"You have a point there, Michael," Derek had never been on the base itself, but of course being from North Carolina, he was able to drive past it a couple of times on his way to visit family and a couple of friends. He wondered what it looked like inside.

A good plan? Oh, y-- aww. Well, Derek thought it was a good plan. Although, his opinion on fighting didn't matter. Michael's opinion mattered. As the other man approached, Derek resisted the urge to flinch and submit to his power and expertise. Derek looked from his arm, to Michael's hand to his face. "Got I-- ah!" Derek did flinch back when Michael acted like he was going to punch him. This guy was going to be the death of him, he could feel it. "...n-noted!" He stammered.

Derek nodded his head every so often at Michael's words. It was important that he listened to him especially since hand to hand combat was usually something that Derek could probably have to participate in especially in doors. He wouldn't be able to be companied by animals everywhere he went. Not even with his meese friend.

"Also noted," Derek sniffed and leaned back. He threw a pretty good punch at Michael's face, stopping an inch before it would connect.

It was clear that Derek was listening. Good. Had the kid not been the Ranger would just go find someone else to work with. It was also clear he was enthusiastic. The Ranger had asked him to hold out his arm like he'd punched. Derek decided to mimic the Ranger and stop short. The Ranger didn't move, he gambled that the kid would not hit him and it paid off.

"When a punch comes in like this y' have a few options. Take it if y' have t', but if y' can see it comin' in time move away. If y' have t' take it, make sure it is the chest or arm, the muscles there can eat a lot of force. If you can avoid it y' have two really good options." The Ranger moved to the inside of Derek's arm and put his hands on it. "Y' can move here and use their momentum t' toss them over y'r shoulder." He tugged on Derek's arm like he was going to throw him. He was showing Derek the form so it wasn't enough to move the kid.

He moved to the outside of Derek's arm. "On this side y' can take control of them." he grabbed Derek's wrist with one hand and the other went to Derek's shoulder, his forearm running down Derek's back so he could apply a lot of force onto the kid. Push down on the shoulder and wrench the wrist up. He rolled Derek's arm a little as he brought the wrist closer to his own face. He only held Derek there a moment before releasing. "From that position y' can maybe get y'r opponent t' submit, or y' can drive them t' the ground an' go on the offensive."


Again the Ranger threw out a punch. "Y'r turn"

The African American mutant nodded his head at each point that Michael made. Derek's eyes stayed trained on his hands as he moved on the inside and outside of his arm. Derek did a mental nod and decided that doing the inside of the arm was better.

That was until he actually felt how painful it could be if he was able to move on the outside of the arm. Derek resisted the urge to wince; he didn't want to give Michael the impression that he was completely weak. Still, throwing someone was something that Derek always wanted to do. Plus, it gave him the opportunity to stomp someone's face down into the ground.

"Got it," Derek nodded his head and shook his hands out. This time when Michael punched out, Derek didn't flinch, instead, he went to the inside of the other man's arm, placed his hands there, and did the exact same motion that Michael did. Looking over his shoulder for approval, Derek spoke, "like this?"

Derek didn’t flinch when the Ranger threw out a punch the second time. Good on him. He also did an excellent job replicating what the Ranger had shown him. That done the kid asked id he’d done it right.

”Exactly like that.” The Ranger said as he brought his arm back. ”Now I want y’ t’ do the same thing but grab my arm as it moves. I’ll start slow.”

The Ranger threw another punch, slowly. He would repeat this his punch moving faster and faster until Derek could catch the punch as it traveled. Once he could catch it he would walk him through the throw.

Derek nodded his head, "yes, sir." He shook his hands loose again and got into the stance that Ranger had told him to get into before; keeping his legs spaced out and his hands up.

When the punch came Derek did a side step to the inside of his arm and grabbed it. Each time Ranger threw a punch, he noticed that it got faster and faster. Derek would alternate between doing the inside and outside of the arm.

Panting, he swiped a bit of sweat from his forehead and smiled, "I'm ready for the throw, Ranger. I think I got it."

As the Ranger lightly tossed punches out Derek practiced grabbing it. The Ranger would rather he tried the same thing over and over until he had it and then changed, but everyone learns there own way. And the kid was still catching it when the Ranger was just shy of throwing a real punch.

Derek then announced he was ready.

”Alright. This time when y’ grab it y’ll have to pivot an’ redirect my strike.” the Ranger demonstrated the the move. ”The idea is to add t’ use my momentum against me. Take it an’ direct it down.”

The Ranger took a fighting stance, waited until Derek looked ready, and threw out a real punch.

Derek nodded his head in understanding and made sure to do just that.

Getting back into his stance, Derek held up his hands and waited for the punch. When it came Derek quickly side stepped, grabbed his inner arm, and did the pivot. He made sure that he didn't break Ranger's arm. With a grunt, he managed to flip the mighty war god over his shoulder.

Gasping, Derek covered his mouth, then looked down Ranger. A wide smile came across his face as his hands dropped to his side.

"I did it!" He offered a hand to his trainer, "that was good! Wow!"

The Ranger’s arm shot forward like a rattlesnake striking. Derek, who knew it was coming, stepped out of the way and after taking hold, flipped the Ranger. The Ranger had not held back and there was more than enough forward momentum for Derek to send the Ranger ass over teakettle.

Thankfully the floor was nice and padded. Landing flat on his back didn’t hurt,

Having successfully flipped the Ranger seemed to have excited the kid. Sure first he had gasped, but he finally resolved that to a grin and announced that he did it.

”Good job, Derek.” The Ranger said accepting Derek’s help up. ”We’ll run that one a few times an’ then we’ll move on t’ when someone grabs y’.”

Not exactly thrilled about being flipped again the Ranger returned to his stance to throw another punch so Derek could flip him again. Then again, then again. Make sure Derek had it down pat.

Each time Ranger's first came sailing to his face, Derek easily flipped him over his shoulder. There were a couple of times that he messed up, but other than that. Derek had it down packed and decided to that he was ready to being on the other side of the fist throwing.

"Alright, Ranger. I think I'm good now," he huffed, putting his hands on top of his head. Although flipping was fun, doing it to a solid guy like Michael was hard and took a lot of energy from Derek. Beads of sweat had made their way down the side of his face and onto his t-shirt, "I got the catchin' an' flippin' part down." He let his hands fall to his side with a soft "slap".

The Ranger ate the mat several times before Derek decided he had the maneuver down. After the last time the Ranger stood up and knocked some dirt off his shirt. "Good job. We'll do some easy stuff so y' can catch y'r breath before we move on t' somethin' else tirin'."

The Ranger grabbed both of Derek's arms at the wrists. "If someone has one hand on a wrist it is not too hard to' get free." He used one hand to point at the thumb of the other. "The thumb is the weak point. Push out toward the thumb. If you try to break free through the finger's y're fightin' the ninety-nine percent of their grip strength."

The Ranger then Started using Derek's hands to smack himself. "Get free." And stop hittin' y'rself.

"Yes, sir," Derek took in a deep breath and rolled his neck around to get it more stressed out. Ranger was teaching him a lot of things that he could certainly learn a thing or two from him. With strength and might at Ranger's beck and Victoria, he was a considerable foe. He didn't know to what extent Ranger's powers were, but he was sure that he could move mountains.

Derek was so much into his train of thought that he jumped when Ranger slapped him with his own hand. "Ah!" He flinched again, "stop that!" Derek tried to keep his hands under control by pushing back on Ranger. Then he remembered what he said and pushed back where the thumb and fingers met and nearly fell backwards.

"...oh, that worked."

Derek seemed unprepared for the Ranger’s schoolyard attack. His initial response was to tell him to stop. The Ranger said, ”Make me.” And he continued to overpower Derek and use his hands against him.

Before long though Derek caught up to what the Ranger had told him. He stopped trying to force his arms free against the Ranger’s grip and broke out where his thumb held. The sudden change from fighting against the Ranger to freedom nearly sent Derek onto his back.

”Did y’ expect it not t’?” Ranger asked. ”If someone has big enough hands it won’t work. If they can wrap their fingers all the way around your wrist y’re sunk. Good thing there’s not many that can.”

Again the Ranger shot his hands out and took hold of Derek’s wrists. ”Again.” They would repeat until Derek could instinctively free himself.

>> ”Did y’ expect it not t’?”

"Not if I was doin' it," Derek answered with a snort, "and yeah, good thin'." He added.

Derek got himself into position and repeated the freeing motion until he got a good handle on it. Ranger was an amazing teacher and would probably go back to him for personal assistance. If he was able to take down someone like him, then Derek would have little to know problem fighting.

After the fifteen release, he huffed and slowly regain his breath, "this may be jumpin' ahead, but how am I supposed to fight someone who...has super strength or is a super solider?" Was Ranger a super solider? "...What're powers anyway?"

After a short while Derek was out of breath. The Ranger let him take a moment to regain it. Derek used the break to ask about fighting a super soldier and what the Ranger’s powers were. ”If y’re fightin’ someone stronger than y’ are then y’ need t’ be better. Against someone with super strength… Might be worth avoidin’ the fight. The best way t’ survive an encounter is t’ not be in one.”

As far as what the Ranger’s power was it might be a little more tell than show. ”I can lift trucks or race them on the highway. I can also see more than visible light, hear above an’ below normal audible frequencies, or boost my lung capacity. I also cain’t do it at will. It just happens. What’s y’r power? Might be a good way t’ work it into t’ supplement traditional self-defense.”

"Right," Derek nodded his head. He understood that at least. Whenever someone was stronger than you -- super humanly so, you avoid close combat.

"..." Derek blinked. "...So you're basically like Sergeant USA? That's crazy," he paused, "in a good way! Only in a good way." He smiled at Ranger before stuffing his hands into his pockets. "My power is pretty simple: I can communicate and influence the behavior of animals. I also have a fox and some sort of moose called a Meese. It's a lot to explain." Derek decided to spar Ranger the details of that very strange evening.