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	#Post#: 1550--------------------------------------------------
	A Puncher's Chance - Chapter 7 - The Richelle Treatment
	By: RampageSports Date: May 29, 2015, 9:57 pm
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	A Puncher's Chance - Chapter 7 - The Richelle Treatment
	The team event had just ended, and I was hustling through the
	bowels of Allstate Arena on my way to the RSI locker room.
	All in all, it had been a good event for us. All three teams
	had increased their point totals, and we had a number of big
	wins... including a tremendous performance by Britney Spears
	against the legendary Doutzen Kroes.
	Unfortunately, none of that was on my mind, at that moment.
	No one said a word to me as I made my way through the locker
	room to the medical evaluation area. Trish had just exited one
	of the rooms, and she stopped and waited when she saw me coming.
	"How is she?" I asked.
	"She's alright," Trish said. "Banged up and sore, but otherwise
	she's in decent shape."
	That should have made me feel better. It didn't, and that fact
	must have been apparent on my face.
	"Hey," Trish said as she laid a hand on my shoulder. "She's
	gonna be fine."
	My eyes held on hers for a moment before I nodded gratefully.
	She clapped my shoulder again before she turned to go.
	With my hand on the doorknob, I took a deep breath and tried to
	relax. I could not get emotional once I opened this door.
	Contrary to popular belief, tough girls get to cry for all kinds
	of reasons. Someone taking a beating in a fight, however, is
	not among them.
	No matter who that someone is.
	Once I was sure I had myself together, I turned the knob and the
	door popped open.
	Danni was sitting upright, with her legs dangling from the edge
	of the examination table. In her hand was an instant cold
	compress, which she held against her face in an attempt to
	reduce the swelling. Though the domination had been almost
	total, the fight had been mercifully light on blood, with Danni
	suffering only a few small cuts.
	Still, the damage Candice Swanepoel had done was painfully
	obvious. Enough so that I had to fight off the urge to step
	outside and compose myself, again.
	I let the door close behind me, and we looked at each other for
	a few beats before I spoke.
	"Jesus," I said. "You look like you let somebody punch you in
	the face."
	She smiled.
	"I don't know about the letting part so much, but the result is
	the same."
	"No, I was watching," I said. "You never even tried to stop
	her."
	"F*ck off," she said plainly.
	Neither snow, nor rain nor gloom of a one-sided beatdown stays
	Danni from being Danni.
	In the room there was a high-backed circular stool that the
	medical personnel use during examinations. I grabbed it and
	straddled it backwards, my arms resting on the backrest.
	"How you feeling?" I asked.
	"P*ssed off," she said.
	I nodded. I knew exactly what she meant. I also knew it wasn't
	Candice she was p*ssed at.
	"Sh*t happens," I said with a shrug.
	"I know," she said.
	That was the difference between Danni and Brittany. Danni had
	been doing this long enough that she'd seen it all. She knew
	there was no shame in losing to someone of Swanepoel's caliber.
	Sure, the fact that it had been a rout added a lot of sting to
	it, but she knew enough to just let it go. Tonight had not been
	her night. The only way to deal with it was to put it behind
	you and move on.
	On the other hand, Danni and Brittany shared one personality
	trait I knew I would never break them of. In fact, it was a
	similarity shared by every fighter I'd ever known.
	They would not quit, even when all reason dictated that they
	should.
	It was that stubbornness that kept Danni standing for nearly two
	and a half rounds while Candice had her way with her.
	It was also the reason I had silently chewed my lip until it
	bled as I watched.
	Though I had given Brittany a little bit of a hard time about
	not knowing when to quit, I would not dare say such a thing to
	Danni. She knew me well enough to call my bluff. Even though
	she had never seen me fight, she would still know that I had
	been that way, too.
	"Brittany didn't seem to be suffering any lingering effects from
	her last outing," Danni said, happy to steer the conversation
	away from herself.
	Brittany had been in action again at this event... this time
	against a much more experienced opponent. The odds were
	definitely against her, but she didn't seem to care much. She
	had been cool and confident throughout the fight.
	She had also been victorious.
	"No, she looked just fine," I said.
	"Guess whatever you said to her worked," Danni said.
	"Maybe. Or maybe it was the training she received," I said,
	pushing the credit back in her direction.
	"Maybe she's just good," Danni said.
	"Maybe," I agreed.
	"Did you talk to her, yet?"
	"No," I answered. "You're the first person I've talked to since
	the event ended."
	She looked at me silently as a smile spread across her swollen
	face.
	"What?" I said.
	"You were worried about me."
	The way she said it and the wording she'd chosen made me
	wonder... just for a second... if she'd let herself lose
	deliberately. I set the thought aside quickly, though. I've
	had my ass kicked many a time. Nobody lets that happen to them
	just to prove a point. On top of that, Danni's team had been
	counting on her tonight. So... no way.
	"Nah," I answered. "I knew you'd be alright. You were just
	easier to find because I knew where you were."
	It sounded like complete bullsh*t, even to me.
	"You were worried about me," she said again.
	"Fine," I sighed. "Maybe I was, you know... a little teeny bit
	worried about you."
	Her smile broadened.
	"Now, you know how it feels."
	I wasn't going to admit it, but I've long known what it feels
	like to worry about Danni. I had seen her fight before. I had
	even seen her lose. Though a rout like this was rare, the
	possibility is always there. And, the worrying is always the
	same.
	"You mean the fact that you getting your ass kicked means I need
	a sedative?" I asked. "Yeah, I know how that feels."
	She nodded, satisfied that I had a proper understanding.
	"So, what do I do about it?" I asked.
	"Learn to live with it," she said.
	I nodded.
	"I guess I could do that."
	I reached out and gave her hand a quick squeeze... only a minor
	violation of the "no emotions" rule... then stood to go.
	"So, does this qualify me for the Richelle treatment?" she
	asked.
	I arched an eyebrow at her.
	"I'm sorry. The what now?"
	"You know," she said. "That thing you do when you think
	someone's in trouble."
	"Are you in trouble?" I asked.
	"I don't think so," she said, "but you seem to be better at
	ferreting out those deep psychological issues. Maybe I have one
	of those."
	I narrowed my eyes at her.
	"Are you angling to get in the cage with me, Ms. Harris?"
	"Not at all," she said in a serious tone.
	I gave her a long, disbelieving look, then moved toward the
	door.
	"I'm offering you the chance to get in the cage with me," she
	said.
	I felt a little tingle of excitement as I stopped and smiled
	without turning. Then, I shook my head and exited back into the
	locker room to make the rounds.
	That first person I found was Brittany.
	"Told you I was better than that," she said, referencing the
	disaster that was her previous fight.
	"And I'm pretty sure I told you I already knew that," I said
	with a smile.
	We chatted for a few minutes before I broke away and started to
	work my way out of the room. As I went, I offered a few words
	of praise to Jennifer Lawrence and Petra Cubonova for their
	solid victories. My last stop was a quick chat with Jennifer
	Stano, who had what I felt was a certain victory stolen away by
	the judges.
	Then, it was off to the post event round table with team leaders
	Britney Spears, Elisha Cuthbert and Alyson Michalka. With them
	were the fighters they had chosen as the top performers for
	their respective teams. Britney had selected Emily VanCamp,
	Leesh had brought Julianne Hough and Aly had tapped the lovely,
	yet annoying, Ms. Emma Watson. That group, along with
	development coordinator Stephanie McMahon, were the perfect
	combination to get my mind off of everything else and keep me
	focused on the task at hand.
	Meanwhile, all along, Danni's words were nibbling at the back of
	my brain.
	It was two days later... late, after everyone else had gone...
	when I stepped into her office doorway, clad in the black bike
	shorts and a red compression sports bra. On my hands were a
	pair of black, fingerless MMA gloves.
	When she looked up at me, there was no mistaking the excitement
	in her eyes.
	"If you need me, I'll be in the training room," I said.
	"Alone."
	I didn't wait for her to respond. Just turned and walked away.
	When she got there ten minutes later, I was waiting in one of
	the cages.
	Her attire was identical, except that her top was black. As
	soon as she came through the cage door, I could see the look was
	still there.
	"You sure you want to do this?" I asked.
	"Never been more sure of anything in my life," she said.
	"I don't think you really understand what you're getting
	yourself into."
	"I'll take my chances."
	I wiggled my fingers in the gloves, as I started to circle to my
	right.
	"You know these ain't focus mitts I'm wearing, right?" I said.
	"You know it's your face I'm going to be focusing on, right?"
	she called back as she began to circle, as well.
	"Ohhh-ho-ho... bring it on, sweetie."
	We closed on each other and... the rest shall remain a private
	matter between she and I.
	I'll give you this much, though... the battle exceeded my
	expectations in almost every way. I mean, I knew Danni was
	good, but she was even better than that. I was thrilled just to
	keep up with her.
	Though we went at it for the better part of two hours, neither
	of us had had our fill. So, we met again the following evening.
	And the evening after that.
	Right now, I'm sitting at my desk with a million things to do.
	We have the Global Rivalry tournament coming up, and then all
	hell is going to break loose when the UMMA finalizes the
	franchise reorganization. And what am I doing? Sitting here,
	watching the clock, just waiting for the time to come when Danni
	and I can strap the gloves on and work the stress off of each
	other.
	If this keeps up, I'm not going to have to worry about squeezing
	gym time into my schedule, anymore. Danni is all the workout I
	can handle.
	Which of us is the better fighter, you ask? There is no
	consensus opinion on that, yet.
	But the research continues.
	[hr]
	Character Reference
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	Name: Richelle Winterfeld
	Nickname(s):
	Background: Owner of the RSI stable, former underground fighter
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	Name: Danneel Harris
	Nickname(s): Danni
	Background: RSI stable leader, reigning DEF welterweight
	champion
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	Name: Stephanie McMahon
	Nickname(s): Steph
	Background: RSI's fighter development coordinator, reigning SCQ
	super heavyweight champion
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	Name: Brittany Tacy
	Nickname(s):
	Background: FAC lightweight contender
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	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
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	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
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	Name: Alyson Michalka
	Nickname(s): Aly, Hellcat
	Background: Team leader of The Aly Cats, FAC light heavyweight
	contender
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	Name: Emily VanCamp
	Nickname(s): Em
	Background: Reigning ESL lightweight champion
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	Name: Emma Watson
	Nickname(s): Dr. Watson
	Background: Reigning FAC featherweight champion, training
	partner and romantic partner of Tiffany Mulheron
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	Name: Julianne Hough
	Nickname(s):
	Background: current FAC bantamweight champion
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	Name: Petra Cubonova
	Nickname(s):
	Background: current DEF heavyweight champion
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	Name: Jennifer Lawrence
	Nickname(s): Jen, J-Law
	Background: FAC middleweight contender
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	Name: Jennifer Stano
	Nickname(s):
	Background: ESL middleweight contender
	https://aade768506dacb303a01a361d3dc0d27209a5ec4.googledrive.com/host/0Bz8YsEjM…
	Name: Dr. Patricia Leone
	Nickname(s): Trish
	Background: Head of the RSI medical staff
	#Post#: 1560--------------------------------------------------
	Re: A Puncher's Chance - Chapter 7 - The Richelle Treatment
	By: Dragons Den Date: June 3, 2015, 9:22 am
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	Brilliant! :)
	You two just can't get enough of beating each other up, can you?
	:P I guess, at least, this is mostly in the name of training and
	productivity. :D
	Just, try not to hurt yourself again. :P
	Oh! And I'm glad Danni is alright. Phew. :)
	And I'm also glad Brittany bounced back okay (mostly. :P). Good
	on her. :)
	#Post#: 1562--------------------------------------------------
	Re: A Puncher's Chance - Chapter 7 - The Richelle Treatment
	By: RampageSports Date: June 3, 2015, 9:39 am
	---------------------------------------------------------
	[quote author=Dragons Den link=topic=241.msg1560#msg1560
	date=1433341371]
	Just, try not to hurt yourself again. :P
	[/quote]
	I don't think Danni would hurt me. Well, not permanently,
	anyway. :P
	Thanks, as always, for your feedback. And for reading, now that
	I think about it. :D
	#Post#: 1564--------------------------------------------------
	Re: A Puncher's Chance - Chapter 7 - The Richelle Treatment
	By: Dragons Den Date: June 3, 2015, 9:43 am
	---------------------------------------------------------
	[quote author=Rampage Sports link=topic=241.msg1562#msg1562
	date=1433342366]
	And for reading, now that I think about it. :D
	[/quote]
	Thanks for writing! ;)
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