Aurelia Stark, the girl with everything. Only daughter of billionaire, Tony Stark, she has anything a girl could of ever wish for. But when her father goes missing in the Afghanistan desert, the cracks in her seemingly perfect life start to show.
Wh...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Backbeat, the word is on the street That the fire in your heart is out I'm sure you've heard it all before But you never really had a doubt -Wonderwall, Oasis
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
April 20th 2008 S.H.I.E.L.D Building, Unknown Location
Blow after blow landed on the punching bag, Aria's knuckles red and sore from the exertion. Her eyes narrowed on the red punching bag and she bit her lip in concentration, so hard she could taste the metallic tang of blood.
The gym was brightly lit, harsh lights glaring down on Aria. Outside, the facility was lit by large floodlights. It was a flat expanse of grass and concrete: helipads, satellite dishes, endurance courses.
Everything was visible- there was nowhere to hide. Safety.
Then at a certain point everything fell suddenly into complete darkness, a manmade horizon. A thick forest bordered the facility, though she couldn't see it right now. She didn't so much as know what state they were in, only that she was here.
In this liminal space. It was like purgatory.
She continued to fire punches, faster and faster.
"You've got stamina."
She didn't need to look back, recognising the detached drawl of Natasha's voice.
"You're stealthy, anyone ever told you that?"
The woman leant on the boxing ring in the centre of the room, a few feet back from Aurelia, watching her, a hint of amusement on her face.
"A couple of times. What did that bag ever do to you?"
Aria grunted, "Couldn't sleep."
"Me neither," she pushed herself up, perching on the edge of the ring, "you'll get used to that."
Aria stopped punching and turned, tilting her head, an analysing eyebrow raised, "You scared of the dark?"
"We all have our demons."
"Hm, I'll bet."
As she turned back to the bag, Natasha calmly called out, "You hit like that all night, the only thing you'll break is your hands."
"I'll chance it."
She slid off the ring, "Get in."
"I'm not here for a workout."
"I know why you're here. A bag won't make that feeling go away."
The two locked eyes for a long moment, silence hung heavy in the air. "Stop trying to psycho analyse me."
Nonetheless she climbed into the ring.
The pair faced each other. Aria lunged first, quickly. Natasha dodged and the brunette stumbled forwards.
"Close."
The brunette straightened, her jaw tightened. She came again, faster, feinting left then pivoting-
Natasha didn't take the bait, she lifted her arm lazily and caught Aria's wrist, turned it-
She flipped onto the ground, landing hard on her back with a loud thud, punching the breath from her lungs. She groaned, "Ow."
"Your eyes gave it away."
"What does that even mean?"
"You looked the way you were punching. Again."
Aria pushed herself up and dusted herself off, "You're enjoying this."
"Not particularly. I prefer to be challenged."
She rolled her eyes and took back up a stance, fists raised. She circled slowly, then moved in fast. Not fast enough. Natasha met her halfway with a block. She redirected her. Before her grip could tighten, Aria twisted and freed herself from the grip, barely.
The redhead's eyes flickered, "Better."
Natasha lunged forward. Aria reacted, dodging to the side, then ducking her next shot. As she moved to the side, Natasha hooked her leg, knocking her down onto the mat.
She got up.
She went again.
She fell again.
Over and over.
The first traces of the sun appeared and as Aria, yet again, lay on the mat, she glimpsed the forest appearing in the dim light of dawn. Someone entered the gym, an employee she didn't recognise. They paid little attention to the sweaty and bruised pair, keeping their eyes fixed low after their first glance.
Aria met Natasha's eye.
The pair smiled at one another, stifling a laugh.
The moment ended and they quickly looked away from one another. "Probably our sign to call it a night there," Aria shrugged.
Natasha glanced out the window, "Morning."
Aria smiled, "Yeah."
When she returned to her room and lay in her bed, images of fire and the deafening sound of gunfire didn't ring through her head. Instead, she pictured herself plummeting to the mat of the ring. No. More specifically, the moment before she plummeted to the floor.
She analysed every wrong move, glance of the eye, or misplaced punch.
When she drifted off, for the first time in weeks, her dreams were free of her father's screams, as he disappeared into the desert. For the first time in weeks, she slept.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
A message from the author: Sorry I didn't update last week guys! I had an awful week and I just wasn't in the mind state to be worrying about uploading. To make up for it though you are getting not one, not two, but three whole new chapters today! Anyways, hope you all had a good week! Remember to vote and comment! See you all next chapter! (;
