A Strongfoot Scorned

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Velvet keeps her guard up as she glares at Danielle during her onslaught.

Velvet: Vell I regret to inform you, but I am not ze only Strongfoot in LAW.

All of a sudden, Cashmere comes rushing towards Danielle to knock her off Velvet with a flying knee that would send the Frenchwoman rolling backwards.

Cashmere: Velvet’s enemies are MY enemies, so you mess vith her.. (She enters a Muay Thai stance) you mess vith ME!!

[CaptainL]

At long last, Danielle had Velvet right where she needed her - underneath her, and at her mercy! The redhead's face was fixed in a mask of pure rage as she glared daggers down at Velvet from above, raining down punch after punch against the Norwegian. Velvet did, admittedly, manage to bring her arms up to protect herself - a fact that only made Danielle grumble with frustration - but it wouldn't slow her down. Every punch she threw at Velvet still brought her a sense of satisfaction. After Velvet had proven to be a thorn in her side for far too long, it brought her no shortage of relief to finally tip the scales. Sooner or later, she thought, if she kept this up, Velvet would have to break sooner or later.

What Danielle hadn't anticipated, though, was that Velvet would bring backup. When she heard Velvet speak up, she turned her head toward her, raising an eyebrow curiously. "...Pardon?" she muttered. But she would be answered soon enough - when Cashmere came running in on the scene, flying toward Danielle with a flying knee that sent the redhead flying off of her!

"GAAH! WHAT THE-!?" Dani coughed and sputtered, going tumbling head over heels for a few turns as she hurtled down the hallway. At first, she hadn't even known what had hit her - her ears were ringing, and everything was a blur. Slowly she began to collect her senses, shaking herself out and pushing herself back up to a seated position once she'd finally come to a stop. But even so, when she looked back at the two Strongfoots in front of her...her heart sank, and her eyes went wide. A chill ran over her as she realized the amount of trouble she was truly in. Dani thought that dealing with Velvet was bad enough. Now, there were two of them? And if anything, Cashmere seemed even more skilled of a striker than her cousin was! Danielle didn't like to admit things like this...but she was out of her league. She had picked a fight where she faced an uphill battle to even stand a chance of winning!

"G-Get away..! This isn't fair! You never said you would bring help!" Danielle sputtered, fully realizing that she had no leg to stand on but unwilling to admit fault. She crawled backward, her eyelid twitching as she looked left and right for some way out of this situation. She knew all too well she couldn't hope to beat both Velvet and Cashmere in a straight-up fight, but if there was one thing Danielle did well, it was fighting dirty to even the odds. Seeing a nearby trash can, she went to kick it over and into the Strongfoots' path to try and slow them down, buying her time to scramble to her feet and shove a file cabinet over in the hopes of creating a barricade.

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Both Strongfoots would end up jumping over the trashcan and pursue the Frenchwoman, with Cashmere being able to destroy the file cabinet obscuring their path with a powerful axe kick.

Velvet: Hmpt, do you really think you can try to hide from us?

Cashmere: If you are looking for trouble, I am afraid you have found it..

[CaptainL]

Danielle knew that she was outmatched the moment Cashmere arrived. She had gone into panic mode, focusing on getting herself as far away from the two Strongfoots as she could so that she'd have time to think things through and plan her attack. But when she saw Cashmere splinter the file cabinet in her way with a well-placed kick, the redhead's heart jumped in her chest, and her jaw dropped in sheer terror! What was this woman made of, she asked herself? If Cashmere was capable of that, then what chance could she possibly stand? She hated to imagine what such power could do to her skull!

"I...I..." Danielle looked back and forth, gritting her teeth. A moment ago, she thought that she was on her way to claiming revenge - and just like that, everything had been flipped on its head; the hunter had become the hunted! She was caught in the crosshairs, and every move she could think of making seemed as though it could only end in disaster. But what was she to do now? Surrender? Admit defeat? The very thought made her grit her teeth in disgust - no, Danielle Degardin was better than that! She still didn't know exactly how she was going to get out of this...but she'd do what she needed to!

She had been slowly backing away from the Strongfoots as they advanced, but there, she saw it - a broom closet just to her left! That, she thought, might be just what she needed! "I'll do whatever I please-!" she blurted out, darting into the closet. Once inside, she would hug against the wall, trying to stay out of the way of any prying eyes - and she'd grab a broom to arm herself with. She was sure the Strongfoots would pursue her, and she wanted to be ready to swing the broom handle right into the face of the first person who opened the door!

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Velvet: Zen perhaps my cousin would be able to teach you vhat happens vhen you mess with a Strongfoot..

Cashmere: And it shall be a Last Woman Standing contest.. if you claim to do vhat you please, zen you wouldn’t have a problem kissing ze canvas ven I am through vith you!!

[CaptainL]

When Danielle darted into the closet, she might as well have been hiding for dear life. She felt like she was, to be sure - her heart was pounding in her chest, and her whole body was rigid as she held herself in high alert, clutching the broom, her muscles tense and ready to strike at the first threat the presented itself. But no threat came. The two Strongfoots weren't going to corner her at all, it seemed. They had other plans - challenging Danielle to a Last Woman Standing match against Cashmere!

Even from inside the closet, she could hear their challenge. The moment she heard such a stipulation, Dani felt something drop in the pit of her stomach. She went pale as the color drained away from her face in terror. A Last Woman Standing match? Against a skilled martial artist? Even someone as smug and as confident as Danielle knew that was trouble. This seemed like an invitation to find herself crumpled and broken multiple times over by the time the match ended. But what was even worse...it wasn't like she could turn it down, either. Danielle knew that if she refused this match, everyone would see her as a coward, and as someone who knew she was powerless against the Strongfoots. It would shatter the image of having only lost through a streak of bad luck, an image she would give anything to cling to. It would be tantamount to accepting defeat - and the one thing Danielle hated more than anything else in the world was admitting defeat! She hissed through clenched teeth. She had no choice but to accept if she wanted to save face...no matter how much it pained her to do so.

With the end of her broom handle, Danielle pushed the door open a crack, just enough to look back at Velvet and Cashmere. Her eyelid was twitching anxiously, but she tried to put on the best glare of defiant courage she could. "I'm...f-fine..! If that's what you want...so be it! I'm not afraid of you-!" she stammered out, clutching the broom in her trembling hands.

She could only hope against all hope that some miracle would happen between now and then...

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Cashmere: You say that, but your cowardice says otherwise.. if you don’t vish to face me, zhen zat is fine! Unless you have something to prove..

Velvet: Maybe if she had someone to fight in her place, I vauze able to make her suffer earlier..

[CaptainL]

Danielle's eye twitched when she heard Cashmere call her a coward. For Danielle, image was everything. She was determined to make a name for herself as the most beautiful, glamorous, and upper-class woman in LAW - a true diamond among the common harlots up and down the roster. If Cashmere was casting such doubts on her, it wouldn't do her good name any good. Her whole body shook and she looked back and forth, searching out an escape route she could spring for on short notice. But the moment Velvet brought up someone fighting in her place, a light bulb went off in Dani's head. A smile came to her face, and the tension in her body eased. Yes, that was it. That was her answer! Now, Danielle knew exactly what she needed to do. She wasn't so helpless after all!

"As a matter of fact...I DO have someone who could take my place!" Puffing out her chest with newfound confidence, Danielle stepped out into the hall, staring the two Strongfoots down. Ever since Jade Cho had taken her to her apartment following their POW match, Danielle had found an unexpected ally in the kendoka. Jade had pledged to lend her her loyal service; even if she'd beaten Danielle, she wasn't going to hold the past against her. Now, Danielle had a trained fighter she could call on to back her up, one that she had to admit knew more about martial arts than she did. If anyone could beat Cashmere, Jade would certainly be it!

Now, Danielle stood tall and proud with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face, lording over the Strongfoots as though she'd never been afraid in the first place. "You don't know what you've just gotten yourself into with this offer! My secret weapon is sure to make you regret it!" Except...then, she paused, biting her lip. Didn't Jade say something about needing to go on a trip this time of year? Nevertheless, Danielle put that out of her mind. This was not the time to worry!

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Velvet: Ååå, a secret veapon??

Cashmere: Enlighten us then dear, bring her forth so I can know thy opponent..

[CaptainL]

Danielle stepped out into the hallway now, suddenly reinvigorated with newfound confidence. A moment ago, she had just about been ready to turn and run with her tail between her legs. But now, she had all the answers she needed. She could stand up to the Strongfoots' challenge and put the two Norwegians in their place as well - not only saving face, but hitting them hard when they bore witness to what Jade Cho was capable of! Yes, the day had been saved!

Without the slightest hint of regret, Dani strutted over toward where a phone was hung on the wall. "Oh, as a matter of fact, I can get you acquainted with her right here and now! Just you wait..." She was still chuckling to herself as she picked up the phone and dialed in Jade's number. In just a few moments, she thought, the Strongfoots would see the folly of their actions.

It was with a smug smile on her face that Danielle held the phone to her ear. "Oh, yes, Jade, mon chere? If you don't mind, I have a proposal for you...ah, yes..? Excuse me? W-Wait, what did you just say about Malaysia..? Uh..."

Little by little, the confidence drained away from Danielle's face. Her eyes went wide, her cheeks paled, and her jaw hung open in a gape. After a moment, though, she hung up the phone and loudly cleared her throat. She needed another plan, and fast.

"A-Ahem..! That secret weapon I was talking about...is that I am going to take you up on your offer! Yes, the one and only Danielle Degardin herself!" She puffed out her chest. "You see, uh, I'm set to train between now and our rematch! And I think you'll be quite well impressed with what you see..." All the same, Danielle swallowed a gulp and glanced around from side to side. She hoped it would look somewhat convincing, at least.