we can maybe  get a glimpse of her? I’m only doing it if I can wear the suit Tony.”

“That’s the thing, there have been no sightings of the woman for  years, and the one tiny glimpse in that surveillance shot from Venezuela  6 months ago was a blip. There was no record of anyone matching that  description entering or leaving that country or any near it. We have no  idea where she is.” Tony muttered. “I have Friday combing every single  camera we can get access to, and hacking into those we don’t. The tip  line on that forum is blank. No one seems to have seen her.”

There was silence for a moment, as everyone sunk into their own minds. Letting the gears turn.

“Mr. Stark.” Friday’s voice came lilting out of the ceiling. “I have a hit.”

Everyone jumped a bit, leaning forward in their seats.

“Put it on the screen.” Tony snapped. Suddenly the whole blank wall  of the room was filled with various camera angles showing crowds of  people wandering on the sidewalk. In the middle of a cluster of  pedestrians was a figure draped in black, a baseball hat on their head  and a hood pulled up over it. As the person moves, the different  security camera’s flip past on the screen, keeping up with their  movement.

Instantly, Bucky’s blood ran cold.

“Where is this?” Sam whispers.

“Queens.” Bucky, Steve and Tony answer in unison.

“Very close to Parker’s apartment…” Tony whispers.

“It’s empty.” Steve mentions. “Happy and May are on vacation and Peter is staying with his friend. That Ned kid.”

“I know.” Tony says. “Doesn’t mean I like her being around the corner from his place regardless.”

The room goes quiet for a few moments as they all watch the Vipers  progress through the streets of Queens. She never picks up her head,  seeming to be watching the sidewalk in front of her. She slips easily  between groups of people, never bumping into anyone even though she  doesn’t seem to be looking at anyone.

“What are we doing?” Sam says then. “We know exactly where she is. She’s so close. Let’s go suit up.”

“There’s no way she’s here by accident.” Nat says quietly. “It’s like she wants us to find her…”

“Another layer of intrigue.” Tony snarks.

“She wouldn’t be stupid enough to show up in this city unless she  actually wants us to find her.” Nat continues. “Either they sent her  here as a trap and finally had her look into a security camera long  enough for us to track her, or she’s doing this on her own. Either way, I  don’t understand the motive.”

There’s another moment of silence as they all watch the cameras track the target.

Abruptly, the Viper stops in the middle of the sidewalk. The  pedestrians continue to flow around her, many seem to be grumbling and  some throw rude gestures in her direction.

There’s now only a single security camera in the area able to capture her image, she stands right in the center of the frame.

“What is she doing?” Steve whispers.

Through the grainy camera footage, the whole team watches as it looks  almost like her shoulders shake slightly. She seems to be looking at  her feet.

No one breathes as the woman in the center of the video lifts her  head slowly. Her eyes land directly on the lens, as if she’s peering  straight through the shitty security camera and into Avengers tower.

There’s a huge grin on her face.

Then, from the pocket of her hoodie, she pulls a pistol and calmly points the barrel at the camera.

The last thing the camera sees in her head dropping back as she begins to cackle. Then she pulls the trigger, ending the feed.

“Holy shit.” Sam whispers.

Bucky is speechless. His heart is pounding in his chest. He felt like  her eyes seared through the camera and right into his chest. He can  barely breathe.

“Friday, show us the other cameras in the area.” Tony barks.

Friday pulls up tons of camera angles of the street the Viper was  just standing on. The crowds are screaming, attempting to run away from  the spot that the Viper had clearly just been standing. However, there  are no further gun shots and no one looks injured.

“What the  hell? ” Bucky says under his breath. She just shot out a camera in the middle of a busy street in Queens? For what?

“Are there any figures matching her description on any of these feeds?” Tony snaps again.

“No sir.” Friday replies. “I’ve scanned every camera in the borough and I can’t see her on any of them.”

Everyone sits in shocked silence as the security footage continues to  roll. The NYPD show up, helping to calm the pedestrians. They watch  quietly as they start to tape off the area. Everyone knows however that  if no one was hurt, it’s unlikely that the cops will pursue the incident  further. They have much bigger fish to fry in this town.

“Well goddamn.” Sam finally breaks the silence. “That was quite a little performance.”

“She really wants us to find her then.” Nat mutters.

Around the room everyone mutters their agreement.

Bucky finds his voice finally.

“So let’s find her.”

--

There’s unending adrenaline in you now. It was reckless you knew  that. It was also so obvious what game you were playing with them at  this point, but you didn’t care.

They clearly weren’t going to make a move, so you had to play your hand first.

For better or worse, it was their move now.

[bigskydreaming]

Ive been reading some debates on whether or not Dick has LoA training because of the Vengeance Academy stuff and was wondering what you thought about that. Do you think this counts?

Yes and no? I mean, lol, it depends on your purposes for exploring this train of thought.

Thing is, I personally think it would be a mistake to view “League of Assassin training” as some complete singular thing that you either have or you don’t have, like a specific training regimen or course work for lack of a better analogy, that you either make it to the end of and have in its entirety, or else it doesn’t matter.

And I also think that part of the reason for viewing it this way is fandom’s tendency to try and rank the Batkids, according to a lot of various arbitrary variables like skillsets they do or don’t have.....which, if you’ve followed me long enough, you know is something I heavily disagree with, the trying to rank them in skills or competency in general.....as I tend to be more interested in ways this found family that I do ultimately gravitate towards for their ability or potential to be actual FAMILY, can like.....work together and come together rather than so constantly be pitted against each other. Like yeah, I’ll rant to Kingdom Come about times they’ve been pitted against each other in terms of my feelings on those specific instances or how the dynamics played out in them, but that’s in terms of scenes or stories that already exist....for the most part my thing is not really looking to INCREASE the divide between the characters, but rather the opposite.

So like......my point here is I’ve mentioned the League of Assassin training Dick likely has from his time at Vengeance Academy myself, but not in the interest of like......adding to his ‘rankings’ within the Batfam or being like anything the others can do he can do better, as frankly, I don’t think the time Dick spent at VA puts the training he got there as directly comparable to the time Damian or Jason or Cass spent with the League or League trained tutors....but that’s not really my aim in exploring that line of thought. Rather, I look at what League training Dick might have as being more a possible source of insight into experiences his siblings have.

After all, the thing about the League of Assassins is they’re very good at what they do, but what they do isn’t inherently all that different from any of the other hand-to-hand combatants throughout the DC Earth. I mean, depending on what continuity you go with, in most of them Bruce himself trained with the League or various League affiliated teachers before he came back to Gotham to be Batman, and he just sorta took what worked for him and put aside all the more lethal applications of their training and knowledge. But his own training methods when teaching Dick and the other Robins and Batgirls no doubt included more than a little overlap with League skills and training, because not all of their knowledge and expertise is STRICTLY lethal....as Bruce himself has shown, and later on Jason and Cass and Damian....most of what they can do can just as easily be repurposed for non-lethal combat. So in a lot of ways, depending on your interpretation of things and what angle you’re going with, all the Batkids can be said to have some degree of League training.....the same training Bruce himself had.

So when I talk about Dick having League training from his time at VA, Ilike I said, I’m talking more about insight, things he could glean from having firsthand knowledge not just to various League techniques or skills, but also League training methodologies and mindsets. Dick was only there a few weeks, at most maybe a couple months, and the thing is....you can pack a LOT into fairly short term experiences. That’s what boot camps are, essentially, and that’s how I viewed VA....a short term but extremely rigorous and intensive boot camp for prospective League recruits, as Shrike used it to put potential League candidates through their paces with little regard for their health or longterm prospects if they couldn’t make the cut. I called them prospective League recruits but its important that the kids weren’t recruited into VA itself first....they were literally kidnapped off the streets like Dick himself, and forced to prove themselves daily in their training and the missions Shrike set up to advance that. And all of that can be extremely motivating and act as a pressure cooker that packs a ton of training and skill acquisition into very short periods of time......BUT.....that’s not ever going to measure up to all of that being equally in place and acting as a pressure cooker when training Jason, Cass, Damian, etc over even LONGER periods of time, y’know?

BUT. Equally true is all of that is never going to measure up directly to the still extremely intensive and longterm training Dick himself received OUTSIDE of VA....just one on one with Bruce, training with the other Titans, hell, this is a guy who was an acrobat on the world stage before his parents died. Every day of his life he’s been training intensely. VA isn’t just a footnote compared to the lengthier League training some of Dick’s siblings underwent, its a footnote in the overall tapestry of Dick’s own training. And I have extreme reservations about the way League training is referred to as something various Batfam members have in addition to or on top of their other training as reasons for why they’re an even better fighter, etc....same as when Talon training comes up for Dick in AUs....when like......Bruce, Dick and the Batfam overall have never NOT ultimately defeated the League and the Court of Owls every time they come up against them.....so why does assassin training so often get regarded as this ‘leg up’ over the Batfam’s primarily non-lethal approach to combat, as though its a superior skillset? If its inherently superior, why do the assassins keep losing to the Batfam, I’m just saying. So on that front, the idea that “was trained by assassins” is innately translatable to higher elevations in the eternal quest to rank the Batkids, like.....just does not work for me and that specifically tends to be where people lose me here, not whether or not Dick has this training at all in the first place.

Another way to look at things here is like....let’s take one specific skillset: Dick’s use of escrima sticks in his fighting. Now, this DIRECTLY hails back to his time at Vengeance Academy. It was a literal plot point, that VA is where Dick first trained with escrima sticks and discovered an affinity for them. Once he was back with Bruce though, he didn’t do much further with this while Robin, but upon becoming Nightwing, he picked them up again and RENEWED his training with escrima sticks, becoming extremely proficient with them and making them his signature weapon. 

Now, is Dick’s status as one of the best fighters with this particular weapon because of his several weeks boot camp when he was ten? Again - it just depends on what you mean by that specifically. If you’re asking did he gain the proficiency he’s known for with that weapon AS a ten year old during that short span of weeks - hell no. His proficiency comes from the intensive, regular training he does with them here and now, as an adult, over a course of years, still constantly growing and improving day by day. BUT at the same time, you can ask the same question and examine it through the lens of “would he have ever discovered and explored and FURTHERED his affinity with this particular weapon if not for his time training at VA”.....the answer could still very well be no. Thus his training there matters, its just its not the only thing that matters, and the context and qualifiers that go not just with this question but the reasons for asking that question and the purposes you intend for the answer.....all of that matters too.

So to circle back.......do I consider Dick’s time at Vengeance Academy to be him having League of Assassin training?

Yes, but I must specify that my reasoning for that, and for exploring that line of thought, have absolutely nothing to do with my view of Dick’s overall status as a fighter, and everything to do with my view of him as a brother.

I think Vengeance Academy was tough and brutal, and did a lot to increase and hone Dick’s skills in various areas over an extremely short period of time. I think that it absolutely left an impression that shaped his training and fighting in later years whether in terms of preferred weapon choices or even choices he makes in the heat of the moment, like Last Laugh (which I think absolutely built upon Dick’s feelings about having once stood over a similarly unrepentant and mocking Two-Face years earlier, gun in hand, poised to make a choice.....as well as Dick’s awareness of how many times Two-Face, like the Joker, has busted out of jail and hurt and killed more people since that time).

But I also think that Dick would still be one of the foremost fighters in the DCU even without his time at VA, and that his short time there is not anywhere close to being the reason he’s at the heights of skill and aptitude that he’s reached over the course of years and years of rigorous, intensive training.

So while my answer remains yes, he has League training and it matters and counts, my reasons for bringing that up will never be because I think it adds to his status or reputation as a fighter, or is necessary for him to be as highly regarded there as he is.....but more for what his time at VA, his firsthand experiences with their approaches to training, the methodologies and ideologies they train kids with, what all of that gives Dick in terms of insight to members of the League, and to those people League members have trained, like his siblings.

One thing I’ve long wanted to see fandom explore more in the context of Jason’s views on killing is the fact that so much of that was shaped while he was in the pressure cooker of being freshly resurrected, traumatized, still an impressionable teenager, with feelings of obligation towards the League for the Pit’s rejuvenation of his mental faculties, taking him in and training him, and like......feeling isolated and abandoned by everyone else who’d previously known and loved him, thinking that he had no one who really cared about him, and that not only was he dependent on the League for his survival at that time, but like, he owed them and he was that much more open to being persuaded of their way of looking at things. 

And thing is, in terms of like, scale and shit, Dick’s experiences in Robin: Year One and his own mindset at the time and how vulnerable he was mentally and emotionally, they’re not the equivalent of what Jason was going through but like I’m always saying, when you stop looking at trauma in terms of arbitrary rankings and stop pitting what the various Batkids have been through against each other’s experiences and just like......look for potential common ground, this opens up SO MUCH potential bonding, insight and understanding between the brothers and positions Dick to be so much more capable of intuiting even a sense of what Jason went through at the time and why he was clinging so desperately to things he may or may not have actually believed in (at least so strongly) if circumstances had been different, etc....but you get what I mean, I think. There’s so much that can be done with this angle, that’s opened up entirely just by virtue of Dick having SOME shared experiences here.

Because while like I said, in terms of actual training, Bruce has a lot of the same skillsets and knowledge the League does, and his own history with them, its the MINDSET that’s so key here. The one thing that sets Bruce and his experiences when he was a young man with the League and League affiliates apart from Jason, Damian, Cass, etc.....is that Bruce went looking for training, and never was without resources or options. The League-trained Batkids though were either approached (or ‘approached’) by the League at key low points of extreme vulnerability in their formative years, when they HAD no other options (or felt they didn’t) or else were just outright raised by them like Damian or Cass, with no knowledge of anything else until they left or escaped. And that puts everything through an entirely different filter, because its that specific element of vulnerability, of having no one else to turn to or anything else to cling to or put your faith in, that renders you particularly vulnerable to being influenced or exploited by those who seem to hold all the cards there.....and its a shared insight that Dick can have into various of his siblings BECAUSE of his League of Assassins training, as short as that might have been, because of the specifics of why it was so intense and influential despite how short a time it was.

So. In conclusion: 

Does Dick have League training because of his time at VA? My answer is yes, but not if the follow up is anything in the vein of “and how does this factor into which of his siblings he can or can’t beat while sparring.” In that case my answer is yes but YAWN. If however the follow up is along the lines of “and can this open up tons of doors for potential conversations, bonding, trauma-unpacking or camaraderie with siblings due to their own histories with the League and its training methods and teachings and mindsets” then my answer is YES GOOD NOW LET’S HAVE SOME MORE OF THAT PLZ.

[rushmanatalie]

falling like the stars || ch. 1/?

Rating: E

Summary: In the five years since the world they knew ended, they found solace in each other, until a brief encounter with fate gives them the chance to change everything. A post-Infinity War and Endgame re-write. Notes:  Thank you all so much for reading, and for all the love on my last work. It really gave me the drive I needed to get this baby out. Hoping to get the second chapter up some time in the next two weeks. Please feel free to leave comments on what you want to see next because I’m always open to new ideas! 

Steve would never let Nat live in the Avengers facility alone, change my mind. Also Steve is a bad cook, it’s canon. Title from James Arthur’s song of the same name.

Read on Ao3

It’s like a ritual now. She wakes up in his arms, the white silk sheets of the bed cold against their warm, entangled bodies as he presses gentle kisses down her spine, drawing out her good morning in a content sigh. He’s perfect like this, mussed blonde hair golden under the first rays of the morning sun, blue eyes almost grey with the haze of sleep, a lazy, boyish smile on his lips. And for a moment she can’t help but to contemplate the irony of it all, how it took the darkest of times for them to finally find this, this happiness.

What did it cost?

Everything.

They had lost everything. Everyone. Nick. Sam. Wanda. Vision. T’challa. Hell, even the kid Tony had picked up from Queens had vanished into thin air.

Half the population, gone. To say they were not prepared for this amount of devastation was an understatement. For months, families, cities, and entire countries fought to put themselves back together. Natasha had done everything she could to help bring order in the year of chaos that ensued, but she couldn’t do anything to subdue the uncertainty that loomed over them, a constant shadow of doubt and grief that hung on every fake smile, every bit of laughter, like salt in the wound of the healing.

And she’d almost done it alone.

The Avengers disbanded shortly after they left the Garden. Some had found a way to live on; Tony and Pepper had gotten married and had a beautiful daughter, Morgan, and Bruce was last heard finding success in experiments with the Hulk. Others fell into their despair; Thor had disappeared to New Asgard, only ever leaving his home to restock his supply of Asgardian mead, and Clint. Clint. She couldn’t bear to think about him.

These were the people she called her family; now they were so broken it felt like she’d lost them too.

Of course, they had all been lucky enough to survive the Decimation (that’s what they called it now). But some days she found herself almost, fuck, just almost, wishing they hadn’t, because knowing they had left each other, had left her, one by one, in a time of such hopelessness and defeat, that somehow hurt more.

Steve was the only one who stayed, and honestly, she doesn’t know where she’d be if he had left her too. For the past three years, the two drowned themselves, Steve in his support group, Natasha in her training, and at the end of the day, they would drown together, in each other, until she didn’t know where she ended and where he began. And she never wanted to come up for air.

Some call it hell. She calls it happiness. At least, it’s the most happiness she’s known in years, though why they couldn’t have found it sooner is a mystery she could never seem to solve.

“You okay?” His voice is soft against the nape of her neck.

She nods, the faintest of smiles crossing her lips. “I’m fine.”

She’s not, he thinks as he smooths his thumb over the creases between her brows, a hint of worry showing between his own. She smiles, but her eyes are empty. That’s all she’s been in the past two years, a ghost, a shell of her former self. And it scares him how hard it hit her. Of course, it had hurt them all, but Natasha was always the strongest one, the one who would rather die than put her emotions out on display. In that sense, she hasn’t changed, but he knows of the crying behind closed doors, the wiping away of tears when he’s not quite looking, the sneaking of cigarettes on the balcony when she thinks he’s fallen asleep.

But at this moment he doesn’t ask any more questions. There’s a trust between them now that goes beyonds words, beyond these feelings. She trusts him with her life, her heart, and she’s proven on various occasions that he could entrust his with her.

She’ll tell him when she’s ready, if she ever would be.

He silences her thoughts with a languid kiss, weaving a hand into her hair. It had grown out over the years so that the bright red reached her shoulders, yet the blonde tips remained, almost as a reminder of the pain they carried with them everywhere.

She kisses him back, growing in hunger, desire, and he opens his mouth to let it take over. He dips a hand down to her stomach and slips under the hem of her camisole, finding the roughness of the scar the Winter Soldier had left on her all those years ago. The satisfaction of hearing her moan makes him reach a little higher, until his hand is over her breast. Her own hands roam the planes of his chest, every touch hotter, lower than the last, until his hardened length is painfully straining against the fabric of his briefs.

But his own pleasure can wait. He grabs her wrists and pins them above her head. She likes him like this: a little rough, a little harsh. It had taken a long time for her to convince him that this was good, that she enjoyed it, and when she finally did, when he finally let himself be in charge, it was pure ecstasy.

He pulls the camisole off of her in one smooth movement. Before she has time to react to the cold air on her skin, he’s planting a row of kisses down her chest, beneath her navel, fingers dancing around the thin fabric of her underwear. That comes off of her torturously slowly, he makes sure of it, and he takes pride in the way she arches her back and spreads her legs in protest.

God, how did he ever get so lucky?

She’s already wet with wanting, aching for his touch, and he obliges, licking a broad stroke over her sex, relishing in the way her hands thread their way through his hair, urging him to keep going. His eyes meet hers from between her legs and she can’t help but giggle (since when did she giggle) at the sight of him like this.

“Shouldn’t we eat breakfast first?”

The corner of his mouth tugs into a smug grin. That dumbass. “I already am.”

He pushes two fingers inside her, curling them just right as he presses his thumb to her clit, circling over the sensitive nerves, taking her closer and closer to the edge, a string of Russian curses falling from her lips. His mouth finds the pulse of her throat, and somehow knowing that it’ll leave a mark makes him suck harder on the softness of her skin. But before she can get where he knows she wants to be, he stops, and it takes everything in her power to hold back a strained whimper of desperation.

My turn. Sitting up, she hooks her fingers into the top of his briefs, and pushes them down to his ankles so that he can kick them off the side of the bed. She’d seen him like this many times before, but Christ, it never gets old. A swipe of her tongue across the tip of his length has him lost in a wave of pleasure, and it isn’t long before she’s closing her lips over him, taking note of the way his breath hitches, the muscles in his body tensing up as he tries not to bury himself in the warmth of her mouth. His patience wears thin, with every hum of her throat bringing him closer to his climax.

“Fuck, Nat, I’m—”

She denies him the chance. The way her mouth comes off of him is absolutely obscene, and ten years ago, it would have sent him into a furious blush, but now, he can’t stop the titillating thoughts of what he wants to do to her from running through his head.

She brings him down on top of her and kisses him hard. It’s almost shameful how much pleasure he gets from the way his taste mixes with hers on their tongues. When she pulls away, it’s green eyes on blue, and somehow, it feels the most intimate they’ve been all morning despite their state of undress. An “I need you” said in complete silence.

He slides inside her slowly, carefully, then all at once, and it earns him a lustful moan that he takes as his cue to move. They find their rhythm with ease. It’s fast, it’s hot, and it’s heavy, and it’s almost muscle memory by now, but the pleasure feels just as new as it did the first time they made love like this. Her legs are wrapped around his back, and this time, she doesn’t hold back the loud wails that escape her lips as he finds the perfect spot inside of her. The bed creaks beneath them; the headboard rattles against the wall as she grasps it so tightly her knuckles turn white, and for a second, Steve can’t help but be thankful they have the place to themselves, because the sounds they’re making are practically pornographic.

They teeter on the edge of pure bliss, and she’s so goddamn close that she’s writhing underneath him, chasing her release.

His fingers circle her clit as he presses an open kiss behind her ear, where he knows it makes her melt. “Come for me, Nat. Let go.”

That was all she needed to push her over, and she falls apart with his name on her lips like prayer from the mouth of a saint. The tightening of her walls around him, sending him down seconds after, and he comes inside her with an unrestrained groan against her neck, and perhaps an “I love you” hidden within it.

He’s never said it before. Neither of them have. Not out loud. Not to each other. But they say it in stolen glances, worried looks, and moments like this.

They lie beside each other, face to face, breathless, for what seems like an eternity as he rubs small circles on her arm. “You know what? I think I actually enjoyed today’s breakfast.”

“Yeah? Well, it was slightly better than the pancakes you made last week.” She eyes him pointedly, her signature smirk more teasing than her words. “Slightly.”

“Well, I don’t know about you,” he says, kissing her forehead, her nose, then, chastly, her lips, “But I’m still hungry.”

She shakes her head as he moves over on top of her again; her laugh is like music to his ears. “You’re insatiable, Rogers.”

“What can I say? I can do this all day.”

—————————

When Natasha gets out of the shower, she’s greeted by the unmistakable smell of bacon. She doesn’t even realize how hungry she is until her feet are betraying her, and before she can even put on proper clothes, she’s walking into the kitchen, pulling her black bathrobe just a little tighter at the sight in front of her. Steve stands in a light grey henley and dark jeans, back to her as he prods at a pan of scrambled eggs on the stove with a wooden spatula. It’s almost strange to see Captain America being so domestic, but she finds it surprisingly endearing. Besides, was he even Captain America these days anymore?

He catches her through the corner of his eye as she saunters over to the island behind him, where a plate of cooked bacon sits on the marble countertop. “Would you look at that?” She breaks off a corner of the meat and finds that it’s a little crispier than she likes, but she manages to both chew and swallow it. “That’s actually almost edible.”

Natasha would never consider herself a picky person, especially when it came to food. Not when missions often required her to cook canned beans in microwaves or instant oatmeal over wood fires. But it didn’t take her long to find out that Steve’s cooking was less than enjoyable, which wasn’t all that surprising since he lived a good chunk of his life on food rations and boiled cabbage or potato soups.

“I’ll take almost,” he chuckles as he sets down a plate of scrambled eggs in front of her.

“Is that...paprika on top?” she questions with a suspecting brow. “Since when did you get so fancy with the spices?”

“Just thought I’d try something new.” Nodding toward the plate, he hands her a fork. “Here, try it.”

With a false reluctance, she flips through the pile of eggs before tasting the smallest piece. “Wow, uh—”

“That bad, huh?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Well, that’s what it sounded like you were saying.”

She shakes her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Sorry, Gordon Ramsay.”

The name clearly doesn’t ring a bell, his face showing nothing but confusion.

“Celebrity chef? He had this show where he went to the worst restaurants in the world and turned them into these five star places in a week.”

“Must not have made it onto my list.” The plates are pushed to the side as he heads to the fridge for a jug of milk before pulling out two boxes in the cabinet above him. “So, Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Frosted Flakes?”

“Is that even a question?”

He sets two bowls and spoons onto the countertop and pours the milk first (to this day, she still has no idea why), then Cinnamon Toast Crunch after (again, no idea why), pushing the bowl with less milk across to her. Just the way she likes it.

“So, what time’s your meeting today?” she asks, a spoonful of cereal in her mouth.

“Two. I should probably head out soon.” He pauses with a breath of hesitation that’s grown all too familiar to her, so much that a small part of her fears what comes next. “You know my offer still stands.”

This isn’t the first time he’s mentioned it, and her answer has always been the same.

“I’m fine, Steve.” She stares down blankly at her reflection in the back of her spoon to avoid the concern of his gaze.

“You can't keep going on like this."

"I said, I’m fine."

"Natasha—"

"Steve, please, leave it—"

"You need to talk to someone, Nat!” The harshness of his tone startles her, and her eyes dart up only for a second, but long enough to notice the clenching of his jaw, the furrowing of his brows. “You can't just shut everyone out." His voice softens. “Don’t shut me out.”

There’s a hint of pleading in his voice, but she chooses to ignore it, because the implications that it comes with are something she’s spent too long considering, and she didn’t want to anymore.

“You’ve been putting up this front for three years, Nat. I know you’re hurting. I’m fucking hurting. But goddamn it, let me help you,” he swallows heavily, as if those words had dried his throat completely. “And I know you’re drinking again.”

Fuck. The back of her throat begins to burn, her eyes stinging with tears that threaten to fall. Part of her knew that she could have done a better job at hiding the bottles. He always seemed to find them. But then again, maybe it’s because deep down she knew that she wanted him to.

When she finally looks up, it’s with an anger in her eyes, but not at him. At herself.

“Why do you care?” It’s not meant to be a challenge, yet she can tell that’s the way it comes off to him because he looks at her, almost stunned.

He opens his mouth to say something, but she doesn’t stay to hear it. Before he replies, she storms out of the kitchen, stopping halfway through the hallway only when she knows she’s out of his line of sight to turn and catch a glimpse of him, a wave of relief and a tinge of disappointment washing over her when she realizes that he hadn’t followed.

But there’s only one place she wants to be now.

By the time she grabs the headphones, leg warmers, pointe shoes, and backup flask hidden in her sock drawer, she hears the soft hum of his motorcycle in the driveway, and finds herself wishing that when he comes back, she won’t be awake to see it.

[70swonderpoisonstark]

Poison ( III )

Villain’s are people too, are they not? (Y/N) is taking the “home grown” terror title a little too seriously. You’re really really bad, until you meet a certain super soldier who makes you consider a career change. It’s a lengthy process, but you’re willing if it’s for the right reasons. Maybe you’re not so bad after all? 

//basically poison ivy and a little bit of bane but with marvel characters?? I’d be original but I love her and them so much so sorry. also some changes, idk I’m making them my own but completely based of the DC characters SNS. Nickname Ivy, real name, yours duh!//

***this is my first attempt at fanfic so any feedback is welcome! I love all these characters dearly so, here goes nothing! Hope you enjoy***

A/N: Violence, language, crime. I’ll update these as the chapters come out

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The charity auction was the perfect place to snag Green. They knew you frequented places of high wealth, and always took a chance when it came to diamonds. After another couple months of stake-outs, recon, and blackouts from various team members, they'd finally discovered a pattern.

"You've got to hand it to this girl, she sure knows how to stay under the radar. I bet everyone who's ever came into contact with her just see's a pretty girl in a known hang-out for wealthy men and just written her off. Brilliant, if I'm allowed to say that about a villian." Tony made multiple points. Green, as you were coded, were so stealthy, that until further investigation, they never realized you had been at this for years. Stealing from the wealthy for whatever reason you chose, causing entire buildings to erupt into chaos, you were good, really good. And the man you always had with you had no record, absolutely nothing. No address, occupation, they could only pull up a name and a birth month and that was it. Viktor Alexeev, April. The only way they could link him to any of the crimes at all was through his ring. It had a giant emerald in the middle, with a black snake curled around it, almost like a family crest, but different.

They walked in to the grand ballroom in pairs, Nat and Steve, Tony and Wanda, Bruce and Thor, and Bucky all by himself coming in last. They scattered around the room, sitting, standing, examining vantage points, and checking for alternate routes of escaping if the entire place went to shit.

"Everybody in position?" Natasha said over the coms. Five checks and yes's later, they were ready to mix and mingle, and wait for the main event to start.

Once everybody had a couple drinks in them, and had finally began to settle down, a mic BOOMED throughout the room.

"Ladies and gentleman, tonight's host, Andante Forester!" A gorgeous blonde in a very tight pink cocktail dress introduced a tall, dark skinned man in a white suit. He took long, slow strides up to the mic, being sure to wave and acknowledge multiple people in the ground on his way. He took the mic, raising it to his towering height, and spoke.

"Thank you Mindy. Good evening everybody, as you now know I'm Andante and I've decided to gather you all here to raise money for a very charitable cause. I have always had a need to serve others, my whole life since I came over from Egypt has been about ensuring my family's safety and stability. It wasn't until I realized that the same dedication to them, was also involved with my schooling that I realized I was so much more than just a caretaker. My journey has been long, and vast, and trying, but now I'm here, talking to all of you, harnessing your attention and persuading you to donate to a movement that has our best future in mind. I'm simply a man, with the means to do something for the world, and the will to see it through. So tonight, I've gathered a few lovely ladies, and a very sizable jeweled necklace deep from within the vaults of cartier, for you to take out. The man, or woman, who places the highest bid on each of our willing participants will be allowed to take our lovely ladies on a date to a public location, escorted by my own personal security of course, with this dazzling piece of jewelry hanging from her neck." And on cue, the necklace was wheeled in by three armed guards. It was massive, Andante explained it was 70 carats of the highest quality diamonds and sapphires ever crafted. Each girl was named after a gemstone, all dressed accordingly. There was Ruby, Jade, Opal, Onyx, Amber, Pearl, and Sapphire.

"Any of the seven girls on stage look like our target?" Facial recognition was good, but with the talents of this particular pair, they could never rely on that alone.

"Negative, Natasha. Our girls a (your race) red-head, these girls are either blonde, brunette, asian, white, african, or middle eastern, either one or the other, never our combo." Steve spoke.

"Any one of them can be my target. The kinky curls on Sapphire, with the bright blue dress, dark skin, and that confident smile? If she's not already a model, I'll figure out a way to make her one." Tony utters longingly into his radio.

"According to facial recognition Tony, she's a Harvard grad that owns and runs one of the most successful law firms in New York. If only you weren't already in love, huh?" Natasha and her facial recognition, she always new everything about everybody she sees, the constant paranoia probably helps too.

"Back on topic ladies and gentleman. I've got suspicious activity on the edge of the crowd, men and women alike are in a dream like state, still conscious, just... swaying." The bidding was still going like crazy, every girl had at least $100,000 bid on them, but Bucky was right, the crowd was slowly becoming dazed and disoriented, no chaos this time, everybody just seemed... high.

"She's here, keep your eyes peeled, we can't lose her this time or Fury will...." Natasha trailed off for a moment before she continued. Her tone this time much more serene, and her speech slow. "Guys, the jewels from here are just so, sparkly. They look so clean.. I want pretty necklace.."

"Natasha? Natasha? Nat. I need you to snap out of it, we need to focus and... you're right Natty, gem sparkle, lots of gems pretty together." Steve and Nat were dosed, completely taken in by the calm wave that broke over the two of them. It wasn't long before it hit the others. Soon every member of the team was high as a kite, talking about clean gems and bright lights, pretty dresses, anything and everything that DIDN'T pertain to the mission.

Bucky was slightly more resistant to whatever it was making them act like fools. He watched as the same dazzling red head came in, charmed everyone on stage, blew rose colored dust from the palm of her hand and waltz off the stage with a ten million dollar necklace hanging around her neck. As you passed by Bucky, he attempted to reach out and grab your arm, only to realize he was succumbing to your love inducing air additive. You paused briefly before looking him up and down, recognition fluttering in your eyes as you walked to stand in front of the super soldier you had previously met.

"Hiya there, sugar. I see you remember me. Don't worry, I remember you too. Thanks for the necklace." You said before presenting your jeweled chest, "I really do think it compliments my eyes, whatdaya think?" you winked and posed, pulling the slit in your dress to the side, exposing your beautiful thick legs.

"I think they..."Bucky tried hard to fight the high as he spoke. "Don't match... your.. outfit." He smiled weakly, hoping his joke came across that way and he wasn't about to get knocked out again on one of these missions. He had became unconscious more on these missions than anybody else on the team, barely remembering anything at all, except for what came back to him in dreams. To Bucky's surprise you giggled at his little joke and placed yourself closer to him.

"Bucky, baby, I wish you did remember all the times we've met. I've grown to be quiet fond of our little chats." You raised your opposite hand and blew something directly into his face. "If you don't hurt me, I'll let you remember this time." You placed your back up against Bucky's chest and wrapped his metal arm across her throat. "You wouldn't hurt me, would you?" You looked up at Bucky with your sad (Y/E/C) eyes and he shook his head no. He had hurt many people in his life, and you just couldn't be one of them. The effects of whatever made him dreamy slowly wore off, and he finally felt the cold your body seemed to radiate.

"If you're noticing the temperature difference, you've said it reminds you of Christmas morning in Brooklyn when you were younger. 1936, younger I think." Bucky memorized every feature of your face, it was soft, your nose was short, with a crooked bridge, big rosy cheeks, and, freckles? Definitely freckles underneath the makeup you were wearing. Your eyes shined like the moon as you glanced up at him. You appeared so gentle, how did you ever become SHIELD's most wanted. You removed yourself from under Bucky's arm and allowed him to regain his senses.

"I like you, Bucky. You never seem to quit, but every time I give you the upper hand you never take it." Your seductive demeanor paused as you spoke, Bucky had a nagging feeling that this was actual honesty coming from you. He felt things too, but you had your ways of making him feel certain ways, so it probably was just another affect. "If you're wondering if you're still under my spell, you're not." Well there goes that idea. "There's something weird about you. I don't like it, not one bit." You circled him slowly, trailing your perfectly manicured finger across his torso. "I know you still see me as the bad guy and all the other cliches; however, if you want to arrest me, good luck, but, if you're willing to talk to your super friends, I've left a list of the REAL charities in this area who have received sizable donations every time I've 'made a stop' in your jacket pocket." A soft grin manifested over your cherry red lips. "I know you won't remember all of this, but I'm sure y'all are smart enough to figure it out." You kissed him on his cheek, leaving a faint lipstick mark in its place, blew a low dose of plant hormone in his face and spoke one last time. "Everybody's effects will wear off in about fifteen minutes, yours won't, but they'll know what to do with you. And I go by Ivy, by the way. Your friends can stop calling me green." You adjusted yourself, and spoke not to him, but to your henchman. "Viktor darling, it's time for our grand exit." A large blast was then heard on the east wall, crumbling a hole large enough for the hulk to walk through, you turned to look at Bucky one last time, and then slipped away into the darkness of the night. Leaving Bucky unconscious, yet again.

"I'm starting to worry about the long term effects of him being unconscious this often. We have no idea what he's being dosed with or what it's doing to him."

"Well Cap, I'd say it's knocking him out entirely, wouldn't you?" Bucky was slowly coming too, the arguing voices of Tony and Steve rarely stopped after these missions.

"Weren't you in charge of making sure things like this stopped happening? She's taking us out at the same time and stealing millions of dollars right in front of our faces and you can't seem to do a damn thing about it Tony!"

"Right, because tossing that metal frisbee at her in your drunken state was a much better contribution. Thank you for your service, you truly are a patriot Steven." Bucky could no longer tell if his head hurt due to his possible concussion, or Steve and Tony bickering like old maids.

"Could you two can it? What's a guy gotta do around here to get some peace and quiet?" Bucky groaned as he sat up. The whole team crowded him in about .5 seconds, basically suffocating him again with the same questions they always asked after he fell. Only this time, he actually remembered what happened.

"Yes." The room went silent, all eyes were bulging and staring directly at Bucky, gazes unwandering, he could feel the tension between everybody. He knew they all thought he'd caught a lead, that Green, Ivy, had made a mistake, but he didn't have a lead, he just had a name, and an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

"Yes what? You, remember? Like the whole everything?" Memory loss was common after interacting with Ivy, the whole team could barely remember bits and pieces of all their interactions. If it weren't for security cameras and Tony and Rhodey's body cams, they'd know absolutely nothing about who and what they were dealing with.

"Yes all of it, she let me remember, made sure I did, even gave me a name." Stunned, every single person in the room had shock written on their foreheads. She had always been very discreet, moved in the shadows but always did the dirty work. She was cunning, and ambitious, they'd never gotten more than an appearance, and even that was spotty. Now they had a name, something was going on and they all knew it. She wasn't an ordinary villain, this was something unique. Bucky explained the entire scene, never once interrupted. As he finished, he saw the wheels turning, everybody had questions, nobody understood, why had she basically given up? And why to Bucky?

"So she said she likes you, gave you her name, and actually put herself in a chokehold with your arm?" Bucky nodded yes, not really believing it himself.

"Where's the list?"

"The what?"

"You said that she slipped a list of places in your pocket, where is it?"

"I'd assume in my pocket since I've been unconscious till now, Steve." Bucky rifled through his pockets, starting with the lower ones, he checked his jacket pockets and nothing. It was until he checked the breast pocket of his jacket behind his handkerchief that he found the list. It was three pages long, and had the names of over a dozen charities, families, and street corners.

"I'd say that's a lead there Barnes." and it was. Just, not how they imagined.

// How’s it doing so far?? I’m really liking how it’s all going so far! P.S. if you guys want to throw random vocab words at me I’ll try and find a way to incorporate them and tag you! Thanks for reading! May Odin bless you! //

[allenmendezsr]

Online Krav Maga Dvd

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Online Krav Maga Dvd

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    “Already lost 5lbs”

“I’ve been very happy with the program and what I’ve learned so far. I’ve already lost 5 lbs.”

Jonathan T. Aguilar, 36

“Easy yet Effective”

“Well, there were many things that I liked about the program! I like that fact that it’s easy yet very effective. Most of what we learn in Special Forces is more defensive, and you can’t spar with it. Sifu Matt’s program gives you everything!”

Joe Dulmage, Special Forces Solider

“Program motivate me to lose weight”

“I’m 44 years old. I have been taking these classes through Matt. When I started I weighed 196. I now weigh 166. I lost it because the program motivated me. I was sick of only being able to wrestle for 30 seconds before I needed paramedic attention. I don’t have to sit around and waste time learning useless history about some Asian emperor who, 1000 years ago, authorized use of the martial arts for the select few. Really, who cares about that?”

Bob Miller, County Judge

“Extremely Satisfied”

“I would like to add that I am extremely satisfied the quality of the program… very pleased with the overall experience. You run a very good business and I am glad to be part of it.”

Steve Munerantz, 27

“Highly recommended for both men and women”

“My name is Dave Lamoso, I began with EDS in May. When I finally looked into it I decided to give it a try. For health reasons, to lose weight, and to sharpen my fighting techniques. It has been very beneficial. I feel a lot better and healthier overall. When I began this program I weighed in at 236 lbs. Because of continuing programs at EDS, I now weigh in at 198 lbs. I have stopped smoking cigarettes since I have started this program. I will be able to keep my weight under control with the exercise and workouts that I get through EDS. I feel so much better about myself now, I weigh less and I feel a lot stronger. Before I started this program I was always tired and lazy (fatigued). I now have an over abundance of energy. I feel great over all. I have made this a permanent part of my life, I fit my this program in my everyday schedule. I feel guilty if I miss one day. I would highly recommend this program to both men and women.”

Dave Lamoso, 43

“Confidence”

“It was good to touch base with you yesterday. I was just talking with my wife yesterday at how thankful I was to have encountered certain people who have influenced me in a positive and profound way, such as my father, a few important Football coaches, and of course Sifu Master Numrich. Seriously, credit is due where credit is deserved. Thanks for all of your teachings and friendship, as it has been such a positive force in my life. Not to mention the confidence that I have IF I ever get in to a physical confrontation with someone…..let’s just say that I “Pity the fool” who messes with the “Stallion”! Seriously, I just wanted to thank you again, as I don’t forget important things, and it is all much appreciated!”

Mark, Home Inspector and MMA Competitor

“More challenging than expected”

“Awesome program! I wasn’t sure what to expect but it met and exceeded what I wished to get out of it. It was more challenging than I expected… and I expected it to be very challenging!!!”

Eric Peterson, Veterinarian Assistant

“Totally worth it”

“Hey everybody. I just wanted to say this program really works. I have only been taking this program for one month and I feel I have already learned a lot. It was one of the most rewarding feelings I have ever experienced. If I could take a test with only one month’s worth of experience, I feel like I can do anything. This has been totally worth it. Thanks for everything.”

Reinier Marfil

“The cardio and work out are killers”

“Sifu Matt…I love taking your program…the cardio and work out you give us is a killer and that is just what I am looking for each week. Do I even need to say anything about the knowledge you provide your students and staff with. Thanks to all at EDS!!!”

Brian McDougall, Manager

“A humbling experience”

“I would have to call the program a very humbling experience. The people are great and I’m really enjoying it.

Rob Lowery

“Bring pride in continuing tradition”

“Emil Bautista here, a student of Adriano D. Emperado, Kajukenbo and I wish to thank you for helping me recognize Michael McDaniel’s rank within the art he studied with you while in Chicago. This is important to me because he has shown great talent but I unsure as to where he belonged as respect to Kajukenbo and your art. I wanted the students here to respect Michael and also his rank in your art as well as his rank in Kajukenbo. I know where he fits in with respect to our art of Kajukenbo, but not what he studied with you. I knew he was very knowledgeable in your art and I felt he should have something to show for it. But I am not in the habit of going behind anyone’s back and giving rank in any other art but the one I am qualified for Kajukenbo. Michael has helped tremendously with our grappling program and has helped many of our students to win competitions and feel better about themselves with respect to grappling. This is something that was missing from our program and I am very grateful to Michael for sharing his knowledge with us. Our Kajukenbo ranking goes like this; white, purple, blue, green, brown and black and this can take about three to four years to get through the ranks. I know it’s different with your style as Michael has explained to me. I just wanted you to know how very proud I am of Michael and all he has accomplished here. The students really like him and he has a good following for his classes. Please know that Michael is carrying on your tradition very admirably, that I am proud of him and honored that he came from you.”

Grandmaster Emil Bautista, who had one of our students join his school after a move

“Feel energized”

“I had an especially good work out last night. That energized feeling you get the next day after a good hard work out is awesome. Add that to the nice end of summer weather we have today and things are shaping up to be a great day. Just thought I would share.”

Jim McCoy, Attorney

“Great team building and camaraderie”

“My best moment so far had to be this past Tuesday night. I have not had that much fun in a long time. The fun began from the beginning of program. I thought the next day I was not going to be able to work due to the intensity of the class; however, I actually felt like a million bucks the next day. It is funny how a fun evening of getting it handed to me led me to be more active and mentally focused in my professional and personal life. I feel alive again wanting to do more. I can already tell that my wife and daughter can see a change in my attitude. So far I cannot say enough positive things about my experience with this program.”

Jignesh M. Patel, Dentist

“Excellent”

“The lesson was excellent, it helped to review, a few things I think I saw and some feedback from you. Great job and excellent program!”

Jim Kennon, 63, Financial Planner

“No regrets”

“Everything is going great. The lessons are what I was hoping for and more. So I am very pleased with my decision to buy your program.”

Jose Mata, Manager

“Felt comfortable even though I’m still very new”

“It was a great experience Matt. I felt very comfortable even though I’m still very new. I particularly enjoyed the way the info is presented.”

Mike Baldwin, Business Owner

“Worth more than people pay for it”

“The training is worth more than people pay for it, and is the most practical self defense I have seen. I would recommend it to anyone.”

Sam Louflen, student

“Tons of great information”

“Just wanted to say I had a great time. Learned a lot of great information. I wished i had known the curriculum ten years ago, when i was working as bartender at a local pool hall in the city. But that’s another story. Once again thank you for the opportunity to learn this information.”

Marc Johnson, bouncer

“Let go of frustrations go and learn”

“I would like to thank you and EDS. Recently I have felt that life has went full circle and have never felt better.. Less stress and really enjoying life.. Hey I have lost 20 pounds doing it.. Work is going good. Family and friends are great.. and found a great person to share everything, we found each other and WoW… The Lord works in really mysterious ways and I am glad he guided me thru this.”

Beny Rivera, Computer Systems Tech

“He truly cares for my best interest”

“I did a lot of research in the area martial arts programs, and after visiting and trying out various places, I enrolled with Matt Numrich and EDS about 2 years ago. I am extremely happy to report that I made a right choice then, and that even now this is the most perfect program for someone like me. Apart from childhood interest in Martial Arts, I did not have any background in it so I was a total novice. Sifu Numrich and the EDS staff have been able to patiently guide me and train me in all kinds of techniques and skills with personalized attention and guidance, so that now I am at the intermediate level. Being a professional musician and artist who draws from global musical backgrounds, I truly appreciate that Sifu Numrich has in-depth knowledge of all the self defense and fighting styles, and is able to bring the best of it all together in a true continuum of Bruce Lee’s concept and philosophy. I also feel that Sifu Numrich has taken personal interest in making me reach my goals of physical abilities and martial arts skills, as well as, he truly cares for my best interest, and that he has made a positive impact on my life.”

Kalyan Pathak

“Even after almost 8 years”

“I wanted to write you this letter to give thanks to you, because unbeknown to you, have been a mental mentor over the years. Even after almost 8 years I still think back to the training Matt has provided, not just the techniques but mainly the mental capacity. So I wanted to give you the best of luck to you for your recovery and to your good health.”

Chris A. Santi, past student

“Inspiration in a difficult time”

“I just got back from a funeral of a very old and close friend of mine. He had just committed suicide. His death made me feel lost and confused as to how we are to direct our own lives when death reaches us all, regardless of our purpose. Then I started to read your blog and realized that direction of life starts with our own health. Just wanted to say thank you for the words of inspiration in a difficult time.”

Raymond Rimocal

“Great program that it is”

“I was feeling a bit bummed about missing a whole month of training due to work and vacationing with the family, and I was about to ask Sifu Numrich about any possibility of giving me one hour of training to catch me up on the curriculum that I missed. I also want to thank everyone at EDS for making it a great program that it is.”

Kalyan Pathak (second email he wrote in)

“This guy threw 6 punches and never made contact”

“Matt, I got in an altercation with an aggressive guest last night at my restaurant. This guy had about 60lbs on me and was 6 feet tall compared to my 5′ 6″. Thanks to you, this guy threw 6 punches which never made contact. It took 15 to 20 seconds and the fight was over. I can tell you that this guy had no clue what happened to him.”

Walter G. Paiz, Restaurant Manager

“Principles come like second nature”

“Matt has given me the edge I need when comes to a confrontation. Principles are so easy to remember, they come like second nature. This is so important in my line of work. .”

Tom Stephenson, Bouncer

“End any altercation quickly”

“Sifu Matt is straight to the point for law enforcement and civilians alike, allowing anyone to end any altercation quickly.”

Jason Kohl, Police Officer

“My life has totally changed”

“My life has totally changed. You have helped me with my self-confidence & self-awareness. Thanks for being such a positive person in my life.”

Carrie Connors, Teacher

“Price is unbeatable”

“The instruction is of the highest quality, and the price is unbeatable in comparison to other programs.”

Jake Nuesser, 28, Graphic Artist

“I have lost over 15 pounds”

“I needed something other than the boring routine of a health club to get in shape. Since joining classes I have lost over 15 pounds which has made me feel incredible! As a bonus I have greatly improved my cardio and flexibility.”

George Boutsikakis, 43

“Exceeded my expectations”

“I strongly believe every woman should know how to protect herself. Training through Elite Defense Systems helped me gain the physical skills of self-defense along with the mental attributes to avoid conflict. The classes are taught in a fun, informative and non threatening environment by instructors who’s knowledge and skill level exceeded my expectations.”

Susan Mueller, Mother

“Sifu Matt has given me more confidence than I have ever had. Of course I would not have the confidence or the knowledge if it weren’t for the E.D.S. instructors, who are always willing to help and always very patient when teaching new information.”

Christine Tomczak, 26

[danreblogsstuff]

Tagged by @darklordtomarry 

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (or however many you have altogether). See if there are any patterns. Then, tag your favourite authors.

So I tend to write really long opening paragraphs, so this might be more than a few lines. If it gets too long, I’ll put in a break.

So let’s split this into parts:

Fanfic:

Bird’s Eye View (Batman, Jason/Damian and Tim/Colin, among others)

It wasn't like Tim was unused to walking in on awkward conversations—and even more awkward...encounters thank you Dick—when he was in the manor. It was actually one of the main reasons he'd moved out, along with needing a place where his various vintage collectables could be displayed without the threat of cat attack or Damian sabotage—“You're not supposed to take them out of the box, Damian!” “-Tt- Nonsense, they look much better on display this way. You can even remove their limbs to simulate battle wounds"—and his desire to have the occasional night off—“Bruce, I'm kind of busy tonight, can't someone else look for Croc in the sewers? It's not like he's actually hurting anyone this time.” “You're not busy. You've been refreshing your Tumblr page for the past two hours, suit up.” “Wait you're monitoring my computer? Bruce!”

Box of Memories (Batman, Jason/Tim)

It wasn't often Tim got nostalgic. How could he, when there was so little in his past to reminisce fondly over? It still happened occasionally, though. When he heard a particular song playing as a car passed him by, one Jack Drake used to sing under his breath. During a slow night on patrol when the air was clear and he could see the stars, and he remembered a younger Nightwing pointing out constellations until he realized Tim already knew them all, and then started making up new and increasingly ridiculous ones on the spot. When he saw Damian in full Robin gear bound into the car, impatiently waiting for Batman to join him so they could go out and protect Gotham together, and wished he could have had that for just one more night before it was taken from him.

But the one thing that never failed, that always pulled him in to lose himself in memories, was the box.

I Wanna Kiss You Like They Do In The Movies (Batman, Damian/Colin)

“Mr Batman, can I marry Damian?”

Colin looked up at Damian's dad—who was so, so tall—and tried really hard not to start shaking. He needed to be brave. He'd spent the whole last week—all seven days—gathering up his courage for this. It didn't matter that he wasn't supposed to say the Batman word if Damian's dad wasn't wearing the pointy ears, and it didn't matter that Damian's dad was the most scariest thing ever—scarier than closed spaces and spiders and even the Scarecrow. All that mattered was the thing that had happened to Colin last week. The thing that was like being hit in the face, kinda like the way Bobby back at the orphanage used to hit Colin sometimes, before he got taken away by that policeman and sent to the Jew Vee group home for sneaking into the apartment building across the street and taking off his clothes in front of Mr Norton's wife. Colin hadn't even known Bobby was Jewish, or that there was a special group home for Jewish kids, but really that didn't matter because Colin had had an Aunt Tiffany about Damian and he needed to do something about it.

Damian Wayne and the Ridiculously Expensive Wand (Batman, Damian/Colin, Jason/Tim, Author/Harry Potter references)

There weren't many things that could surprise Tim Drake these days. Damian skulking around the manor? Definitely not one of them.

Damian skulking around the manor while wearing a black robe and pointing a stick at the curtains?

Maybe.

More under the cut

The Utterly Devastating and Not in Any Way Ill Conceived Revenge of Damian Wayne (Batman, Damian/Colin)

“Father, the utterly unnecessary school you send me to has insulted me for the last time. I demand you use your wealth and influence to destroy them.”

Damian stared at his father, sitting behind his desk as he always was at this time of day. Just as Damian had planned. Because, though he currently had the appearance of a mere twelve year old boy, he was, as Grayson said, intelligent beyond his years. Grayson had smiled as he said this, as if he actually thought he had been giving Damian a compliment. It had been all Damian could do to refrain from stabbing him. As if there was anything special about being more advanced than the pitiful, uneducated masses that inhabited this country. If anything, Damian was what they should have been, if they cared to put in any kind of actual effort towards improving themselves.

Ask Me No Questions. No, Really. Don’t Ask Me This Shit. (Batman, Damian/Colin, Jason/Tim)

If Jason Todd was the kind of person to bother with mottoes or life philosophy, his would probably be something along the lines of this:

Nothing good ever happens in Wayne fucking Manor.

Which was why he tried to stay the fuck away as often as possible.

Three Date Rule (Batman, Damian/Colin)

“Mr Wayne, can I please marry Damian now?”

Colin stood on the other side of Mr Wayne's desk, trying as hard as he could not to fidget, or blush, or do anything but maintain manly eye contact. It was hard, because, Batman suit or not, it was impossible to forget that Mr Wayne was the actual Batman. At least he was sitting down. Dami was totally right about the whole being at eye level thing. Mr Wayne wasn't... Okay, he was just as intimidating sitting down as he is standing up, but Colin had grown a bit since the last time he'd had one of these talks with Mr Wayne and, if Mr Wayne was sitting down and Colin was standing, Colin was actually just a tiny bit taller than Batman and it did a world of good for his self-confidence. (Dami had called it a “psychological advantage”, and Colin had kissed him for being adorable) Honestly, he had no idea how he ever managed to summon up enough courage to ask for Dami's hand when he was ten and Mr Wayne was standing in front of him. He'd been either the stupidest or the bravest kid in the world, back then.

Original Fiction:

Everything Will Turn Out All Right

         "Hi, are you using the machine?", came a sweet voice from behind me.

         I jumped, startled out of my deep concentration. I hadn't heard anybody coming up behind me, I was too engrossed (I'm what well meaning but sort of insulting adults like to call "smart for my age" which means I tend to get good grades easily and use words like "engrossed", you'll get used to it.) in the incredibly important decision of whether I was in the mood for lemon-lime or orange Gatorade from the machine in question, which in case you haven't already guessed is a vending machine.

Oh Radio, Tell Me Everything You Know

        My story, like all good stories, is about a radio.

        Wait, no, that's not right. I mean my story is about a radio, sort of, but all good stories aren't about radios. Let's try this again.

        My story, like all good stories, is about love.

Original Published Novels:

Awakening Aidan

"Hello, my name is Aidan, and I'm a wizard." Aidan Collins smiled out over the group of fifteen or so people sitting in a circle around him, trying to project a calm he didn't really feel. It took every ounce of willpower he had to keep the agitation he was feeling from showing. Which was sort of embarrassing, because wizards his age should have been made of self-control.

Awakening Arthur

Aidan watched the wheels of the carriage bounce as they drove over the rough desert terrain. It was so strange, seeing them shudder so violently and yet barely feeling it. Suspension, the People called it. It was a way of putting some kind of springs on the wheels to absorb most of the impact of driving on anything that wasn't a road. They'd also added new tires, ridged to grip the ground and thicker to avoid damage. It had been fascinating, watching them work.

He also had to fight the sudden, unreasonable urge to yell at Eallair. It was completely unfair that someone who had never driven before was doing it so well, keeping straight even over the sandy 'road' and deftly avoiding sudden dips and large, half-buried rocks.

The Autobiography of the Dark Prince; As Written by Elias Sutterby

Strangely enough, many of the cultural practices of the Calvian Empire seemed to have survived the Great Collapse, with several being adopted by the fledgling kingdoms that rose to prominence after its fall. Even as far away as the White Kingdom of Ellington, there can be found several examples of Calvian culture that have survived to this day, including the Clockwise Tea Ceremony, the Anti-Clockwise Funeral, The Collision of the Great Beasts, and many fornicary practices as detailed in Kellan Collander's illuminating tome, Furniture Fellatio and Additional Assorted Abnormal Amorous Advances. It is a known fact in Ellington that one can actually see the most bizarre of said Advances being practiced in the dead of night in the Great Library by Scholar Elias Sutterby, whose deviant tastes—

With a small sigh of indeterminate emotion, Elias Sutterby paused in his reading. He blinked slowly, as if such an action would dissolve the offending words from the page in front of him, and when that didn't work he reached up and squeezed the bridge of his slightly pointed nose.

Awakening Camelot (Ohmigawg gaiz this one comes out May 19th this is UnReLeAsEd FoOtAgE, a SneeK PeeK, a preeeeeeveeeeU, it’s also just a really long description of a room which makes it probably the worst out of context cold open ever.)

Unlike every other office in the country, the office of the Prime Minister of the United States of America was very spacious. The decadently thick leather armchair, which rested behind the large, oak desk, was obscenely comfortable, with a matching, equally luxurious leather couch pressed up against the far wall. The small library to the right of the couch was filled floor to ceiling with any book a leader of men might need to occupy himself with, from dry magical treatises to the most bawdy of romances. And, if reading wasn't something a particular prime minister was interested in, across from the library was a fully stocked bar. There was even a small crystal ball which linked directly to the prime minister's personal kitchen, open twenty-four hours so not even a midnight craving need draw him from his office's confines. Since the building of the White House over two hundred years ago, every single new prime minister, without exception, had been stunned into an awed silence when confronted with such elegant and unusual accommodations for the first time.

And that’s that. The first few lines of everything I’ve ever written; including the stuff I’m embarrassed to admit to, lol. This was a lot of fun. Thank you for tagging me! If anyone wants to read any of these things, just message me for a link! Especially if you feel the urge to buy a book ;););) (<---Literally the first time I’ve ever marked myself in public. I feel ill)

[3ezentrum3-blog]

Ten Tips For Embracing Health After a Cancer Diagnosis

I have a companion who is as of now having a growth encounter. She's young, just 39 and it's in her bosom. Disregarding having been gotten early and a full course of chemotherapy, the growth has returned. Just yesterday this companion disclosed to me she was sick of battling, she's had an unpleasant life and she simply needs Jesus to take it from here. I couldn't be more joyful for her and I advised her as she floated off to rest that she was on the right track to quit battling everything, that giving up and letting Jesus (or God or the Universe or Source) would be the best thing for her.

As insane as that sounds, given our ebb and flow way to deal with tumor or some other significant sickness or confusion, it worked for me when I had an involvement with disease about eleven years prior. I got extremely tired of battling it as well, I was tired of fights, battles, keeps running for the fix and the various threatening sounding vernacular that accompanies any ailment, this ailment specifically. I chose that since I had an exceptionally unverifiable guess and no thought how much longer I needed to live, that I would make the most of each minute. As opposed to doing combating disease, I held onto every day as it came, do whatever it took to feel great at the time or more all quit battling!

This approach implied making a radical move in the dialect I used to depict infection and sickness when all is said in done, malignancy specifically. I started to think about the tumor as an emissary of sorts, a goliath warning of caution disclosing to me that something had turned out badly with my insusceptible framework which is as it should be. Given my age (32), solid way of life as an activity adoring non-smoker with an enthusiasm for vegetables, I figured the message was something significantly more mind boggling and that I expected to hear it out as opposed to endeavor to execute it off. After eleven years I'm as yet solid, as yet tuning in to the messages and, as continually, grasping wellbeing!

10 hints for grasping wellbeing after a malignancy determination:

1. Get a second conclusion and on the off chance that you locate that unsuitable go for a third sentiment.

2. Research: Find out all that you can about your specific analysis, what the best medications are; new investigations, clinical preliminaries and conceivable reactions and locate the plain best authorities, specialists in treating your particular ailment. Keep in mind this is your body and your malady, at last any treatment design must be endorsed by you, so set aside some opportunity to measure the upsides and downsides before settling on any choices.

3. Create a group of specialists and a treatment arrange for that incorporates individuals like oncologists, rub advisors, therapists and additionally guides, elective recuperating experts, for example, cultivators, nutritionists, specialists of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncturists and any other person that appears a solid match for you. This enables you, assuming liability for your mending is an essential part on your excursion! Keep in mind you are something other than a body, you have a psyche and identity that must be considered also!

4. Take up some type of reflection that interests to you, regardless of whether it's in a yoga class, a guided contemplation CD or download, petition gather and so forth. By and by, discover something that works for you, everybody is unique! Contemplation is an essential practice that causes us tune in and tune in to our bodies, helps quiet you, enhances rest and reconnects body and brain.

5. Change your dialect! Instead of battling what you don't need (tumor) grasp what you do need (wellbeing). Work out attestations in the current state that mirror this new procedure for instance: "I am constantly solid and I generally settle on sound decisions." This is vastly improved than "I am without tumor" in light of the fact that there is as yet an attention on growth as opposed to on wellbeing. Our decision of dialect influences our manners of thinking which thusly influence our feelings and along these lines our bodies. This is a mind boggling process the investigation of which is known as psychoneuroimmunology. For more data on how everything functions you may appreciate perusing The Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton and The Molecules of Emotion by Dr. Candace Pert.

6. Develop a state of mind of appreciation; work out a rundown of things for which you are thankful, incorporate as much as you can and do your best to do this day by day!

7. Acknowledge any sentiments of self-question, outrage, self indulgence, fear and so forth. You may get a kick out of the chance to keep in touch with them out in a diary or on bits of paper that you consume, discuss it with somebody you trust and after that let them go so you can center around the positive.

8. Focus on the constructive: abstain from anything that influences you adversely, news, TV, films, even good natured loved ones for exercises and individuals that you discover satisfying, read examples of overcoming adversity and books with glad endings and encircle yourself with most loved things however much as could reasonably be expected.

9. Commit to yourself to tuning in to your instinct with respect to how much and when you need to work, work out, rest, eat, see loved ones and so on.

10. Consider joining a care group or potentially supplication circle that is centered around recuperating and health and the sharing of data and additionally sharing of individual stories. It's essential to discover other people who have comparative encounters and can share. This isn't for everybody in any case, as a few people are more private. Likewise know that gatherings of debilitated individuals discussing their diseases can seem more discouraging than strong, it's extremely an issue of individual inclination and the particular care group. On the off chance that you feel empowered, enlivened or potentially roused after a gathering at that point continue onward, on the off chance that you feel depleted, exhausted or sick a short time later, quit going quickly, this isn't the gathering for you!

Remember that these are only a couple of thoughts intended to help you through a troublesome time. What's most imperative is that you make the wisest decision for you! Similarly as with any exhortation take what works and dispose of with appreciation what does not.

Alison L. Longley is a Master of Clinical Hypnotherapy, ensured professional of NLP, PSYCH-K, Heart Resonance vitality work and HypnoBirthing pre-birth training. She is the proprietor/administrator of Breakthrough Wellness Center in Vancouver British Columbia, Canada. You can visit her site at: [http://www.hypnotherapy-vancouver.ca]

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/master/Alison_Longley/751076

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4939974

[darkpizzacreation-blog]

Finding the Right Martial Arts School For You

Have you ever seen raw violence or someone getting ‘owned’? Just search google for “martial street fights” – “martial owned” Watch those movies and cringe!!! Kung Fu, Boxing, dancing, balley, incompetance? What will you display to your attacker if that day comes?

Can you throw a punch or even stand steady on one leg? can you do a round-house or even give a kick to the knee? Ever heard of a combination, technique or form? Today we are lazy, probably fat too.. Go look in the mirror and skip for ten minutes, then check your image again and what do you see? I can judge I am probably half the strength and endurance form 10 years ago, how about you?

MARTIAL KNOWLEDGE a martial art is defined as – 1 : of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior 2 : relating to an army or to military life 3 : experienced in or inclined to war : WARLIKE a martial art is defined as: various styles of self-defense, usually weaponless, based on techniques developed in ancient China, India, and Tibet. The term ‘Kung Fu’ does not relate to any specific form of martial art, but rather translates as ‘talent’ or ‘aptitude’.

Wu Shu is traditionally the term popularly used to describe the traditional Chinese martial arts, though other descriptions akin to Kuo-shu, Kuo-chi, Chien-shu and Tao-fa have also been used occasionally. (Wu Shu is the term of late used for Chinese martial arts by the People’s Republic of China).

If you’ve never studied a martial art, your awareness of them most likely starts at Bruce Lee movies and ends with the stylized theatrics of The Matrix. If that’s the case, you may not realize from what you’ve gleaned onscreen that there are an estimated 200 unique kinds of martial arts, and within these, thousands of different styles. Karate, judo, kung fu, and tae kwon do are among the most popular and well-known of the martial arts in the U.S., but there are numerous others.

Despite the array of martial arts and styles, most of them share common techniques, and so they can be organized into broad categories that facilitate understanding. The primary way of classifying martial arts is by the basic physical technique they use: striking or grappling.

Because karate, judo, kung fu, and tae kwon do have been more prominent than other forms in popular culture, from film to sporting events, many people mistakenly believe that all martial arts are Asian in origin. In fact, diverse cultures throughout history from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East have also given birth to their own martial art forms.

colorado kickboxing

Or a combination of triangles with small circles as can be seen in chinese trapping, wrist locks or Aikido entry and endings. Do you even know the diffference between kung fu and karate? Do you think wing chun is a chinese dish? The different styles can even be related to shapes or geometry – squares, triangles and circles.

MARTIAL TRAINING TO LIVE Training is hard..really hard. The most hard is to get started and its down-hill easy from there. What you need is a martial arts machine – something new and exciting to get you off your fat ass.

Everyone knows someone who knows how to fight – with fists, knives, weapons, guns, tactical, sensless, whatever but START! Or find a martial arts school in your area. GO to the local phone book and look up kung fu or karate. Then give them a call, go along or take your kid. Whats important now is to do something, start with brief excercise, get into stretching, shadow box, then step up and train hard.

ITS DANGEROUS OUT THERE Its dangerous out there and especially for you.. The enemy may be next door and you dont know it but you got to have the guts too look. What can you really do once you see some violence or get scared or worse because you receive a bashing or king hit – do you hide in your house?

TV today scares the shiit out of many people as it promotes violence and turns the meek yellow and nervous. The danger today is maybe not too obvious to you but you better hone your sensors or youll get hit without seeing it coming. You know that given a situation to be a hero and stop a crime, terrorism or violence you’ll be able to step up or chase after them etc – or maybe you’ll cower or be the victim. Were are you on the scared meter of life? Are you out there amongst it or a bit of a shy body or house mummys boy?

CONCLUSION IS ACTION Life is not scarey but maybe your lack of skill, self confidence and personal competance is making you petrified. Be pro-active and look, then choose and participate in action whether alone with a martial arts training machine or go to a dojo. Life is not scarey but maybe your lack of skill, self confidence and personal competance is making you afraid. If you are not liking what you see in the mirror, afraid to go down a dark street, scared of a potential confrontation then train now. Be pro-active and look, then choose and participate in action whether alone with a martial arts training machine or go to a dojo. We cant all be Bruce Lee but you also dont want to be an emotional and physical punching bag do you?

THE TRAINING ANSWER The Martialarm is the only martial arts training dummy that bequeaths you consummate realism in all your martial arts training in kung fu, karate, krav maga, jeet kune do, tae kwon do, kempo and more. The martialarm is unlike similar training dummies: The wooden dummy has been used for centuries as a solo training machine. In contemporary years, they’ve been provided accessible in different materials as well as synthetic. But still they all have one item in general:

They dont swing and they’re all static. The wooden dummy frequently costs hundreds of dollars but is still only produced to absorb your blows and step up your precision moves. It doesn’t react to your attacks akin to a factual partner can. So although you get apt repetition training, which is acceptable for accomplishing the basics down, it may well be difficult to use and will get dreary so quickly.

Why A little Martial Artists Improve Faster Than Others As martial artists, we all recognize this. Your martial arts instructor probably hammers the point home in practice every day. Alas, there are only so so many classes in a week and this can stunt your learning and headway.

You want to improve – swift. And you’re keen put in your time with home training. But solo training can only take you so far due to the fact it lacks the interaction that only a assistant can award.

[themusicenthusiast]

Album Review: ‘Asking Alexandria’ by Asking Alexandria

More than just a band, Asking Alexandria has been a perpetually evolving collective, something that has arguably made them one of the biggest powerhouse acts of the modern music era. Few bands can say they’ve embraced change as strongly as they have, the members of Asking Alexandria keeping everything fluid as they matured and progressed, expanding upon their core sound with each album they released. And in the process, they asserted more dominance and became a more powerful – and chart-topping - figure. Of course, such success usually comes with its fair share of hardships; and everyone, even those just somewhat familiar with the group, know of Danny Worsnop’s departure from and subsequent (and somewhat surprising) reconciliation with Asking Alexandria. As jarring as it was for fans and even the musicians themselves, perhaps that split was the best thing that could have happened to Asking Alexandria. Perhaps those paths needed to diverge for a time in order for Ben Bruce, James Cassells, Cameron Liddell and Sam Bettley and Worsnop to all experience a different journey, one where they could pursue what they needed to in that moment before reconvening with a new-found respect and appreciation for what they had together. Their fifth studio album (released via Sumerian Records) – aptly self-titled – that was released in the final weeks of 2017 would seem to suggest as much. Asking Alexandria’s most encompassing work to date, it covers a staggering amount of ground, at times honoring where they came from, while also capturing its full potential and using it to usher in a bold new era, revitalizing things for years to come.

One of the greatest attributes that some of the songs possess is how introspective they are, something demonstrated right off the bat with the lead song, “Alone in a Room”. It begins Asking Alexandria in such epic fashion; the opening line, “I've been away a little while…” being so much more when taken out of context, such as a slick way for Worsnop to address his absence. That’s just scratching the surface of the full magnitude of “Alone in a Room”, though. The track details a person losing themselves, devising different coping mechanisms as a means to just get by and the dependencies that follow. It’s about confronting those demons along with one’s own faults and shortcomings, doing one of the hardest things possible: having a personal reckoning. “…All I needed was the last thing I wanted: to be alone in a room. Alone in a room,” ends each chorus, the reservations and even fear ever present as Worsnop snarls and sings. A full throttle alt-rock song, it’s a far cry from the bands point of origin, but is no less exhilarating. In its own right it’s even a heavy, aggressive song; Cassells hammering out some robust beats when it moves away from the melodic moments. An incredible introduction to this latest chapter in the saga that is Asking Alexandria, that lead track gets the album off to a sensational start. Initially released as the second single from the record, “Where Did it Go?” stands as one of, if not the strongest offering from this fifth album. A cutting-edge song, it sounds fresh and completely new, further demonstrating the versatility that Bruce, Worsnop, Cassells, Liddell and Bettley are capable of. The ebb and flow of it is brilliant, literally going from one extreme to another as the track utilizes some electronic/programming elements, splicing it with the sheer force that hard rock and metal provide. It’s daring and dangerous; the guitars, bass and drums culminating in a thrash-y sound on the choruses, echoing back to their earlier days. It would be remiss to not mention the singing style as well, Worsnop keeping it quite rhythmic, particularly on the verses. It’s nowhere near being a full-blown rap, though it is akin to that. Offbeat as that may sound on paper for Asking Alexandria, it sounds splendid and just hammers home one of the points that the track makes. Rockstar bravado and swagger seeps forth from the song that is an overview of the bands’ career, calling out the copycats and impersonators that have attempted to follow in their footsteps, Asking Alexandria just reaffirming they’re the same groundbreaking outfit they’ve always been. Two of the most surprising numbers on the album come in quick succession, “Under Denver” again breaking a mold. Somewhat ambient at times, the hopeful song that comes across as being about rebuilding and making a better society almost feels like a lullaby. At least that’s the case on the verses, before it gets kicked into high gear, the track still boasting some explosive moments that give it a serious bite. “Vultures”, however, does not. At least not in the traditional sense. The rare acoustic song from the band who is known for everything but, it stands as a phenomenal and gorgeous number that is, arguably, their most impressive piece of work to date. Some subtle percussion ultimately being worked in to give the song more body, it primarily just relies on the acoustic guitars and is guided by an absolutely breathtaking vocal performance from Worsnop. “Vultures” acts as a vessel for him to demonstrate just what he is capable of in terms of the heights he can push his voice to as well as the overwhelming emotion he can pack into his delivery. That’s the most stunning quality about that number. As it delves into the dark side of the music industry, the forces in charge demanding more and more from the people whose careers they are shaping and how empty that can leave a person, you can tell Worsnop is completely and personally invested in it. Packing every fiber of his being into his performance, he makes it honest and raw, fitting with the depiction of someone who has grown so used to doing what is expected of them that they’ve lost sight of who they are as an individual. Channeling anger, sorrow, despair and frustration, “Vultures” stands a definitive point of Asking Alexandria. Coming straight out of left field is “Eve”. Out of the dozen songs that comprise this latest record it is the one with the most prominent ties to their metalcore days. Worsnop may have moved beyond screaming, though it is nice to hear him venture back to it, the guttural way he bellows out the verses having a venomous touch to it; the instruments creating something that’s wildly chaotic in the best possible way. Even then it zigs and zags, throwing some curveballs at the listener as it evolves into a heavy but melodic number, further showcasing how well-rounded Asking Alexandria is aspiring to be. While continuing to forge new ground, they’re not beyond revisiting where they’ve been, and in instances such as this, by combining the various aspects, it yields something else that is totally new. As Asking Alexandria reaches its conclusion, it comes full circle in the most poetic way possible. In a sense it ends where it began, all alone in a room, though “Room 138” finds Worsnop depicting one of the worst days of his life. Still, in a sense it is about confronting the worst aspects of oneself; a period of substance abuse bringing him to the precipice of death before, fortunately and miraculously, getting a second chance. Musically, it’s done in a fashion similar to that of “Eve”, extreme and pulse pounding at times, it hammers home the emotions being depicted, while the chorus, "So, these are the walls that have to hold this moment. I never expected to be here again..." is catchy as can be. Hard rock tinged with metal influences, it also draws on some mainstream sensibilities in regards to the overall appeal, again resulting in something different, while bringing the record to a dynamic finish. In the end, Asking Alexandria finds Asking Alexandria completely redefining what they are. Really, the enthralling listening experience seems to serve as a reintroduction, because this release does act as a new beginning for the now ten-year old project. Bruce, Bettley, Liddell, Cassells and Worsnop all got the time apart that they needed, and as relatively brief as it may have been it allowed them to all grow exponentially and realize what the best course of action would be when moving forward. In a way it was the same as it had always been for them, though this time the reinvention has been much more dramatic, adding significantly to their wheelhouse. It doesn’t even stop there, though. With these dozen songs Asking Alexandria has created something genre bending and on some levels even groundbreaking. Rock, alternative and hard rock. Metal, metalcore and post-hardcore. It’s all represented in one form or another. Let’s not forget the melodic and even acoustic tendencies, nor the electronic contributions, all of which further flesh out this amazing batch of songs. The fact that so many of those styles often exist within the same song is what makes it so fascinating. In theory, the combinations and transitions between such vast spots on the musical spectrum shouldn’t even work, yet they’ve made it all feel so fluid; the record as a whole having a remarkably cohesive vibe. Brimming with energy and filled with some of the most emotional and passionate songs they’ve written to date, Asking Alexandria is a riveting listen from start to finish. It’s one of those rare records you want to listen to all the way through. And when it’s over, you’ll probably give it another spin… or two. Their most creative and invigorating record to date, Asking Alexandria proves these guys continue to be ahead of the curve, implementing ideas that few would have the guts to. It has led to a new gold standard for the band. That’s how, in due time, this album will come to be viewed; their future as a band seeming brighter now than it has ever been. Purchase Asking Alexandria on: iTunes | Google Play | Amazon MP3 Visit Asking Alexandria’s websites: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Dallas Show Info: Friday, February 16th at Gas Monkey Live in Dallas, Texas. All ages. Doors open at 5:30. Music begins at 6:30. Crown The Empire will open, with Black Veil Brides and Asking Alexandria co-headlining. $32.50+ Current Shows: 2018 February 7--The NorVa--Norfolk, VA 8--Terminal 5--New York, NY 9--Rams Head Live--Baltimore, MD 10-- Electric Factory--Philadelphia, PA 12--Tabernacle--Atlanta, GA 13--Marathon Music Works--Nashville, TN 14--Egyptian Room at Old National Centre--Indianapolis, IN 16--Gas Monkey Live--Dallas, TX 17--House Of Blues--Houston, TX 19--El Rey Theater--Albuquerque, NM 20--The Marquee--Tempe, AZ 22--Knitting Factory Concert House--Boise, ID 23--Roseland Theater--Portland, OR 24--Showbox SoDo--Seattle, WA 25--Vogue Theatre--Vancouver, Canada 27--Knitting Factory Concert House--Spokane, WA March 1--The Warfield Theatre--San Francisco, CA 2--House of Blues--Las Vegas, NV April 28--Welcome To Rockville--Jacksonville, FL May 5--Charlotte Motor Speedway--Concord, NC 12--Northern Invasion--Somerset, WI 18--Mapfre Stadium--Columbus, OH June 1--Rock am Ring--Nürburg, Germany 1--Rock Im Park--Nürnberg, Germany 4--TivoliVredenburg--Utrecht, Netherlands 6--Circolo Magnolia--Milano, Italy 7--Greenfield Festival--Interlaken, Switzerland 8--Donington Park--Derby, United Kingdom 12--Melkweg--Amsterdam, Netherlands 14--Pannonia Fields--Nickelsdorf, Austria 14--With Full Force--Gräfenhainichen, Germany 17--Forum Karlin--Prague, Czech Republic 18--Budapest Park--Budapest, Hungary 19--Event Center--Hohenems, Austria 21--Graspop Metal Meeting--Dessel, Belgium 22--Hellfest--Clisson, France 26--Markthalle--Hamburg (Altstadt), Germany 28--Provinssi Festival--Seinäjoki, Finland 30--Vainstream Rockfest--Münster, Germany

[wecappkp]

What to do if someone wants to fight you!

PHYSICAL COMPETANCE

Have you ever seen raw violence or someone getting 'owned'? Just search google for "martial street fights" - "martial owned" Watch those movies and cringe!!!

Kung Fu, Boxing, dancing, balley, incompetance? What will you display to your attacker if that day comes?

People from the Korean Martial Arts School in Calgary, Alberta, Canada do a demonstration.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Can you throw a punch or even stand steady on one leg? can you do a round-house or even give a kick to the knee? Ever heard of a combination, technique or form?

Today we are lazy, probably fat too.. Go look in the mirror and skip for ten minutes, then check your image again and what do you see?

I can judge I am probably half the strength and endurance form 10 years ago, how about you?

MARTIAL KNOWLEDGE

a martial art is defined as - 1 : of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior 2 : relating to an army or to military life 3 : experienced in or inclined to war : WARLIKE

a martial art is defined as: various styles of self-defense, usually weaponless, based on techniques developed in ancient China, India, and Tibet.

The term 'Kung Fu' does not relate to any specific form of martial art, but rather translates as 'talent' or 'aptitude'.

Wu Shu is traditionally the term popularly used to describe the traditional Chinese martial arts, though other descriptions akin to Kuo-shu, Kuo-chi, Chien-shu and Tao-fa have also been used occasionally. (Wu Shu is the term of late used for Chinese martial arts by the People's Republic of China).

If you’ve never studied a martial art, your awareness of them most likely starts at Bruce Lee movies and ends with the stylized theatrics of The Matrix. If that’s the case, you may not realize from what you’ve gleaned onscreen that there are an estimated 200 unique kinds of martial arts, and within these, thousands of different styles. Karate, judo, kung fu, and tae kwon do are among the most popular and well-known of the martial arts in the U.S., but there are numerous others.

Despite the array of martial arts and styles, most of them share common techniques, and so they can be organized into broad categories that facilitate understanding. The primary way of classifying martial arts is by the basic physical technique they use: striking or grappling.

Because karate, judo, kung fu, and tae kwon do have been more prominent than other forms in popular culture, from film to sporting events, many people mistakenly believe that all martial arts are Asian in origin. In fact, diverse cultures throughout history from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East have also given birth to their own martial art forms.

Or a combination of triangles with small circles as can be seen in chinese trapping, wrist locks or Aikido entry and endings.

Do you even know the diffference between kung fu and karate? Do you think wing chun is a chinese dish?

The different styles can even be related to shapes or geometry - squares, triangles and circles.

MARTIAL TRAINING TO LIVE

Training is hard..really hard. The most hard is to get started and its down-hill easy from there. What you need is a martial arts machine - something new and exciting to get you off your fat ass.

Everyone knows someone who knows how to fight - with fists, knives, weapons, guns, tactical, sensless, whatever but START!

Or find a martial arts school in your area.

GO to the local phone book and look up kung fu or karate. Then give them a call, go along or take your kid.

Whats important now is to do something, start with brief excercise, get into stretching, shadow box, then step up and train hard.

ITS DANGEROUS OUT THERE

Its dangerous out there and especially for you..

The enemy may be next door and you dont know it but you got to have the guts too look. What can you really do once you see some violence or get scared or worse because you receive a bashing or king hit - do you hide in your house?

TV today scares the shiit out of many people as it promotes violence and turns the meek yellow and nervous. 

The danger today is maybe not too obvious to you but you better hone your sensors or youll get hit without seeing it coming. 

You know that given a situation to be a hero and stop a crime, terrorism or violence you'll be able to step up or chase after them etc - or maybe you'll cower or be the victim. 

Were are you on the scared meter of life? Are you out there amongst it or a bit of a shy body or house mummys boy? 

CONCLUSION IS ACTION

Life is not scarey but maybe your lack of skill, self confidence and personal competance is making you petrified.

Be pro-active and look, then choose and participate in action whether alone with a martial arts training machine or go to a dojo.

Life is not scarey but maybe your lack of skill, self confidence and personal competance is making you afraid.

If you are not liking what you see in the mirror, afraid to go down a dark street, scared of a potential confrontation then train now.

Be pro-active and look, then choose and participate in action whether alone with a martial arts training machine or go to a dojo.

We cant all be Bruce Lee but you also dont want to be an emotional and physical punching bag do you?

THE TRAINING ANSWER

The Martialarm is the only martial arts training dummy that bequeaths you consummate realism in all your martial arts training in kung fu, karate, krav maga, jeet kune do, tae kwon do, kempo and more.

The martialarm is unlike similar training dummies: The wooden dummy has been used for centuries as a solo training machine. In contemporary years, they've been provided accessible in different materials as well as synthetic. But still they all have one item in general:

They dont swing and they're all static.

The wooden dummy frequently costs hundreds of dollars but is still only produced to absorb your blows and step up your precision moves. It doesn't react to your attacks akin to a factual partner can. So although you get apt repetition training, which is acceptable for accomplishing the basics down, it may well be difficult to use and will get dreary so quickly.

Why A little Martial Artists Improve Faster Than Others

As martial artists, we all recognize this. Your martial arts instructor probably hammers the point home in practice every day. Alas, there are only so so many classes in a week and this can stunt your learning and headway.

You want to improve - swift. And you're keen put in your time with home training. But solo training can only take you so far due to the fact it lacks the interaction that only a assistant can award.

Until Now!