She knew how much Yuki Kazikura had been hoping to win the Lightweight Championship. She knew how thrilled she was to attain number-one contender status, and to go so far as to challenge Aoi Fukiwara for the belt. She had given it a valiant effort, but ultimately she fell just short of her goal in the end - and Haruka could only imagine the disappointment she felt to reach so far, only to miss the mark. But if that wasn't bad enough, it was even worse seeing Yuki take on Rose Gold at We Are LAW 2020, a match that had been a crushing defeat for her that left her withdrawing from the public eye in order to train and regain her confidence.
Haruka knew all of this. She was, after all, Yuki's best friend in school, and Yuki had confided in her. When the two of them graduated, Yuki told her that she was going to return to the ring more determined to do her best than ever before, and Haruka had been behind her all the way. She just hoped that she could do more to help her friend out. But she was no wrestler herself, and there was no way someone like her would ever be able to keep up with the grueling routine Yuki put herself through.
That was, until she learned of how We Are LAW 2021 would crown the inaugrual Lawless title through a title hunt in the promotion's headquarters. It was no surprise she'd be quick to catch wind of this; she was, after all, working with the official LAW Magazine as an intern by now, and she was privy to all the stories. However, she soon realized what an opportunity this brought to her.
If the Lawless championship would be defended 24/7, there was nothing saying she would need to get in the ring in order to win it. She already worked in the same building it was being held. All she would need to do was to find it first. Then, she could present it to Yuki, and quietly allow her old friend to pin her with a ref around to see it. And then Yuki would be the champion she knew she was always meant to be! It was so simple, yet it all fell perfectly into place. Sure, she would have to deal with the other women who were out to get the title first - women far larger, stronger, and more brutal than she could ever hope to be. But that's why she came prepared.
That's why she was in the office now, her grip tightened around a baseball bat as she stood ready to strike at anything she might need to. She snuck quietly through the halls, peering around corners to check that the coast was clear until she came to a block of cubicles. It'd be a lot of places to look, but she just needed to be careful. She turned the corner to the first row...
...And then, she froze.
Spoiler
"U-Uh..." Her voice wavering, Haruka raised her free hand, backing away slowly. "H-Hello..?"
Viper had no use for words. She picked up a rolling chair from beside her and threw it directly for Haruka. The intern barely had any time to react before it plowed straight into her, bowling her off her feet. She was out cold before she had even hit the floor.
Without another word, the green-haired girl walked over to pick up the bat from Haruka's side. She tapped it in her palm a few times, getting a feel for its weight in hre hands, before she slung it over her shoulder and continued on her way.
Coming up from the fire escape outside, Viper had broken in through the window, arriving at the building through one of the higher floors. In this way, she was hoping to get a head start and avoid any other participants who might already be brawling with one another, figuring that the front door would be too predictable a route. But she would still use her quickness and agility to dart through the halls, peering around corners and into rooms to check her surroundings for any leads and moving fast enough to avoid staying in the same place long enough, while also doing her best to stay quiet. She knew that doing so in heavy combat boots presented its own challenges, but she wasn't particularly perturbed. If she got into a fight, she got into a fight - and now that she was armed with a baseball bat, she could even the odds. Of course, she'd also stocked her pockets with thumbtacks, mist capsules, and if she really wanted to threaten someone, her trademark switchblade. And if all else failed, her submission skills would serve her just as well.
Viper knew who else was here, and who she could expect to run into. She didn't really care either way who she would have to face - she was sure she could take apart anyone she needed to, especially that Liger girl. If Viper was more of an emotional type, she would even find it fun shattering the dreams of such a naive and hopeful girl who had no idea what she was in for. The heavyweights, like Cali and Jess, would present their own problems, and Viper wanted to stick to those battles she could pick with those her own size. But if worse came to worse, she was fully prepared. She wasn't afraid of anything - to be afraid would mean she'd have to care more.
But she only cared about one thing. And that was that the Lawless Championship would be hers.