Maria had decided to warm up a little as she waited for Thor to come find her. She jabbed at a punching bag, already working a bit of a sweat in SHIELD-issue shorts and tank top. She gave the bag one last punch and turned at the sound of Thor calling her name.
"Over here, Thor," she waved, smiling over at him. She bent to retrieve her water bottle and went to meet him, taking a long drink. "How did it go with Fury?"
There was always something undeniably good about seeing a woman so fit and strong. Thor loved watching Sif fight; there was a primal sort of grace that he knew he and his fellows did not posses. Seeing Maria with a sheen of sweat was enough for him to return the offered smile as he made his way to her.
"Well enough," he said with a nod. "I am glad that he seems to expect me to return. Not many men I know would extend such assumption given such extreme circumstance." Of course Thor always kept his word, for better or worse... but Fury did not know him the way that some did. "Have you waited long?"
He laughed, giving a small shrug. "More to find a rhythm within ourselves, not to limit the risk of injury." His body was massively resistant to damage--even damage that he might inflict upon himself. The apples of Asgard were a tremendous boon. "So I am ready if you are."
"Alright then," she smirked, making her way out to the middle of the room. She stood with her feat apart, taking a fighting stance, hands up. "Ground rules?"
Thor followed Maria and echoed her stance, if in a less precise manner. He was interested to see what she could do though mindful in a way he never had to be around Stark or Steve.
"I just meant-- Usually, it's standard that you stay away from certain tactics, fight clean," she explained, not letting her guard down. She started circling, trying to decide the best plan of attack. "No hair-pulling or biting, no blows to the back of the head or groin. And three taps on the mat to show you're done. Does that sound reasonable?"
He couldn't help the laugh that spilled out at that. A warrior Maria may be, but a human, and a small one at that. The thought of her pinning him so completely that he must offer a display of giving in...
"More than," he said with a nod. The smile stayed on his lips; polite he may be but also had the utter confidence of someone trained from his first breath to be the strongest of gods. "A clean fight."
"Good," she said, just before leaping into action. She whirled around to throw a kick to his middle, fully expecting him to block. She had a jab ready and waiting for him next. Her first order of business in felling a god would be to get him off balance. She was certain that it was possible.
The first two blows went as expected--at least insofar as they landed as Maria intended. Thor raised an arm to stop the kick and was taken off-guard by the quickness of her fist; her knuckles landing on his jaw hard enough to turn his head. They didn't land hard enough to make him step back, however, and that put her close to him.
Close enough for an abbreviated blow to the gut if she wasn't extremely light on her feet.
Maria twisted out of the way of his fist, grabbing onto his wrist and pulling her elbow up to catch him in the chin. Having her back to him this way left her vulnerable to any throws he may try, but she knew plenty of counters. Honestly if he tried to grapple her, it might present her with the opportunity to get him off his feet.
It was a simple enough thing, holding power back in a punch. But Thor was conscious of not hurting Maria and he did not know if the momentum of a throw would allow him the same moderation. Having to think let her elbow land with a solid crack.
Handicapping himself, ultimately, was not going to work out to his advantage. Nor was it truly fair to Maria, though Thor wasn't considering that at the moment.
The arm she had pulled forward tightened around her midsection, pulling her flush against him and trapping her elbow up at an awkward angle above his bicep. His other hand circled from the other side, trying to pin her right arm down, even as he lifted her off her feet. He didn't throw her, just lifted.
Thor generally didn't have to think about fighting. It made things... awkward.
She pulled her legs up to try and get a solid grip around him, swearing lightly as he trapped her arm by his bicep. She tried to twist around and yank him downward, shifting to lock her trapped arm around his neck. He was so strong that she didn't know how much success she'd have, though.
"You're holding back," she accused through gritted teeth. If he was going to beat her, she'd much rather know that he was using his full capabilities.
"Over here, Thor," she waved, smiling over at him. She bent to retrieve her water bottle and went to meet him, taking a long drink. "How did it go with Fury?"
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"Well enough," he said with a nod. "I am glad that he seems to expect me to return. Not many men I know would extend such assumption given such extreme circumstance." Of course Thor always kept his word, for better or worse... but Fury did not know him the way that some did. "Have you waited long?"
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She turned to put her water by her bag, stretching a little as she straightened. "Do you need to warm up? Do... Asgardians do that?"
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He laughed, giving a small shrug. "More to find a rhythm within ourselves, not to limit the risk of injury." His body was massively resistant to damage--even damage that he might inflict upon himself. The apples of Asgard were a tremendous boon. "So I am ready if you are."
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Rules?
He spread his hands slightly. "Attack me?"
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"I just meant-- Usually, it's standard that you stay away from certain tactics, fight clean," she explained, not letting her guard down. She started circling, trying to decide the best plan of attack. "No hair-pulling or biting, no blows to the back of the head or groin. And three taps on the mat to show you're done. Does that sound reasonable?"
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"More than," he said with a nod. The smile stayed on his lips; polite he may be but also had the utter confidence of someone trained from his first breath to be the strongest of gods. "A clean fight."
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Close enough for an abbreviated blow to the gut if she wasn't extremely light on her feet.
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Handicapping himself, ultimately, was not going to work out to his advantage. Nor was it truly fair to Maria, though Thor wasn't considering that at the moment.
The arm she had pulled forward tightened around her midsection, pulling her flush against him and trapping her elbow up at an awkward angle above his bicep. His other hand circled from the other side, trying to pin her right arm down, even as he lifted her off her feet. He didn't throw her, just lifted.
Thor generally didn't have to think about fighting. It made things... awkward.
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"You're holding back," she accused through gritted teeth. If he was going to beat her, she'd much rather know that he was using his full capabilities.
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