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Follow a witch as she travels all over the world to learn every muggle combat style she can manage. Set years before Voldemort's first rise and should follow until his final fall. OFC-centric AU project. WIP
Prologue
Jim's Gym, Chicago
I take a step back as a fist grazes my shoulder. My opponent's last hay-maker attempt leaves him over extended and wide open. I let loose a jab-straight to his jaw, landing two for two just before he can duck low, arms high. He takes two steps back, slightly dazed but far from faint.
His normal shooting stance has been replaced by the winging gait of a brawler, making his blows swing wide, and powerful, but leaving him with enough openings for any good fighter to exploit. I fancy myself a fairly good fighter.
I check myself for a moment before his next move, bouncing a pace away, rolling my head around my neck and letting out a single sharp breath. With a step forward, I steady myself and settle into the most basic of defensive stances: fists up, legs opposite and shoulders squared; ready for anything. Ready even, for a flurry of fists as he lets loose a lengthy combination. Perhaps his efforts were for the sake of racking up points even though, in that, I knew I was safely ahead. Perhaps he was looking to land a knockout blow and despite those slim chances of hitting me directly in the face, I knew it was time to end the fight. Before his next swing, I bring my whole body straight down, knees bent. His fist swipes air and in that moment, I knew and he knew and anyone watching knew that it was over. My fist swings straight up into his jaw.
I catch Jack before he hits the floor.
"Ouch," He says shrugging me off as he regains his footing, "that hurt."
"Nice job." I hear myself say but we both know this is one of his worst matches, practice or otherwise.
"Don't you 'nice job' me, I sucked."
He walks unsteadily to the corner, gloves already half off. He leans his head on the post, facing away from where I'm standing.
"I'm seeing stars."
A gruff snort from behind the ropes gets Jack's attention and I take the time to un-wrap my fists.
"Maybe if you'd listen to a thing I say, you wouldn't be getting your ass handed back to you by amateur brits."
I open and close my hands, feeling the blood flow back into my fingers before I stow my gloves back into my gym bag. I don't need to swing my head around to know exactly who is talking but I do anyway. Coach demands we always look him in the eye when he addresses us.
"Oh c'mon Braz," comes Jack's reply, "She's trained too."
"Not here, and not as much with her fists. A scrub is a scrub, whether they're a fighter already or not."
I notice the hairs that were knocked loose from my pony-tail during the bout. They are matted against my face as I swipe at them with slightly trembling fingers.
"Whatever, I'm taking a run around the track." Jack says as he ducks under the ropes.
I loosen the tie around my hair and shake out the tangles before gathering everything into a new pony tail. Once again I wonder why I haven't just cut the black mess into something easier to manage. Feeling eyes on me, I look up to see Jack looking at me expectantly.
"Yes?"
There's a flash of something I don't recognize on his face and his usually confident expression is losing its trademark cocky grin.
"I just asked whether you wanted to…join me." He says, his tone rising up at the end in a question.
I flex my calves balancing on my heels then bend down with a knee, stretching one leg out in a crouch. With extended arms up over my head I stretch my torso around feeling out for any straining muscles. I find none; I've cooled down just fine.
"Nah, I'm good."
Another quick flash of the unrecognizable emotion passes but is soon replaced by a casual grin.
"Alright then," He says over his shoulder as he turns and jogs away. "I'll see you later."
I stay silent.
He gives the Coach a hard pat on the back as he passes him by.
"Oof! Bastard!"
"Love you too Old Man."
Coach's reply is a grunt.
"Don't over-exert yourself, Bastard. Hit the showers when you're done"
"Hey, you can't boss me around 'til May, Coach." He calls from out of the gym doorway. "I'm on vacation."
I watch as Jack picks up his pace into a brisk jog around the oval.
"Tch!" Coach Braz growls as he steps up beside me at the ropes, "That boy."
"He's really…" I pause, half thinking of something suitable to say.
"…quite something."
"Hah! Something spoiled maybe! He's a menace. No respect at all! Not since he won his first match has that boy ever been any sort of humble!" Coach is plenty loud but everyone at the gym today is a regular so it doesn't really bother anyone.
As he talks, I take a towel from my bag to dry my skin, dabbing at as much of the sweat I can manage.
"And just because his Father owns this place he thinks he can strut around like he's made of gold!"
Mostly dry, I pull out a folded gray T-shirt and pull it over me, wearing it over my training top.
"Jim's a great man and he was an even better athlete but you have to admit that he and I are getting on in years. Who can take care of the Gym when Jim's gone? Not him! He couldn't handle it."
I look up and see genuine concern for Jack behind his panicked concern for the gym. Coach Braz has been one of the best teacher's I've ever had and well equipped to handle any gym.
"You can, Coach. I don't know anyone else with a greater passion for this than you."
He looks startled for a second then his face shifts into the most unguarded expression I've ever seen him make.
"Heh. That's about the most words I've ever heard you string together, girl."
"It's the truth." I say. "At least I think so."
He scratches his chin with the tips of his knuckles looking off into the direction of the track oval.
"Thank you," He says looking at me now. "and sorry about that. An old man can't help but worry."
I zip up my gym bag and throw the straps over my shoulder. The old man takes a couple steps towards the door and I follow behind him as we head out.
"There's still so many questions, girl." He says as we walk, "Even in my old age."
He takes a drink from the bottle of water he always brings around with him before he speaks again.
"Who'll take care of the gym, how long do I have, what about Jack?" He says.
He looks back at me and stops. I stop a step behind him.
"And you," He says quietly. "you're leaving."
It wasn't a question so I didn't answer. His eyebrows rise at my silence.
"Right now, then?"
"I've learned everything I can."
"Have you told Jack?"
"No." I answer, "Not yet."
"He likes you, y'know"
He looks at me then, eyes studying mine.
"I know."
Coach's eyes narrow in thought
"But you can't."
I don't have to think for long about my answer.
"No." I say, "I can't."
He nods, chuckles, turns and walks forward. I follow.
"You've got good sense girl. Glad I pegged you right from the start."
He flashes the first honest smile I've ever seen him make.
I come up beside him as we reach the stairs and try to take his arm to help but he bats my hands away with a lazy wave.
"I can still walk just fine, girl." He says, gentler than I've ever heard him. "Despite all the talk of my old age I'm still tough."
"Although…" He says slowly, sounding like he knew a secret.
"…I guess at my age you'll be even tougher still."
He gives me a meaningful look and my head quirks involuntarily in quiet bafflement. My mind struggles to wrap around this seemingly quite ordinary statement.
He chuckles when my eyes widen into saucers.
"How did you-" I stammer but then quickly regain some composure, "What?"
"Don't worry yourself little missy."
"But-"
"My wife. She's one." He says as we reach the exit doors
"Oh." I say trying to think of something meaningful to say.
He just chuckles.
"Something about the both of you that was just too similar for me not to notice."
It's only when I almost bump into him as he stops that I notice that we hadn't stopped at the exit doors.
"Here we are." He says, open palm raising outward.
I look around to find we had stopped at an American Government sanctioned apparition station. The look on my face is one of pure astonishment.
He smiles again.
I smile back.
"Good bye, Coach."
"Keep your fists up, little missy."
After one last look across the street at Jim's Gym's old banner-sign, I take two steps forward and then turn on my heels.
"Remember, you'll always be welcome at Jim's Gym." He says with a laugh.
"Damn right! I paid for lifetime membership!"
We share one last laugh.
The next moment, I am gone.
Author's Note: Hope you like it so far. Please tell me what you think of it. Interesting? Not Interesting? After reading this you could probably tell this is some sort of OC-centric AU. OC? Yes. AU? Probably not as much as you think. Although yeah, totally AU. Basically, we'll be following our mystery witch, who so happens to also be a muggle style fighter as she learns every form of fighting she can manage. The first few chapters will pretty much be glimpses into her training and a way for me to introduce more of her character. No doubt there are a bunch of questions any of ya'll who have read this far are asking. Where is this gonna lead to? Will there be Harry? Will there be Wizard Warring? Voldemort? Will I ship Harry/OFC?
Well…We'll just have to wait and see. Yes. Yes. Of course. Hell no, although shipping in general is not yet certain.
Basically it's gonna be one of them badass mentor fics yo.
RnR
Chapter 1