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#Post#: 196--------------------------------------------------
Nightmare Relived
By: RampageSports Date: August 21, 2014, 5:57 pm
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This one's pretty recent, and I think it's the last previously
posted story I have. It appeared in the press release for the
most recent ESL event. The only reason I'm posting it is
because it sets up the events for the new story I'm almost done
with.
All of the background for this one is in the story itself.
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July 24, 2014
I can't believe it happened again.
Those familiar with Tiffany Mulheron's long road to the
championship know the story of the terrible night when she was
completely destroyed in the cage by nemesis Nadine Coyle. But,
you also know the story of her amazing and courageous comeback
from that night. You know how, with the help of her friends and
teammates, Tiffany trained and prepared and steeled herself to
return to the cage and face down Nadine, once more. And, most
importantly, you know how Tiffany found a way to finally unseat
the long-standing champion, even if it was short-lived. It was
a glorious comeback that culminated in ultimate vindication for
Tiffany and her teammates.
And, yet... somehow... here we are. Back where it all started.
I won't go through the blow-by-blow of tonight's championship
fight between Nadine and Tiffany. If you want to know the
details, you can check the official UMMA round-by-round
commentary. Or, you can simply look back to the details of that
terrible night that had seemed such a distant memory. Tonight,
just as then, Nadine crushed Tiffany into a bloody, helpless
wreck.
After the fight, I hurried back to the RSI locker room to talk
with Tiffany. As I entered, I found Emma Watson, her training
partner, sitting alone on a bench with tears in her eyes.
"Where is she?" I asked.
"She finished with the training staff and went straight to the
press conference," Emma said softly.
"Did you talk to her?"
Emma shook her head. "She wouldn't talk to me. She just left."
Uh, oh.
Emma and I arrived at the press conference just as it was
starting. Danni was already there, and we quietly slid in next
to her. Tiffany took her seat, and didn't bother to wait for a
question. "I have no excuse for my performance here tonight,"
she said with a cold, stony expression on her face. "I
humiliated myself, my teammates and my stable. I know that I'm
better than this, but knowing it doesn't mean anything. I have
to show it when the pressure's on, and I didn't." She stopped
and looked out at her audience... her stoic expression cracking
only slightly as her gaze fell upon Danni and Emma, who have
been by her side since she joined us at RSI. She swallowed
hard, and continued. "I let myself down, and, more importantly,
I let my friends down. I am disgusted and ashamed of myself.
And I honestly don't know where I go from here." Her remarks
finished, she pushed away from the table and left the room.
By this point, tears were rolling down Emma's cheeks as she tore
off after her friend. I turned to Danni.
"What the hell happened in there, tonight?" I asked.
"I don't know," she said honestly, as she wiped away a stray
tear of her own. "She didn't look right from the minute the
fight started. She looked... well she looked like a rookie.
Her head was never in the fight." Then, her jaw tightened and
her eyes narrowed. "And Nadine..." she growled. "That f*ckin'
Nadine..."
"Nadine did exactly what you'd expect she'd do, Danni," I said.
"But she's not supposed to be able to do it to Tiffany,
anymore."
We made our way back to the locker room, where we found Emma
sitting and stoically watching Tiffany unload her locker into
her gym bag. Our youngest champion turned to me, and I motioned
with my head for her to leave so I could talk to Tiffany alone.
She and Danni stepped out of the room, while Tiffany just kept
throwing her things in the bag... seemingly oblivious to my
presence.
"You're not going to even talk to me?" I asked after a few
moments.
"Not much to say."
"So, that's it?" I said, the frustration clear in my voice.
"You're just gonna quit?"
"You were there tonight. You saw what happened."
"I saw what you let her do to you, yeah."
She spun to face me, a flash of anger in those pools of green.
"What's THAT supposed to mean?"
"It means where the f*ck was your head, tonight?" I shot back at
her. "Because it wasn't in that cage."
She turned away... once again fiddling with the crap in her
locker. "I got my ass kicked. I'm not going to make excuses."
I reached out and touched my hand hand to her shoulder.
"Tiff... what's going on?"
She shrugged me off. "Nothing." Slamming the locker closed,
she snatched up her bag and headed for the door.
"Tiffany!" I called after her. "You can't just let it end like
this."
She stopped, but kept her back to me. "I just need some time,"
she said finally.
I breathed a small sigh of relief. "Well... where are you
going?"
"Home." And then, she was gone.
No sooner had Tiffany walked out when Emma flew in, followed by
Danni. "What happened? Where is she going?"
"She said she's going home," I replied.
"Well... is she coming BACK?"
I shrugged. "It sounded like she was. She said she just needed
time."
Emma looked silently back at the door for a few moments. Then
she mumbled something softly to herself. I'm not sure of
exactly what she said, but I'm pretty sure I heard things like
"I'm sorry" and "I didn't mean it."
"What?" I asked her. The mumbling stopped, and she went back to
silently studying the door.
"I'm going with her," she said finally, striding toward the
exit.
"Emma, WAIT!" I called after her. "You're on the card for next
week. You can't just leave."
She turned and looked at me, then looked back at the door. "I'm
sorry, but I have to. I'll see you in a few days." And then
she was gone, too.
I turned and looked at Danni. "Am I still in charge around
here?" I said exasperatedly.
She just smiled. "What made you think you ever were?"
Danneel Harris, ladies and gentlemen. What a riot.
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