Eternal Winter

XXV: Deathmatch

December 31 2025

Area Classified

Natasha watched as waves of dust crawled from under the rolled out, worn down mat. Its red dye fading like the blood from her skin. The forgotten sun poured in from the shattered windows, outlining the shadows of the dead and the living. Its light reflecting on the broken glass like stars glittering in the dark abyss of the night.

The suddenly small building was silent, everyone was completely silent. Like death came in and pulled out every living sound; the air sucked in like a vacuum.

Trikov peeled off his jacket, throwing it right onto the concrete floor. She shuddered as it landed in another cloud of dust. He smiled his grim smile as he stepped onto the mat, his weight pressing on the foam.

KGB hand-to-hand combat has no rules but to not interfere. Only the two opponents on the mat have control. One can go down until near to sudden death, then and only then can the haunting ring of the bell be rung. 

Natasha stepped onto the mat, her boots seeping into it like mud.

She could feel James' eyes on her, watching her every move and never letting go. Her eyes were not on James, however, but on Trikov, afraid he might pounce at any second.

He positioned himself, ready for the taste of blood. Natasha stood still, motionless and grounded like a rock. There eyes were locked on one another, waiting for a move.

She kept her breathing light and calm, focusing on his structure, build, and possible weaknesses.

Possible.

Weakness isn't his forte and neither was hers. His laugh brought her back to reality, penetrating her skull like a thick needle. They circled the small area, watching and ready for any sudden movement. Natasha knew that he wanted her to take the first move in this deathmatch and she refused to let him have what he wanted.

Seconds went by before Trikov made his first move. His left fist went for her abdomen while his right foot tried to hook her leg from under. Natasha dodged the attack, jumping and rolling to the left. She stood up, her auburn hair bouncing from the quick motions. Her breathing still steady as she watched Trikov take a step forward. 

Natasha was waiting for the right moment, the moment where he would be distracted for a second.

Just a second.

He tried to punch her again, going for her ear, trying to make her lose balance. His cold fist connected with her palm. She jumped and twisted his arm, causing him to flip with it. His body slammed onto the mat, causing the wood railings to shake.

Natasha looked down at her opponent, his back shaking from laughter. "Learned a lot haven't we?" He spat out blood and stood up; his teeth stained in crimson. "Not the same little bitch that I took down decades ago."

James tensed up at the comment, his leather glove gripped against his fingers. Wanda placed a hand on his shoulder for reassurance but they all were on edge.

Natasha flicked her hair back and charged at Trikov, her forearm on his stomach as she pushed him down; causing her to fall down with him. She was now on top of Trikov, punching him in every place possible. Then Trikov grabbed her arms and flipped her over, placing him on top of her.

Natasha's eyes widened in shock as his smile grew bigger. "But we didn't learn a lot." Seconds later he headbutted her, causing her vision to get blurry. He then pulled her by the hair across the mat, her screams echoing off the worn down, cracking walls. The team winced at the horrible sound that came from her mouth.