The Bad News

Her mind was reeling. Searching for any route she could take or card she could possibly pull to undo the damage Valerie was threatening to do. Looking across the table and seeing the blond staring back she was struck with grim realization that there was no real winning her. To lie now would have both girls punished later. To fight back would seal their face. She had to convince her to give them time to hear them out. Was that her only move? God… what had she said moments ago to insult this woman? How brazen had she been? How was she going to undo all of that now?

"Please… just... we can talk about this. All of us, like adults. I'm sure if we just get her here, the both of us can change your mind." The desperation was pouring from Belle as she floundered, grasping at straws.

"Valerie I swear to you… this isn't a game, I love her, I love your sister. I would never do anything to hurt her… please please please, don't make me choose between how I am going to lose her. That's just… it's so cruel." The brunette was starting to choke up now, a faint rasp in her voice and the faintest glimmer in her eyes almost as if tears were starting to form. Did she really have to do this, make this call and break Tatiana's heart just to preserve her career here?

"There has to be something else, anything else… what can I do for you? Please, there has to be something. Just give us a chance, to talk to you, convince you, that you have this all wrong. I can't do what you are asking, it will break her heart… it doesn't matter the excuse I will give. She's not just let this go… I know her…" Belle reached out, trying to grasp hold on Valerie's hand to grip the woman, as if contact would somehow keep the two of them grounded here in this moment and prevent the worst outcome from rearing its head. Her voice briefly trailed off, murmuring something about how Tatiana had climbed a building for her…?

"She will find out what happened. It's going to ruin your relationship with her too if you do this… break her heart all over again. You mean the world to her but… but so do I. There has to be another way, some common ground, anything. I will do anything to convince you this is real, this is right… just give me the chance."

”’Like adults’.” Valerie repeated Belle’s words like a curse, practically spitting them from her mouth. The nerve of this woman, to think she could simply explain all this away, after all the deception, all the lies, after poisoning Tatiana in secret. She was an emotional one, and Valerie would be lying if she said a small part of her didn’t go out to the woman, seeing the genuine emotion in her voice, the raw passion in her face. She had little doubt now that at least some of this was real, and not all the terrible mess it seemed to be.

But she hardened her heart to it and stayed solemn. The right way wasn’t always the easy way. ”Cruel?” Her eyes flickered at that word. ”’Cruel’ would be letting my sister go down this road, knowing where it will end up. ‘Cruel’ would be letting Kaylee use her as a puppet to get back at me for whatever insane thing she thinks I’ve wronged her.” She shook her head and thumped her chest, making a solid thump that echoed around their little corner of the restaurant. ”This is mercy, the best thing for her.”

When Belle reached across the table, Valerie followed through with her reflexive response, slapping the hands away, disgusted by the mere gesture. ”Enough!”

Her outburst drew more attention than she wanted, but at this point, she couldn’t be made to care. It was doubtful the patrons understood English, anyway, and it wasn’t as if she had anything to hide. In all honesty, being in this restaurant alone was setting her off. She’d chosen it because she thought it was fitting, given the stunt Party Hard had pulled on her all those months ago, but the longer she was here, the more that incident simmered in her mind, the more it incensed here and gave fuel to the flames that were burning hot enough by themselves. ”I’m sure she will be mad, I don’t doubt that for a second. But time will pass, she’ll see that I was right, and she will get over it. She will get over you. What we have is not going to be broken.”

Valerie pushed off the edge of the table, finally standing up. She was done sitting down and talking ‘like adults’, growing weary of Belle’s presence, though she did have a couple of things to leave the brunette with. ”I’ve said what I have to say, and I won’t say it again.” She started to walk past Belle, making a single, confident stride and pausing when she was right behind the woman, looking down on her. “Leave. Tatiana. Alone.”

The backhanded slap came out of nowhere, so sudden that it surprised Valerie despite it coming from her own arm. It was like a reflex. All at once, she looked down at this woman, the Jezebel who’d seduced her sister, who’d thrown their lives into such turmoil and put her in this position, and a sudden swelling rage came over her. In that moment, she had release it. Had to hit something. With Belle’s face so close, it was the only target.

Valerie did not regret it.

This was Belle at one of her lowest points, broken down past her cool indifference or her impressive might. Valerie had stabbed in the heart with that which meant everything to her these days and it left the brunette more crippled than any masked hoodlums with pipes could have. She stared on with despondent eyes pleading in an attempt to find some measure of common ground or shred of sympathy to negotiate from but the more she spoke, the worse the blond across from her seemed to take it. Belle might as well have been feeding gasoline to a wildfire.

She jumped a bit as the table was slapped. It shook with the rattle of silverware and the violent flicker of the candlelight between them. The ambiance of distant side conversations that made the room quietly rumble before all of them suddenly stopped to look towards the commotion. The room itself was deathly silence, adding more commanding power to every word Valerie growled out.

Belle gripped the table and the back of her chair, trying to rise when Valerie did but having trouble as she dragged her bum leg. She had wanted to step in the blonds way, one last shot to talk some sense into her, but she was far too slow to react and Valerie was able to brush by her. Then the woman stopped to look back to her, leaving Belle in a partly suspended position, frozen like a deer in headlights left staring up at the blonde.

Belle let out a pathetic little yelp as Valerie cracked her across the face, snapping her head to the side. The brunette was caught so off guard by the sudden strike her hand slipped off the back of her chair causing an awkward sudden tilt in her body she wasn't prepared to correct. She started fall to the side, bumped the chair over, and in an attempt to save herself reached out for the closest thing and trapped for it. Unfortunately that was her crutches, which would knocked over in the scramble leaving her to call to the floor among toppling wood and aluminum.

She came down on her knees, blurting out a cry of pain as her injury shot a white hot bolt of pain up her leg. Her eyes squinted, trying to will them to remain open through the sudden biting pain that almost seemed to take her breath away. It was then a testament to her resolve then, when she reached out, trying to grab Valerie by the leg, trying to keep the other woman from leaving. It seemed to be the only thing she could think to do even despite the fact this was now most certainly unrecoverable, assuming it ever had been to begin with. "Please...don't do this... I need her."

Valerie would not lie - not to herself, at least. There was a supreme sense of satisfaction in all of this, in finally having the upper hand over Party Hard. It seemed that the infuriating pair had been nipping at her heels ever since they came to this league and tried to establish themselves, an ever-present pain that they continually had to contend with, even outside the ring. There was that little stunt that they pulled at this restaurant, a sore spot that she would not soon forget, but even beyond that, they had to contend with all the little taunts from the crowd, the constant harassment, the memes, the GIFs. It seemed like everywhere Valerie turned, the two teams were linked, and this trouble with her sister was the final nail in the coffin, the push too far. They thought they could divide them, set them apart, but they were wrong.

Now, the situation was hers again. Now, she and Tatiana could clear things and move forward like they were supposed to - together. One team. One mission.

She would’ve been content to walk out after delivering those blows - both physical and mental, but Belle’s response was enough to even make her slow down, as the woman made a huge commotion behind her.  ”What, what are you-“

What she saw when she spun about was the last thing she ever expected to see from this woman. She thought that Belle might try to attack her from behind, perhaps try to strike her with one of those crutches. She was ready for that, would have been able to avoid it with ease, and to be honest? She would have welcomed it. Fighting this woman again was something she was hungry for, a pleasure she richly deserved, and she would have no qualms about whipping her around this restaurant. Fitting.

Instead, the woman grabbed her leg like a begger, holding onto her leg with pleading eyes and words. It was enough to draw the attention of the few patrons in this restaurant, and Valerie looked about with a curled lip, honestly not sure what to make of it all.

”Need?” She said the word as if Belle had spoken it in a language she didn’t understand, processing the outburst. She did stop, however, taking a moment to look down at the woman, her eyes narrowing as a dozen thoughts raced through her mind. One of them in particular struck her, though. A curiosity. A silly idea.

”You’ll do anything.” She crouched down, just enough to enough to get in Belle’s face but stay looming over her, and brushed the hairs out of her face. ”A match. Have a match with me, beat me, and I’ll let you have Tatiana. I’ll drop it all. But when I win,” She thumped her chest. ”You never come near my sister again. Better still, you leave the AFW, you leave Japan, you go back to America where you belong and we all go about our business the was way we were supposed to. Square one.”

It was an unusual proposal, she wouldn’t deny it, but she was curious to see the woman’s response, if she even took it seriously. She was clearly in no shape to compete, would certainly lose such a match if it even happened. Maybe she had some resolve, but Valerie was willing to wager it would dissipate once she met with reality.

Belle had never been the brains behind much of the decision making in her life. At the start of her acting days it had been her parents. When "Coming Together" turned out to be a ratings buster and was renewed and set to be syndicated, it was her management team. When the curtain finally closed on the show, it had been Kaylee who had rocketed their child acting careers into social media success. Even her own perfume brands were overseen by other people, she just developed the occasional fragrances and had  her name slapped on everything. She didn't really want the responsibility that came with choice, as most all of hers throughout the years had led to messy breakups, holding cells at the local sheriff's department for drunken brawls, or an extreme lack of refrain when it came to taking care of her general well being with her stunt videos. It could have easily been argued she had a death wish… she may have.

Tatiana changed at that. The redhead had reminded her of all the good that she had been a part of, be it from the old show or after the fact as a Vlogger. The girl helped to build her back up and drop those defensive barriers she had constructed over years of heartbreak and suffering in silence… she made her feel like a human again, like life was actually worth living. Had anyone gone back through her upload history, they would have found a drastic change in the amount of physical stunts on her channel as she tried new things that put her at less risk, because she had a reason to care again. She never admitted it, never wanting to burden with how life-changing her relationship with Tatiana had become. She wanted to protect the girl in ways Valerie never did, by letting her grow, but in a safe, positive environment.

Her hands fell away from Valerie, leaving her on his hands and knees, staring at the stained hardwood floor. Her guys were churning feeling sick to her stomach at the ultimatum. They had been so safe and happy hidden away in secret, it was only now that they had dates to peek their heads out and be honest that everything had gone to shit. She wanted that back. It was worth the time apart knowing that the next visit was around the corner when faced with coming away with nothing. If she agreed to this, what would she do it she lost? Her AFW career gone, her partnership splintered, her girlfriend spirited away… would she return home only to sink into a bleak, lonely reality?

"I'll fight you."

It was little more than a shaky whisper, easily mistaken as a shuddered exhale. Her shoulders shook as her fingers curled up into fists, white knuckled straining to support her weight. She lifted her head, a few of the odd strands of hair the blond had tucked back drifted back into her face as she stared up to Valerie with a cold hardness in her eyes that had been absent before.

This was do or die…

"When this is over you will be lucky if Tatiana will even look at you again when she finds out about all of this. You… fucking… cunt. There isn't a thing you can do to me in that ring that is worse than losing her… So. Try. Me." Belle leaned back, rising enough to remain on only one knee now, trying to keep weight off the bad one. Reaching back, she held onto the lip of the table, using that to stabilize her slight sideways lean.

”I’ll fight you.”

That had not been quite the response Valerie was expecting out of this woman. It seemed like such a silly notion on the face of it, she almost expected her to balk at the mere idea. She had seen enough of Tatiana in action to know that she could handle her on the best of her days. She was strong, yes, but speed was firmly in her favor, and she was confident in her technical abilities to wear her down with ease. But with this injury? With a leg that was begging to be targeted? Not even a challenge.

When she accepted the match, Valerie almost thought she misheard, that she’d spoken incorrectly, but no, she said the words. Knowing what it would mean, what would happen to her in that ring, she was still game for it.

Remarkable. Remarkably stupid.

She didn’t say anything, not at first, instead leaning in and meeting her eye to eye, staring into those pale blue pools, as if searching for some sign of weakness and expecting this woman to waver. She didn’t. Not at all. She would give Belle credit for that much. A brave woman, she had no doubt she would meet her in the ring, crippled as she was, knowing it could mean the end of her career in multiple ways.

But respecting that wouldn’t stop Valerie from crushing it. If anything, she relished int he opportunity to reap as much revenge as she could from this woman, to ruin her in front of Tatiana and the whole world. She couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity.

”Идиот.” She gave Belle a quick shove in the face before she stood up and began to walk away, looking over her shoulder as she departed. ”We will see.”

Belle stared up at Valerie with a burning defiance, looking very much like she felt as a woman with nothing to lose. If she hadn't choose to fight she would be losing Tatiana without so much as trying. She couldn't have that, wouldn't stand for being bullied into surrendering her happiness. Hell or high water, she was going to beat this woman… she didn't know how, nor did her primal mind in this situation really care to consider. She just wanted blood.

The brunette was shoved to the side, dropping down onto her forearms, making for an easy target to push about as she was. Lifting her head, she glared through a few brown locks, stabbing at Valerie's back with venomous daggers with her eyes. Had the woman just walked away, that would have been enough, but the second the blond glanced back at her something snapped.

Belle pushed herself up, grabbing hold of her chair. It screeched as she dragged it round in front of her, taking aim and the departing woman. With a hard shove she threw all her weight into the chair, falling forward onto her palms as the seat went stirring loudly across the floor, trying to follow right into Valerie from behind.

Nearby, the manager of this auspicious, quiet restaurant, Toshi Yamaguchi, breathed a sigh of relief as he peeked out from behind the curtain. He’d been wary of Valerie the moment she stepped in with that scowl on her face, knowing all too well what this sort of thing could lead to with her the last time she visited. Even before that incident, he’d heard horror stories about wrestlers starting fights and causing all sort of property damage. The AFW was good about paying for those damages, but it wasn’t the sort of attention he wanted his restaurant getting. It was a small place. A quiet place. A place for people to go after a hard day’s work, not be involved in some crazy brawl.

The warning signs were there. The tense looked. The whispered threats. He couldn’t make out what Valerie and her companion were talking about, his grasp of English rudimentary at best, but the body language spoke volumes. They were on the edge of a fight.

But when Valerie turned away and started to walk off, it looked like things would take a more peaceful route, and he started to breathe a sigh of relief.

Started to. He only got about half of it out before the brunette brought the violence.

”What-” Valerie turned about just in time to get slammed by the oncoming chair, driven back and sandwiched between it and table with half-eaten food on it, left there because the waitress had been steering clear of the area while they argued. A stream of guttural Russian curses flew from her lips as she reached out over the chair, trying to grab Belle’s hair with one hair with one hand and pummel the side of her face.

Cracking Valerie from behind which the chair had gotten a smile from Belle. In the waking nightmare this encounter had become, there was something satisfying about hearing the blond spewed out a frustrated torrent of Russian in response to being hit. It faded fathered quickly though when the woman reached over the chair with her long arms and staked a claim on a handful of her hair. Yanked forward and off balance, already in an awkward position knelt on the floor she was made an easy target for the rain of fists that battered her face.

Valerie had managed to land several hard strikes dead on before the brunette even had a chance to raise an arm in defense. Hair jerked from her ponytail, a visibly split lip, and a bright red glow just above her cheek that was going to eventually dark n into a black eye. Fumbling blindly with one hand to hold herself steady while the other tried to intercept any future blows. This was a terrible position to be in, one that wouldn't do her any favors.

Belle twisted, throwing her shoulder forward to slam her body forward into the chair between the two women, trying to shove it back and by extension, the blond that was currently battering her. She had witnessed enough bar brawls in her day to know she didn't want to stay on the floor. If she could get some space from Valerie, Belle would try to shuffle back to the table and pick up one of her crutches. She would use it to help her rise before trying to brandish it as a weapon should Valerie come at her again.

In the back of Valerie’s mind - the small fraction that wasn’t devoted to wrecking the woman in front of her - she had to wonder what Belle thought to accomplish here. They would already fight, that was certain, so this opening salvo? Unneeded. It was made sillier by the fact that she was injured, which made this fight even less even than it would’ve been. There was no way it would end well for her.

Stupid, stupid American. But, if she was going to hand Valerie a chance for early satisfaction, who was she to refuse?

She relished in every blow that she landed on Belle, taking glee in wrecking that face that had seduced her sister. Perhaps too much glee, because it distracted her from the true threat, as the woman made a desperate push from below. It sent her back, hard, and nearly had her reeling - Belle was a strong one, she’d give her that. But she was hurt and she was desperate, and her mad attempt to reach the crutches didn’t go unnoticed.

Valerie ran her way, hard and fast, and leaped at her from behind as she rose up, attempting to wrap her arms around the woman’s neck and pull her back into a sleeperhold. All the while, she could hear people fleeing the restaurant, as the owner protested all of this from the kitchen, yelling their way and being ignored.