Bouncing Back

It was a lazy afternoon at Rodriguez Gym, thanks in large part to the lack of anyone around the place. Most of Carmen’s students were busy with the holidays, couldn’t make the sessions, so with little time to go before the big day itself, she decided it was best to just call a few days off.

Today, as the sun began to melt in the horizon, Carmen found herself in the women’s locker room, staring at her reflection in the tall mirror on the wall. Everything was in place - her black sports bra with the red trim, her matching trunks, her favorite wrestling boots. The sparring gloves were on tight and her the mouthguard was at the ready, in case things got a little too intense.

There was only one thing missing: her hair.

Carmen sighed and ran a hand over her scalp, sliding over the barren landscape. It was funny - her father always wanted her to have longer hair, look more like the pretty princess he wished he was, but she never had the patience for haircare and always kept it short. No she wouldn’t have to worry about it at all. One good shaving every three or four days, and it was done.

No, what bothered her the most about it was the reason she got the damned thing in the first place. Losing a match with a stipulation that she’d insisted on. Losing to Soledad Vega, losing her championship, and losing it in such an embarrassing way. It hadn’t been the worst beating she’d ever taken, but it was certainly the most humiliating. And she’d have a reminder every time she looked in the mirror or tried on a hat. Great.

With a sigh that sounded more like a grunt, Carmen stepped away from the mirror and grabbed a towel off the bench, never sparing another look back. There was a new year coming with new possibilities. She’d lost the belt, but that didn’t mean her career was over. She had to be ready for opportunities, and that meant stepping up her training. Enough moping. Training time.

With some more pride in her step, Carmen stepped out of the locker room and looked around, seeing if she was alone. She’d sent out an invite to come join her for a sparring session, and now was about the right time for her to pop up…

Alicia was… Well, she wasn’t exactly in a bad mood but she certainly wasn’t in a good one either, the tall redhead marching down the streets of Tokyo as if the pavement had offended her. It was the mess with Jessica Wright that had her less than a happy woman and Carmen’s invitation to a sparring session had come at the perfect time. There was still time to go before she flew out to Canada to take on Styx’s henchwoman and she needed a proper chance to unwind. Thrashing trainers wasn’t cutting it and no matches were headed her way.

A chance to take on the now former 24/7 champion was just the workout the kickboxer needed.

And Carmen was a big girl; she’d be able to take whatever Alicia threw her way and dish it back as well. Perfect.

The British amazon slipped in through the doors mere moments before Carmen emerged from the locker room, her stride deceptively quiet for her size. It allowed her to be several steps inside the gym, fingers wrapped around the hem of her top in preparation to strip it off.

But she paused on sight of the boxer, eyebrows rising. Last time she’d seen the Puerto Rican, Carmen had hair.

Now she didn’t. Huh.

”New look?” Her tone was laconic as she pulled her t-shirt off, revealing the black sports bra she wore underneath. Any views she might have on the ‘new look’ were kept to herself, at least for the moment.

And there Alicia was. Right on time. Prompt. Carmen liked that, and wished some of her own girls would take a lesson.

In fact, they could’ve taken a lot of lessons from her, and not just from inside the ring. She could look and see the redhead was eager for the spar, even though it was just the two of them with a few security cameras to spectate. It seemed like she wasn’t the only one with some steam that needed letting off, which was more than fine with her. She wasn’t in a mood for the soft version of Alicia, if such a thing existed. She wanted the same woman who’d left her brother unconscious and drooling in the middle of the ring.

The only thing that didn't please her was the question she was asked, but she figured she was going to have to get used to it. She’d probably be getting asked similar things all through 2017.

She gave Alicia a curt nod and rolled into the ring, where she quickly popped to her feet. ”Something like that. Not exactly voluntary.” Carmen made her to the center to the ring and started doing a few stretches, working her back from side to side, leaning down.

”Maybe talk about it after, if you want.” It was a little forceful, but Alicia didn't seem like the type to stand on pleasantries, which was fine, since she wasn’t either. ”Need pads, or are you good? My cousin has shin guards and an extra mouthguard in the closet.”

Well, it sounded like there was something of a story there, judging both from the Latina’s tone and the way she talked about it not being her choice. But…

”Not particularly,” Alicia dismissed the idea of chatting about Carmen’s new look almost offhandedly, entirely because she wasn’t interested and not because she was trying to save the boxer’s feelings. At the end of the day, she was there to fight, not to chat about whatever had happened to the boxer’s hair.

Instead, she undid her jeans and peeled them down the muscular bulk of her thick thighs, wiggling her hips to remove the tight fabric. Underneath, she wore a matching pair of workout shorts that hugged her figure quite nicely – it wouldn’t be true to say Alicia was always dressed to fight. But she certainly had come dressed for this one. She had her fingerless gloves already in place as always and her boots were more than suitable for sparring.

But she wasn’t going to object to the offer of shin-guards – at Carmen’s indication, she headed over to the closet and pulled them out, quickly strapping them into place. Then the big redhead came back to the ring, sliding under the ropes in turn.

She rolled to her feet and began to stretch in turn, working out any potential kinks in her arms and – very particularly – her legs.

”No Army today?” There was a reason to her question. Last time she’d sparred with a Rodriguez off the record, there’d been a second Rodriguez hanging around to watch. Not that Alicia minded but she liked to know.

”Heh. Blunt.” Even though she wasn’t in the mood for any humor, she allowed herself a little chuckle at Alicia’s stark words. Most would’ve at least pretended to care. Not this one. She was interested in one thing and one thing only. That was more than fine with Carmen. There were starting out on the same page.

Carmen watched as Alicia stripped out to her fighting attire, peeling it away and revealing the powerhouse legs underneath. An impressive pair, to say the least, and it reminded her of some runners and lifters she’d met at the Olympics. There certainly wasn’t anyone she could compare them to in the AFW.

All the same, she went back to her stretches and tried not to let her gaze linger too long, not wanting to give the wrong impression to her guest. Alicia was a fine looking woman, but even if she were interested, the last thing Carmen needed was her already-complex lovelife to get more complex.

”No Army today.” Carmen started to bounce on her heels, working herself up as she moved around the ring, feeling out her rhythm. It had been far, far too long since she’d been in a match where proper footwork was a factor. Hopefully that was one thing among many that this session would test.

”He might pop in, but I doubt it.” Carmen threw a couple of quick, flashing jabs at the air, then quickly backed away before her imaginary opponent could return fire. ”It’ll be just you and me.” She gracefully slid back towards the center of the ring. Her form wasn’t at its best, but it was nothing a few weeks of training wouldn’t fix and maybe improve. It would do for now. ”Any preference on rules?”

”I didn’t come to swap hairdressing tips,” Alicia’s statement was beautifully matter-of-fact – she wasn’t trying to insult Carmen or even really explain. It was just the way she saw it and, eyes focused on working her jeans over her legs, she pretty clearly didn’t think Carmen was about to disagree.

And if she was, well, she shouldn’t be so sensitive about it – voluntary or not, hair grew back.

Alicia was still stretching out as Carmen answered her question, bobbing her head in a quick accepting nod. So, it was just going to be her and the now-former champion; although, last time she’d fought Army, she’d have bet he’d have said the same. Still, Carmen struck her as the more subtle of the two.

If Army was around, somehow she saw him sat at ringside with a big bucket of popcorn.

Finally feeling done with her warmups, the redheaded Amazon moved to mid-ring, throwing a few air punches of her own. Unlike Carmen, she didn’t hop back, instead taking slow methodical steps forward as if driving her own opponent before her.

Just her and Carmen. Just the way she liked it, in short.

And then the boxer asked about what rules they’d be using and Alicia pursed her lips thoughtfully right before launching into a series of kicks that would have rocked anyone unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end.

”I suppose it depends. Are we sticking to strikes or are you happy to go to the mats with me as well?”

There was a slight twist to Alicia’s lips, baring white teeth; that not-entirely sane smirk she wore when she fought making its first appearance.

Carmen just shrugged. While she wouldn’t have mind talking to Alicia a bit afterwards, hair wouldn’t be the topic - at most they could discuss the differences in their styles, where they both needed improving, share tips. Felina had given her some insight into kickboxing, but this would be her first time working with someone with a true MMA style. There was much to learn.

She wasn’t sure why she asked about Army, though she couldn’t see how it mattered. It was just as well. Being quiet had never been her brother’s speciality, and she wasn’t in the mood for the peanut gallery.

There was no bell to ring, and while Alicia didn’t strike her as the type for a cheap shot, Carmen couldn’t resist a slight jolt when she started swinging those legs of hers around. It wasn’t a full flinch, she didn’t move away. But muscles tightened, her brow creased. The reflexive start of a guard. Even if her mind was at ease, her body was at the ready.

When the question was bounced back to her, Carmen thought for a moment, bouncing from foot to foot with her arms held loose as she did. Though she was far, far better with it than she had been two years ago, grappling was not exactly her forte. Her body was strong and stout enough that it wouldn’t have mattered against most women, but Alicia wasn’t ‘most women’. Or even ‘some women’.

It was tough to tell who was bigger between them with the different ways their mass was spread out, but she doubted the difference was far enough for it to be a benefit for either of them. Least of all, her.

Sticking with strikes was the smart call. But if she just stuck to her comfort zone, what was the point of this? After Soledad rolled her on the floor and made her tap, it was hard to argue she didn’t need some work on the horizontal plane.

”Both.” She finally answered after a few seconds. ”Say, three minutes with each, back and forth. We go until one of us can’t go anymore.” Now it was Carmen turn to smirk, the subtle hint of a grin. Harder to spot than Alicia’s more manic smile, but there all the same.

She turned to her phone and shouted out a quick command, setting the timer for a three-minute alarm. Provided they weren’t making too much noise, they’d heard it clear enough.

With that settled, Carmen figured they’d taken enough time from they were both eager to do. She held out her fist for a quick, respectful bump, and after she got - or even if she didn’t - she went into action. Arms up, right tucked in, left extended for the traditional stance, as she began to move around the mat. Her feet slid along with quick, graceful steps, working into her rhythm. Left, right, left, right, eyes forward and searching.

Alicia’s question about Army had been motivated by two things. Curiosity but also the two of them had… ‘Hit it off’ probably wasn’t the best way of putting it but it was as good a way as any. Alicia liked fighting, Army liked fighting and they’d definitely seemed to enjoy fighting each other. Plus Alicia liked squeezing big guys. They could take the pressure better, thought they could take still more and made the best noises when they crumpled like tissue paper.

Not to mention big guys (or girls) meant she could squeeze harder without worrying about breaking ribs. Of course, if she went all out or if she’d tried to break Army’s ribs, Alicia could have. Easily. But she didn’t need to worry about it as much as with someone built like Gallium or Valley.

So that was why she was asking about Army.

Question asked, Alicia kept up her shadow-boxing, switching to punches and knees and elbows interspersed with grunts of effort as she waited to see what Carmen would go with. She was happy either way; though she preferred going all-out, she’d be equally content pitting her striking skills against Carmen’s.

The boxer’s punches versus her kicks. That’d be fun.

Nor did she know Carmen well enough to really think she’d get a guess right. Would the former 24/7 champ play it safe? Or would she look for a challenge?

Turned out, she definitely wouldn’t have got it right. Carmen plumped for option C – both – a choice that earnt her a widening of Alicia’s grin as the redhead’s eyes gleamed.

The further clarification that they’d keep on at it until one of them couldn’t keep going, well.

”My kind of rules,” The British amazon’s tone was gleefully (perhaps unnervingly) anticipatory as she watched Carmen set the alarm.

She did indeed grant the boxer a swift fistbump of respect before stepping back and-

They. Were. Go.

Unusually for the redhead, Alicia didn’t immediately rush in. Against a boxer of Carmen’s calibre, that was a recipe for a bad start.

Instead, she circled too, her eyes dancing from Carmen’s feet to her hands to her eyes and back again in swift succession.

Feet. Hands. Eyes. Feet. Hands. Eyes. Feet. Hands-

Alicia lunged in, a foot coming up in an arc aimed to finish just under Carmen’s ribs.

As Carmen considered, she kept an eye on Alicia’s upper body worked, watching the punches and elbows. While it was obvious that her legs were the main attraction, her arms weren’t something to ignore, either. One more thing to consider.

With the offer laid down, Carmen’s head tilted slightly to the side at Alicia’s manic grin. It wasn’t disturbing, not exactly, especially considering the borderline psychopaths she’d come across since joining Tension, but it did paint an interesting picture of the woman before her. This was by far the longest conversation they’d had since meeting, but even so, it was easy to get a good idea of where Alicia’s interest were.

The woman loved to fight. She probably loved to do a few other things, too, judging by the way she’d crushed Army, but Carmen was of a mind to disappoint her, there.

The bell rang in both their heads, the fight was on. Carmen expected her to come in strong, aggressive, but Alicia held back instead, keeping pace as the two warrioresses traced a circle on the canvas with their rapid steps. For the first moments, the only sounds were the tapping of feet, and the only fans making noise were the ones above them, blowing a refreshing breeze over the ring.

Carmen’s gaze followed Alicia’s, keeping up, trying to read thoughts.  It was almost as if their eyes were having their own, private duel, scanning, searching, waiting…

There.

When Alicia moved, Carmen moved. She brought her guard down in time to absorb the kick and managed to twist away from it, sapping off some of the impact. Even so, she got a good taste of the fearsome force, and it was enough to make her take a step she hadn’t intended.

Carmen’s recoil was short, though, and she started to move in herself, raising her arms as if she were about to strike high and fast for Alicia’s face...only to pull back. A surge forward, the ghost of punch, before she moved back again. Just a little something to test her foe’s reflexes, see how fast she could react, range-finding.

‘Gathering data’, her Dad used to call it.

There was a time for rushing in and finding out what was waiting for her the hard way. In most cases, Alicia was content to take that approach but, against a boxer of Carmen’s skill, she’d just be walking into a headshot that might KO even her. Added to which, she wanted this to be one to remember and – having seen her fight Army – she was hoping to catch Carmen off guard a bit.

She didn’t know if it worked or not. What she did know was that, when she went for the attack, Carmen’s guard was up and ready. Rather than the soft spot she’d been aiming for, her shinbone smacked into a prepared arm. Not as effective as she’d have liked, but the block-and-pivot might have ablated the kick but Carmen still was forced back – she’d just been put on notice.

Alicia intended to put at least one of those into her ribs before they were done.

And now the dance was on, Carmen stepping back in to return the favour at Alicia’s face. Fortunately, the redhead’s stance already kept an arm up high and she shifted it forward, bringing the other up to block and-

Nothing.

Carmen came in, as if to throw a punch, then backed off.

Hmph. That was a disappointment.

But if Carmen had learned something from Alicia’s reaction, the redhead learnt some things of her own in turn. Like how fast Carmen could move in and back, the speed of the boxer’s hands and arms.

On the other hand, it wasn’t in Alicia’s nature or style to hold back too much. Even as Carmen pulled back from her aborted attack or whatever that had been, Alicia surged forward into the gap, her hands shooting forward in an attempt to clasp them behind Carmen’s neck.

That was followed in short order by a knee coming up, a strike aimed at burying that bony joint firmly in the ex-champion’s midriff.

Carmen could gather data, Alicia intended to fight.