Matryoshka

When Valley stood up, Natasha was quick to follow, her heart pounding as she stood face to face with the Slamazon. She listened to Valley speak, her expression remaining cold, and hard, then when the blonde was finished, she was quick to respond.

"You just said it yourself. I am one of the best. Perhaps the best you've ever gone against." She reached a hand back to the counter, resting it on the folder, not quite sliding it back yet. "When you beat me the first time, it drove me mad. It was consuming me. You were all I was thinking about. I could not get you out of my mind." She met Valley's gaze, staring deeply into her eyes, trying to stay calm. "You are right. You beat me twice, but you should not have beat me a second time. I was a madwoman, and I know that you were sensing something was wrong in that fight."

She started to slide the folder back, her voice growing colder as she spoke. "You are knowing for a fact that you barely won the second time. I had you. I had you and you are knowing it. If I had not been so crazed, I would have won. You can be denying it all you want, but you are knowing it is true."

She pushed the folder back in front of Valley, and let it sit there, keeping her hand atop it. "Can you really say nyet?" She asked, an almost mocking tone in her voice. "Can you really be walking away? Can you really go on not knowing if I am right?"

She leaned forward, and dropped her voice to a near whisper, pushing herself closer to Valley. "Fight me. Fight me one more time, and I promise, win or lose you will never see me again."

Valley groaned and closed her eyes, rollling them underneath the lids. In a way, it made her happy that someone could be this determined to take her on in a match, but it was slightly annoying, too. And getting worse by the second. "You were a madwoman, huh?" Truth be told, there was a small part of Valley that did wonder, but only a small part. Not nearly big enough.

She held up her hands. "Look." She opened her eyes, with a firm expression on her face. As firm as you could look in a pink turtleneck sweater. "Maybe you'll get lucky and we'll meet in a tourney. Maybe they'll do the Cup again. Maybe you'll realize how far your career can go with all your talent, and you'll get a belt, and I'll take you on. But outside of that? It's not happening." Valley leaned forward, so close that the smell of vodka on their breathes was almost nauseating. To her, anyway. "And by the by? Not only can I walk away, in ten seconds, I'm going to. Just watch."

Valley backed away and pointed at her drink, shaking her head all the way. "You can have my vodka, if you want. I don't backwash."

With that, she turned around and started to walk away, as if she were just casually strolling down the street.

Natasha watched, as Valley turned and walked away. She wanted to call out to her. She wanted to say something, anything, but she couldn't find the words. Valley had made her decision, and Natasha knew that for tonight at least, she wouldn't be changing her mind.

With a frustrated sigh, she sat back down, and angrily grabbed the Slamazon's drink, finishing it off and setting the glass back down. Valley was gone, but Natasha wasn't done with her, not by a long shot.

One way or another, she was going to get her match.