New Challenger, New Challenge

Today was going to be a long day for the Hardcore Champion, she could feel it. It wasn't the first time she had traversed the halls of the AFW complex looking for a particular person to challenge, nor was it likely to be the last. But it was the first time Adrian was feeling a little uneasy about her upcoming opponent.

Alicia Wells had emerged with little initial fanfare, but the tall red-head had already staked her claim as being one of the more ruthless and sadistic newcomers by choking out her opponent after a submission was given, something that gave Adrian some nasty flashbacks to her very early days in AFW. Added to that her victory between a former Hardcore champion in Liberty Vella and the... best dubbed 'unusual' Abattoir and she was now officially the number one contender to Adrian's title. Meaning the former cosplayer had some introductions to do and some grounds to set out.

She shouldn't be too hard to find, Adrian thought as she moved into the locker room area. Although the general height of wrestlers had increased significantly since she'd started: 5'10" redheads were not all that common, especially not with the trail of trainers desperately wanting to avoid being seen by anyone she left in her wake.

It’d been a good workout. The trainer she’d been allocated had been a slippery one; not so great on the offence but seriously tricky to pin down and seemingly almost boneless at times. Certainly, she’d evaded any chokes or scissors aimed at the neck with practiced skill, though Alicia had come out with the win once she’d managed to score a bodyscissors. It had been pretty inevitable that she’d win eventually, but it’d been interesting – in her own opinion, to be taken with a pinch of salt, training sessions weren’t there because she might lose but to force her to think harder about how she’d win. This one had been heavily about working position and that had made it…

Well, like she’d said. Interesting.

No knockouts today, which had the trainer looking somewhat surprised when they shook hands at the end of the session, but maybe it was good to keep them guessing. Besides, there wasn’t much use in getting one of the few people who made training fun angry with her and she was trying to stick to her promise to Valley.

Alright, so Dmitri wouldn’t agree but that wasn’t the same.

Once the match or training session was over, that was that. Alicia was too smart not to realise that she’d already built herself a reputation based on what she’d done to Gallium and her penchant for leaving less-than-challenging trainers snoozing in the middle of the ring, and she didn’t particularly care. Except that it was making finding training partners even harder and that was a bit of a bore.

Finishing drying herself down, the big redhead was lost in thought as she stepped away from the showers. She was effectively done for the day here but she’d got plenty to be doing back at her apartment. Food shopping to do, essays to edit… The list went on. Slipping her underwear on and clasping her bra into place, Alicia began rooting through her locker in search of her civvies.

And there she was, the new girl on the block fully embracing the AFW tradition of walking around the locker room in her underwear. The more things changed around here, the more they stayed the same it seemed. "Alicia Wells?" Adrian called out walking to the side of her locker and leaning against the metalwork "I think we've got some things to talk about."

Focused on finding her clothing, Alicia hadn’t paid all that much attention to the incoming footsteps until the voice spoke up nearby at the same moment her fingers closed around the t-shirt she’d known was in there.

”That’s me.”

Tugging it out, the big redhead stepped back from her locker to get a better look at whoever this might be. Certainly, she didn’t recognise the voice and, once she got her eyes on the interloper, she didn’t immediately recognise them either. A couple of inches shorter than her, maybe a bit older, with dyed hair and a wrestler’s build… No, didn’t ring a bell.

There were enough people in Friction that Alicia knew that she felt more comfortable but, equally, there were still a lot she didn’t by name or by face. This was just another reminder of that.

Clearly she knew who Alicia was though.

”Do we?” The kickboxer wondered, pulling the t-shirt over her head and down into place. ”I don’t seem to have got that memo.”

Looking the newcomer in the eye, she closed the locker door, resting her hands on her hips afterwards.

Well that was blunt, Adrian would have liked to have thought that she had a bit of notoriety around here. She was only a champion in AFW after all, one or two magazine covers "Adrian Kytes, Hardcore Champ." the brunette introduced herself. "Kind of a big deal, but yeah: we do have things to talk about." No sense about being coy about things

"Do you remember that three-way you won a few weeks back? I don't know if they told you about it at all but whoever won that match was pretty much gonna be the number one contender for the Hardcore Title, my hardcore title. Now I know you're pretty new here and that this is all happening so quickly, not everyone gets title shots within their first year so you can feel good about that..." the former cosplayer continued, pushing herself away from the lockers so she could walk around as she went on "...but I'm just gonna put this out here now: all you're getting out of this is a trip to Alaska and a hospital bill."

Oh. Right.

”Sorry,” Alicia offered, genuinely (she hadn’t meant to cause offence), with a slight shrug, ”I’m still trying to learn names here.”

Hardcore also wasn’t her cup of tea but there was being brash and being stupid, and she was smart enough to realise that telling the Hardcore champion that she didn’t like the woman’s speciality much… Well, that wouldn’t be smart. Probably just like saying that she’d focused on learning about the wrestlers who interested her, not just the ones who held belts.

Although now she was very definitely curious about what had brought the Hardcore champion to her door. It probably had something to do with that match she’d won – as Adrian promptly confirmed – but she had absolutely no idea what. Alicia’d seen nothing of either Liberty or Abattoir since, excepting the former calling the latter out for a match that seemed guaranteed to result in somebody’s funeral. She was very happy she had nothing to do with that – fight-loving or not, Alicia very definitely had her limits about what she considered ‘fun’.

More immediately, as the way her eyebrows flew up in shock, no – they hadn’t mentioned that. Probably because nobody expected her to win so it wouldn’t have mattered. That little fact earnt Adrian a low whistle, particularly as the champion explained further. Not that Alicia was all that impressed or particularly excited.

Hell, even if she’d been interested in titles full-stop, the Hardcore one would be the last on her list.

Still, her dark eyes following Adrian’s movements now, the big redhead consoled herself that at least this ought to be interesting. If this woman held the title over Abattoir and Liberty, she ought to make for some fun in a fight.

Hence the wicked smirk currently threatening to crawl across her lips.

”Yeah well…” It was on the tip of her tongue to suggest it wouldn’t be her hospital bills Alicia’d be paying. That maybe Adrian Kytes ought to ask Abattoir how those ribs were doing. Or perhaps that Alicia wouldn’t choke her out so long as she put up a good fight. ”I suppose we’ll just have to see. Don’t worry – I’ll let you keep the belt if I win.”

While it was true, there was no way that could be construed as anything other than mockery and Alicia knew it.

And there it was, for someone so new to AFW she was fitting right in with that jab about Adrian getting to keep the title if she lost. "Ahahahaha very funny." The brunette said as flatly as possible, showing no apparent fear despite the size differance between the two. While Adrian wasn't that much smaller than the Brit, the red head looked a lot more built than the former cosplayer, especially around the legs that earned her the victories she'd already achieved, not that Adrian was directly looking at her legs. She was more fixated on that evil looking smirk across Alacia's face.

"Pro tip: Champions tend to be a cut above everyone else, that's why they're champions." She explained, getting right up in the Scissor Queen's personal space. "We don't to need to brutalize rookies after the bell or choke out training partners to prove we're hot shit, we got belts to show that off. In fact, doing that sort of thing is not a good idea, especially when you're just starting out. Sadistic bitches tend to burn out quickly when they run into someone they can't handle."

Oh wow. She’d just been called a sadistic bitch. Clearly she was now going to see the error of her ways and go cry in a corner somewhere because the Hardcore Champion of Friction had called her a bad name. Boo-hoo.

Alicia’s smirk didn’t falter in the slightest. She might be new to Friction and the specifics of that environment, but she’d been involved in enough combat sports to know that Adrian was exaggerating. Some champions were a cut above the rest. Some were lucky or their opponents had been unlucky or had friends in high places.

So, no, waving the ‘we are the champions’ flag earnt her no points in intimidation at all, nor did rubbing Alicia’s own actions in her face bother her, nor did accusing her of being a sadist.

All things she’d heard before and they were sufficiently off base that she just didn’t care. Coming from someone she knew, maybe, but the Hardcore Champion… no. Given what Abattoir and Liberty had gone through, the redhead had a healthy respect for what Adrian could probably dish out and take in a match. The champion was almost certainly far tougher or sneakier than she looked.

But Alicia wasn’t scared of her either, particularly not with the age-old getting right in her face trick.

”Thanks for the advice,” She shot back, calm as a cucumber, ”But I don’t need to prove anything. That’s not why I’m here. As for running into someone I can’t handle…”

One shoulder rose and fell in a casual shrug. ”I’ve lost my share. So long as the fight’s good, I could care less. Was there a point to this or do you run around badly psycho-analysing all your opponents?”

Adrian honestly didn't know what she was expecting as a response there, she could have counted the number of times calling someone a jerk or a sadist actually worked on one hand, it was just making the former cosplayer more annoyed at the redheads unflappable nature. "Well you've clearly got something to prove, otherwise why'd you lay out Galium like that?" She asked, not backing down an inch. "Yeah, I do my homework about my opponents, can't say you've done the same, otherwise you would have seen that pin Valley pulled off coming a mile away. The point is, since I'm the champ: I get a little say into just what the match type at Summer Splash is, obviously there's probably going to be weapons involved at some point, but maybe you'd appreciate a little input. Since it's your first go round and all." She offered with a small smug expression on her face.

Funnily enough, given she’d just declared she didn’t have anything to prove, the kickboxing redhead didn’t feel the need to explain her reasons for leaving Gallium slumbering either. Not to this woman anyway. Gallium and Silver Ace had probably worked it out, Valley knew and, if she’d really researched her matches, Adrian would probably have a better idea either given Alicia had practically shouted her reasoning at Ace.

Not that it mattered. The jab about Valley stung more than she’d have liked to admit. Adrian was right there. Alicia should have seen that one coming, and even she hated to have victory snatched right out from under her like that. She should have won. It had been a great match. But she should have won.

Still, aside from a tightening of her smirk, it didn’t show in the slightest. And that could be explained by the smug grin on the champion’s face. If nothing else, Alicia despised people who thought they could underestimate or look down on her. That would be a good reason to show Adrian Kyte exactly how much damage she could deal out, come the moment. And she would most certainly be doing her research on the champion.

Adrian should count on it.

”Thoughtful but I’m happy with just the basics. Did you have something particular in mind?”

Her knowledge of the speciality matches was pretty limited and none of the stipulations she did know interested her very much.