Fight Like a Girl
She'd had enough. The constant need to prove herself to those in her squad. She was Aria Shepard. She was the Hero of Elysium and the recipient of the Star of Terra. She shouldn't have to deal with the ridicule. However, some of the men in her unit insisted she was only in N School because her last name was Shepard. She was only in N School because of her high technical proficiency and marksmanship. She wasn't really good enough, strong enough, brutal enough for N School. That she didn't have what it took.
She stood in front of the mirror in the women's locker room. She was the only woman in the class, in the school. She was the first woman to make it to N5. She would finish. She knew she would. That should have been enough, but she was sick of having to prove herself. Sick of having to live in her mother's shadow. Captain Hannah Shepard's shadow stretched far.
She glared at herself in the mirror; her green eyes fierce and angry. She braided her hair and twisted the braid off her neck, pining it back. She reached for the tape and started to wrap it around her knuckles. There was a knock on the locker room door. "Yeah?"
The door opened and Nathan popped his head in the room. "Hey, Shep." He stepped inside and let the door close behind him. She smiled at him, as she turned her eyes back to her hands. "You know; you don't have to do this."
She let out a humorless chuckle. "Don't I?" It had started earlier in the day, Lieutenant Sullivan made it his daily mission to grate on her nerves. He'd goad her about her mother's name and legacy. He'd insist that it was simply her tech skills that saved her on Elysium. He'd argue and insist she wouldn't be able to take him in hand to hand combat. "He's never going to stop. He's never going to let up. Not until I lay him out." She answered with a shrug.
Nate sighed. "You're right."
She laughed. "I know. Let's go get it over with." Nate stood and Aria followed him out. She tugged on her gym shorts and adjusted the sports bra as they walked towards the sparring ring. She knew Sullivan had no idea what he'd gotten himself in to, but when he'd had his go at her earlier in the day, Aria had seen Anderson watching from across the room. He was a bully, and she knew she had to do something. Challenging him seemed the best option at the time.
He was laughing as she stepped into the ring, fire in her emerald eyes as she stretched her neck from side to side, then her arms over her chest, loosening up. He rolled his eyes and turned towards her. He was easily two of her; she came just to his chest in height and he probably had over fifty pounds of muscle on her. He was a classic jarhead. She knew it would be a tough fight, but she was confident she could take him. She was agile, stronger than she looked, and she'd learned early on how to use her opponent's size against them.
They met in the center of the ring. "Alright, Tinkerbell, let's see what you've got." Sullivan used the nickname he'd coined watching her toil over her omni'tool and other tech. Aria narrowed her eyes at him as they started their dance. Arms up, forearms out, both taking a defensive posture. Aria knew she had to let him make the first offensive. She had a feeling he'd want to end it quickly. As the crowd of onlookers grew, the longer she stood against him, the worse he'd look.
She watched as they moved, he was heavy footed and growing impatient. His hands and arms were tense and his eyes continued to dart around to the gathering crowd. "Come on!" Someone shouted behind her and he twitched seconds before he launched into an attack, his battering ram of a fist shooting out towards her face. She dodged easily; spinning out of the way and connecting with a quick jab in his side as she moved behind him.
He seemed surprised, not only that she'd made contact, but at the force behind it. She saw the flash of concern in his eyes and she bit back the smile that teased her lips. "Come on, princess, what are you waiting for?" She was taunting him, and she knew it. She also knew if he got angry, he'd get sloppy. He came at her again and she blocked two quick hooks before dodging a third and moving under his arm as he bounced off the ropes. She continued to dance behind him, jumping from foot to foot as she waited for him to turn.
He did and she saw the pure rage in his eyes. She went on the offensive this time, attempting a quick jab to the side which he blocked and opened up his face for a hook. She connected hard, and his head shot to the side at the force. A round of cat calls rang out around them, but she didn't let it steal her focus. He came at her then, and he was faster than she expected. It was harder to block him, and he landed one good shot to her face, and her head snapped back. She stumbled slightly and knew he was still advancing. She shook her head quickly, ignoring the sting of the split lip as she turned to him. She caught his fist and knocked it out of the way. Her hand found a firm grip on his opposite wrist and she used his momentum to swing up.
Her legs left the ground easily and her thighs wrapped around his neck. She continued her swing knocking him off balance and his feet came out from beneath him. He landed like a rock on his back and she rolled off him. He popped up feet first and turned towards her, fire burned in his eyes and she felt fear for just a moment. "Come on, sweetheart, hit me," she prodded. He charged again and she dropped down low, swinging her leg out and catching his feet. He hit the mat hard, face first. She rolled, moving quickly to straddle his hips, one arm around his neck and the other twisting his arm behind his back and holding it there. He writhed beneath her, all power, muscle, and masculinity.
Onlookers cheered and encouraged him to get up. If Aria had to guess, she'd imagine there had been gambling on this fight, and he was obviously the favorite. "Tap out, honey, you know it's over." He growled as he continued to thrash, trying to buck her off him. She shifted and dug her knee into his back, between his shoulder blades.
The tap of his hand on the mat seemed to echo around the space and she grinned for a moment, chest heaving as she released him, knocking his face into the mat again. She stood and looked down at him as he caught his breath. Sweat stung her eyes. Her tongue darted out to her lip, testing the damage. She felt the sting of split skin and the metallic taste of her own blood teased the top of her tongue. As she looked down at him. He rolled to his back, chest heaving. Her hands clenched at his sides.
She could see it, when she went from a girl to a recruit. She watched the respect bloom in his eyes and she felt it mirrored as pride in her chest. After a few long seconds, she reached a hand out to him. He took it and she pulled him to his feet. His eyes met hers and he opened his mouth to speak. She dropped his hand. "Remember this the next time you tell someone they fight like a girl." She turned on a heel and left the ring without looking back as Nate collected his winnings.