Burning It Down, All the Way to Bat Country

Kat’s POV
It was 4 am on Saturday, and I was wide awake. Groaning, I rolled out of bed and pulled on shorts, a sports bra, and my Nikes before grabbing a hoodie and my iPod and walking downstairs, intending to go for a run, but paused when I saw Trinity downstairs pulling on running shoes.

“Hey kid, what are you doing up?” she jumped at the question; I guess she hadn’t heard me come downstairs.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to go for a run.”
“By yourself at 4 AM? Trinity, that isn’t safe sweetie.”
“You were gonna go by yourself, why is that different?”
“I spent four years in the army, I’m pretty sure I can protect myself. You, however, are 100 pounds soaking wet, and couldn’t defend yourself against a paper bag.” She frowned, looking deep in thought,

“So teach me.”
“Teach you what?” I was genuinely confused.
“How to defend myself; I want to learn, and I know you can teach me.” I thought about it for a minute before grinning and nodding.
“Alright kid; go change into yoga pants and a tank top. Keep your running shoes on, and meet me out back in twenty minutes. Make sure your hair is tied back so that it can’t get in your face. Got it?” She nodded and grinned, then surprised me with a hug,
“Thank you Aunt Kat,” was all she said before she released me and ran upstairs. I smiled to myself and walked out to the shed to grab the practice mats I had picked up from the store a few days ago. I was laying them out when the door opened, and I turned around expecting to see Trin, but was instead met with the yawning face of my brother.

“Hey Bri, what are you doing awake?”
“I couldn’t sleep, plus I heard Trin running around her room. What are you up too?”
“I’m teaching Trin self defense, you wanna help?”
“Sure; how?”
“I need an attacker for her, and it would be best if a guy played that part. If she can defend herself against a fully grown, well built man, then she can defend herself against pretty much anyone.”
“Ok, well I’m gonna go get some coffee, come get me when you need me.”
“Ok, thanks Bri!”
“No problem kitty Kat.” He waved and walked back inside, saying hi to Trin as she walked past him, bouncing up to me.
“Alright, I’m ready, where do we start?”

“Stretching,” I laughed at the look on her face, she looked so lost.
“We have to get you flexible before we can start actually sparring. I’m not going to have your dad try to kick my ass because you pulled a muscle. Besides, yoga is really amazing for strengthening your core and legs. So let’s get started.”

Three hours, ten yoga poses, and about an hour of mixed martial arts later, and Trinity looked like she was about to pass out. She had done really well though, it was like it was an instinct for her.

“You ok kid?”
“How…do...you...do this…everyday?” she panted, trying to speak between gulps of air.
“After four years in the army, you get used to it. Now go inside and take a shower. You’re done for the day, but we’ll pick it up again tomorrow at 6 ok?”
“I have school at seven; can we do it at five?”
“Alright sweetie, now go take a shower, me and you are gonna go shopping.”
“But I have school…”
“Not today, you’re playing hookie today.Oh, and Trinity?” She turned around to look at me,
“You did really well today sweetheart.” She grinned and ran inside, presumably to get showered and changed. I smiled to myself, folding the mats and storing them again before walking inside and up to my own shower. An hour and half later I was walking downstairs to make breakfast for me and Trinity, but saw Matt, Brian, and Jimmy were awake as well.

“Hey guys, you want some breakfast?” I was met with a chorus of affirmative answers, so I walked into the kitchen to see what we had. Looking through the cupboards, I confirmed that needed to go grocery shopping just as Trinity walked through into the kitchen.
“Hey sweetie, why don’t you go grab the guys from the living room and we’ll go out to breakfast. Me and you will go grocery shopping after the fun shopping later. Sound good?”
“Ok, who all is awake?”
“Your dad, Brian, and Jimmy,” she snapped a sharp salute and turned on her heel, marching out of the kitchen. A few seconds later I heard a crash and Trinity yelling.

“Dammit Uncle Jimmy! I TOLD you to stop shoving! Now we have to buy a new coffee table! No dad I wasn’t disrespecting you. What, why? Fine I’ll go to my room. Jesus I’m going, slow your roll man!” I sighed, shaking my head and walked to the living room in time to see Trinity storm past me and up the stairs. I looked at Matt, who had frustration clearly written across his features.
“What happened?”
“Jimmy shoved Brian into the coffee table, Trinity started yelling, I sent her to her room. Why isn’t she in school?” I smiled angelically,

“funny story about that. See, at about 4 this morning, I couldn’t sleep so I decided to go for a run. I guess Trinity had the same idea, but I’m not really ok with tiny 15 year old girls being outside by themselves at 4 in the morning, so I told her she couldn’t go, then we got into a discussion about how I am perfectly capable of defending myself, and she’s well, not. So she told me to teach her, so we spent three hours stretching and learning basic self defense combinations, and some mixed martial arts. Matt, you really need to get that girl to a gym to train, she’s a fucking natural. Anyway, once we were done, I called the school and told them she wasn’t coming in today, so that’s already taken care of. And now we’re here.” Matt just blinked, processing the information I had given him, then a grin spread across his face.

“MMA huh?”
“Yeah, MMA. Matt, she’s got some serious talent. She watches me do the move a few times and she just lets her body take over. We need to get her some dance classes too; she’d be really good in that. Now, I am going to go upstairs and get Trin, make her apologize, and then I’m taking her out for some bonding time. That cool?”
“Yeah that’s cool, thanks Kat.” I smiled and gave him a quick hug,
“No problem Mattie.”
I went upstairs to grab Trin, made her say sorry to her dad and uncles, then we were on our way. Oh, what trouble could we cause today?