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       #Post#: 970--------------------------------------------------
       The Friendship Test - Chapter 9 - Problem Number One
       By: Dragons Den Date: December 29, 2014, 12:04 am
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       The Friendship Test - Chapter 9 - Problem Number One
       "The fuck is this?" a woman's scolding voice questioned.
       Sophia and Danni turned to see Olga Kurylenko, the Den's senior
       Lightweight fighter, standing before them, a gym bag at her feet
       and a harsh look on her face.
       Sophia was so stunned she could only answer with her own
       question. "How'd you get in here?"
       "Dragon gave me key to use gym." She glared at Danni. "What's
       this bitch doing here?"
       Danni showed no reaction to Olga's name-calling.  In fact, after
       the initial shock passed, she was surprisingly calm.  Some part
       of her had known all along this little adventure would end in
       disaster.  Olga's appearance was simply the first step in the
       ending she always knew was inevitable.  Her only visible
       response was to reach her hand up and rub at her face in
       frustration as she began to imagine the conversation she would
       soon be having with Richelle.  As for dealing with Olga, she
       simply stood silently as she let Sophia handle the situation.
       While Olga's voice was sharp and unrelenting, Sophia's was
       meeker now, almost trembling. "Hey, easy. Danni's a friend of
       mine. We were just catching up. We're allowed."
       Olga's expression remained fierce. "You catch up in cage? I
       don't think so."
       "I was working late," Sophia explained softly. "I told Danni to
       swing by here because it was easy."
       "She should not be here," Olga said firmly. "You are so weak you
       forget she is the enemy?"
       Danni lowered her hand and set her eyes on the Russian fighter.
       "Olga, not everyone is your enemy," Sophia said.
       "Competition equals enemy. She is from other stable. You fucking
       stupid."
       The RSI team leader could feel the anger growing in her chest as
       her jaw tightened involuntarily.
       "Olga, calm down," Sophia said.
       "I'm calm. You stupid."
       "She's helping me out, okay? It's not a problem."
       Olga studied the two of them, glaring intensely. Then she
       smirked. "What, you asking advice of a real leader?"
       Danni fought to keep her mouth shut, as Olga again belittled her
       own stable leader.  On the list of Sophia's problems, Danni had
       no trouble identifying item number one.
       Sophia's expression also hardened now. "The hell does that
       mean?"
       "See? Stupid. It means you should not be leading here. I know it
       from day one. You are weak." She fixed her stare on Danni. "Now
       because you weak, you bring in enemy."
       The RSI fighter stared right back at her.
       Sophia took a step closer, angling herself between her supposed
       teammate and her friend. She motioned to the door. "Olga, I
       think you should leave."
       Olga laughed. "Make me. If you think you can."
       The two Den fighters stared each other down, Sophia knowing that
       was a bad idea, and Olga just hoping that her stable leader
       would try it.
       And that's when Danni lost the struggle to stay silent.
       "Why are you here, Olga?" she asked coldly.
       Olga rolled her eyes condescendingly. "You also stupid? I
       already tell you. Anyway, I should be here. You should not."
       Danni let the insult pass.
       "No, I mean why are you even here?" she replied.  "Why even join
       with a stable?  You don't seem like much of a team player."
       Sophia tensed as she heard Danni's words come from behind her.
       She still stood between the other two fighters, facing Olga, and
       as such tried her best not to look worried. But she was. She
       knew very well both of Olga's temper and of Danni's principles.
       Either one backing down was about as likely as them shaking
       hands and making up.
       Olga's face soured again. "Team player? You mean sheep? No, I am
       not sheep. I am a leader." She stared straight past her stable
       leader at Danni. "You have sheep at your stable?"
       Danni stepped forward, coming up next to Sophia.  She knew what
       her friend was trying to do, and she knew that she should have
       just kept her mouth shut.  But, it was too late for that, now.
       "You're a leader?" she said.  "Then why aren't you leading
       somewhere?"
       Olga appeared to miss Danni's remark as an insult and took it as
       a genuine inquiry. She rolled her eyes again, this time more at
       the world than at Danni or Sophia directly. "If anybody was
       smart I would be leading here. But no, all decisions are f*cking
       stupid."
       She slowly realised Danni may have been making a point. Then
       Olga was staring down the RSI leader again. "Just because I am
       not in hierarchy of power does not mean I don't have ability to
       lead. And on other side, just because you or this one are leader
       does not mean you do have ability." She switched her glare
       between Danni and Sophia, making the point of addressing them
       both equally as venomously.
       Sophia gulped. This had gone south very fast. She was about to
       speak, but decided not to fight fire with fire. Three of them at
       it would just end in a brawl. And she did not want that.
       Danni, on the other hand, didn't seem all that concerned.
       "I guess people just don't see your leadership qualities," she
       said.  "Maybe they only see you as the selfish bitch you really
       are."  Without thinking, Danni started to advance as she spoke,
       stepping in front of Sophia.  "Maybe Dragon was afraid you would
       treat your teammates like lowly 'sheep.'"
       Olga instinctively mirrored Danni's movements, also stepping
       forward. They were only standing a few paces apart now. Olga
       shrugged at Danni's 'sheep' comment. "If the hoof fits."
       Sophia freaked a little as she realised both women had gotten
       away from her and now stood closer to each other than either did
       to her. She hurried along to the side of them, addressing them
       both at once. "Ladies, let's not-"
       Olga raised her hand, cutting off Sophia quickly, but never
       broke eye contact with Danni. "Sophia, shut the f*ck up. The
       adults are talking."
       Danni's hands were out at her sides, ready for whatever might be
       going on in Olga's tiny little brain.  But, her voice was level
       and calm.  "See?  There you go again," she said.  "There's only
       one person here trying to make the Den better.  And, it's not
       you."
       "But I feel for you, Olga.  I really do," she continued.  "It
       must be so embarrassing to be washed up at such a young age.  It
       seems like you just had the title in your hands.  And now,
       you're not even close."
       Now Olga glared at Danni, full of contempt. "Oh, you think you
       so special with your title. Don't worry, I will have mine again.
       Soon. I am closer than you think." She turned to Sophia and
       grinned smugly. "Some of us are closer than others, right
       Sophia?"
       Sophia almost reacted. She almost called Olga all the things she
       was thinking. But the comment really hit its mark, and she was
       jolted. Instead, she stood still, silently imploding as she
       wondered where the last couple of years of her career had gone
       so wrong.
       Danni tried to pull the Russian's attention back to her.  "You'd
       be a lot closer if your teammates actually wanted to see you
       win," she said, "instead of just hoping you'll leave them
       alone."
       "Tell me... is it hard not having any friends?" she continued,
       "I mean, even when you win... does anybody really care?"
       Olga didn't like that, and decided she'd heard enough out of the
       RSI leader's mouth. She visibly boiled over, her face going a
       deeper shade and her eyes narrowing. She took a quick step and
       gave Danni a shove, instantly moving forward again aiming to
       follow up, her fists now clenched almost as tightly as her jaw.
       Sophia stepped back instinctively, her mouth falling agape as
       the two taller women came together. "No-" she started, but it
       was too late.
       As soon as Olga moved, Danni reacted.  Instead of stepping
       forward, she gave way and absorbed Olga's shove.  As the
       Dragon's Den fighter drew her hands back, Danni reached out and
       snatched the brunette's left hand with her own.  She twisted
       Olga's wrist, forcing the former Bond girl to choose - turn or
       have her wrist broken.  Olga instinctively made the choice any
       sane person would, and Danni had what she wanted.  In one move,
       she bent the Russian's arm behind her back while looping her
       right arm over Olga's shoulder and across her throat.  The
       resulting leverage allowed her to freight train the Baltic
       beauty into the side of the practice cage... pinning her against
       the fence.
       Olga grunted in pained surprise as she was caught by Danni and
       had her body crushed between the redhead and the cage. She tried
       to push back, but with the hold Danni had on her wrist and
       throat, she wasn't going anywhere easily and with Danni applying
       pressure, Olga's footing slipped.
       RSI's team leader leaned into the Russian, bracing her feet and
       using her weight to keep Olga off balance.  "Do you REALLY want
       to do this with me, Olga?" she asked.  "Is this going to help
       you win?"
       Olga moaned in discomfort and frustration as she realised she
       was stuck there as long as Danni willed. With the other woman
       leaning into her back, Olga was pinned breasts first against the
       cage, causing her to grimace. "Ow, ease up b*tch."
       Danni leaned in closer, lowering her voice so Sophia couldn't
       hear.  "We both know why you're here," she said.  "You need
       help.  Going it alone wasn't working, anymore."
       In her less than desirable position, Olga had no choice but to
       listen. For the first time, she actually appeared calm, but
       still remained as stubborn as ever. "I don't know what you
       talking about," she said in between breaths. Pinned, off balance
       and in great discomfort her speech was a little more laboured.
       "I don't need help from pussies." She took another breath.
       "Alone is better than following sheep. That's all there is here.
       Dragons my ass."
       "Don't bullsh*t me," Danni said.  "I know how it is.  The league
       is growing.  Everybody has a stable behind them, now.  You
       couldn't keep up.  You were looking for help and Dragon
       convinced you he could give it to you."  She dropped her voice
       to barely a whisper.  "It's not working, now.  But it can."
       Olga just wanted to walk away. She wasn't interested in talking
       reason with the leader of a rival stable. But, not being able to
       move, she was left with little choice. "You make no sense," she
       said, breathing heavily. "You are rival stable. You should not
       care if it can work."
       "No, but YOU should," Danni said.  "You need this to work if
       you're going to get anything out of it."
       It was hard to tell if Olga was smiling or grimacing, but her
       face seemed to change against the cage. "You should punch me and
       I should punch you and that is all."
       Don't f*cking tempt me b*tch, Danni thought to herself.
       "Tell yourself whatever you want," she said.  "But, if you won't
       help, at least stay the f*ck out the way."
       "I will not help you and you should not help me," Olga said
       flatly. "That is how it is meant. What you want here? Make two
       happy family together? We not even one. Not because of me.
       Because of always fail. And that is everybody fault."
       Danni almost laughed at what Olga was suggesting.
       No, I NOT want make two happy family.  I want pack sh*t and go
       home.
       Olga tried to reposition herself to ease the pain in her
       awkwardly resting back and squashed chest, but got nowhere
       again. She sighed, somewhat defeated. "I let you do what you
       want, so I laugh and say 'I tell you so' when everyone fails."
       She then did her best to turn her head to look vaguely eye to
       eye with Danni, her voice surprisingly soft. "Maybe you good
       leader, but you think you help two stables? I think you don't
       know how bad is ours."
       "I think you don't know what you're talking about," Danni said,
       thinking of the things she knew Sophia was capable of.  "But you
       going away is enough for me."
       She released the hold and stepped clear, ready in case Olga
       decided to try something.
       Olga almost lost all balance and fell as Danni let go. Instead
       she turned and rested with her back against the cage. She shook
       out her left arm and rubbed her wrist gently as she glared at
       Danni. She then pushed off the cage and stretched her back.
       Satisfied that was done with, Olga decided there was no point
       spending any more time in the presence of the other two women.
       She walked past Danni and Sophia, grabbing her gym bag on the
       way back to the door, then turned to Danni one last time. "Touch
       me again I put you in hospital."
       Danni gave no visible reaction.
       Olga glanced coldly between Danni and Sophia. "Enjoy family fun
       time. It won't last long."
       With another look of disgust and a roll of the eyes, Olga headed
       for the exit.
       Sophia stood in shock, still barely able to find words. For some
       reason her first instinct was to make a joke. "So... that was
       Olga. She's in charge of team morale."
       "Yeah, she seems like a real people person," Danni replied
       without a hint of humor in her voice.
       #Post#: 971--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The Friendship Test - Chapter 9 - Problem Number One
       By: Raccoon Date: December 29, 2014, 6:00 am
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  HTML http://www.greensmilies.com/smile/smiley_emoticons_xmas3_igitt.gif
       (Don't know what the smiley is supposed to mean, I just wanted
       to use it)
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