The Prince's Bodyguard

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:


Chapter 7 (Fierce Side)

"So the time has come for your first lesson in martial arts." The two were standing in a secluded, grassy area of a nearby park. It was a circular field framed by trees and with only a paved path leading in and out. "Do you know any combat techniques at all, Jason?"

"I actually have, um..." Jason cleared his throat and bowed his head almost shamefully. "I've been involved in some fights before." Trina raised an intrigued eyebrow and turned her head slightly. "I'm no expert fighter though. I know how to punch and kick, that's about it."

"How about blocking?"

"Um..." Jason smiled sheepishly and locked his hands behind his back. "I can duck out of the way." It was a start, though she still wanted to know what he meant by saying he'd been in fights before. "I can fight, it's not pretty but I can fight. Maybe what you'd call 'scrappy'" Trina hummed and leaned her head back slow.

"What kind of fights have you been in?"

"Legal drinking age is the same in Vander as it is Ireland and other European countries. Eighteen." Jason brought his hands to his chest and chuckled. "I'm nearly twenty-one." Her eyes widened and her lips separated briefly. "So, um, would you believe bar fights? Irish bar fights. Kind of fun, if you think about it."

She raised her hand to her forehead, groaning as she pictured Jason toppling over a bar counter and throwing bottles of liquor at people. "Okay, I'm going to teach you some more controlled fighting techniques. Techniques that require focus and patience." How he managed to get into bars without his guards finding out and pulling him away, she did not know. "Is there anything else about you I might need to know to avoid getting caught off guard?"

"I like card games, I might have a tendency to gamble..."

"Are you telling me you're a barfly?"

"Well." He chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Maybe?" Maybe it was good that he was technically underage here in the states, because she wasn't about to start following him into bars.

"Okay." She adjusted her sports bra, stretching it down a bit, and removed the purple jacket she was wearing. "There are a couple techniques I know that you can choose from, some I'm not as familiar with as I used to be." She circled him, brushing her hands off on her long black jogging pants. "As you likely saw in my former bedroom the other day."

"Impressive skills."

"Thank you." She pat off her hands and closed her eyes. "It was basic karate when I was a kid, then I started learning Tae Kwon Do. Dad taught me Krav Maga when I was sixteen. I took wrestling in the ninth grade, and boxing in my final years of high school. I'm more preferential to Tae Kwon Do, however. That is what I will be training in when I start college up."

"Okay. Then let's do that."

"Great. First, find your center." She spread her legs apart and lowered herself a bit. "Position yourself in a stance like this, where your strength is at your waist and you are firmly balanced and positioned in place." She bent her elbows and curled her wrists at her waist. "Lowering your wrists here makes it easy for you to control your throws."

He mimicked her posture and moved into stance. "Like so?" She smiled and nodded gently. His feet were spaced apart well, his wrists were locked at his waist. He still had a long way to go, but she enjoyed being able to teach.

"Just try to actually avoid purposely using what you learn here to get into fights. Martial arts is more for the defense of self. You want to be guarded, you want to protect your body at all times. Only use these when you're defending yourself or someone else, never learn a skill just so you can fight people."

"Go it." She nodded gently and saw him flash a handsome smile, causing her heart to skip a note. "I'll try not to use what I learn to start bar fights." She closed her eyes and laughed once, smirking.

"Yes, do try not to." She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. "Now, I can't belt rank you because I'm not an official teacher. There is a belt system. We're not going to worry about that. I'm going to show you some basic starting moves, and get you to learn a basic formation. Eventually we'll move up to more advanced routines."

She didn't want to teach every technique she knew, which was the four she mentioned, so one specialty was good enough. There was a time and place for each of them. Sometimes she might fall back on boxing if she wanted to work with just her hands, but Tae Kwon Do was what came easily to her.

After nearly an hour of front punches, kicks, side attacks and blocks, they were ready to take a break. Jason had done well, learned quick, and seemed to be enjoying himself. While he practiced in the field, Trina took a seat against one of the trees, stretched her legs out and grabbed a bottle of water from the pack she'd brought along.

Her left hand rested over her stomach and her right clutched the bottle firmly. Her eyes drifted from the purse seated beside her and focused on Jason. She felt a sense of pride in watching him practice his formation.

Two front punches, one right and one left, then a kick. He swung his arm to the right, using a upper forearm block, then followed with a swift side kick. Trina breathed in, becoming almost entranced by his moves. "The prince learns quick," she said with a slight chuckle.

After a while she heard her cell phone chime. Startled, she reached into her purse and removed her phone, checking it only to see a text from Cat. "Jade took us all to this underground fight club to watch a fight, then Robbie did something stupid with his puppet and pissed some of the fighters off. Help?"

Her heart stopped and her mind jumped instantly to Tori. Filled with worry, she grabbed her purse and shot up. "Jason!" Jason stopped and looked at her with raised eyebrows. "We gotta go." There was no time to drop him off, she needed to get to her sister before something bad happened.

There was only one underground fight club within the vicinity that she knew of that Jade was likely to know about or go to-because some students at Hollywood Arts would have been involved in. It was an amateur fight club, not like the ones she'd been to a few years prior.

Getting into her car, she sent Cat a text asking if the one that she was thinking of was the correct one. It was confirmed when Cat replied back. "The one on Lucille and Jasper, small abandoned looking gym."

She sped like a demon through the streets, with fire in her eyes and the wind rushing through her hair. "Stay here," she instructed Jason upon reaching the place. He frowned and started to nod as she exited the vehicle.

When she entered the building, she was struck by the moldy smell of ancient sweat and unwashed clothes. She also heard Darker Side of Me by the Veer Union playing on the amplifiers. This was one of her favorite songs, and it surely applied to her now.

The building was covered in layers of dust, and had a single boxing ring raised up in the center of the room.

Also in the center of the room, just outside the ring, were a group of men surrounding Tori, Jade and Beck. To the right, Andre and Robbie were backing up as two larger sized men approached them. Further to the right, and more surprising, Cat was standing over an unconscious male and panting heavily.

Trina's gaze darted back to where her sister was and she started to walk forward, letting the door open further to splash sunlight onto everyone. The song echoed in the gym, aiding in the fuel of adrenaline in her body.

Inside there's someone you don't want to know. I don't think you want to be a part of me. I don't think you wanna see that deeper darker side of me!

The group of fighters looked at her, stunned and smirking as they flexed their muscles. "Excuse me, gentlemen..."

One of the men, most likely the leader, turned towards her and his smirk grew. "Are you lost, little lady?" Trina tilted her head and clenched her teeth behind her closed, smiling lips. She saw her sister's eyes grow large.

"Oh great," Jade said with a slight growl, "I thought Cat was calling your dad, not your stupid sister."

I don't think that you're ready for reality, I don't think that you wanna see that deeper darker side of me. Walk away...

Trina pulled her lips apart, revealing her gritted teeth. "I was a little bit. I was trying to find the Ekhart sports department. I wanted to buy some boxing gloves, learn how to fight...but I don't know where that would be." The man crossed his arms and started chuckling.

"And so a lost little vixen stumbles into our club?" The man leaned forward, tapping his cheek. "Come a little closer, give me some sugar and I'll help you find what you're looking for." Tori started to back up, pulling Beck and Jade back with her.

"Okay." She walked forward, tensing her muscles a bit. "I was also told that I could probably find some nice people here to teach me a thing or two."

"Oh we've got plenty to teach you, Babe." The leader's smirk grew and Trina's stomach flipped with disgust.

"Good, because I've got something to teach you as well."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Never underestimate a pretty face." The man raised his eyebrows, and like a flash of lighting, Trina swept her heel into his cheek. The man let out a scream of panic as she dealt a swift uppercut to his chin, then thrust her elbow into the front of his neck.

He jolted back, grabbing his throat and hacking loudly. Trina yanked his wrist away and spun around his back, twisting his arm violently. Next, she jammed her knee into the small of his back and pushed her hand against the back of his head, forcing him forward and down.

Once on the ground, she sent her foot down in a crushing blow to the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. "Now my next question." Trina placed a foot on his back, flung her hair over her shoulder and glared at the rest with narrow eyes. "Which of you bumbling, amateurish oafs is next?"

The men stood, their frozen gazes on their unconscious leader. Trina pointed at Tori. "Any of these dropouts touch you, Tori?" There was a bruise on Tori's upper left arm, fresh and bright. She flared her nostrils and watched as her sibling's eyes moved towards one of the other fighters.

"He yanked me from the others because I was trying to leave. Felt like he was crushing my arm."

The man in question started to spring to action, and rather than fight, chose to try and run past her.

Trina grabbed his arm with both her hands, speaking with a vicious growl. "Let's see how you like being pulled around, chump change." Three men were rushing towards her, ready to take a swing. Countering them, she yanked the man she was holding onto back and released him, swinging him like a bowling ball into the three runners.

"I've fought in better fight clubs than this, jackasses. Even Sinjin fights better than you lot."

The men groaned as she stepped over them and turned her narrow eyes onto the fighters still standing. There weren't many, and they seemed uncertain whether to stand and fight or run. "Go on try me. You're letting a pretty face beat the shit out of you, and I haven't even started yet."

It was true, these men weren't exactly great fighters when compared to some of the people she'd squared off in her earlier years. Trina poked a thumb at her chest and narrowed her eyes. "You want to know something about me? Look up 'Dark Angel'; in some of the fight club rings in LA...Back in 2008, I was a part of the roughest fight club around. You guys are nothing." She stretched her arms out and flared her nostrils once more. "You messed with the wrong person's sister."

"It can't be true," said one of the younger fighters in the ring, "I've heard about that fighter. Guys, that person won the streetfighting tournament a few years back. If this is her..."

Tori's friends looked terrified and shocked. It was true, she'd been a part of a gang for the first few years of her life. Her father was furious when he discovered it, but rather than punish her or put her in prison to 'teach her a lesson', he tried to talk to her and figure out what was going on. He helped her to get away before she became another runaway teen that decided to become a permanent part of a gang.

She motioned at her sister and sister's friends, then pointed to the door. Tori led them out, looking back with concern before taking off herself. Trina didn't want them around for what she was about to say.

"Heard of Black Knights?" Trina sniffed and took another step forward, chuckling darkly as the men stepped backwards. "Yeah. I got mixed up with them before they disbanded. For about two years. Didn't do any of their drugs or anything like that, they were looking to recruit. Taught me to be a scrapper, they liked what I could bring to the table."

The man that spoke up gulped loudly and closed his eyes. "I think maybe we should leave these people alone, guys."

"Oh no." Trina cracked her neck to the right and to the left. "I think you should stay." She punched her right fist into her left hand, cracking her knuckles. "Black Knights were everywhere. I was a rebellious teenager looking for a place to belong. Had a nickname and everything. Proved myself to them in that street fight tourney."

"God help us."

Trina snarled, her rage inside still growing from having seen her sister being threatened. She wasn't going to fight these people now that they weren't posing a threat, but she was going to put the fear of god in them if she could. "I'm a fighter. I've done some things I'm not proud of. Those days are gone, but I will say this...fuck with the people I care about, and you're going to see that side of me full force."

"We are very sorry, we didn't know you knew any of these people."

Trina chuckled once and shook her head. "I only care about one of them, my sister. The one with the bruised arm." Trina motioned to them, narrowing her eyes and scowling. "I hope never to see from you fuckers again, or to hear from you. If I do, I'm not going to be happy." She snapped her fingers and pointed upwards. "Also! If my sister and her friends decide to come here again-god forbid-you will leave them alone. Ignore them. Do not bother them. Because if I even think they're hurt because of you people, I will hunt each and every one of you down. Mark my words."

There was a shuffling noise behind her, causing her to turn her head slightly. In her peripheral, she saw one of the men getting up. "Don't do it, Spencer," someone whispered.

Spencer started rushing towards her with a scowling expression and fist ready. He was open, without any part of his body guarded-as most of these men had been. "Right." Thinking fast, she snapped around and kicked her leg up, sending it sailing through the air.

Spencer's body froze for a single moment and his eyes went large as the heel of her foot slicked into his cheek. His body flung to the left, blood and two teeth flew from his mouth.

He collapsed to the ground, clutching his face and rolling from side to side. She took a deep breath, clenching her hands at her sides. "Let that be a lesson to you."

She made her way outside and frowned when she saw Tori's friends scattered about and Jason standing outside of the car with Jade talking to him. Tori looked at Trina with concern, hurrying up to her side. "Trina?" She kept walking, her eyes focused like a tiger on Jade. Tori moved with her.

Andre, Beck, and Robbie were all paralyzed where they stood, watching her with looks of uncertainty and confusion. She hadn't wanted anyone to know what she'd done, what she'd been like at one point of her life. She didn't want people to think less of her, or to be so intimidated that they didn't want to come around.

At one point, she thought she didn't want Tori's friends to see that part of her; but now she saw how important it was. If they couldn't respect her sister, respect her family, then she would have to make them understand that there was a price.

She wouldn't be violent with them, not like she was with gang members or groups of thugs, but she would let them know where they stood and where she stood.

"I still don't think she's anything like you're saying," Jason said in response to what Jade was saying. "I haven't seen that."

"Dude." Jade crossed her arms and shrugged. "All she does is march around the school, getting in everyone's way and trying to steal the spotlight. She thinks she's got talent, but she doesn't."

"She's a pretty skilled fighter."

"I don't know. I think she-" Trina cut Jade off, grabbing the back of the girl's shirt. Jade gasped out as she yanked the girl back and pulled her away from Jason by about three feet.

"Try not talking to him, Jade." With a gentle, but firm push, she guided Jade against the trunk of a nearby tree. Trina lowered her hand and glared into Jade's oddly calm eyes. "Never, and I do mean never bring my sister to a place like this again." Her voice rose and Jade did appear to shrink. "Do I make myself clear?"

She turned her head, looking at the rest of Tori's friends. "That goes for every one of you!" Her arm extended and she moved a pointed finger across them. "I do not want to see my sister being put at risk because you guys have a stupid, crazy idea to get involved in something you know is wrong."

"Shut up," Jade said with a scoff. Trina snapped her head back, growling deep from within. "Why are you even blaming me? It wasn't my fucking idea, Trina." She raised an eyebrow and removed the phone from her purse.

"No? It wasn't?" She showed her the text message from Cat, and Jade's brow started to furrow. "If it wasn't your idea, then who the hell was it?"

Jade looked up and around, Trina followed her gaze. Cat was nowhere to be found, the one person missing that Trina hadn't noticed. "Where is she?" Jade pushed past Trina, raising her voice aloud. "Cat! Where are you?" Jade turned her head around and motioned outwards. "Cat said her brother told her about the fight club that people from HA were getting into, and there was some kind of tournament that she was wanting to see."

"Yep," Beck replied, "She convinced us to come." His voice was shaky and his eyes darting from the others to Jade. "I mean, your sister was the only one that was completely hesitant the entire time. The rest of us just kind of gave in."

Trina closed her eyes and raised a hand over them. She let out a heavy sigh and looked over to Tori. "Tori, are you alright?" A faint smile ran across Tori's face and she nodded.

"I'm alright, sis."

"Okay. Do you have a ride home?"

"I drove." She hugged Tori and made her way towards her car. She opened the driver's side door and looked across the top of her car, smiling at her sibling.

"Get home safe, then." Her arm came to rest on the top of the vehicle and her eyes poured out to the others. "The rest of you, same thing; but don't forget what I said. I don't want anything happening to my sister, and if something happens to her and one of you guys is to blame, I will not be happy."

She entered her car and Jason moved silently into the passenger seat. Trina fastened her seatbelt, folded her hands on the steering wheel and stared ahead with half-lidded eyes. "How much of all that inside did you see, Jason?" She breathed in slow and waited for something bad to come from him. "I get the feeling you didn't stay in the car."

"I wanted to make sure you were going to be alright." He shrugged. "I guess I saw enough." A quick burst of air left her nostrils and her heart started to sink. "I still don't think any less of you, if that's what you're thinking."

Her body froze as shock pulsed through her veins. Raising an eyebrow, she turned to look at him, opening her mouth slightly and closing it. After a few seconds, she was able to speak up again-but with a quiver in her voice and tension in her throat. "I've been involved in things I'm not proud of, Jason. There's a part of my life that if people knew, they'd change. They'd either leave or they'd be afraid to even talk to me."

"Not me. Everyone's got their past. Everyone's made mistakes or done things they shouldn't. It's life, who am I to judge what someone else has done or gone through when it's not my place to do so? No one can change their pasts, they can only control the present."

She let out a soft, tearful gasp and felt her heart fluttering in her chest. "That is..." Her lips curved into a gentle smile. "Probably the nicest thing anyone's said to me in a long time. Thank you."

He smiled back. "For what?"

Trina started up the car and let out a long breath of air. "Not judging me." She pressed down the gas pedal and started for home.


Learned a little more about some of her background, there's two important sides of her. The fierce side, and the gentler side we'll see next chapter. What have you observed in this chapter, and what thoughts are you left with?