BACKSTORY
Katrina Daniella Vega was born on August 26th, 1985 in Hollywood, California. Her parents were 27-year old Holly Monet-Vega and 31-year old David Vega. Even though her full name was Katrina, they decided to call her "Trina" for short.
She was the Vega's baby girl up until November 11th, 1987. Victoria Marie Vega was born. Since Trina couldn't pronounce "Victoria" yet, they called her "Tori" for short.
Tori and Trina grew up as best friends, they were impossible to separate, always together.
Slowly they started to be less and less close as their personalities developed. They were both pretty athletic, but they were quite different. Trina was quite confident and egotistical and a bit of a tomboy, her sports were Wrestling and Lacrosse. Tori was more quiet, modest, and girly. She had more grace. Her sports were Basketball and Cross Country.
Tori had a boyfriend named Andre and friends, Beck, Jade, Robbie, and her best friend, Cat. Trina had her teammates and her classmates she talked to, but her only actual friend was Tori.
All was not well in the Vega's life. David was an alcoholic. He would abuse Holly, but she stayed with him because she thought it would be better for the kids. Eventually, in 2002 (Tori was a 15 year old high school sophomore, Trina was a 17 year old senior), Holly finally had enough and decided to divorce him. Tori and Trina were allowed to decide whether they wanted to stay with David in Hollywood, or move to Oakland with Holly. Without a moment's hesitation, Trina picked her mother, eager to get away from her alcoholic, abusive father. And of course, she expected Tori, her little sister and only friend, to come with them. But Tori didn't want to leave her friends, and most importantly, she didn't want to leave Andre. Reluctantly, she decided to stay with her father in L.A.,Trina was angry at her father, for causing the divorce and abusing her mother. And she was even more angry at Tori for staying with David, she viewed this as betraying her and her mother.
May 19th, 2002, on Mother's Day, Trina and Holly left to Oakland. Ironically, mother's day would be the last day Tori ever saw her mother.
Tori barely spoke to David at all. She largely ignored his existence. She eventually graduated and went to college, getting her degrees in education and science. While she was in college, she fought in Mixed Martial Arts fights to make money and pay for college.
Meanwhile, Trina had enlisted in the Marines, where she was trained in weaponry and hand to hand combat. She was stationed in Oakland, so she was able to see her mother regularly. Eventually, Holly became very sick. She went to the hospital and had tests done. It was revealed that she had Leukemia. Blood cancer. Trina sat by her bedside, day after day. Trina hadn't spoken to Tori or David or told them about her illness. By the time Tori and David found out about it, she had already died. They had already had her funeral. Tori couldn't believe that Trina didn't tell her at all.
April 4th, 2005 was a lot of important things. It was the day that Trina was sent off to Iraq. Also on that day, Tori and Andre bought a large house in Oakland. Another thing happened on this day, something remarkable. Alcoholic, wife beating, David Vega had become a Born Again Christian. After being shunned by both of his daughters, he was baptized and became deeply involved with the church. And most importantly, he stopped drinking, and lived alone in their old house in Hollywood.
About a year later, Trina's unit/group had been on ground level. American plane's flew ahead, looking for enemies, and saw Trina's unit. Trina and her best friend Kirsten had tried to raise their American flags as quickly as they could, but they weren't quick enough, and they were bombed. Trina narrowly escaped, and Trina's entire unit (including Kirsten) died. After abandoning her unit, she saw another unit of troops drowning in a tank. She ripped the door off of the tank and saved their lives, then kept running. She abandoned the military (which is highly illegal) and disappeared.
Tori had become a Physics teacher at a high school in Oakland. Tori and Andre got engaged in 2011 and ended up taking adopting Andre's baby niece Raven after she was legally taken from her alcoholic mother. Andre had a serious heart problem in 2013. Tori faces the possibility of losing their house due to mortgage re-financing to pay for Andre's open heart surgery. Andre cannot work and Tori isn't making enough to pay the mortgage. Tori comes up with a desperate solution to keep her house and pay for their planned dream wedding in Hawaii.
WARRIOR. CHAPTER 1.
It was about midnight in January. David was driving home from the diner. He had just eaten dinner alone. Again. He pulled up to the house to see a hooded figure wearing a black hoodie, black pants, and black shoes. He got out of the car. The figure looked up. David slowly walked toward it. The person pulled back the hood. It was Trina, wearing a black beanie.
"Trina!" David said. Trina simply nodded. Not even smiling.
"That's what you named me." She replied flatly. Trina's voice used to be loud, confident, and sociable. No it was more cynical, mysterious and quiet.
"What are you doing here?"
"I can't visit my old man while I'm in LA?"
David opened the door, they walked in. Trina went to the living room and David went to the kitchen.
"You never re-married?" Trina asked, looking at the pictures.
"No."
"Guess it's hard to find a girl who can take a punch." Trina said, coldly. David sighed.
Trina pulled a bottle of liquor out of her jacket and tried to hand it to David.
"That's not for me anymore."
"Come on. You haven't seen me in 12 years, you can't have a drink with me?"
"I've been sober for 9 years. I'm a Born Again Christian."
Trina scoffed and rolled her eyes, taking a drink. David got some coffee as Trina continued looking at the pictures. She looked at the picture of herself at a high school wrestling tournament. David was her wrestling coach. She looked at the picture of her and Tori together at Christmas, she looked at the picture of her mother Holly, holding newborn Tori in the hospital.
"Born again Christian?" Trina asked, turning around to him.
"Yes."
"Yeah, and I'm one of the X-Men."
"Trina, I understand you not believing me, but I've changed."
"No, no, don't start this with me. I don't wanna hear 'I'm sorry' this or 'I've changed' that, I don't want to have some sentimental reunion or anything. I haven't forgiven you, and I damn sure haven't forgotten. I just need a place to stay, until I get things figured out. Okay?"
"Your old room is still untouched."
"The couch is just fine." Trina said, sitting down. David sighed again.
"What are you now pops? 73? 74?"
"I'm 58."
"One foot in the grave, huh? Guess you decided to try to make up for your sins or whatever before you actually had to meet the big guy."
David sat silent. Trina had a weird half-smile. David looked into Trina's eyes and still saw the little girl that looked up to him and loved him. That little girl looked different though. She seemed distressed. Changed. Hardened. Like a kid that was told Santa wasn't real at the age of 3.
"See ya tomorrow, maybe." Trina said, going to sleep. David went upstairs.
The next day, a physics class was in session, the class was wearing safety goggles, they were circled around Tori and a girl who was holding a baseball bat.
"Good job Lizzie. Last but not least, Andrew."
The girl handed a bat to boy in the class as Tori picked up the wood block off of the ground a sat it on the table. The boy was about to swing the bat.
"Woah, woah, woah, Andrew." Tori said, grabbing the bat.
"What, Miss V?"
"What are you applying to the bat?"
"Force."
"And what increases along with the force you apply to the bat?"
"Acceleration?"
"And what do you call speed and force together?"
"Something that starts with a V."
"Velocity."
"Yeah, yeah, Velocity."
"And what gets broken apart when you hit the block really really hard?"
"Matter."
Tori handed him the bat back and smiled.
Andrew hit the block 3 times and shattered it as the class cheered on.
"Remind me not to mess with you, Andrew." Tori said, smiling. The class all took off their goggles and went back to their seats.
"Alright, I know you guys just got back from Christmas break and all, but can anyone remind me of Newton's 1st Law of Motion?" Tori asked, writing "Newton's 1st Law of Motion" on the board.
When she turned around to the board, A cheerleader in the back began texting someone. Two other cheerleaders appeared outside of the classroom door, urging her to leave. They stopped when she turned back to the class.
A boy raised his hand.
"Yes, Rico?" Tori asked, turning back around and facing the board to write Rico's answer.
"Every action has an equal but opposite reaction?" He asked.
"Yes. For example. If Amber were to perform the action of continuing texting in my class, my equal but opposite reaction would be sending her and her friends outside to Principal Sharp's office." Tori said without even looking at Amber or the door. She was still writing on the board.
The cheerleaders ran from the door and Amber quickly dropped her phone back into her purse. The class howled in laughter as Tori turned around.
"I put it away Ms. Vega, I promise."
"Thank you." Tori said, turning back to the board.
"Now, Newton's 2nd law."
"Man, how many laws does this dude got?" A boy named Eddie in the front of the class asked. The class giggled.
"Well this DUDE has three. The latter of two, we'll have to go over tomorrow because the bell's about to..."
The bell rung. Everyone left class except Eddie, Rico, Andrew and Lizzie.
"Ms. Vega, I need to stay after to re-take a test next Tuesday." Lizzie said.
"That's fine. I assume Andrew will be coming too?"
"No." Andrew said, looking confused. Tori gasped.
"Oh my god! The lovebirds will be away from each other for more than five minutes!?" Tori asked in fake shock. They all laughed.
"See you tomorrow Ms. V!" Eddie said as they left. Tori erased the board.
"See you guys. Have a good day."
It was day time, Trina had walked into a local fighting gym, minutes away from David's house. There was a television.
"UFC Women's Champion, Raquel "Rocky" Blue, is the first participant to be announced for the 16-woman Sparta tournament in Atlantic City in September!" The announcer said.
Robbie sat at a window in the front. Trina thought she might have recognized him, she thought maybe he could be one of Tori's friends. She didn't know. Or care.
"You own the place?" Trina asked.
"I wish. I just work here. My girlfriend's father owns the place." Robbie said, pointing out Cat, who was punching on a punching bag.
"How does this place work?"
"$35 a month, you get your own locker. Come in anytime you want. Doors open at 7AM, lights go out at 11PM." Robbie handed her the membership form.
"You just have to sign an injury waiver saying we aren't liable for injury, write down your home address, and a phone number where you can be reached."
Trina filled out the form. She had written 'Trina Monet', on the paper. Using her mother's maiden name, she went in. She looked around. There was a huge ring in the middle of the gym where to fighters were sparring. Trina glance in their direction as Robbie led her to the lockers.
Once she picked out a locker and got gloves and equipment, she started punching on a punching bag. Meanwhile, a bald, Hispanic agent stood outside the ring with a bald white guy with tattoos everywhere and a shirt that read "RAQ-STAR". A girl who appeared to be half-black and half-white was in the ring. She was wearing a tank top and gym shorts that also had the "RAQ-STAR" logo on them. The girl was sparring with her third sparring partner of the day, the previous two had gotten hurt. The girl kicked her partner in the stomach and she fell down.
"That's the UFC Women's Champion, Raquel Blue. She's training for the Sparta tournament. " Cat whispered to Trina.
"Another one's hurt?" The agent asked as some gym assistants helped Raquel's partner out of the ring.
"Sparta tournament?" Trina asked.
"Yeah. They're gathering the 16 best female fighters in the world to have a tournament. Winner gets $55,000,000!"
"Sparta." Trina mumbled to herself, watching Raquel closely as she hit her punching bag.
"Aye, Robbie. You call Nora yet?" The agent asked as Raquel turned around to talk to the other bald guy.
"She didn't answer."
"Then call Yvette, get somebody, Rocky's got fifty-five million dollars on the line, she can't waste time standing around. Tell her all of Rocky's sparring partners get $200."
"Hey, I'll fight her." Trina said, walking over to the ring.
"Stay on your bag kid, we don't need anyone else getting hurt." The agent responded.
Trina turned around and started walking toward the bag.
"Yvette is on her way, but she's in San Diego." Robbie said, putting his phone in his pocket. Trina turned around and started walking back to the ring.
"Looks like the champ needs a sparring partner." Trina said, with that half-smile.
"Do you really think you can beat Rocky?" The agent asked. Trina's smiled got wider. Upon hearing her name, Raquel turned around.
"All I'm saying is, I'll keep your girl warmed up for you while you're waiting on the other girl."
The agent looked at Raquel. Raquel looked at Trina then back at her agent.
"You want me to fight her?"
"What's wrong Rocky? Left Mick and Paulie at home?" Trina teased.
Raquel smiled and chuckled. She abruptly stopped and was stone faced.
"Not the first time I've heard that one." Raquel said, turning back around to talk to the tattooed guy again.
"So, is Raq-Star gonna fight or is she gonna waste her time standing around for a few hours?" Trina asked.
Raquel turned back around, now slightly annoyed by Trina.
Then the agent turned to Robbie.
"This girl signed a wavier, right?"
"Yep, it's all good." Robbie said, giving her a thumbs up.
"I got gloves and everything."
"Get her a helmet."
"I don't need a helmet." Trina frowned. Robbie handed her a helmet and she unwillingly put it on.
Everyone cleared the ring, Raquel got in. Trina stood on the outside.
"You get $200. And if you get busted up, it's on you." The agent said. Trina didn't respond or even look at him. She got into the ring.
The tattooed guy rang a bell and the two squared up, moving around the ring. Robbie began filming the fight on his phone.
"So you wanna be a hero, huh?" Raquel asked, muffled by her mouthpiece. Trina didn't respond.
Raquel threw a punch and Trina ducked it.
Trina kicked her in the stomach and knocked her down and halfway across the ring. She quickly jumped to her feet as everyone stood shocked and impressed at Trina's kick.
Raquel threw another punch and Trina ducked it again, this time, when she came back up, she picked Raquel up and slammed her. Hard.
"OH!" Everyone in the entire gym screamed as Rocky hit the mat.
Trina punched her in the face as Raquel tried to block her. Then again. Then again. She stopped blocking. Then again. Then again, Raquel was out cold. Trina got up and left the ring, she went over to the agent.
"You owe me $200." Trina said. Then, she abruptly left the gym as everyone stared in silence. Robbie stopped filming.
That night, David was home alone. He heard a knock at the door. David opened the door.
"Trina Monet live here?" The agent asked.
"Monet...yes." David said sadly, realizing that Trina had dropped his last name.
"Is she here?"
"Not currently."
"Tell her I was looking for her."
"And your name is?"
"Two hundred dollars." The agent said, smiling and leaving.
That same night, Tori was driving in the car. She was on the phone.
"Yeah, Andre, I'll be fine...it should be a slow night, and it's me and like 3 buff guys...no fights don't happen often at the club...babe I have to call you later. I'll be in late tonight. Good night. Love you too."
Tori hung up. Andre wouldn't let Tori fight for extra money anymore, so she had lied to Andre, telling him that she had started working security at a club in Bakersfield to make extra money. Really, she had met with the old strip club manager who had let her fight there while she was in college. There was a ring and stands in the parking lot of the strip club.
Tori sighed, parking at the place that paid her college tuition.
A small crowd of rowdy, drunk fans roared, seated around the fighting ring. An announcer stood with a crappy microphone.
"Winner gets $700." The manager reminded Tori, who was standing outside the ring. She hadn't fought in 6 years.
"In the red corner, from San Diego, California, Zoey Reese!"
The crowd cheered.
"And in the blue corner, from Oakland, California, Tori Vega!"
The crowd cheered again, louder.
The two touched gloves and the bell rang.
They danced around the ring.
Tori hit the girl in the face with two quick punches and moved away from her.
They danced around the ring some more.
The girl picked up Tori and slammed her to the ground.
The girl punched Tori about 4 times before Tori grabbed the girl's arm and tried to put it in a Kimoura lock.
Tori tried to lock in her submission hold while the girl desperately tried to fight her way out of it for 3 minutes, then the bell signaling the end of the first round rang.
Tori snuck into her bedroom as the sun was rising. Andre was asleep. Tori sat in the bathroom on the edge of the bathtub, taking her shirt off. Andre woke up and walked over to her. She had her head held down.
"Good morning Tori." He smiled.
Tori just looked up at him. Her left eye was swollen shut and the entire area around it was purple and she had a small cut on her lip.
"Oh my god! Tori! You said it was going to be a slow night! W...what happened?" Andre yelled, grabbing Tori's head, examining her face.
"Andre...I...I'm not really working security at a club."
"What do you mean you're no..."
Andre stopped talking when Tori took the $700 out of her pocket that she had won from the fight, and sat it on the sink. Andre had remembered when Tori was in college, winning $700 per fight.
"Tori! I thought we agreed that we aren't going to raise our children in a house where their mother gets beat up for money! I can't have you like this, look at you. I can't sit back and call myself a fit husband if I sit back and let this happen to you!"
"You can't work, and I'm not making enough at the school and I don't want to lose this house. I want to have the dream wedding in Hawaii."
"You're going to get fired from the school! They wouldn't keep you if they knew what you were doing!"
"Which is why I need you to help me hide this. Just this once. I promise, this won't happen again. I just haven't fought in a long time. I never get beat up this bad, I was rusty. I needed to get back into my fighter's mentality. I wasn't at my best." Tori said, grabbing some make up.
"It won't hide it all."
"Please Andre, I have to be at the school in an hour and a half!"
Andre sighed and starting helping her put on make up and concealer. It barely did anything.
"I love you Tori."
"I love you to Andre."
They kissed and he hugged her tight. Andre let out a tear.
Next Chapter Will Feature Bade.