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#Post#: 1845--------------------------------------------------
Middle Management - Chapter 2 - Leveled
By: RampageSports Date: July 30, 2015, 10:04 pm
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Middle Management - Chapter 2 - Leveled
I found Elisha in the locker room later that evening. She was
calmer, but definitely not happier. In fact, she looked totally
dejected as I took a seat a few feet down the bench and watched
her sullenly shuffle items in and out of her locker.
She gave no indication she noticed my being there, which I
assumed was intentional. The locker room was practically empty,
so she had to know I was there.
"So... tough day?" I said after a few minutes.
"I don't need to be saved," she said curtly.
"I know," I replied. "That's why I'm not in my hero outfit."
Contrary to my typical approach to these things, I wasn't
dressed for the cage. No gloves, no workout attire... none of
that. Just a light green, sleeveless blouse over a pair of
loose-fitting blue jeans.
"That's a shame," she said. "I really feel the need to punch
someone."
"As much fun as that sounds, I don't think it's the best idea,
right now."
She sat still for a moment, likey considering how her last
sparring session had ended.
"You're probably right," she said with a sigh.
Truth is, a little workout with Leesh probably would be fun,
under normal circumstances. I have a soft spot for fighters
like she and Tiz. They don't seem to have the natural abilities
the greatest fighters have, but they have something special that
let's them hang on. Leesh doesn't overwhelm opponents with her
skill. She grinds them down and wears them out. She takes the
hits, but she keeps coming. Sometimes, it almost seems like her
foes just surrender, having grown tired of hitting a brick wall.
Thinking about it now, I wondered why we hadn't sparred in the
past. Though I've become an active part of the training at RSI,
I spend the bulk of my time with the newer athletes...
preferring to let the veterans work with their more experienced
peers. But, I've tangled a time or two with some of those
higher line fighters. I've just never gotten around to Elisha.
Probably something we should rectify, once we got past whatever
was going on with she and Britney.
"What happened out there today?" I asked.
She shook her head and said, "I don't really want to talk about
it."
I sat and waited. After a moment, she glanced at me out of the
corner of her eye.
"You're not going to leave, are you?"
"Nope," I said.
"Super," she said.
We paused again while I waited for her to say something more.
She didn't, so, after a while, I did.
"You really think it's better if you and Britney split up?"
"I think it's not working the way it is," she said.
I wrinkled my nose.
"You're right there at the top of the division," I said. "Both
of you are."
"Yeah, well... I don't know how that could be," she said.
"Neither of us seem to be able to win when we need to."
Her voice had a strange mix of disgust and resignation. It was
especially odd coming from Leesh, who, in my experience, had
never resigned herself to anything. You put a barrier in her
way, and she'd kick it down. Sometimes, she kicks things just
for fun.
"Look, I know this isn't the way you wanted to come back from
your injury. But, come on... you're still in this thing."
"Whatever."
"So, you've had some tough losses. Losing to Britney and Malin
is not exactly an embarrassment. You did well against
Ellingson, and you're probably going to get another shot at her.
You just need to keep at it."
"I guess," she mumbled.
I was starting to feel like I was talking to Steph.
"Are one and two word answers all I'm going to get from you?"
"I'm just sick of this!" she shouted. "Sick of it!"
Okay. That was more than I was looking for.
"Woah... easy Leesh."
"How many title shots is she gonna get?" she snapped.
"She... what?"
"Britney," she said. "How long can she keep going on like
this?"
The sudden shift in topic left me so disoriented, I felt like a
cartoon character trying to stop my eyes from rolling around
like marbles.
Elisha, meanwhile, was suddenly full of the fire and passion she
was known for.
"This makes three," she said. "Why can't she get over the hump?
She's good enough, right?"
"Well, she's... Yeah. She's good enough."
"Then, what's the f*cking story?"
"What are you talking about? Akerman. Vandervoort. Kroes.
She's beaten them all."
"But not for the title."
I shrugged.
"When you're competing on that level, you're gonna lose, Leesh.
She just hasn't had the right timing."
"So, that's it? Bad timing?"
"Yes," I said. "She's won tournaments and special events.
She's won tough fights for her team. She comes through all the
time. So, we know she can. It just hasn't come together in
these title fights. What else could it be?"
"I think she needs to change up her training."
"You mean switch training partners."
"Yeah."
"Oh, get the f*ck outta here," I said dismissively. "You two
are great for each other, and you always have been. There's no
one that's going to help her more than you."
"Well, then find someone," she said, "because I'm not doing it,
anymore."
She stood up to leave, but I spun over the bench and blocked her
path.
"Leesh, this is nuts," I said. "I know you're pissed off, but
this is not the answer."
She tried to step around me, but I cut her off.
"Stay here and talk to me," I pleaded.
"I'm done talking," she said coldly. "Now get out of my way."
We were face to face as she glared at me, and I was reminded of
the last time she had looked at me that way.
After Elisha had suffered a difficult injury in a bout between
she and Britney, I had called her in with the intention of
letting her go. Injuries were bad enough to deal with, and I
didn't have the stomach to handle one RSI fighter injuring
another. I was new to ownership, and I thought I could avoid
the possibility of such a thing happen again. I know better
now, but that's beside the point.
Leesh had hobbled into my office on one foot, and the
conversation had gone south in a big hurry. Once she'd leveled
those icy blue eyes at me, they stayed locked on. Britney
eventually intervened, and we worked everything out amicably.
Which was good, because I remember thinking that carrying out my
original decision was going to require physically throwing Leesh
out of the building, booted foot and all.
So, I knew we had two choices as to where things went next in
this little stand-off.
I brought my hands up, palms facing out.
"Fine," I said quietly as I stepped aside.
She looked at me for another moment, then moved briskly out of
the locker room.
I dropped heavily back down onto the bench.
So much for my magic.
Maybe it only works when I hit someone.
[hr]
Character Reference
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Richelle_100x120.jpg
Name: Richelle Winterfeld
Nickname(s):
Background: Owner of the RSI stable, former underground fighter
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Danni_100x120.jpg
Name: Danneel Harris
Nickname(s): Danni
Background: RSI stable leader, reigning DEF welterweight
champion
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Britney_100x120.jpg
Name: Britney Spears
Nickname(s): Brit, Queen B
Background: Team leader of Britney's Brutal Beauties, DEF
middleweight contender, training partner and close friend of
Elisha Cuthbert
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Elisha_100x120.jpg
Name: Elisha Cuthbert
Nickname(s): Leesh
Background: Team leader of Leesh's Lethal Ladies, DEF
middleweight contender, training partner and close friend of
Britney Spears
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Stephanie_100x120.jpg
Name: Stephanie McMahon
Nickname(s): Steph
Background: RSI's fighter development coordinator, reigning SCQ
super heavyweight champion
HTML https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjMxOhMMXhVcF82aG5SXzA/Ashley_100x120.jpg
Name: Ashley Tisdale
Nickname(s): Ash, Tiz, Blondie Girl, Sharpay
Background: ESL bantamweight contender
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