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<span>Spoiler: <span class="bbCodeSpoiler-button-title">Valentina Roberts</span></span>
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</div><hr class="bbc-hr"/><br/><br/>“Oi...” Came the soft murmur of a voice. “Come on....” A little louder this time. “OI V WAKE UP!” The voice yelled in her ear making her jolt awake and upright. She let out a groan as pain radiated from her head. “Ah, rise and shine song bird the earth says hello.” Marshall greeted her in a sarcastic tone. Val let out a groan and flopped back onto the couch pulling the blanket over her head. The sun was still up which meant it was far, far too early for her to be up. “Oi V.” Marshall grumbled. “Come on song bird, it's already 4pm.” She felt something nudge her leg and she let out another groan.<br/><br/>She really, really didn't want to get up.<br/><br/>Reluctantly she shoved down the blankets and winced at the sun coming through the apartment window. She tossed her feet over the side of the couch and grabbed her smokes off the coffee table. A steaming cup of coffee already waiting for her. Marshall could be a real pain in the ass but she had the man at least half way trained. Not that there was anything between them. Marshall and Val were business partners and you didn't dip your pen in company ink.<br/><br/>Not that she was on that side of the fence anyway.<br/><br/>Marshall plopped down in a chair across from her scrolling through his phone. “Oh, hey the Myer's park fight has ten thousand views.” He grinned flipping the phone around to show her. “See, put in the effort and training and it won't be long before your fighting in the pro's my little grasshopper.” Marshall said with a satisfied nod.  Val let out a grunt and sipped her coffee. “Yeah, seedy underground fights and being a criminal enforcer will really help.” She muttered. She had spent the last three years trying to get into the pro MMA circuit. It wasn't until the last year that she had really started making progress and growing a small following. Marshall shook his head flipping through the phone again. “Bah! It worked for Kimbo Slice, it'll work for you. You got the bad girl resting bitch face thing going on that everyone loves. Besides how else are we going to pay the bills?” Val let out a huff, she really couldn't argue with the last part anyways. “Covering your Ma's debts ain't helping either.”<br/><br/>Val didn't say anything just stared at the ash tray. It had been right at the end of her freshman year of high school and just before she had hit her 'wild phase' as her mother would call it. Her father had suffered from boxer's dementia and his health issues had gotten especially worse around then. After her father passed away they had moved. Things had only gotten worse after that. Eventually she had dropped out and managed to snag a GED.  Much to her mother's dismay Val had decided to follow in her father's footsteps. She had been in martial arts since she was a kid and her father had personally taught her how to box. Marshall had been a shady friend of her fathers and agreed to coach her and manage her fights. 'Branding' had apparently fallen under the managerial duties as well. He managed her social media and internet presence with surprising finesse for his age. Val didn't even bother to check her social media anymore. Not like there was many people she wanted to talk to anyways. When things got tight Marshall would find seedy back alley fights or jobs that required some physical intervention. She wasn't proud of it but money was one.<br/><br/><br/>Val polished off the cup of coffee and stretched her arms rolling her shoulders. “What's on the agenda for today?” Val asked. She doubted Marshall had managed to get her a fight for the night. Chances were it was training, more training, and even more training. Marshall grinned from behind the phone. “Today is a day of rest song bird. That fancy club you like recently reopened and after a fight like last night you need it. Go, have fun, get laid, fall in love.” Marshall said waving a hand at her. “Don't forget though you have an appointment tomorrow at noon with a potential sponsor. Don't be late and be on your best behavior.” She nodded only half listening. If it was really that important then Marshall would remind her. She snubbed the cigarette in the ash tray and climbed to her feet. It had been a while since she took a day to herself. It had been even longer since she had gone out somewhere not for work or a fight. “Yeah, a night out is just what the doctor ordered.” She muttered and headed for the shower. “What are you going to do tonight?” She called out over her shoulder. Marshall gave a non-commital grunt. “Probably weeb shit.” Val muttered to herself.<br/><br/><hr class="bbc-hr"/><br/>Val stared at herself in the mirror pulling down the corner of her lip with a hooked finger. Huh, you could barely notice her chipped tooth. Hell, for once she wasn't sporting a visible bruise. Though you could spot a small crick on the bridge of her nose where it had been broken. She had even gone all out and put earrings in. She had slicked back her mousy brown hair keeping it short for practical reasons more than anything. She had decided on combat boots, tight fitting jeans, and a simple black tank top with a leather jacket over it. Simplistic was more her style than anything. She didn't have the patience or skill to use a lot makeup and she would never be caught dead in a dress.<br/><br/>She passed Marshall on her way out of the apartment doing exactly what she had expected. He had cheap takeout and his nose buried into a manga. She rolled her eyes and flagged down a taxi. She could have walked but in this part of town she didn't want the trouble.<br/><br/>It wasn't until Val was standing in front of the club proper did she realize how much she really missed it. She had been coming since before she could 'legally' enter the club. At first it was mostly because the drinks and music were decent. She had stuck around when it had become a hot spot for reuniting with old acquaintances and a the occasional friend. She had even caught up with a few people from back in school. A trip down memory lane to a simpler and better time. She greeted the bouncer with a fist bump and warm greetings. She was on first name basis with most the staff and on occasion helped as a bouncer during big events. She couldn't remember the last time she had paid a cover fee or full price for drinks.<br/><br/>“God I missed this.” She muttered to herself soaking up the atmosphere of the club. It was exactly how she remembered it. She crossed the length of the club shouting out greetings and waves as she made her way to the bar. “Stella!” Val greeted with a grin. The chipper blonde waved in greeting already setting two shot glasses on the bar and filling them up with a clear liquor. Val clanked glasses with the girl and tipped her own back. It probably said something about her that the strong liquor didn't even burn on the way down.<br/><br/>Stella filled her up a bit taller of a glass and Val picked it up beginning to make her way around the club. For as anti-social as she could be at times she was surprisingly friendly. More than a few people were happy to talk with her for a bit. It was just like old times and was exactly the break she needed. She seen a lot of familiar faces but not really anyone in particular she was looking to hang out with. It wasn't long before she found herself back at the bar getting a refill and letting out a sigh.