Post by SammieSinclair on Sept 29, 2014 12:47:51 GMT
“Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is scheduled for one fall,” the Announcer addressed the swelling crowd, “with a fifteen minute time limit. Introducing first, hailing from Roswell, New Mexico… she stands five feet five inches tall and weighs in tonight at one hundred and twenty-five pounds, would you please welcome… LAAAUUURRRAAA DIIIAAAMMMOOONNNDDD!!!!”
The name alone was enough to draw an enthusiastic roar from the Jungle Dwellers--Diamond had built herself a considerable fan following up north, one that just might put her on the highway down to Florida before too very long. But while a relative newcomer to the business, the music that accompanied her name was decidedly old school—namely Steppenwolf’s ‘Born to be Wild’ In addition to the music pumping out over the speakers, there’s also the sound of a revving engine—and that sound was decidedly live. A moment later, and its source—a Harley Davidson—drove onto the stage, the house EXPLODING in approval. Of course, it’s not just the bike that impressed them. The well-built brunette lovely astride the hog, her silver fightin’ two piece visible underneath an open black leather jacket and chaps, her eyes hidden behind shades, was certainly deserving of plenty of praise.
BORN TO BE WILD:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnB-dnJVlcs&feature=related
LAURA DIAMOND:
Riding her bike all the way down to ring, Laura took a turn away from the ring steps, parking her Harley near the other post. Slipping off her mount, the young brunette removed her shades, slipping them into the pocket of her jacket. Then, beaming, Diamond took a quick lap around the ring, reaching to slap as many hands as she could before bounding up the steel steps. Sliding through the ropes, Laura leapt onto the middle rope, pumping a fist to an appreciative cheer, before jumping down and beginning the process of slipping out of her leathers.
With Laura and the Jungle Dwellers entertaining one another the Announcer was free to resume his duties. “And introducing her opponent, hailing from Belasco Maine,” a small cheer went up, Belasco was only an hour or so outside of Bangor and there were a handful of locals who always made the pilgrimage for Jungle shows, “She stands at five feet seven inches tall and weighs in tonight at one hundred and thirty-three pounds. They call her Miss Murder, ELISE WINTERREST!”
OUT OF THE BLACK:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_d_C5b-BD4
Boos joined the cheers this time and in far greater numbers. While some might’ve appreciated Winterrest’s local girl made good’ story, most everyone else loathed her antics between the ropes with a fiery passion. Love her or hate her, it didn’t stop the pounding, staccato drumbeat of Royal Blood’s ‘Out of the Black’. Elise arrived in time with the drums, the northeast indy standout and newest Jungle acquisition brushing through the curtain to better survey tonight’s prey. Dark of eye, hair and humor and heart, Winterrest’s fair skin made her a cruel shard of winter even in the depths of a Vacationland summer. But her complexion changed right along with everyone else’s when the house lights went down and the aisle lights blazed forth in an eerie, fiery red. Chucking at the startled murmur that trick never failed to produce, Winterrest started toward the squared circle, taking great care to avoid several hands extended in her direction.
ELISE WINTERREST:
For her encounter with the Asphalt Angel, the bendy-backed brunette wore a short shift of black silk that shined like oil in the flickering red light. Dresses were usually frowned upon as ring attire but this one earned a pass because everyone could see the small black pads at knee and elbow and the matching boots that stopped just shy of the knee. There was something written in red on her boots and it was only the newbies who had to wait until the lights went up to find out they red ‘Redrum’.
Almost to the ring now, Elise paused in front of one of her hopelessly enamoured fans but when he extended a hand she moved in close and held a finger to his lips, a beguiling bit of control that echoed the line pouring through the speakers. So don’t breathe when I talk, ‘Cause you haven’t been spoken to.’ Gone before he had a chance to do anything more than blink, Miss Murder ascended the steps in silence, slipped between the ropes and claimed the center of the ring without so much as glancing at her opponent.
A hand went to the nape of her neck and stayed there as Winterrest turned to all four sides of the arena, the wicked brunette meticulous in deciding who deserved the full force of her regard. Finally settling on the side opposite the hard camera, she tugged at an unseen knot and the silk puddled around her feet to leave the newcomer clad in a halter-style black one piece cut high over the hips and low across the back. Its most striking feature however was the series of four sharp diagonal slashes that revealed bright arterial red beneath the black. The lights returned once her battle attire was properly revealed so Elise Winterrest padded to the corner across from Diamond and settled in to contemplate the impending carnage.
Laura’s smile died with the CLANG of the bell, despite her friendly show for the fans she hadn’t forgotten about what Elise did to Selia Brach in her debut, nor the way she’d treated several of her friends during the subsequent weeks. Eyes locked on the insouciant brunette, she pushed clear of her corner and made a beeline for the opposite side of the ring.
Far from concerned with the other woman’s fiery approach, Elise made no move to meet Laura’s charge, let alone flee. It wasn’t until Laura was within three feet that Winterrest dipped her torso and threaded it between top and middle rope. “Pull her back, please.” she told the official without even glancing at Diamond. “I fear my foe has less than honorable intentions at this moment.”
Laura almost booted her in the gut anyway, but she didn’t want to start with the ref on her case, so she raised her hands to shoulder level and backed off far enough to satisfy all parties concerned. “You can hide behind the rules all you want, baby.” Diamond called when Elise extricated herself from the ropes. “It’s not going to stop me from kicking your ass. You might’ve tricked Selia, you can’t trick me.”
The Icy Manipulator laughed very softly. “My dear, you’ve already been tricked. You’re in the ring, aren’t you?”
Laura frowned, closed in faster than before and snapped, “Oh C’MON!” when Winterrest dipped between the ropes again.
The referee shooed Diamond back, but he favored Elise with a stern look as well. “Enough of that garbage, Elise. Try it a third time and I’ll look the other way.”
“I guess that explains why you’re tucked away up here and not working matches in Orlando.” That shut him up so Winterrest pulled her torso back into the squared circle and took a single step forward. “Very well, dear. You wish to avenge the tiny powerlifter? Then step forward and bring your best. But before you do, pause to consider a question. What loser will they send to avenge you?”
Laura only shook her head. “I’d be more worried about who they send to scrape you off the NNNGGGGHHH!”
Elise darted out of the corner viper-quick and put Laura’s head on a swivel courtesy of a nasty Bytch Slap. Drawing back to within a step or two of her corner in an instant, Miss Murder sniffed, “It was a rhetorical question, little girl. They’re not going to send anyone to avenge a piece of flotsam like-- Diamond flat out charged her, yet Winterrest still found the time to crouch and thread her ankles around the other brunette’s lead foot. A little twitch sent Laura tumbling to her knees and into an unpleasant face-first encounter with the second turnbuckle.
TURNBUCKLE DROP TOE HOLD:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy9QoKJkqoM
Stunned by the collision, Diamond reached for her head with both hands, then let out a surprised grunt when Elise snatched her wrists. “The second turnbuckle so rarely receives the attention it deserves,” Winterrest purred once she’d worked her opponent’s arms beneath the middle rope and pulled them back over top, nocking the rubber-coated steel in the crook of Laura’s elbows, “so I’m sure it appreciates even a little face time with one as tawdry as yourself.”
“Bytch,” Diamond wrenched and twisted in an attempt to free her wrists but found no success, “your face is going to have some quality time with my boot as soon as I’ve EEERRRGGGGAAAAAHHHHH!”
Stepping back to put the screws to Diamond’s arms, Elise raised her right foot, planted it against the side of the trapped lovely’s face and pushed forward to grind her cheek against the rough canvas. The modified Surfboard earned a pained ‘oooohhh’ from the crowd and a grimace from the official. He’d seen a lot, but he’d never seen that. Innovation aside, it was still an illegal hold and after a moment he said, “All right Elise, let her loose.” She released Diamond’s wrists and pulled her foot away at once. No sass, no dirty looks, just immediate compliance. “Ummmh, thanks.” he muttered. “I appreciate that.”
“As I appreciate your studious observance of the rules.” Winterrest said it with a pleasant smile, then turned and snapped a nasty little kick into the underside of the middle buckle. Diamond cried out and reared back onto her knees with both hands pressed to her face, so Elise drew a bead and drilled a Forearm Smash across her shoulders. That sent her sprawling chest-first into the bottom turnbuckle, which might’ve been considered an improvement over her earlier predicament if the other brunette hadn’t planted a boot between her shoulders as she claimed a mount on the second rope. Wearing the expression of someone lost in a menial, but enjoyable chore, Elise leapt from the buckles, raised her knees to about hip level and swung down ‘n in to THWHUMP both feet against Diamond’s back.
DOUBLE STOMPS IN THE CORNER @ 1:16
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoKvTozbZeU
“NNNNGGGHHHH!” Laura threw her head back as the stomp compressed her spine and sternum at the same time. Pleased enough with the initial result to try again, Winterrest hopped up and delivered a second emphatic stomp to her prey’s back. Diamond’s groan was a little softer this time, not because it was any less painful, but because there wasn’t enough air in her lungs to give proper voice to the anguish. And yet this didn’t stop the black-clad brunette from delivering a third stomp, one answered with a faint wheeze from poor Laura. The count started after the second stomp, so Elise dismounted at ‘THREE!’
“It seems that you are not nearly as immune to trickery as you might have believed.” Elise exclaimed to her foe’s trampled back. “And yet rather than answer with a simple, ‘I told you so’, I believe this will be far more effective in proving my point.”
She leaned down, grabbed hold of Diamond’s shiny silver waistband and pulled down instead of up. The Jungle Dwellers let loose with an embarrassed sort of cheer when a good three quarters of Laura’s buns were bared and it turned into a full on ‘Oh No She DIN’T!’ ‘oooooooohhhhh!’ when The Icy Manipulator SLAPPED those defenceless glutes.
Cool air and hot palm on her backside brought Laura back to her senses at once and those distended togs were set to rights in a matter of seconds. Though pride and anger demanded she go after the sneaking bytch right freaking now, instinct held Diamond in check for the moment. Down on one knee, she turned to face Winterrest and shook her head in disbelief. “You’ve got some nerve, bytch. I’ll give you that.”
Elise looked mildly rankled at what she considered a gross underestimation of the situation thus far. “Please, dear. In less than four minutes I’ve had my boot on your cheek and my hand on your fat little ass. I’d say I’ve got a great deal more than just nerve.”
Laura nodded. She hated to concede the point but Winterrest was right. Getting to her feet, the Road Rager raised both hands to chest level and quickly cracked her knuckles. “All right, I’ll give you both of those. Know what else you’re about to get?”
Elise answered with an evil smile; she did so love it when good girls tried to be bad. “Please dear, do tell.”
“A concussion.”
Laura lunged at Miss Murder with her hands purposely raised a bit too high and when Elise bought the bait and fired off a Toe Kick, she caught her ankle in both hands. Already humiliatingly aware of her foe’s quicksilver adaptability, Laura didn’t bother with a taunt or even a smug look, she simply pulled Winterrest’s leg up as high as she could, then tossed it down and back. The violent swing of it swept Elise off her plant foot and she THWHUMPED down on her face and chest, much to the delight of Diamond and the Dwellers.
There wasn’t much time to celebrate though, Elise made it to her knees almost at once and Laura knew she’d be vertical shortly thereafter. To prevent that from happening she pwaaaked a few Forearm Smashes against the side of Winterrest’s skull, then whirled around and ran the ropes. Coming back under an excellent head of steam, she hopped up, twisted sideways and bowled the Icy Manipulator over with a low angle Flying Crossbody that proved just as effective in pinning the recipient’s shoulders to the mat. With Elise wriggling beneath her, Laura collected the far leg in a tight cradle and bobbed her head along with the…
ONE…
TWO…
Winterrest shoved the domineering woman clear with a full second to spare, which just so happened to be the length of her reprieve. Immediately seeking out her foe’s hair, Laura treated Elise’s scalp to several sharp tugs before scraping her off the mat. A sharp Headbutt to the bridge of the nose kept Winterrest from getting any bright ideas about escape and kept her vulnerable long enough for Diamond to slip an arm through her legs. Deceptively strong for her size, Laura didn’t even grunt when she flipped Elise up onto one shoulder. Palming the back of opposing neck to better control her descent, the Bodacious Biker turned a half circle, then pushed up on her toes and tossed Winterrest to the canvas with a BWOOMING Scoop Slam.
Crafty though she was, Elise possessed a spine like anyone else and she didn’t like being deposited forcefully upon it. Sitting up like the mat was electrified, she tried to roll to all fours but ran into trouble when Diamond snatched hold of her hair. “Let me go, you classless piece of UUUNNGGH!” Laura reared forward and snapped down, bouncing the back of Winterrest’s noggin off the thinly-padded plywood with a truncated, albeit no less emphatic Hair Pull Mat Slam.
“All right, no more with the hair pulling, Laura.” the ref warned while Diamond made a show of clapping invisible dust from her hands.
“Oh come on, Bob. Like she didn’t deserve that!”
“I didn’t say that, I said you need to knock it off.”
Laura rolled her eyes. “Fine. But ya can’t stop me from hurtin’ her the legal way!”
With that she spun, drew a bead on Elise’s forehead and sprang into the air. Curling both legs beneath her, she angled her right knee slightly forward and brought it THWUNKING down in the same spot she’d landed the Headbutt a moment ago. Again Winterrest sat up and again Diamond forced her right back down. “Look at those lights, baby. Start memorizing them now, because you’re gonna see a lot of ‘em whenever we’re in the ring together!”
Elise tried to say something, so Laura smacked her across the face before returning to verticality. Positioned to the left of the vulnerable brunette’s noggin, Diamond curled her left hand into a fist, kissed the knuckles and laid out on her side to PWAAAK another shot, you guessed it, between her rival’s eyes. Elise shuddered and put both hands to her face but she was a little too rattled to roll away so Diamond stood up and swung a leg over so she was facing the other brunette’s feet. Feet planted wide, Laura bent at the knees and curled both hands in front of her like she was holding invisible handlebars.
Wise to the ways of the Road Rager, the Jungle Dwellers started in with little ‘revving’ noises right away, then kicked it up to a full throttle roar when Diamond flicked her wrists up and twerked her hips at the same time. A little goosing was all it took to get the crowd shrieking, so Laura ‘peeled out’ on her way to the ropes and returned with a monstrous head of steam. Taking to the sky when her shadow fell across Winterrest’s feet, Diamond threw both gams forward BUTT instead of coming down in a Leg Drop she THWHUMPED her tush against Elise’s chest. Miss Murder’s legs kicked up in shock, so the silver-clad brunette grabbed one and pulled it forward in a Half Matchbook good enough for the…
ONE…
TWO…
“OOOWWW!” Elise darted a hand up and scraped her nails down the New Mexican’s face, forcing her to break the cover.
“Hey, watch the eyes, Elise!” the ref barked from his place beside the action. “Try it again and I’ll--”
“Don’t bother warning her, Bob.” a scowling Laura interrupted. “I’ve got a better way to teach her some manners.”
The lesson started with a double handful of hair, which proved more than enough to scrape the breathless battler off the mat. Quickly switching over to a Wristlock, Diamond pointed her prey at a corner on the other side of the squared circle and tossed her off so hard she dropped to one knee. Elise managed to keep her feet and even twisted around so she didn’t hit the buckles head on, unfortunately that meant it was her back that took most of the BWUUUNGING impact. Hands thrown up with wrists angled back, she took two tottering steps away from the crash site before Laura stole all that progress and then some by smashing her against the corner with an Avalanche Corner Splash. Diamond bounced back from the impact, Elise on the other hand had nowhere to go, so she stayed glued to the corner, which was exactly where the Bodacious Biker wanted her.
CORNER SPLASH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC3Pbhn7b6g
“You came in here and really threw your weight around, baby,” she palmed the back of Winterrest’s head in one hand and pulled, “but throwing your weight around is reckless. Dangerous even. And when you do it a little too often…” Laura peeled Elise out of the corner and swung into position against the corner. Palming the other brunette’s head in both hands, she boosted herself into a seat on the top buckle and peeled Winterrest’s long dark locks into two thick ponytails. “…Ya get thrown over your handlebars and leave a good portion of your face trailing across the asphalt.”
The Road Rager had no intention of leaving her face anywhere, so she jerked her ‘handlebars’ back and raised her right knee, planting it between Elise’s shoulders. Left foot on the middle buckle, she pushed off. Already woozy following that steady barrage of noggin rattlin’ punishment, Winterrest made it all of three steps before her legs gave out and she timbered forward with Diamond riding her all the way to the canvas. There was heavy TWHUNK, followed by loud cheers from those assembled as the modified Calf Branding Laura called ‘Road Rash’ turned Elise into a grease spot, one that didn’t move when the other brunette shot the Half Nelson and rolled her over for…
ROAD RASH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=laV_eWMyl9A
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
Winterrest escaped, no chicanery, she just raised a shoulder with half a tick to spare. Diamond took a deep breath and shook her head, but didn’t complain. Love her or hate her, Elise Winterrest was arguably the top talent in the Northeastern indy scene and she wouldn’t go down without a helluva fight. “Doesn’t bother me one bit, ‘Leese.” Laura muttered as she hauled the weak-kneed lovely to her feet, “I’m more than happy to ride ya ‘til the wheels fall off.”
“Huuuhh… huuuhhh…. oh please,” Elise huffed, her tone still haughty despite the ass kicking she’d endured, “you’ve barely mastered a Big Wheel, let alone WHOOOAAAHH!”
The Road Rager worked an arm through Winterrest’s gams and ‘hupped’ her onto one shoulder like she was little more than a bag of laundry. Diamond angled her other arm across Elise’s shoulders and swung toward a corner on the other side of the ring. Hooks sunk deep, Laura charged across the canvas and-- the Dwellers let out a startled ‘oooooohhh!’ when Miss Murder pistoned her legs and slipped loose of her attacker’s grasp. Hitting the canvas on the run, she put her hands against Laura’s shoulders and kept on bulling her way forward until the silver-clad stunner THUMPED tits-first against the top buckle.
Elise backed off fast and dropped into a slight crouch, waiting intently while Laura inched clear of the corner. “How are you feeling, dear?” The Icy Manipulator purred. “It seems your wheels are starting to wobble.”
Laura groaned, turned around and let loose with a looping Haymaker that went clear over Elise’s head when she dropped into a crouch. Elise slapped her hands into Diamond’s tummy and launched her into the air with a Flapjack. It wasn’t the highest elevation the Jungle had ever seen; in fact Laura’s boots were never more than three feet above the canvas. But it scrambled Diamond’s defences long enough for Elise to THWACK a vicious punt between the smaller woman’s thighs.
The air rushed from the Jungle Dwellers and Laura at the same time, but they came to their feet whereas the Bodacious Biker fell to her knees. Or at least she would have if Winterrest hadn’t drawn her into a casually arrogant Front Facelock. Pausing to enjoy that brief moment of near silence before the jeers would start in earnest, Elise tossed Diamond’s near arm over her shoulders, then reached out with her free hand and secured hold of the hobbled brunette’s waistband. A sharp yank and a strong tug muscled Laura up to a few minutes short of high noon, or perhaps she was closer to midnight because the Doomsday Clock clanged long and loud when Miss Murder took off with jostling overhead. More than halfway across the ring in four long strides, Winterrest kicked both legs forward and laid out on her back to SPIKE Diamond’s skull into the canvas with a Running Brainbuster rumored to be a gift of none other than the Black Queen herself.
MURDEROUS BRAINBUSTER:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQTVVOvKT6o
Whatever the origin, it did terrible things to Laura Diamond, the poor Jungle stalwart tossed to a boneless, glassy-eyed seat until her nerves caught up with the trauma and stretched her out flat. In perfect position to cover her prone adversary, Winterrest re-ignited the hatred of those assembled when she collected the New Mexico native at shoulder and hip and shovelled her onto her tummy. Lips curved up in that damnable grin, Elise worked a hand into Laura’s hair and lifted her head off the mat so she could lean down to whisper, “I could finish you right now, dear. But, to put it in terms your automotive obsessed brain can understand, I believe your wheels are still spinning. If only a little.”
“Yuuuu…. yuuuhh… you cheating piece of shit,” Diamond groaned, “I’ll get you back for UUNNNGGGHH!”
Elise slammed the defenceless woman’s forehead into the mat and held it there long enough to make sure she couldn’t or wouldn’t roll onto her back again. Once the shudders settled down the First Degree Femme Fatale got up and quickly made her way to the nearest appropriate corner. Threading her way through the ropes to the apron beyond, Winterrest climbed into the high rent district where she looked to the fans with an expectant smirk on her face. “Well, get to it children. Cheer the street trash as loudly as you can. Warn her exactly what I have planned. Go on, I’ll wait.”
The resultant storm of noise was mostly hate pointed squarely at Miss Murder, though several of those assembled did try to warn Laura. Alas, it all came to naught when Elise took to the skies and crooked her right arm across her chest. Stretched parallel to the canvas well before she met it, Winterrest’s form was pure Macho Madness, save for one important distinction. Where Savage delivered his lightning bolt to the sternum, Winterrest stuck hers squarely between Diamond’s shoulders, just below the base of the neck. Laura jolted like she’d been de-fibbed from behind and the aftershocks were enough to finally slop her onto her back. For a moment her world was nothing but a vague haze of lights, then Elise’s cut just deep enough to send a shiver down her traumatized spine.
“It seems I have made a liar of you, dear.” Winterrest murmured once she’d collected Diamond’s ankles and spread them in a wide ‘V’. “In so doing you have disappointed them all and so I am obliged to make you suffer for letting them down.”
Laura tried to shake her head ‘no’, but the Elbow Drop had transformed her neck into one huge hurt so she could only moan when Winterrest slung her left leg over the right in a loose Figure Four. Controlling the right ankle in both hands now, Elise turned a quarter circle so she could hook her right ankle across Laura’s left, thus holding the angled stem in place. In the next instant she muscled Diamond onto her belly and dropped to one knee. With Laura’s right leg angled straight back and the left pinned beneath at some gawdawful angle, Elise reached down with both hands, cupped Diamond’s chin and puuuuuuuuuuuulled back to complete the modified Camel Clutch feared up n’ down the Eastern Seaboard as Justifiable Homicide.
JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE @ 1:30
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8iZH5V3zng
Thrashing to life as Winterrest wrenched her spine into a brutal arch, Laura only reached for her opponent’s wrists for a second or two before planting them against the mat in a desperate bid to alleviate the pressure. “Hold out as long as you can or surrender at once my dear, it makes no difference to me. We both know the sound of that bell won‘t guarantee your freedom.” Miss Murder advised after ten agonizing seconds had ticked off the clock.
The hell of it was, Laura knew the other brunette wasn’t lying. She’d watched plenty of Elise’s matches before this catastrophic outing and she’d witnessed the coldhearted bytch let loose at once or cling on until a handful of referees had to prize her loose. Eyes shut, jaw clenched, Laura Diamond shook her head ‘no’ as best she could, which admittedly wasn’t much. “Thissssssss…. isn’t… ovvvverrr… bytCHHHERRGGH AAAAAHHHHH FAAAAAAAAHHHHKK I GIVE! I GIVE, LEGGO I GIVE!”
Elise lowered the Chinlock when the ref noted Diamond’s surrender, but she tugged up twice as hard when he turned to throw a signal to the Timekeeper. Torn free of their (allegedly) protective moorings, Laura’s arms flailed wildly as the One Way Ticket took her on a guided tour of Anguish, Torment and Despair. It all became too much rather abruptly and she went dishrag limp in the other woman’s clutches before the Announcer finished his duties.
“Ladies and gentlemen, your winner via submission… ELISE WINTERREST!”
The ref, who’d been trying to coax Laura’s release since shortly after the bell sounded, grew far more demanding when the Road Rager passed out. “Let her go NOW, Elise. Don’t think I won’t reverse the decision!”
Elise only jostled her grip, transforming Laura into the world’s largest Bobblehead. “Given what you know of me, what makes you think I’d care in the slightest?”
The zebra got up, ready to show he meant business. “You might not care, but the record books will.”
Elise sighed. Straight arrows were so unbearably boring. Acquiescing with a slight nod, she released the Chinlock and got to her feet. “Don’t bother to raise my hand,” she sniffed, “I’d be much more appreciative if you’d bring me a mic.”
“Promise not to stand on her head?”
“Very well.” He went away to procure a microphone and Winterrest perched a boot on side of Diamond’s face out of sheer spite. Ignoring his dirty look, she plucked the mic away and held it beneath her lips. “I’d like to take a moment to address all the women within the sound of my voice. Ingénues though most of you may be, I would hazard to guess you’ve been around this business long enough to recognize the speech where some dark new threat gets really close to the camera and warns everyone to stay out of their way while they seek out some blandly predictable goal. Well allay your fears because this is not one of those speeches.”
Contrary to her assertion, it sure looked to be one of ’those’ speeches when Winterrest stepped off her prey and moved to within inches of the camera. “You see ladies, I don’t mind when you get in my way. In fact, I encourage, no, that’s not right, I’m BEGGING you to get in my way. Because the Jungle Championship means nothing to me. It is merely an inevitability, a shiny gold trinket to be collected sometime during my tenure here. The only uncertainty at this point is just how many bodies I’ll leave in my wake on my way there. I don’t have the answer to that question but if you’ll allow me to be honest, I hope it’s a lot. I hope they’re carrying them off like cordwood.”
Elise dropped the mic and started to chuckle. Then she started to laugh. By the time she shoved the camera away it was a full fledged cackle, one that continued to ring in the ears long after the broadcast faded to black.
The name alone was enough to draw an enthusiastic roar from the Jungle Dwellers--Diamond had built herself a considerable fan following up north, one that just might put her on the highway down to Florida before too very long. But while a relative newcomer to the business, the music that accompanied her name was decidedly old school—namely Steppenwolf’s ‘Born to be Wild’ In addition to the music pumping out over the speakers, there’s also the sound of a revving engine—and that sound was decidedly live. A moment later, and its source—a Harley Davidson—drove onto the stage, the house EXPLODING in approval. Of course, it’s not just the bike that impressed them. The well-built brunette lovely astride the hog, her silver fightin’ two piece visible underneath an open black leather jacket and chaps, her eyes hidden behind shades, was certainly deserving of plenty of praise.
BORN TO BE WILD:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnB-dnJVlcs&feature=related
LAURA DIAMOND:
Riding her bike all the way down to ring, Laura took a turn away from the ring steps, parking her Harley near the other post. Slipping off her mount, the young brunette removed her shades, slipping them into the pocket of her jacket. Then, beaming, Diamond took a quick lap around the ring, reaching to slap as many hands as she could before bounding up the steel steps. Sliding through the ropes, Laura leapt onto the middle rope, pumping a fist to an appreciative cheer, before jumping down and beginning the process of slipping out of her leathers.
With Laura and the Jungle Dwellers entertaining one another the Announcer was free to resume his duties. “And introducing her opponent, hailing from Belasco Maine,” a small cheer went up, Belasco was only an hour or so outside of Bangor and there were a handful of locals who always made the pilgrimage for Jungle shows, “She stands at five feet seven inches tall and weighs in tonight at one hundred and thirty-three pounds. They call her Miss Murder, ELISE WINTERREST!”
OUT OF THE BLACK:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_d_C5b-BD4
Boos joined the cheers this time and in far greater numbers. While some might’ve appreciated Winterrest’s local girl made good’ story, most everyone else loathed her antics between the ropes with a fiery passion. Love her or hate her, it didn’t stop the pounding, staccato drumbeat of Royal Blood’s ‘Out of the Black’. Elise arrived in time with the drums, the northeast indy standout and newest Jungle acquisition brushing through the curtain to better survey tonight’s prey. Dark of eye, hair and humor and heart, Winterrest’s fair skin made her a cruel shard of winter even in the depths of a Vacationland summer. But her complexion changed right along with everyone else’s when the house lights went down and the aisle lights blazed forth in an eerie, fiery red. Chucking at the startled murmur that trick never failed to produce, Winterrest started toward the squared circle, taking great care to avoid several hands extended in her direction.
ELISE WINTERREST:
For her encounter with the Asphalt Angel, the bendy-backed brunette wore a short shift of black silk that shined like oil in the flickering red light. Dresses were usually frowned upon as ring attire but this one earned a pass because everyone could see the small black pads at knee and elbow and the matching boots that stopped just shy of the knee. There was something written in red on her boots and it was only the newbies who had to wait until the lights went up to find out they red ‘Redrum’.
Almost to the ring now, Elise paused in front of one of her hopelessly enamoured fans but when he extended a hand she moved in close and held a finger to his lips, a beguiling bit of control that echoed the line pouring through the speakers. So don’t breathe when I talk, ‘Cause you haven’t been spoken to.’ Gone before he had a chance to do anything more than blink, Miss Murder ascended the steps in silence, slipped between the ropes and claimed the center of the ring without so much as glancing at her opponent.
A hand went to the nape of her neck and stayed there as Winterrest turned to all four sides of the arena, the wicked brunette meticulous in deciding who deserved the full force of her regard. Finally settling on the side opposite the hard camera, she tugged at an unseen knot and the silk puddled around her feet to leave the newcomer clad in a halter-style black one piece cut high over the hips and low across the back. Its most striking feature however was the series of four sharp diagonal slashes that revealed bright arterial red beneath the black. The lights returned once her battle attire was properly revealed so Elise Winterrest padded to the corner across from Diamond and settled in to contemplate the impending carnage.
Laura’s smile died with the CLANG of the bell, despite her friendly show for the fans she hadn’t forgotten about what Elise did to Selia Brach in her debut, nor the way she’d treated several of her friends during the subsequent weeks. Eyes locked on the insouciant brunette, she pushed clear of her corner and made a beeline for the opposite side of the ring.
Far from concerned with the other woman’s fiery approach, Elise made no move to meet Laura’s charge, let alone flee. It wasn’t until Laura was within three feet that Winterrest dipped her torso and threaded it between top and middle rope. “Pull her back, please.” she told the official without even glancing at Diamond. “I fear my foe has less than honorable intentions at this moment.”
Laura almost booted her in the gut anyway, but she didn’t want to start with the ref on her case, so she raised her hands to shoulder level and backed off far enough to satisfy all parties concerned. “You can hide behind the rules all you want, baby.” Diamond called when Elise extricated herself from the ropes. “It’s not going to stop me from kicking your ass. You might’ve tricked Selia, you can’t trick me.”
The Icy Manipulator laughed very softly. “My dear, you’ve already been tricked. You’re in the ring, aren’t you?”
Laura frowned, closed in faster than before and snapped, “Oh C’MON!” when Winterrest dipped between the ropes again.
The referee shooed Diamond back, but he favored Elise with a stern look as well. “Enough of that garbage, Elise. Try it a third time and I’ll look the other way.”
“I guess that explains why you’re tucked away up here and not working matches in Orlando.” That shut him up so Winterrest pulled her torso back into the squared circle and took a single step forward. “Very well, dear. You wish to avenge the tiny powerlifter? Then step forward and bring your best. But before you do, pause to consider a question. What loser will they send to avenge you?”
Laura only shook her head. “I’d be more worried about who they send to scrape you off the NNNGGGGHHH!”
Elise darted out of the corner viper-quick and put Laura’s head on a swivel courtesy of a nasty Bytch Slap. Drawing back to within a step or two of her corner in an instant, Miss Murder sniffed, “It was a rhetorical question, little girl. They’re not going to send anyone to avenge a piece of flotsam like-- Diamond flat out charged her, yet Winterrest still found the time to crouch and thread her ankles around the other brunette’s lead foot. A little twitch sent Laura tumbling to her knees and into an unpleasant face-first encounter with the second turnbuckle.
TURNBUCKLE DROP TOE HOLD:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy9QoKJkqoM
Stunned by the collision, Diamond reached for her head with both hands, then let out a surprised grunt when Elise snatched her wrists. “The second turnbuckle so rarely receives the attention it deserves,” Winterrest purred once she’d worked her opponent’s arms beneath the middle rope and pulled them back over top, nocking the rubber-coated steel in the crook of Laura’s elbows, “so I’m sure it appreciates even a little face time with one as tawdry as yourself.”
“Bytch,” Diamond wrenched and twisted in an attempt to free her wrists but found no success, “your face is going to have some quality time with my boot as soon as I’ve EEERRRGGGGAAAAAHHHHH!”
Stepping back to put the screws to Diamond’s arms, Elise raised her right foot, planted it against the side of the trapped lovely’s face and pushed forward to grind her cheek against the rough canvas. The modified Surfboard earned a pained ‘oooohhh’ from the crowd and a grimace from the official. He’d seen a lot, but he’d never seen that. Innovation aside, it was still an illegal hold and after a moment he said, “All right Elise, let her loose.” She released Diamond’s wrists and pulled her foot away at once. No sass, no dirty looks, just immediate compliance. “Ummmh, thanks.” he muttered. “I appreciate that.”
“As I appreciate your studious observance of the rules.” Winterrest said it with a pleasant smile, then turned and snapped a nasty little kick into the underside of the middle buckle. Diamond cried out and reared back onto her knees with both hands pressed to her face, so Elise drew a bead and drilled a Forearm Smash across her shoulders. That sent her sprawling chest-first into the bottom turnbuckle, which might’ve been considered an improvement over her earlier predicament if the other brunette hadn’t planted a boot between her shoulders as she claimed a mount on the second rope. Wearing the expression of someone lost in a menial, but enjoyable chore, Elise leapt from the buckles, raised her knees to about hip level and swung down ‘n in to THWHUMP both feet against Diamond’s back.
DOUBLE STOMPS IN THE CORNER @ 1:16
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoKvTozbZeU
“NNNNGGGHHHH!” Laura threw her head back as the stomp compressed her spine and sternum at the same time. Pleased enough with the initial result to try again, Winterrest hopped up and delivered a second emphatic stomp to her prey’s back. Diamond’s groan was a little softer this time, not because it was any less painful, but because there wasn’t enough air in her lungs to give proper voice to the anguish. And yet this didn’t stop the black-clad brunette from delivering a third stomp, one answered with a faint wheeze from poor Laura. The count started after the second stomp, so Elise dismounted at ‘THREE!’
“It seems that you are not nearly as immune to trickery as you might have believed.” Elise exclaimed to her foe’s trampled back. “And yet rather than answer with a simple, ‘I told you so’, I believe this will be far more effective in proving my point.”
She leaned down, grabbed hold of Diamond’s shiny silver waistband and pulled down instead of up. The Jungle Dwellers let loose with an embarrassed sort of cheer when a good three quarters of Laura’s buns were bared and it turned into a full on ‘Oh No She DIN’T!’ ‘oooooooohhhhh!’ when The Icy Manipulator SLAPPED those defenceless glutes.
Cool air and hot palm on her backside brought Laura back to her senses at once and those distended togs were set to rights in a matter of seconds. Though pride and anger demanded she go after the sneaking bytch right freaking now, instinct held Diamond in check for the moment. Down on one knee, she turned to face Winterrest and shook her head in disbelief. “You’ve got some nerve, bytch. I’ll give you that.”
Elise looked mildly rankled at what she considered a gross underestimation of the situation thus far. “Please, dear. In less than four minutes I’ve had my boot on your cheek and my hand on your fat little ass. I’d say I’ve got a great deal more than just nerve.”
Laura nodded. She hated to concede the point but Winterrest was right. Getting to her feet, the Road Rager raised both hands to chest level and quickly cracked her knuckles. “All right, I’ll give you both of those. Know what else you’re about to get?”
Elise answered with an evil smile; she did so love it when good girls tried to be bad. “Please dear, do tell.”
“A concussion.”
Laura lunged at Miss Murder with her hands purposely raised a bit too high and when Elise bought the bait and fired off a Toe Kick, she caught her ankle in both hands. Already humiliatingly aware of her foe’s quicksilver adaptability, Laura didn’t bother with a taunt or even a smug look, she simply pulled Winterrest’s leg up as high as she could, then tossed it down and back. The violent swing of it swept Elise off her plant foot and she THWHUMPED down on her face and chest, much to the delight of Diamond and the Dwellers.
There wasn’t much time to celebrate though, Elise made it to her knees almost at once and Laura knew she’d be vertical shortly thereafter. To prevent that from happening she pwaaaked a few Forearm Smashes against the side of Winterrest’s skull, then whirled around and ran the ropes. Coming back under an excellent head of steam, she hopped up, twisted sideways and bowled the Icy Manipulator over with a low angle Flying Crossbody that proved just as effective in pinning the recipient’s shoulders to the mat. With Elise wriggling beneath her, Laura collected the far leg in a tight cradle and bobbed her head along with the…
ONE…
TWO…
Winterrest shoved the domineering woman clear with a full second to spare, which just so happened to be the length of her reprieve. Immediately seeking out her foe’s hair, Laura treated Elise’s scalp to several sharp tugs before scraping her off the mat. A sharp Headbutt to the bridge of the nose kept Winterrest from getting any bright ideas about escape and kept her vulnerable long enough for Diamond to slip an arm through her legs. Deceptively strong for her size, Laura didn’t even grunt when she flipped Elise up onto one shoulder. Palming the back of opposing neck to better control her descent, the Bodacious Biker turned a half circle, then pushed up on her toes and tossed Winterrest to the canvas with a BWOOMING Scoop Slam.
Crafty though she was, Elise possessed a spine like anyone else and she didn’t like being deposited forcefully upon it. Sitting up like the mat was electrified, she tried to roll to all fours but ran into trouble when Diamond snatched hold of her hair. “Let me go, you classless piece of UUUNNGGH!” Laura reared forward and snapped down, bouncing the back of Winterrest’s noggin off the thinly-padded plywood with a truncated, albeit no less emphatic Hair Pull Mat Slam.
“All right, no more with the hair pulling, Laura.” the ref warned while Diamond made a show of clapping invisible dust from her hands.
“Oh come on, Bob. Like she didn’t deserve that!”
“I didn’t say that, I said you need to knock it off.”
Laura rolled her eyes. “Fine. But ya can’t stop me from hurtin’ her the legal way!”
With that she spun, drew a bead on Elise’s forehead and sprang into the air. Curling both legs beneath her, she angled her right knee slightly forward and brought it THWUNKING down in the same spot she’d landed the Headbutt a moment ago. Again Winterrest sat up and again Diamond forced her right back down. “Look at those lights, baby. Start memorizing them now, because you’re gonna see a lot of ‘em whenever we’re in the ring together!”
Elise tried to say something, so Laura smacked her across the face before returning to verticality. Positioned to the left of the vulnerable brunette’s noggin, Diamond curled her left hand into a fist, kissed the knuckles and laid out on her side to PWAAAK another shot, you guessed it, between her rival’s eyes. Elise shuddered and put both hands to her face but she was a little too rattled to roll away so Diamond stood up and swung a leg over so she was facing the other brunette’s feet. Feet planted wide, Laura bent at the knees and curled both hands in front of her like she was holding invisible handlebars.
Wise to the ways of the Road Rager, the Jungle Dwellers started in with little ‘revving’ noises right away, then kicked it up to a full throttle roar when Diamond flicked her wrists up and twerked her hips at the same time. A little goosing was all it took to get the crowd shrieking, so Laura ‘peeled out’ on her way to the ropes and returned with a monstrous head of steam. Taking to the sky when her shadow fell across Winterrest’s feet, Diamond threw both gams forward BUTT instead of coming down in a Leg Drop she THWHUMPED her tush against Elise’s chest. Miss Murder’s legs kicked up in shock, so the silver-clad brunette grabbed one and pulled it forward in a Half Matchbook good enough for the…
ONE…
TWO…
“OOOWWW!” Elise darted a hand up and scraped her nails down the New Mexican’s face, forcing her to break the cover.
“Hey, watch the eyes, Elise!” the ref barked from his place beside the action. “Try it again and I’ll--”
“Don’t bother warning her, Bob.” a scowling Laura interrupted. “I’ve got a better way to teach her some manners.”
The lesson started with a double handful of hair, which proved more than enough to scrape the breathless battler off the mat. Quickly switching over to a Wristlock, Diamond pointed her prey at a corner on the other side of the squared circle and tossed her off so hard she dropped to one knee. Elise managed to keep her feet and even twisted around so she didn’t hit the buckles head on, unfortunately that meant it was her back that took most of the BWUUUNGING impact. Hands thrown up with wrists angled back, she took two tottering steps away from the crash site before Laura stole all that progress and then some by smashing her against the corner with an Avalanche Corner Splash. Diamond bounced back from the impact, Elise on the other hand had nowhere to go, so she stayed glued to the corner, which was exactly where the Bodacious Biker wanted her.
CORNER SPLASH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC3Pbhn7b6g
“You came in here and really threw your weight around, baby,” she palmed the back of Winterrest’s head in one hand and pulled, “but throwing your weight around is reckless. Dangerous even. And when you do it a little too often…” Laura peeled Elise out of the corner and swung into position against the corner. Palming the other brunette’s head in both hands, she boosted herself into a seat on the top buckle and peeled Winterrest’s long dark locks into two thick ponytails. “…Ya get thrown over your handlebars and leave a good portion of your face trailing across the asphalt.”
The Road Rager had no intention of leaving her face anywhere, so she jerked her ‘handlebars’ back and raised her right knee, planting it between Elise’s shoulders. Left foot on the middle buckle, she pushed off. Already woozy following that steady barrage of noggin rattlin’ punishment, Winterrest made it all of three steps before her legs gave out and she timbered forward with Diamond riding her all the way to the canvas. There was heavy TWHUNK, followed by loud cheers from those assembled as the modified Calf Branding Laura called ‘Road Rash’ turned Elise into a grease spot, one that didn’t move when the other brunette shot the Half Nelson and rolled her over for…
ROAD RASH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=laV_eWMyl9A
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
Winterrest escaped, no chicanery, she just raised a shoulder with half a tick to spare. Diamond took a deep breath and shook her head, but didn’t complain. Love her or hate her, Elise Winterrest was arguably the top talent in the Northeastern indy scene and she wouldn’t go down without a helluva fight. “Doesn’t bother me one bit, ‘Leese.” Laura muttered as she hauled the weak-kneed lovely to her feet, “I’m more than happy to ride ya ‘til the wheels fall off.”
“Huuuhh… huuuhhh…. oh please,” Elise huffed, her tone still haughty despite the ass kicking she’d endured, “you’ve barely mastered a Big Wheel, let alone WHOOOAAAHH!”
The Road Rager worked an arm through Winterrest’s gams and ‘hupped’ her onto one shoulder like she was little more than a bag of laundry. Diamond angled her other arm across Elise’s shoulders and swung toward a corner on the other side of the ring. Hooks sunk deep, Laura charged across the canvas and-- the Dwellers let out a startled ‘oooooohhh!’ when Miss Murder pistoned her legs and slipped loose of her attacker’s grasp. Hitting the canvas on the run, she put her hands against Laura’s shoulders and kept on bulling her way forward until the silver-clad stunner THUMPED tits-first against the top buckle.
Elise backed off fast and dropped into a slight crouch, waiting intently while Laura inched clear of the corner. “How are you feeling, dear?” The Icy Manipulator purred. “It seems your wheels are starting to wobble.”
Laura groaned, turned around and let loose with a looping Haymaker that went clear over Elise’s head when she dropped into a crouch. Elise slapped her hands into Diamond’s tummy and launched her into the air with a Flapjack. It wasn’t the highest elevation the Jungle had ever seen; in fact Laura’s boots were never more than three feet above the canvas. But it scrambled Diamond’s defences long enough for Elise to THWACK a vicious punt between the smaller woman’s thighs.
The air rushed from the Jungle Dwellers and Laura at the same time, but they came to their feet whereas the Bodacious Biker fell to her knees. Or at least she would have if Winterrest hadn’t drawn her into a casually arrogant Front Facelock. Pausing to enjoy that brief moment of near silence before the jeers would start in earnest, Elise tossed Diamond’s near arm over her shoulders, then reached out with her free hand and secured hold of the hobbled brunette’s waistband. A sharp yank and a strong tug muscled Laura up to a few minutes short of high noon, or perhaps she was closer to midnight because the Doomsday Clock clanged long and loud when Miss Murder took off with jostling overhead. More than halfway across the ring in four long strides, Winterrest kicked both legs forward and laid out on her back to SPIKE Diamond’s skull into the canvas with a Running Brainbuster rumored to be a gift of none other than the Black Queen herself.
MURDEROUS BRAINBUSTER:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQTVVOvKT6o
Whatever the origin, it did terrible things to Laura Diamond, the poor Jungle stalwart tossed to a boneless, glassy-eyed seat until her nerves caught up with the trauma and stretched her out flat. In perfect position to cover her prone adversary, Winterrest re-ignited the hatred of those assembled when she collected the New Mexico native at shoulder and hip and shovelled her onto her tummy. Lips curved up in that damnable grin, Elise worked a hand into Laura’s hair and lifted her head off the mat so she could lean down to whisper, “I could finish you right now, dear. But, to put it in terms your automotive obsessed brain can understand, I believe your wheels are still spinning. If only a little.”
“Yuuuu…. yuuuhh… you cheating piece of shit,” Diamond groaned, “I’ll get you back for UUNNNGGGHH!”
Elise slammed the defenceless woman’s forehead into the mat and held it there long enough to make sure she couldn’t or wouldn’t roll onto her back again. Once the shudders settled down the First Degree Femme Fatale got up and quickly made her way to the nearest appropriate corner. Threading her way through the ropes to the apron beyond, Winterrest climbed into the high rent district where she looked to the fans with an expectant smirk on her face. “Well, get to it children. Cheer the street trash as loudly as you can. Warn her exactly what I have planned. Go on, I’ll wait.”
The resultant storm of noise was mostly hate pointed squarely at Miss Murder, though several of those assembled did try to warn Laura. Alas, it all came to naught when Elise took to the skies and crooked her right arm across her chest. Stretched parallel to the canvas well before she met it, Winterrest’s form was pure Macho Madness, save for one important distinction. Where Savage delivered his lightning bolt to the sternum, Winterrest stuck hers squarely between Diamond’s shoulders, just below the base of the neck. Laura jolted like she’d been de-fibbed from behind and the aftershocks were enough to finally slop her onto her back. For a moment her world was nothing but a vague haze of lights, then Elise’s cut just deep enough to send a shiver down her traumatized spine.
“It seems I have made a liar of you, dear.” Winterrest murmured once she’d collected Diamond’s ankles and spread them in a wide ‘V’. “In so doing you have disappointed them all and so I am obliged to make you suffer for letting them down.”
Laura tried to shake her head ‘no’, but the Elbow Drop had transformed her neck into one huge hurt so she could only moan when Winterrest slung her left leg over the right in a loose Figure Four. Controlling the right ankle in both hands now, Elise turned a quarter circle so she could hook her right ankle across Laura’s left, thus holding the angled stem in place. In the next instant she muscled Diamond onto her belly and dropped to one knee. With Laura’s right leg angled straight back and the left pinned beneath at some gawdawful angle, Elise reached down with both hands, cupped Diamond’s chin and puuuuuuuuuuuulled back to complete the modified Camel Clutch feared up n’ down the Eastern Seaboard as Justifiable Homicide.
JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE @ 1:30
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8iZH5V3zng
Thrashing to life as Winterrest wrenched her spine into a brutal arch, Laura only reached for her opponent’s wrists for a second or two before planting them against the mat in a desperate bid to alleviate the pressure. “Hold out as long as you can or surrender at once my dear, it makes no difference to me. We both know the sound of that bell won‘t guarantee your freedom.” Miss Murder advised after ten agonizing seconds had ticked off the clock.
The hell of it was, Laura knew the other brunette wasn’t lying. She’d watched plenty of Elise’s matches before this catastrophic outing and she’d witnessed the coldhearted bytch let loose at once or cling on until a handful of referees had to prize her loose. Eyes shut, jaw clenched, Laura Diamond shook her head ‘no’ as best she could, which admittedly wasn’t much. “Thissssssss…. isn’t… ovvvverrr… bytCHHHERRGGH AAAAAHHHHH FAAAAAAAAHHHHKK I GIVE! I GIVE, LEGGO I GIVE!”
Elise lowered the Chinlock when the ref noted Diamond’s surrender, but she tugged up twice as hard when he turned to throw a signal to the Timekeeper. Torn free of their (allegedly) protective moorings, Laura’s arms flailed wildly as the One Way Ticket took her on a guided tour of Anguish, Torment and Despair. It all became too much rather abruptly and she went dishrag limp in the other woman’s clutches before the Announcer finished his duties.
“Ladies and gentlemen, your winner via submission… ELISE WINTERREST!”
The ref, who’d been trying to coax Laura’s release since shortly after the bell sounded, grew far more demanding when the Road Rager passed out. “Let her go NOW, Elise. Don’t think I won’t reverse the decision!”
Elise only jostled her grip, transforming Laura into the world’s largest Bobblehead. “Given what you know of me, what makes you think I’d care in the slightest?”
The zebra got up, ready to show he meant business. “You might not care, but the record books will.”
Elise sighed. Straight arrows were so unbearably boring. Acquiescing with a slight nod, she released the Chinlock and got to her feet. “Don’t bother to raise my hand,” she sniffed, “I’d be much more appreciative if you’d bring me a mic.”
“Promise not to stand on her head?”
“Very well.” He went away to procure a microphone and Winterrest perched a boot on side of Diamond’s face out of sheer spite. Ignoring his dirty look, she plucked the mic away and held it beneath her lips. “I’d like to take a moment to address all the women within the sound of my voice. Ingénues though most of you may be, I would hazard to guess you’ve been around this business long enough to recognize the speech where some dark new threat gets really close to the camera and warns everyone to stay out of their way while they seek out some blandly predictable goal. Well allay your fears because this is not one of those speeches.”
Contrary to her assertion, it sure looked to be one of ’those’ speeches when Winterrest stepped off her prey and moved to within inches of the camera. “You see ladies, I don’t mind when you get in my way. In fact, I encourage, no, that’s not right, I’m BEGGING you to get in my way. Because the Jungle Championship means nothing to me. It is merely an inevitability, a shiny gold trinket to be collected sometime during my tenure here. The only uncertainty at this point is just how many bodies I’ll leave in my wake on my way there. I don’t have the answer to that question but if you’ll allow me to be honest, I hope it’s a lot. I hope they’re carrying them off like cordwood.”
Elise dropped the mic and started to chuckle. Then she started to laugh. By the time she shoved the camera away it was a full fledged cackle, one that continued to ring in the ears long after the broadcast faded to black.
