We entered Pops’s classroom for Strike and Subdue. It was a wide chamber enclosed by thick, reinforced stone walls, etched with faint glowing runes that pulsed gently beneath the fae orb light. The faint metallic scent of weapons and chalk hung in the air, merging with the sharp tang of sweat from old training matches.
Racks of practice blades, pole-arms, and other magical melee weapons stood neatly along the edges, beside stacks of weight stations charmed for species-specific resistance training. On the far side, rune-inscribed mats glowed faintly, and I was curious what they were for. Two rows of reinforced desks, five in each, faced the front like the other classrooms. Unlike in Jarvins’s class, here they were bolted to the floor, likely to avoid getting flung across the room.
Pops glanced up from his desk, where he was reviewing a thick scroll. The moment his brown eyes landed on me, they narrowed with immediate suspicion. His sharp features tightened, as if he could already sense I had venom running through me.
“Pops!” I grinned, waving both arms dramatically, drawing the eyes of the entire class. “I missed you!”
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before rubbing his temple. “Rune,” he said, weary but affectionate, “tell me you didn’t drink poison again.”
“Nope!” I chirped, swaying slightly. “Just got bitten by a venomous chaos snake.”
His expression shifted from exasperation to fatherly worry in a heartbeat. He stood, stepping around the desk and guiding me to the frontmost desk with a gentle but firm hand on my back. “Sit. Let me check,” he muttered, already inspecting my pupils and checking the pulse at my wrist. His fingers were warm and calloused from years of combat training. Few supernaturals got calloused hands, especially not phoenixes, but somehow, Pops always had them.
“I’m fine,” I said, pinky-promising him with a wobbly grin. “My magical essence is filledallthe way up.”
He sighed deeply, as if he’d aged a year in the span of two minutes. “You’re going to be the death of me,” he muttered, rising reluctantly and turning to address the rest of the class as they settled into the same seats they’d taken earlier.
“Welcome to Fortitude. This is Strike and Subdue,” he began, his voice low and commanding, carrying easily across the room. It was actually so cool seeing Pops teach. “This course is the backbone of your physical and magical survival. This course trains agents in controlled combat. Specifically designed not to kill, but to neutralize, contain, or escape. Because, sometimes, that’s what the mission requires.” He paced along the front of the room, his words deliberate and his footsteps measured. “This class is not about brute strength. It’s about tactical efficiency. Precision beats power every time. Your goal isn’t to defeat an enemy; it’s to disable them without breakinginterspecies treaties, causing supernatural fallout, or blowing your cover in the middle of a crowded city.”
He let that sit for a moment before continuing. “You’ll learn to regulate instinctual drives and to separate emotional reaction from tactical action. You will train harder than you’ve ever trained before.” His eyes flicked pointedly to me. “That means no more unnecessary poisoning, Rune.”
“I said I was bitten,” I muttered under my breath.
“Intentional venom bites, too,” Pops added.
“It wasn’t intentional. It was an appreciated surprise.” I huffed, crossing my arms.
Zuko raised his hand, casually leaning back in his chair. “Are we allowed to use special powers during combat trials?”
Pops nodded once. “Within reason. This course is as much about control as it is about application. Know your limits. Push them only if you understand the consequences.” He gestured to the rune mats in the center of the room. “Combat here is not about victory. It’s about survival, subdual, and de-escalation. We will cover core disciplines, including combat styles and stance control. It’s hand-to-hand forms adapted for your species. When to move. When to anchor. Vital point neutralization, too. I will show you all the key supernatural pressure points. Techniques for unconsciousness, disorientation, and ethical incapacitation. Magical suppression will be taught. Meaning counter-casting, ward traps, and disruption tactics. That all changes depending on your species. Environmental combat is important, whether it be urban, forest, or magical terrain. You need to learn how to use the battlefield without alerting civilians or triggering local enchantments. Emotional regulation is a given.”
We were all silent, taking all of that in.
“Partner drills begin week three,” Pops continued, stepping back toward the desk. “You’ll be matched by compatibility and conflict that I will decide during the first three weeks of class.”He walked over to the chalkboard and pointed toward the assignments listed on it.
Assignments:
Partnered Subdue Drill (Week 3): Immobilize a resisting opponent within three minutes using non-lethal tactics.
Counter-Magic Sparring (Week 5): Face a magically powered opponent and use suppression or disruption to neutralize them without casting.
Tactical Movement Obstacle Course (Week 6): Navigate a terrain while retrieving or securing a target.
Final Exam Urban Extraction Simulation: Locate and extract a rogue supernatural in a simulated neutral city without inciting panic or exposure.
“When you are in my classroom, you are studying the basics of House of Fortitude,” Pops finished. “Don’t mistake discipline for restriction. Strength without control is chaos. Control without strength is useless. I expect you to master both.”
“Aw, my brother says that.” Slater sighed as if he was trapped in a memory.
Hawk raised his hand halfway. “What happens if we accidentally maim someone?”
“Then the maimed better hope their healing partner is fast,” Pops deadpanned. “If there is no healing partner available, then you better hope the supernatural you’ve maimed can heal on their own.”
Hawk chuckled nervously.
Dimitri raised a hand. “Will we have time to train for cross-species encounters? Will we learn to fight all the different species?”
Pops nodded, a flicker of approval in his eyes. “Absolutely. Supernatural modifiers are part of your survival. You’ll train for transformation shifts, fae magic overloads, bloodlust states, and magic attacks. Starting next week, you’ll rotate through partners to account for all those variables.”
