Good Help

Lukretia sat on her stool and looked off into the distance while Cardia rubbed her shoulders. She was in her basement, in the middle of her personal gym, sitting on a stool in her regulation boxing ring. She had put up a good workout on the speed bags, the heavy bags and training dummie. After having Cardia slip on the training gloves, and thoroughly swatting the girl's palms until she got bored, she forced the girl to put on real gloves and decided to see if she could dodge any better than the heavy bags. Of course, she didn't really hold back but she also spent most of the time demanding Cardia fight her for real. That was an almost more exhausting affair than the actual workout. The girl was so pathetic. She almost regretted sending Hilde back to take care of some affairs in Germany. But she knew the minute her sister found out that Cardia had come crawling back, she'd have to deal with that headache and she just wasn't ready for it. Besides, Hilde never suspected a thing.

In between sessions of beating down her loyal dog, she also forced the girlt o work as her second and take care of those duties while earning no respite for herself. Lukretia sat with her eyes closed, clad in traditional boxing gear. Shorts, gloves, boots. Everything minus a top. Her plentiful bosom glistened with a fine sheen of sweat as she allowed Cardia to massage her, after taking off her own gloves, of course. She sighed after a moment."Perhaps I should send for zat annoying blonde pool boy." She said aloud. "At least she vouldn't have to be prodded into fighting back for real. Zough... she presents me vith... other... difficulties." Lukretia sighed again. "It is so hard to find decent help." She then smirked. "At least I can count on a few people zough."

Lukretia lifted her head up. "Hurry up und get your gloves on. I'm cannot afford to be rusty. Zough sparring vith you is sure to dull my senses quicker zan fighting air." She mused.

Cardia was exhausted, bruised, battered. Massaging her mistress's shoulders was the only brief respite she had gotten since this whole mess started. Part of why she was hanging around Lukretia to begin with was to try to pick up some of her skills, but this just was not working. She kept yelling for Cardia to fight harder, and she WAS. As hard as she could manage with those two perfect tits right in front of her. Swinging with every damn movement. It was nearly impossible NOT to look at them. She had no idea how Lukretia could fight like that. She knew better than to interrupt Lukretia's constant casual insults. "Y-yes, mistress." Cardia barely stifled a groan. Back into the gloves for more verbal and physical abuse.

Lia Cross sighed as she approached the front gate to the von Creuzfeldt house. She hated Lukretia, but she needed the money. And for some reason beyond all comprehension Lukretia seemed to like Lia. She still wore her rabbit ears, though she dressed more for business today, the jacket hung lose and the blazer was buttoned up to avoid accentuating herself. She ditched the skirt and went with slacks today to try to continue unprettying herself. There was more lesbianism going on inside this house than should have been physically possible. Lia liked that sort of thing but she had just hooked back up with Chesna and it took almost all of her libido to keep the doctor satisfied. She was only interested in Lukretia's money at the moment.

Lia arched an eyebrow at the women who answered the door. Two albino twins, one in a suit, the other in a catsuit that hugged tightly to her powerful frame. Both carried Japanese style swords in sheaths around their waists and regarded Lia with the cool curiosity of cats. "Howdy." Lia offered, unsure what to expect. She tensed up instinctively, waiting to see if these two were trouble.

Nim, the catsuited one, smiled a playful grin as she sized Lia up, "Well, isn't she a cute one, dear sister?"

Nisa, the pale woman in the actual suit and tie, continued, "Oh, I think Lady Lukretia has told us about you."

Nisa circled around Lia as both sisters stepped in to invade Lia's personal space. Nim caressed Lia's cheek as Nisa traced a finger down Lia's back. She shook both of them off. "Oh for crying out loud, is it the ears? Why do I always get the crazy lesbians?" These two were pushing Lia's buttons already. In the right context, she would have found them entertaining but the last thing she was in the mood for was anything quite like this. Plus, they seemed dangerous. If a fight was going to happen, Lia wanted a chance to beat these two down now rather than later. "Look, you two are cute and all. I'm sure I can fuck you both later, but right now, I'm here to see the Kraut."

Nisa stepped back with a thoroughly unconvincing gasp and pout, "Ah, how cruel. She hurts our feelings, sister!"

Nim scoffed, "And she thinks she would fuck us."

Lia rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, you think I think when I know whatever. I'm not in the mood for this shit. If you wanna start a fight, go get the gardener. That might make it even. Otherwise, tell me where the Kraut is before I just go start knocking down doors."

Nim frowned, folding her arms. "Hmph." She was strongly considering taking this rabbit down a peg herself.

Nisa sensed this and stepped in, taking her sister's hand in her own. "I think I see why Lady Lukretia find you... interesting." Nisa was in no mood to test Lukretia. She would no doubt want to see Lia, and if they stood in her path... that could be unpleasant. "She's downstairs." Nisa walked to the door and opened it for Lia, gesturing her in.

Lia straightened her collar and nodded politely at Nisa, "Good. Thank you." As she walked by Nisa, in a flash, Lia's hand reached for Nisa's sword. She pulled it partly out of its scabbard before Nisa's hand flew to stop her. Nim's own sword had cleared its scabbard in almost that much time. Lia's other hand was firmly tucked in her jacket, her hand on a gun neither of the twins could see aimed directly at Nim. All three women's eyes burned into each other for a quiet, tense moment. Lia cracked a smile, "Wood." She glanced at the swords. Still painful weapons, but she was glad to see they were not blades. "I'm going to be Lukretia's head of security. I need to know what you all are packing." And how fast they were. And if she could take them if the situation came to it. She felt pretty confident, all things considered. She took her hand back from Nisa's scabbard. Nisa slid her sword back in and, after a second's thought, Nim sheathed her own. Lia pulled her hand from the jacket and smiled inwardly to herself. Yeah, I do still have it, jackasses. Just try me.

The sisters gave Lia an icy smile, "Very interesting..." Nisa whispered coolly. Nim had a far less charitable opinion of the bunny that she kept to herself.

"Well met," Lia nodded to both as she quickly descended to the gym.

Lia entered the gym and almost immediately turned around and left. Lukretia was boxing that pathetic maid, only completely topless and covered in sweat. This was the exact opposite of what she came here for. Sure, Lukretia had a nice rack, but this was AFW. Lia could not throw a penny in that building without bouncing off of four great racks on people who weren't complete scum. "Ahem, oh, uh..." Lia sighed, "I had dropped in to talk employment but I can come back later..."

Lukretia was just about to have Cardia step back in the ring but soon she heard foot steps. She tilted her head as saw it was Lia. An old familiar face. Someone she had not expected to see back. She was delighted. She turned her head and waved her hand at Cardia. It was time for her to slink away. She then put on a bright smile and stood up.

"Ahhh, Kaninchen." She said. "Vilkommen. It's good to see you again. Please." she began, motioning with a glove. "Step into meine office. I heard you und ze Doktor's reunion. It has been going on for some time. I vas vondering if you vould actually come to see me or if you vould spend ze rest of your life sneaking around meine haas, hiding in your girlfriend's closet."

Lukretia grabbed the gloves that Cardia was wearing and tossed them to Lia. "Vhy don't you put on something a little more appropriate for discussing business." She said with a grin.

Lia arched an eyebrow and one of her rabbit ears tilted in disbelief. "Excuse me?" She let the gloves hit the floor. The bunny girl had just gotten used to entering with the position of power of entering an employment interview HOPING to piss off the boss but... this was new. "Not even a shirt? Come on." She did her best to avert her eyes from Lukretia's chest. "I've been in your office. It has a desk. And clothes. For you to wear." Lia tried to change the subject. Naked boxing with Lukretia was about the absolute bottom on the list of things she wanted to do today. "When did you get a pair of lifelike porcelain rape dolls in with matching toy swords, anyway?"

Cardia was secretly thankful someone else had captured her mistress's attention, even if it was that asshole girl in bunny ears. She tried to take the opportunity to slide out of the ring and make herself scarce.

Lukretia's eyes followed down as the boxing gloves hit the floor. She frowned. She looked back up at Lia with a stale expression and then sighed. "You know how I do business. Ze fact zat you are surprised is rather annoying. If you vant to talk terms, zen maybe you should put on a proper uniform. Vhatever you are saying, I know zat you vant nothing more zan to putzose gloves to use. or, maybe, I should take meine off? Perhaps zen you vould really be able to give me a good und proper interview." Lukretia was back to smiling.

She then tilted her head. "Oh? Zey are meine chauffeurs. Zey have grown bored in Germany so I have brought zem over. Ahhh, zere is rarely time zese days to return home." She said, sighing in a sentimental way. "But zat must mean zat business is gut, right?" Lukretia then crossed her arms. "Are you going to stand zere all day being petulant about seeing something you have seen many times over? If so, I vill bring back ze hundchen. Her lack of skill is adequate enough zat I could spar und interview at ze same time, i assure you."

Lia rolled her eyes. "To be honest, I'd rather shoot your ass dead. I'd be doing the world a favor." Lia unhooked her holster and slid her jacket off, keeping it well concealed inside her jacket as she hung it on the training dummy. "But if you're going to be an ass about this. Fine." Lia picked up the gloves and sighed. As worthless and broken as that maid was, Lia would rather be taking the shots than watching her take them, and she wanted to get this over with sooner rather than later. Else Lukretia would just go everywhere naked just to get Lia's goat. She held her hands out for Cardia to tie them up. "And, besides, you just get off when people beat you."

Lia took a deep breath. "Since we're doing this I presume you are going to hire me back. So let's get down to brass tacks." She climbed up to the ring edge, "First bullet point, what the fuck are you thinking you're doing pissing off the White Death? I understand bravado. Hell, I live it. I thought you were paying her to take your abuse, but no, she's not beholden to your stupid ass at all, and you have done everything you can to push her buttons. You realize the word for dumb Krauts who piss off the greatest assassin in the world? Dead, stupid motherfuckers." Lia crossed the ring and squared off across from Lukretia, raising her gloves. "I understand, you're paying me big bucks to keep your ego safe from riffraff, but if you want to buy protection from the White Death, you are not spending NEARLY enough. I am not going to be responsible for anything she does." As satisfying as it was to imagine beating Lukretia's face in, Lia knew that was what Lukretia wanted. She had no intention of giving the German the fight she wanted. She stayed at arm's distance, pestering Lukretia's guard with a few weak jabs. She knew Lukretia was too smart to fall for rope-a-dope but that was the game Lia was playing. If she could finish that meeting without either of them landing a good hit, well, that was what Lukretia wanted least and by default it was what Lia wanted most.

Lukretia maintained her smile the whole way through Lia's annoyed rantings and all while she was laced up. "Someone who only enjoys ze suffering of others is quite a snake indeed. Isn't zat vhy you und Violate get along so vell?" She mused. "Someone who cannot take vat zey dish out is barely vorth anything at all. Violate is so committed zat it is almost impressive. Plus she does it with such style. Lukretia was almost thinking out loud. By al rights, she should hate someone like Violate and part of her did quite a bit. But the two shared similar backgrounds and Violate's charm was infectious even with Lukretia. The fact that she should hate her and didn't was one of the reasons she was still around.

When Lia started up, Lukretia bounced on her feet and took a proper stance. She circled Lia for the moment while the girl explained herself, her smile settling into a determined look as she watched Lia's hands. "Ve vill see now, von't ve." She said as she threw out some pattering jabs after Lia, just to keep some distance. She was willing to hear the bunny out for the moment but she wasn't going to keep this light for too long.

When Lukretia finished her rant, she let her guard slip so that one of Lia's flickering jabs would actually hit her. Of course it wouldn't do much since Lia was not even trying to hit, but with her hand extended, Lukretia lunged forward, trying to catch Lia off guard so she could bury a fist in the bunny's chest and hopefully follow up with a combination to harass Lia and drive her back.

"She does as she vill. I do not condone her presence but it is as you say. I cannot stop her und if she vanted me dead, I vould have been dead. Clearly she has other reasons for being here und I am not concerned. I believe she's moving out anyway. Good riddance."

Lia's eyes narrowed. She did not like being compared to her in such a manner. She almost rose to the bait, but she caught herself. "Violate... I'm... glad you brought her up. Bullet point two, actually. I'm going to kill her at some point. I do not especially want to, but eventually she is going to pick me out as a buzzkill for whatever sadism boners she has. She will stalk me, try her mind games, and she is good at them. Had she met me about three or four years back, I think she could have had me terrified. But now? Eh. Then, one day, when she thinks I won't be expecting it, when she cannot resist the urge any more, she will go for her gun. And that will be it. The last mistake she makes. If you don't want her dead, you need to put some lessons to her. You're the mama hen here, these women are your doing, what you bring to the world, slapping their wrists is your job."

The temptation to punch Lukretia ran up against Lia's knowledge that punching Lukretia would only ever excite her, so when the opening was there, Lia took advantage of it, even if she was not swinging to actually hurt her. Unfortunately, Lukretia was ready. When Lia over-extended herself and took a powerful counter-blow from Lukretia right to her chest. She had forgotten Lukretia's love of boobie punching and regretted stepping back into the ring without a padded bra. She huffed in pain, bringing her guard back up. One of Lukretia's combination blows slipped through, tagging Lia in the face. Duly chastised, she backed up, hissing in pain and frustration. "Good to hear. I don't like her around. Still, antagonizing her is stupid beyond words if you don't know why she is here. Cut it out." Lia backed away, trying to get some space, "Three, Iron Maiden. I assume you know what you're doing. I'll stay the hell away from that if you do. But if you get Chesna hurt by her, then... well, I won't KILL you. Let's leave it at that." Lia would not kill someone who was unarmed... at least in the general case. If Chesna was involved, though... Lia may have just lied. As much as she hated Lukretia, all these threats, all this casual talk of killing burned in her mouth. She hated doing it but she could not sugarcoat anything around Lukretia. The German was a bad influence on her.

Lukretia was satisfied with getting a few decent shots on the bunny. As Lia backed away, Lukretia pressed forward to try and pin the rabbit against the ropes. "I'm sure she knows zat's how it's going to end vith her. She'd be surprised if it happened any other vay." Lukretia smirked as she threw light jabs at Lia to try and keepher busy. "But you may also have to get in lline." She said with a grin.

However, when Lia mentioned Iron Maiden, her gloves dropped to her sides and she stared coldly. "Zen I have some good news for you." She said in a serious tone, devoid of her usual cheerful mockery. "You vill be taking her place at meine side vhen engaging zat kind. Unless, of course, I need ze doktor's skills." Lukretia sighed and smiled gently. "She vill like your ears. I think it vill be a real treat for her to meet you. If I hire you for nothing else, I think zat vill be good enough."

She said and lifted hep gloves up. "Schnell! Box me like a voman, Ms. Cross!" She bellowed and threw herself forward to try and hook Lia in the head with a hard right.

Lia stayed mobile. She rolled with the punches. Lukretia had the bulk of the ring covered but she would find the rabbit hard to keep pinned. Lia kept a good ring presence even as she was taking it on the chin (and in other places) from the German. She kept her guard up, deflecting the jabs and firing a few back to keep Lukretia busy.

Lia scowled at Lukretia's veiled punishment. For a while, Lia was thrilled at the almost suicidal prospect of fighting the beastly Iron Maiden in the ring. But she had seen how the giant responded to that teddy bear. It was hard to tickle Lia's thrill-seeking after that. Plus, standing between Kyla and her pet and Lukretia was probably going to be one of the most dangerous places in the AFW.

To Lia, that would be right where she belonged. Well, it would, were she not preventing two utterly loathsome women from doing AFW a favor and killing each other. "Very well. That is what you pay me for." Lia took a few steps from side to side."You'll understand though that I have a clause in my contract to cover reckless endangerment on your part. I, of course, will also need the authority to schedule mandatory drills so I can ensure you are trained on how to work with me to deescalate a dangerous situation." Lia's smile was anything but pleasant, "Taking a bullet for your charge doesn't mean much if the charge is screaming 'Shoot me and her too!', does it?"

Lia took a deep breath and knocked her gloves fist against her head. She grinned goofily, "Eh, subtlety ain't my thing, Kraut. I saw what you did to that little girl. It was kinda funny, really. Especially the part where you send other people to get their asses kicked for you while you hide behind a child's toy." Lia's smile waned to a contented look of certainty, "Don't try to get funny with me."

When Lukretia lunged with the powerful hook, Lia leaned back and side stepped. She fired a quick punch to Lukretia's gut, but it would land with barely more than a light tap. Dancing around back to the middle of the ring, Lia put her hands behind her back and smiled gaily, "Where do you think we are? We're in a meeting. In your gym. This is a spar. Not a match. Remember, Luky-baby, I'm a mercenary. I don't fight for free."