Third Season

Hilde Von Creuzfeldt sat at her desk clacking away at her computer. With Avalanche coming up she was even more busy than she usually was. Appointments were stacked up and everyone was putting their nose to the grindstone. So when Talia Wilson had shown up, she had been forced to wait patiently for several minutes before Hilde's intercom finally buzzed. Normally the German blonde would have engaged in friendly conversation but her eyes had been glued to her screen for most of the wait. When they weren't she was busy speaking on the phone, sometimes in languages that weren't English or Japanese.

But after a long wait, it was finally time. Hilde lifted up her head and looked over at Talia. "Ms. Von Creuzfeldt will see you now, Ms. Wilson." She said and hit the buzzer back before quickly going back to the business she had to take care of.

Talia sat patiently in secretary's room. She fiddled with her phone to pass time. For once, she wasn't in Lukretia's office with a temper. She was calm and content. When Hilde rang the buzzer, Talia jumped to her feet and nodded. She was wearing a blood red sweatshirt and black tights. The sudden arrival of cold weather had been brutal to her wardrobe. Most of her heavier outfits were brand new. Talia walked into the office with a half smile on her face.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Von Creuzfeldt," she said somewhat pleasantly. After everything that had happened, she wanted to be sure that this went as well as possible. "I was hoping to run a match by you if you have the time?"

Lukretia's eyes barely flickered when Talia stepped into the room. For a moment she didn't acknowledge the girl until finally she tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at Talia.

"Oh?" She said curiously and stood up. She brushed her hands down her sleek red dress and stepped around her desk and towards Talia until she was face to face with the read head. "A match, you say? I must say, I am quite surprised, Fraulein. I didn't think you had it in you."

Lukretia lifted up her hand and pressed it along Talia's jaw line and tilted her head to inspect. "You are sure you don't need more time to recuperate?" Lukretia's hand slid off of Talia's jaw and pressed against her chest. "Vell, chat did you have in mind?"

Talia raised an eyebrow curiously as Lukretia got close to her and seemed to feel her jaw. "It's as good as it's ever going to be." That wasn't entirely true but at the very least her injury was close enough. She had been training vigorously and everything physically felt better. "Yes, I think I am ready." More importantly, Talia was mentally ready. After her last few interactions with Cassie and her little crew, she was finally certain about what she needed to do.

"I'm ready for my rematch with Cassie." Talia then tilted her head and avoided eye contact. "I looked up some match types that have been used in the past..." After Cassie's little surprise ambulance match, Talia was certain she wanted to return the favor right back. "I saw something called a contract match...you know where two wrestlers fight over a contract so they can get a job..." The redhead then looked back at Lukretia.

"I want one like that...you know...only except the loser forfeits their contract with friction."

Lukretia remained close but listened attentively to Talia. When she was finished, the German took a step back and clapped her hands together. "Oh! Vunderbar!" She said with elation. "Ah, yes. I could not think of a better idea myself. Zis is indeed an excellent thing. Fraulein, I am quite pleased. "I think you have finally begun to take to heart ze harsh lessons of life. Now you are facing your problems head on instead of hiding like some wretched nagetier."

Lukretia nodded and lifted up her ans and set them upon Talia's shoulders. "Ze vinner vill be removed from Friction? Ahhh..." Lukretia sighed in a sentimental way. "Zis I lik ze most. Two young vomen vith everything to lose deciding zere pwn ffates vith zere strength alone. Truly it is ze reason I remain firmly implanted in zis company to see such displays."

Lukretia's grip suddenly tightened and she leaned in as her face became quite serious. "Und you are also right. After three matches, I vill be quite tired of seeing ze two of you fight. One of you should go. One of you should know full certain vere her place is. Ze veakest one. Do you understand, Fraulein?" She said with a sharp tone and a piercing gaze.

Talia nodded along with Lukretia. She agreed wholeheartedly with everything she said. No longer did Talia feel like she was above any of the things the German said or did. Now she knew the truth about how things worked. And this time around, Talia was going to embrace this harshness. "Yes...Ms. Von Creuzfeldt."

What Lukretia probably couldn't read off her face was the motivations behind her decision. She knew that one of them had to go. She just wasn't sure if that meant Cassie or herself. "Oh...can it be falls count anywhere as well? Seems like a waste to restrict us to the ring if we're going to have to go all out, ya know?"

Lukretia raised an eyebrow as Talia almost casually tossed in another stipulation. LLukretia pulled an arm from Talia's shoulders and pressed it against her chest as she chuckled softly. "Ahh, vhy not, Fraulein!" She said with a wave of her other hand. "If ze two of you vill be fighting for your very lives, zen you might as vell act like it."

Lukretia then leaned forward and stared into Talia's eyes, bringing their faces close. "Zis time..." She said softly. "I vant to make sure zat one of you does not return. So..." She said as she stared at Talia. "Make sure zat you leave everything you have on ze ring, or ze locker room or ze parking lot... Vhereever you like. Just do it..." She said as her smile faded. "Or do not come back." Lukretia then smiled devilishly at Talia.

"I know she vill agree to any stipulation und you know first hand how tough she is. Any advantage, really. No one vould blame you, right? Zhey vould assume you vere ze better voman und not some covard who was afraid. So terrified zat she needed to devise a scheme be rid of her tormentor once und for all."

Lukretia whipped around on her heels and strolled towards her desk. "I vill have ze papervork ready in just a moment. Zen you can sign avaw your fate on ze dotted line."

Talia listened to Lukretia's words. Beforehand it felt natural to request such a match. It gave her an advantage, right? ...Right?

"Actually," she suddenly spoke up. "Maybe the contract stipulation is enough, don't you think?" Not only did she not want people to think she was stacking the dear, she was suddenly fearful of what an angry Cassie could do to her in the locker room...or the parking lot. Last time there wasn't a referee...and it didn't exactly end well for her. Maybe this time around a referee would be preferable.

"I mean...it's not like I need a falls count anywhere match to beat Cassie. I've beaten her within the confines of the rules before..."

"Oh?" Lukretia said, raising an eyebrow. She believed she had done that? Lukretia wasn't going to tell her she was wrong. She merely drew up the contract and set it on a desk near her own. She then motioned towards Talia and smiled. "Vell... zere you are, Fraulein." She said. "Ze loser leaves Friction, standard rules. Ze last time I vill ever have ze pleasure of dealing vith one of you."