"Remember," Theo said, passing two light daggers into my hands, "you don't want to kill anyone. Then again, don't drop your guard. You're going up against one of Lament's most well known swordsmen."

"Women," a new voice cut in.

I looked to my left to see a woman a little over six feet tall. She had brown hair tied into a ponytail and clearly visible muscles. She was very observant, watching every move I made, though I doubt many others would notice it. She had a sword strapped tightly to the right side of her hip, with her hand delicately resting on it.

"Baylee," the woman said, extending a hand to me. I sheathed my daggers and happily took it. It's good to see another lady as respectful as myself. "Shadow, I presume. May we have a fair fight."

The arena was quiet when I stepped onto the dirt, now visible to everyone. When I think about it, this is the first tine that I've been announced around here. I guess I was some kinda walking myth or something. Who am I kidding, I'm the legendary Shadow, people stop to look at me no matter what.

I did as the guards told me, and walked over to the far left side of the arena. I stretched my arms and legs, trying to let out some of my anticipation. It didn't do much, except make me over anxious to start. In truth, I didn't really have a plan. I figured I'd just wing it.

The high shrill of the whistle sounded, and it was time to start the waiting game. I stood there, watching the rocks that were set in a new pattern. For what my internal clock says was ten minutes, I didn't see so much as a shadow. Out of no where, a line of brown flashed, and I instinctively held my daggers up.

The crowd erupted into cheers, drowning out the beautiful sound of metal clashing metal.

I smirked. "Seems they're all watching us."

Her sword pressed against my two blades, waiting for a moments hesitation to strike with even more force. Damn, I'd have to be careful with the 'Master Swordswomen'. She was nothing to mess with.

She smiled right back at me. "Well, we have to give them a show then."

"Then you'll forgive me for doing this."

I saw a look of confusion cross her, but not for long. I brought my right foot to her right foot and swiped her feet. Her grip on the sword weakened as her focus shifted to falling. The split second hesitation was enough for me. In one fluid motion, I took a step back and then one forward as my left hand came around to nail her in the side.

Her instincts saved her from the blow as she evened out to catch her balance and, in the same movement, blocked my left handed blow.

Unfortunately for her, it was only a diversion. My weak hand had taken the full attention of the two handed sword, leaving her left side wide open for my dominant right hand to take advantage of. In a quick motion, I jammed the hilt of my dagger into her right side.

Boo's erupted from the crowd. Well, it's clear who's side they were on.

"It seems I've underestimated you," Baylee said, smiling gat me while her hand rubbed her side. It'd probably leave a bruise. "Forgive me for that."

"Ooh, time to fight for real?" The rest I mumbled under my breath. "Sorry, Theo. I'll have to fight as the Shadow that you don't like." Why did I care?

Baylee took a step back giving us some distance. I didn't argue, or chase her. With a final glance in my direction, she charged. Her sword was held firmly with both hands on her right side. In a swift movement, her right foot shifted forward, bringing the sword around with her weight. I had to bring both daggers up to block it. Gods, she sure had power.

My feet slid a few inches. I leaned forward, keeping myself from getting blown back. When the moment of impact was over, which seemed like forever, I switched to offensive. Using all the power in my little body, I blew away her sword, leaving her wide open for an attack.

Smirking, my right dagger flew forward, planning on making a dull blow to the stomach. Unfortunately, she was unusually nimble. She stepped back in a move that reminded me of a dance. In the same moment, she took a step forward, bringing the full blade towards me. My hands wouldn't react fast enough, especially since my only free hand was my left. My right was already past her, still in the movement of attacking.

Without hands, I used my right knee, knocking the flat part of the blade up, and away from a real blow. Unfortunatly, my head just happened to be above my body. I leaned back, but was forced off balance. I saw the brief flash of a shadow, and knew the sword was aimed at my feet.

In a split second decision, my hands held me up while my feet stood pointed in the air. Seeing this, Baylee aimed the sword at my hands. Using my acrobatic ability, I did a quick flip and landed back on my feet, five feet away from the swordswoman with my back against the concrete arena wall.

Well, shit.

Baylee saw this and charged, the sword coming at my left arm this time.

Double shit.

Did she already have my weakness figured out? I guess I should've expected that from a fighter of this caliber.

Since I'd already seen the attack coming from a few feet away, I had time to react with my left arm. My dagger shot up and caught the blade before it could hit me. With the force of the blade hitting my dagger, I was about to be blown away. My right hand wouldn't get there in time to protect myself, so my left took the full force of the blow.

Not good. My left hand wasn't strong enough to protect me, so I used the curve of my blade to move her sword above me. Granted, I was now on the ground with my knees pressed into the dirt.

Unfortunately for Baylee, without her sword in to protect her I had room to attack. And since both of her hands were already occupied with the full swing, she had no choice but to take the blow.

I went in for the kill. I brutally stabbed her in the stomach with both of my daggers, preparing for the warm spill of blood. She grunted, letting go of the sword and sending it flying. Her hands flew to protect her stomach as she crumbled into fetal position on the ground.

"I give," she groaned, in a quiet voice. "It's your win, Shadow."

I raised both my dulled daggers in triumph.

The crowd was more or less silent, though I could hear my Squadron Five yelling out there excitement.

Smiling at myself, I held a shaking hand out to Baylee. She took it and let me pull her up. I waited while she went to collect her sword. We walked back to the arenas entrance together.

While she walked off with one of her team members, Theo came to greet me. And he didn't look happy.

Yeah, I avoided eye contact. Apparently, just because I couldn't see him didn't mean he couldn't see me.

He grabbed my hand and dragged me off, down the halls and outside of the Coliseum. When we reached a secluded hall, he finally turned around to look at me.

"What was that?"

"An amazing victory?" Still avoiding eye contact here.

"Shadow!"

I flinched back a bit. His hand held my arm too tight for me to run or get some distance between us. I officially hated it hen he was mad at me.

I still refused to look at him. My eyes shifted to the right, watching for anything to appear at the end of the hall. My 'distraction' was short lived. His hand came up to cup my right cheek, gently asking me to look into chocolate eyes. I couldn't refuse.

He looked at me sympathetically. I didn't usually like sympathy from others, it made me feel weak. But...if it was him, I don't thick it was that bad.

I may not've been able to fight back, but I still gave him my best pouty face. He didn't let me go, but instead chuckled at my little show. HE drew closer to me, until our lips seemed like they were only a breath away.

"Shadow," he murmured quietly, "are you okay?"

I snapped out of my trance, blinking a few times before looking at him again. He looked worried to say t he least. One of his hands was still supporting my cheek while the other was slowly loosing its grip on my left arm.

"Shadow? Did you hear me?"

"Uh-yeah! I'm fine, perfectly fine. I mean, didn't you see my match? I was amazing! How could I not be fine." I'm rambling, I realize. It's a nervous habit that I'd completely forgotten I had until now.

"Shadow," he said, louder now. "You did it again."

"Wh-what?" I stuttered.

"You did well to control yourself."

I looked up at him. He wasn't mad? I did the thing he hated and I was praised. I thought girls were supposed to be the confusing ones and then he goes and praises me.

"But-but I did that thing again. The thing you don't like."

He let go of me now, taking a step back, letting me take all of his six foot four-ish height in.

"No, you didn't. You were nothing like that time. You looked happy, excited almost. The other time, you just looked like you were bored, doing your job. Last time you were...murderous."

"We-well, I am technically considered a murderer after all so, you know... That's not such a bad accusation."

"Accusation? More big words, huh?" He laughed a bit, but then let out a sigh. "That's what I don't get about you. Everyone says your some cold hearted murderer, but I just cant see it. I mean, I know you can be terrifying when your serious and your a ninja with weapons, but I cant see you doing anything without a good reason. Especially something like murder. I trust that whatever you did in the past, you had a reason for it."

I looked him in the eyes. Warm, determined, knowing. All things I've gotten from him before. But now, there was something else, for the first time in a long time, I'd gotten something I haven't gotten from many people. Real, genuine trust.

"Theo." My words wavered when I talked. "You put too much trust in me. I-I'm not this amazing hero that you think I am. I've done some things that made people question my humanity." I took a breath and continued to talk. "The place that I spent a lot of my life...it wasn't a nice place. Kill or be killed, that's how I lived. If I didn't kill people, I might not eat. I... If I didn't kill people, all those times, I would've been dead."

At some point during this rambling talk, I'd fallen back against the smoothed gray stone wall and was now sitting. My knees were pulled up against me, and my arms wrapped around them.

Theo had a small lopsided smirk on him. He kneeled down in front of me.

"You don't have to justify yourself to me. I already told you, I trust you."

Mercy came out of the double doors to the Coliseum, which I realize weren't far from where we were sitting. She looked once in the other direction, and then in our direction. We looked as each other quietly, before she gave me a knowing look. Not a smile, not a frown, just a look.

"Theo, time for your match."

Still smiling, he stood and offered me a hand that I carefully took. We went off, past Mercy. She left us when I took him to the arena. When we got there, some of the guards took the weapons that I forgot to give up before.

"Good luck," I called. Then turned back to sit with the rest of the team. But not before taking a small stop to let myself calm down. "Damned idiot, he better not outshine me in the arena too."