His Sister's Keeper

It was a Saturday morning. Even in Japan, there were plenty of things that a strapping young Puerto Rican man like Armando Rodriguez could’ve been doing, especially during the summer. He could’ve gone to the mall and hung out with some of his friends. He could’ve went to the comic book shop and chatted with that cute girl who was always trying to turn him onto some manga with a name he couldn’t pronounce or remember. He could’ve walked around town, playing games on his phone and looking like a jackass.

Instead, he was stuck opening up Carmen’s gym and cleaning. Yippee.

Typically, Carmen would open the gym up and get things ready for the daily training, but she had some early meeting to go to in Tokyo, so the duty fell right on him. He had to come in early, get the place set up, get things clean and tidy for all the girls, who’d be coming in for the first classes soon enough.

So that was the reason Armand Rodriguez, heir to the Rodriguez boxing legacy, aspiring wrestler and experienced DnD player, found himself in the middle of a training room, mopping the floor while he listened to some tunes. He hummed along, pretty much zoning out from the rest of the world as he went about his work.

Blissfully unaware.

Enjoying the weekend was not exactly something Diana Accera took time out to do. To her, a Saturday night was no different from a Monday morning in how she treated it. Every hour of the day that wasn't sleeping or eating, was meant for one or two things in Diana's mind. Training. Or Fighting. Very rarely, a certain third activity.

Someone hadn't exactly given the tall Italian the memo that Carmen wasn't in town, as she strolled into the somewhat empty-for-now gym, clad in her ever lazy hoody, t-shirt and jeans. It was any guess which 'activity' Diana herself had come into the gym to engage in today, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that any of the three would of involved the 24/7 champion.

As ever, the somewhat careless Italian didn't bother to observe if anyone actually was in the gym as of yet, or even if it was officially open. That was, until she approached Carmen's office, where the look of it gave all the signs that the woman herself wasn't in. She'd stop a moment, throwing somewhat of a angry glare at the door itself with hands to her hips.

With as much manners as ever, she'd turn her head slightly, to the only figure in the room. Unaware just who the figure actually was, eyes even failing to look at the character as they stayed glued to the door.

"Where's she at?"

It started out innocently enough. Someone came into the gym early, and from the morning’s dim light, Army couldn’t quite tell who it was. Tall-looking woman. Well-built. Not all that uncommon, really. They had walk-ins all the time, people who were passing by, got curious, stepped in for a look. Carmen liked to let people get a good lay of the place, see what they were offering without being led around by the nose.

It was a little too early, but Army was apt to just ignore it. No big deal.

He started going back to his mopping, when he noticed the woman wasn’t looking around - she was looking at the office. Carmen’s office. That was when she turned around and spoke, just enough forArmy to know exactly who it was.

Diana Accera. That woman.

This was the first time they’d been in the same place at the same time, but he knew a lot about her all the same. He knew she’d fought Carmen. He knew they’d had an intense match. He knew there’d been some rumors going around that they had a little something going on behind the scenes, that Carmen had been spotted at her apartment. He knew that Carmen was making a habit of coming late more and more these days, and he knew that she had bruises on days where she had no matches. Suddenly, a picture was starting to get painted.

Because of those suspicions, he wasn’t inclined to tell Diana much of anything. It didn’t help that she was rude about it from the first step, not bothering to look his way when she asked.

Army walked her way, pulled the earphones off, leaned over the ropes and looked down her way. Cool and calm.

”None of your fucking business.”

Make no mistake, Carmen and Diana's relationship was by no means common knowledge amongst the locker room. They didn't exactly broadcast their interest in one another, and certainly hadn't partaken in in-ring matches. To the majority, Diana was simply a dime-a-dozen 24/7 contender, who had the immense luck of debuting in a championship match, mostly thanks to Carmen's part interest, part anger. To the minority, such as Carmen's brother, the reality was somewhat, 'different.'

Her eyes would remain pondering on the empty office, as the only figure in the room besides herself took great notice. She'd remain in her daydream of sorts until Army uttered his response, when her eyes somewhat widened in mild shocked. Diana was rude, but that hard response? It felt a little more than a simple response to a lack of manners.

She'd turn, stepping towards the figure that answered her query, her hands to her side. Her eyes would squint somewhat, in mild annoyance, but more confusion.

"What...did you just say...?" She'd mutter, closing the distance, small step by small step.

Army canted his head to the side as he watched Diana, not quite sure what to make of her. It wasn’t the first time he’d crossed paths with one of Carmen’s partners - back in Puerto Rico it was a downright common occurrence. Likewise, Carmen had met some of the girl’s he’d been with and even had good relationships with them. She and Ro Larren still kept in touch, not to mention Army’s current girlfriend, Amy. When she was around to be talked to, at least. Which wasn’t much these days, sadly.

They had a little silent agreement when it came to these things. Army didn’t get impede her business with women, Carmen didn’t impede his business with women.

But Diana was different. Weirder. Not quite sure what to make of her. He was damn sure he didn’t appreciate her just walking in and acting like fucking Carmen gave her a right to come in and do as she pleased.

”I didn’t stutter.” He made his way over to the ropes and leaned over them, looking down her way. ”Carmen didn’t give you her phone number, can’t just text and see where she’s at? Because if she didn’t, that might be a sign."

Diana couldn't resist a sly grin. She didn't have Carmen's number, and likewise, because that was simply the way the two seemed to work. The relationship between the two would have lost some of its 'magic,' if either woman simply started summoning the other with a flick of a phone. If there was ever an emergency, the two could of easily gotten in contact each other. After all, it was much more difficult to stop the AFW roster talking than to start them.

"Well..." She'd tut, seemingly having pissed off the figure in the ring now steps away from her. She couldn't deny the fact; Army was huge, a fact further exaggerated by the fact Army had the high ground with the light shining bright behind him. "...Seeing as how no-one else interesting ever comes to this crap hole..." She'd smile, deciding to play her ace in her deck in pissing the figure off. After all, it seemed Army didn't know Diana knew just who he was too. It would of been insane if Diana's many altercations with Carmen still didn't encourage the Italian to actually learn some background on the 24/7 champion.

"I'll just be off then. Go and find me the main Rodriguez. Rather than the second rate one..."

Diana was smiling. Why the hell was Diana smiling?

Army canted his head to the side as he looked down on the Italian, not sure what to make of her. It wasn’t the first time he’d ever questioned Carmen’s taste in women, but usually her partners were a little more on the normal side of things. At the worst, they weren’t borderline psychos, but that was distinctly not the vibe he was getting from Diana.

Also, smugness. A shit-ton of smugness.

”Second-rate?” Army dropped the mop and watched her start to walk around, then moved to the other side of the ring to keep her in view. ”You want to come over here and expand on your expert opinion, lady? Because if Carmen can put your ass, I’m pretty sure I can, too. So what’s that make you? Third-rate? Fourth?”

If you asked Diana just why she came to AFW when she first arrived just why she joined the profession, the answer would of been simple. The thrill of the fight.

Now? Everything up to it. Not so much the typical back and forth of a ring-bound promo, or some rigged backstage interview, and most certainly not the dime-a-dozen contract signings for a match, which would always end in the same old brawls. She enjoyed things unplanned, and dangerous. Such as pissing off a man who could manhandle the vast majority of the roster, simply because her original goal was all but delayed.

Such as now.

Diana would take somewhat of an exaggerated leisurely stroll now, as she felt Army somewhat follow her albeit staying in the ring. Whilst Army gave her the facts, the Italian simply rolled her eyes, pacing slowly towards the exit, her grin as ever growing.

"What does that make me? Bored..." She'd laugh, extending a hand to her mouth as she gave a fake yawn, before extending the hand outwards, a middle finger erupting from it in Army's direction!

Diana was goading Army. That much was painfully obvious, couldn’t have been moreso. After all, he was an expert when it came to pissing off other people, a skill he’d picked up from his time in the locker rooms of Puerto Rico. Being able to get under your opponent’s skin was a crucial skill outside of the ring.

However, just because he knew what Diana was doing didn’t mean it wasn’t working. It was. Very well. The middle finger was an especially nice touch.

”Fucking…” Army dropped down and slid his way out of the ring and made his way over her way, arms folding as he nears. ”If you’re looking for something to do, I’ll give you what you want. Put it on the line - you and me, one on one, show you just how second-rate I am.”

Bit of a quick escalation, but from what Army knew of Diana, it was a safe bet to say she'd go for it. On top of that...

"And when I win? You don't come around here, ever again." He gave her a poke in the chest, just for emphasis.

Diana herself hadn't really gained the skill from others, but simply unlocked it from her own personality as it were, almost as if it were a secret talent. The secret talent being pissing people off, regardless of whether it was called for or not.

She'd walk to the exit at a somewhat angle, her eyes just able to catch the ring in the corner of her vision. After all, there were characters in AFW who'd attempt to tear your head off at a mere bad glance in their direction, let alone a personal insult and a rude gesture.

Her foe outright declaring an intention to fairly fight the woman once he closed the distance, Diana would of course turn, hands somewhat lazy to her sides but ever cautious if Army decided to kick off a brawl regardless of Diana's response. She'd tut, as ever with a cocky grin, the Italian's eyes soon falling on Army's own. She certainly didn't come looking for a fight perhaps besides anyone but Carmen herself, but eyeing up the figure at such proximity, it was safe to say Army would give a good fight, at least. Still, she'd ponder. After all, she was after Carmen; the entire roster of AFW could of been in the very room she stood in, and still her fascination with the Puerto Rican would persist.

But then, god forbid, Army poked the woman.

Eyes falling down, Diana would resist baring her teeth at such a 'assault.' Where as most, both women and men, somewhat purposefully poked lower amidst the Italians sizeable chest for somewhat of a small feel, Army poked right below her neck, on the collarbone. He didn't want a piece of Diana's body; he wanted a piece of the bitch who just pissed him off.

"You're fucking on..." She'd roar. She was not exactly easily offended, but the right gesture or use of words could send the Italian from a smiling beauty to a raging psychopath in seconds, as she already somewhat clumsily removed her jacket. "...And when I win? You stay out of my fucking business. The next time I come in here to see your sister? You walk out the room. With your tail between your legs."