He thought he was pretty tough. But, I made sure that he knew he still had a lot to learn.

[ too bad he hadn't changed that much when he'd run into him as an adult, here. as for his question... ]

Someone who wants to kill you.

[ but he listens to the kid's protestations, looking slightly amused. ]

It's just like any muscle. You have to learn to work with it slowly. You're what, twelve, thirteen? I pulled more than a few muscles back when I was your age, and I'm still fine. The man who raised me wasn't exactly the gentle type, either. Trust me, sometimes, mothers don't always give the best advice.

[ like the time his mom said the greatest sin was having personal feelings for your comrades. he just... ignored that. ]