Small but Dangerous

[Aurora Blake]

Marcus Kane

---

Some men were seriously pathetic, especially the older cadets in her class. Aurora had managed to get the clearance to go train with the men through hard physical exercise and discipline, but that didn’t stop the majority of them to treat her kind of badly. She was a woman, physically naturally weaker than them, but what they didn’t realize was, that her precious reproductive organs were inside and not such an easy target. On top of it, Aurora wasn’t beyond using a few dirty tricks. Absolutely nothing in the protocol ever stated that female cadets and guards couldn’t do that.

Aurora spoke to the one she had to fight later beforehand. He was really full of himself, loved to show off what he could do, how strong he was and he even went so far as to promise her to go easy on her. This poor fellow. Aurora paid close attention to what he said, to what he showed off, fully intending to use it later on.

Once the sparing fight began, she quickly delivered a blow to his throat, followed by a well aimed kick to his weak ankle. The significantly taller guy screamed out, dropped to the floor and just like that the smaller female could pin him.

“You were saying, big guy?” Aurora got up, smug smile on her face. “Anyone else?”

[Marcus Kane]

Marcus was watching the group of new trainees and trying to decide what to do with them. He had to job of taking them from trainees, to guardsmen. It wouldn't be easy, but he was going to do it! Right now Marcus was looking at them sparing with each other. Trying to sort out which ones had the natural skill to understand and master hand to hand combat, and which ones would need more training. Marcus never looked at a woman and though her naturally weaker, but he was aware that men were build different and there any training he gave the girls needed to be different--to better help them over power the men.

He had been were they were just five years ago, and in that five years he had begun to move up and others were taking notice. He followed the rules, and his orders without question. Marcus liked knowing what was and what wasn't allowed. He liked everything spelled out, and everyone know knowing what was happening. He liked to know what to expect--which was why when he got surprised he was either really surprised, or really displeased. In this case it was impressed. "Cadet Shumaway, Cadet Blake needs another partner." Marcus told him, wanting to see if she could do it with someone who was ready for her. Taking down one so large was impressive, but could she do it again?

[Aurora Blake]

Aurora reached for her water, taking a sip to soothe the burning throat just a little, she had heard Officer Kane order Shumway to spar against her. For a moment Aurora closed her eyes. She had avoided Shumway. For some reasons she couldn’t name she didn’t trust the man. He always made her shiver, gave her a weird vibe and made her uncomfortable. She didn’t expect him to ever attack her, but his attitude and personality were not one she wanted to be around of. But this was just sparring, not a date. It would be fine. She just needed to figure out his weakness.

The two of them went straight into it. Aurora mainly dodged him, avoiding his punches and kicks as gracefully as possible, but one belly flop was simply not avoidable. Kicking out she got back up, still watching him and not allowing for him to get her. He gloated. Eventually he might have thought her avoiding him meant he had the upper hand. He didn’t realize that she was watching, studying his movements and waiting for the opening, which came the moment he got careless enough to openly announce his superiority over her. He was good at fighting, Aurora knew that. He had the strength to take down people with a lot more ease than she had. She had to rely a bit more on her wits. Rora delivered a kick to Shumways shoulder, catching him off guard. Using his confusion Aurora kicked his legs out underneath him and secured him in a hold that would cause him pain if he would try to move out of it.

After a few moments Aurora got up, releasing him. She turned to look at officer Kane, awaiting his review of what they had just done. Both her and Shumway were still in training, Aurora decided to develop her strengths rather than linger on her weaknesses even though she was working on them, too. But at the end of the day she was not the one to decide if what she was doing was good, so she spoke up. “Do you have any tips, maybe, Officer Kane?” After all they were both still learning and so any tip or criticism would eventually make both Shumway and her better.

Marcus Kane

[Marcus Kane]

Marcus stood by the training mats with his arms folded over his chest and an unreadable expression on his face. He had learned from his own trainers that if you didn't see approval there you worked harder for it. It was hard, because sometimes he wanted to react to a good move, or someone surprising him--like with Blake--but he knew if she showed approval then the cadet could think they had mastered the skill, and try less. It was important they never stopped trying. “Do you have any tips, maybe, Officer Kane?” She asked, after having taken down her next target, this time not relying on wiles or appearing weaker--moves that would not have served her as guard. "More of that, less of the first," He told her in a monotone voice, but inside he was clapping his hands at her improvement.

Blake held promise, and Marcus was trying to push her toward it. He stepped closer and when Shumway walked closer to, Marcus sent him off to train else were. "Had he been an officer, you would have had trouble taking him down. Your good, but you should work on speed more then power." He tried to give her the advice she was asking for. Women by nature had less power behind their hits then men, unless they worked to really tone up their hitting--so while learning in the beginning stages, he always suggested they go for faster hits in more direct areas. "Aim for weak places. The neck, toward the adam's apple, the noise, the bottom of the ribs if it's not protected by armor. A well placed hit there will hurt more then a misaimed one in the face." He was looking toward her face while he spoke, but another lesson he had learned from his training officer was once you were standing on the mats anything could happen. If she tried to use the moves he was explaining to her now, he was ready to block them. He could not afford to get distracted by her pretty face, and let her get the best of him before everyone. He had worked hard to be thought of untouchable (though he knew it wasn't true), and he was damn well doing to try to maintain that.

[Aurora Blake]

“Yes, sir.” She answered. Aurora was quite aware of what the job entailed and she wanted to get good at it, though at this time she was still learning and would openly admit to it. It was no weakness in her eyes to not be perfect, giving up, giving in to fear was weakness. She would learn and accept criticism, though maybe in cases of other officers a bit grumbling. There was no need for that with Kane. His criticism held substance instead of just being blank statements holding no room for questions of how to improve. He offered that, which Aurora appreciated, a lot. So his advice was to work on speed, which she could understand. It was just, sadly, the natural way things were and in many ways how the men around here thought.

Aurora stood calmly next to him, the thought of attacking him out of the blue didn’t even cross her mind. She was there to learn, attacking someone just to prove something was certainly not the way she was going to achieve that. And what he said proved it. He gave examples on where to hit to get the most effective area. Had she attacked him, she would not be able to ask him a question about it, as she would have had to put her entire energy into the attack and in the consequence of it, into deflecting his reaction to it. 

“The neck and adam’s apple mean there are two different sensitive areas? What’s the difference between those moves, I mean where would I have to aim for in both cases?” So far she had learned of one sensitive area on the neck, she had gone for it in some sparring sessions already, usually with a well aimed kick, proving successful, but she wanted to know the other area as well. She would need to know that eventually in her work, because she really wanted to get into the guard and she was willing to go quite far for that chance, of course not beyond what was morally acceptable. 

Marcus Kane

[Marcus Kane]

Marcus watched her face while he explained, making sure she understood and there was no signs of either misunderstanding or arrogance. There didn't appear to be either, but she did ask a question. Good. Some cadets were too prideful to ask questions and it hindered their training. “What’s the difference between those moves, I mean where would I have to aim for in both cases?” Marcus shifted so he was standing facing her, and looking into her face.

He reached for her arm, and his fingers moved down to her wrist. "Make a fist." He knew he should not have touched her gently, but apart of him just wanted to see if her skin was as soft as it looked. Mentally shaking himself out of that, he lifted her fist so it was aimed at the side of his neck. "Don't aim too high, there are bones there to protect it." Lowering her fist a few inches he stopped her mid-neck. "Here." Turning her fist he moved it so it was aimed at his apple's apple. "Hit here hard, he can't scream out. It will cause him--or her--to choke and fight for air." Moving it another inch lower. "Same for here." Letting her hand go he reached his own hand toward her ribs and pressed right where the rib caged ended. "Right here. Hit upwards. It will hurt, but them more then you." His hands fell from her, but he didn't step backwards.

[Aurora Blake]

Aurora didn’t think of it as anything but her instructor showing her a move, when he touched her. She guessed in some cases that was just easier than having to talk them through moves and she wasn’t against it, nor did she consider it in any for inappropriate. It might have been a very tricky situation if someone really got funny ideas, but she tried not to think of that possibility, feeling like it might hold her back and that, in turn, was bad for her. Aurora paid close attention to the moves he was showing her, but as he did that, she couldn’t help but notice, that unlike some other guards, Kane was rather attractive and her supervising officer, so she should get those thoughts right out of her head. Well maybe recognizing that was not as bad, acting on it was. Drawing in a deep breath just as he pressed against her rib, was not planned at all, but it made her just wonder if maybe she should be a little more careful around him. She was just a young woman after all. 

“Thank you, Sir.” Aurora looked up into his eyes as she said this, not even paying attention to how close he was. She turned around, wanting to head for a training back to practice the moves he had just shown her, but she didn’t get too far. The bell went off, announcing that it was another groups turn to train now. She assumed it was fully trained guards now. Like the others, she made her way to the changing rooms, the womens rooms being a lot more empty than those of the men. As it was late, Aurora, like some of the other cadets, made her way to the canteen. They had the little routine set up for the cadets to eat together after those training hours. For team building. Today she sat alone, though, for the simple lack of room on other tables and the fact that she had taken a little longer at changing – some of the men she trained with were just pigs, but she’d never say that out loud. Instead she stared at her food, never even seeing it as she focused on the what she learned today and that was not just related to the cadet training.

Marcus Kane

[Marcus Kane]

He stood there until she had gone, before moving. He had crossed a line and thankfully she had not seemed to either notice--or if she had then she didn't draw attention toward it. Marcus had not worked up a sweat--regretfully he never seemed to do it while training the men, as he was mostly required to watch and tell them what to do. Marcus missed the days of training and trying to best everyone, though he was enjoying the challenge of trying to make everyone better too.

Moving to find his own afternoon meal, Marcus went to the mess hall. There he saw her sitting alone, and he wondered why she didn't try to crowd into the tables with the others. He almost went on to go eat with one of his friends, Jaha, but he instead for himself walking over to stand behind her. Putting his try down, Marcus sat down across her, and waited until she looked up before speaking. "Why are sitting along?" He had a job to make sure all his training cadets were alright. He wanted to make sure everything was alright with her.

[Aurora Blake]

Aurora was still lost in thought, when someone sat down across from her. She didn’t intend to make much of a fuzz about it. It happened. People needed to sit together, knowing the other or not. As she looked up, though, just taking her fork, she found her supervising officer Kane sitting right across her, asking her a question about why she sat alone. He cared about his students. That was something she had not expected given the stories she heard, but it was a falsehood she liked to have corrected. She smiled at him, openly and warmly, hoping to make him see how grateful she was for asking, not that there was a problem.

“I was the last to get here. Took a bit longer to change this time. I usually sit with the others.” She really did. It was just the fact that there was not enough room for them all to sit together. “The last one to come sits alone.” And as such this time it was Aurora. For some reason, though, she thought she could crack a silly joke around him. “Besides, have you smelled them?” She had gotten used to their smell a bit, but others hadn’t. She hadn’t minded either. It was part of what she had to deal with in the training. “I don’t remember you eating with us before.” Or maybe she had just not seen him before and was now officially making a fool out of herself by trying to make small talk and failing at it.

Marcus Kane

[Marcus Kane]

“The last one to come sits alone.” She told him, and Marcus kept watching her, trying to see if that was true or not. Surely they could have all slid closer together to allow her to sit with them. She was small enough. “Besides, have you smelled them?” Her joke at their expense made him smile, and the serious moment broke. Touche. Men (and women) right from training didn't smell the best if they didn't clean up well afterwards. He had humor, good, that would help her with her training. There would be times when it got hard, but if one could find humor in some things then it might make it easier.

“I don’t remember you eating with us before.” She also was bold to call him out on something, and it didn't make his smile go away. "I was just making sure all was well." He told her, knowing that sometimes cadets could bully or try to weaken each other; and he wanted to make sure no one had harmed her. It was his job to protect the cadets, but there was also more then that. He had wanted to make sure no harm had come to her. "If I am ruining your silence, I can leave." He teased her, knowing she would not ask him to leave. "Or we can eat together, and get to know one another." He liked getting to know his cadets, as it let him know when to push and when they had hit their limit.

[Aurora Blake]

It was kind of him to want to make sure everything was okay. She knew others in his position didn’t care, they even liked it, as far as she could tell. It weeded cadets out for them, probably spared them work. Aurora was nowhere near being able to judge this, so she didn’t. However she liked his approach a little more. That way the cadets that would make it through the program were actually chosen by talent and not by how badly they were bullied by others and they could be vicious idiots. 

“What silence?” Aurora asked rhetorically at him while pointing over his shoulder towards the other cadets, who were as loud as they could be, as usual, but also, as it seemed, about to get done with it. She had no idea why they seemed in a rush today, though. She was done for today and therefore take her time, especially now that Supervising Officer Kane offered his company. He probably did it with all of them. She couldn’t imagine him singling one out as he was always very fair. “Sounds good. Though you’re definitely in the advantage already.” She smirked at him. He was probably very aware of that one. “You have access to my file and … there is a lot about me in that one.” Every hard fact that there could be was in it, though those were only parts of who she was, dates and numbers on a sheet, that belonged to her but didn’t speak for her. “You’Re pretty young compared to the other supervising officers.” She pointed out – a fact that he probably knew very well himself. “Are you that good? I mean… I’m probably totally putting my foot in my mouth here, but you must have done something to earn this position earlier than all the others.”

Marcus Kane

[Marcus Kane]

“What silence?” She joked, her head gesturing toward the crowd, which he knew could be clearing out soon. The day was over, and free time was upon them. They would want to enjoy it with either family or lovers. They didn't have to report in until their next training shift. The same with her, though she didn't seem in a hurry. It made him wonder why. “Sounds good. Though you’re definitely in the advantage already.” Was he now? “You have access to my file and . . . there is a lot about me in that one.” Marcus didn't say anything to confirm or deny that. He had read her file, yes, but he was not going to use any of that information now. Instead he watched her silently for a moment, his eyes holding humor before he spoke up. "I like to think people are more then files," He told her in a light hearted comment, enjoying her smirk.

“You’re pretty young compared to the other supervising officers.” She went right in for it, and Marcus paused for a moment, his own fork growing still in his food. “Are you that good? I mean . . . I’m probably totally putting my foot in my mouth here, but you must have done something to earn this position earlier than all the others.” Marcus reached for his drink and took a slow sip from it to buy him a moment, though the how action just looked like he was clearing his voice to speak clearly. In truth she had asked him something that he had asked himself, but no one had ever come right out and asked him before.

He had often wondered that himself. In his early days he had found his father breaking the law, and had arrested him. He was floated shortly after, and ever since then Marcus had put himself fully into work. He didn't see his mother often, and because of both things all this time went to working. His smile never left his face, even while these dark thoughts flickered in the back of his mind. He didn't want the moment to fade away, by telling her of his past. "There are three types of Guardsmen, Blake. There are our co-cadets who work hard but this will be a job to them. They will put their personal lives before whatever job they get. They might not make it up the ranks, but they will be fine with that. If they were become gruadsmen." Because not everyone who was a cadet because a guardsmen. "Then there are people like Shumway there. Who will put their job before their personal life. It will be more then a job to them, and they will slowly make their way up the ranks; while leaving time to have a decent personal life."

"And then there are the ones like me." Who was hiding from their personal life. "Who don't have a personal life, and put everything they have into the guard." It wasn't the romanticized answer she wanted, but it was true. "Which type are you, Blake?"

[Aurora Blake]

The people were more than files, she agreed. Files held data, hard facts. He could see when she was born, where, who her parents were, who her grandmother was, her blood type, medical history, but no file in the world would ever contain the fact that her grandmother doted on her. No file in the world held the stories her grandmother told her at night, the pictures she painted with her words. So yes, she was more than her file. And it was great to know that Kane did not reduce his cadets to the files. It already set him apart from others. But what he said after that, did so much more. 

The types of guards were accurate, as far as she could tell, though some of them were more sad than others. It really made her think. What type was she? And what type did she want to be? She wanted to protect, but she also wanted a family in the future. There was just nobody she could imagine having a family with yet and since her actual family was no more, she had a lot of time to put into her training. She was perhaps a bit of a mixture between type two and three, but she’d prefer to be a two. She wanted this personal life, she just didn’t have one at the moment.

“Somewhere between two and three. I’m currently very focused on the job. I don’t have a family. I do meet some friends sometimes, but training comes first for me. I would like to have a family in the future, but right now that’s not in the cards for me, so all my energy goes into training… which almost sounds sad, but I like it. I like to be able to focus on learning and to learn. Thank you again, for showing me those moves.”

Marcus Kane

[Marcus Kane]

She gave an honest answer, and Marcus slowly nodded his head with her reasoning. He could see it, how she put more then the others into her training, but how it didn't own her like it had him. There wasn't a right or wrong answer with his question, but more of a self evaluation. If she wanted a family she couldn't be as committed as she was now. Marcus wasn't sure he was built for family. He had been raised mostly by his mother who had thrown herself into her faith to escape his abusive father who wasn't always around--thankfully. Marcus had not been a guard for two full years when he arrested his father, and watched him get floated. Since then he had been very by the rule, and it had gotten him moved up and up through the ranks very quickly.

She thanked him for showing her the moves, and Marcus nodded. "They'll serve you well against the larger people you will need to fight with; especially when you become a guard and have to arrest people." The citizens knew that they would be floated for any little crime, which meant they didn't often go willingly to be arrested. You had to be ready to fight and put them down with as little effort as you could. "Though you should always try to use the shock baton before you attempt physically restraining. The last thing you want is it getting out of control and a citizen getting caught in the cross fire."

[Aurora Blake]

Aurora nodded. She heard what he said. Having had family that has been around from the beginning, she knew of several bad endings of a guard needing to but in into things. She had heard of riots, especially in those stations that were known to be less privileged than others, sometimes ending with several people in medical, several dead and in the end several people getting floated for starting it all. She didn’t want to let any of that happen, but she knew as just one guard she stood no chance. “The shock batons sound harsh, but I know what you mean. There have been some… horrible things that happened before. Hand to hand won’t do much good in situations like that.”

She wondered if something like that happened when Kane was around. Had he experiences with that? “Did something like that happen to you?” She asked him, curiosity getting the better of her, then again at the same time, second hand experiences helped better than not knowing any of that at all. “I mean, not only where they fought back, I know that happens a lot, but where they came close to actually overpowering the guards. I know adrenaline can unleash some impressive powers in people. And then people get hurt.” And that meant it was not far off to think that someone could overpower a guard. They had to protect the citizens, but people could get hurt. It was their job not to let it happen, but sometimes it was unavoidable.

Marcus Kane