Challenges #53"
By: Eric Bonestulo , NpC , [NPC]
Samantha Carter, Security Officer, [RNPC]

Stardate: 58208.12 2330

“Whose face did you see.”

Location: Gymnasium

Sweat gleamed on clear, smooth skin, glistening under steady lights as firmly wrapped fists slammed again and again into the suspended bag, viciously knocking it to and fro. Frustration boiled in every line of lean muscle, lending strength to the blows until the room echoed with nothing but the constant thump of knuckles against worn leather.

Eric made his way to gym, looking to work off some steam. It had been a long day working with Rachel and his assistant, Abraham, as well as trying to liaise their work with the good people of Engineering. Rachel had clearly had her mind set on something that she wasn't excited about, Abrahams was distracted about something, the Engineers were being too pushy and he felt like the XO had been hovering over his shoulder for the last half hour of the shift before changeover. * Thank God for Cirek's training, or else I would have popped on all of them.* he thought.

He stepped into the gym without even checking to see if it was already in use, and was surprised to see Sam working over the punching bag in the far corner.

"Hey Sam... taking out some stress I see. Wanna spar a bit?" Eric asked, wrapping up his own hands as he looked at the ring in the center of the gym.

Startled out of her single-minded world, Sam swept a hand up to shove back loose tendrils of hair. The braid had proved ineffective in the face of her exertion, releasing strands to cascade against her cheeks, sticking in the perspiration there. "Oh, Eric. Hello."

Watching him move effortlessly towards her, she couldn't help a small smile. Truth be told, the bag was proving to be much too compliant to her mood at the moment. "If you're up to taking the bag's place, then sure."

Eric smiled back slightly as he weighed the options. "Yeah, I think the bag has had enough and would appreciate the break. Besides, you can't hit what you can't catch." Eric grinned as he moved to the corner and grabbed some white gloves, with matching headgear and groin protection, taking a clear mouth guard from the near ring corner. He put them down in his corner and moved to meet Sam at her corner as he climbed the slight stairs to the ring, holding the ropes open for her to enter.

Swiping red head-gear and mouth guard, Sam hopped up into the ring, adjusting the padding to her liking.

"So, what’d the bag say to get you so wound up?" Eric asked as he got his equipment ready, turning to face Sam, ready to rumble.

Foregoing comment, Sam turned and swung a glove high, aiming for the side of Eric’s head.

"Hmm, I guess you aren't in a talking mood then." Eric replied with a smirk as he ducked the high punch, using his foot and hand speed to his advantage as he swivelled beneath the overthrown right hand and smashed his white glove into the exposed stomach of Sam with a fair bit of power behind it, although Eric was holding back slightly at this point. He wasn't sure how hard to play just yet, he was still evaluating and trying to get some information. "You upset about someone I know?" Eric asked from behind his mouth guard as he moved around the woman, shoving her slightly upright with his gloves against her shoulders.

*Cocky bastard.* Sam bared her teeth in a wolfish grin as she felt Eric pushing her away. She could feel his blow to her bare abdomen, still stinging from the leather of his glove. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, she delivered a rapid-fire double jab to his gut, the second blow angling towards the side as she skipped back out of his reach. “No one in particular”. She responded

Eric was caught by surprise by Sam's speed as he was unable to avoid her blows to his stomach as he felt her moving forward. Then, he watched her skipping away, opening up and moving out of his range as he got his feet moving again. "Oh, come on Sam. You've got to be able to lie more convincingly than that.” Eric teased as he bobbed and weaved, his balance and grace of motion on display as he searched for an opening, his gloves high. He was used to being the rabbit in the ring, able to outpace and outrun his opponent, but that wasn't the case it would appear. He changed tactics and tried to move forward, seeing if being the bully would work.

He bodied up against Sam, trying to shove her back into a corner and fired his gloves into her sides, just above her hips, trying to drag her protective guard down low.

"That bag had a face, Ms Carter. Whose was it?"

Dropping her left elbow as low as she dared, Sam kept her guard up, glaring at Eric as she shouldered to the side, then swung a blow up to connect with his jaw. She winced as his glove struck up under her ribs and reacted by catching her foot behind his ankle and jerking as she landed another blow. this one to his chest. Eric went sprawling onto the mat and Sam danced back out of the way. Eyes narrowed in concentration.

“You really do not want to know whose face was on the bag, Eric. It might frighten you.’” She said breathing heavily.

The jaw shot had completely caught Eric off-guard, as well as the strength of the security officer, as she had managed to muscle him back slightly, and then had floored him with a solid punch to the chest that had knocked Eric off-balance. He listened to her words and looked into her eyes. "I'm tougher than you think, Sam: In both senses." Eric sneered back, as he sprang to his feet and decided to show a bit of his A game, as obviously Sam was quite capable of taking care of herself.

He shuffled in slowly, a grin on his face behind his white gloved guard as he stalked her, as his mind cycled through his punch arsenal, trying to decide on a strategy that would work. Eric finally figured he had a workable approach, against an opponent who could outpace and out punch him. He needed to throw more leather, and stay away, make her chase him.

Eric dropped his hands slightly to his waist as he eyed Sam as he approached. "So what happened at Miranda’s . Where you not man enough to control a bunch of marines. If you are not careful they will take over security on the ship".? Eric teased as he fired a couple of low left jabs towards the waistband of her trunk, then stepping in and slightly to the right to try and power a right hook into her now exposed jaw.

He wanted her to look down; she could see it in his eyes. So Sam dropped her eyes, blocking the jabs while ducking her head as well. She felt Eric’s hook whistle past, the leather burning her cheek. Keeping one arm high to block a second attempt, Sam swung with the other, her torso twisted to protected her unguarded flank.

“It sounds to me as if you, and not I, are the one who is worried about them.” She replied back. A blow landed and Sam curled into it, drawing in the pain as she rammed her elbow into the exposed forearm and swung high with the other fist, glove in line with Eric’s collarbone. The blow landed with a crunch and both combatants fell away.

Eric moved away after her heavy blow to his shoulders, his feet dragging a bit as he looked up and something in Sam's eyes. He had hurt her with that last punch to the stomach. Eric decided that those flat abdominals would now become his target. He was going to try and punch the air and power out of the woman by taking away her ability to breath. Eric moved in cautiously again, as Sam pawed out with a light jab, that Eric managed to avoid, stepping around it and throwing a double left hook that slapped against the top of her red groin protector, and then he stepped into a heavy right handed hook towards her jaw, trying to send the girl back into the ropes.

Winded, Sam circled away from Eric, watching the predatory gleam in his eyes. *So he’s going for the gut* she thought, arching and weaving away as he swung in again. *Let him do that again and I’ll have a clear shot at his head.*

“You know its funny, you’re the one who started this conversation. Me, I was just trying to take a sandbag apart.” She replied. *There!* He dove in, fists aimed low to take her in the side. Waiting until he was committed to the move, Sam stepped in, guard raised, and delivered a solid punch to the side of his head. His blow sent her toppling back, the air seizing inside her, but she managed a wild swing that connected once again with his jaw before she hit the mat, her breath bursting from her lungs.

Eric was caught mid smile as he watched his right hand connect with her jaw and send her towards the mat and then her red glove streaked from nowhere and thundered into his jaw, dropping himself against the ropes, clutching at them to keep himself off of the canvas.. "Don't give me that, Sam. I've spent enough time with marines and security officers to know that routine when I hear it.”

“The analyzing looks, the careful treading.. I've read that book before. So, let's just talk to each other like friends, how would that be? You want to keep fighting, or do you want to talk. I doubt you got much more in that tank of yours." Eric grinned, as he looked down on Sam as she lay on the canvas, the sweat slightly dribbling off of her onto the mat. *Please say you'd rather talk. I don't know if I can beat you.* he thought.

Rolling up to her knees, Sam took hold of the ropes to help her to her feet. She hurt, but not nearly as much as Eric seemed to assume.

“Okay, with those marines on board I feel that my department is of no use at the moment, not only that but they took Miranda’s apart. Marines are only trouble if you tell me.”

Stalking towards him, she continued. “As to the face on the bag: it was mine.”

Sam could sense Eric’s guard coming up. He wasn’t quite sure how to take this sudden burst of spite, but after releasing the valve, Sam doubted she could stop if she wanted to. “Were you expecting that one, Eric.” Swinging in hard, she slammed her fist into his gut.

"Ummm, no." Eric managed to slightly reply, but it was hardly audible as Sam advanced on him, and crashed her red gloved fist into his gut. He saw the blow coming and flexed and tried to cover up but the blow was a forceful one and it hurt....alot. Eric wrapped his gloved arms around Sam and held her tight to him, trying to pin her arms to her side as he struggled to free them. "I suppose I don't have to tell you that it's not a good sign to do that, right?" Eric joked slightly as he held her, trying to get her to use up all the rage and self-loathing. He had seen it before, perhaps more closely then he would care to admit.

“Let go of me, Eric.” The words were delivered dead-pan as Sam spat out the mouth guard. When he held on, his amusement fading a bit into concern, Sam managed a slight grin. “I promise, no more fighting. And no, its not an issue of beating myself up but rather choosing a more accessible target.’”

Eric leaned back against the ropes slightly to help keep himself upright.

"I get the message. I won't get on your bad side." Eric replied as he dropped his mouth guard into his white glove and moved it to his trunks, tucking the mouth guard into the waistband of his trunk as he grimaced and rubbed his flat stomach with his left glove. "So... mind some friendly talk with your accessible target?" Eric asked, looking into her eyes with a grin.

Bending over to pick up her own discarded guard, Sam stood back upright, mouth tight as she began unlacing her gloves. “Friendly talk, eh?” The leather came free from sweaty hands that Sam wiped onto her shorts

Eric looked up with a shy smile as he rubbed at his eyes slightly.

"You shouldn't feel sorry for yourself, or get down on yourself Sam. You do important work you keep the ship save on the inside. You will be counted on for strength by many amongst this crew...." Eric looked back to the center of the ring and smiled "... a different kind of strength. But I just think you should know that I believe in you and I'm here if you want to talk... or just punch." Eric laughed slightly.

"Either way you want it, I'll do what I can to help."

Unable to resist, Sam turned and playfully slapped Eric on the shoulder. Chuckling easily, she added: “Don’t worry about me. I just needed to blow off some steam before I went and did something stupid.”

A flick of the wrist and Sam had the ropes parted as she slipped through, jumping easily to the ground. “Thanks for the work-out, though. We’re going to have to do this again, preferably some time I’m not ready to rip something apart.?”

"Anytime you feel like it, I'll be there." Eric replied, doing his best Rocky impression. "I'd be willing to teach you some of the Vulcan meditation and control methods that my Father's staff taught me on Vulcan.

“Just let me know." Eric offered as he followed her out of the ring and laid his equipment in the sanitization area. He decided that he was going to try his new holodeck program out.

Her body was becoming stiff from the brutal workout, but Sam welcomed the pain in exchange for a lighter mind.