Rising Star

[Dark Seraph]

Atlas Park.

Nat smiled as she looked at her uniform on stand, the bright orange and white, with the star at the centre of the chest, Texan Pride, she felt proud to wear it and at the slight joke in her name.

There was a buzz as her phone rings, picking it up, she saw it was her mother. "Hey ma."

"Oh hi Nathan-"

Nat coughed. "We been over this ma, ever since the toxic accident, it's Nat now."

"Sorry sweety, just over 18 years of you being my little man, just takes getting used to, you understand?"

Nat had lost track of how many times she had to correct her mother, she knows she means well, but she was getting forgetful in her age. "So what's the call for?"

"Oh just wanted to see how you where setting in in Paragon, big shift from Austin, Texas."

"Well you know ma, ever since the accident, my football dreams went up in smoke.... And let's be fair, they ain't the most tolerant folks back home, ta mutants or trans." She said, a slight bitter memory at how many of her friends turned their back on her after the change.

Her mother sighed. "I know sweety, Paragon will be good for ya, they have them rainbow flags and all, do ya good."

"Thanks ma, how's pa and Betty?"

"Oh you know your father, butting heads with anyone that tries to besmirch the family and ya sister is still upset over your change."

Nat couldn't help but laugh. "Ma, she's just upset I got this rocking bod while she has to sweat at the gym, but good news. I lined up a therapist and there is apparently a support group for trans, apparently randomly changing gender happens a lot here, hell, there was even a drug that did it... This place is wild ma, I think I will fit in great."

"Well just as long as ya don't get inta trouble, see you sweety."

Nat smiled. "Later ma." She sighed and hung up.... Time to start her new life, as a new... Well, cow woman, the woman part was still taking getting used to... The cow part, not so hard... Even if she couldn't look a hamburger in the eye anymore.

[Dark Seraph]

Atlas park.
Hopkins gym.

Nat looked down at the event organiser. "Are you sure this is alright? I mean Sam... I am legally trans."

The short goblonid man chewed on his cigar, he kinda reminded Nat of Danny DeVito, as took a puff he looked up at her. "Look lady, we ain't got no JK Rowling to drag you over the coals, you did the physical right?"

She nodded. 

"And the doc said you are a woman, right?"

She nods again.

"Then I don't care, you fight in the woman's bracket, now lets meet some of the girls, Neph, Jane, get down here." He called out.

Two women came forward dressed in sports tops and boxing shorts, Nat noticed both had cybernetics limbs... But that is where the similarity ended, the first one must of been six foot at least, her body thick set with dark shoulder length hair and oddly pale skin, faint spider web of dark veins visible in her cheeks. The other woman was shorter and slim, tanned skin with red hair that hung over one side of her face.

Sam turns to Nat. "Big one is Neph, one of my prize fighters, slim one is Jane, new comer like you. Gals, this is Nat.... She tells me her self help group wants her back in sports and MMA is sports, enjoy." He waddles off, puffing his cigar.

Jane reached a hand forward. "Nice to meet you, never seen a Minotaur like you before."

Nat blushed. "Technical, cow woman." She explains.

Neph grins. "So.... Think you got what it takes for super MMA? What's you skill set? Me I use energy to protect and fight. Jane here is electric, what's your wheel house."

Nat swallowed. "Uh, my hero id says Shield and Street Justice?"

Neph nodded. "Well, you can't use a shield in the ring, but you could probably adapt.... Try a spar against Jane, you should be on even footing." She gestured with one metal limb to the ring.

Nat looks them over. "Are you sure? I just got here..."

Neph pats Nat's head. "Sure, just no using those horns to gore, that would be a foul."

Taking a breath, Nat kicked off her shoes and walked up to the ring, climbing in as Jane clambered up, moving to an opposite corner.

Neph rang a bell. "Begin."

Nat took up the natural pose of using her shield, left arm out front in defensive, right arm hanging back to strike with while Jane was surrounded in electricity, fists raised as they slowly circle each other. Jane was the first to move, throwing out some testing punches that Nat took on the arm, the cow woman grimacing as electricity ran up and down her left arm.

Nat continued to weather blows, before spotting her opportunity, her right arm lashing out like a spear lunge, crashing into the left side of Jane's face and much to her horror, tearing it off. "Oh my god I am so sorry." She called, dropping her defences.

Jane waved a hand, instead of muscle and blood, under her face was a second clock work face. "It's cool Nat, new synth skin doesn't exactly cling right, comes off easy." She kneels down, picking up her face and reattaching it. "There, all better.... But hell of a blow, if I was human, would of probably shattered my cheek."

Nat blinks, then looks at Neph. "Er... This is normal? Are you normal?"

Neph laughed. "I am a cyborg, human with robot parts, she is an android, robot with human parts... But should of given you a heads up, but not bad for a spar, you held up pretty good despite not carrying a shield."

Nat heads to a corner of the ring and leans against the pylon, this was going to take some getting used to.... But she had to admit, until she smacked Jane's face off, it was kinda fun, not as fun as football, but still fun.