Abrupt Negotiations

"A..almost?! Melody, please tell me you're on the up and up. For goodness sake, you gave me oreos!" Hart exclaimed.

Mina would turn her palm up towards Kat and gesture to her while offering an explanation. "Look, Katherine. Most of the time she does come across as nice, but the truth is, I'd rather you not fight her at all." Mina would turn to Melody and address her sternly. "And I'll try to drag on too long with summing up why. Miss Serperior, you competed in a hardcore match at the Avalanche pay per view. Normally everyone does a few violent things that they should reflect on in hardcore matches, but your case is different. And before you clench your fist or your heart skips a beat, let me say that I don't care that you tried to cave in Lena's face with a sledgehammer. It's the fact that you got lost in your own anger and frustration. That in the few moments before the end of the match, the only thing on your mind was darn near complete and unmitigated rage. Honestly, if AFW staff finds that ref beaten and bloodied in a back-alley somewhere, you'd be the very first person I'd suspect.

The manager would reach across the table to take Melody's cup and raise an eyebrow at her before taking a sip of the lady's tea before continuing. "If it was just one instance, I'd let it go eventually. But soon after that match, you cause a disqualification in Navi's match with Alaina Sanders. I know it seemed like an accident, but that's one too many coincidences for me. You hit the Amazon in the face with a steel chair.....look, from my perspective, I don't want to put my client in needless danger. From my client's perspective, she wouldn't want you or your friend Florges to screw her out a rematch with foul play that you'll label as an honest mistake. And even as far as wrestling in general goes, I'm sorry to say this but I don't think it's really your thing. You should try to find fulfillment in something else, Melody. Because as it stands right now, you're not a professional in that ring. You're just a girl with some anger issues that found a hobby."

Kat looked at both Melody and Mina with a worried expression. This was all new information to her, and she had genuinely trusted Melody up until this point. Mina went for broke by discussing Melody and her shortcomings. She knew that if nothing else, Navi cared for her friend, and she hoped to push the blonde's buttons by pushing those of her best friend's.

"Honestly, if AFW staff finds that ref beaten and bloodied in a back-alley somewhere, you'd be the very first person I'd suspect."

In the small room that was Melody's kitchen, her heart sunk... No. She wouldn't do something like that, obviously...right? If someone pissed her off that much, she wouldn't have done something like this. She wouldn't even thr...threat...

Then came the memory of kneeing ref in the face and shouting at her during the Avalanche match... was Mina... right...?

Then she criticized her for the chairshot on Alaina Sanders. She didn't know what happened, she apologized...but then...what would've happened if she wasn't in Navi's corner that day...?

"Because as it stands right now, you're not a professional in that ring. You're just a girl with some anger issues that found a hobby."

Melody couldn't say anything, as Mina simply took her cup and drank her tea. She was just looking at Mina with a blank stare, unable to say anything. What would she say? That she is right? She couldn't say she was incorrect, those things happened, and they could be interpreted as such

Navi heard the entire conversation. On the accusation of Melody possibly assaulting someone in the future, Navi wanted to stand up, go to the closet and get the bat to get her "guests" out of her house.

And then she said Melody didn't belong in wrestling.

Slamming the door, she went to the closet, got the bat and entered the kitchen, with murder in her eyes:

"So, that's how it is. I am the bad girl who cheats to win, and the valiant hero appears to stop her. Isn't that how you envisioned challanging me to a rematch, Kat? Is that what you are still thinking now? Don't answer, you fucking bastard."

"And you...great. I am out of original insults.", Navi said, looking at Mina:"Great fucking idea, huh? Getting through my best friend's shortcomings to get to me? Who in the fucking hell are you to say ANYTHING, you heartless wretching piece of SHIT!", she got the bat close to Mina's face

Melody snapped out of it: "NAT! STOP IT!"

Navi glared at the girl she considered a lot more than just her friend. She got the bat away from Mina's face:

"If any of you 2 says anything in the following minute, Kat is not getting her rematch as long as I live. Here are my terms", she looked at Kat: "Because our kitty here would whine and meow under any other circumstance, and because she MATURELY handled this situation without pissing me off...you know what, no, fuck you, Hart and fuck your heartless manager, No-DQ is not enough for me in this case. You came to my house, you embarrassed my friend, so I think I'll happily return the favour by forcing you to admit that I am better than you in a massive crowd of people, by you quitting to me. And for the heartless, yes, an I Quit match...hmm....no. That's not enough. Kat's getting her due in that case, but not the hispanic Ice Queen. WHEN I win, I will get to paint you face with a very high quality RED paint for 5 minutes. And that's more than enough for me to prove my point that you NEVER. Let me repeat that: NEVER! Disrespect me, or Mels and not expect to suffer any consequence"

"You are not to add any other stipulations on your end, if you do, I have a good friend who will happily give me YOUR address, Kat and Mina. Now. Yes. No. Those are the only options I give you., she finally finished her speech.

When Navi slammed the door and made for the kitchen, the wrestler/manager duo had a good idea of what was coming. They both noticed Melody was visibly shaken and likely wouldn't be diffusing this situation. As Navi entered the room with a bat in hand, Katherine placed a hand in front of Diaz's chest. She tried to safeguard her manager from the harm that would likely ensue. Mina, herself seemed to remain calm and relatively unfazed. It was as if she had planned all of what had happened so far.

"?!" Katherine opened her mouth to talk but would be quickly cut off by an enraged Navi that warned both her and her associate not to utter another word. The masked woman would feel forced to comply. She didn't want to deal with something bad possibly happening to Mina. As Navi withdrew the bat from Mina's face, Kat would let out a sigh of relief and Mina would smile. But their expressions would quickly, and in unison, turn into that of concern.

As Nat finished up, Mina would simply give her a nod. Kat would give her a puzzled look, but the Hispanic woman would give her another nod with more reassurance before motioning towards the door. On their way out, Mina would stop before they exited. "I'll have the paperwork sent over to you. After making sure that it's to your liking, sign it, please mail it back, and after that the match will be booked. Good luck to you both. And thanks for having us."

As the two of them continued and made their way out the door, Kat would yell to the two room mates. "Sorry about today, Mels! Thanks for the oreos! And the the hospitality!"

Navi silently nodded to everything Mina said about paperwork. She wanted to scream at the 2 to leave afterwards, but it seemed they realized without any more words that the 2 are not welcome in their house any more.

Just as Kat said her good bye, however, Nat would grab the can of Oreo Minis, as throw it at the wall near the door, several of the tiny cookies scattering and breaking as they fell onto the ground:

"Choke on them..."

As the two of them left, Navi would shout into the hallway outside her flat:

"And if you ever get near my house again, I am calling not  just the cops, I am calling medics to take care of a cat burglar who fell out of a window. GOT THAT?!"

Katherine and Mina had made it out with what they wanted, a rematch. It was a heated confrontation, but ultimately it paid off. Still, that didn't stop the fighting feline from wanting to address what had happened. Kat would stop her manager at the end of the hallway once they made their leave. They could still hear Navi roaring, even from there.

Once Nat's screams finally subsided, Kat would comment. "Man, I have no idea why she's so angry. I think you recommended anger management to the wrong person, there, Mina."

Mina would chuckle in response. "Heheh, I know...." Mina said contemplatively. Her expression became slightly more somber and apologetic. "Look. Kat. Girl. I know you're upset with me for how I treated Melody in there and I know you're gonna tell me I was mean and reckless but -"

"Yeah! That's exactly what you were! I know you're gonna say we got what we came for. And I won't be able to make proper judgements when it comes to Melody until I go over the match recordings, myself. But she was on my side! Or at least it seemed like it...." Kat would finish the last oreo mini that was in her hand. The last one she nabbed from the apartment. "I'm not even all that upset over that stuff. My thing is, what was your back up plan?!"

"Haha! Isn't it obvious?" Mina would say with a confident smile while Kat eyed her with a bewildered expression. "You were! That's how much faith I have in you. I know you'd prefer to fight it out, but if it came down to it and you realized I was in danger, too. You'd get me out first and then look for a way out once you realized you couldn't fully trust Melody."

Kat would only give her a slightly frustrated, blank stare while saying. "Ugh! What am I gonna with you? I guess that's not complete malarchy. Thinking back on it now, if Navi and I did come to blows in there, I'm not sure I could trust Melody not to join in and help her. But still...I want to believe..."

Mina would pat her friend and client on the back before directing the both of them towards the elevator. "There's no time for that now and no use dwelling on it! Come on! We've got a match to train for!" She said in an enthused tone. Kat and Mina silently resolved to pay Navi back for running away with a tainted win, and the two made their leave and went to the ground floor before exiting the building.

Slamming the door shut, Navi would approach Melody sitting at the table.

"Hey...you alright there?"

Still looking away with a blank stare Melody said:

"Y...Yeah...

...

...no, no, actually, I am not alright. Is...is this going to be a thing? People calling me out on being some sort of monster if I lose my temper in the ring? And those people trying to get to you using that?"

"Look, forget everything that fuck said, relax. Even if it does happen, I am more than happy to shut those assholes up, don't worry about it,", Navi said with a smile, but knew that Melody felt awful, both at what happened just now and for Avalanche, having seen the match alone.

"...um, Nat...do you think I..."

"Stop. Is the question in any way synonymous with: "Should I quit wrestling?""

Deciding not to lie, Melody would answer: "...k...kinda..."

"Thought so."

Dropping the bat:

SLAP!

"OOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW! WHAT THE HELL?!", Melody would react to her friend slapping her in the face...very painfully

"I know. I am an asshole. But you can be an utter idiot sometimes. Do not listen, ever, to anyone saying you do not belong in wrestling. I fought you 7 times and lost 4 of them to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you are fucking awesome. A lot of other people know that you are fucking awesome, and you know who I am talking about. This is the thought that you should NEVER have in your head. Especially when you are fighting a former champion in a few days, and guess what? You will beat her. And the week afterwards, you will laugh in that managers fucking face about it. Got that?!"

Remembering about the forthcoming match and reassured by her friend, a spark would return to Melody's eyes. "Yes! Although, seriously, don't slap me like that, this hurts", she said, rubbing her slapped cheek.

"Did the trick though", Navi would smile.

"Alright, I think I'll go to the gym to train for a bit!"

Within 5 minutes, Melody changed into her street clothes and would be at the exit, ready to leave:

"I'll be back by 6. Tell me if I'll need to buy anything on the way back."

"Will do!"

With that, Melody left, and Navi would clean up after the little visit she just had in her flat.