fandomhigh | Introduction to Personal Weaponry [Monday, second period]

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weaponry

Introduction to Personal Weaponry [Monday, second period]

The Danger Shop, perhaps disappointingly, looked like a classroom today. Though the big pile of random-looking crap on the floor was new. Chair legs, a couple of complete stools, hockey sticks, two-by-fours, baseball bats, some lead pipes, and a number of things most people actually considered weapons, ~~all of it moddable~~.

"Today we're talking about sticks. And, well, all the things that work pretty much the same way." Max grabbed a six-foot staff from the pile seemingly at random.

"A stick does a couple of things for you. It gives you extra weight, it gives you extra reach, and it gives you something that you can hit harder with without breaking bits of yourself in the process." Max swung the stick in a wide arc to demonstrate.

"All of this translates into hitting harder and breaking things better. You can also take a hit on a stick that you'd never be able to take on, say, your arm." This time Max swung the stick into his desk. Sure it wasn't real, but the sound as the top of the desk cracked and the stick snapped in two was plenty impressive.

"Last week I showed you how a roll of coins can become a weapon, enhancing whatever fighting abilities you already have. Sticks are similar because most things can be used to add weight and reach to what you already have." He gestured at the pile.

"You'll have to adjust slightly to each item to get a feel for how you can use it to your advantage, and that's what you'll be doing today. Everyone pick something from the pile, then pair off and figure things out. You can just discuss technique or strategy, or you can take a few swings."

His eyes narrowed. "I'll be watching, so everyone be careful. There may be safeguards in place here, but that's no excuse to get sloppy about things. So don't even think about goofing around."

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"I'd feel kind of weird taking swings at somebody here in the classroom anyhow," Zack admitted, resting his stick on his shoulder. "And anyhow, this is way lighter than any weapon I'm used to. It would probably be hard for me to check myself against somebody else."

... Someday, he'd learn the fine art of picking and choosing words that didn't make it sound like he was bragging when he was stating plain and simple truth. Today was apparently not that day.

Alex snickered and thumped the cane against the ground a few times, testing to see how much weight it could take.

"I've got a pretty hard head anyway," he said, shrugging, "so even if we were knocking each other around, I wouldn't go down easily. High pain tolerance."

And Zack, being Zack, was going to take Alex at his word with a grin and a nod.

"Do you get into fights with stuff like this very often, then?"

"Nah," he said and gave the stick a few swings. "I usually go with fists. Or beer bottles. I'm not real disciplined. I just brawl. Improvise and stuff."

Zack contemplated that answer for a moment, and then he shrugged and nodded some more. It was a nodding extravaganza today!

"Hey, you use what works, right? I know I wouldn't want to have a beer bottle swinging in my face, either."

"It's not something I do often," he said, shrugging a shoulder. "I'm just not typically in the middle of wars or battles or stuff. I just get into fights with assholes."

Or his father.

Sometimes, that was the same thing, wasn't it?

"When I fight, it's kind of because I do it for a living," Zack replied, shrugging and giving the hockey stick an experimental swing, just to try to get a feel for how light it was. "But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't kind of like a hobby, too. It keeps me doing things, you know?"

"Military?" Alex guessed. "Or law enforcement or something?"

"Military," Zack confirmed, nodding a little. "Mostly doing solo work for the government back home. Uh... when they have work for me to do, anyhow."

There hadn't been so much of that lately, it seemed. It was making him antsy.

"It comes in handy when the dangerous stuff comes stampeding along through here, at least."

"You often use a hockey stick?" he wondered, reaching over to clink his cane against that hockey stick easily.

"Not unless I'm playing hockey," laughed Zack. "And I'm pretty terrible at hockey, honestly. I just can't figure out the skates."

Jungle kid. Skates and rainforest didn't get along too well.

"Usually, I'm using a sword. But I could probably get along with a hockey stick if it was all I had on hand."

"Sword, huh?" Well, that was definitely something he'd never used before. "Like a fencing sword?"

And that was a good way to get Zack to wrinkle his nose a little, Alex.

"What? No, those aren't really practical when you're going up against guys with grenades and rifles." Because, you know, there was totally a practical sort of sword to arm yourself with when you were facing off against guys with grenades and rifles. "I used a longsword, for the past couple of years. SOLDIER issue. But the one I use now is a bit bigger than that."

With his free hand, he demonstrated just how tall the Buster Sword was by holding it off the ground, and then with both hands, he was going to indicate just how wide it was.

... That part was possibly something like bragging, yes.

"Sorry, I'm not real up to date on swords. I've seen fencing on television and took a guess," Alex said, chuckling a bit. "But yeah, what you just described sounds like a Big Ass Sword for lack of a better term. Probably more effective than a dinky fencing sword."

"Waaay more," Zack laughed. "I usually just make contact with the dull edge of the sword, though. So it's not too much different from swinging around a hockey stick. Just a lot heavier. More awkward to work with, for that matter."

"I think I'll leave the swords to those that like them," he said. He was not a sword guy. Fists and maybe some smaller weapons but swords were too unwieldy for him. "Haven't found anything you like as much?"

"Not really," Zack admitted, shrugging. "I sparred against Arthur with a beach umbrella once. That was kind of fun, but I totally lost."

Because the umbrella had opened. And then he'd started to laugh like an idiot before being pummelled into the ground with a broomstick, if he recalled correctly.

"I'm no good with guns at all, but I guess those brass knuckles from last week were kind of neat."

"I'm not real high on guns either," he agreed, swinging the cane back and forth before he leaned against it. "I'll use 'em but I'd rather not run the risk of shooting myself in the foot."

"Ow," Zack informed Alex, very eloquently. "Yeah, that's something that's defintiely to be avoided, trust me."

Not that Zack had ever shot himself anywhere, no. But he'd been punched through with enough bullets over the past few years to know that it was an experience better missed.

"Sticks are way safer."

"I don't know if I'd use a cane if I had my choice but it'd do a pinch," he decided, tapping it against the back of his leg. "I think I'd prefer the hockey stick."

"Made to be swung around at things," Zack agreed, holding it out to Alex with a grin. "Wanna give it a try?"

"Yeah, why not?" Alex decided, nodding. His shoulder felt up to it. "Point of the class, right?"

"If you can't swing around a hockey stick at things here, you can't do it anywhere," replied Zack, in his closest approximation to a solemn tone. "Except for maybe during a hockey game..."

Curse those technicalities.

"Maybe give it a good whack against a desk or something, and see how it holds up?"

"Good idea," Alex said, sidling up to a desk and giving it a few taps with the cane before he reared back and slammed the cane down on the desk. To the cane's benefit, it held together save for several cracks in the wood.

"Not bad," he said, nodding. "I thought it'd come apart."

"Way more solid than I was expecting," Zack admitted, tilting his head at the cane before giving the hockey stick a contemplative sort of glance. And then, a grin crossing his lips, he swing it, good and hard, at the desk as well.

The hockey stick broke clean in two, with a small shower of splinters for good measure.

"... Oops."

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