Codename: Freedom - Book 4 - Chapter 38 part B

Since Kline seemed determined to try out my push ability against different techniques we didn’t spar. Instead, we started on our feet. The materials he was wearing didn’t respond to push to the extent metal and stone-based materials did, but the higher the rank, the more repellent force it created.

He started with the double leg takedown. Sprawling my legs back, I pushed his head down while grabbing an overhook. It was basic takedown defense. Of course, if we were just relying on the strength of our bodies, Kline could easily power through it. To combat that, I could shift to the side in which I had an underhook, but that still left me entangled with him. For now, we were just going slowly through the motions. Improving my own grappling wasn’t the main point. We went through it a few more times when he challenged, “I’m going to use psionics and go full speed. Try to stop me.”

I was ready to use push and my aura to the same level he did.

I knew he was shooting to take my legs. It was something I could fully anticipate. It didn’t matter. As soon as his aura shone orange, I was already a step behind. Trying to sprawl, he already had his hooks in. All I could do was grab and overhook and the back of his head as I landed solid on the mats.

“Again.”

He put me on my back three times before I figured out his timing—and this was with him purposely using an identical approach each time.

How his physique measured up to mine because painfully clear. I was faster than he was, but he was quicker. The distinction was because of our different builds in part. I was tall with a thinner frame. He was short and stalky. There was also a difference in muscle fiber, but it wasn’t as obvious why there was such a difference. We both had a high percentage of high-twitch muscle fibers. I’d even trained against bandits a higher psionic rank than my own which in Freedom and was able to keep up with them. The only thing I could think of was that Kline had both trained for quickness and these exact movements to such an extreme that it put him on a whole different level.

Destiny soon confirmed my theory was likely.

Having confirmed what I already knew, that Kline was the superior fighter in this element, it made things easier.

He surged in for another takedown. I shot up into the air, just out of his reach. It took rank E psionics to give me the thrust necessary to dodge him, and now I was left dangling ten feet in the air. It was a worse position than the one I’d started in. Some Voli bolts would be my go-to attack if I found myself in this position in the future. Even Kline would struggle against my bolts at full power. I honestly wasn’t ready to attack him with such a potent weapon, yet. I knew his internal walls were freakishly powerful, but what if I timed it just right when he wasn’t ready? It was the ability that could one hit a manticore if it landed just right.

As I faltered, Kline was grinning up at me, waiting for me to fall.

I paled as I saw what he planned.

Rank E psionic shielding covered me from head to toe as he ran at me. His giant shoulder flew at my midsection like a cast iron cannonball.

Apotho’s shielding had the same problem as push. Against organic material it was less effective.

He slammed into me before I hit the ground. I felt it, but my psionic shield held. I reached for an overhook. The ground arrived too soon. Apotho helped brace me against the ground, but I still sprawled out and suffered a bit of whiplash.

“I thought—” I started to grumble but his chortle cut me off.

He sat back on his heels as he let himself go. “That worked,” he jeered.

“I just didn’t want to throw a bolt to the top of your head.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. You can do better.”

He was right.

The next time he shot, I gave him a full powered push to the face. He didn’t fly back, but his head jerked hard. If it was anyone else, it might’ve seriously injured them. It was something I could work with.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Kline bellowed. “Again.”

When he started to get the hang of bracing against my push, I gave him a few victorious rounds before changing up the angle. Steering his head to the side didn’t stop him in his tracks, but it was like forcing a charging bull to change directions.

By the end of our session, two hours later, I figured out a strong push was even better to use when he was trying to get a grip on me. It was a little odd at first, but a blast of push from lats or armpit could make his lose his over and underhooks. It was even better when I had my back on the ground and he was trying to control my wrists. His grip could make a gorilla question it’s manhood, but when pushed away before he could even get a hold of me, it meant nothing.

What was really holding me back was my lack of experience. Kline was ecstatic to hear that I wanted to do it again tomorrow.

Before we left, I insisted that he let me use psionic healing on his neck. I didn’t doubt him when he said it was just a little sore, but it wasn’t something I’d let him take chances on.

When I was ready to port out, I just shook my head. Cornelius, Harrison, and Vector were still deep in conversation. Drool was leaning up against Vector where he was sitting against the wall.

“Destiny, how about we get them something to sit on?” I said.

“Good idea,” she replied. A bunch of lounge chairs appeared next to them in a circle.

They waved to me, and I said my farewells.

Porting out of the training sim, I didn’t leave Vanguard, but headed directly to the recovery chamber. I had to admit that my training with Krato, combat parkour with Mara, fighting simulated monsters, and all my physical and psionic training I was doing on my own had been missing something. This was it. Achilles hadn’t been wrong that simulated opponents were superior to training with inconsistent people—even the best of them. But the best training couldn’t build you up and encourage you the way that real people could.

It was like all the elements of my training had finally fallen into place. I had the tools, now I just had to use them.

“Destiny,” I said after sitting down in the middle of the recovery chamber.

“Yes, Major,” she replied, appearing in her holographic form throwing punches and dressed like a boxer.

“What are you doing?”

“Just excited. Whacha need?”

“Pull up the top competitors from competing battalions.”

“Taking Kline’s advice, I see.”

“Yeah. He doesn’t give out advice often, but when he does, he’s usually right. Oh, and scan the list of competitors for those most likely to advance to rank D psionics.”

“I’m on it.”