A Manager's Duty...

It had been the third Rhine Kazahana had walked through the entirety of the AFW facilities. It was always smart to familiarize yourself with the building you worked in, learn where all the rooms were, find the proper facilities and scout out the places where people seemed to talk. Around her second time, she knew some of the hot spots for gossip, learning who some of the biggest players around this place were and who could be contacted with what. It was helpful information to have, especially since she was charged with upping her all of her clients image a bit. The locations and information she learned about the company she worked for would prove useful in the future…but that was not what Rhine was currently doing at the moment.

Rhine was searching for someone. Specifically, one of her clients. She had read in the dossier that this woman, who went by the colorful name “Vespa”, thought of herself as an actual wasp woman. As such, she behaved with all the mannerisms and aggression as the insect, going so far as to wear her costume religiously, speaking of a nonexistent queen, and even rumors of her living in the AFW gym, calling it “the hive”.

Needless to say, Rhine needed to confirm all this and address it as fast as she could. The manager was well aware of how lax the standards of employment were in this place, but hiring someone like that? Who seemed mentally ill? Well…Rhine couldn’t support something like that, but upon digging through some of the others that reside in this places roster, and even some of her own clients, thinking one was a wasp was actually a pretty tame issue to deal with.

Still, finding a woman in a gold and black skin-tight costume was surprisingly difficult in this place. An employee had told Rhine that Vespa liked to hang around the gym but there was no sign of her the first two times. The woman in the jade suit had already learned everything she could the first two times around. This third round was the last one, and supposedly the charm.

Rhine stuck out like a sore thumb as she walked into the gym for the third time. Each round around AFW took roughly an hour, so every time she stepped into the gym, she always noticed a fresh set of faces. The smell of sweat and heavy air conditioning wafted through the air. Body heat battled with artificial air, making one side of the room warm, and the other cold. There were a few interesting looking individuals, but none she needed to speak to at the moment.

She glided through the gym goers and machinery with surprising skill, never getting in anyone’s way nor anyone in hers as she searched each and every face that resided in the gym. She was an anomaly, wearing a suit and vest when everyone else was wearing gym wear, observing strangers for only a second before moving on to the next one. The calm smile on her face and silent humming kept everyone at ease. She was looking for someone, that was all. No need for alarm.

“Where, oh where...is little Ms. Wasp?”

Rhine was nearing the end of the room, a little disappointed she couldn’t find her surprisingly illusive client. There were a few faces she recognized via description from others, but no Vespa. She would hardly call it a wasted journey, but she couldn’t help but feel a little-

The Jade eyes crossed over someone peculiar…a spark of recognition flickering for just a moment.

There was a woman all alone, practically in a corner as her own little world. It seemed no one was around her, and the reasons why were plain to see. She had bandages all over her body. Arms, face, even a leg from what Rhine could spy. The woman looked like she had just gotten out of a car wreck…and yet here she was, pushing through a training regimen like she was unharmed. It was impressive, in a scary kind of way.

Rhine knew of this girl. She had a rather violent history with one of her clients, where both had done some rather cruel and violent things to one another, though from what she understood the blame rested more so on her client then Cicilia. It was another issue Rhine knew she needed to deal with, both professionally and personally. The entire situation had was like an open wound, one she needed to clean up and take care of as best as she could.

Kazahana found a nice corner to lean against, a place where she could watch the boxer, but not in a way that was blatantly obvious. She would wait until Cicilia was finished with her work out. She doubted it would be easy to interact with the girl, and annoying her was a great way to start off on the wrong foot. Rhein would have to be careful, but genuine. The conversation she was about to have would be tough, but what she had to say needed to be said.

Cicilia... was in pain. She had been for days. While the German downplayed the damages she had sustained for her girlfriend's sake, the moments she were alone were ones she spent moaning and groaning, writing and growling in the agony she had found herself in... It was her fault, she knew that... She blamed nothing but her own weakness for how screwed her fight with Juno had gone, how the blue-haired nurse had managed to rip that victory between them in half... into a now-contest... She had spent her days in bed glowering over the results, frustrated... and afraid that she hadn't been strong enough to stomp this woman...

...It meant she had shown a sign of weakness....

....And that meant her lover was in danger again!

the MOMENT she could move fluidly (but not painlessly), the Juggernaut disappeared back to her cave that was the Gym, hiding away all the anxieties and angers within a pool of burning pain and determination... She could not... WOULD not let that result happen again.... While she still had two intact hands and legs, that nurse would NEVER get that close to a victory... and harm her precious girlfriend...

...Sayumi was all she could think about as she pounded the punching back, her attacks far slower and weaker with her damaged, bandaged body... She probably hated it every time Cicilia came home like this, busted up to the point she might as well be put in the hospital... Until Recently, the German had never seen their trashcans so filled with gauz and bandages... In fact, she cracked a joke about it, trying to lighten the mood when she was changing one of hers...

...She wasn't sure if her partner saw it as funny or not...

Even though the German knew her duty (KNEW IT) as a protector... she couldn't help but feel that she was hurting Sayumi... She knew how devastated she would be if Sayumi walked into their apartment bruised and cut up... how much anxiety and borderline horror that would rock her as she watched the most pure and beautiful woman ON EARTH gasp out and cry for help... It would be a nightmare she would never forget... or forgive...

...Is that what she's feeling?

"Damn it..." She cursed, slamming her fist HARD into the bag... sending a VOLT up pain up her wounded shoulder-joint! "DAMN IT! The hell do I do!?" She spoke to herself and only herself, her voice harsh and angry but quiet... she... she didn't know what she was supposed to do... Sayumi asked for her trust... but was it just that simple...? What if something happened...? What if Juno healed faster than she did and she was already plotting to hurt them...? What if...

What if...

Cicilia gasped and heaved as she stared at the only partially battered bag before her, easily a D- in terms of training she managed to get out of it... Her body just wasn't strong enough yet to do any meaninful damage... and that meant she was just punching for... what...? Karma? Catharsis? Kartharsis? She deserved punishment... for everything she put Sayumi through trying to save her... for not trusting her enough to just... leave her life to her... She just... Cicilia just didn't know how to let this stuff go...

As she glared in disatisfaction at the bag before her, she sensed that eyes were upon her... resting more lightly upon her back than those of some crazy fucking NURSE! Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted a woman not seen before by the boxer... and yet, she watched her with purpose... as if she were waiting for something... At least that look in her eyes... it had some modicum of sanity.... enough to not INSTANTLY raise the German's heartrate.

"What're.... What're you looking.... at...?" She heaved between breaths, wincing with the movement as her muscles burned her from within. "...Th... this isn't.... a model-show...."

It would be a few minutes before the boxer slowed down her workout enough to notice the pair of eyes staring at her back. The woman who leaned against the corner spent the whole time subtly observing Cicilia, looking at her with a trained eye that might catch what few others would. Rhine had been a private investigator, once upon a time. Finding clues and small details was once her job and it proved to be a skill that helped in her new career as well. A few minutes was all Rhine needed to get a decent grasp on the type of person Cicilia was. The way the boxer winced when her fist impacted against the sandbag or even moved let Rhine know that the boxer still had not fully recovered from her last match, and yet the fact she was still training with injuries of such a degree gave off the impression that the boxer was a rather proud person. She hated showing weakness, and likely had pride in her skills. A person in such a state like Cicilia, damaged and weak, would doubtlessly be frustrated at herself.

Something else was bothering Rhine. Cicilia was trying to train and build herself back up, but she had yet to recover from her wounds. Perhaps the bifocal wearing woman was pushing her deductive skills a bit far, but Cicilia’s actions seemed strange. Rhine assumed that she was trying to build up strength for some sort of rematch, or revenge plan…but why would she do it when she was not well?

Training too soon and too hard right after an injury is likely to only make the injury worse. Forcing the body to build itself up when it is already trying to heal could be exhausting and make someone sick. It would have been much better if she rested more and trained lighter in the long run. Cicilia hardly seemed stupid, but even if she was the AFW medics and doctors that surely looked her over would have told her as much. So why was she doing it?

The answer came the exact moment Rhine and Cicilia locked eyes. Rhine recognized that underlying feeling that hid deep within the ruby orbs of the boxer. Rhine had seen it hundreds of times throughout the years, on ever type of face. Fear hid underneath those fiery eyes, and explained why she was so desperate to get stronger.

Why was Cicilia afraid? Well, Rhine was pretty sure she knew the answer already.

Rhine was snapped out of her observatory trance when the boxer started talking to her. The poor girl sounded tired, and still winced in pain even after she stopped hitting the bag. Cicilia was on her guard, and the suited woman knew how careful she had to be with this.

“I sure hope not. I’d hate for “pain and suffering” to be the new In this season.” The woman said with a genuinely warm smile and upbeat tone. She pushed off the wall and approached Cicilia casually, walking a bit slower then her usual stride while keeping a soft but neutral smile on her face.

“Cicilia, right? My name is Rhine Kazahana, I’m a manager for AFW.”

Rhine extended her hand for a courteous handshake, but wouldn’t take offense if Cicilia denied it. She offered her hand more so out of courtesy, not expecting a woman who seemed to be in pain to shake her hand. The woman in the jade suit made sure to maintain an arm’s length between them so she didn’t crowd the wounded woman.

“You were really into your workout, and I didn’t want to interrupt anything. I was hoping I could get a chance to talk with you, if you don’t mind?”

Almost on cue, some guy in the gym yelled as he lifted up an 80-pound barbell and let it crash to the floor. The entire ordeal echoed through, with a couple of the mans buddies congratulating him and slipping more weight on it.

“Maybe somewhere else? I noticed a cute little café across from the sparring ring room. If your interested, would you mind meeting me there?”

Rhine wasn’t a cruel woman, she didn’t have some devilish plan to force the boxer along. Rhine tried to insure she seemed approachable and reasonable, and though her request probably was not too farfetched, Rhein had heard of the horrible things her client had done to Cicilia. After all the stunts that had been pulled on her, trust issues with random strangers would be completely justified. Still…her request gave Cicilia time to think, to shower off her sweat and dress in a manner that didn’t make her feel vulnerable. All of it was an attempt to make Cicilia at ease towards the woman in a green suit with glasses.

Surely the woman in green thought of her little jab as a joke but the German was not laughing. Why was it... every time she came to this place... someone had to come up and say something? Was she just that much of an attraction that she had to catch someone's eye...? Didn't people come here to fight, anyway? What was a woman in a suit doing in a place like this?

...Oh! And would you look at that! She knew Cicilia's name! The Juggernaut's suspicion instantly jumped... as if her own name being spoken were something she had taken to mean "Danger." When someone invoked it, what followed was a battle for either the boxer's well-being... or for someone else's... T'was almost like a war-horn blown to signal the commencement of battle... and hearing another stranger use it... Did not help soothe such feelings.

...But what she introduced herself as... that was different. It was uppity women (and sometimes men) who approached Cicilia, looking for some kind of glorious fight to brag to their friends over but.... Managers? Didn't they keep to their nice and clean offices, suffeling papers for the AFW? What was one doing out of her cubicle? Introducing herself as Rhine Kazahana, the suit approached the Juggernaut as if she were some kind of wounded predator, slowly extending her hand out like it were some kind of peace offering!

"Hmph." She grunted, glancing down at the hand offered... then back up at the woman, neither taking it... nor rejecting it outright. Cicilia had learned not to trust people who just... came out of nowhere and tried to be nice. Enough later punches to the face and stomach kind of imprinted that lesson all over her body. So, she wanted in silence, waiting for the meaning of her presence here... but such an explanation wouldn't be received in this place.

Seemingly off-put by the local tribe of dude-bros celebrating their hollow victories, Rhine requested that they move somewhere quieter to "talk"... a coffee-shop across the street for example... Cicilia's frown deepened at the invocation of that shop... the place Margaux had used to set up a series of events that lead to the German's first near-death experience. Memories were already flooding back, threatening to haunt her more vividly than ever...

"...Say it ....here, if you ...actually have something to ...say." The German said flatly. She wasn't going anywhere with some woman... not until she knew more, anyway. She didn't know her intentions or if that name actually was even hers. Trust was a beautiful, but fragile thing... and hers was only being held together by packing tape. If Rhine really wanted to talk... she would have to prove her intent.

The woman in green let her hand hang in the air for a few more seconds before sliding it in her pocket as if Cicilia had shaken it. The fact the boxer acknowledged her hand was probably the best Rhein was going to get, and she could accept that. She wasn’t trying to make Cicilia feel dangerous or pitiful. Rhein simply wanted to ensure that she had a strong opening that would set the stage for Cicilia to hear her out. She hadn’t been told to leave yet, so she was probably on the right track.

Cicilia had a negative reaction to the coffee shop idea. It wasn’t verbal of course, but whether she noticed it or not, Rhein noticed her jaw clench tighter than it already was, and her pupils dilated slightly. Her body language screamed “uncomfortable”, the boxer probably thinking about some event that happened that Rhein was not aware of. Cicilia wouldn’t budge. If she wanted to talk, Rhein would have to convince her to listen…not an unreasonable request.

The suite woman’s smile faded a bit, feigning surprise at the rejection of her offer. The smile quickly returned, as if to nonverbally accepting Cicilia’s command while subtly implying there was no ill intent with Rhein’s invitation.

“Well, as I said, I’m a manager here at the AFW…kind of.That’s my job title, but I’m closer to an outside consultant on a few of the competitors here in the league. I’m in charge of reshaping or adjusting a couple of the “problem children” in this group so that they can be marketable in the future…but with some of the people they got running around here I doubt that is going to be easy.”

Rhein tone spoke with authority, but with a gentle aura mixed in. She almost spoke the same way one would address an old friend, creating a sense of familiarity between her and who she was speaking to while also implying a relaxed atmosphere. Her choice of approach would have worked better in a small restaurant like the coffee shop, as the soft seats and the warm smells would help the atmosphere a bit. Rhein often used this tactic to calm down more frantic or scared clients who passed through her doors in her old life. She had a knack for making people feel secure in her office when she wanted them to, and could get the most high-strung client to tell her what they needed help with.

Admittedly, Rhein was not sure how effective it would be in a gym that smelled of sweat and had loud noises ring out through the entirety of it, but Cicilia had planted her roots. The woman would just have to try her best. Cicilia was a fighter, and fighters often felt most comfortable in a battlefield or ring. Considering there was a sparring ring only five feet away, that was a pretty literal “comfort zone” they were standing next to.

Perhaps Cicilia is more comfortable knowing she can throw a punch if she needs to, even if she has no intention…

“I came to personally apologize to you for one of my clients…disturbing actions against you.” The tone of Rhein’s voiced dipped, genuinely disgusted by what she knew of her client and Cicilia’s relationship.

“I’m…sure you two know one another. I manage a Ms. Sawyer. Juno Sawyer?”

Cicilia crossed her arms (painfully) over her chest as the woman recounted her role in more detail when it came to the AFW, that she was in tune more with the "problem-children" of the roster, responsible for making them easier to hire... Oh boy, the German could see where this was going. In fact, she very well might've been psychic with how clearly she envisioned this conversation going:

It started with her role which would provide context with for the topic to come, easing into a recount of all the bouts of anger Cicilia had let slip on camera across various matches. The fight with Margaux, the battle against those vlogger girls, the brutal beat-down of GASTER... Each and every one of these and more would be laid out before the Juggernaut as if they were her sins, as if Rhein were God herself, laying out all the reasons why Cicilia would NOT get into heaven.

It would continue with an offer, some twisted side left expertly hidden before rising now to the surface, offering the Juggernaut a spot on her team as the big bruiser among them, stating that money was no object, how she wouldn't be judged for her anger, traditional villainous means of persuasion... Likely, once Cicilia spat on and ground this offer beneath her heel, the woman would only grin... letting her band of freaks know from whatever shadows within which they hid that NOW was the time to strike. in this weakened state of-

Cicilia's eyes shot wide as Rhine instead offered an apology for one of her clients, a certain woman Cicilia knew... Not well (not that she wanted to know her well), but she knew her...

"J-Juno!?"She growled, the mere name forcing lines of anger to dig in across the German's brow... She knew she shouldn't be angry (yet) at this woman... she who (apparently) sought out the boxer in good faith... But hearing that name uttered... it did nothing more that tug at a knot of nerves in the German's heart, a plucking of strings she couldn't help but feel enraged over!... Still... She did apologize.... As unexpected as it was, the gesture was... appreciated.

"Well... Uh... Thanks, I guess. She didn't... send you here... herself, did she?" The German concluded, glancing off to the side, staring at the nothing that lingered there. "...I won't forgive her, you know."

“I never said you should.”

Rhine simply stood there quietly for a moment. Cicilia had been worked up by the simple drop of Juno’s name, and while Rhine did not care of Cicilia took her anger out on her, the green suited woman still had a bit more to say, and preferred speaking to someone in a more calmed state of mind. As soon as the boxer seemed ready, Rhine reached into her vest pocket and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper.

“She certainly won’t forgive you…whatever you did. She set her sights on you and for some reason she just keeps following you around. She is determined to crew up your life anyway she can get away with.” Rhien unfolded the entire paper, straightening it out so it was straight and legible before turning it around for Cicilia to see. The format would doubtlessly be familiar…as the paper was a “match request” form.

“I got this a day or two ago. Juno recently requested a hardcore, anything goes match against a girl named Sayumi Arai…I don’t really know her to be perfectly honest. Juno had never been in a hardcore match before, so I dug into her a bit to make sure Juno wasn’t trying to fight some monster or anything. I didn’t find much in her match history…at least, not until I came across one of her matches at the beach.”

Rhein spoke pretty matter-of-factly, only listing what she found and presenting what she learned from the evidence the same way she had done so often before. There was no judgment in her words or tone, not even body language.

“I assume Ms. Arai is your lover? That was the only reason I could think of why Juno would want to put her into the equivalent of a gladiator arena.”

Rhine let Cicilia read the letter in full, all of the twisted remarks and odd reasonings as to why the Nurse wanted to battle Sayumi and why she had chosen the match type. All of it clearly fabricated. The Nurse just wanted to try and hurt her as bad as she could.

“Naturally, I denied it. I said she still needed to recover for at least a few more weeks before even considering a fight like that, but I’ll make sure that this match won’t come to fruition so easily. Unless someone higher up steps in, this fight won’t happen. I only bring it up to let you know she has already targeted someone you care about.”

Rhein paused for a moment, taking a piece of cloth out of her pocket. She pulled off her glasses from the bridge of her nose and began wiping away at one of the lenses. For the first time, Rhine seemed a bit hesitant, wondering silently to herself if she should bring up her next topic…it could be really important to the boxer’s safety, or a bad joke.

“I don’t want to sound scary or raise any alarms…But if I can ask, Cicilia… What is your home security like? Do you have camera’s inside your home, or an alarm? Things like that?”

The eyes that watched Cicilia behind the glasses were as hard as the gem they resembled. Rhein was serious about those questions, and though some might try to take advantage of such information, and she would understand if Cicilia denied her the info, she still had to ask…Because Juno was making another tape…but this one seemed…different. In what way, the manager wasn’t sure, but Cicilia’s answer may just help her solve it.

"I kicked her ass twice. That's what I did." Cicilia informed her flatly, her expression hardening again. "Once for mangling some poor girl in the ring who was trying to tap out, the other because she was dumb enough to fight me in an official match." The Juggernaut failed to mention how she was very nearly defeated just then in their most recent match, making it sound as if each and every victory had been a walk in the park. Compared to the mangling Cicilia had been through in her life...? It might as well have been, but that didn't mean she got away clean... Some parks didn't enjoy you walking all over them when they think they're all that.

Rhine withdrew a piece of paper, unfolding and flipping it over for the Juggernaut to observe. Immediately, the German recognized the formatting and printing as an official document, remembering the layout from her contract (that she had made a habit of constantly looking over and understanding) as well as that one, simple letter Margaux had sneaked into her locker...

Before Rhine could give the gist of the paper, the boxer had already scanned the sheet, looking for key-words she'd recognize... and she found four: Sayumi Arai.... Juno Sawyer. Cicilia's first reaction was HORROR! Her worst nightmare had finally come about! Even Margaux hadn't made any direct jabs at Sayumi (yet) and here Juno was... putting the girl she loved in an effective DEATH MATCH... But once that surge of fear was gone... all that was left was a burning landscape, the boxer's eyes darkening as their interior LIT UP with outrage! Her whole body seemed to tighten up as if forming a straight-jacket of muscle, some interior system keeping her restrained lest she do something Juno would regret all the way into the afterlife!

"...She's my girlfriend." The boxer confirmed, the words sharp on her tongue. Before Cicilia could kindly, yet impulsively request Rhine to relay some threats on Juno's life for even DARING to try and set up this fight, Rhine spoke first, remarking how she quickly and effectively shut down the fight before it even started.

...This got Cicilia's attention, snapping her out of her building rage.

"...You what...?" She asked, shocked. Rhine had done her research for sure... but she had always assumed Managers looked out for their clients more than their rivals! Effectively, this woman was taking on the mantle of Gate-Keeper when it came to Juno, blocking official matches... at least until someone more powerful forced those gates open again...

...And there yet remained one other problem... ONE GLARING ISSUE that couldn't be rectified with a simple "DENIED" stamped on a match-request form: Juno was fucking nuts... and Rhine said as much without stating the words...

"How's my security...? Are you saying she'll try to break IN!?" The boxer exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear at the possibility. "Look, I don't just keep security tech lying about the house. I can't afford it. Sayumi and I are barely making enough to live a comfortable life. If I just... you know... set up a damn camera somewhere... What's she going to think? I don't want Sayumi feeling unsafe in her own home... I got a lock and a latch on my door. That's it."

Rhein hardly reacted to most of Cicilia’s comments. Cicilia seemed proud of thrashing Juno those first two times and it was probably justified, but Rhein held her tongue. She considered herself a neutral member of the two women’s feud, someone who was forced to deal with it due to circumstances. Rhein knew her client was a cruel, sadistic, egotistical know it all who thought she walked a path higher than those around her. Irritating, sure…but not something Rhein would let get in the way of her job. The woman in green felt the same way about Cicilia. The boxer seemed to have moments of violent aggression and a propensity to lash out, but she seemed to mean well more times than not. Rhein did notice she hadn’t mentioned the third match that had occurred not long ago. Rhein was painfully aware of what happened after looking into Juno’s injuries.

She was her manager. Rhein would always look into what happened with her clients. It didn’t matter if they were cold, hateful, or just emotional. Rhein did her job well, and that’s why she was paid the wage she deserved.

The suited woman stood silently as Cicilia processed her question and churned out a few of her own. The green haired woman actually took it as a good sign that Cicilia was willing to tell her about her security system…or the lack thereof. There was always the chance of her lying, but Rhein had no intention of breaking into her home or giving any information from this meeting away. Rhein didn’t take other peoples trust lightly. Trust built relationships, and Rhein had learned long ago relationships were always an invaluable safety net.

Rhein folded up the piece of paper that held the match request just as neatly as before and places in back in her pocket along with her glasses cleaning cloth. What returned was a cellphone, which she began to flip through, her eyes moving along with the screen as she seemed to be swiping through a picture album.

“Like I said, I’m not trying to scare you, and there is no guarantee that Juno has done anything like that yet. I know she does have a habit of using actors and surrealism in her videos…but,” Rhein’s eyes finally settled on an image, the one she had been searching for, “I would like if you could confirm if this is an actress or not.”

Rhein held out her phone so Cicilia could see the image clearly. It was actually not an image, but a short video. It was only a few seconds long, and little could be inferred of the surrounding area. All that was in focus was a woman sobbing…a woman with red eyes and black hair, all alone…

A woman with Scars…:

“This clip was being used in Juno’s new video…probably for Sayumi. If it’s an actress, then I can handle it…but if it is you, well then someone was already in your home, Cicilia. That’s something I think we should discuss.”

Rhein would wait for the German to get a good look at the video and give her answer before taking the phone back and placing it in her pocket. Her face was neutral, but not dispassionate. There was an underlying sense of worry hiding underneath that face, and she seemed to hope her hunch was wrong. Her job would be so much simpler if it was, after all…

"There's no way she got into my room." Cicilia asserted, refusing to accept the possibility, no matter how minute! "We live on one of the upper floors and the door is always locked when we leave! She couldn't have gotten inside unless she scaled the place!" Rhein assured her that this information wasn't meant to scare her (like her intentions mattered at this point)... but then, she found a certain picture, a teaser of what Juno's next perverted motion picture would be! Holding out her phone to the Juggernaut... revealing a sobbing face that... surprisingly replicated that of the German's... Similar jaw, almost perfect eye-color and scar-placement...

"...That can't be me." Cicilia concluded. "She never got into my damn room to take that video. She must be using someone as an actor or whatever." Only just now did it come to the boxer's mind that this woman had gotten her hands on one of Juno's exclusive pics, most likely something she'd keep under wraps until it was ready. Juno didn't strike her as the kind of person who would freely and happily share pieces of her nefarious plots to her manager... especially when it wasn't complete yet...

"...How did you get this? Have you been stalking her?" The boxer inquired, her sanguine eyes narrowing slightly. Unless the two of them were in on it together, Rhein would have to have taken a copy for herself... just to share with Cicilia. Either she truly cared about the boxer and her well-being (Which was unlikely... but possible)... Or this was some kind of trick. The latter had turned out to be true more often that it has not. Whatever the reason, there was no way in hell either she or Sayumi would see the finished product... She wouldn't let her lover ever feel that kind of fear... anticipation.

"...And why do you care what happens to me and my girlfriend?" Cicilia asked, bringing the conversation back to the suspicion behind it all. "Doesn't this put you in danger too with your job, somehow or something?"