Let the Games Begin....

Sarah Gatt marched through the halls of the AFW with quick and steady steps, a fierce and determined look on her face as she did so. Anyone who got in her way she simply shoved them aside, not having the time or the motivation to deal with them right now. For Sarah Gatt, Queen of Brawl and champion of Friction, was in quite a deal of trouble.

Only minutes ago the Avengers, Cecilia Northman's stupid name for her stupid group she had put together to counter Sarah's Gatt Attack, had issued a live warning to Sarah and her crew to declre open war on them. At first, Sarah and the others found the whole thing very amusing. That was until they accused in front of a live audience and those watching at home that the Gatt Attack had actually shot Clyde Gastin, a good friend and relative of many of the Avengers. The danger of this war was escalated right then and there. While Sarah had thought the Avengers were a joke when she first heard of them she knew that Clyde's shooting will make them a much more deadly enemy. People were capable of anything if you pushed them far enough.

But Sarah didn't push them that far. Certainly she had sent Nha and Sha, her best beatdown specialists, to rough Clyde up a little on the request of a wealthy benefactor, but it had ended at that. They had not shot Clyde. No one in the Gatt Attack had. But then, who did?

It was not Sarah's place to find out. She was no detective. She was a street thug and she knew exactly what kind of response the Avengers would give her and her girls if they thought the Gatt Attack was bringing guns into the picture. Blood would be spilt if Sarah didn't do something. And that's why she was marching her way down the halls of the AFW. The way she saw it, there was only one way to settle things between them and the Avengers. One that wouldn't involve crippling, stabbing, shooting or possible death. But to do that, she needed help from someone she had not seen for quite some time. Someone she despised with a loathing passion. Someone so disgustingly manipulative that she had rissen through the ranks of the AFW corporation to get where she is today.

After quite a long walk, Sarah would arrive at the office of Lukretia Von Creuzfeldt.

The Queen of Brawl frowned deeply at the bronze plated name across the front door, and then went in without a second thought. She marched through the reception area, completely ignoring the woman behind the desk before she arrived at the door of the Commisioner herself, which she would immediately plant her heavy boot on, kicking it open with a loud crash and nearly knocking it off its hinges. "We gotta talk, bitch," Sarah growled upon arrival.

Hilde was caught completely unaware of what had just transpired in the arena as she was busy with her own work. So when Sarah Gatt came marching through the doors, Her eyes went wide. She knew better than to tell her to wait. Sarah looked upset anyway. She turned her head back down and went back to typing on her keyboard as she wanted to have nothing to do with what was about to transpire.

Lukretia, on the other hand, had seen the whole thing. It was rather amusing but she also knew that it could prove to be quite bothersome. No sooner than she flipped off the feed than did the source of all the discontent come barging through her door, nearly knocking it down. She put a smile on her face and greeted the surly brawler.

"Pleasant as alvays frauline." Lukretia chided and looked over Sarah. She shook her head gently. "Nein... nein... You have chewed off more zan you can bite, haven't you ?" Lukretia leaned back in her chair. "Vell, I am not surprised. You are so reckless und crass zat it vas bound to happen eventually. Frankly, I'm pleased. Do you ever vonder vhy I have never once said a vord about how you do vatever you please vithout consequences?" Lukretia leaned forward and grinned. "Moments like zis. You are strong, I can attest to zat personally. Und you are ze perfect person to veed out ze veak from ze strong. Zose who should remain at ze bottom und zose who may one day be at ze top."

Lukretia looked over Sarah carefully. "You und I are very similar in some respects, Ms. Gatt. Does zis idea repulse you?" She let out a soft chuckle. "Both of us are despised because of how strong ve are. People vant to be us or destroy us or even... lust after us?" She raised a curious eyebrow at Sarah as if she knew the brawler had a hidden lusty side. Lukretia then sighed. "But ze difference between us is zat you are a crass und brutish beast. Listless und unfocused. Vould you even know vat to do if meat vasn't dangled in front of you? Heh. Me? I know vat I vant und in ze end no matter how much zey may hate me, zey need me. My strength is more valuable zan going around und getting into pointless fights."

She then leaned back in her seat and looked at Sarah with a smirk. "Now, vat can I do for you, frauline?"

Sarah's fists clenched subconsciously as she stood before her old nemesis again. Just being in the vicinity of Lukretia made her remember why she hated the German dom so much. Lukretia had given Sarah her first real challenge in the AFW, their intense match ending in an unsatisfying draw for both women. Neither of them decided to pursue the fued, both instead pursuing their own agendas. Lukretia went on to become the Commisioner of the entire AFW, while Sarah went on to form her own 'business'. Sarah did not forget what Lukretia was like though, and every moment she spent listening to the German made her want to jump over the desk and pound her into paste. But that wouldn't be the right move right now. Whether she liked it or not, she needed Lukretia's help.

"You can start by wiping the goddamn smirk off your face," Sarah growled approaching Lukreita's desk. "And it's 'bite off more than you can chew', dumbass." Sarah would then place her hands on the desk, leaning down so her green eyes could galre right into Lukretia's. "I didn't shoot anybody. None of my crew did. But you probably know that already, don't you? None of my girls are killers!" Glaring at Lukretia one last time she would back off the desk for now.

"But it doesn't matter what I say. They'll never believe me. They think we shot Clyde Gastin and now they want war. Normally I would welcome that. But not when guns are getting involved!" As a child of the streets Sarah had seen much gang violence, the worst of which was caused by guns. If the Avengers thought the Gatt Attack started using guns it would be a bloodbath. "So unless you want the AFW to start turning up bodies you're gonna help me settle this. Got it

Sarah's indignant attitude and her demand to make Lukretia stop smiling, only made the German chuckle. But, she still listened to Sarah's words carefully. "You're right on both counts, Ms. Gatt." Lukretia said smoothly once Sarah was finished. "You are a brutish beast, but you are not entirely a dumkopff. If you had shot someone zen I vould be forced to remove you from zis place und I believe it's all you have und you vouldn't foolishly jeopardize it. Especially ven you vouldn't simply be removed but placed in jail. Nein. I do not need to know ze details to believe you."

She looked down as Sarah backed away and then glanced at her computer as if she needed a moment. "Und you are quite right as vell. Vhy should zey believe you? Zey don't understand you as vell as I do." She let a sharp laugh escape her lips. "All zey know is zat you have caused zem pain und have done so intentionally und maliciously so zere is no need to bisect ze pain ven you vill do nicely as a scapegoat."

Lukretia stood up and walked around her desk and walked up to Sarah. "Let zis be a lesson to you if only so your pride does not have to suffer ze further embarrassment of crawling to me vith your tail between your legs in ze future. I know how angry und humiliated you must feel already." Lukretia goaded Sarah and reached up to pat her on the cheek, expecting a response. "Don't vorry, frauline. I vill clean up your mess und use you properly in a vay zat suits me quite vell. As I have been for quite some time. Now? Vat is it you had in mind? I'd love to accommodate you."

Unlike what Lukretia thought it was not the police Sarah was worried about, it was the future retaliation of the Avengers that had her concerned for her and the safety of the other girls. Sarah never dealt with guns or other such deadly weapons back in her gang days because he had seen too many people get hurt and die because of them. She was content to duke it out with good old fashioned brawling but someone had changed the rules on her.

"You don't know a goddamn thing about me," Sarah growled when Lukretia stated she understood her, which made the Queen of Brawl sick to her stomach. She didn't need the sadistic German for buddy, that was for sure. "I don't care what people have thought of me so far. But a killer? That's crossing the line."

Sarah narrowed her eyes as Lukretia stood up, watching her with each step she made towards the Queen of Brawl. Her fists clenched again as Lukretia continued to press her buttons, and to Sarah's credit she stayed rather calm besides the obvious scowl on her face. It was only when Lukretia patted her cheek that Sarah's anger would come to surface. At the second pat Sarah's arm would shoot up to snatch Lukretia's wrist, trembling with rage, but still saying nothing in response to Lukretia's goading. After glaring at Lukretia for quite some time, she would release the woman's wrist from her vice-like grip.

"Thye won't let this go easily," Sarah began to explain. "Not without some way to get their shots at us, and that can get nasty. So this is what we're gonna do. We're gonna set their people against ours in a series of matches. They can duke it out as much as they want without it getting deadly." Sarah had thought this over quite a bit, and came to the conclusion that there was no other way. "We'll have a tournament. People get their licks in, and no one has to die." Here Sarah paused to intensify her glare on Lukretia. "And that's where you come in...."

Lukretia listened very attentively to Sarah's explanation of how she wanted things to be run. She had been honestly surprised that Sarah had only grabbed her hand, it seemed like the brawler was indeed quite serious. Lukretia decided to back off for now. There was business to be done and Sarah had offered her a silver platter feast that Lukretia was not going to pass up.

"Das ist interesting, Ms. Gatt." She said as she carefully thought it over. I think zat zis could be arranged, ja. But, I have a few questions. "How many people vill be participating? Have you thought about ze match types und ... vat vill ze prize be for ze vinner? I have some ideas if you are lacking in zem, but it seems as if you have thought about zis quite thoroughly."

Lukretia then smirked. "Vell, I'm sure it must have already been difficult enough having to use a muscle zat has been left to atrophy for so long. Don't vorry, I'm here for you, frauline." Well, Lukretia had to tease Sarah a little it wouldn't be fun otherwise.

"Fuck, I don't know," Sarah growled, running a hand through her short red hair. She had not given much thought over what kind of matches this tournament would have. She had only had the idea after witnessing the Avenger's broadcast a couple of minutes ago. The amount of thought the had oput into it was the amount of time it had taken her to walk to Lukretia's office. A cage match came to mind, or possibly a tag match, but other than those two Sarah was at a loss. "Most of my girls will want to compete. Can't say the same about the Avengers. We'll just have to see..."

Sarah started to pace the room now as she put more thought into it. "I don't know what the prize will be either. Maybe whoever wins will have to disband their group or something. That would probably make them happy." A lot of people would probably be happy with that idea, but if that failed to make the Avengers happy she had another plan in mind, one she was rather reluctant to carry out.

"This has to happen soon, too. Otherwise they'll just take matters into their own hands and start spilling blood. I won't have that happen." Sarah turned to Lukretia, giving her a slight glare at the small insult but other than that didn't respond to it. She didn't need Lukretia testing her patience now. Just being in her office made her angry. "Now are you going to help me or not?"

Lukretia smiled as she thought about it. This was workign out quite wonderfully. "Jawhol, frauling." She began. "I believe I can definitely vork some things out. I am sure zat zey vill be quite interested in competing as vell. I do like ze stipulations but vhy don't ve make it a bit more interesting. "It vill be time for you to defend your title soon enough." She began. "So, if zey vin, vhy don't ve let zem have a crack at it at? If you vin..." She rubbed her chin. "Vell, I am sure a voman who has everything couldn't possibly vant something, but I am open to suggestions?"

Lukretia then also began to pace around the room, though not nervously, juts in thought. "I have an idea. Vhy don't ve set zis match up in a vay zat may be to your liking?"

She pressed her finger to her lips. "I propose a team elimination match. But... vhy don't ve give it a little bit of a spicing up? Two girls start in ze ring. Vehn one of zem is pinned or submits, she is thrown into a "jail cell" and is no longer part of ze match. Ze next girl from ze team who has had zere members eliminated zen goes to ze ring."

She paused to let Sarah begin to soak in her words. "Inside ze ring, normal rules apply. No illegal moves, rope breaks, etc. Very traditional wrestling. However, outside of ze ring, zere vill be no countouts und ze fight is allowed to progress to anyvere it goes. Und.... ze team members who have not been eliminated are free to roam about as zey desire.... like... it vas a streetfight ... or something..." She said waving her hand.

She then looked at Sarah. "Vat do you think?"

Sarah listened carefully as Lukretia went over her proposition. Putting her title up didn't sound like a terrible idea. It was something Sarah had come up with herself. That would give the Avengers a reason to come running to the challenge. As for Sarah herself she personally didn't care if she got anything. The Queen of Brawl just wanted this busniness over and done with so everyone can go home in one piece. "Fine, I'll put up a title shot," Sarah soon said. "Not like they need an excuse to accept this fight anyway but its good incentive."

Sarah then listened to the match idea. It sounded solid enough. It ensured that nearly all members of the Gatt Attack and the Avengers got into the ring to vent whatever frustrations they had. She hated to admit it but she was forced to rely on Lukreita on this one. Sarah had laid the groundwork for the fight but it was the German who would be the one to put it all together. "Yeah....yeah that might work," Sarah mumbled. "Everyone gets their shot, everyone vents their fucking frustrations. And maybe then we can put this all behind us."

Sarah clenched her fists and let out a furious growl. "Fuck!" she screamed, storming about the office in a rage. "How did the fuck did this happen?! No one on my crew shot that guy! This is fucked!" Sarah was livid, not knowing what to expect next. She knew she had enemies, but for someone to actually shot an innocent man just to frame her? She didn't want to think about who she was dealing with here.

Lukretia watched with calm, cool eyes as Sarah stormed around and paced. It was an unusual situation to behold and Lukretia wanted nothing more than to soak up the moment.

"I vill arrange everything. Just let me know ven you are ready und ve can set up ze match. If you vish, Ve can have it as soon as you like." Lukretia slid carefully behind Sarah as she paced and reached up to grab hold of Sarah by the shoulders. She leaned in close from behind.

"Sarah..." She purred. "You are far to tense. Vhy don't you relax und let me take care of you." She would begin to try and massage Sarah's shoulders a bit. "Vhat good vould it do to be lie zis before a match? Ze situation is tense but it vould do no one any good for you to be in such a state."

She leaned in, close to Sarah's ear. "Vould you like me to investigate ze matter personally?" She asked. "I could do it as a favor between vomen if you like."