Black River

[Gifted]

"That's fair. And it's always good to have a leg up." Rick nodded. "Yeah, I'd be glad to help teach you how to fight." Maybe he could gather multiple interested students and gain a following. Easy manipulation fodder.

[Raven]

"Great," Colin said, grinning. "I haven't been much of a fighter, I kind of wish I was sometimes."

[Gifted]

"Fighting is a lot of give and take. Someone smaller like you is always going to have a tougher time starting out because your body can take a lot less mistakes, it's really not unusual. Someone bigger like me can afford to screw up early because I've got staying power. The flipside is, when you actually learn how to fight people will be expecting a lot less from you and you'll get to catch them off guard early."

[Raven]

"That's cool," Colin said, grinning. "Like a secret weapon."

[Gifted]

"Yeah, exactly." Rick agreed. "It also helps in powered fights, too. Dodging is the same whether you're dodging a punch or a fireball."

[Raven]

"Dodging isn't too hard though," Colin said.

[Gifted]

"Oh yeah? Wanna test that theory kid?" Rick asked, putting up his fists with a grin.

[Raven]

Colin snorted and put his up to mimic Rick, though it was clear he hardly even grasped the stance. "Sure."

[Gifted]

"Alright. You don't even have to hit back if you don't want, though you're welcome to try. Just don't let me hit you." Rick lunged. He put pressure on Colin right from the start and didn't pull any punches.

[Raven]

Colin jumped backwards and turned into a squirrel, chittering as he started up a tree.

[Gifted]

"Oi, cheating's not allowed." Rick said, and pushed out his shield to cover the tree. He smirked.

[Raven]

Colin reappeared and fell back to the ground, though in human form he was only about a foot off it. "Oof." He scurried around the tree on his hands and knees. "It's not cheating! I just said I was good at dodging." He grinned. "Anyone but you and I could stay in the tree for days!"

[Gifted]

"You'd need to come down and eat. And fat lot of good it does you if the tree gets set on fire." Rick said. "You can't very well throw a punch as a squirrel, either."

[Raven]

"No, but I can hide and get around people, and if it sets fire I can jump to another one. Squirrels find food in trees, I bet it would be fine."

[Gifted]

"You know fire spreads, right?" Rick said. "And if you're in a tree, you're above the fire. You're going to pass out and be an easy capture if you tried that." Rick snorted. As if Colin was the first gifted who thought he could hide in a tree.