The Art of War {Jin}

[Ashton Kay]

Thin streams of moonlight shattered the otherwise perfect darkness around them. The trees formed a maze around them, their leaves whispering in the wind as two battle front members worked their way through the darkness. The occasional sound of snapping twigs rang out in the quiet sound, small huffs of breath from the boys followed the disturbed silence. Ashton’s eyes scanned the woods in a smooth pattern, his face holding his normal easy going expression under his black hoodie. Glancing over at Jin, he nodded towards the left, suddenly taking a turn. “The kid said they’ve been training over here.” He explained in a quiet voice.

They were here to investigate a new training area for the prefects. Supposedly, it was to aid the prefects who had issues using their powers indoors. If they could get some eyes on it and determine if the information on it was correct they could confirm to things. First, their source was credible. Second, how the prefects were training so they could counter that and get an upper hand on it. Hopefully, all went well and the area was clear of any prefects. Most should be out on patrol around the school or in bed, so in theory it should go smoothly.

As they continued to walk Ash lifted his hand out of his side, moving it through a particularly well light patch. The moonlight seemed to dance and shift around his fingers as his hand left the space, the light trailing after him. His eyes glowed a dim silver as his secondary power activating as the moon rose higher in the sky. “Kid said there was a clearing just a head… Do you think we can trust him?” Ashton turned to look at Jin, cocking an eyebrow. This was the first time he really talked to the guy, any other time it was just a brief meeting. Calista and Bridget seemed to trust him enough so he was good in Ash’s book.

A moment or two after he asked the question the trees began thinning and the clearing opened up in front of them. It seemed fair average, the grass beat thin in a few places and full of life in others. As Ashton finished up surveying the clearing he felt a kick land in the middle of his back, launching him forward. He was sent sprawling into the middle of the clear where he quickly jumped up and spun around. “I guess that answers that.” He said humorlessly as he looked at a group of prefects lining the edging of the clearing, their intent clear in their arrogant eyes.

“Gotta love old fashioned traps,” a smirk pulled at his lips as he tilted his face towards the sky. He took in the sight of the clouds rolling away from the moon, leaving it to shine brightly down on them. “Gotta love a clear night even more.” He laughed as he looked back towards the group, his eyes glowing a bright silver. “Ready for a little work out?” He called to Jin, fling his arm out towards the group. Large spikes of ice fallowed his movements and shot out to the group. A moment later a beam of moonlight solidified in his hand taking on the appearance of a spear as he shoot forward to attack the group.

[Jin Shidehara]

Jin was tenser than he would have liked. It wasn't the darkness of the forest he and the redheaded boy were slowly making their way through that was doing it; no, in fact shifting shadows and the abundance of cover all around would normally make him feel calmer, more at home. In fact, it was the other boy himself that was the source of Jin's tension. Oh, Cali vouched for him, so did Chandler and half the recruits. Still, Jin hadn't survived as long as he had by putting his trust in anyone but himself; and as much as the Battle Front leadership kept telling him that he had to learn to do so, the young man wasn't in a hurry to comply.

As the two walked, making their way carefully and as silently as possible through the brush, Jin flashed the occasional glance at the boy beside him, trying to at least make some kind of evaluation. He couldn't get much; the boy's face was unwavering, a mask of calm and confidence. In Jin's experience that either meant that he had done this enough times to be sure of himself, or he was just cocky enough to get both of them killed. Either way, he had to turn his attention to the more serious matter at hand. He nodded silently when Ashton looked to him and spoke, indicating the turn ahead, the two quickly changing direction and continuing on. He adjusted the collar on the jet black trench coat that he wore over his equally dark jeans and t-shirt, letting his mind wander back to the debriefing they had been given.

According to reports, there was a training area for prefects here in the forest, specifically for those unable to train indoors. That in itself told Jin two things: One, the prefects had recruits who's powers were volatile, and potentially very dangerous if they couldn't be used safely inside. Two, the group was attempting to extend it's influence further than the school building's boundaries. A prefect presence in the forest spelled trouble for Battle Front. If there was no one there, he fully intended to keep close watch on the area himself for the next week or so to verify if the information had been accurate. If there were, then a little shock and awe was in order, to deter them from returning any time soon. He couldn't help but look up a bit in curiosity, distracted as they walked past a pool of moonlight and Ashton extended his hand, some of the silvery light seeming to almost cling to his hand as he removed it. Jin had seen almost nothing of Ashton's powers, nor what he could do with them in combat except in small doses on the training grounds. But this wouldn't be training, this would be real.

Jin blinked a bit in surprise when Ashton spoke to him again, this time asking his opinion, the boy's eyebrow cocked in curiosity. As much as he was reluctant to speak, he knew he had to at least make an effort to work with the guy, and the curious look he gave was just enough to draw out a response, albeit in hushed tones. "Doesn't matter if we trust the kid, the lead's worth following. Can't pass up the possibility of shutting down-..." He stopped speaking abruptly as the trees suddenly thinned out into a clearing in front of them. Alarm bells immediately went off in Jin's head. The grass was matted and even singed in a few places, signifying that *some* activity had indeed gone down here, and recently. But the lack of actual people in the clearing pointed to what Jin had been afraid of. "Ah...fuck." Just as the words left his lips, he felt a boot hit his back, sending him stumbling into the clearing alongside Ashton.

Immediately Jin was up and moving, his eyes scanning the treetops of the clearing even as Ashton spoke, identifying the ones staying high, likely in hopes of an elevation advantage. As Ashton finished speaking and made his move with, Jin had to admit, an impressive combo of ice and what appeared to be the moonlight itself, Jin sprung into action. Diving backwards and away from the larger group directly in front of he and Ashton, he moved his arms into position, a dull and glowing bow of purple and white energy appearing in one hand, a bright purple arrow of the same stuff appearing in his other. He came up on one knee, turning the bow sideways and setting the arrows he was forming to deal about as much pain as a powerful taser, sighting his targets in the trees and quickly letting off four shots, a grin crossing his face as he was rewarded with the sounds of four shocked and very pained screams, followed by four thuds of bodies hitting the ground. He stood and set another arrow to the bow, sighting another target. "Less talk, more fight!"

[Ashton Kay]

For a moment, Ashton took in the sight of ten prefects in front of them. Four to his left, three to his right, and three straight ahead. He was sure more were coming or were here and hiding. The ones in front of them had confidence radiating off of them- wait maybe one was actually glowing. It hardly mattered now as his mind completely shifted into another mindset. Normally, in training he held back quite a lot since he worked with the new recruits most often. He was only beginning to ease up on that with certain ones, like Camila, or when he sparred with someone like Chandler.

His eyes took in the site of his ice spears pushing back two in the center, causing them to cry out in pain. To further dispatch them he threw his spear at them. Without taking a moment he counted four thuds, he assumed Jin’s doing, to his right. Leaving one front and center, three to the right. A patch of ice formed around the back of the group to the right. In a flowing motion spikes launched out of the patch of ice and into the legs of the three, immobilizing them. Lifting a hand, beams of moonlight followed his will and drove through the center of each of the prefects.

Keeping a dead expression he turned to the one that was supposed to be in the center, finding him already disposed of. Turning back to Jin, “Well, that was ea-“ His words caught in his voice as a new wave quickly approached behind Jin. One moving at a lighting speed. Without thinking he threw his hands up and beam of moonlight shot over Jin’s head and into the body of the prefect, knocking him back into the new row of on comers. “I think someone got their numbers mixed up, twenty against two hardly seems fair. For them at least.” He smirked, wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead.

[Jin Shidehara]

Jin allowed himself a moment to think as the four bodies he had taken down hit the ground, and Ash quickly swept up the rest. He should've known better than to trust the random source. This school was, at its simplest, a battleground. And in the war being waged, the Battlefront were the underdogs. Still, this was a decent chance to thin the ranks of the new Prefects, which could prevent a new crop with potentially dangerous potential. In a roundabout way it was a good thing. Granted the lives being cut short were not a good thing...but Jin had no time to worry about petty morality. This was life and death. He was harshly reminded of this fact as Ash stopped speaking suddenly, all of Jin's alarm bells going off as he spun on his heel just in time to see the prefect who had almost gotten a speed enhanced punch off at the back of his head. He narrowed his eyes, focusing. No time to get distracted.

Jin let himself have a short laugh at Ash's words as the new row of prefects fell backwards as their comrade slammed into them. He felt a fierce grin spread across his face as he let himself sink into a fully battle-ready mindset. "Heh. I almost feel sorry for 'em. Almost." Jin noted the bead of sweat dripping down Ash's forehead. The redheaded boy was plenty strong enough to handle this group on his own, but using both of his major powers at the same time had left him a bit drained. It was Jin's turn to give Ash a moment to get his energy back. He let his eyes drift across the battlefield that was the clearing. Many of the new attackers were still down or dazed from the impact of their comrade, but five were up and moving towards the two of them, one with fire spreading up his arms, another who seemed to be pulling chunks of earth up from the ground to use as projectiles. He cracked his neck. "Game on."

He took off at a sprint towards the five, forming a kunai knife if in either hand as he approached and amping the level of pain inflicted by them to simulate a gunshot wound. These five were going down and staying down. As he reached the group he preemptively spun to the right, a tongue of fire roaring past his cheek as he ended the motion with his arm extended, one of the kunai knives flying straight and true into the throat of the fire-user like a flash. The boy gurgled and clutched at his throat as he went down, his eyes rolling up into the back of his head. Major threat eliminated. The next few moments could almost be described as graceful as Jin leapt into his true element: hand to hand combat.

Spinning under the clumsy hay-maker of one of the recruits he fluidly reached up and grabbed the boy's wrist, twisting until he heard a crack, stabbing the remaining kunai into the inside of his elbow and then spinning into him as if the two were dancing, burying the kunai into his chest and kicking the convulsing body into the earth-user who was just preparing a barrage of rocks. They dropped to the ground as she yelped in surprise, but not before Jin snatched one out of the air, turning and throwing it like a fastball into the face of one of the remaining two. As that one reeled in pain and shock he moved to the other, blocking a couple admittedly well-executed jabs, then kicking the inside of his shin hard enough to break it and putting a rapid-fire series of his own into his chest, abdomen and solar plexus, stabbing the kunai into his neck and then throwing it into the chest of the other, who was just recovering.

He backed away as the rest of the row was getting very close now, ducking several blasts of what seemed to be energy but not forgetting to toss yet another knife into the chest of earth-user, struggling on the ground under her comrade, causing her to cry out and then go limp. He lifted his eyes, counting the remaining prefects. Seven left...three or four strong ones. This should be fun~

[Ashton Kay]

Once Ash had finished dispatching the first wave of prefects he took a minute to catch his breath. While he was constantly practicing with his ice, his lunar power was vastly underdeveloped and this was proving. Running a hand through his hair, he watched Jin practically float across the field, ending the lives of prefects left and right. It would be impressive from anyone’s point of view, and Ash was seriously happy that Jin was on his side. It’s kind of funny, as Ash watched Jin slide into his specialty, he decided he would rather take the twenty on one fight than do a one on one fight with someone like Jin.

In those few moments where Ash was taking in the scene the sweat dried from his forehead and he could feel his energy slowly returning. Perhaps that was due to the clouds rolling away from the moon and letting her lovely and power filling light shine down on him, but who cares? He’d take it either way. Taking a breath, Ash dashed forward, one hand out in front of him with a solid strip of ice taking form under his feet. Raising his hand the ice followed, creating a ramp that he used to launch himself over the heads of the prefect with a slightly lunar enhanced kick. Once he was directly overhead he flipped forward, ice needles raining down on the crowd from above.

The minute those crystals hit any surface of flesh they’d expand under the surface, tearing through muscle and breaking skin, and if they were left in long enough could completely immobilize that section of the body. A small smile light up his face as he heard the cries as the first few crystals made their mark. Along the other side of the field, he created a spiral of ice under his feet, sliding down it like he was a child in a playground. He came to a stop, his eyes spotting Jin through the mess of prefects. They may have been separated but containing the group would be a tad easier now, at least they couldn’t run away like the weasels they were.

Not pausing in his momentum, Ash dropped to one knee to brace for his next attack. Pulling both hands together a large ball of silver energy started to build. “Jin move!” He called, as he released the energy. Several tendrils of energy launched forward, wiping in and out of the prefects. The energy would burn their skin for those who didn’t throw up a shield or spin out of the way right away. After a minute the light died down, revealing only three prefects still standing. The three weaker ones hadn’t been able to build up a defense in time, and one simply couldn’t handle the onslaught of the continuous light.

Panting a bit Ash stood up, “You good?” he called out, the silver light that had one consumed his eyes dying down as he looked for Jin. However, he should have known better than to look away from the three prefects staggering to their feet. A second too late he felt a heavy force connect with his shoulder, throwing him backwards onto the ground. A rather large prefect had rammed into him, pinning him to the forest floor. ‘Dammit,’ He thought as the prefect’s fist connected with Ash’s face, he could already feel his lip splitting. Ash tried to throw up his hands, a thick ice shield building around the most fragile parts of his body but he wasn’t sure if the shield be quick enough.