A/N: Completely AU to what will happen in the show for S4E03, I just had a thought and ran with it.

Athena

Sasha stood with Mike, Danny, Burk; the rest of vulture team were sifted through the crowd watching as Tom pummeled a man to near death in the ring before them.

16 months had passed since she'd last seen him, they had kissed, she had spoken to him and demanded he stay and put on his uniform. This is what he was doing. She had thought she was past the anger and heartache she felt when he left but it all came rushing back.

He hadn't sent one damn word to let her know he was ok or even alive. Yet, here he was beating men up for sport. The stadium was a run down old Colosseum; packed to the brim with people cheering on the violence as bread and Nostos tea was handed out to the masses. The fight had finished, it had been brutal and no one cared about the guy being dragged out; no, they just cheered 'Hercules' over and over.

A man, known as Giorgio stepped out into the ring. He was the ring leader of this circus and somehow tied to Omar. It was why they were here. They needed some kind of in, to get close to the man and find a lead on where Omar could be. Giorgio held his arms out and the crowd quietened down. Tom stood a few feet away looking determined to stay in the fight.

"Our hero Hercules wins again," Giorgio told them, there were some cheers before he continued. "But now one of you has a chance to take him on. If you can beat him, you will-" he didn't get to finish as Sasha shouted out.

"I'll take him." Sasha shouted, everyone turned her surprised; including those on vulture team. She handed Mike her rifle and side arm. Mike said nothing but gave her an unsure look as this hadn't been a part of the plan. But she could see an angle to exploit.

"Oh ho, a woman. Are you sure?" Giorgio shouted at her, he smiled with glee as murmurs rippled through the crowd. It must have been a rarity for a woman to volunteer but Sasha didn't care. She moved through the crowd down to the ring.

"Yes, I assume food is the reward for winning?" she asked, Giorgio grinned at her.

"Yes, it is and more." he told her, his tone thick with innuendo.

"I don't fight women." Tom told Giorgio, loud enough for everyone to hear. Sasha wore a bored look as she knew Tom was trying to protect. She didn't understand why given he'd walked away and not called. The no contact really burned her most.

Giorgio didn't look impressed with Tom either as he could see money exchanging hands and the crowds getting restless. He moved in close to Tom and spoke in a sharp annoyed tone.

"If you want to eat and keep sleeping with my sister, then you will do what I say. You will fight her or you can leave." Giorgio told him. Tom pressed his lips into a firm line and stepped back as he had overstepped in trying to protect Sasha. Giorgio looked smug at Tom's submission and turned to Sasha. "So?" he asked her.

"For food, I'm happy to kick some ass." Sasha told him with confidence.

"A mercenary spirit. I love it." Giorgio told her with a grin. "Have you got a name?" he asked.

"Not one I care to share." Sasha remarked coolly as she stripped off her jacket, so she was down to a white singlet and her khaki skinny jeans and boots. Her long dark brown hair loose around her shoulders, she was more breathtaking than Tom could remember.

"Mmm, another Nobody. What are the odds. But it won't do." Giorgio murmured in appreciation as he admired her form. He obviously came up with a name as he stepped away from Sasha. He raised his hands up in the air and the crowd quietened down.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Let's Welcome Athena." He yelled to the crowd as he gestured to Sasha. She lifted her chin in defiance as she stepped into ring. The crowd was bloodthirsty as they had no qualm with a woman stepping into the ring. "So, place your bets and grab your bread. This one is going to be fun." Giorgio said playing to the crowd, he stepped away and went back to his 'throne' and sat down waiting for the fight.

Sasha walked straight towards Tom and stopped a few feet from him. She looked angry and resolute as she waited for him to move. To him, it was wrong. This wasn't right, he couldn't fight her.

"What are you doing here?" Tom said in a low voice as he and Sasha circled one another. He was stalling for more time. She had to be here for a reason other than him. He held up his fists but wasn't eager to fight her. She on the other hand kept her arms down and walked casually- yet he felt like she was stalking like a predator did its prey.

"Why do you care?" she asked him mockingly, anger boiling with in her. It wasn't fair that he be so unaffected by her. That he could just leave with no word and feel like it was acceptable after everything they'd gone through.

"Don't be like this." he told her in a low and slightly pleading tone. But she didn't hear the pleading, she only heard him being patronising as she realised she was that pathetic woman who couldn't let go when the relationship was over. Of course, she had moved on with James, but there had always been a part of her that wanted Tom to come back. But he never did and she followed his instructions with continuing on with the mission and with Mike on the Nathan James.

"You better hit me or the crowd will get restless." She told him dryly as she was running out of patience as she needed to impress Giorgio and didn't want to waste anymore time.

"I don't want to hurt you." He told her, she gave him a dark sardonic smile.

"Too late for that." She told him, she rushed him but he caught her arms and pulled her off her feet; throwing her. She rolled across the dirt. She pushed up and got to her feet, she didn't brush off the dirt as she closed the gap between them. She threw the first punch, but he parried it and out of reflex than control swung connecting a heavy right hook with her face.

She spun from the hit and as soon as her back was to him, she swung an elbow backwards but he caught the arm and lifted her arm over his head and pulled her into a headlock. She gripped his arms, forcing herself to calm down. She knew Tom and watched his form. She knew he was going to try to overpower her with his strength.

"Throw the match." Tom whispered in her ear, Sasha gasped for air as he tightened his hold. He only needed to hold her for a few more seconds and she'd be out for the count. "Please, Sasha." He begged but Sasha's response was an elbow to the gut and then to the face. His grip loosened and she slipped out his hold and turned to face him. She went to kick him but he managed barely to move in time to miss her foot breaking his knee.

Sasha was obviously not here to reunite nor was she not backing down as she came at him again but this time he swung first, but unluckily for him; she stepped out of his swing and yanked him off balance. He stumbled forward and just as he turned to face her; she threw a punch but he managed to parry it away at the last crowd was eating it up as they laid into one another.

Damn, she was fierce and the ground loved it as she used the punch as a distraction and proceeded to kick him in the stomach. He bent forward from the agonizing pain and Sasha delivered a hard punch dropping him to ground.

He blinked, slightly disorientated by how swift and efficient her moves were. She was faster than he remembered. The crowd was cheering and booing so loudly it was hard to concentrate. Sasha stood over him, she flipped her hair out of her face and looked at him with determined expression. Her left cheek was already starting to swell, she had cuts and scrapes that were bleeding; he couldn't help but think 'Athena' suited her.

"Get up." She growled at him, she easily could've knocked him unconscious but hadn't. Like Tom, she obviously knew the fight to be a show but there was a deeply personal edge to it for Sasha. One, he refused to acknowledge as he needed to concentrate. He also needed to win the fight which meant playing dirty.

Tom rose to his feet and the crowd cheered. He truly didn't want to fight her, but she was clearly intent on making him do it. He couldn't lose his position in Giorgio's ranks as he was close to find out what was going on.

"I'm sorr-" he started but Sasha popped him in the nose, He winced as his nose broke from the force and blood dripped down his face but blocked her next few punches, he really underestimated her. So, he went on the offence, they fell into a dance of sorts as they parried, ducked and blocked one another's punches and kicks.

However, it didn't last long as he managed to catch her in a front arm lock. She tried pull out using her legs as leverage and then as weapons as she stomped on his toes but he held her; his strength winning out even if it was momentarily.

"Fight back or am I not worth it?" Sasha asked him through gritted teeth as she somehow unraveled an arm before he could respond, he copped an elbow in the face; not once but twice. He stumbled back and Sasha stood there breathing hard.

"No, this isn't us." Tom told her, giving up the pretense. He came at her full force as he knew he could finish the fight with brute strength as Sasha was running hot on her anger. He threw his punches which she blocked but they were bruising nonetheless. She threw her own back in response but he managed to grab one of her arms. He twisted it around her back and held it taut, with just a few pounds of pressure; he could separate her shoulder joint. "Please, I don't want to hurt you. Tap out." He ordered, she gave a hollow laugh.

"Maybe you give up when things are too tough but I don't." She told him scathingly, she wrenched her arm out of its socket. Tom shocked by her willingness to injure herself to spite him; threw him off balance, the next thing he felt was an elbow to the back of the head. As he fell do the ground the last thing he remembered was Sasha's boot connecting with his face. Everything went black.

The crowd was in an uproar as Tom was knocked out cold. Sasha looked to Giorgio, her heart raw and body aching. She thought she'd feel some catharsis in hurting Tom. At retaliating for the past hurts he'd given her. But it didn't, it only made her feel worse as it reopened wounds she thought had been sealed ages ago. She shut down the thoughts quickly as it was useless to dwell on something that would never change or improve. She also needed to stay focused and not to dwell on the fact that the man she loved was lying unconscious on the ground because of her.

Giorgio smiled as he rose from his chair, he strolled over to her and gestured to her with a satisfied smile. She put on her best smug face as she wasn't supposed to know Tom and she of course won.

"Athena takes down Hercules!" He shouted, the crowd cheered 'Athena' over and over. Sasha looked to Tom who was laying on the ground. She held her dislocated arm, feeling the adrenaline wash out of her. Giorgio applauded her and then leaned in close. "That was more fun than when I brought Nobody home with me. Come, I have a doctor who can fix your arm and take of your other injuries." he told her.

"What about Hercules?" Sasha asked dryly as Tom was now being dragged out of the Arena.

"Oh, don't worry. You will see each other in the ring again." Giorgio told her.

"It was a one time deal for food." Sasha told him, he gave a laugh and shook his head at her.

"Oh no, you're mine now until Hercules wipes the floor with you." Giorgio told her, Sasha quirked an eyebrow as the man really had it wrong. She wasn't a captive, he was the target; she was now going to have unfettered access to his property.