Girls Just Wanna Fight

Maddie Lux had lived in Tokyo for several years now, and she enjoyed soaking in everything that the megalopolis had to offer. She enjoyed a cosmopolitan existence, surrounded by interesting people, lights, and sounds—and living in an apartment just a couple of blocks away from the AFW arena campus made commuting to work very convenient. Tokyo weather wasn't quite as pleasant as what she would have been getting back home in the San Fernando Valley, but it was still mild enough to walk from her apartment to the arena most of the year.

Dressed in jean shorts, blue-and-white-striped thighhigh socks, and a bright pink hoodie, Maddie definitely stood out on this late January day, walking down the commercial street which separated her apartment complex from the arena, then crossing through the verdant park which formed the outermost boundary of the waterfront entertainment district and skirting the edge of the vast expanse of arena parking spaces which, this early in the day, were mostly empty. The weather was fifty-five degrees and sunny, but there didn't seem to be many other people walking around the city today—save for a cluster of bodies a few dozen feet in front of her. As she got to the edge of AFW property, Maddie stopped by the bento stalls which catered to both athletes and businesspeople working in the adjacent high-rise office towers and glanced over the dwindling selection of bentos which remained. Maddie wasn't a picky eater, so as long as there was at least one box left for her when she got to the front of the line, she would be happy.

She didn't have any particular business in the arena today, other than her usual workout regimen. She was expecting to get a slot in one of the upcoming shows, this weekend or next, though she didn't know against who or in what type of match. It didn't really matter to Maddie, so long as whoever she was up against could put up a good fight, though she did prefer the more unique fights, given the choice. She might have to talk to the booking staff to see what her options were.

As the crowd in front of her in line thinned, Maddie stepped up to the cart and smiled at the bento seller. "Hello," she said. "One, please!"

As soon as Maddie received her bento, Hazel accidentally collided with her. Hazel was in a hurry to reach the AFW locker rooms where Iris and Phoebe were waiting to accompany Yona on her birthday. Hazel's recent series of losses had left her feeling down and depleted, causing her to ponder the direction her career would take if she couldn't defeat any opponents.
Consequently, she was preoccupied and failed to notice that she had bumped into someone. Oblivious to the incident, she continued walking forward without apologizing. In her mind, she pondered what she had to do to surpass Phoebe and Yona who both always seemed to steal the spotlight from her and Iris. Then again, the purple-haired harlot never showed much concern for popularity and glory—she was just in it for Hazel and Yona. She couldn't exactly appreciate it now, but it was hard to ignore that Iris was always by her side no matter what. That's why it was even worse that her only real friend had gotten back together with her ex-girlfriend, who absolutely hated Hazel.
The feeling was mutual, and she'd do everything in her power to break her during their match tonight, but until then, she had to treat Iris right, so she wouldn't pick Dawn over her. It didn't help that she was running late to the birthday, Iris specifically planned, and made Hazel swore to come on time to. She was absolutely dreading her friend's reaction; a strange emotion she had never felt before.
She genuinely didn't want Iris to be upset with her, and it might as well be tearing her apart inside—enough to lash out at anything. After all, that was how she tended to deal with things nowadays. She felt powerful as a wrestler, but that power never meant shit when the time came for her to put her money where her mouth is. She just needed someone to make her look good, or just a win in general, without the help of her team. That's what she thought as she frantically scurried down the street, gradually getting away from Maddie.

"Oof!"

Maddie was not expecting the collision as she turned away from the bento cart and started to walk towards the arena. There were still enough people clustered around the sidewalk intersection that she was frankly surprised someone could build up the sort of speed with which she was hit. The box nearly went flying out of Maddie's arms, and it was only with a sudden lunge forward that she was able to grab it out of the air and pull it tight against her chest, throwing the grilled squid and rice balls around inside of the box but keeping them from hitting the ground.

Maddie expected either a frantic apology or a nasty admonishment. She didn't get either. The girl seemed to be in a hurry, and was already a good ten feet in front of Maddie by the time the blonde had steadied herself. Maddie was walking in the same direction, though, so the girl didn't exactly get a lot of separation as Maddie picked up her pace on the way to the gym.

She was kind of worried about the girl, actually. She seemed to be preoccupied with something and hadn't even felt what had been a pretty forceful collision. Jogging slightly to keep up with the girl, Maddie waved a hand to try to get her attention. "Hey! Are you okay?"

Hazel briefly turned her head to glance at Maddie, and immediately kept walking. She didn't seem to have anything important to say, so she just kept moving forward. She was already late; the wrestler had no reason to stick around with someone insignificant. Moreover, her friendship with Iris was on the line if she couldn't be on her best behavior. There was already a bit of tension because of her girlfriend; she'd make sure to kick her ass tonight. The one thing that was irreplaceable in her life was her best friend. There was no way she'd let some bitchy bimbo break their friendship.
"Shit.." She swore under her breath; surprised it would take this long to get there by foot.
She growled at herself, clenching her fists in frustration. Back then, Dawn had abandoned Iris. It made no sense that her friend would go back to such a disloyal slut. Even worse, that she backed her up when Dawn tried to argue with Hazel. Luckily, things would begin to start progressing a bit, as the official AFW building came into view. She had run for miles, but she'd finally make it—though, in layers upon layers of sweat.
"Finally!"

Maddie didn't get a response to her question at all. She furrowed her brow a little bit, looking at the girl, waiting for any hint of recognition, but she just kept moving at a rapid clip for the fighters' entrance to the arena complex, and Maddie eventually sighed, shrugged, and moved slightly off to the side and behind the girl so that she was not being obnoxious walking directly next to her.

They were still walking in the same direction, though, and so naturally they remained only a few yards apart, Maddie keeping a respectful distance but an eye on the girl in case something was, like, really wrong. The Californian popped the plastic lid off of her to-go bento and held the box tight with her right hand, expertly wielding the chopsticks with her left hand to grab each little morsel in turn. Sometimes, she waited until she got inside the building to eat, but on a day like today, with a bit of chill still in the air in spite of the positive signs of an early spring, she needed something to warm up her belly on the walk.

"Mm hmm mm..." she hummed, realizing she hadn't turned on her music before she started eating and not wanting to go to the effort of packing up the bento again just so she had a free hand. She was almost at the training center entrance, anyway; she could entertain herself for a couple minutes more.

The girl continued her brisk pace towards the entrance, seemingly oblivious to Maddie's presence behind her. Her focus was locked on the path ahead, and her thoughts were immersed in, of course, Iris and the rest of Hade's Plague. The furrow on Maddie's brow did catch her peripheral vision, but she chose to maintain her momentum rather than engage in conversation.
As Maddie sighed and shifted to a more discreet position, the girl stole a quick glance over her shoulder. She caught sight of Maddie with her bento box, chopsticks in hand, seemingly lost in her own world. The girl raised an eyebrow but didn't slow down. Engaging in small talk was not on her agenda today, or ever, in all honesty. Hazel was never the type to go out of her way to make new friends or interact with people. Instead, she'd stick with Iris and Yona. She stuck with them out of familiarity, and pure admiration. Her mind was profusely distracted with thoughts on how she could surpass Yona, and tear Iris apart from her girlfriend.
However, the rhythmic hum from Maddie's half-tuned melody reached her ears, but she dismissed it as background noise. With each step, the girl's determination grew, her focus unbroken by the distraction behind her. Approaching the entrance, she finally stopped in her tracks to indulge the person, who seemingly was following her for all she knew. Moreover, quite the bothersome singer.
"Excuse me, do you mind shutting up? I can't hear myself think. Thanks!" She snapped, looking back at Maddie and glaring daggers at her.

Was she trying to get a reaction out of the girl? Maybe. Maddie wasn't trying to torment the obviously troubled young fighter, but it was odd that she had been completely brushed off after the collision without even a moment of recognition. Now, at least, she had the girl's attention.

"Yeah, sure, no problem. Seems like you've got a lot on your mind, huh?" Maddie said, shrugging and smiling at the dark-haired girl. Popping the last piece of grilled squid into her mouth, Maddie would neatly close up the chopsticks in the empty bento box and deposit it in the nearest garbage can, just beside the door. Then, she would smoothly pull her swipe card out of the pocket of her hoodie and hold it up at the door to unlock it and hold it open for the other girl as they both reached it.

"You're going this way, too, right? Are you new around here?"

Hazel looked at Maddie, her expression a mix of surprise and uncertainty. She hadn't expected anyone to take notice or inquire about her thoughts. The collision had left her feeling disoriented, and she hadn't quite registered Maddie's friendly attempt to engage in conversation until now.
"Yeah, new... I mean, not really. I've been here for a bit," Hazel mumbled, her eyes darting away as she shuffled awkwardly. She wasn't used to casual interactions, especially with strangers, and it showed in her hesitant demeanor.
As Maddie opened the door and held it for her, Hazel nodded in appreciation, offering a small, hesitant smile. She still seemed guarded, but there was a flicker of acknowledgment in her eyes.
"Thanks," Hazel murmured, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "Just... having a weird day, I guess." She didn't elaborate on the details, unsure of how much to share with this seemingly friendly stranger.

Maddie was an unbridled extrovert, in stark contrast to this girl's awkward shyness. In adulthood, though, she had learned a little more self-control than she had when she was a teenager. She was still going to push this girl for more, if only to try to help her. But she didn't plan on pushing so far that the girl snapped.

Maddie replied to the small smile with a big grin of her own, patting the girl on the shoulder as she walked past. Maddie stepped inside, as well, and let the door shut behind her. "I getcha. There are, like, a lot of weird days around here," she said, waving her hand to encompass the whole of the arena. "It's kind of the way things are around here, but you get used to it. I'm Maddie, by the way!"

She stuck her hand out to the girl for a handshake. Hopefully, whatever it was that was troubling her was something that she would be able to sort out. And maybe Maddie could help.

Hazel took a moment to process Maddie's friendly demeanor. Despite the overwhelming atmosphere of the LAW arena, Maddie seemed genuinely warm and welcoming. Hazel managed a small smile in return, appreciating the gesture. As Maddie patted her on the shoulder and entered the building, Hazel followed suit.
"Yeah, weird days for sure," Hazel replied, her voice soft. The acknowledgment of the peculiar environment brought a subtle nod from her. When Maddie introduced herself, offering a handshake, Hazel hesitated for a moment before reciprocating. "Mio Suzuya. Nice to meet you, Maddie."
Hazel's grip was gentle, and her golden eyes briefly met Maddie's. It was clear that Maddie's attempt to break the ice was making an impact, although Hazel remained reserved. When on camera, or in the public eye, she, to an extent, put up a bit of a bratty persona, when in all reality, she was colder around everyone, even her own friends.
It wasn't something many threw attention to, but she certainly began to notice it, as she was actually being kind for once. She'd walk inside the corridor, hoping Maddie would accompany her like a loyal dog. After all, it always seemed as if Iris was her only real friend—maybe if she made a new friend, she could make Iris jealous and make her leave her girlfriend.
However, after a while of awkward silence between them; Hazel, or, her real name, Mio Suzuya, couldn't even remember where she was going. She was starting to sweat a bit—a glimpse of social anxiety beginning to spur in her chest. All of a sudden, she gave Maddie a disgusted, and slightly nervous look.  She, on one hand, hated how friendly and comfortable the stranger was getting with her, and on the other, had her frustration about Iris replaced with a natural fear of meeting new people.
"Don't act like we're friends though. I could take you down in the ring any day, so back off. We're potential rivals—so watch your back."