Shadow's Dance (old)

Chapter 32: Training to Action

The sun started to crack through the transparent window, it felt like an eternity since it gave its light on the earth's surface. Jane sluggishly got up to put on her gloves and shoes from her suit on top of a different tank top and harem pants. Opening her door everything was empty.

"Must've gone on a mission or to get breakfast." She mumbled to herself as Jane made her way to the AMONG room.

Her steps echoed the hallways and the oil in her hair made it stick to her head just enough to see the tips of her horn. A bloody curse that prevented her to have a normal job. She couldn't continue to reverse time on her body, eventually consequences would happen. It was like bringing back the dead, it never ended well. She felt alone in the solitude of the gigantic building. Patchwork and Herring both left before they got back from last night so it was hard to tell how everything was going on their side.

Jane's cough gradually had gotten worse, her own raspy breath was caused by the blood in her system attacking vital organs. The different cells was caused by over using the mark by just coating herself in it but not expel any energy. After all she didn't have a safety net to fall back on when the seal was rejected. Along with the trauma caused from last night her temporary reversal had worn off hours ago.

The pain meant she was still kicking. She still had something in her that kept her heart beating . It wasn't a time to stop and rest but rather a time to push further. Each swing of her fist meant that she was resilient. Her arms burned with emotions she no longer knew the names of. Inside she felt hollow and alone just like the staircase she was on. Every step echoed into sound that vibrated the air.

Why was she even doing this? No one cared to see the whole picture anyway. Having meaningless conversation instead of taking action and deciding meant the difference of thousands of lives. The cruelty that everyone, even her, showed towards one another was unique damage.

Peaking out of her gloves was glowing skin.

Moon refused to accept it but if she killed whomever Nick had under his wing then it would increase her chances. Of corse that means risking even more for a possibility. The only way to improve was brute force.

"Simulation city, fast attacks, increase strategy and weight." Jane said as the white room shifted itself to the requests.

Standing in the middle she slowly raised her hands. Each breath felt like thousands of daggers attacking soft tissue under her ribs. It made her blood rush with focus as something dragged against the floor. It was a simulated black night in the vast, never ending city. A tall creature that resembled Patchwork could be seen through the mist. As it got closer it's hiss passed through rows of teeth and suddenly an arm came out to grab her.

It's arm was solid and fleshy. The claws were nightmarishly long narrowly missed her. Appearing behind it to swing a leg Jane found the thing digging itself into her leg. Burrowing its claws into tender mussels her arm blasted a hole into its head. Falling limp it simply disappeared.

She could hear chains scraping the asphalt just as two strands reached for her. Coiling themselves around her forearms Jane grabbed onto them and twisted them before yanking back hard. Her eyes were alive with anger and rage as a thin shadow rushed toward her. Coming in faster than expected the simulation collided with her chest, knocking her down. Coughing Jane hastily got up to get kicked in the face and slammed into a fake building. Blood made it way up to her mouth. A smile crept onto her smile as it chocked her with the two chains. Pulling hard again on them she collided with its head before wrapping the changes around her enemy's neck and yanking hard enough to hear a small snap.

Couching hand Jane took a moment to rub the choke marks around her own neck. Swallowing and tired she stared once again into the mist.

"Again." She said. "Until it's perfect. I won't stop till it's over, won't stop to surrender."

Her movements seemed more precise and loose with each opponent. All she wanted was improvement and results. This room gave her the opportunity to create the same situation that she saw with Nick and her. With each opponent she got closer to creating that. The room needed data thus she gave it. Nick knee every detail, her style, past wounds, favoritisms, people she cared about, and how she reacted to stuff. With analysis AMONG would be able to not only change her style but also improve greatly compared to limited data it had on Nick.

Hours passed before someone had come in.

"Jane?" Mae said curious about the set up.

She was gripping the fists of a buff looking black simulated opponent. Jane had bruises all along her body and a couple of small cuts. An long exhale before releasing and the room turned white. Blood speckled everywhere as Jane caught her breath.

"Heard you had a fall out with Moonshine." She wrapped her arms in a white gauze . "Is that why you're here instead of sleeping ?"

"Am I not allowed to be outside once in a while?" Jane peeled off her gloves from her hands. "No, it's because of last night."

"Look like you could use some rest among other things." Mae commented under her breath. "So, what has you all worked up?"

"It's nothing that you need to worry about." Jane mumbles and avoided looking at Mae while she picked at the gloves.

"Is it just Phantom that you two argued about or is it something worse?" Mae slowly crept closer.

Jane sounded almost aggravated. "This entire thing makes me feel like I'm about to fall, burst into flames, or become heartless." There was a certain wince at the last word. "What do I even do if we win?" She looked at Mae with a hint of fear in her eyes.