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ladywolfmd · 7 years

Text

We’ve got a thing called radar love

I wanted to do the challenge but I lacked time. :( So I’m entering an old fic of mine. :) This is for @jonsafanfiction‘s 12 Days of Shipping Event : January 3 Bodyguard AU

Summary: Jon Targaryen is the son of Prime Minister Rhaegar Targaryen but he is more famously known as "The Ghost" in the racing world by being three-time champion of the Sprint Cup when he was younger, to going for his sixth-peat for the F1 Grand Prix. In the middle of a race, he was lead to an unauthorized detour as part of a kidnapping scheme that was quickly thwarted but was actually a ruse when the real attempt was when he was en route back to the Red Keep. Lucky for him, his beautiful PA who he's been secretly pinning for has secrets of her own as, to his surprise, Sansa Stark takes charge in leading him to safety as she reveals she's been his bodyguard all along

39/51 Lap

"Jon, keep going, you're almost there. The gap between you and the Brat-theon prick is still there at 9/5th of your time but you can lose him on the 4th turn."

"Copy that Edd."

Jon started slowly decelerating to prepare for the turn, to bait Joffrey Baratheon into charging full speed ahead of him at the sharp turn that curved right then left, wishing he was conceited and stupid enough to take it and lose traction to steer away once he makes the turn.

"The Brat is falling for it! What a dipshit! Make him eat your dust, Jon."

In Jon's peripheral vision, he smirked as he saw the bane of his existence on his Golden Tooth toeing side by side with him when they neared the turn and just as he expected it, just as Jon slowed down, Joffrey's car roared as he pushed it ahead of him to take the curve.

Also as expected since Jon's slow wasn't just anyone's definition of slow, so Joffrey wouldn't be able to turn left in time and he'd head straight off track with the speed he tried to match with his.

Jon grinned when he did exactly that while Edd whooped over the team radio as he started flooring it.

"Wow will you look at that? The Brat's car spun around and--seven hells he's back on track, climbing back from P6 - P5 - Seven hells he's on P3 now and passing Royce for P2. Royce needs to block him so we'd take top two for the Night's watch."

Jon was impressed. The little shit was stubborn and, he hate to admit it, good enough to survive one of the oldest tricks in out-racing. Thank the gods his team-mate Waymar Royce gained speed for P2. He won't let Joffrey pass. There was no way their team was going to let the Gold cloaks win, not after the Crag debacle which was still up for debate.

But this wasn't the time to think about anything other than finishing this race. If he wins this, this would be his sixth consecutive Grand Prix win. He felt the second wind of adrenaline rush through him then as he drove over the mark signaling his completion of his 40th lap.

"Eleven more to go. You and Waymar got this! Joffrey is now down to P5 while Trystane and Daemon are tailing you both at P3 and P4 - wait, oh no Martell just passed Royce. He's hot on your tail - oh for the love of all things holy, where did that little shit come from? Royce and the Bratt are neck-in-neck behind you. Lose them now!" Edd screamed over the radio making Jon cringe but he did as he was told, drifting to gain some more speed to widen the gap.

He can't afford a pitt stop right now, not when the race was so close to ending.

Continue reading here or on AO3.

41/51 Lap.

The roar of his engine and the smooth skid of his tires spurred him to move faster as he stepped on the gas again, his fists gripping on to the wheel just so. Only ten more laps to go and Jon was feeling pretty confident since the Snakes were keeping Joffrey busy while Waymar sailed back to P2 behind him.

He had just made the fourth turn again when he saw a marshall waving a detour flag at him.

What the hell?

"Edd? Edd? What's going on? Why is there a detour? Edd?"

But the airwaves remained static which was very odd.

Jon had no choice then but to follow the detour and into a track that lead to one of the abandoned practice tunnels. Something must've happened ahead of the track but he didn't see or hear anything unusual.

But what was unnerving was the team radio line dying on him.

This never happened before and he started slowing down because he wasn't familiar with this track and he was starting to suspect there was no car trailing behind him anymore.

As he went further, so did the darkness but he couldn't turn back because the track was too narrow and was obviously a one-way.

His heart raced and it wasn't from excitement anymore.

Finally, he saw the light and there were people wearing the race officials uniforms waving him over to stop and Jon thought that maybe this wasn't a race thing but more of a Prime Minister's son safety issue.

He stopped the car and hopped off cautious of his surroundings. He didn't completely remove his helmet, just lifted the visor as he greeted an approaching official but when he saw Arthur Dayne and Larence Snow, both of which were part of his security detail, he relaxed a little.

He removed his helmet, pulled down his balaclava and ear plugs, then and met them halfway. "What's going on?"

"You were almost kidnapped sir."

Jon turned sharply to the voice he'd recognize anywhere on the planet and beyond and he was greeted immediately by red flowing hair and bright blue eyes of his personal assistant and love of his life though she doesn't know it yet, Sansa Stark, who was holding up a phone and her tablet while her smart watch kept flashing on her right wrist, looking at him with concern.

"C-come again?"

"Hang on," Sansa held finger up while she took a call from her headset. "Yes, he's safe Robb. Arthur and Larence as well as some of the staff are here with us. I'll brief him and we can rendezvous back to the Keep from the Dragonpit. Arthur already talked to Barristan. Mmhmm. Yes. Okay."

She tapped the mic off and walked over to him calmly, nodding at Larence to go ahead. "There was a plan to lead you here off track and take you. We're heading over back to the Keep," she explained.

Jon's blood froze. He knew about several kidnapping attempts done on his family but this was the first time that he was the sole target and he was barely listening as Arthur started explaining what happened while they escorted him into one of the Targaryen safe cars.

"It was the Blackfyres and their Golden Company. We got an anonymous tip to watch you closely when you reached your fortieth lap. When Sansa saw your car disappear off track, I had my men go ahead from the other end of the tunnel you entered. Before that we've already blocked off all the exits when you reached your twentieth lap. Long story short, my men apprehended ten company members and their getaway car."

He tried to concentrate and process but he was definitely shaken up. He knew there was something he wasn't telling him but then he felt a warm hand on his arm and saw Sansa's small dainty hand on him before meeting with her eyes.

"Hey, you're safe now, sir," she said softly, her eyes as warm as her touch that Jon visibly relaxed, even offering a weak smile.

"I thought I told you to call me Jon."

Sansa just smiled up at him and waited for him to slide in the car while Arthur held the door open for him. He went in automatically, sliding inside to make room for Sansa to sit next to him as part of the safety drill they've practiced numerous times of having no two doors open at the same time.

Jon was still uneasy. "It's too...easy," he said once Arthur rode shotgun and Larence started the car.

"It is, that's why we're bringing you home for now while the rest secure the Dragonpit," Arthur explained, nodding to Larence to drive once the front escort car rolled away. Jon looked behind them and saw the rear escort car tailing them.

"Why me?"

"We don't know yet," Sansa answered and Jon looked at her then and noticed her tapping away in her phone and tablet that was balanced on her lap. She paused what she was doing to look at him fully then, her eyes filled with determination. "But we'll find out."

He nodded and leant back, setting his helmet on the floor and not bothering to remove anything else yet since his overall wasn't only fireproof but bulletproof and his hands still shook enough for him to remove his gloves.

"So...who won?" he tried not to sound too bitter knowing that his streak ended.

Sansa looked at him sadly before giving a tiny smile and Jon appreciated that she once again, stopped whatever it was she was doing to concentrate on him. His heart started racing when she slid closer and settled her hand on his arm again. "Waymar then Trystane, Daemon, Joffrey, Arys" in that order. Sorry sir, but it's still a win for the team. And if anything, you would've won it hands down if it weren't for this," she started frowning then.

Jon was touched that Sansa cared - what was he saying? She always cared. But he didn't want to see her frown. He wanted nothing but to see her smile so he cracked a grin and ran a hand through his hair. "Hey at least the Night's Watch is still on top and you guys did a fantastic job stopping my abduction."

Sansa smiled a little then but got distracted when she started taking calls again and checking emails, giving him an apologetic look that he waved off with an understanding smile.

He realized then that this kind of thing would drain her from the shit storm of the media, his team, the whole F1 organization, and of course, the whole of Westeros wanting to know about this. Seven hells, Sansa will be completely swamped, communicating with the Palace lawyers and PR staff.

Seven hells, it probably started minutes ago - right at the moment he disappeared off track, but with Sansa as his PA, he'd never know the difference. She was incredibly efficient and not once did he see her as nothing but a picture of grace under pressure over the six months that she started working for him. Father did a good job of handpicking her and her twin brother Robb to work for him. The Stark twins worked with Sansa being in charge of internal affairs while Robb handled the external ones, often representing him politically as well as legally as his personal lawyer.

They were actually bargains if he wanted to continue his career as a professional racer, his father, or rather, Prime Minister Rhaegar made that clear. You can't just run off and leave your responsibilities on the track. Especially now with talks of the Blakfyres trying to overthrow his father's rule.

He sighed but then, at least he gained a friend in Robb and most importantly, he met Sansa.

Sansa.

She was the most beautiful woman he's ever laid eyes on with her creamy alabaster skin, her bright blue eyes, that fiery mane and those incredibly long, long, legs she often displayed under those tight pencil skirts she wore and the fuck me heels that often left him helpless and wanting when it made her tower over him an inch.

But she wasn't just another beautiful face. Sansa was a sweetheart. Kind. Courteous. Sweet. But what drove him mad was how intelligent she was. She was incredibly smart and witty and so in charge that - that turned him on more.

It wasn't really a secret that he was attracted to her. She was working to serve under him but everyone saw that he was putty in her soft delicate hands. But as professionalism goes, they couldn't date.

His father made sure to remind him of that. She was too valuable an asset for the Targaryens with how efficient she worked that sometimes Jon thinks Rhaegar wanted to adopt her, especially with Rhaenys eloping with Willas Tyrell, and Aegon faffing around the world on Jon Connington's boat, his uncle Viserys being an insufferable prick in Dragonstone and his aunt Daenerys galivanting the Free Cities.

It was clear to Rhaegar that once his rule has ended, none of his issue would follow after him.

Really, the Starks cleared their messes with their father Ned Stark often acting as his right-hand man. Ned, like Robb, was a lawyer and had been appointed as the Attorney General of the regime. He then offered the twins' services. Sansa, he learned, had a degree in Diplomacy and International Relations. Truly, if anything, Rhaegar wanted to adopt either her or Robb to continue his platforms.

Jon asked them if they wanted to run for office one day but they both humbly declined saying that they were fine with what they were now, and that there were more important matters. Jon never understood what could be more important than holding office? Surely there were more things they could accomplish than fixing his messes or refraining him from making them.

They slowed down suddenly and the scratch of the radio broke the silence.

"This is Arthur. Hmmm. Copy that."

Jon held his breath as he saw Arthur's eyes go to his from the mirror. "We've been compromised. We're moving you to the safe house. We're being followed," he explained quickly while he punched on the GPS and continued talking to someone on his two-way.

Jon froze then and gripped his knees hard.

"Yeah, Robb. Turning off all comms except the untraceable. I'll update you."

His head snapped to Sansa and saw her turning all her gadgets off and extracting a slim black phone he's never seen before and syncing it with her head piece. And by the Seven, why was she so calm?

"How are you doing it?"

She looked up at him confused. "Hm?"

"How are you not freaking out?"

She blinked. "Oh. Nerves of steel, I guess," she shrugged before she studied him. "Hey you're shaking."

He was?

He looked down at his hands and saw that he was. He knew part of it was still the adrenaline from the race, the attempt, and now this. "Sorry."

Jon sucked in a breath when Sansa slid right next to him that her hip was touching his and leant a bit to take his hand in hers as she carefully pulled on the velcro straps and tugged his gloves off one by one.

"Why are you sorry? For being scared?" she said in a low voice without looking at him, concentrating on her task.

"Yeah, not exactly manly of me," he chuckled nervously.

"Hmm, well my father always said that the only time you can be brave is when you're afraid," she said soothingly before holding both his hands in hers and looking up at him with those vivid blue eyes of hers.

Jon could only look at her and their hands before he closed his eyes and took deep breaths and once he was calm enough he opened them and saw her still looking at him, giving him a half-smile when their eyes met again.

"You'll be fine, I promise. I'll protect you," she winked at him.

He couldn't help but smile at her joke. "Sure. You just bat your long lashes at them and they'd be wrapped around your cute little finger. Easy."

She blushed then and Jon realized what he just said. "Er, I mean-"

The car lurched as Larence made a sharp turn, causing Jon to press against Sansa when they got thrown to her side.

"Sorry about that, we're here," Larence muttered.

Arthur went down first to check while the rest of them waited inside the car.

Jon then realized he was on top of something soft and he bolted to the other side in a flash when he realized his head was pressed against Sansa's torso. "Sorry."

Sansa was flushed too but offered him a weak smile as she smoothed down her black twin-set with red details and that was when he noticed that Sansa was wearing his team's colors.

Arthur opened Sansa's door then while Larence helped her out and quickly ushered her inside the safe house in Fleabottom with him and Arthur following behind and flanked by two more men.

Once they were inside, Jon was whisked into the eleventh floor and into a suite. The safe house was actually an intel building.

"This is actually not the safest but it was the closest and we need to keep you safe," Arthur met his eyes.

"Tell me the real danger, I can handle it," Jon said determinedly, knowing there was something they were keeping from him.

Larence and Arthur as well as Sansa exchanged looks. "The order was to capture you. Dead or alive," Arthur laid it out then and Jon stared at him baffled.

They heard a crash then and running followed by shots outside.

"Fuck," Arthur pulled his gun out then and so did the men as they went for the door and formed a perimeter around Jon. "They're here."

Arthur then looked at Sansa. "We'll hold them off. Get him out. Larence will come as far as he can with you. Get the brief and head to the garage with the service elevator." He threw a set of keys to Sansa who caught it in one hand, her eyes hard, and her jaw firm. "Your card will work fine on everything. Get him out and rendezvous at Wolf Den."

"What? Why Sansa? What's going on!" Jon shifted from Arthur and Sansa and his eyes bulged when he saw Sansa toss the painting over the headboard and opened a hidden safe, pulling out a steel briefcase.

"Jon."

He turned to Arthur who wasn't looking at him but at the door where he was aiming his gun at. "Go with Sansa. Now."

Before he could react, Jon was being dragged by Larence towards the closet with Sansa walking briskly ahead.

He saw Larence shut the closet door and bar it then back to Sansa who placed her key card over a panel she revealed and a secret door opened just as they heard shots being fired from the other room.

"Shit, go, go, go, I'll lock behind you," Larence pushed Jon just as Sansa tugged at him.

"Larence but-" Jon felt the reality finally sinking in.

Larence Snow, who he played poker with, had pulled him out of his drunk ass more times than he could remember, being an actual friend more than a guard was going to die for him.

"Come with us," he pleaded.

Larence smiled at him grimly. "It's been fun, Jon. Now go with your girl. She's the Ace." He said before the door slid down between them.

"Jon, come on," Sansa urged as she continued to tug at him. "He knew what he was doing," she whispered hurriedly while dragging him towards another room that she locked after them.

Jon was still in shock until he felt hands on his face and blue eyes steadying his frantic ones. "Jon. Listen to me. You're going to be fine. I'm going to get you out of this. But I need you to do as I say. Do you understand?"

He blinked at her.

"Jon," she said more firmly.

He nodded and swallowed while Sansa let out a relieved breath before she started kneeling as she opened the silver briefcase.

She pulled out another bulletproof vest and handed one to him while she shrugged off her black coat and wore one of her own and that was when Jon saw the twin gun holsters strapped to her lower back.

"You-you're-"

She looked at him over her shoulder and smiled tightly. "Yeah," before securing her headset and taking out two more handguns. He watched as she slid the magazine in, pulled the slide release, and clicked the glock into place like she was doing it all her life.

"Do you know how to use this?" She looked at him then and he saw the first sign of worry on her face with the tiny furrow between her brows.

"Not well," Jon admitted and cursed himself for not taking those shooting lessons to heart.

Sansa stood in front of him then and took his hands, placing a glock in his right hand and positioning his hand properly. "It's easy. This is a semi-automatic and I've released the lock already. All you have to do," she raised his hand and made him point it straight forward while she used both hands to keep him in position. "Is point and shoot."

She placed his finger on the trigger with hers on top of his. "You don't need to shoot fancy. Just go for the easy targets - the biggest space so you won't miss. Hit the chest or the back. Don't hesitate. It's your life or theirs. These men will not hesitate to shoot. You got it?"

Jon swallowed. This was really happening. "Y-yes."

She released him then and helped him tighten the vest. She placed a radio on the holster of his vest explaining quickly. "If we get separated, use this and go to channel one and shout "Winter is coming," then follow the voice."

He nodded again.

"Okay," she walked in front of him then. "Jon. We're going to use the service elevator. Beyond this room, there is a short hallway we have to pass and we'll encounter men. I need you to stay behind me at all times. Don't be a hero. I'm trained for this. You aren't. You'll get in the elevator first and I'll try to follow. You'll be immediately brought to basement 2 but you'll have to climb out the escape hatch and climb to basement 1 where they won't expect us. Get a car. Any car and drive the hell away and use the radio for directions."

He grabbed her by the arms then and bore at her. "What about you? I can't let you--"

She cut him off with a hurried kiss. "Jon. I'm just telling you the plan in case I can't follow you. But I'm telling you, I'm trained at this. I'll see you through until you're safe. I promise. Now, we need to go."

She fixed him a look that had a hundred different promises swirling in those baby blues and all he could do was keep nodding at her repeatedly, hoping she'd see his own too.

Sansa gave him a firm nod and released him. Strapping on ammo belts over her and setting her own gun.

She tapped on her headpiece then just as she switched her smartwatch on. "Red Wolf to Grey. Do you read? Over."

Jon could hear from his own radio strapped to his chest where Sansa must've kept the line on just in case.

"This is Grey, I copy. Over. I've locked in your position. Is Rhaegal undamaged?" Robb. He recognized the voice. So he was part of this too? Was Ned Stark one too?

"No. I sent you our coordinates. I need surveillance and possible backup," Sansa checked the windows before hovering over the door.

"Locked in on your coordinates. Activating Warg mode. I'm your eyes Red."

"Good. We're heading out to the hallway. How many men are there? Positions?"

"Seven and four waiting at the left intersection, three guarding the chute. They can't call for backup as I've denied all access to the chute but I can see they're working on override."

Sansa pursed her lip but was still relatively calm. "How much time do I have?"

"Sixty-five seconds. Go."

"Jon, do you trust me?" She looked at him then.

"With my life," he answered right away and Sansa's eyes glinted with something before she placed her keycard over the lock and opened into the hallway.

"Then let's run," She ran ahead and he followed as they sped off into the narrow hallway, spotting the left intersection where four men appeared from, blocking their way while pointing guns at them.

"Stop. Drop your weapons and come with us quietly now and no one gets hurt," came the burly man with an eyepatch.

Sansa stayed Jon with a hand behind her back indicating to stand down. "Funny, I was going to offer you the same courtesy Greyjoy."

Greyjoy?

"Ah. What a delight you are. But no girl, hand over the boy and I promise to make it good for you when I take you back with me. Be a good girl now and I'll return the favor when I let you suck me off," Greyjoy taunted and Jon saw red but Sansa stayed him again with her hand.

"Ooh, so you're the dragon spawn's bitch, I see. All the more sweeter to mount a dragon's moun-Fuck you bitch!"

Sansa shot him straight to the crotch and fired another to his leg, bringing him down while she pushed Jon to the ground, shielding him with her body when Greyjoy open-fired.

Jon heard Sansa fire another shot and watched the lifeless eye of Greyjoy, a bullet lodged in between his eyes.

"Stay down!" Sansa yelled at him as she strode forward and pulled another gun from behind her and began shooting from both sides, taking down three men straight to the head while she aimed at two others but Jon saw the last of the men aiming behind her.

Jon didn't think then, brought himself up, aimed at the man's chest and shot.

Jon watched as the man clutched at his stomach that was starting to shoot out blood before dropping his weapon and collapsing.

He was still heaving and holding the gun with wide eyes when he heard more shooting from behind him and his name being called.

"Jon - Jon."

His head snapped to Sansa and he saw another guy aiming at her. "Sansa!"

Sansa was too quick as she dodged and lunged at the guy, elbowing his chest while she leant across that guy's shoulder and shot at the other guy straight to the heart when he saw him aiming for Jon but in a second she was caught in a headlock with the first one, a gun pointed at her head.

Jon's eyes locked with Sansa's then and she urged him to run. Pleaded with her eyes as she mouthed "Go!"

But Jon couldn't leave her. He won't. And Sansa saw that he wouldn't but tried to shake her head at him anyway as she clawed at the arm that was holding her back.

"Don't make another move. Drop your weapon or I blow her brains out!" The lone henchman spat at Jon.

Jon raised his hands and dropped the gun slowly, his eyes never taking them off of the attacker. He kicked the gun towards him and took a step back. "Take me. You can let her go. It's me you want."

Sansa was about to shout her protest when a hand clamped over her mouth.

"You have thirty seconds left Jon or you won't make it to the chute in time," came Robb's voice over the radio. "Sansa knows. We have to get you out. Let her go Jon." He could hear the pain over the controlled voice of his lawyer who quickly became his confidante at letting his sister go. But Jon wasn't raised this way.

He had to fight for the people willing to risk their lives for him too.

"Jon."

Sansa's eyes softened at Jon then and she gave him a nod that the attacker noticed when Jon saw him grin. And that was all the signal he and Sansa needed - his sudden arrogance as he saw Sansa escape from the man's loosened grip, kicking the gun out of his hand before she pulled his arm and threw him over her shoulder where he landed roughly on his back with Sansa's knee digging on his spine while he pulled at his arm making him scream.

Jon ran to them, picked up the gun and threw it to Sansa who caught it and shot the man in the back before quickly grabbing her two other glocks and nodding at Jon to run as fast as he could to the service elevator with only ten seconds left.

Sansa quickly placed her keycard over the monitor and the doors slid open. She pushed Jon inside quickly while they heard Robb bark at them that there were a dozen men going their way.

Just as the doors were sliding close, Jon pulled Sansa all the way inside before repeatedly pressing the door button close as the men started appearing. Sansa shot a few rounds until the door finally shut close and they were both panting and splattered with blood and sweat as the elevator went down.

Sansa looked up at Jon as she wiped her brow. "You oka-mmph

Jon cupped her head and kissed her fiercely then before pulling away. "Seven hells, woman! You almost died!"

Sansa chuckled. "So did you, sir. Thank you sir." She smirked.

Jon was about to retort when Robb's voice came through.

"Well done. Both of you. But remember to get off B1. I'll open the doors for you. All of them are expecting you from B2 so you'll only have a window of thirty-five seconds before they catch up to you on the street. You have to shake them off as best as you can. Do you copy?"

"Roger," Sansa answered just as she observed the ceiling. They were now at the 8th floor.

7th.

6th.

"Jon, I need you to boost me up," Sansa tilted her head at him.

"What?"

She pointed to the escape hatch. "That's our exit. The faster we're up there, the easier we can go. Help me up?"

Jon looked from the ceiling to her and understood, crouching down so she could climb up his back. He felt Sansa's hands on his shoulders then before a leg hitched over his shoulder, and then another on his other side that made him suck in a breath as he felt her skirt against his nape and heard a rip.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I had to rip it because it's too tight to move freely," she muttered. "Um, Jon, I need you to steady me because I'll be reaching up."

"Oh, sorry," he mumbled back as his arms held on to her thighs where he felt garters that made him pause again.

"They carry my gun and a knife. Boost me up?" she said hurriedly.

Jon nodded and stood straight, trying not to think of Sansa's gartered and stockinged legs were around his neck and focused instead on the sounds of Sansa tinkering with the hatch as they descended to 4th when suddenly the elevator lurched to a stop, the lights flickering on and off until darkness then the emergency light.

Jon kept Sansa steady while he braced against the wall with one hand.

"Grey, what the hell?"

"Hang on Red. I'll hook it back. I had to terminate an attempt. Sorry, hold on."

Sansa cussed for the first time and that was when Jon felt that shit was real. He didn't know how much his sanity depended on her cool.

Sansa noticed him stiffening and worked faster before urging him gently to let her down.

"We're still good. I'll protect you, I promise, didn't I?" she smiled up at him as she cradled his cheek.

Jon grabbed her wrist and looked straight at her. "What exactly did you promise when you took the job? You promised your life?"

She didn't back down and leant forward that their noses were touching. "Yes."

"Fuck, Sansa-"

"Don't. Not now. Tell me later," Sansa said before she backed away, then sprang on the elevator rail before pushing her body upwards to catch on the opened hatch where she dangled for a moment before hoisting herself up and disappearing into the ceiling just as the elevator started moving again.

4th.

3rd.

She appeared again and offered him her hand. "Jump up Jon. You can do it. Grab my hand."

Jon did and it took three tries before his hand clutched at Sansa's where she pulled him up with both arms, grunting while he saw her teeth clenching until finally they were both holding on to the top of the elevator as it sailed down.

2nd.

Sansa closed the hatch.

"This is our stop. When I say jump, jump okay?" She took Jon's hand in hers and Jon squeezed it tightly. "Yes."

Sansa looked to her left then where the doors where and slowly she stood up with one hand bracing Jon's other arm and nodding at the direction.

1st.

"Jump!"

Hand in hand they jumped towards the ledge of B1 level. But Jon slipped if not for Sansa's iron grip on his arm.

Jon could see the strain heavy on Sansa as she struggled to pull him up. "I'm too heavy. Let go."

Sansa shook her head. "Don't you dare. Now try and swing your hand to grab on to my arm. Try."

Jon tried and missed and Sansa winced. "Try harder."

He did and this time he was able to grab ahold of Sansa's arms with his other hand and they both hoisted themselves up over the tiny ledge, with Jon collapsing on top of Sansa, both of them panting.

"Gods be good, Jon! Just do as you're told!" Sansa scolded as she slapped his back. Jon didn't know why but he started chuckling while shaking his head.

"Yes, yes it's all very amusing. Now get off me and let's get our car."

Jon quickly got off her and offered her a hand and helped her up.

"Grey, Alohomora this bitch," Sansa tapped her headset.

"Opening the portrait. Good job you two."

The elevator door opened and Sansa stepped inside first, gun out and gestured for Jon to stay low behind him.

"All clear. Proceed." Robb's voice broke through.

Sansa chose the nearest car then, a Porsche Panamera, and Jon should've known that of course there would be armored sports cars in every safe house.

On instinct he went inside the driver's side but was quickly shoved over to the passenger side by Sansa who gave him a look that said seriously going to fight me at this point?

He raised his palms as Sansa started the car, syncing her smartwatch to the comm at the dash where Robb's face came to view. "Hey guys. Let's get you out, shall we?"

"You okay?" Sansa demanded as she received the coordinates Robb entered on the GPS split screen.

"What?"

"Sit tight," she said instead while she backed out the parking space. "You're not the only one who can drive fast."

Jon obeyed at once while Robb chuckled from the screen. "Better do as she says, sir."

"You two have been saving my ass, I think it's time you called me Jon," Jon grumbled.

"Oh heads up sis, you're going to be met with a lot of resistance once you reach the gate. There's a shotgun at the back and two more pistols on the glove compartment. Godspeed. I'll keep surveillance and get back to you."

Robb's face disappeared then while the GPS zoomed out.

Sansa peeled out of the basement and up the exit where probably thirty armed men were waiting, shooting at them right away.

"Keep down," Sansa drifted to let her side face the onslaught while they heard the bullets pelt against the car that aside from a few cracks, held.

Sansa was able to escape the firing squad and onto the street.

"Fuck!" Sansa cursed again when they were flanked both sides by larger cars where men were shooting at them.

"Robb! Where do I go? We're surrounded!" she glanced at the rearview window where another car was gaining on them.

"You gotta take them out and speed up towards the backstreet then through the Muddy Way and we can come get you on the Street of Steel."

"Shit," as the car shook after a few more rounds at them. She looked at Jon then. "Jon, I have to take them out."

Jon held on to her look, not liking where this was going but she pleaded trust from him and he was going to give it. "What do you need?"

"I need you to take the wheel and let Robb guide you while I try and take them out. Do you understand me? Can you do that?" she used the full force of her gaze at Jon as she took a large swerve to the right, still pressing the gas to the floor.

Finally, something he could do. Something he was good at. He started to slide in to her space as he nodded. "Yes. Leave it to me."

Sansa smiled at him softly then before she lifted her body up so he can slide under her. Quickly Jon's hands replaced hers on the wheel and on the pedals while she started clambering off his lap but before she could do so, the other car slammed at them from behind that Jon almost hit a pole if he hadn't turned swiftly to the right to avoid it, but he was able to right them immediately.

"Jon. I'm going to take out the left car first, okay? So I'm going to open the door and shoot and I need you to keep driving straight, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Don't be scared," and then she opened our door catching the assailants by surprise as she shot at them straight, hitting both the driver and the passenger with one shot each and Jon pushed the car so fast ahead to avoid colliding against the now spinning car to the left.

Sansa shut the door right away and started climbing to the back where he could see her taking out the shotgun and loading it from the mirror.

"Jon?"

"Robb?"

"I can help you two escape. I found a route. Follow my directions. Go straight for three kilometers then turn right."

"Gotcha."

"I'm going to take out the back now," Sansa declared. "Just keep driving, you're doing fine." She said while she opened up the sunroof and climbed up. "Sansa! What the fuck?!"

Sansa was now on the roof, shooting at the back and depending on him to keep the car steady or else she'd fall.

Okay, calm down Jon. Calm down. You've driven worse tracks at faster speed. You can do this. He mentally cheered himself and gripped on the wheel like his life depended on it, sighing in relief when Sansa dropped back inside from the sunroof. The car behind them hitting another car, turning over before crashing on a sidewalk, catching fire at once.

"Seven hells, Sansa at least warn a man!" he glanced at her.

"Just keep driving Targaryen," she tore at her sleeves and that was when Jon saw that she was shot.

"Sansa-"

"I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. "Just a bullet graze." She started wrapping the giant gash it left on her right arm with her torn sleeve. "Keep driving. Our turn is near."

And she was right, Jon could see the turn and he made it just as Robb started ordering again.

"Good. Now you just need to keep going straight until you see The Hook. Take the sharp left then immediately the next right exit then go the roundabout to Street of Steel. It's not that far now."

"Okay." He shot a worried look at Sansa who was reloading the shotgun when they were hit with a big blast from her side that shattered the glass.

Jon kept the car from spinning around and ducked when he saw a car going straight for them from his left.

He let go of the wheel then and allowed the car to spin before he drifted off the path and watched the car collide against the new one tailing them at the back. Just how many were there?

Once he was able to get them back on course, he noticed that Sansa was quiet and saw that she was unconscious with a big cut against the side of her head.

"Sansa - Sansa" he hissed and he breathed out when her eyes fluttered open as she winced but started going for her shot gun again.

A motorcycle with two people sped up to her side again and they were so near her side. Jon tried to bump them off but they were too quick and Sansa aimed the shotgun at them from the broken window and fired but missed.

"Shit," she cursed and before Jon knew it, Sansa opened her door, shot the rider at the back and jumped on the motorcycle, kicking the one at the back off while pointing a gun at the driver's head and firing. She pushed him away then and Jon saw Sansa now driving towards the back.

"Sansa no! Get back here!"

But Sansa didn't and open fired behind her, targeting the wheels of the two cars that were following before she drove back to the still hanging passenger door.

Jon glared at her horrified. "Get in, now!" He reached his hand as far as he could stretch it, leaving the wheel on straight lock as he frantically reached for Sansa's own overstretched hand.

"Come on!" He shouted and finally he was able to grab Sansa's hand and pull her in, smiling in relief when they heard a shot fired with Sansa collapsing on his shoulder, her arms falling from his body as she slid down his.

"No, no, no, no!" Jon quickly assessed her and there he saw it, Sansa got shot at her left shoulder from the back. She took a shot meant for him.

Jon saw red then as he quickly shut the door, buckled in an unconscious Sansa who was still breathing heavily from the pain, and got back to driving.

"Robb, Sansa's been shot at the back. Shoulder but she's still breathing. Only one more car is tailing us. Where will we go?" He said completely clear headed now and focused on the drive.

"Fuck. Okay, change route. On the next right exit, take it and head straight to River Row. There's a medic bay there. Drive the fuck over there and save my sister."

"Roger."

He saw it then. Two cars toeing in on either side and he slipped into his racing mode.

This is just another race.

You've never lost a race in years.

The last one didn't count but this would.

Sansa's life depended on it.

They all know me as a dragon, Rhaegal they named my mount in court.

But in the track I'm only known by one name.

And that's Ghost.

It's time to vanish on the streets.

He gripped the wheel and started letting on the gas, breaking a little, making them think he was slowing down for them as he eyed the curve.

They roared beside them then and Jon smirked as he lead them to the narrow curve, stopping abruptly and watched as they vainly tried to turn but ended up crashing against each other.

Jon started the car again, roaring it to life and steadily started backing up, gaining speed, before pushing forward full throttle as he used the piled car as a ramp and let the car fly over them and back into the street with a loud screech and a jolt, moving as fast as he could away as the cars exploded behind him, pushing his car forward from the impact.

But he didn't relent.

He drove and drove until finally he reached River Row where he immediately saw Robb Stark get out off a car and ordering a team to get them.

Jon slowed to a stop. Hands still tight on the wheel as he heaved in and out, his pulse throbbing in his ears. And he heard his door and Sansa's being opened but he couldn't move, or let the voices register. Not until he heard a familiar whimper.

His eyes shot to Sansa now who was being held by her brother then. Her eyes fluttering open and searching his, offering a weak smile at him. "You okay?" she said through gritted teeth.

Jon felt all the tension slip away from his body then only to be replaced with exhaustion and relief as he returned her smile, reaching over to move her hair off her face. "Never better. You?"

"Just another day," she grinned.

"Okay, that's enough for now." Robb carried Sansa then and looked at Jon gratefully. Jon could only nod at him. Of course.

Jon stepped out the car and shook off the paramedics fusing about him, going instead to Sansa still in Robb's arms as he carried her towards the medic bay himself.

"Did anyone...?" Jon asked Robb and a shadow fell over his face. "Arthur was the only one who made it. Larence..." he shook his head. "There were too many of them."

Jon's chest constricted. They all died for him. He's going to make sure he deserved this - their sacrifice as he looked down at Sansa who was frowning, thinking about her fallen comrades. After a few more races, he was going back to work for his father and then convince Sansa to run for office and campaign the hell out for her. None of them had the capacity to rule, unfortunately, but the Starks had two - three if Ned wanted to as well. The Starks were the best people to take over the regime after his father. This is how he'll honor his family's security team.

Sansa's eyes met Jon's and she smiled at him softly. "Thank you, Jon."

Jon snorted. "No, thank you."

"Well, the jig is up, I guess," she giggled then winced after, earning a frown from Robb.

"Who would've thought my sweet and pretty assistant could be lethal. Hiding knives and guns under her skirt," he joked earning a glare from Robb but didn't comment.

"A skirt, you've been trying to chase," she winked.

Jon blinked but laughed instead. "Well, you did say the jig is up."

"I hope you're not too betrayed."

"Stark, you took a bullet for me. You killed for me. Betrayed is the last thing on my mind," he scoffed.

Sansa closed her eyes then and smiled. "I'm just doing my job. Pretty smooth driving though. World class."

"I'm just doing my job," he shot back at her.

Sansa reached up and took his hand then, looking up at him. "Jon, now that we're out of the woods. Do you know yet? Did they tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

She tilted her head. "Where will you go?"

He bid Robb to stop walking a minute so he could lean down Sansa. "Where will we go?"

Sansa grinned up at him then though she looked pale and worn but still fucking beautiful. "You're my bodyguard, right? You made a vow to me. You promised you'd protect me," he winked.

"I guess I did," she said before closing her eyes and surrendering to her exhaustion.

Jon leant down again and kissed her forehead. "I'll protect you too."

And they started walking again.

"You know she can't be your bodyguard anymore, right?" Robb eyed him.

Jon just grinned. "Of course not. But she'll still be obligated to stay by my side."

"Oh, is she now?" Robb raised a brow at him.

"Yes. When she runs for office after my father, naturally, the first gentleman's place is beside her," he said matter-of-factly.

Robb burst out laughing. "Rhaegar will be pleased."

Jon snorted. "Rhaegar will shit bricks when he finds out Sansa's finally going to run and then he'll throw those bricks at me when I tell him I'm going to marry the daughter he never had that he specifically told me not to date."

"I'm sure Sansa will make him come around," Robb grinned at him. "You've seen how demanding she is."

Jon grinned wickedly. "Yeah, yes she is."

"Oy, get that filthy thought away from my poor incapacitated sister or I'll kick your ass. We're not known as Stark Protection for nothing."

"Yikes."

"Oh, yes, yikes. Wait until you meet our mom. She's the one who taught Sansa how to fire guns and arrows."

"Double yikes."

"Will you two shut up. I just got shot here," Sansa mumbled, squinting an eye at them. "And it hurts like the seven hells. I think it's lodged in my scapula."

Robb laid her down the stretcher and stepped back, dropping a kiss on her forehead as the staff went over her. "See you later Red Wolf. I'm proud of you pumpkin."

Sansa rolled her eyes and looked at Jon then who was looking at her tenderly.

"So, first gentleman, huh? The Palace is the cart before the horse there or what?"

Jon chuckled and kissed her gently then to the sigh and grumbling of the medics. "Yes. And that's after we have three children. One mini-you, one mini-me, and one a combination. Oh and a dog too."

"Awfully sure of you," she winced a little.

"Take it easy, and yes. Yes, I've never been more sure. I should've said it earlier but I love you."

Sansa closed her eyes and smiled serenely. "I love you too."

"I'll see you later," Jon squeezed her hand.

"You'd better," she muttered before looking at him then.

Jon watched as they wheeled her off, raising a hand in a wave and watched as Sansa smiled at him and lifted a hand, though a little weakly, back at him.

Sansa's been following him around and cleaning up after him as he went on his races but starting now, he'll be chasing nothing but her.

It was his turn to follow.

Professionalism be damned.

It was time to rip out her contract and give her a new one while he planned just one more race.

The race to the altar.

No way in seven hells was he wasting any more time.

Not when speed was all he knew.

When you knew, you knew.

And seven hells they both almost died today.

She was it.

She was the goal.

And speed...not necessarily a bad thing.

He smirked.

Not a bad thing at all.

#jonsansaff #ladywolfmdfic #jonsa #actually jonsa #bodyguard au #jonsansaff 12 days of shipping

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thesportssoundoff · 7 years

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Dallas gets a PPV and it’s a great one: UFC 211 Preview

Joey

May 8th, 2017

The first half of 2017 has been all about ups and downs for the UFC. The free TV events have been for the most part acceptable even though they've lacked the sizzle to their events (as evidenced by not bad but not good ratings for most of their FS1 events and a few clunkers on FOX). On PPV, the story has been a lot tougher as bad cards lived up to bad billing, even if on paper I thought 208 had some fun aspects to it, and good cards either suffered injuries or were hampered by things out of the company's control. 209 was a great card that ended with an all time bad main event plus the loss of its co-main event while 210 had weird as hell fights, a perplexing main event, crazy judging and some even crazier refereeing. It's been a mess and as such, UFC 211 is being welcomed with open yet skeptical arms. This card actually reminds me a lot in some ways of UFC 146 from way back in the day. That year business was slow for the company and so they turned to an all heavyweight main card to inject some life into the UFC. It was a really great show and for a while, we could all forget about how utterly bumpy the road was and amuse ourselves in the rise of a new heavyweight phenom in Junior Dos Santos. Ironically enough, JDS rides into town during another bumpy as hell year to challenge for the title opposite Stipe Miocic. The main card for UFC 211 is arguably perfection from a matchmaking standpoing as all five fights are well matched fights pitting strength vs strength. All five fights could headline their own UFC event which is the sign of a great main card. Prelims are more than adquate as well and in some cases VERY very good, namely in the prelim headliner.

Fights: 14

Debuts: 4 (Rashad Coulter, Jared Gordon, Michel Quinones and David Branch)

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: 1 (Jarjhis Danho/Dimitro Poberezhets turned into Dimitri Pobereezhets/Chase Sherman turns into Chase Sherman/Rashad Coulter)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 10 (Joanna Champion, Stipe Miocic, Junior Dos Santos, Jorge Masvidal, Demian Maia, Frankie Edgar, Yair Rodriguez, Henry Cejudo, Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC: 2 (Chase Sherman, Henry Cejudo)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: 11 (Stipe Miocic, Joanna Champion, Jessica Andrade, Demian Maia, Jorge Masvidal, Yair Rodriguez, Segio Pettis, Chas Skelly, Jason Knight, Kryzstof Jotko, Marco Polo Reyes)

Stat Monitor for 2017:

Debuting Fighters (Current number: 11-10)- Rashad Coulter, David Branch

Short Notice Fighters (Current number: 6-10)- Rashad Coulter

Second Fight (Current number: 11-14)- Gadzhimurad Antigulov, JessicaAguilar

Twelve Precarious Ponderings:

1- The first fight for JDS and Stipe Miocic is well and truly a classic worth going out of your way to see. The first four rounds were really great shit and the last round is sort of disappointing but both guys were absolutely gassed out so forgive them. Miocic's boxing was worlds better than JDS for the first two (and IMO three) rounds but then Miocic just absolutely gassed out and JDS was able to pour the pressure on and rely on his superior conditioning, heart and fight IQ to wear out Miocic. In rewatching the second fight though, I noticed a few things that paint perhaps a more compelling picture in the rematch. For starters, there's a sequence in the second round where JDS is able to find a combination which gets the respect of Miocic. From then on, JDS is able to pop the same combination over and over and Miocic starts trying to wrestle him. The more you wrestle JDS, the more tired you get unless you're Cain (and even Cain Velasquez was exhausted at the end of their third fight in the troilgy). JDS has insane balance for a big man and Miocic is sneaky deceptive----but it is worth pointing out that Moicic has not had a fight leave the first round since the Dos Santos fight. JDS went five rounds last April even if it was kind of sort of a sparring exhibition.

2- IF you're picking JDS in this fight, you're gambling on two things. 1) The fact that Miocic hasn't had five tough rounds and has shown vulnerability against big punchers who combo well and 2) the HOPE that Dos Santos vs Rothwell was not one of those "the candle burns brightest before it goes out" moments where a fading fighter finds himself for one last big hurrah before the cliff hits. Otherwise there's no reason why the less shop worn, more athletic, more versatile fighter (Miocic's wrestling still exists even if he doesn't use it for a single god damn thing) who hits just as hard and KO'd the dude who KO'd THIS dude should be the loser. The problem is that vs Rothwell, JDS was everything you'd wish for him to be and then some. He looked quick on his feet, versatile with his strikes, powerful with his jab and most of all he seemed to be pulling the trigger again.

3- Who is the #1 contender AFTER this? There's Overeem/Werdum and I'm not sure I'd go that route. After a series of fresh HW title fights (Werdum/Cain, Werdum/Miocic and Miocic/Overeem), going winner vs winner here inevitably sets up a rematch of some kind. Francis Ngannou is sitting out there amassing wins and looking awesome but any of those four guys represents a massive step up and the only one I'd comfortably say Ngannou would beat is Overeem due to the whole Overeem so-so chin and Ngannou being quite possibly the hardest hitting HW since Shane Carwin. Derrick Lewis would be fun as shit if he beat Mark Hunt but man, I do NOT want to see Lewis/Werdum or Lewis/Miocic where Derrick has to shuck off 40 takedowns. In a perfect world, Cormier vs JDS would be a lot of fun but I think Cormier would retire before he'd move back up to HW.

4- The co-main event feels like a fight where there's a realistic chance for an upset even if nobody wants to discuss it. On paper this is a stylistic dream fight, two really tough really powerful women with differing styles (Joanna more of a symphony of violence, Jessica Andrade more like thrash metal) where if anyone is going to get to Joanna, it's the fighter who can pressure forward and put all kinds of smoke and team on her shots. I don't know if Jessica has one punch finishing power but I would argue she hits harder at 135 lbs and possesses the better submission game. The one thing I keep coming back to is Joanna's style and how over her last 3-4 fights, there's been some cracks showing. Against Valerie Letourneau, the few moments Val had came when she would pressure and blitz Joanna. She didn't win the fight but she had a few moments where you coulf see something could be done there. Vs Claudia Gadelha, Joanna had a REALLY tough time early dealing with the pressure AND power of Claudia. Gadelha put her down at one point (twice even if I remember correctly) and who knows where the fight goes if Claudia doesn't gas out going for takedowns. Against Karolina K, Joanna didn't seem as aggressive, didn't seem to press the issue with power shots as often and even was hurt REALLY badly by someone I would not consider to be a powerful striker. There's something going on here and Joanna's comments about maybe retiring and her long term health plus the scares she'd had in her past two fights paint a picture of something bigger. The rumors of her going to ATT and not being particularly well recieved raise a few concerns as well, I guess. I dunno there just seems to be a lot happening with Joanna that leaves room for doubt.

NOW is Jessica Andrade the fighter to beat her? I mean....it's hard to imagine someone who twice went life and death with Rocky Pennington winning the title from the most dominant female champion going currently. It's also hard to imagine this fight heading into the 4th or 5th rounds with Andrade not having a serious cardio disadvantage working against her. Also Joanna's kicks are the best Jessica has seen pretty much ever and so while I don't always go Joe Rogan on leg kicks, they're bound to have an advantage. I just think if anybody is going to beat Joanna Champion, this is the gal and this is the time for it. There's some smoke here.

5- If Yair Rodriguez KOs Frankie Edgar (or just beats him decisively), would that justifiably make Yair the #1 contender for the winner of Holloway-Aldo? Even over Cub Swanson who has two wins in high profile fights and is on paper as popular as he's ever been?

6- Man imagine a Mexico even with Yair fighting for the FW title and Brandon Moreno challenging for the flyweight title. That'd be fuckin' cool.

7- I went back and briefly looked at Demian Maia's shortcomings/weaker performances at welterweight. The two consistent refrains is that Maia can be stalled out on the ground (or perhaps he stalls you out from attempting any offense and can just stay on top) and his cardio in some of those fights, specifically ones where early on he has to really fight for takedowns, can lead to openings. Matt Brown DID have Maia bothered in the second half of their fight before Maia just snatched his neck and put him to bed---but Maia did take some shots in the process. Masvidal is REALLY hard to take down and even tougher to keep down. On the other hand, Masvidal is not a guy well known for turning up the heat late. I know pace and tempo are like boilerplate MMA terms but Masvidal IS the perfect example of a guy who controls pacing, tempo and has superb timing. The third round if it gets that far is going to be very interesting.

8- Sergio Pettis beats Henry Cejudo (by whatever way you so desire), does Pettis get the "record" shot vs Mighty Mouse or is that still Ray Borg's gig?

9- On paper I'd argue that Cejudo/Pettis and Alvarez/Poirier should be switched but Eddie has been SO quiet since the McGregor thrashing that I wonder if there's maybe some concern about his focus. The prelim headliner is still a BIG spot but it's obviously a lot more low profile than PPV main card. Whatever the case may be, I bet that fight is going to be badass while it lasts. Also shout out to Dustin Poirier for fighting like three months ago on one leg then turning around and taking a MASSIVE step up.

10- The Fight Pass fight of all fights pits SportsSoundoff hero Gabriel "Moggly" Benitez vs TheAntiCool's BFF Enrique Barzola. Mexico vs Peru! Moggly Benitez was once thought of to be one of the better fighters off of TUF Latin America Season One and while he is still 2-1 despite running into the leg of Andre Fili (no shame in that), he's probably been a step behind the likes of Marlon "Chito" Vera, Yair Rodriguez and Teco Quinones. He's a good fighter who probably has some untapped potential the more he trains with the likes of AKA. On the other hand, Enrique Barzola is a REALLY good, really raw young fighter with unlimited athletic potential and a developing fight game. He should be undefeated in the UFC but que sera sera and all that good stuff. Barzola's wrestling is surprisingly good for a fighter discovered off of TUF LAM and his striking is unorthodox, really funky and seems to be improving each time out. Enrique Barzola should be the favorite but I refuse to believe that Moggly won't have a shot.

11- We all like to bitch and banter about the UFC's LHW division but this is yet another show in a string of them where they're trying to churn the bottom of the roster. Similarly the same could be said with a HW as well with a new HW in the mix. Injury replacement and all but still!

12- Gotta admit I totally forgot about Jessica Aguilar and how good she is.

Must Wins:

Junior Dos Santos

Of the two big names in the main event, I feel like JDS has the most to lose here with a loss. Let's not entirely mince some words here; this is almost a gift title shot. He's getting the shot because someone has to fight Miocic and Cain/Werdum are both in the UFC bad books for two vastly different reasons. Rothwell was a damn good win given the streak he was on and so it's not like JDS didn't earn some semblance of a title shot. Even that being the case, Dos Santos' last seven fights consist of wins over Frank Mir, Cain twice, Mark Hunt, Overeem, Miocic and Rothwell. He's 4-3 and he wasn't entirely competitive in those losses. That being said, he's got a chance here. Miocic is hittable, his moments of greatness oftentimes coming out of brief glimpses of frailty. In glimpses JDS has the ability to remind you of why once upon a time he was the no doubt about it best HW in the world. If he loses to Miocic, you'd essentially have to acknowledge that if he's a top 5 HW, 3 of his contemporaries in that mix have beaten him.

Frankie Edgar

At just 24 years old, the 145er and 155ers of the UFC will be dealing with Yair Rodriguez for a long time. He's going to challenge for plenty of belts and as his physical maturation combines with Greg Jackson in his ear, Yair Rodriguez will almost certainly be a face for the UFC. There's no pressure on Yair here. Frankie Edgar is one of those fighters stuck in no man's land. The scene at 155 lbs has grown to the point where Edgar's herky jerky quirky stylings and in and out movement can't carry him the way it used to. At the same time, he's had two swing and a misses at Jose Aldo and the last one wasn't quite as competitive as we all hoped it'd be. He's 35 years old, on the last fight of his deal and he's the kind of guy the UFC has been losing/letting go recently. The sort of guy who is a TV draw but not a PPV draw who has essentially maxed out his value. Edgar vs Yair is the battle of good young fighter who might be great against the great old fighter who might be slowly dropping towards good. Edgar is far and away the greatest wrestler Yair has ever faced and conversely, Yair Rodriguez is really the most dynamic athletic that Edgar has faced. No, I don't think he's as good as Aldo but Yair does so many other weird, wacky and wild things that he essentially combines the "I don't give a fuck" of Cub Swanson with the versatility of Aldo. Edgar wins this fight and he's got two wins in a row likely looking at a bigger payday and he PROBABLY sneaks his way back into talks as a name for 145 lbs again or even 135 lbs if he finally commits to that drop in weight. A loss and maybe the UFC views a 35 year old Frankie Edgar as a guy on the downslide who can no longer beat the elites, isn't going to fight for the title and may not be worth six figures for them anymore.

Demian Maia

There's a section of UFC fans who think Demian Maia is a draw and he's really not. His TV numbers aren't great, I don't think Maia is a guy who draws people to the venue and he exits to be what I believe most insiders would refer to as card dressing. Having said that, the 170 lb landscape is KIND OF in the midst of some upheaval and so if Maia's ever going to get that title shot, the opportunity has to be now. He's won what feels like 10 fights in a row and his wins are over the likes of Carlos Condit, Neil Magny, Gunnar Nelson and Ryan LaFlare. He gets a surprisingly difficult puzzle to figure out; a low output striker who rarely misses his shots, rarely gets taken down, might be impossible to submit and has found some power since he moved up to 170 lbs. It's a fight Maia should win that presents some stylistic challenges for an aging BJJ maestro with so so cardio but arguably the stickiest grappling in MMA. We recently saw a similar minded aging BJJ maestro struggle vs a a guy who presented stylistic challenges who rarely gets taken down and has found his power after moving up in weight. I don't know if the ending will be the same but there's no question that there are some similarities in these two movie scripts.

Five Underlying Themes

1- Will there be more consistency in the three person commentary booth or are we doomed to more at times awkward at times stilted bro convos between Rogan and DC?

2- This is the best card of the year but I'd almost argue UFC 208 had more buzz to it. Will this card pick up as we get closer and realize this fight is FINALLY happening?

3- Texas has a well earned rep for shitty judging, even worse reffing and just general commission wackiness. Are we in line for another night of madness?

4- How will the crowd respond to Yair Rodriguez, a budding star to be, in his biggest fight ever?

5- Will we get any UFC 213 or UFC 214 announcements?

#MMA #UFC #UFC 211 #Junior Dos Santos #Stipe Miocic #Joanna Champion #Frankie Edgar #David Branch

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ladywolfmd · 7 years

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We don't need no letter at all (We've got a thing that's called radar love)

AN: Just a little action packed ditty to vent my frustrations with Season Seven Hells. Bodyguard!Sansa AU.

Also up in AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11877483

39/51 Lap

"Jon, keep going, you're almost there. The gap between you and the Brat-theon prick is still there at 9/5th of your time but you can lose him on the 4th turn."

"Copy that Edd."

"The Brat is falling for it! What a dipshit! Make him eat your dust, Jon."

Also as expected since Jon's slow wasn't just anyone's definition of slow, so Joffrey wouldn't be able to turn left in time and he'd head straight off track with the speed he tried to match with his.

Jon grinned when he did exactly that while Edd whooped over the team radio as he started flooring it.

Jon was impressed. The little shit was stubborn and, he hate to admit it, good enough to survive one of the oldest tricks in out-racing. Thank the gods his team-mate Waymar Royce gained speed for P2. He won't let Joffrey pass. There was no way their team was going to let the Gold cloakswin, not after the Crag debacle which was still up for debate.