"Hyaa!"

"Uh"

Whack! Thump! "Gah!"

"Ah!"

The sounds of close combat filled the training room as Agent Carolina and York sparred. Their hands flying out at speeds so quick the untrained eye would not see, a left jab to the head, a counter and right hook to the head. Their moves were perfect, their foot work unparalleled. The moved and danced around the room throwing kicks, jabs, punches. They grabbed objects around the room to use as weapons. The sound of metal ringing out against each other as they hit. Then the sound of metal being thrown aside when the instrument became useless. They movements continued for several minutes, seemingly looking like a stale mate. York grabbed Carolina by the wrist twisting her arm behind her and shoved her towards the wall, yet before she collided, Carolina lifted her legs and used them to push off the wall hard, driving her force directly against York. This momentum caused him to stumble as he fell backwards to the ground. He let go of Carolina and used his hands to perform a backflip back into a fighting position. He threw a left jab "Hyaa!" he shouted.

Carolina dodged it easily and grabbed his arm, twisting herself sideways as she pulled him forward and down. "Graa!" she shouted as she flipped him over her back and sent him sprawling flat on the ground, where she immediately followed with an arm bar. She held him there until a buzzer sounded loud across the room.

"Alright you two, good job today." Came a voice over the intercom; "Go and hit the showers."

Agent Carolina released her grip and stood up. She extended her arm out to York who was still lying down. He stretched his shoulder out before taking her hand. After she pulled him up, they high-fived and headed out of the room. "That was a good move you did back there with the wall" said York.

"Well… you used the move of driving me into the wall in our last spar," replied Carolina; "I could not allow it to happen again now could I?"

York laughed and agreed. "That was a good pin too! Although, I would have preferred you to have pinned me with your body on top of me fully." He joked, which awarded him a sharp elbow to the ribs. "Ouch! That hurt."

"You deserved it!" smiled Carolina as she went through the door first. Once outside they were helped out of their armor and body suits by technicians, leaving just workout clothes underneath. From there they entered the locker room. Carolina walked over to her locker, stretching out her shoulder as she went, yet making sure her movements were covert enough for York to not notice, if he did he would worry about asking if it was his fault. That was something she could not allow to happen. Carolina opened her door looking into the small square mirror that was affixed to it. Staring back at her was a young woman with natural red hair, hazel eyes, and a strong jaw inherited from her father. She looked away and into her locker, as per regulations it was small only a foot and a half wide, 6 feet tall and made of steel. Her door was the most plain out of all the freelancers. It contained nothing, a locker was one of the few "private" areas the freelancers and crew enjoyed, but she had seen what the others had done. Photos of family members, their home worlds, cities, plenty of things. Carolina had none of that. She did not care about her home planet her friends form younger where all in the past that she even had trouble remembering their names let alone what they looked like, she had no picture of her mother who died when she was very young. They only thing that could be placed would be a picture of her father, but that she would never do, for her dad, as a father at least, was basically dead too. The inside of her locker was more or less the same, it had a bar of soap, a wash cloth, towel, and sweats to change into.

Carolina striped down, removing her shirt and shorts hanging them up on the hooks attached to her door. She then pulled off her sports bra and underwear placing them neatly in the locker. She closed the door and headed for the showers. In a ship, space is limited, so locker rooms are coed. It was something she was not used too when she joined up, but sharing showers with the opposite sex was something that you had to get used to quickly in the UNSC. Inside already showering was York, he had his back turn to the doorway which provided herself to steal a quick look at him causing a couple memories of Club Errera and before they joined the freelancer program. After a brief moment, she realized she was not only staring at his behind but also blushing. Carolina shook her head and walked over to the nearest novel, turning the knob once she got there. Water flowed form the head, ice cold at first, but quickly heating to a lukewarm temperature. Lukewarm was lucky and it was all thanks to them being the first to show up. Water flowed down her head, where she tilted her head back closing her eyes to let the water hit her face, it trickled down her neck and over her breasts. Carolina raised her arms and ran her hands through her hair, turning around as she went to allow the water to hit and flow down her back. She opened her eyes and met York's gaze. "Ya know, if you stare to long I'll have to file a complaint and your boy there will fall off"; she said to him.

"I… uh… yea" York stammered, quickly adverting his gaze. "My mom told me something similar about it falling off when I was younger, but about something else." York turned around and continued to shower, unbeknownst to him though, after he adverted his gaze, Carolina stole another look at him, but this time the front.

"Ya, well in this case it would be due to the taste of steel" Carolina joked. In response York gave a yelp and asked how beating him up every training session should be enough. Carolina chuckled as she turned back around away from him. She grabbed her soap lathering her hands. She started with her arms first the left than the right. After that she rubber her soap over her collar bones and breasts, under each one and stomach. Next she did her pelvis and legs, once again left leg than the right. Afterwards she did her back, and finished with her face. She stood there under the shower head with her eyes closed as it washed the soap from her, thinking of how innocent York could be at times. She ran her hands through her hair and body one last time to make sure that all soap was removed. She turned the shower off and turned around to grab her towel. By this time York had finished up and was in the locker room changing. Carolina grabbed her towel and dried herself off. She then collected her sap and wash cloth and headed for back to her locker still drying her hair as she walked. The air felt cold against her skin, causing bumps to rise across her body. In the cold temperature of space this would probably feel uncomfortable to a civilian, but it felt refreshing to her. At her locker she placed her stuff back inside, except her towel which she would take back to her quarters to have washed. She grabbed the fresh pair of undergarments and put them on. Then a pair of athletic shorts before pulling on her sweat pants. From outside came voices ever approaching "So you see, it really is that simple, especially when you are dealing with a badass like me. No one really can stand up to me in hand to hand combat"

"You sure about that?" came another voice; "I bet Carolina would disagree with you there Georgia." The doors to the locker room opened and entered four other freelancers: Agents North Dakota, his sister: South Dakota, Connecticut, more none as CT, and Georgia. The two talking were North and Georgia.

"Who cares about her skill" replied Georgia. "I should be the one at the top."

"Uh hey, Georgia." piped up CT; "Maybe you should shut it"

"What?" said Georgia; "Why the hell should I do that?"

Carolina pulled her sweatshirt over her head and pulled it down. She closed her door sharply, and marched to the end of the aisle to greet the four. She turned the corner just as Georgia finished his sentence. "Yea why should you do that Georgia?" she said. "If you got something to say, why not say it."

"Uh hey guys what's up?" piped up York who also hurriedly came from the other side after hearing Georgia speak.

"Hey York!" greeted South; "Just Georgia being Georgia you know how it is, anyways how was training?"

"Got my ass kicked, what do you expect? Replied York; "You?"

"Well-"started South but Carolina cut her off.

"We can get to that in a second" she said; "but I want to hear what Georgia has to say."

As Carolina said this, Main, Idaho, and Wyoming entered form the other entrance to the locker room. They heard what Carolina said, and quickly observed the situation. "Ah fuck" muttered Maine. Idaho muttered that he was going to check up on Agent Ohio, not that the other two agents paid any attention to him and he quickly back peddled through the door.

"Carolina," started Georgia; "Get done playing with the minor leagues?"

"That is a dick move, bro" interjected York.

"He is better than you" responded Carolina. Her jaw set and teeth gritted.

"Doubt it," responded Georgia; "I am better than you two. I will kick your pretty ass whenever you want."

"You wouldn't last thirty seconds against me" snarled Carolina.

"Keep telling yourself that, honey" smirked Georgia; "We all know that you are in charge because of your daddy. If you want some practice in anything I can give you some private one-on-one lessons at my quarters."

Carolina launched her fist forward before anyone could react. It landed square against Georgia's cheek and sent him into the wall. She was known for her speed so she was at him instantly. "You son of a bitch." She said as she launched another attack. Georgia was ready this time and countered, but before he could land a hit his arm was being pulled back and another set of arms was around his chest and waist. He locked eyes with Carolina and saw that the same was happening to her. The other agents had jumped into the fray to pull them apart. Both he and Carolina tried to fight against their captors to get at each other. York was between both of them facing Carolina trying to calm her down.

Suddenly a voice rain out loud and clear thought he room. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?!" The agents restraining Carolina and Agents released their grips and everyone came to attention. "Well?" came the voice; "Someone answer me."

"Uh, Sir!" said York; "It was nothing Sir, just an impromptu training tutorial."

"Maine, North, South, is that so?

"Yes Director!" they sounded off in unison.

The Director looked over all of them. "I want y'all to fix yourselves and shape up. Meet me in the control room in five minute, ya hear?"

"Yes, Sir!" they all said.

"Good." Said the director. "Now, councilor, getting back to our discussion."

"Ah yes, very good Sir" said The Councilor.

They headed out of the door, but right before they did. The Director stopped, turned around and said; "This is a WARNING."