Yassen led him to the opposite side that the rest were. So, he wasn't going to train with the others. Alex didn't know if he liked that or not especially since the guy that tried to beat him up was looking at him with a smug grin on his face, Alex decided to call him smug face, he was probably waiting for the chance to have a go at Alex one more time.

On the other hand if he wasn't sparing with the others that meant he was fighting with Yassen, something that he wasn't looking forward, he just hoped that he will go easy on him and won't break him any bones.

"Get on the mats and stretch" Yassen said before turning his back entering a room.

Alex took out his shoes entering the mats. The last time that Alex had trained had been on a martial arts school, an actual school, not this. The last time had been all about self-defence, something that Ian had always invested in him. Since he could remember he has taken that classes until he was finally a black belt. He could still remember Ian's proud face when he passed the belt test, receiving his black one, after that they spent the entire evening together, it was a fond memory.

But now it wasn't about self-defence, but apparently Ian's intention wasn't purely on self-defence either, so what difference did it make. 'A lot' Alex thought in the back of his mind.

He cleared his mind focusing on stretching his muscles while observing the class going on in the other side of the room. They were all extremely focused, they were in pairs fighting each other like their life dependent on that. All the while the teacher was going around them correcting something's and giving tips.

Alex shuddered, if Yassen decided to fight like that with him, he won't be walking out of there.

Just then Yassen arrived carrying some punching and kicking pads. Alex's breath out, at least he wasn't starting with punching the soul out of Alex.

"You're done?" Alex wasn't but he nodded either way

Gregorovich approach him handing some cotton tape to wrap his hands "put this on" Alex quickly wrapped his hands careful to have all the correct spots covered.

"Let's get started then" Yassen said when he was done, putting a punching pad in both of his hands.

"shouldn't I change like them" Alex interrupted before they could begin directing his look to the class on the other side where all of them were dressed in the traditional GUI, while Alex was still dressed in a shirt, the jacket already discarded in the bench nearby.

"In a fight you won't be dressed like that" Yassen pointed out. That was true, but then he didn't understand why Yassen didn't follow what seemed to be the teaching style, or why the others were still hanging on to that technical part.

"I won't be getting the chance to stretch either, or have this" Alex retorted lifting a hand

"you won't, but for now there isn't the need for you to be more sore than you need to be. It will affect your training. That won't affect your training, it will only waste time"

Once again Gregorovich raised his arms, getting in position. "We will start simple, I want to see where you are, before we advance"

"I'm a black belt, I already know how to fight" Alex informed hoping to skip this whole thing and spare a beating.

"I know that, but you still have a lot to learn. A black belt wasn't enough to beat Damian Cray" once again Yassen put himself into position "now begin"

He already concluded that there was not getting away from this. He copied Yassen, he parted his feat centring his body so that he had a strong stance.

He threw his left fist, meeting the pad as Yassen brought it forward, following his right and repeat.

He did for a while until he got bored, he suddenly got an idea and tried to surprise Yassen throwing a kick which unfortunately Yassen catches as easily as he caught the punches.

After that Alex tried to be as unpredictable as he could, throwing kicks and punches in a random sequence, while the assassin caught them all with ease.

If anyone were to watch it seemed like they had previously agreed and trained the sequence, but Alex knew that wasn't the case, not even close.

For Alex, it was almost as Yassen was mocking him, especially when he blocked all that Alex threw at him while still giving tips.

"Quicker" he had said when he threw a punch and try to surprise him with a kick after that.

"Harder" he ordered when he threw a fist

"rotate your back leg"

"I know that" Alex almost shouted

"then why aren't you doing it"

Alex was getting frustrated, he wasn't supposed to manage to hit Yassen, that wasn't the point of the exercise, hence the pads that were attached to Yassen. But Alex was trying to catch him unguarded, and 'accidentally' punch the assassin.

All that could be heard was the sound of flesh hitting the pads, and the deep exhales from Alex. It was all he could focus, he didn't hear anything more, the only thing he saw was Yassen in front of him. He didn't even know if the other class was still there.

After a while Yassen took a step back lowering his arms. It was over. Alex straightens up lowering his defence.

"The objective wasn't trying to hit me, little Alex" Yassen said as if he found amusing Alex try and failure

"I wasn't trying to" he responded still breathing hard.

"Right. Well, you have to work on some things but overall, you're not bad." Yassen stated "drink water before we continue" he trusted a cold water bottle in Alex hands.

He opens the bottle taking a few refreshing gulps of the cold beverage, until then he didn't even realize his throat was dry, so the cold felling was welcomed.

When he was done, Yassen had already returned although this time he had his hands wrapped. 'Shit' Alex thought, he was screwed.

"You're done?" he asked. Alex was tempted to say no, but he has already drank the whole small bottle was empty.

He put the bottle down, nodding slightly "this time try to land a hit on me" it was the only warning Alex got he watched the assassin get in position.

He understood the message, and once again prepared himself. He clenched his fists hard feeling the cloth tighten around his skin.

Alex had taken down guys bigger than Yassen, all of them had undervalued him and that had cost them in a fight. Yassen on the other hand was a trained assassin, one that knew what Alex could do. Out of all people Yassen would be the one to not undervalue him.

All that time neither of them had attacked, Yassen was waiting for Alex to make the first move, but the boy seemed to have his head in other places.

The assassin got tired of waiting. Alex didn't even see it coming, suddenly Yassen lunched forward one hand pushing his left shoulder back and a leg swiped down his feet. He was on the mat. It was a simple Judo move, something that Alex shouldn't have been beaten with.

"Focus Alex" Yassen said when Alex got up.

This time Alex didn't wait, Gregorovich wasn't even in position when he attacked trying to catch him unguarded. But the assassin wasn't even fazed he simply stepped aside pushing Alex hand forward causing him to lose his balance.

"Good, but you have to be faster" he said.

Alex turned around to face him once again. The next minutes were the same, Alex failing to get a hit on the assassin and falling down countless times. After a while, Yassen move to attack him causing to Alex block his moves

"create an opportunity" Gregorovich said as Alex blocked a punch.

That was a bit complicated when Alex was focused on not getting hit, Yassen was too quick for Alex to explore his open spots.

"Be unpredictable. You're only using textbooks moves"

Right, like that was easy, to be honest Alex didn't even know what he meant.

Alex barely manages to graze Yassen when he once again was thrown to the ground.

"Come on" Alex said feeling frustrated. He had spent the all morning falling to the ground.

Gregorovich took pity on him "five minutes brake"

He stayed there sitting on the mat for a moment when he remembered the other occupants, he turned to look at the other class. They had moved on, on their exercise and now only two of them were fighting the rest stood to the side watching. It was a demonstration, he realized, while the two were fighting the rest were learning from their mistakes that the teacher was pointing out.

All of them seemed focused on the fight and the tips the man was giving. All except one, the smug face, he was looking at Alex looking as smug as ever. He probably had seen Alex fail to get a hit and falling countless times to the ground

Alex didn't get why he looked so proud of himself when he probably wouldn't be able to get a hit on Yassen. Especially since he was so careless in the cafeteria, creating an opportunity for Alex to get a hit on him.

Felling annoyed of the man, Alex decided to give him something to get irritated. Slowly he raised his right hand lifting his middle finger, smiling mockingly to the guy.

Smug face on the other hand, didn't seem too pleased, in fact his face was getting red from rage.

Alex didn't get it, here was a grown man someone that was training to be a Scorpia operative letting himself get riled up from a simple gesture.

In fact the man even start walking in his direction interrupting the class.

"Scott, where do you think you're going" the teacher shouted, suddenly everyone stops to look at smug face, who actual name was Scott, Alex prefer his to be honest it fit him better.

"I'm going to teach that brat a lesson" he yelled pointing a finger at Alex. That had Yassen attention who until now was focused with something on his phone. "What did you do?" Yassen asked quietly

"Nothing, I just showed him my hand" Alex responded smiling innocently receiving a knowing look from Yassen.

He turned his attention to the other side

"Go back to your spot, and focus on your class" the man yelled clearly annoyed with his student.

"When I catch you, you will get it" Scott threatened Alex turning back to his original spot

"Follow me" Yassen told him, starting to walk towards the other class. Alex curiously followed Yassen

When the teacher saw them coming to their direction he immediately apologized "I'm sorry Mr. Gregorovich I will make sure my students won't disturb your lesson again" the man said formally to Yassen, the complete opposite he saw at breakfast

"Actually, it will do good for Alex to have a more levelled opponent"

"What?" Alex exclaimed; he wasn't doing what he was doing, was he?

The teacher smirked appearing to understand what Yassen meant.

"Scott, on the mat" the teacher yelled.

Yassen turned to him gesturing with his head for him to do the same. Smug face was smirking from where he was standing already understand where this was going

"you can't be serious" Alex groaned.

"Remember what I said, Alex" it was all Yassen said.

Alex sighed walking to his position in front of smug face. The guy was a head taller than him and no doubly stronger than him, judging by his buff structure.

"The princess doesn't want to hurt his little hands" Scott mocked him looking at his wrapped hands. Only then Alex realized that his weren't nor were any of the other wrapped, he guessed only him had that privilege.

"No, I don't want to get them dirty with your makeup" Alex replied to rile him up even more

"less talk boys" the teacher said

Scott didn't wait any more throwing a careless punch towards Alex face. The man was angry, and that was exactly what Alex had pretended, if he was angry he was careless.

Alex easily avoided using the same defence Yassen had to use on him.

He stepped to the side pushing the incoming hand forward making him trip.

Of course smug face didn't appreciate turning to him his face even redder Alex wondered if he was going to explode.

Maybe angering him hadn't been the best bet considering that Scott started to throw punches and kicks left, and right Alex was finding it hard to block all of them that he couldn't land a hit. One kick Alex wasn't able to block landing right on his stomach making him double over, thankfully he manages to recover fast enough to block another punch heading right toward his face.

Alex had to finish the fight he knew he wouldn't be able to block all moves, he tried to find an open spot on his opponent, and then he saw it remember what Yassen had said 'you're only using textbook moves' that's right, he wasn't in his class, he didn't have to play by the rules, rules didn't apply here.

Faster than anyone could see Alex as hard as he could kick smug face groin.

Alex heard the collecting groans of the guys in the class all of them appearing to have felt the pain of smug face, who wasn't looking so smug any more. His face went pale as he fell to his knees clutching the targeted spot, Alex hoped he hadn't been planning to have kids.

Finishing the fight Alex threw another kick towards the face, making him fall to his side.

The fight was over. There was silence, smug face classmates appeared shocked that he once again lost a fight against a schoolboy

"well done Alex" the teacher said "someone get ice to Scott here" he had said after

Scott had already sat up, blood was pouring down his nose staining his clothes

"he cheated" the guy said clutching his nose

"I hope you all learned a valuable lesson here, there are no rules in a fight" the teacher said looking pointedly at his fallen student.

Alex went back to Yassen "very good Alex, you listen to my advice" he said to him "now it's time for lunch"