Bodies slamming against mats, the smell of sweat and disinfectant, and the echo of buzzers greeted you as you entered the gym that the competition was being held in. You nodded at your instructor who was busy signing you in, and you sat down on a nearby bench. Your attention was drawn to a girl— blue eyes, a long blonde braid running down her back. She had her opponent in a triangle choke, the other person tapping out after a few moments of struggling.

You directed your attention back to your instructor as they called you over, shaking out your limbs to get any jittery energy out. You stepped onto the mat, glancing up at your opponent and giving them a small nod once you shook their hand. The round started, and after that it was a blur.

You took a couple of good hits, but you threw your weight around pretty well, and soon you had gotten through two rounds, winning both. You returned to the mat after chugging some water, shaking your head to get your focus back. As you stood on the mat, sharp blue eyes met yours. Abby Anderson. Man was she good— she’d been doing jiu-jitsu since she was in middle school, and she was tough. Squaring your shoulders, you let out a breath. The referee backed away, and before you could even move, it was like you got hit by a train.

For a few minutes, there was a lot of back and forth, a mix of you both getting pinned. You thought you had her for a moment, hands braced against her shoulders— she’d then ducks under your arms, grabbing you by the thighs. You attempt to push her off, but she’s quicker, and she’s behind you now with her arms around your middle. Your feet leave the ground as you’re pulled up, then flipped over her shoulder.

You hit the mat hard. You feel your neck pop, white hot pain spreading across your skin. Damn that was a good suplex. You groan, head spinning as you lay against the mat, squinting under harsh fluorescent lights. You blink slowly, hardly registering Abby kneeling next to you.

“Shit— I’m sorry. Here, let me get you some ice…”